LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22579, 18 November 1936, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Christmas Night Films The Papatoetoe Town Board decided last night to grant permission for the screening of pictures locally on Christmas night. The chairman, Mr. W. J. Nicholson, said the board had granted similar requests in previous years. Girls' Sports Mishap Slipping on the grass as she was attempting a high jump at the New Plymouth Girls' High School sports, Mary Daniels suffered a fracture of the left forearm. She had already won the senior high jump event, and was attempting a greater height when the accident occurred. Pohutukawa Blooms on Waterfront Not only in sheltered parts of the Hauraki Gulf are pohutukawas blooming early. Several of the young trees on the waterfront road are already showing splashes of colour. Last year also these trees wore unusually early, practically all bloom being over before the accepted time for flowering, Christmas.

Many Divorce Petitions About 100 undefended divorce petitions have been set down for hearing at the Supreme Court during this last quarter of the year, and two days have been set aside for them. The first of these days falls to-morrow, when some 60 petitions will come before two Judges. The bulk of the remaining petitions will be heard to-morrow fortnight.

Latvian National Day The 18th anniversary of the declaration of the Independence of Latvia, which is celebrated as the National Day, will be observed in Auckland today when flags will be flown from the various Consular offices in the city. Courtesy calls will lie paid on the Consul for Latvia, Mr. N. Heath, by members of the Consular Corps in Auckland. Five-day Week Rejected

A motion by Mr. A. .T. Fulljames that the board should reconsider its previous decision not to inaugurate a five-day working week for its staff was rejected by four votes to two at last night's meeting of the Mount Hoskill Road Board. Members stressed the point that the board was not against the proposal but preferred to await a decision of the Arbitration Court affecting its employees. Rose Beetle Pest

Rose beetles are plentiful this year, not only 011 the usual scene of their activities, but also on fruit trees, more noticeably apples, where both leaves and fruit show evidence of their presence. The beetles' attack 011 the skin of the young fruit has a stultifying effect on growth, besides being detrimental to appearance. One of the most indefatigable enemies of the beetle is the common sparrow, often to be seen in keen pursuit.

Berthing a Cruiser An unusual method of sending ashore the first of the ship's lines was used in the berthing of the cruiser Achilles at Lyttelton, which she is at present visiting. As the cruiser backed toward the wharf there was a sharp report, and a thin cotton line, fired from an ordinary service rifle by a member of the crew of the sloop Wellington, which is also at Lyttelton, soared right across the bigger ship and was then used to haul ashore the first of the lines. The vessel was speedily made fast with the remainder of her lines. Banana Prices Firmer The glut of ripe bananas, which resulted in the fruit being sold at exceptionally low prices at the City Markets last week, already has been followed by a substantial rise in values in view of a possible shortage before the next shipment arrives. In contrast with the prices paid last Friday, when ripe bananas were sold at from 9s to 16s a case, the fruit realised from 16s to 28s a case yesterday. The glut last week was due to large quantities of the Matua's shipment ripening at the same time thus leaving the market with a comparatively small supply of green fruit to ripen for subsequent sales. Local Body Co-operation

One of the first moves to be made in the effort to bring the city and suburban local authorities closer together on matters of common interest was announced by the Mayor, Mr. Ernest Davis, at the conference of local body delegates last night. The Mayor said he had decided that for the remainder of his term of office the Mayors and chairmen" of the metropolitan local authorities would be invited to participate in all civic receptions held at the Town Hall. The representation would be taken by rota. On behalf of the suburban local bodies, the Mayor of One Tree Hill. Mr. 1. J. Goldstine, said the invitation would be greatly appreciated and he thanked Mr. Davis for his gesture. Report on Drainage Scheme

In view of the careful detail work required in connection with the preparation of the report on the proposed drainage scheme for the Auckland metropolitan area, representatives of the city and suburban local bodies agreed last night that consideration of the report should be deferred until early next year. It was decided that the questions involved were so important that the engineer to the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board, Mr. H. H. Watkins, should be given a littlo more time for the drafting of the report. The Mayor, Mr. Ernest Davis, said Mr. Watkins was working hard and the report would be a most comprehensive and valuable one, but it would be unreasonable to expect him to be ready for the meeting fixed tentatively for early in December.

.Hospital Position Nine applications from England, Scotland, West Australia, and New Zealand, have been received by the Auckland Hospital Board for the post of deputy-medical superintendent at the Auckland Hospital, which was advertised recently. Two of the applicants live in Glasgow, four have London addresses, one lives in Buckinghamshire, and the remaining two live in Hawke's Bay and West Australia. There is one woman applicant, ivlio gives a Harley Street address. The appointment of a deputy-superintendent has been deferred, however, as it was stated at a meeting of the board yesterday that only a list of the applicants with their addresses had been received, and the actual applications were presumed to have been lost. They were to have left London on October 20, and if they had been posted to catch the air mail that went the week before, it was probable that they had been destroyed, as the aeroplane carrying that mail had crashed and caught fire, only a quarter of the letters being saved.