LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23968, 19 May 1941, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wash-house Firs Fire which broke out in a detached wash-house at 95 St Stephen's Avenue, Par nel I. at about three o'clock yesterday afternoon caused fairly extensive damage to the lining boards and contents before it was extinguished. The flames were dealt with by brigades from the central and Parnell stations. Yachtsmen in Distress Three young yachtsmen in a 14ft. yacht were brought ashore in the Auckland Harbour Board's pilot launch Ferro on Saturday afternoon after they had got into difficulties in the outer harbour. The boys were sailing the yacht, from Brown's Bay to Auckland at the time. The yacht was towed in bv the Ferro. ! Half-holiday Poll A poll taken at Kawakawa on the question of which day should be observed as the statutory weekly halfholiday resulted in Saturday being favoured bv 119 votes, against 84 for Wednesday. Wednesday has been observed for many years, and the town is the last in the North to change over to Saturday. Collapse oi Wharl Several hundred yards of line building sand were carried into the harbour when a large section of a privatelyowned landing wharf on the eastern waterfront collapsed. The section affected was about 15ft. by 20ft. Most of the sand was recovered frcjn the water bv grabbing, very little being lost ofter the operation was completed. The affected part of the wharf will not be usable until repairs, which are already in hand, have replaced the missing decking Motorists' Licences Disappointment was expressed on Saturday morning by motorists who came into the city to relicence their cars and take out the new year's driving licence. Although the Post Office relicensing depot was fully staffed, the Citv Council's traffic officers were not available at the Town Hall to issue 1941-42 driving licences. Many inquiries were received by the Automobile Association from people who find it difficult to visit the city other than on Saturdays. The association, stated .Mr. G. W. Hutchison, secretary, would make representations to the City Council with a view to having an issuing officer on duty for tilt; remaining Saturday morninns of this month. Seeing Troops at Night The most suitable means of revealing to uight motorists the movement of troops were discussed at a meeting of the Automobile Association, Canterbury. The question arose when a letter : was received from the Commissioner of Transport, Mr. G. L. Laiirenson. calling attention to the many accidents which had been narrowly averted at night with motor vehicles approaching marching troops. "Put white trousers on four or five of the rear troops." said one member. "Use hurricane lamps at the front and rear," said several. Wo tried that the other week," said Mr. C. Holsey. "After a hundred yards tho lamp blew out. And then last night we went on a route march, but the lamp (rot so hot that we could not carry it." The Slowest Train An announcement made recently that the railway line between Picton and Blenheim was having curves eliminated so that trains can be speeded up when the South Island trunk railway is completed seems to spell the death knell of one of the slowest of New Zealand's railway journeys. The distance between Picton and Blenheim by rail is only 18 miles and at iri> place on the journey does the line rise to a greater height than 246 ft. However, before the train reaches Blenheim it hns been travelling for 70 minutes. Approximately 15 miles nn hour the speed averaged over that, section of the line. But when the train proceeds to Ward. 30 miles further on, it requires another two hours and 40 minutes to accomplish the trip. Its average speed over this section is only about 11 miles nn hour.