LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22724, 10 May 1937, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Thefts of Petrol Petrol thieves continue their depreciations in Auckland. One motorist who left his car parked in the drive of a residence in Landscape Road, Mount Fden, 011 Saturday night, found on his return that four gallons of had been siphoned from his car during his absence. Landscape Road was the scene of several similar thefts of petrol some months ago.

Derailed Truck Delays Train Through the derailment of a truck at Mareretu, north of Maungaturoto, on Saturday afternoon, the mixed train which was due to . leave Whangarei at three o'clock in the afternoon was two hours late. No damage was done to the rest of the train or to the track. Instead of arriving at Auckland at 10.44 p.m. the train did not reach here until 12.30 a.m. yesterday. Fire in Bakehouse A fire which broke out in the bakehouse of Mr. W. Hall, at Halls Corner, Takapuna, about 1.30 yesterday afternoon, was suppressed without difficulty by the Takapuna Fire Brigade after slight damage had been done to the ceiling. The fire is believed to have started in a pile of wood setting alight the wall and roof over the ovens. The call was promptly answered and the flames were extinguished with only oiw lead of hose. Mails From Overseas A considerable amount of overseas mail will reach New Zealand this week. The Awatea, which will arrive at Auckland from Sydney this afternoon, has on board London airmails despatched on April 21 and 24. The Mariposa, which will arrive from San Francisco on Saturday morning, has 2311 bags of mail, 679 being for Auckland. The Westmoreland is due at Wellington tomorrow from London and has on board 900 bags of mail. Lorry Out of Control When the steering gear of a light delivery truck loaded with two cans of milk failed at the top of Khyber Pass Road about eight o'clock last evening the truck grazed a power pole, broke a "no parking" sign, mounted the footpath and broke two large platoglass windows of a vacant shop in Pierce Buildings. The left front wheel and steering rods of the truck were damaged, the driver escaping injury. The vehicle was later removed by a breakdown van.

Runaway Car Only minor damage was done when a motor-car parked near the kerb in Anglesea Street, Freeman's Bay, started to move down the hill without a driver late on Saturday afternoon. Travelling for about two chains on the footpath the vehicle broke through a paling fenco and came to rest against the verandah steps of the residence of Mrs. E. Buckland. The brakes must havo been holding to some extent as the house was not damaged and the only damage to the car was a dented mudguard and a bent bumper. Band Recital in Rain * "It is quite evident that the people of Auckland are passionately fond of music when they remain out in the rain for so long to hear a band recital," said the conductor of the Auckland Artillery Band, Captain G. Buckley, last evening, commenting on the attendance at the Auckland Domain yesterday afternoon when a recital was given by the band. The programme had just started when rain commenced to fall, but in spite of this the majority of the crowd assembled to hear the recital stayed on until the last number had been played. Catering For The Needy Figures giving details of the number of needy people assisted by the Salvation Army in 1936 were quoted by Lieutenant-Commissioner F. Adams in presenting the social report at a meeting held in connection with the Auckland divisional congress of tho Salvation Army at the Congress Hall yesterday afternoon. Freo meals had been supplied to 1,339,812 people and cheap meals to 215,186, the Commissioner 6tated. A total of 290,274 people were given free beds through the Salvation Army's institutions in all parts of tho Dominion, while 103,576 were given beds at cheap rates.

Naval Volunteer Training Enthusiasm which goes to the length of giving up holidays, and in some cases a fortnight's wages, has been displayed by 10 ratings of the Auckland division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. These young men commenced 14 days' intensive training in H.M.S. Achilles on Saturday, taking a special course in signalling and wireless telegraphy. They will later be examined by Imperial officers in these subjects, a very high standard being necessary for a pass. They have no intention of taking up the sea for a career, but realise that, in event of war, their services as fully qualified men would be extremely useful. Limited Express Late The limited express from Wellington was over half an hour late arriving at Auckland on Saturday morning owing to several delays at stations where there were crossings with other trains and also owing to the heavy van work occasioned by the large number of people travelling. The express was a large one, comprising a total of 11 units. Quite a large proportion of the sleeping accommodation was occupied by field officers and branch managers of the State Advances Corporation who have been attending the first annual North Island conference at Massey College, Palmerston North. Offi'cors from Auckland, New Plymouth, Napier and Wellington attended the conference, which was held on Thursday and Friday last.

Boy's Lucky Escape A boy who decided yesterday to enjoy a free ride on the back of one of tho North Shore Transport Company's buses had a lucky escape from serious injury when he jumped off while the bus was in* motion and was bowled over, suffering slight cuts to the face. With another boy ho was seen by passengers in a second bus to jump on to the rear bumper of a bus going to Baj'swater. The boys apparently wanted to jump off at Belmont, ami when they found the bus was not going to stop there, but was turning the bend toward Bayswater, they jumped off. One landed safely, but the other, forgetting that he was jumping against the motion of tho bus, with his back turned to the direction in which it was going, stumbled and fell to the ground, and was lucky to receive only slight injuries.