LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22789, 24 July 1937, Page 14

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Interested Court Spectator Procedure in criminal cases in a Now Zealand Court was watched with professional interest in llic Supreme Court yesterday by Mr. P. J. Lyster, a member of tho visiting Springbok Rugby team. Mr. Lyster was admitted as n barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court in Natal shortly before he leit on tour. Keen Demand for Whitebait Seventeen pounds ol whitebait, which brought the high price of ;">s (id to (3s per lb., reached Auckland yesterday. The fish was in first-class condition, stated an official of a large Auckland fish firm yesterday, and sold to an extremely keen demand. He added Hint merchants were now looking forward to larger supplies. Gifts to New Zealand Valuable etchings that would be bequeathed to New Zealand by a titled Englishwoman were mentioned yesterday by Captain (J. Humphrey-Da vies, of Clevedon. Me said he had been asked to select from fhe donor's extensive collection in England works suitable for New Zealand, and be had chosen a number of etchings, which were to be left to the Dominion. Liners on Monday From Vancouver and Sydney respectively. the Union Company's passenger liner Monowai and the Matson liner Mariposa will arrive at Auckland on Monday morning. Roth ships are expected to berth at Prince's Wharf at seven o'clock The Monowai has .1(351 bags of Knglish and American mail for New Zealand, including the very heavy total of J ."ID 1 bags for Auckland. Sport and Memory

Complaining that lie had a poor memory, a witness in the Police Court yesterday said t.lie fault was the result of playing football and participating in boxing. "But football brightens you up and clears your mind, and boxing is a sport that docs much the same," said Detective-Sergeant McHugh. Witness disagreed with this opinion about boxing, and Mr. McHugh added: "Well, you must have taken too many punches." Pedestrian Crossings "An excellent understanding exists between pedestrians and motorists in regard to the new pedestrian crossings in Auckland," -said r. A. E. chairman of the Automobile Association (Wellington), who was a passenger by the limited express last night. Mr. Batt said that it was apparent that the people of Auckland were observing the regulations. He paid a tribute to the courtesy observed at the crossings in the giving of pedestrians tho right of way, particularly mentioning tho drivers of trarncars. Embargo on Oranges The attitude of orchardists toward restrictions 011 the importation of Australian oranges is outlined in the annual report of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation. It is stated that from the beginning of December next, or earlier if necessary, to the end of April it would be possible to import oranges in any quantity from fly-free areas in Australia and elsewhere. The position was one which required close watching, as any flooding of the local market with oranges materially affected tho sale of local fruit.

Supreme Court Session Substantial' progress has been made by the Supreme Court this week in disposing of the 26 criminal cases that came before it when the session opened on Tuesday and 14 have been dealt with. Six accused have been found guilty and three not guilty, and two have entered pleas of guilty, thus avoiding • tho necessity of trial. One caso was rejected by the grand jury and one accused was held to be unfit to plead. In a ease yesterday the jury failed to reach an agreement and a new trial will take place next week.

Value of Signposting Appreciation of tho signposting of roads in tho province, carried out by the Automobile Association (Auckland), was expressed to the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, by a party of South* African tourists bo met this week in Botorua. "The visitors told mo that they had undertaken with some misgivings a motor tour of New Zealand in their own car," Mr. Parry said, "but they had found the way made easy for them by tho excellent signposting of the roads. They paid a high tribute to tho work of the Automobile Association in this respect." Gannet Attacks Kahawai A kahawai 2ft. Gin. in length was tho victim of an unusual attack by a gannet at Putiki Bay, Waiheko, during the week. A fisherman noticed tho gannet rising and diving repeatedly into tho water, which was each time considerably disturbed by what appeared to bo tho threshing of a fish near the surface. An investigation was 'made by tho fisherman, who discovered the largo kahawai partially stunned by tho gannet's onslaught. He had no difficulty in capturing the fish and throwing it into his boat. Tho kahawai's head showed considerable evidence of the gannet's attack. For tho fisherman it was a very useful catch as it supplied bait for 120 hooks. Coronation Medals Arrive

Coronation medals awarded to prominent citizens throughout the Empire last May wore forwarded to Auckland recipients yesterday. Thcso medals, which have been issued as a personal souvenir, from His Majesty, wero received by registered post from Wellington yesterday and were accompanied by a letter notifying the recipient that they had been issued by command of the King. Tlio medal is of silver, with busts of Their Majesties on the obverse side and the. JJoyal cypher with the date of the Coronation, May 12, 10.37, on the reverse. The medal will bo worn suspended by a. ring from ;i ribbon with a blue centre stripe and two white stripes and one red stripo on either side.

Calls For Firo Brigades Several calls, one a malicious false alarm in Bridgewater Ko:fd, Pnrnoll. about 8.150 p.m., were answered by lire brigades in different parts of the cjty yesterday. Another false alarm was answered by machines from the Mount Albert and Mount Eden stations shortlv after 5 p.m. when a man who noticed smoke issuing from tho ventilators on the Mayfair Theatre, Sandringham. telephoned for tho brigade. Using n patent extinguisher, an officer from Western Districts suppressed an out break in a fish shop in Ponsonby Koad about 0 p.m. when some boiling fat caught alight. A further call to a motorcar parked'in a garage at Whcturangi Koad, Green Lane, was answered by a machine from the Great South Hoad station. Faulty wiring caused a short, circuit, but littlo damago was dono to tho car,