LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23047, 26 May 1938, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Voters in the Dark Voting in the Auckland ElectricPower Board election was delayed at a suburban polling booth shortly after six o'clock last evening. Several people were about to record their votes in the booth when the lights suddenly failed. Any thoughts of political intrigue were dispelled, however, when tlie insertion of a shilling in the meter brought about a return of light. Minister Attacks Government At one stage in a political meeting at Geraldine the Hon. P. C. Webb, Minister of Mines, began to draw attention to the evils of "the Government." It was not long before he substituted "Opposition" for "Government" in his attack. He led the laugh against himself. "I have been criticising governments for so long," he said, "that it is still easy to forget and to make a slip." Ship's Engines Removed The engines of the Northern Company's old coastal steamer Arapawa were lifted from tlie ship yesterday morning by the Auckland Harbour Board's floating crane Maluia and were loaded on trucks at Central Wharf. The engines have boon sold to the Now Zealand Dairy Association. In .addition to the engines, the helm and navigational apparatus in the chart-room and on the bridge of the steamer were also removed. Takapuna Grammar Lighting The installation of electric light in four ground floor classrooms of the Takapuna Grammar School was approved at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Grammar School Board of Governors. The headmaster, Mr. K. J. Dellow, wrote stating that with the commencement of night technical classes at the school, the lighting would be urgently needed. A grant of £3O toward the provision of materials for metalwork classes at the school was also made.

Housing Problem in City

j That little improvement, in the j housing problem in Auckland has occurred recently was brought to the notice of a landlord yesterday when he sought to find tenants for an unfurnished flat in Parnell. As the result of an advertisement in the Herald he received over 30 telephone inquiries between 7 a.m. and noon, as well as several personal calls from prospective tenants. He let the flat shortly after mid-day, but continued to receive inquiries throughout the afternoon. Cost of State Houses That 5000 men were employed in 60 towns in New Zealand building homes for the people under the Government's housing schemes was mentioned by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, during an address at Geraldine. Some people said that the Government houses were costing too much, Mr. Webb continued, but they did not want a country full of shacks and hovels. The Prime Minister had said at a meeting of the Cabinet that the homes the Government built for working men must be good enough for Ministers of the Crown. Stray Dogs at Takapuna "There were 38 unregistered dogs shot after the registration period had elapsed last year," said Mr. H. P. Collins, borough inspector, when the question of unleashed dogs straying on the Takapuna Beach came before the meeting of the Takapuna Borough Council last night. "It will be the same this year," Mr. Collins added. Mr. F. H. Carr pointed out that the Petone Borough Council had derived much financial benefit from impounding stray dogs. It was decided to write to the Petone Borough Council regarding its pounding system. Katipo Spiders lor British Scientist When a composite company of Mounted "Rifles was in camp near Wanganui recently, sections of the men had a competition in collecting katipo spiders. The director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Mr. Gilbert Archey, heard of this competition at the time of receiving a request from Ihe British Museum authorities for a collection of katipo spiders for the use of a scientist who is studying the venom of certain classes of spiders. Mr. Arcbey applied to the camp for the spiders secured as a result of the competition, and these are being sent to England in fulfilment of the request. Protection oi Pedestrians

"Pedestrian crossings offer the only protection pedestrians get in city streets, and it is my duty to protect the public against motoring offenders," said Mr. J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Two motorists were each fined £3 and costs for failing to give way at pedestrian crossings in Queen Street. "The rights of the pedestrians using the crossings must bo observed," the magistrate added. "Motorists who disregarded the regulations and drive over the crossings, scattering pedestrians right and left, are not to be tolerated."

Rotorua Burglaries Although the Rotorua police have carried out an extensive search, they have so far failed to locate the safe containing £l3O in cash and cheques which was recently stolen from the Lake House Hotel. Senior-Sergeant E. J. Carroll, officer in charge of the Rotorua police station, stated that the theft of £4O from a bedroom had been reported from a leading private hotel in the town. It is understood that the owner of the money was a visitor from Wellington. As far as can be ascertained, the sum was stolen from the bedroom while the owner was asleep. Auckland's Fires The Auckland Fire Brigade had responded to 59 calls in the past month, stated the superintendent, Mr. W. L. Wilson, in a report to the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board yesterday. Twenty-four of these were false alarms, nine bqing malicious, 12 wero for foul chimneys, and 22 were actual fires. In two cases cigarettes carelessly thrown down had caused the outbreak, and other causes included the fusing of power wires, leaving an electric iron switched on, short circuits, throwing hot ashes into a wooden box, sparks from a copper fire, an incinerator, and heat from a wireless set. Train Delays Minister Two reasons were given by the Minister of Mines, Hon. P. C. Webb, for his arrival 20 minutes lato to address a political meeting at Geraldine. Ono delay had occurred, he said, when a nail went through tho tyro of the Ministerial car. The second was caused by a wait of about 20 minutes for a train at a combined road and rail bridge. It was time highway bridges were constructed alongside railway bridges, said Mr. Webb, and he expressed the hope that the time was not far distant when the motorist would no longer need to compete with the train for the use of such bridges.