LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23316, 8 April 1939, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

PohutuKawa in Bloom A pohutukawa tree in full bloom on tho waterfront road at Orakei affords another instance of the irregular nature of the flowering this season. Recently two pohutukawas were in bloom on the waterfront road near Mission Bay. Hamilton Ambulances The two Hamilton ambulances were busily engaged yesterday and covered over 500 miles in transport of medical and accident cases. One ambulance made two trips from Otorohanga to Auckland, involving a 'distance of 240 miles. Building in Wellington

Wellington city building figures for the year ended March 31 are £314,000 ahead of those of the previous year. The exact figures for now buildings and alterations to buildings, represented by permits granted by the city'engineer's department during the year 1938-39, amounted to £1,127,005, which is an improvement on those for the last few years.

Surprise for Camper Startled to wakefulness in the small hours, a lady camping in the Waitakere Ranges saw in the moonlight what appeared to be a bushy tail waving at the end of her bed. Investigation revealed the fact that a young opossum had entered the tent and was taking an upside-down promenade beneath her camp stretcher, which, being made of sacking, provided easy foothold for the intruder. New Fire Engine

In keeping with its practice to maintain the efficiency of its equipment, the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board has decided to purchase a new fire engine to replace the one now being used in the Tamaki fire district. The old machine was bought about 12 years ago, and is obsolete. Usually an engine lasts about 15 years, but the one to be displaced has seen very heavy service. Altogether the board has 26 machines under its control. '

Grafton Bridge Lighting Greatly improved lighting on Grafton Bridge will result from the replacement of the existing standards by larger ones and an increase in the power of the lamps. The new standards, which are painted a deep cream instead of the present green, are 7ft. 6in. in length and project fully 4ft above the safety netting, avoiding interruption to the light. The lamps will be double the power of those in use at present. The work is to be completed by the end of next week.

French Share in Centennial The French Government will probably be asked by the New Zealand Government to assist materially in the national Centennial celebrations at Akaroa next year. When the general secretary of the National Centennial Council, Mr. A. W. Mulligan, visited Akaroa, he said the issue of invitations to foreign countries was under consideration by the Government at present, but none had yet been issued. A French representative would certainly be present in New Zealand.

Catholic Seamen's Club Providing for the physical comfort and spiritual requirements of Catholic seafarers while in the port of Auckland, the new clubrboms of the Auckland" Catholic Seamen's Institute will he officially opened and blessed at three o'clock to-morrow afternoon by Bishop Liston. The rooms occupy a now floor recently added to Zealandia Buildings, opposite St. Patrick s Cathedral. They will be under the control of the Auckland branch of the Apostolate of the Scat Anzac Day Services

Following the precedent set last year the Returned Soldiers' Association will hold its official Anznc Day ceremony this year at 11 a.m. at the Cenotaph. A new feature of the day's celebrations will he the holding of a dawn service at 4.30 a.m. on the lines of similar gatherings that have been most successful in Australia. The dawn service will be conducted by the Australian Imperial Forces Association, and the Returned Soldiers' Association is cooperating by inviting its members to attend.

Interest in Liner One of the largest crowds for some time thronged Queen's Wharf throughout yesterday to inspect the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company's new liner, tho Dominion Monarch. All day there was an endless procession along the western side of the wharf, and in the afternoon and evening some thousands passed along near the ship. Only a limited number with special passes actually boarded tho vessel. The liuer will be open to the public to-morrow afternoon for two hours and the proceeds will bo devoted to seamen's charities.

Taxicab Missing A taxicab belonging to a member of tho Checker Taxi-cab Company, Limited, disappeared from outside a hall in Beresford Street at midnight on Wednesday, while tho owner was inside the hall. When ho returned after a few minutes' absence he was astonished to find tho cab had gone. It was not until two hours later that the vehicle was found parked at tho lower end of Albert Street. The petrol tank indicated tho cab had been driven some considerable distance since its disappearance. No apparent damage had been done.

Poor Spawning of Oysters Because of the comparatively moderate temperatures an unusually large proportion of rock oysters do not appear to have spawned this season, especially on tho more exposed areas, while the set of the oyster spat on the rocks is reported to be very poor. Through a series of favourable seasons there are now such heavy clusters of young oysters generally on rocks on most oast coast areas that a heavy set of spat this season would have been unwelcome to the Fisheries Department. If oysters cluster too thickly on the rocks or on tho mature oysters, growth is retarded. Reservoir Overflows

One feature arising from the recent rain was a sudden drop in tho consumption of water from tho city mains, which previously had been heavily drawn upon for garden purposes. So sudden was the drop that for a long period more water went into the reservoir on Mount Hobson than was withdrawn, with the result that it soon overflowed. On Thursday night and for some yesterday morning, water (lowed from the reservoir outlet and ran in a stream down the hill. It spread over a fairly level paddock, creating several lakes, and eventually found its way over an adjoining roadway*