LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22847, 30 September 1937, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Day Free of Accidents There were no patients admitted to the Auckland Hospital yesterday as the result of accidents. It is some considerable time since a similar day, free from accident cases, has been experienced at the hospital. Unusual False Alarm A false alarm of an unus.ua! nature was answered at Frankton yesterday by the Hamilton Fire Brigade. It was caused by a belt attached to n pulley coming into contact with an automatic alarm at the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy's factory. Nurse for Devonport Representations arc to bo made to Lhc Auckland Hospital Board by the Devonport Borough Council urging the need for a maternity nurse to be posted at Devonport. It was stated at a meeting of the council last night that the present district nurse had been callpd upon to attend to a number of maternity cases, although these were outside the duties for which she was stationed in Devonport. Mechanics' Institute Ninety-five years ago to-day, on September 30, 1842, there was opened in Chancery Street the Auckland Mechanics' Institute and Library. It consisted of a humble hall, a library, reading room and living quarters, and as the hall was the only meeting place the settlement then possessed, it played a not inconsiderable part in its early history. In it many of the city's early organisations were first planned, and from it grew directly the present city library and art gallery. Sailings for Sydney

For the third time since August 6 the scheduled sailings from Auckland to Sydney this week* of the Awatea and a Matson liner will fall on the same day. The Monterey, which will arrive from San Francisco to-morrow morning, will leave with the Awatea during the day, the Monterey sailing at 10 p.m. and the Awatea at 5 p.m. Both ships will arrive at Sydney on Monday morning. There will be only one further duplicated departure, on October 29, when the Awatea and Mariposa will cross together

Rugby Union's Thoughtfulness Thoughtfulness for an injured footballer was shown on Saturday by the Auckland Rugby Union. In a recent club game I). Arkle, the Grafton senior halfback, broke a leg and on Saturday he might not have been able to attend the test match had not the Rugby Union provided him with a car and reserved seats for him in the grandstand. Appreciation of the union's kindly and thoughtful action was expressed in a letter received from Arkle by the management committee of tho union at its meeting last night.

Too Many Replies There is one man in Auckland —Mr. F. W. F. Fagan, of Panmure —who has no doubt about tho housing shortage. In the Herald yesterday he advertised an unfurnished house to let, but did not mention the locality. The result was that a prospective tenant roused him from his bed at 6.30 a.m. and took the house, and from then until mid-day the telephone bell rang every few minutes. To add- to Mr. Fagan's discomfort the telephone authorities told him they had received complaints from other users of the party line,with which he is connected. But tho bell continued to ring. Reconciliation of Couples

" The trouble with these actions for the restitution of conjugal rights is that by bringing out all the details of domestic life they have the effect of killing the purpose for which the suits are brought," said Mr. Justice Callan in the Supremo Court yesterday, when hearing a case of this nature. His Honor made the remark when counsel was examining petitioner. The two persons concerned were young and of a good type, said His Honor. He could not but feel that if an order was made in this case it would in all probability finally destroy any chance of reconciliation. At His Honor's suggestion the case was adjourned until this morning to enable the parties to confer. War Relic Regained

A copy of the New Testament which Mr. Jack Hudson, of Wellington, believed saved his life at Gallipoli has come into his possession again after many years. The well-worn book is gashed in the centre by a shell fragment that would probably have found his heart had he not been carrying the volume in his breast pocket. Mr. Hudson explained that when ho enlisted at Rewa, near Feilding, he was given the book by Mrs. Brown, of Paikakura. After being severely wounded at Gallipoli, he sent the Testament back to Mrs. Brown as a memento. She had since died and her daughter, Mrs. Stuart, of Runnvmede, Marton, recently sent the book to the Soldiers' Civil Re-establishmont League for return to tho man whose life it had saved.

Oricket in Schools

The coaching scheme for primary schools which was in operation last year was discussed last night at the first meeting for the season of the management committee of the Auckland Cricket Association, and it was decided to send letters to the Headmasters' Association and the Assistant Masters' Association pointing out the value of the scheme and asking for co-operation. "L am satisfied that much good work can be done for tlm sport in this manner," said Mr. H. Duncan. The association could provide coaches but it was necessary for transport to be arranged for the coaches in the lunch hours. The chairman, Mr. W._ R. Fee, suggested that Saturday mornings might also be used with profit for teaching cricket to primary school boys.

Aerodrome Sites Inspected ft thorough inspection of all the areas suggested as possible sites for the Auckland aerodrome is being made by the Government Committee appointed by the. Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones. The members of the committee, which comprises Mr. J. Wood, engineer-in-chicf of the Public Works -Department, who is chairman; Group-Captain the Hon. R. A. Cochrano, Wing-Conimander T. .M. Wilkes and Squadron-Leader E. A. Gibson, engineer in charge of aerodromes, have already made- a • general inspection of the city and its environs from the air, and yesterday morning they saw a number of sites in the Mangere district, visiting the Point Knglaml site and Pollen island in the afternoon, when they were accompanied by the city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler. Their programme for to-day includes a visit to several tidal areas on the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours, which it has been proposed should be reclaimed for aerodrome purposes.