LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23011, 12 April 1938, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Easter Holidays The Herald will not be published on Good Friday. For the convenience of advertisers, the Queen Street office will be open on Thursday until 10 p.m. and on Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Saturday and Monday the office will be open during the usual hours. Large Mail by Empire Star A large English mail was brought to Auckland last night by the Empire Star alter a last trip of 29 days from Liverpool, In a total of 946 packages there were 835 bags of letters and 111 parcel receptacles. Supreme Court Vacation The Supreme Court will conclude its sittings in Auckland to-morrow and observe the Easter vacation until Tuesday, April 26. The office of the Supreme Court will close at 1 p.m. on Thursday, reopening on Wednesday, April 20. Farewell to Liner Arrangements have been made by the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, for the Auckland Municipal Band to "play out" the liner Empress of Britain when she leaves Auckland on Friday afternoon. This will be following the custom observed in many parts of the world when a large ship leaves a port. More Rail-cars Arrive Two more electric rail-cars from England reached Auckland by the motorship Empire Star last night, being carried as deck cargo. The shipment, which will be landed at Wellington, is the fifth to arrive by ships from Liverpool, the Cambridge, Brisbane Star, Hertford and Otaio having each brought tAvo cars in the past few months. Fireman Leaves Hospital A member of the Otahuhu Fire Brigade, Mr. M. Morton, who collapsed at the fire at the Auckland Aero Club's clubhouse at Mangere on Sunday, left the Auckland Hospital yesterday morning. While working at the fire Mr. Morton was aftected by smoke, but continued to assist until he collapsed and was taken to hospital. He was able to return to Avork yesterday, although still feeling the effects of his experience. Warships Returning After making cruises to southern ports of New Zealand, the Imperial escort vessels Wellington and Leith are on their way back to Auckland to prepare for a visit to Australia. The Leith left Lvttclton yesterday morning and the Wellington cleared Wellington yesterday afternoon. They are both scheduled to reach Auckland on Thursday and they will leave together for Sydney on April 26 on a five weeks' visit.

Tariff Board Proposal The establishment of a Tariff Board was supported by the Auckland Manufacturers' Association yesterday, but members were of the opinion that its personnel should be representative of all interests. It was stated that men appointed to the suggested board should be fully qualified to deal with all matters likely to come before them, so that the board would encourage a feeling of confidence among those in the trading community. Machinery for Suva

A special trip from Sydney is being made by the Colonial Sugar Company's steamer Fiona to pick up about 250 tons of machinery at Auckland for delivery to the company's Fijian mills. The machinery, brought from Liverpool by the Otaio, has been stowed in lighters and was to have been taken to Suva by the Rona, now at Chelsea. However, the Rona is now going to Sydney and will leave the cargo for the Fiona, which is expected here on Thursday.

Cruelty in Cities The suggestion that people who lived in cities and came little in contact with animals and birds were mere prone to acts of cruelty than those in contact with Nature was made by Mr. H. C. Farrant, Jnvercargill, at a conference of societies for the prevention ot cruelty to animals. He remarked 011 the kindness the men in the Public Works Department camps in the Eg'linten Valley showed to native birds. Among the hundreds of men at work on the Milford road only two cases of cruelty had come to notice.

Claims Following Explosion The payment of minor claims against the Auckland Klectric-Power Board, following the violent explosion which demolished one shop and partly wrecked several others in a block at the corner of Remuera Road and Victoria Avenue, on January 9, was approved by the board yesterday. The general manager, Mr. R. H. Bartley, reported that there were several minor claims, for such things as broken windows, and it was decided that they could be settled through the board's solicitors, but the larger issues will be submitted to the board for approval before settlement. In the explosion five people were injured, and extensive damage was caused. Green Vegetables Scarce Firms which supply vegetables wholesale to hotels and boardinghouses in Wanganui are having a difficult time preparing to fill all the extra ordeis received for Easter. In former seasons it has been customary to draw on growers in Ohakune for supplies of green vegetables, but all that can be sent out of that district at present is negligible because of the damage caused by the white butterfly. One Ohakune grower who sent large quantities to Wanganui last year reports that ho is not able to supply a single cabbage. Near Wanganui there are a fair number of growers who have supplies of carrots, parsnips and pumpkins, and it appears that these will have to bo drawn upon largely to meet the Easter supply.

A Contrast in Ships Driving "the huge Canadian-Pacific liner Empress of Britain when she enters Auckland Harbour to-day will be geared-turbine engines of 62,.500 horse-power, but how lightly she is engincd compared with warships ol 'much smaller size is shown by the fact that in the New Zealand cruisers, Achilles and Leander, there are geared turbines of 72.0(H) horse-power. H the cruisers were put alongside the liner, however, their 7000 odd tons would bo completely dwarfed by the 42,'i.10 tons of the Km press of Britain. Ihe dilleience in power is caused by the greater necessity in warships for speed and by the balance of armaments. Against the 24 knots of the Empress of Britain, the cruisers can travel at over 32 knots.