LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23718, 26 July 1940, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Train Service Discontinued j The special train leaving Auckland J for Ngaruawahia and Hamilton at 10 o'clock on Sunday mornings has been discontinued owing to lack of patronage. The usual visitors' train to Papakura camp on Sunday afternoons will continue. Ellerslio Emergency Hospital The last of the soldier influenza patients from Papakura camp are to be evacuated from the Ellerslio racecourse emergency hospital to-day. As only 10 were there yesterday it has been decided to transfer them elsewhere. The hospital was opened six weeks ago. Babbitskln Gloves All women's institutes will collect rabbitskins to make gloves for men on minesweepers in the North Sea, according to advice received at a meeting of the executive of the South Canterbury Federation of Women's Institutes a* Ceraldine. It was stated that the skin* must bo stretched as soon as possible, and the executive agreed to have the skins tanned. Books Not Returned A total of 112 books borrowed from the central and branch libraries during the year ended March 31, 1940, were not returned, stated the chief librarian, Mr. J. Barr-, in a report received by the City Council yesterday afternoon. Efforts to recover the books were Tinavailing, although three letters were sent to each borrower. The value of tho books when new was £32 13s lOd, but use and age had reduced this considerably.

Changed Tramway Hours Proposals for relieving the peak hour tram traffic loading, submitted to the Auckland Transport Board by the engineer and manager, Mr. A. E. Ford, have been brought under the notice of the various interests likely to be affected.. If adopted this plan would necessitate an alteration in the working hours for certain industries in order that tho tramway system could handle tho traffic by a "staggering" of hours. Tho plan is to be considered at a conference at the Town Hall on Tuesday morning.

Manpower Committee Tho Auckland District Manpower Committeo has been meeting at least onco a week under the chairmanship of Mr. .. H. A. Anderson, and it has dealt with a large number of applications by employers to postpone the military service of workers. The committee has no power to grant exemptions, but it postpones military service where it deems tho national interests are best served by workers remaining in industry. An employer is entitled to apply for a renewal or extension of a period of postponement, v

Activity of Censors Evidence of the activity of censors in connection with private correspondence passing out of the country has been received by a Gisborne resident, who, some months ago, wrote to relatives in the United Kingdom and, incidently, criticised severely the then policy of the New Zealand Government. In one of' the replies received from England, the Gisborne correspondent is given the following advice:—"l do not think that you should criticise your Government in your letters Home. Half your last letter was cut out."

National Reserve Soldiers The need for further ex-servicemen to enlist in the National Reserve, Class 11., was urged last night at the quarterly meeting of the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association by the president, Mr. J. W. Kendall. He said more men were wanted for heavy machine-guns and trench mortars, so that further enlistments would be welcomed. Mr. Kendall also said there was a move to form an auxiliary reserve that would provide for ex-servicemen unable to pass the National Reserve, Class 11., medical examination. Many of the men being rejected could still do a job for the country. 90th Birthday

'Believed to have brought the first bicycle to New Zealand, Mr. J. T. Home, of Clifton Road, Hamilton, will celebrate his 90th birthday today. A native of Gloucestershire, Mr. Uorno arrived from England on the barque Ada in 1875, bringing with him what customs officials declared to be the first cycle imported into the country. Hhs bicycle attracted a great deal of attention from the Maoris and the colonist.* alike, many of whom had never before seen such a machine. Shortly after his arrival he cycled from Auckland to Hamilton over a road consisting mainly of mud and sand.

Oity Traffic Signals Dominion representatives of two British firms have advised the Auckland City Council that owing to air mail difficulties tenders for the supply and installation of vehicle-actuated traffic signals in Auckland will not reach New Zealand until after the closing time. Both have asked that the opening of tenders should bo deferred and at a meeting of the City Council yesterday afternoon it was decided to accede to the requests, the closing time being made September 19. Mr. W. R. Fee said that, according to advice he had received from England, there would bo no difficulty in supplying the signals.

Rag Waste Difficulties ,in obtaining shipping space have greatly restricted the export of rag Waste from Auckland to Britain since the war started, it is stated by dealers. Most of the rag waste conies from clothing factories and mills. Some portion is taken by flock manufacturers, and the New Zealand paper industry absorbs some for the manufacture of wrapping paper and paper felt. Most of the wool clippings, however, have been exported in the past, prices being fairly high overseas for this class of waste. The question of disposal of rag wasto hitherto exported has been ' submitted to the National Council for the Reclamation of Waste Material.

Wellington Tram Stoppage ✓ A broakdoxvn in the supply of electricity to the tramways in the centre of Wellington caused cars to cease running for about half an hour during the evening rush on Wednesday. The failure, which was caused by a fault in an underground cable supplying the overhead wires, occurred about five o'clock and brought to a standstill all cars between Courtenay Place and the railway station. The suburban lines were not affected. Becaui»© the breakdown occurred at a rush time a large proportion of the cars in use were on the city section and were stranded there so that comparatively few wero available for use on the lines that remained "live." Some tramway department buses wero brought into use between Courtenay Place , and .the railway station.