GOSSIP FROM THE QUEEN CITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18011, 23 November 1926, Page 5

GOSSIP FROM THE QUEEN CITY.

(Special to the “Star.”) AUCKLAN D, November 23. Takapuna Tramways. At the Magistrate’s Court to-day, a motion was lodged before Mr M’Kean on behalf of certain petitioners to have declared null and void the recent poll authorising the purchase by the Takapuna Borough of the undertaking of the Takapuna Tramway and Ferr}' Company. The proceedings were adjourned in view of the lodgment of an appael yesterday against Mr Justice Herdman’s decision that persons with residential qualification could vote and the fact that an appeal was being lodged by the council against Mr M’Kean’s own judgment for the defendant in the prosecution of the proprietor of the Yellow Buses for running from Devonport to Takapuna without a license. Freezing Works Idle. There was no change yesterday in the position created by the slaughtermen refusing to undertake work on the new season’s export stock at Westfield. No further call has been made for men by any freezing works in the Auckland district, but action must be taken by the company before long to deal with stock coming to hand. It is generally accepted those engaged in the industry that none of the regularslaughtering hands will be available for work unless the trouble that has originated in the Hawke’s Bay district is settled.

Shark Scares Swimmers. The appearance of a shark’s fin cutting through the still waters of the Parnell baths at 6.30 yesterday morning created great excitement and no little consternation among the swimmers. The caretaker, armed with'. a> piece of iron, waited for the unwelcome visitor. Presently the .shark approached the side, but it was only a baby two feet long. The caretaker made several strong slashes, which apparently stunned it, for shortly afterwards it disappeared and was not seen again. Impaled on the Stem. The. Maunganui, from Sydney, brought 22 Indians. 9 Jugo-Slavs, and 4 Chinese. When off the Three Kings yesterday, a big blackfish was impaled on the vessel’s stem, and though split asunder, slowed speed down a couple of knots. \The engines stopped until the fish fell away from the bows as way was lost. Traffic Authorities. The fact that there was no staff to provide first-hand information as to the merits of applications for services was mentioned at a meeting of the No. 1 licensing authority under the Motor Omnibus Traffic Act yesterday. It was stated that there were no inspectors to see that the dictates of the authority were carried out, or that the penal fare was being charged. There had been some conflict of statements between applicants for licenses with services operating in the same area, and the authority could have come to a decision much more readily had there been reports by qualified officers. Mr Baildon, who presided, said there was no authority to appoint officers, and no authority to pay them if they were appointed. It was decided that representations be made to the Government as to the need for the provision of machinery and finance for the efficient carrying out of the Act. The Wool Sale. The first wool sale of the season in Auckland has attracted a record entry for a first sale. Tlie number of bales to hand is 3 7,900. The approximate catalogues were supposed to close on Saturday, but as flock owners had great* difficulty in getting their clips Wiorn owing to the wet weather, it was decided that brokers would accept all wool that arrived during the weekend. The influx was so great that it was impossible yesterday to obtain more than approximate figures of the arrivals at the various stores. The sale was fixed for Friday, but it is practically certain it will start on Thursday evening to enable all the catalogues to be cleared. The buyers are due to leave for Christchurch on Friday evening to prepare for the sale in the southern city on the following Wednesday. Pacific Cable. The duplication of the Pacific cable was completed on Saturday. A start was made some weeks ago on the laying of the cable between Bamfield, the Vancouver terminus, Fanning Island, and Suva. The final splice at Suva was made on Saturday afternoon, and at Fanning Island on Sunday, so that New Zealand and Canada are now united by a second telegraphic line. Both lengths of cable are reported to be testing satisfactorily, and the period to be taken by the contractors to complete the testing, a month, although longer than is absolutely necessary, will ensure the handing over of the line to the board in perfect working order. A Labour Review. Impressions of the first session of Parliament, together with a review of the work done, were given by Mr 11. G. R. Mason, Eden, in an address last evening. “ My most outstanding impression,” he said, “is the way in which the remnants of the Liberal Party voted with the Government. It made one realise that the Liberal Party, as we knew it in the past, is dead. One would have expected that with the Opposition parties so small and the Government party so large those in Opposition would have clung together and given mutual support or; all possible occasions, but so great is the hatred of the Liberals toward the Labour Party, or so little a difference is there between the Government and the Liberal policies, whichever way one cares to take it, the Liberals always voted with the Government.” Mr Mason said the session had been an unsatisfactory one, due to the necessity for pushing through the legislation to allow Mr Coates to get away to the Imperial Conference. A Fatal Fall The death occurred in the Auckland Hospital last evening of Charles Dickey (63), single, of Grey Lynn, who was admitted on Wednesday with a fractured leg. Dickey, a tramway employee, received the injury through a fall from the verandah of his house. Harbour Bridge. After going fully into the details of the construction of the harbour bridge in Sydney in the interests of the Waite mata Bridge Committee, of which he is chairman, Mr E. G. Skeates, Mayor of Birkenhead, returned by the Aorangi from Sydney last evening. lie stated that the Auckland project was feasible. “ The general feeling is,” he said, “ that Sydney should have had a harbour bridge twenty-five years ago They are now wondering how they managed to get along without it. There should be a traffic bridge across the Waitemata, linking up the north and south sides of the harbour. Some think the time not ripe, but the sooner j it's constructed the sooner the north j shore boroughs will go ahead, as the j bridge will attract people to reside on that side of the harbour.”