LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22226, 28 September 1935, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Accident to Cyclist Facial injuries and a dislocated loft wrist wore suffered by Henry Hema, a Maori, aged 16, of Clevedon, when ho was riding a bicycle along Mount Wellington highway yesterday afternoon and collided with a, motor-car at the corner of Pilkington Road. He was taken to the Auckland Hospital in a St. John ambulance. His condition is not serious.

Mussel Drowns Kingfisher Tho crew of the Government fishing launch Nora saw a kngfisher dive into the sea from the branch of a pohutukawa at Surfdale, Waiheke Island, a few days ago. When tho bird did not reappear after a few minutes the crew investigated and found that a largo mussel had closed its shell on tho beak of tho unfortunate kingfisher, trapping it under the water and drowning it. Traffic Past Hospital A further move in the direction of improved control of traffic in Park Road was made yesterday, when a white line was painted in the centre of the roadway on the corner near tho main entrance to tho Auckland Hospital. Tho line is conspicuous and easily visible from a considerable distance, both in daylight and under the beams of head-lamps. There was a noticeable improvement last night in the driving of motorists-negotiating the corner, comparatively few going on the wrong side of the line. More Telephones Telephone connections, as an indicator of a steady return to normal business conditions, are providing further evidence of improvement. There was a net increase of 467 in the number of connections throughout New Zealand during August. Not only is this tho best monthly gain since December, 1930, but it is the 26th consecu'tive month in which this improving tendency has been shown. New Zealand telephone connections now total only about 5 per cent - fewer than at tho peak point of 1930.

Control ot the Strap Although older people often remark that education nowadays is too soft, and recall tho stern ways of old-time schoolmasters, the use of the rod was strictly supervised in some schools 50 years ago. At the school at Richmond, Christchurch, for example, in "tho good old days," a member of the staff could not use the strap without the permission of the school committee. This information was conveyed in a pamphlet concerning the school quoted from by Mr. J. J. Rowe at a meeting called to consider the celebration of the diamond jubilee of tho school. Time for Consideration

When the Wellington Colleges Board of Governors was debating at its last meeting whether it should ask the Education Department to remodel the Wellington Girls' College or should defer action until after more urgent works had been undertaken by the department, it was suggested that the case should be presented now. "If we do it now, it will be considered for a year and then we will put our case before them again," remarked one member. "If we don't put our case before them now," ho added, "that year's consideration will be postponed for another year." Kauri Trees in New Plymouth

In Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, there are 350 flourishing kauri trees in all stages of growth. Benefiting from proper cultivation, trees planted several years ago have mado wonderful progress. One particularly fine specimen is on tlio western side of the lake just opposite the boat-house. The tree, which was planted in 1915, had reached 39ft. lOin. by 1932 and to-day it is 46ft. 2in. high. Other trees in the vicinity have grown a foot in tho last 12 months. Provision is being made, it is understood, for the planting of another 650 kauri trees.

Skill Not An Asset

A complaint that under present conditions a workman's skill was hardly an asset was made by Mr. L. H. Flavell, an employees' assessor, at a Conciliation Council hearing of tho leadlight workers' dispute in Christchurch. Mr. Flavell stated that there was very little difference in the wages of skilled and unskilled men, when really there should be 50 per cent. At tho present time boys realised that they would get not much more than labourers' wages when they came out of their time and were saying, "What is the use of going into a trade?"

Disarming Frankness Tho result of a constable's disarming frankness when questioned by a woman shopkeeper suspected of Sunday trading was related by Sub-In-spector Fox in tho Police Court yesterday, when the woman was charged with tho offence. "A constable wishing to buy somo cigarettes, admitted he was a constable, when questioned by defendant," Mr. Fox stated. "She then said, 'Oh, you have come to catch me.' When the constable said 'Yes, I have,' defendant replied, 'Well, you are so frank about it I will give you the cigarettes.' " The woman was convicted and discharged. Pro-British Chinese

There is now among the Chinese a strong feeling favourable to Great Britain, according to Mr. A. Fryer, a medical missionary from the Kwnngsi Province, who was interviewed in Christchurch. Mr. Fryer said that for some years aftor the incident on the Yangtse-Kiang River in 1926, when a British gunboat fired on a number of Chinese, feeling had run high against the British. The Chinese had kept a national day of humiliation for antiBritish demonstrations. More recent events had changed the meaning of the day, however, and the demonstrations were now against the Japanese.

Overseas Malls Arriving A considerable quantity of overseas mail will be delivered in Auckland on Monday and Tuesday. Four mails from oversea will have arrived on four successive days. This morning the Beninera will arrive from London with English mail and to-morrow afternoon the Golden Cloud will arrive from Los Angeles with American mail. The Niagara is due from Vancouver on Monday morning with English and American mail, and on Tuesday morning the Marama will arrive from Sydney with Australian mail, which will probably include Empire air mail. In addition the Makura will arrive at Wellington from Sydney on Monday morning with Australian mail, including letters for Auckland.