LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23599, 7 March 1940, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Carpenter's Wages An inquiry was made in the Palmerston North Magistrate's Court, for the purpose of assessing a witness' expenses. as to what his earnings were. The Court was told that he was a carpenter at the OJiakea Air Force Training Station earning 29s a clay. Large Kingflsh Caught c-

Weighing 18711). and measuring sft. 7in. in length, a kingfish was caught at the Kermadec Islands at the end of last month by a schooner trailing a small hook on a line. The fish was hauled by the vessel until exhausted. The schooner arrived at Auckland yesterday after an uneventful voyage of about six days.

Highway Clearance The clearance of the main highway between To Kuiti and Taumaruntii is now sufficiently advanced to permit the passage of ordinary traffic, according to reports received yesterday afternoon by the Automobile Association (Auckland) from its area patrol in the King Country district. The need for caution on the damaged sections of highway is stressed by the association.

Underground Cable Fire Flames shooting through cracks in the pavement, at the corner of Khyber Pass Hoad and York Street, Newmarket, shortly before two o'clock yesterday afternoon wore caused by a short circuit in an underground electric cable. Machines from the Central and I'arnell Fire Brigades stood by, but the fire ceased immediately the electric power was cut off.

Appeal Collections Relused Permission to allow children to collect on behalf of funds for the fighting forces was refused by the Auckland Education Board yesterday when an application from the Combined Appeal Committee, Hamilton, was received. The members of the board were fully in sympathy with the object of the appeal, but considered that the board's policy in regard to children making collections should not be departed from.

British Price ol Wool References to the high prices of wool in Britain are made in letters received by Auckland importers of soft goods. One advice states that while on the one hand manufacturers in Britain are being exhorted to keep price advances ;is low as possible in order to avoid increasing the cost of living, the wool control office is able to advance its prices for wool bv nearly 100 per cent without this situation being regarded as in any way extraordinary. Visitors from the East Dutch ships coming to New Zealand from Malaya continue to bring a number of English visitors who normally spend their leave in England, but are now reluctant to do so because of the war. When the Maetsuycker arrived at Auckland yesterday she brought several British families who will see the country for the first time. They included one whose leave period extends over eight months and as a result the children are to be sent to school in New Zealand.

Delays to Trains The early express from Wellington reached Auckland 39 minutes late yesterday morning; and the limited express 24 minutes late, because of speed restrictions on sections of the line between Te Kuiti and Taihape. Fresh ballasting necessitated by a series of washouts nearly a fortnight ago has not yet settled down, and until that takes place reduced speeds over affected sectors will be necessary. On Tuesday both expresses from the south were 58 minutes behind schedule.

Car Strikes Shop Front Awakened by a loud crash in the street below, a family who live in Albert Street near the corner of Wyndham Street found last night that a motor-car bad run across the footpath and struck the concrete wall of a shop. On investigating, they discovered that there was no one in the car, and the engine was not. running. The force with which the car had struck the wall was shown by the fact that the right headlamp was broken, and the mudguard and huniper badly bent.

Easter Trains Heavily Booked Seven of the nine passenger trains which will run between Auckland and Wellington on Thursday, March 21, the day before Good Friday, are already fully booked, indicating that the rush of traffic usually experienced by the Railway Department over the Easter holiday will not be appreciably diminished this year. Seats are still available on the daylight limtied express and a special express which will leave Auckland at 7.50 p.m., replacing the usual New Plymouth train.

Picnic lor Orphans The second picnic arranged by the Auckland police for orphans will be held on Motuihi island to-day. It is expected that about 450 children will be brought bv buses and trams to the Central Wharf this morning, in time for them to leave by steamer at nine o'clock. This year the committee will award a goodwill silver cup presented by Messrs. Walker and Hall to the team which gains most points in sports events at the picnic. It will be held for a year, and the winning orphanage will be given a miniature to be retained.

Rotarians Drink Milk The novel spectacle of several hundred Rotarians assembled from all parts of New Zealand, together with their wives and daughters, drinking milk through straws was seen at Massey College yesterday morning. The annual Dominion conference of the movement is being held there and, instead of morning tea, a bottle of milk was served. One Rotarian enjoyed it so much that he drank two more and when, after the manner of Rotary, he was fined by the president for the lapse at the rate of lOd a bottle, he passed up a 10s note, declaring that it was worth all of that.

Church Beginnings "The records show that the earliest gathering of the Presbyterians in Auckland could be fitly termed a 'very numerous and respectable meeting'." said the Rt. Rev. J. Lawson Robinson, moderator of the General Assembly, when speaking at St. Andrew's Church last night. The meeting was convened in a sehoolhouse, he said, and he could congratulate the minister of St. Andrew's, which was the mother church, that there was no bar sinister on its origins. On the other hand, his church in Christchurch, also St. Andrew's, and the mother church /of Canterbury, was cradled in a hotel. "But I think I can say," he added, "that my people today are not more inclined to alcoholic inspiration than are the Presbyterians of other centres "