LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23470, 6 October 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Celebrations Abandoned A meeting of tlie Papakura Cemenninl Celebrations Committee last night decided, after a full discussion, to abandon tlie centennial functions in Papakura. The opening of the Plunket rest room and the united service in January, however, will still he held. High Price ol Carrots Although there has heen a good supply of carrots at the City Markets in recent weeks, prices, both wholesale and retail, remain high. In City shops yesterday carrots were selling at 5d per lb. At tlie corresponding periods in 10:37 and last year they were priced at 3d per lb. for best quality.

More New Locomotives Arrive Six more of the 30 new general utility J-class locomotives ordered from Scotland by the Railway Department have arrived at Auckland and will ho shipped to Wellington. There arq now 10 of the engines in New Zealand. Ten locomotives of this type will be used in the Auckland district, 10 in the Frankton area and the remainder in the Tiiuniaruinii district. Excursion to Military Camp

Friends of men in the military camp at Hopuhopu will be able to pay a visit on Sunday, when a special excursion train will leave the Auckland railway station at 9.30 a.m. The train, which will travel by way of Newmarket, will stop at the principal stations as far as Mercer. The return journey will start at 5 p.m. and the train will arrive back in Auckland at eight o'clock.

New Zealand Spinach The opinion that New Zealand spinach, while being one of the most beneficial vegetables and one of the easiest to grow, was practically neglected in the Dominion, was given by Mr. M. J. Barnett in an address to the Canterbury Horticultural Society. Mr. Barnett said the plant thrived on all conditions of soil and it was constantly productive. In Continental countries this vegetable was appreciated as a very tasty dish.

Aid lor Seamen's Mission A substantial contribution to the cost of conducting the Mission to Seamen was made by the City Council last night when it was decided to write off municipal rates for the current year amounting to £72 10s. It has been the custom of the council for several years to write off the municipal rates on the brick hall and rooms in Sturdec Street belonging to, the mission, requiring the payment of water rates only. This year a similar course has been followed.

Firemen Help Council A donation of £2 2s to the social club of the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Brigade was made by the Auckland City Council last night. Members were informed of the assistance given by firemen on three occasions to haul down the flag in Albert Park after the rope had become entangled with the pulley, and were also told that no charge was made for this service. In addition to making a donation to the social club, the council decided to send a letter of appreciation to the brigade.

Departure of Recruits An attempt is to be made to secure a more suitable hour for the departure of recruits leaving Gisborne in future for active service. The Gisborne Borough Council has decided to make application to the Minister of Defence with this end in view, the decision following a remark concerning the "ungodly hour" of the departure of the members of the main body on Tuesday morning. A protest against the time of departure came before the council from the Gisborne Territorial Association.

Men in Key Positions Methods of exempting men necessary in industry from military service were described as unsatisfactory by Mr. H. W. Shove at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday. It was necessary to make quick decisions, he said, and for that purpose a body should be set up in Auckland with power to act. Manufacturers did not wish to keep men willing to serve in the military forces when others could be trained to take their place, but industry was disorganised by the absence of men in key positions.

Dynamite for Fish People who have been killing fish with dynamite in bottles have made a popular bathing pool in the Halswell River at Motukarara, Canterbury, very dangerous, according to Mr. F. Miller, who reported on it to the Ellesmere Lands Drainage Board. Mr. Miller said that he was certain that blasting had been the cause of it, and suggested that the bottom of the pool could be dragged to make it safe again for bathers. Another member expressed the view that for all the fish that would be taken there it could hardly be worth the trouble of blasting. Students' Conference The annual summer conference of the New Zealand Student Christian Movement is to he hold this year at Wanganui from December 28 to January 4. "Christian Vocation" is the theme around which the conference is being built, and a practical study book on this subject is being written for the conference by the Rev. J. M. Bates. Two of the principal speakers will be the Bishop of Waiapu. the Right Rev. "G. V. Gerard, and the Rev. H. Turner, and a series of Bible study tutorials will bo conducted by the chairman of the movement, the Rev. H. \\. Newell.

Mayor Becomes Father By becoming a father while Mayor of Chr'istclmreh, Mr. R. M. Macfarlane cannot claim to have created a precedent. In 1870 the then Mayor of Christchnrch. Mr. A. Duncan, became the father of a son. The occasion was fittingly recognised at the time and a beautiful epergne was presented to Mrs. Duncan by members of the City Council. The epergne took the form of a solid silver candelabra standing about 2ft. in height, fashioned like an oak tree with a cradle hanging from the branches The son who was born at that time was the third of eight sons. He was Mr. A. S. Duncan, manager of New Zealand Breweries, Limited, who died recently. Standard By-Laws

The Hawke's Bay branch of the NonZealand Institute of Architects wrote to the Gisborne Borough Council suggesting a by-law similar to that adopted by the Auckland City Council making it necessary for an architect to be in charge of all buildings under course of construction that would exceed £2OOO in cost. The Mayor, Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P., said that a move had been made for having uniform" by-laws for the whole of New Zealand, and if the council incorporated such a provision in its by-laws as was suggested it would be departing from the aim to have uniform by-laws. On the Mayor's motion the council decided to ask the institute to place, the proposal before the Standards Institute, so that consideration might be given for the incorporation of the proposal in the btaudard by-laws.