LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22469, 13 July 1936, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Heavy Railway Traffic There was a particularly large crowd at the Auckland railway station last night, whon the limited express was increased by four cars to a total of 14 units. The sizo of the train was partly accounted for by the fact that teams of football and hockey players were travelling. Suburban trains also were well patronised during the day. Berthage at Port Chalmers The Otago Harbour Board hopes to have completed by the next export season work which will provide at Port Chalmers another deep-water berth capable of accommodating the largest vessels likely to enter the harbour. The work takes the form of a widening of the Bowen pier by 20ft. for a distance of 700 ft. Already two-thirds of the piles that will be required have been driven and the erection of the superstructure is well advanced. The berth has been dredged to a depth of 33ft. "Boys Getting Soft" "Things are getting soft these days," said Mr. C. T. Major, headmaster of King's School, at the reunion of King's College old boys on Saturday nighfc. "Do you know that boys come to school dressed first of all in a singlet, then in a woollen shirt, then in a pullover, then a blazer, and then a top-coat. But they are good boys, all the same. They have to do what their mothers tell them so the fault isn't theirs. The tone, the spirit of work, and the work done, however, have not been surpassed." Mental Hospital Library Through the activities of the members of the branch of the Auckland Hospital Auxiliary interested in the welfare of the patients at the Auckland Mental Hospital, a complete library has been built at the latter institution. The proposal was mooted over a year ago and now, overlooking the recreation ground, there is a spacious room, fully furnished, with 1500 books, in which the inmates can sit and read. The reading matter, which includes many periodicals and other publications, is contributed by the public. Fire in Garage A motor-car and the lock-up garage in which it was housed in Chamberlain Avenue, Royal Oak, were damaged by fire early yesterday morning. The motor-car, which belongs to Northern Automobiles, Limited, and the garage, which is owned by Mr. C. B. Parker, were both burning when the Onehunga and Mount Roskill brigades responded to a call by telephone at 1.20 a.m. The bodywork and the electrical equipment of the car were damaged extensively, and the rafters and roof of the garage were charred. Demands on Labour Office The office of the Labour Department has been so besieged by telephone calls both from employers end from workers seeking advice as to their position under the new labour legislation that it has become necessary to arrange for extra telephone connections to be installed immediately. The need for this was strikingly proved last week, when a check was kept at the exchange of the calls going through to the labour office. The office has three telephones, and it was found that during two days more than 500 calls could not get through on account of all the lines being engaged. A Generous Response A very gratifying response has been made throughout the Dominion to the appeal for funds for a memorial to the late Squadron-Leader M. C. McGregor, who lost his life in an accident at the Rongotai aerodrome, and the Wellington committee in charge of the fund now has £5103 in hand. Of this, a sum of £022 was sent from Auckland, in reporting on the position, the secretary of the fund states that there is just one moro return to come in and then the fund will be finalised. "The response has been most generous," ho says, "and we have been able to exceed the total set as our goal." Now Ohristchurch Post Office The Post and Telegraph Department has taken the first step toward the provision of a new post office in Christchurch by calling for tenders for the demolition of the old Colonial Bank building and the brick store at 91 Hereford Street. The tenders will close on July 23. Mr. G. McNamara, DirectorGeneral of the department, said that the demolition work would prepare the ground for the first section of the new post office, where a large building would be erected to provide accommodation while the main building was under construction. The plans for the main building were still in preparation. Boy Palls into Harbour A schoolboy fell into the harbour from Prince's Wharf yesterday afternoon, but ho was quickly rescued. He was walking along tho wooden stringer on the edgo of the wharf when he overbalanced. The incident occurred on tho eastern sido of tho wharf, near tho wharf gates, and was witnessed by Mr. It. Cochrane, tho Harbour Board gatekeeper on watch. He immediately threw into tho water a lifebuoy attached to a long ropo, and tho boy sat on tho lifebuoy while being hoisted back to the wluirf. The boy was nono tho worse for his immersion, and as soon as ho reached tho wharf ho hurried away homo to change his clothes

Regimental Alliance Recalling at the first annual reunion of the 15th North Auckland Regiment on Saturday night that it was allied to the Northamptonshire Regiment of the British Army, Mr. R. Mason pointed out that many of the Maoris who had served with it during the war were descendants of those who had fought against the Northamptonshire Regiment, which had played a prominent part in the early days of New Zealand history. In view of the close association of this regiment with New Zealand, it was appropriate that it should bo allied with a regiment in this country At one time an eighth of the population of Auckland consisted of disbanded members of the Northamptonshire and their families. New Preparatory School

Tho wholo scheme for the improvement of King's "School is to cost £50,000, said • tho headmaster. Mr. C. T. Major, on Saturday night at tho reunion dinner of the King's College Old Boys' Association. Tho portion of it under construction now cost only £12,000, but tho plans for the future provided for additions, such as a gymnasium, dormitories, more classrooms, servants' quarters, a dining hall, and so on. Tho whole would bo a building which would be a credit to Auckland. If this new school had not been built, King's School would have been closed. "Tho old school was good enough for me and was good enough for you, but it was not good enough for the parents of to-day," said Mr. Major.