LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22540, 3 October 1936, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Orchards In Otago The orchards throughout the Alexandra district, Otago, are at present very bright and attractive with blossom, and the indications are for an exceptional crop. At thi3 time last year fruitgrowers had considerable difficulties with frosts, but up to the present no considerable irosts have been experienced. i Salvaged Air Mall I Tin; Postal Department bus received j advice that, the Imperial Airways aero- | plane Athena caught fire at Delhi, on September 20, when en route from FngIjind lo Australia. Ten of the twelve bags of mail ou board for New Zealand were salvaged and were forwarded by : a relief aeroplane the following day. j The mail was probably despatched trom ' London on September 21. ■ Savage Club's Gesture As a result of the Auckland Savage ! Club's concert on August ]!>, promoted ! to raise funds for the assistance of I children of poor families, a cheque tor | £BO has been forwarded to the Community Sunshine Association, which j has expressed warm thanks for the i club's "splendid, philanthropic ges- | ture." The expenses of the concert wore paid by Captain R. S. .Jtidson, chief rangatira of the club. Older People More Generous "Almost without exception the collectors for our street appeal reported that older people contributed far more freely and liberally than the youth of Auckland," said Mr. S. E. Langstonc, secretary-manager of the St. John Ambulance Association, last night. "As a great part of our service is performed in the interest of sport this is rather difficult to explain. Taken as a whole, however, the response was splendid." Paying for Radio "1 have no money to pay," said a woman who was fined in the Magistrate's Court yesterday for having an unlicensed radio set. "If you have no money you should disconnect the set," replied the magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt. Another defendant claimed that his set was opposite his shop door, where it could bo seen from the street. "Nobodv wants to look at vour radio," Siftd tho magistrate. "We want to sen l your money." Beauty at the Zoo That the Auckland Zoological Park is rapidly becoming one of the most beautiful resorts in the City is evident from the attractive appearance of tho trees and flowers at the present time. Iceland poppies, stocks and tulips are in full bloom, while such deciduous trees as golden willows, planes and elms are taking on their summer foliage. The various native trees on the hillside, which have been planted in recent years, also make a pleasing show. Bananas Dear High prices were obtained for ripe bananas at the City Markets yesterday, as much as 33s a case being paid for the fruit in some instances. A large shipment of Samoan bananas is due at Auckland by the Waipahi ou Wednesday and prices should show an easier tendency when the fruit has ripened for the market. The shipment, which comprises nearly 7000 cases, is reported to be the largest quantity of Samoan bananas to come to Auckland for five years. Ugliness of Modern Buildings The ugliness of inanv modern buildings in England was commented upon by Mr. I''. B. Tompkins, a prominent Melbourne architect, who passed through Auckland yesterday ou his return from a visit to Europe. Some of these structures, which were being erected in the older towns, jarred very much with their surroundings, -Mr. Tompkins added. The building industry throughout Britain was most prosperous, huge blocks of flats and factories being erected everywhere. Facilities on Liner Queen Mary "This was printed on the liner Queen Mary," said Mr. Brendan Dowling, of Sydney, a through passenger by the Mariposa yesterday, when proffering his card to a reporter. Mr. Dowling added that every facility imaginable was available on the liner. He had run out of cards when crossing to New York on the Queen Mary's recordbreaking voyage, but was able to obtain a supply within three hours. They were printed at the branch shop of a London firm 011 board the vessel. Californian Medical Standards "Although scholastic institutions are perhaps more wonderfully endowed by private benefactors in California than anywhere else, 1 think the 'standards of surgery attained after training at | Australian and New Zealand unversi-| ties are equal to anything T saw," said | Dr. T. F. Ryan, of Melbourne, who is j returning to Australia by the Mariposa. | Dr. Ryan attended the Pan-Pacific | Medical Congress at Honolulu and later ! visited California. He thought the bos- ! pitals in this part of the world were j as well equipped as those he saw in j America. An Altered Church The external repairs to the Supremo j Court are a reminder that similar but i more drastic changes in the appearance j of the Pitt Street Methodist Church wore made about 20 years ago. The church, which will celebrato its 70th anniversary this week, was opened in .1866, a few years earlier than the court building. Its walls were faced outside with red bricks, and after half a century it was found that these had weathered so that the only course was to cover them with a coating of cement. The exterior has since been kept regularly painted, and the church, which is in first-class repair, may bo expected to servo almost indefinitely as tho "cathedral" of Auckland Methodism. Passchendaele Anniversary Nineteen years ago to-morrow the main phase of the Now Zealand Division's engagement at Passchendaele commenced, when the New Zealanders and Australians woro in tho centre of tho line, in an advance which was marked by considerable success. Gravenstafel Bridge was captured and held by the New Zealand Division, but the fighting was a mere prelude to that encountered eight days later, when an attack was launched on Bellevue Spur. The troops floundered to battle positions in the darkness through deep mud, which greatly hampered the artillery and rendered its bombardment ineffectual. New Zealand's share in tho battle culminated in the disastrous fighting of October 12, 1.917, in which very heavy losses were suffered with magnificent heroism in tho face of overwhelming odds..