LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23063, 14 June 1938, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Checking Drivers;' Licences Littlo time is being lost by the City Traffic Department in checking up on those motorists who have failed to secure driving licences for the new year, which commenced on-June 1. Yester day officers of the department were stationed at tho begininng of King's Drive, near the "Britomnrt Place entrance to Quay Street, every passing vehicle being stopped and the drivers being asked to produce licences. Maori Infant Mortality

New Zealand is proud of its low rate of infant mortality, but if tho mortality rate among the Maori children were included the figures for this country would not compare with any country in Europe outside Russia, according to an opinion expressed by Dr. S. AV. J. Harbutt during an address at tho annual meeting of the Wairoa branch of the Plunket Society. Dr. Harbutt stressed tho great need for endeavouring to induce Maori mothers to tako an interest in tho work of the society.

Cargo Ship's Mail More than 1000 bags of mail for New Zealand, including about 300 for Auckland, are carried by the Federal Line's motor-ship Essex, which is due from Liverpool, via Panama, on Juno 23. The total is exceptionally large for a cargo ship and the consignment reflects the trend to despatch mails by fast freighters often in preference to passenger liners. The Essex is one of the fastest vessels in the trade and is making the vo3 r ago in just over a month.

Power Failure in Suburb As the result of a fault in the high

tension system, the suburban area in Ponsonby and Herne Bay between the Three Lamps and Cox's Creek was intermittently without electric power between 5.20 and 6.30 p.m. yesterday. Candles were produced by many householders, who were preparing for the evening meal. The cause of the failure was discovered at about six o'clock and repairs were effected. There were three breaks in the supply before the power was made fully available.

Penguins Affected by Oil Since the publication of accounts of the successful cleansing operations carried out at the Canterbury Museum on two Great Crested Penguins which had become co% r ered with waste oil, the curator, Mr. R. A. Falla, has received a letter from Gore Bay, North Canterbury, showing that this danger to penguins is not uncommon. It was stated that last year as many as 30 penguins came ashore covered with oil and died of cold, and there were one or two more this year. In reply to inquiries on the treatment of such birds, Mr. Falla has advised the application of petrol with cotton wool. Control of Industry

"In one brief Act we have all the machinery we need for the completo curtailment of privato enterprise and for the introduction of State supervision and control," stated Professor R. M. Algie, organiser of the Auckland Provincial Freedom Association in an address at Te Awamutu last night. He said it would bo difficult, perhaps even

impossible, to discover in any other part of the British Empire a single statute which placed more power than

this in tho hands of one political party The Act literally gave to the Government a strangle-hold over the industrial, commercial and professional life of the Dominion. A Poet's Grave Much has been written about the last resting-place of the poet Rupert Brooke, who died two days before the Gallipoli landing, on tho small Greek island of Skyros, where he was serving as an officer in the Royal Naval Division. It is not generally known, however, that the beautiful site of the grave was chosen by the late Major-General Sir George Ricliardson, who at that time was a lieutenant-colonel on the staff of tho division. Some years ago, in an address to the boys of the Auckland Grammar School, Sir George stated that the responsibility had been his. "I selected his grave on a little knoll under an olivo tree," he said, "and there he lies peacefully to-day." A Rule lor Counsel "There is no rule clearer than that counsel should not make an affidavit in the case in which they appear," said Mr. Justice Reed, when hearing undefended divorce cases in the Supremo Court yesterday. "That is a very definite rule." ho added. The comment was caused because counsel for a petitioner submitted to the Court his own affidavit that he knew personally the person on whom the petition had been served. Another lawyer had to excuso an exactly similar position that aroso later in tho morning. His Honor said it did not matter so much where there was no contest, but it; was a good, wise rule that counsel engaged in a case should not make an affidavit. Decline in Birth Rate

If the number of births in Now Zealand continues to fall as it is doing today the population of tho Dominion in 100 years is going to be reduced to 500,000. This was tho rather startling announcement made at tho annual meeting of the Wairoa branch of the I'lunket Society by Dr. S. W. J. Harbutt. Ho stated that ono of the most important things to any country was its man power, and, with a falling birth-rate, man power was also being reduced. Ho had heard people ask what was the use of raising children who were to become gun fodder later on. That was an entirely wrong attitude. Tho bigger tho family the stronger a country would be, with tho result, ho said, that there would bo less likelihood of trouble.

Horses Enjoy Five-Day Week Ono of the unexpected results of the introduction of the five-day week by the Auckland City Council is the twoday rest which it gives every week to the largo number of horses used on street cleaning and other tasks. The council still owns 55 horses, of which 27 havo been working during the past year, while the remainder have been grazing at the council's farm at Harltin's Point. In his annual report to tho council, tho city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler, states that the five-day week has favoured the horses, as the extra rest enables them to stand up better to the work on hard pavements. However tho use of horso drays has been so reduced that only about ono-third of tho original stable building at tho depot in Freeman's Bay is now used as a stablo, the remainder being utilised for garago and storeroom purposes.