LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23602, 11 March 1940, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Shark Washed Ashore A 6ft. shark washed ashore on Takapuna Beach on Saturday morning attracted wide interest. The shark, which was dead, had been seriously injured and had apparently been attacked by another fish or struck by a passing ship or launch. Gun Pellet in Eye A pellet from an air gun struck the eve of a schoolboy, Alan Johnston, aged 12, while he was playing in a paddock near his home in Knighton Road. Hamilton on Saturday morning. The boy was in the paddock with his sister when another boy in a near by paddock fired the gun. The pellet was almost spent when it reached him and his injury was not serious. Massed Bands Display

Large crowds attended in the Domain yesterday afternoon when 11 bands gave performances, including a quick step display by the Artillery Band. The marching of bands to the Domain attracted much attention and for a time there was a block of traffic on Grafton Bridge, the stream of vehicles being retarded by the overflow of pedestrians from the footpaths. The massed bands parade in the Domain was the last of the season. Heavy Hay Crop The prolific growth of pasturage due to the abnormal rains over the last two months has ensured large hay crops for winter feed. Haymaking has been continued over an extended period this slimmer and so heavy have been the cuttings in some areas that supplies for at least two years have been stacked hv many farmers. At a Wiri farm where baling was recently completed it was reported that the yield of hay was as high as 5} tons to the acre. The cut was largely of paspalum grass. Reserve at Taupo

The Maori War period, -when Armed Constabulary were stationed at Taupo, is recalled in an Order-in-Council just gazetted, changing the purpose of portion of a reserve in the town area. The land was originally set apart "as a site for a redoubt or other purposes of the General Government." The order provides that a portion consisting of a little over three-quarters of an acre, and situated between Huia Street and River Terrace, is to be in future a reserve for recreation purposes.

Army All Blacks "An inter-unit Rugby tournament has already started, and from what 1 saw of the play last Saturday I feel wo have material here to form another All Black side," said Major-General B. C. Frevberg, officer commanding the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, in a recorded broadcast from Egypt on Saturday night. "The standard of football is very high, and before this tournament is over we shall be able to pick a first-class team to play against a combined team from the British troops and the hitherto unbeaten Air Force team." Visitors to Camps The approaching leave for men of the second echelon did not prevent large numbers of relatives and friends from travelling to Papakura and Ngaruawahia camps yesterday to visit the soldiers. "Well-filled trains left Auckland yesterday morning- for both camps and largo numbers of passengers joined at intervening points down the line. For the return journey an additional passenger train, which left Frankton in the afternoon, also stopped at the camp siding to pick up anyone who did not catch the excursion train.

Dipping of Headlights The question of the dipping or dimming of headlights of vehicles at night was raised by Mr. E. W. 1' orrest at a meeting of the Gisborne advisory committee of the Automobile Association (Auckland). He said he did not know if the borough buses ran with their lights dipped or not. but their headlights were strong and glaring and the drivers did not answer any signal to dim their lights. The chairman, Mr. F. Tolerton, explained that the new buses had an inferior type of headlamp, one of which blacked out when the rays were dipped. The resident patrol was instructed to take up the matter with tho bus department.

Ngaruawahia Troops' Leave Some of the soldiers at Ngaruawahia camp found on Saturday that antitetanus injections could interfere seriously with week-end leave. As it is necessary for the soldiers to lie down for about four hours after the inoculation, the normal week-end leave could not be granted generally and restricted night leave was granted instead to many of the/ soldiers, both on Saturday and yesterday. As a result, only three carriages on tho New Plymouth express were needed last night to return tho more fortunate of the Ngaruawahia men to camp from Auckland, the usual troop train at 6.20 p.m. being cancelled.

Presbyterian Centenary The centennial celebrations of the Presbyterian Church in the Auckland district, which began last Wednesday, were continued yesterday. Thanksgiving and Communion services were held in all city and suburban churches, and wore attended by large congregations. Tho Moderator of tho New Zealand General Assembly, the Rt. Rev. J. Lawson Robinson, of Cliristcliurch, preached in St. Andrew's, tho mother church of Auckland, in tho morning, and conducted the service in St. David's Church in the evening. Sermons in all churches were appropriate to tho occasion, dealing with the record of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand during the past 100 years and tho future tasks that face it. a Diversion ol Liners Hopes of further refunds against losses caused to Auckland importers through the diversion of two liners on the outbreak of war to Admiralty work which necessitated tho unloading of cargo in India are raised as a result of a communication from 1 the London Chamber of Commerce to the Auckland chamber. The Auckland chamber made representations through the Australian Associated Chambers of Commerce some time ago and the London chamber in its letter pointed out that substantial concessions in port trust and customs charges, which it was thought would be considerably more than half, had been secured. As, however, other aspects of the matter had since been raised, the chamber was in communication with the Ministry Shipping with a view to ascertaining whether any facilities exist, or can be provided, to enable traders who have suffered losses to claim compensation.