LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23504, 15 November 1939, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mount Albert Building Building permits to the value of £2783 in respect of 12 applications were granted in the borough of Mount Albert in the three weeks ended November 9. A decrease in the value of permits issued for October this year compared with the same period last year ,was shown, the respective amounts being £4878 and £5625. Fire in Motor-car The wiring system and the dashboard of a motor-car owned by Mr. G. Mudgway, of Laingholme, were extensively damaged when the vehicle caught fire in Point Chevalier Road shortly after five o'clock last evening. The call was answered by machines from the Point Chevalier and Western Districts brigades. Whitebait Season Closes "One of the worst seasons on record" was the comment made yesterday by a fish merchant on the whitebait season, which will close to-day. With the exception of a short period about a month ago, supplies were poor, although there had been a slight improvement during the last few days. The greater part of these supplies came from the Waikato. Vandalism at Three Kings

Disgust at the behaviour of vandals in the district was expressed by tho chairman of the Mount Roskill Road Board, Mr. C. M. McCullough, at a meeting of the board last night. He said young native trees in the Three Kings reserve, facing Mount Albert lload, had been deliberately broken and mutilated and it was a disgrace to the district. It was decided to place tho matter in the hands of the police.

Municipal Act Invoked An interesting point in municipal procedure was mentioned at a mooting of the Nortlicoto Borough Council last night. Approval of the subdivision of a local estate was declined bv tho council and the applicant invoked the provision in section 332 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1933. Under this a special Court is to be set up to decide tho matter. It was stated that this was tho first time this section of the Act had been invoked.

Relief ol Chinese Over £6OO has been collected and sent to Wellington by the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Council for the "adoption" of Chinese Refugee Children. This organisation, tho local branch of which was formed several months ago, has met with ready response from the public, but since the outbreak of war with Germany it has been decided not to make any further special appeals for the time being, although, it is stated, moneys received will be gladly forwarded.

Glen Eden Ratepayers' Poll Permission is being sought from the Local Government Loans Board by tho Glen Eden Town Board to hold a poll of ratepayers on a proposal to raise £3300 for tho reconstruction and sealing of Valley Koad and the erection of a new bridge and culvert. The estimated cost of the bridge and approaches is £1915, of the culvert and approaches £545, and of the reconstruction of the road £2070. Of the total of £4530, Government subsidies amount to £1230, leaving £3300 to be found by the board.

More Troops at Papakura A further body of troops went into tho Papakura mobilisation base yesterday from Ngaruawahia. Consisting of headquarters staff and Army Service Corps details, they loft Ngaruawahia shortly after mid-day and arrived at Papakura during the afternoon, quickly being assigned to quarters far more comfortable than even those occupied by officers at Ngaruawahia. For the headquarters staff the comfortably roomy wooden building was also a considerable advance upon the hospital typo of marquee they had at Ngaruawahia.

Pleasure Craft on Harbour The Auckland Harbour Board has been unable to secure any further relaxation of wartime harbour control to permit the use of the Motuihi and Waiheke passages at later hours than now allowed. The harbourmaster, Captain H. H. Sergeant, informed the board yesterday that he had interviewed the naval authorities on the matter and they considered that the regulations affecting the use of the Brown's Island channel to Waiheke had already been very considerably relaxed and that nothing further coidd be done compatible with the safety and defence of the port.

Condition ol Manukau Bar The bar at the Manukau Heads was still difficult for shipping yesterday because of heavy seas. The Northern Company's motor-vessel llonaki, sailing for Raglan and Kawhia shortly after seven o'clock in the morning, crossed the bar, and the Anchor Line motor-vessel Puriri, from Waikato Heads, was able to enter the harbour at two o'clock in the afternoon. The Northern Company's motor-vessel Hauturu, whose sailing for New Plymouth was delayed on Monday, left at two o'clock yesterday afternoon, but was sheltering at the heads last night.

Roman Catholic History Several articles connected with the early history of the Roman Catholic Church in New Zealand have been lent by Bishop Listen for display in tho court which the Church has established at the Centennial Exhibition. They include the portable altar which Bishop Pompallior used for tho first Mass celebrated in New Zealand, the bishop's silver chalice and a model of his schooner, Sancta Maria, made by Mr. F. P. Wild, of Mission Bay. Among other objects of historical interest shown in tho court is the chalice of Blessed Peter Chanel, "tlio Martyr of Oceania."

Art of Picking Lemons In tho opinion of experts it is not everyono who can be trusted to pick lemons off a tree. Giving evidence in tho Supreme Court yesterday a Tauranga orchardist said that lemon-pick-ing was a skilled job. "Tho subsequent lifo of the lemon depends largely upon the caro and attention of the lemonpicker in the harvesting of the fruit," he said. "The picker must seo that the lemons are cut short, he must wear gloves, and ho must have a good oyo for tho size of fruit to save waste of time in grading. He must take care in handling the fruit in and out of tho bag. In climbing trees he must be very careful not to damage limbs or branches or twigs. All this is reflected in the keeping property of tho fruit."