LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23621, 3 April 1940, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Giant Pumpkin. An outsize pumpkin, weighing 1251b., has been grown by Mr. H. Boaler, Hanmoana, Hastings, it is of the green cattle species, and. broken up and fed in conjunction with pasture for autumn fattening, this single pumpkin would providdSa day's ration for upward ol 2o lambs.

Recovery of Coins Silver and copper coins, relics of the 19,'$]. earthquake, were unearthed by workmen engaged on a building in Napier. They apparently comprised the contents of a till which was destroyed in a shop by the fire which followed the earthquake.. One of the men gathered £3 in small coins, which bear ample evidence of the tire.

Egg Prices Rise A further rise in the wholesale prices of all grades of hen and duck eggs occurred yesterday. First grade eggs increased by 2d a dozen, selling at 2s 7}d for lien and 2s sid for duck, while the advance was Id a dozen for B grade. There is an even greater difference in the C quality, in which hen eggs rose by 3d a dozen and duck eggs by 'ld.

Savage Avenue As a gesture of appreciation of the work of the late Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, the Mount' Boskill .Road Board decided last night to name a road in its district Savage Avenue. This followed the receipt of a letter from the Director of Housing Construction requesting the board to submit proposed names for two new roads in the district. The names will be subject to the approval of the Minister of Housing.

Fuel for Motor-boats Some uncertainty among launch owners will be relieved by an announcement made by the district oil fuel controller yesterday that existing licences for oil fuel for motor-boats will lie extended until the cud of April lor the same quantity. The present licences expired on March 31, and the new arrangement will make provision up to April 30. Every licence must be produced for endorsement at the oil fuel control office, Wellesley Street East.

Building in Mount Roskill Considerable building activity has taken place in the Mount Roskill district during the past twelve months. According to a report presented by the building inspector, Mr. H. L. Jessop, at a meeting of the Mount Roskill Road Board last night 218 permits to the value of £72,273 were issued during the year ended March 31. 1 wenty buildings were in the course of erection. In addition. 177 State houses were completed and 55 were under construction.

Brothers in Army There are three pairs of Auckland brothers in two details of recruits due to enter Ngaruawahia Camp oil Friday for training. One pair, C. W. Power and F. T. Power, have both been included in a draft to train as prospective non-commissioned officers, and the two other pairs. B. W. Greig and C. A. Greig. and C. R. Roe and W. L. Roe. are going in with a small number who are to be assigned duty pending the calling up of the third echelon. First Snowfall

Foothills and mountains in Canterbury received their fir>r dusting of snow in a recent storm. Viewed from Darfield. the hills were covered almost to the flat. The fall has come early this year, and many farmers believe that it portends an unusually hard winter. They point out that if there is any truth in the suggestion that tbe weather travels in cycles, the Southern Hemisphere should get a taste ot the abnormally cold conditions experienced in Europe recently.

New Harbour Board Workshops All buildings and machinery have been removed from the site of the first, or northern, section of the new Auckland Harbour Board workshops and store, stated a report by the"superintendent and engineer, Mr. D. Holderness. received at a meeting of the board vesterday.. Temporary accommodation h„s been provided in the remaining portion of the <>ld building for operations previously carried out in the demolished portion, and a shed has been shifted to the foot of Prince's Wharf. The foundations of the new building have been started.

Centennial Memorial Subsidy In response to the application for a subsidy on the £ll.OOl subscribed by the local bodies toward the £lo,ooo required for a park of 10.000 acres in the Waitakere Ranges, as the combined metropolitan Centennial memorial. a cheque for £Mi(i7 has been lodged at the Bank of New Zealand, Auckland. Since the application was made a further contribution of £IOO has been received from the Manukau County Council. This leaves a balance of about £l5O to be raised, which, with the further subsidy available, will complete the sum aimed at.

Railway's Three Busy Months Alter three of the busiest months ever experienced at the railway station. traffic has resumed its normal routine level. Trains yesterday lor Wellington were less crowded than usual, and provincial and suburban trains carried only their regular number o! passengers. Many factors contributed to the busy period which has iust passed, starting with the Christinas rush and ending last week-end with the numerous visitors to the city lor Mr. Savage's funeral. Normally traffic eases between Christmas and Faster, but this year the attractions of the Centennial hxhibitioii kept it at a consistently high level. Early Morning Burglaries Practically every office in the K.mpire Building. Swanson Street. City, was broken into early yesterday morning, but only a few shillings was found by the thief. In each instance the mode of entry was by forcing the glass panel of the door, and sliding back the knob of the patent lock. Drawers were ransacked, but no attempt was made to open any of the safes. The caretaker met a young man coining out of the building at about six o'clock with a towel round his face. When the caretaker attempted to intercept him, the man threw the towel in the caretaker's eyes and escaped through the open doorway. Forgery Rumours Denied Rumours that a number of forged bank notes have been put into circulation in Wellington over Faster are stated by the authorities to be without foundation. No cases of forged notes were known. It was explained that a single ten-shilling note, the colour of which, had been a flee ted by water, and which had been subsequently crumpled, had been questioned. It was one of the new issue of smallsize ten-shilling notes. After expert scrutiny, however, it was pronounced to be a genuine note. From this incident had evidently snread numerous rumours which have been reported as established instances.