LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22580, 19 November 1936, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Giant Stingray A giant stingray weighing 1641b. was caught from the reef off the New Plymouth municipal baths. The fisherman who made the catch had to play the fish for 20 minutes before bringing it to the shore. Small Change Shortage A fairly acute shortage of small change, especially pennies and threepences, has been experienced by Auckland shopkeepers and others for some time. It was stated yesterday that banks were also affected to a certain degree, but that no specific reason ,could be given. The probable cause was the usual "ebb and flow" of coinage. Anglers from Britain A number of British anglers eagerly looking forward to the New Zealand trout fishing season arrived at Auckland yesterday by the Rangitata from London. Among them were Mr. F. Turner and Mr. Oliphant Shaw; Dr. F. G. Cross and Mrs. Cross, of London; "Mr. W. Cochran-Carr, of New-castle-on-Tyne; and Dr. J. A. Mathers, of Dunkeld, Scotland. Large Overseas Mails A large English mail arrived from London by the New Zealand Shipping Company's motor-liner Rangitata yesterday morning. She had 1000 bags of mail and 200 bags of parcels for New Zealand. The Royal Mail liner Aorangi is due from Vancouver on Monday morning with 1460 bags of English and American mail and 522 bags of parcels for New Zealand. Of that amount 445 bags of mail and 214 bags of parcels are for Auckland. Express Well Patronised An unusually well-patronised express left Auckland for Wellington last night. Four sleeping cars were included in the long train and two of these, with the exception of only two-berths, were completely occupied by passengers who had arrived at Auckland earlier in the day by the Rangitata from London. Of these passengers, some were New Zealanders returning from abroad and many were English visitors intending to make short tours of the Dominion. Railways and Hoardings " The 'board-smashing' policy of the Government had little backing of public opinion behind it an,d in the Railway Department harm rather than good seems so far to have resulted," says the Auckland Chamber of Commerce Journal. " Ministerial control has already been responsible in Auckland for flagrant acts in the outdoor hoarding field which would have been illegal if done by private enterprise and which whoever does them are at variance with commonly accepted business ethics."

Rain Delays Cargo Work The wet weather yesterday interfered with cargo operations on the waterfront, and no work was done on vessels in port in the afternoon during the heavy rain. The motor-ship Australind and the steamer Mahia were unable to complete unloading cargo for Auckland ns expected, and their departure for Wellington was postponed until to-day. The coastal steamer Hauiti was unable to discharge and load, and her trip to Thames had to be cancelled. Coastal vessels at Onehunga were also delayed by the rain.

School Concession Tickets The opinion that unnecessary inconvenience would be caused if tramway concession tickets for school children were requisitioned for by headmasters and issued at schools, as suggested by the Auckland Transport Board, was expressed by members at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Education Board. The board upheld an objection to the proposal by the Auckland Headmasters' Association, and decided to suggest to the Transport Board that one of its clerks be sent round the schools to issue the tickets.

Mock Court at Newmarket On account of the rain, the mock court held yesterday in connection with the carnival arranged to mark the switching on of the community lighting in Newmarket was conducted in the Newmarket Public Hall and not on the triangle as previously arranged. The court provided much merriment for the spectators who saw many well-known local business men brought into the court by typical musical comedy policemen and mulcted in fines by a bewhiskered judge in a bowler hat. By way of contrast to the judge's red whiskers, the clerk of the court wore a grey beard and side-whiskers and the crown prosecutor a full wig. Labour Difficulties The difficulty in adhering to the requirements of the Labour Department in taking men from the bureau was pointed out to Mr. A. G. Osborne, M.P., by Mr. A. Leese, town clerk of One Tree Hill, at a meeting of the Borough Council last night. The conditions under which a subsidy would be granted on the scheme for widening the Great South Road would probably mean that the contractors would be obliged to dismiss their permanent statfs, he said. These men would have to go on relief and so start to deteriorate. The extra cost of employing men . supplied at random would probably nullify the benefits of any subsidy.

Tasman Flier Loses Goggles In the turmoil and excitement which followed his landing at Wigrain on Sunday night after completing his flight from Sydney, Mr. L. E. Clark, the young North Canterbury airman, had the misfortune to lose a pair of flying goggles which he prizes very highly. The goggles, Mr. Clark stated, were fitted with a special lens suitable only for himself, and he was particularly anxious to recover them. He was unable to account for the disappearance of the goggles, as he thought they had been loft in the cockpit of his machine when he landed at the aerodrome. "I hardly think a souvenir hunter would have taken them," Mr. Clark added, "but I would rather give something else away as a souvenir than lose those goggles."

Recovery in Ireland Tho opinion that economic improvement in the Irish Free State was due to natural causes and not to the selfsufficient policy of Mr. Do Valeru's Government was expressed by Sir Edward Hudson-Kinahan, Bart., of County Cork, who arrived by the Rangitata yesterday for a holiday in New Zealand. Sir Edward added that tho agricultural products of the Free State were gradually getting back on to tho English market. Things had taken a turn for tho better, and tho Government naturally claimed tho credit. Some of its new industries were doing well, but others were not so successful. As a Unionist, Sir Edward conceded that Mr. De Valera, whatever his faults, was an honest man with ideals which he was trying to realise.