LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23143, 15 September 1938, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gannets Return Early The gannets which spend the warmer months of the year at the sanctuary at. Cape Kidnappers, near Napier, have returned earlier this year. It is considered that the number is greater than for tho corresponding periods of any other year. Hand Struck With Pick A compound fracture of tho hand and severed tendons were received by an employee of the Newmarket Borough Council. Mr. Percy John Stevens, aged 38, married, of 5 Pitt Street, when lie was struck oil tho hand with a pick-axe yesterday afternoon. He was admitted to tho Auckland Hospital. Anniversary of the Somme The 22nd anniversary of tho ontrv of tho New Zealand Division into the Battle of the Somme falls to-day. The division was engaged on September 15, 1010, and remained tliero for 2.'} days. This battle gave the New Zealand Division its first Victoria Cross in Franco, the winner being Sergeant D. F. Brown, of the 2nd Battalion, Otago Begiment.

Old Maori Proverb "By woman and by greenstone is peace made," said Miss 0. L. G. Adams, quoting an old Maori proverb in her address to members of tho anthropology section of the Auckland Institute and Museum last night. Miss Adams was telling of the settlement of a tribal dispute in which a woman had played an important part. "I am afraid some people nowadays may not agree with that," she said.

Motoring Breaches About 130 motorists were prosecuted before cither Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., or Mr. G. G. Chisholm, S.M., in tlie Auckland Courts yesterday for breaches of the motor regulations and City Council by-laws. Parking irregularities cost motorists from 10s to £l, but fines for speeding and negligent driving ranged as high as £2, and for dangerous driving £5. The majority of the penalties were 10s for minor offences.

Lorry Blown Oft Road While on tho collection round near Makomako on a recent morning, Mr. T. Kerrison, the driver of one of the Pahiatua Dairy Company's cream lorries, had the experience of being blown off the road. The wind in the Pahiatua district was at gale force, and Mr. Kerrison, who had a fair load of cream on the lorry at the time, met a fierce side wind which forced the lorry into the water channel. Fortunately the driver was not hurt, but about 2001b. of cream was lost.

Ships at Chelsea An exceptionally busy period is being experienced at the overseas shipping wharf at Chelsea, which will have handled three ships during this week. All three vessels have cargoes of raw sugar from Java. The first was the British steamer Antigone, which left on Monday night. She was followed yesterday by the Dutch motorship Maetsuycker, which completed discharge within tho day, and a further shipment will arrive to-morrow morning from Java by the British steamer River Lugar. Fitness and Modern Transport

Modern living conditions dulled the urge to achieve physical fitness, said Mr. E. Willis, physical instructor at Rongotai College, in an address at a meeting of the Wellington School Committees' and Educational Federation. Transport was cheap, and as a result the amount of walking done was steadily decreasing. Among the many benefits to be gained by physical exercises wero the eradication of a sense of inferiority, improved carriage and respiration, and co-ordination of mind and muscle.

Bush in Danger from Fire Some anxiety for the safety of Kennedy's Bush, the area of native trees on the Port Hills, Lyttelton, was felt on Tuesday night, when a fire broke out at the edge of the block. The fire, however, was confined to broom, gorse and bracken at tne outskirts of tho bush, which was not harmed. Because of the danger to the bush, an appeal for volunteers to fight the outbreak was broadcast. A good number of voluntary workers made their way to the bush and tho fire, which broke out about 5 p.m. and burnt for several hours, was well under control before midnight. The fire had a frontage of about a quarter of a mile. Greenstone and Paua Pearls

A good collection of pieces of greenstono, pauu shells, and paua pearls has been sent to the Canterbury Museum by a West Coast resident. The shells and pearls, of which there are about a dozen of each, will be used by tho .educational officer, Mr. George Guy, for tho educational displays, which are sent out to schools. The greenstone collection, consisting of 1(3 pieces of all grades, is an interesting one, according to the ethnologist at the museum, Mr. It. S. Duff. Greenstone was probably first found by the Maoris on the beach in the small area on tho West Coast between the Arahura and Teremakau rivers, where these pieces were picked up, and later it was traced further up the rivers, eventually becoming an article ol commercial importance. Praise lor Engineer

"We all look on Mr. F. T. M. Kissel, chief electrical engineer for the Public Works Department, as tho leading man of tho electrical industry, and I think wo all realise that Mr. Kissel's recognition and status have not been given sufficient attention," said Mr. S. P. Day at the annual conference of the secretaries' branch of tho Electric Power Boards and Supply Authorities' Association of New Zealand in Wellington. Mr. Day made tho remark in moving a vote of thanks to Mr. Kissol for an address he gave to tho conference. "I think that with such an enormous business to control, he should bo given -greater status and recognition for the splendid work he has done in helping to build up tho electric supply industry." Traffic in Glen Eden

A suggestion that tho Transport Department would provide machinery for controlling traffic in the Glen Eden town district in return for a certain consideration was made in a letter from tho commissioner of transport received at a meeting of the Glen Eden Town Board this week. The letter stated that .the consideration might take the form of either the revenue derived from the issue of drivers' licences, less a reasonable charge for administration expenses, or an annual sum to be agreed upon. Tho board decided to advise tho commissioner that, in view of the limited supervision one traffic officer patrolling tho proposed area could give, it would not bo prepared to contribute more than 25 per. cent of the amount derived from driving licence fees.