LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23273, 16 February 1939, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Industrial Cases On behalf of tho Arbitration Court, which delegates its authority to him, Mr. J. A. Gilmour, S.M., sat yesterday to make fixtures for various industrial disputes and applications. fixtures arranged by him extend Irom next Monday to March 8.

Warships' Australian Cruise Tho Imperial escort vessel Leitli will leave tho Devonport Naval Base tomorrow for the Bay of .Islands, where she is due on Saturday. There sho will join the Wellington, which left Auckland on Monday, and on Sunday the two ships will leave in company for Sydney, being due there on I 1 cbruar.v 25. The visit to Australia will last until. March 31.

Waiheke Improvements Work is now in progress on the erection of concrete bathing sheds on the Waiheke Domain at Ostend, the undertaking being under the control of the Ostend Road Board. This is part of a. general scheme to make tho aioa more attractive. The board has also decided to fence a grove of native trees at tho Onetangi bus terminus to encourage regeneration. One Tree Hill Building

Eight building permits, representing work valued at £30,56, have been issued by the One Tree Hill Borough Council in the past fortnight, according to a report submitted at a meeting of the council last night. Since the beginning of the year tho council has issued 12 permits representing £3253, compared with 11 permits, worth £774, in the corresponding period last year, an increase of £2479.

Climb up Flag-pole While passers-by marvelled at their daring, a fire brigadosman and a member of the City Council staff replaced the halyards on the flag-staff at the top of the Town Hall clock tower yesterday morning. An attempt to climb the copper-sheathed pole sailor-fashion was unsuccessful, so ropes were rigged and tho fireman got to the top without difficulty. A crowd watched proceedings from the street. Exotic Tree in Albert Park

A shapely exotic tree now flowering in Albert Park, near the Public Library, is Lagunaria patersonis, a native of Norfolk Island and Tasmania. The mauve blooms are about one and a-half inches in diameter, and are pleasantly fragrant and set in greygreen foliage. It is hoped by those in control that name-plates will shortly be provided for the trees in Albert Park as they are of great interest to overseas visitors.

Municipal Golf Links Greens and tees at the .municipal golf links near Western Springs are being top-dressed preparatory to the opening of the course, which is dependent on the time of the completion of the clubhouse, but which is expected to take place toward the end of March or the beginning of April at the latest. In the past nine months over 2000 yards of soil has been spread in topdressing the turf at the links, and in consequence of the work done the grass is now in excellent condition. Many Traffic Offences

Nearly 100 motorists were charged in the Magistrate's Court yesterday with breaches of the traffic regulations. Three Courtrooms were in use, Mr. W. R, McKean, S.M., Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., and Mr. J. Morling, S.M., presiding. The offences included non-possession of warrants of fitness, excessive speed, dangerous driving, defective brakes, and breaches of the parking regulations, the fines ranging from 10s to £3. For not having their loads securely fastened two lorrydrivers were each fined £1 and a third 10s. Tolerance In Politics "Whatever side you may belong to, for Heaven's sake preserve the democratic spirit, that is, tolerance for tliG other side," said Professor L. M. Lipson, newly - appointed professor of political science at Victoria University College, speaking to the Wellington Travel Club. "Dictatorship will first come when you cannot see your opponents in charge of the Government without preferring to fight them. Democracy is the most difficult type of institution for human beings to work under, because it demands self-restraint and tolerance by the individual and the Government."

Popular Motor Camp There are still 54 camping parties, representing over 200 persons, at the municipal motor camp at Western Springs. Although the present attendance is the lowest since Christmas, the numbers at the camp this season have been greater than ever before. The weekly average since Christmas has been about 250, and it is now clear that the takings for the season will show a very substantial increase. Plans are already being made to enlargo the camping area to cater for the big influx of motor campers expected during the centennial celebrations. It is proposed to clear of scrub an area of about three acres adjoining the entrance.

Change in Parking The change from angle to parallel parking in Shortland Street and Victoria Street West has resulted in a marked reduction of congestion in the two streets. The improvement is particularly noticeable in Shortlaud Street, where a much greater width of the roadway is now availablo for moving traffic, resulting in fewer accumulations of vehicles. Pedestrians aro also finding it easier to cross tho road. Ono result of the chango is that, while fewer cars can be left at the kerb, motorists aro having less difficulty in pulling out into tho traffic stream than was tho case under tho angleparking rule. Native Tree Collection

Now in pots and tubs, so as to permit of transplanting under favourable conditions, over 1000 native trees and shrubs aro in the care of tho City Council at the Domain nursery. Some of the trees have attained a height of four to six feet, and tho whole collection is in splendid condition, much growth having taken place this year. Shrubs and some trees will bo planted by schoolchildren next Arbour Day, in August, bordering tho portion of tho Domain Drive now being formed near tho hospital grounds. This planting will bo preliminary to' tho planting from tho collection of 500 trees on the site to mark the centennial. The trees will comprise kauri, rimu, totara, pohutukawa, re ware wa, puriri, karaka and other tall forest specimens. It is expected that they will be put in about this time next year.