LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22853, 7 October 1937, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Legal Five-day Week A decision to close local offices in Auckland on Saturdays was made at a meeting of tlie Auckland District* Law Society this week. The new hours will operate from the first Saturday in November. Legal offices in Wellington are already working to a five-day week.

Good Spring Conditions Abundant grass and cattle in good condition show that the spring so far has been most kindly to tanners in the districts surrounding Auckland. This is further borne out by the returns received for butter-fat. and most sheep farmers report a favourable lambing season. Working as "Bookmaker"

A storeman who had suffered injury at his work surprised the Arbitration Court yesterday by his reply when asked what he first did when he went back to work. "I was just bookmaking." lie said. "Did you say liookmaking ?" asked Mr. Justice O'Regan. "Yes, hookmaking," said the witness, "booking orders in and out." Search for Bodies Two boats participated in a further search yesterday for the bodies of the three naval ratings who were drowned when a galley capsized during a race in the harbour last Thursday, but last night no trace of the bodies had been found. Police at Howick. Kohimarama and Waihekc maintained a look-out yesterday, and a number <>f beaches were searched. The efforts to find the bodies will be continued to-day. Auckland District School Rolls A total of 67,482 children were on the school rolls in the Auckland Education Board's district for the term ended August 20. according to the school statistics presented at the meeting of the hoard yesterday. These figures show an increase of 222 over the attendance for the second term of 19;{6. The average attendance last term was G1.4.'12, and compared with the average for the same period last year showed an increase of 613. More Playing Areas "I am glad that you have taken to heaijk the defeat of the All Blacks, and are seeking more playing fields to train the young people," said Mr. G. Galhraitli at a meeting of the Takaptina Borough Council last night, when a deputation asked for the development of an area of borough land at Belmont as a recreation ground. It was decided to ask the borough engineer to bring down at the next meeting a scheme for the development of the land. Peak Traffic Figures One fact which emerged at an informal gathering of traffic control officers at the office of the Auckland Transport Board yesterday was that the week in which the Springboks played the All Blacks on September 25 produced record tramway receipts of £12.025. a figure which had not been approached since September 5, 1930. Wh en Mr. A. E. Ford, the board manager, announced the record, he said that the revenue was £2497 on the day of the third Rugby test at Eden Park. Awatea's Record Having gained the transtasman record by a substantial margin, and shown conclusively that she is the fastest ship in the intercolonial service, the liner Awatea will now revert to her normal schedule running between Sydney and Auckland, according to the head office of the Union Steam Ship Company. Although it is pointed out that the liner could improve on the average speed of her last record crossing from Auckland, considerations of fuel consumption and unnecessarily early arrivals are also involved. Ship's Full Cargo When the motor-ship Limerick, from the Pacific Coast, Papeete and the Cook Islands, berthed at King's Wharf yesterday morning no spare cargo space was available. Heavy cargoes are reported to be offering on the Pacific Coast and in addition to a large shipment from those ports the Limerick loaded a considerable quantity of Island cargo. Her decks were fully laden with heavy lumber, and a big consignment of Island oranges and tomatoes, while a huge aeroplane carried amidships occupied the remaining deck space. The Limerick will continue discharge in the South and Australia. Vandalism in Rotorua A serious case of wanton destruction is reported by the secretary of the Rotorua Racing Club, who stated that approximately 50 young acacia viciliata trees, planted as a hedge along the Marguerita Street frontage of the racecourse, had been cut down with a slasher or an axe. The irresponsible person or persons who destroyed the two-year-old trees cut them down at ground level and left the saplings where they fell. The trees, which had just taken root and were showing signs of progressing, are now useless, and will be replaced by the Racing Club. Yachting As a Sport "The association has followed closely the progress of negotiations in connection with the National Sports Council, and has made representations to the .Minister in charge, the Hon. W. E. Parry, that yachting is not a sport that lends itself to regimentation, and has asked that boating activities .should be excluded from the proposed enactments," states the annual report of the Aucklan 1 Yacht and Motor-Boat Association. The report also refers to its views put before the Fisheries Commission, and its proposal that all trawling should be held to limits well clear of the islands of the gulf, and the recognised spawning-grounds. Traffic Offences Charged with using the wrong number plates on a lorry, using the lorry with defective brakes and without a heavy traffic licence, a. motorist was fined a total of £8 10s in the Police Court yesterday, by Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S..M. For dangerous driving a motorist was fined £2. and his licence was endorsed, while penalties in 12 speeding cases ranged from 15s to 455. For breaches of the parking regulations 16 drivers were fined amounts ranging from 5s to £l, the latter penalty being imposed on a driver who left his ear outside the railway station entrance. Six fines of 10s were imposed on operators of unlicensed vans plying for hire. Future of Orakei

Now that the first batch of houses in the Orakei housing scheme is Hearing completion, attention is being given to the laying out of the sections. The land between and around the houses is being ploughed up and scooped into the desired formation and with the planting of grass and the formation of paths the settlement will take on a much improved appearance. Although the bouses appear to be placed somewhat closely together the sections conform in area to the requirements of the city by-laws for that locality, so that with the subsequent development of gardens and the growth of ornamental trees the settlement should eventually compare favourably with any of the better residential suburbs.