LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23055, 4 June 1938, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ambergris Found , A piece of ambergris weighing sioz. was found on the Whangamata Beach, near Wailii, by Mr. L. Harris. The ' ambergris was egg-shaped and about i the size of a man's fist. Registration of Motor-Vehicles ; Figures for the registration of motori vehicles in Auckland arc so far 10 per cent above the totals of last year's registration period. Pegistration for the past two days has been at the rate , of about 600 a day. ! Low Temperatures [ Temperatures in Auckland yester- : day were almost the lowest recorded this winter. In the early morning the thermometer registered 47 degrees and last night the reading was 48 degrees. | However, the weather yesterday was , fine and clear. 1 Fishing at Whangamata The fishing industry at Whangamata i is thriving at the present time owing to an improvement in the * weather. , A few days ago a haul of, 1500 schnapi per, representing one night's catch from one launch, was taken to Thames ; from Whangamata; 1 Melanesian Bishop's Visit Another visit to Auckland is to be ' made by the lit. Rev. W. H. Baddeley, > Bishop of Melanesia, who will arrive by s the mission motor-vessel Southern Cross ; VII. in August. Bishop Baddeley was a l visitor to the city in June last year. The Southern Cross will refit at Auck- . land and will not proceed to southern , ports. Grafton Road Traffic An improvement in traffic control has resulted from the painting of a white lino in Grafton Road, at the Park Road intersection, for the guidance of motorists. With the increasing use of Grafton Eoad, which has been apparent since the speed limit of 10 miles an hour has been in force on Grafton Bridge, the need for a centre-line has been obvious, and tho marking has now been provided. Admiral as Angler Further testimony to his enthusiasm as an angler was given by Ilear-Admiral the Hon. E. R. Drummond at the civic farewell which was tendered to him in Auckland yesterday on the eve of his , retirement from the command of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. "Everyone assures mo that the fishing is not what it used to be," RearAdmiral Drummond said, "but I know that my fishing rod is badly strained through catching fish up to lOJlb. when it was built only for fish up to half that weight." Animal and Bird Pests The action of the Government in removing the statutory protection of stoats, weasels and ferrets was the subject of comment yesterday by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry. All tlirco animals, ho said, had been imported into New Zealand years ago to check tho rabbit menace, but they themselves had developed into pests and wero responsible for a heavy toll on the native and gaino birds of the Dominion. Heavy losses wero also caused by hawks, and every justification existed for their extermination. City Names for Warships The fact that the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, had been instrumental in having one of the new. escort vessels named. H.M.S. Auckland was mentioned by Rear-Admiral tho Hon'. E. R. Drummond at the civic farewell tendered to him in Auckland yesterday. "This new ship will be coming out to the New Zealand Station in duo course," RearAdmiral Drummond continued, "so that we will have both an Auckland and a Wellington. I feel sure that tho spirit of competition and rivalry between the two cities will transmit itself to the two ships." Town Hall Telephones The most modern type of telephone apparatus with internal exchange is now being installed at the Town Hall by the Post and Telegraph Department. In place of the 19 separate telephone lines now serving the building the new i /system will have 12 trunk lines, but only one listed number. Calls coming through the office switchboard will be connected to any of the 45 telephone ■ instruments which are being provided. Although calls from outside the Town 1 Hall will be handled by a switchboard attendant, the system provides for automatic inter-communication within the building. It is expected that the new system will be in operation by the end of this month. , Thousands of Goldfinches Wearied by a long flight, thousands of goldfinches alighted in the nine-acre [ paddock of Mr; S. Y. Towgood, No. 1 Line, Wanganui, recently. The birds had little energy left, and could only flutter a short distance. "I have never seen anything like it," said Mr. Towgood. 'There were thousands of them, and they wero very tired. They reminded me of a lot of moths fluttering in tho grass on a summer evening. The paddock chosen to rest in has been shut up for some time, and has long grass." Tho birds stayed all one day arid when recovered departed. The next day a Hock of about 100 alighted in the same paddock, apparently stragglers, moro weary than the main flock. Bulk Posting of Letters An innovation brought into operation at the chief post office this week has been the stationing between 4.15 and 5.15 p.m. each day of an officer and an assistant outside the posting boxes to ensure that bundles of letters are not posted without being fastened. They provide rubber bands where required. Where bundles of letters arc posted without being tied, much time is lost by the sorters in facing up the envelopes for date stamping. The placing of officers outside tho boxes has already proved a success, and the system will bo continued until I such time as it is thought that business firms and tho public realise tho assistance they can givo the department by tying letters intd bundles for posting. A Dangerous Corner Attention to tho dangerous nature of the corner at tho intersection of Ngapipi Avenue and Tamaki Drive was drawn by the foreman of a jury, which awarded damages in the Supreme Court last night to a motor-cyclist who had been injured there last August. The jury wero taken to view tho scene, and the foreman said they had been told that fatal accidents had occurred there. They noticed that the alignment of the road threw all tho traffic going along tho Tamaki Drive toward the city out to tho middle of the road, and they considered this danger should be pointed out to the responsible authorities. Mr. Justice Fair, who presided, that he would seo that these representations were placed, before the CityCounciL