LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23181, 29 October 1938, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Fat Lamb Shortage Lack of fat lambs at Christmaa is considered to be a possibility in the Northern Wairoa district, as lambs for fattening are backward. Usually lambs are ready for killing three or four weeks before Christmas, but it is likely that this year they will be later, as the shortage of early feed has resulted in a setback.

Manawatu Gorge Railway To enable further protective work to bo curried out in the Manawatu Gorge in the vicinity of tjie recent slip, the railway line will be closed this afternoon, after the Wairarapa train has passed through, until 10.30 on Monday morning. There is still a quantity of rock and other material on the hill face which would sooner or later cause a blockage to the line. Informal Voting

Half a dozen cases of apparent dual voting had been found, stated the returning officer for Kaipara, Mr. T. Morgan, when the official count was completed. It was found that these were due to duplication by polling clerks. A number of votes had been rendered informal through electors signing their names or initials, while one postal vote was cast for "Michael Joseph Savage."

Czechoslovakia Anniversary The 20th anniversary of the declaration of independence of the Czechoslovak Republic fell yesterday. The Consul for Czechoslovakia in Auckland, Mr. R. M. Algie, received calls during the day from members of the Consular Corps. Recent cable messages from Prague indicated that in view of the happenings in Europe the 20th anniversary celebrations in the Republic had been indefinitely postponed.

Sinking ol Tug An inquiry into the circumstances of the sinking of the tug Te Awhina after it had been holed by the starboard propeller of the motor-ship Essex on August 11, is to be held by the Auckland Harbour Board next week. The inquiry was delayed until the findings of the nautical court had been announced. It will be held by the full board in committee, and later a reporc will be placed before the board in open meeting. M.P. as Show Rider Possibly for the first time in the history of agricultural shows in th«> Waikato, a member of Parliament was a competitor in the jumping competitions at the Royal Show at Claudelands on Thursday and yesterday. The competitor was Mr. J. M. Allen, recentlyelected National member for Hauraki. who is a well-known farmer in the Piako district and is widely recognised as an enthusiastic horseman. He competed in several of the jumping events Names for Traffic Signs "1 hope wo are not having a new traffic term introduced," remarked Mr. Justice Callan during the hearing of a case in the Supreme Court yesterday when counsel referred to a pedestrian crossing as a "safety zone." His Honor said domes had been designated as "silent policemen," which did not find favour with the police, and also as "poached eggs," which he himself disliked. "I hope we are to be saved from similar designations," His Honor added smilingly. Catholic Scouts' Parade

The annual church parade of Catholic Boy Scout troops in Auckland will be held to-morrow morning at St. Patrick's Cathedral. This year the parade will include four companies of girl guides as well as the troops of scouts and packs of cubs, and an attendance of 480 is expected. They will assemble in Quay Street at 10.30 a.m. and march to the cathedral for the High Mass, which will be celebrated at 11 o'clock. The salute will be taken after the Mass bv Bishop Liston and Commissioner P. Hall. Warning by Magistrate

"I hope notice will be taken of this by the public—people have no right to take native plants from reserves or parks," said Mr. C. R. Orr Walker. S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when imposing a fine of £2 with 10s costs, on a defendant who was charged with taking protected native plants from Mount Atkinson Park. Detective-Sergeant McHugh said the defendant had dug up punga ferns from the Coronation Drive reserve and the Exhibition Drive, both places being reserves. End ol Schooner Smashed to matchwood by a fresh northerly gale on Thursday, the former i American four-masted schooner Columbia, later a floating cabaret known as the Showboat, has now disappeared from the spot at the northern end of : Rangitoto Island, where she was beached and burned on Wednesday. ; After fire had swept the hulk, the gale ! which was experienced on the following day completed the destruction and the only traces now remaining of the ship | are a few timbers driven yards inshore by the heavy seas. Motor-cars in Los Angeles There is one motor-car to every two persons in Los Angeles county, said Mr. M. J. Rodney, a former Melbourne resident now living in Los Angeles, who passed through Auckland en route to Sydney by the Monterey yesterday. Mr. liodney was discussing the enormous motor traffic of Los Angeles city and stated that within the county, which had a population of about 2,000,000 people, there were 1,000,000 motor-cars Practically every family possessed a car which, when second-hand, could often be purchased for from 15 to 25 dollars Jaguar Twins at Zoo In spite of the difficulties of rearing such anirials in captivity, good progress is being made by the pair of jaguar kittens which were born at the Auckland Zoo nearly a fortnight ago. Although female jaguars are poor mothers and frequently kill their young, the one at tho zoo is looking after the ne# arrivals in accordance with the best maternal traditions, and has in no way harmed them. Up to the present the kittens have elected to remain hidden within the den attached to the jaguar enclosure, and have not been seen by visitors.

Extra Trains from Auckland Several extra trains will be run to-day in connection with the arrival of the cruise liner Orcades and the Royal Show at Hamilton. Two special expresses arranged for passengers from the Orcades will leave Auckland for Rotorua at 7.40 a.m. and 9 a.m. to-day, and the party of tourists leaving by the earjier of the two will return the same day. Those travelling by the 9 o'clock train will leave for National Park overland after visiting Rotorua. There will also be a show train to Claudelands, leaving Auckland at 8.15 a.m. and arriving back at 10 p.m.