LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16711, 29 January 1926, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To-day, January 29, is Anniversary Day, and is being observed as a general holiday. The weather is delightfully fine. The rateable value of Auckland city is £2,138,592, an increase of £105,964, or 8.4 per cent. A contract has been signed by a Wellington building firm for the construction of a motor assembly factory having an area of 100,000 square feet, at Petonc, for General Motors, New Zealand, Ltd., at a cost of over £IOO,OOO.

During the month of December building permits were issued in the Cambridge borough to the value of £losß—new dwellings £IOOO and alterations £osß*

The Whangarcl Y.M.C.A. organised a campaign for funds in 1922. Mr James Harrison put his name down for £SO, but subsequently did not pay the amount. As a test case the Association proceeded against him for payment. Judgment was given in favour of the plaintiff Association for £55, with costs, £7 Bs. Forty English public school boys are to be brought toTaranakJ this year under the Taranakl Chamber of Commerce immigration schemo. The boys are expected in two drafts of 20 each and will arrive, in New Plymouth by July. The Chamber has requested that no boys over 19 years of ago be sent.

The possibility of inauguration of direct trade between Wanganui and Hamilton is again deceiving attention (says the Wanganui Herald). At present goods can be freighted from Wanganui to Hamilton at £2 10s a ton, compared with £4 6s lOd if they are sent to Onchunga and then railed to Hamilton. The proposal is to ship cargo to Waikato Heads and there tranship it to light-draft river steamers. From inquiries made in Wanganui it appears that the new service, which has already been tried out to a certain extent, only needs the necessary support in the way of cargo offering to make it a success.

Costs less and more cups to the pound. Johnstons rich, good Teas, sold at 171 SW Hamißoa ------

Visitors to Woirakei will be interested to hear that it is now possible to motor to the Geyser Valley instead of having to walk a distance of about four miles from the accommodation house.

On Wednesday morning the remaining lecturers at the summer school were the recipients of presentations. Highly eulogistic references were made to the splendid services rendered by these gentlemen.

Mr John Caughley, Director of Education, was so impressed with his visit to Hora Hora and Arapuni power stations on Tuesday that he intends writing an article describing same, for publication in the Ejchool Journal. Mr Caughley took a number of photographs, some of when will probably he reproduced in the Journal. ' Zane Grey writes to a local scenario writer that ho has no influence in placing scenarios or stories, and never reads any submitted, as he has been accused of plagiarism because he lias attempted to help some struggling writer. ... The report that a Lasky man is travelling with him is untrue. He is employing one of the official photographers of the Government. The name plate of the Kumara's lifeboat, together with other wreckage, has been found by the police near the mouth of the Turakina River, about twelve miles south of Castlceliff, Wanganui. Tip's dispels the theory that the boat drifted to sea, and there is no doubt now that it was smashed through being crashed on the shell rock of the south mole when the'tragedy occurred. There is still no tra6e of the the bndy of Third Officer Batty.

The statement of accounts of the Ghristchurch Gas Company for the year ended December 1, 1925, shows that the revenue from sales of gis, coke, tar, etc., amounted to £181,028, which contrasts with £181,985 in the previous year. The costs of manufacture, distribution, taxation, and depreciation written off machinery, buildings, etc. (£11,305), absorbs £l.'>2,209, leaving the net profit at £28,810, which compares with £28,467 in the previous year. The dividend for the year at 10 per cent, ahsorbs £23,163, leaving £0823 to be carried forward. The question of the establishment of a school of agriculture for the North Island was fully discussed at a special meeting of the council of the Auckland University College called for that purpose. The council came to the conclusion that the interests of agricultural education in the Auckland province and in' New Zealand general!? will he best promoted by means of a combination between the Auckland and Victoria University Colleges in the establishment and control of one agricultural college in the North Island. In pursuance of these resolutions the Hon. Geo. Fowlds will leave Auckland on Monday evening to attend a conference with Victoria College representatives to be held next Tuesday morning at Victoria College.

Vacancies for entrants to the teaching profession in the Auckland Education district this year are considerably fewer than the number of applications received. Applications for employment as probationers, or for entrance to the training college were received' this year from 87 boys and 227 girls, a total of 314, as compared with 94 boys and 228 girls, or 322 in all, last year. There were vacancies for 23 students in the training college and 139 probationers this year, against a total •of 100 vacancies last year. Of the 311 applicants this year only 187 had reached the necessary educational standard, matriculation or higher. Even this means • that 35 qualified students must still be disappointed.

"This is "a contemptible sort of theft, your Worship. While a bather was in the water at the baths accused went into a cubicle, and stole all his clothes, leaving the unfortunate swimmer without a single garment," said Senior Detective Hammond, at Auckland, immediately after James Patrick Orsgood Carroll (23) stepped into the dock charged with stealing a coat, pair of trousers, shoes, socks, collar and tie, belt, suspenders, comb and case, studs, links, a nail flic and 10d in money, or a total value of, £ll 10s, the property of William Richards. Accused admitted the charge. Mr Poynton: It was a mean thing to do. I will remand accused for a week in order to obtain a report from thg probation officer. Six thousand boys and girls in the State schools have taken part in the tenth annual Christmas vacation swimming school (reports a Sydney correspondent). It is estimated that since the classes were established, 40,000 children have been taught to swim. Their ability to swim will at least give something of a chance not only against the risks of surf bathing on Sydney beaches, but also against sharks if they happen to be prowling in their neighbourhood. No one in Sydney doubts the presence of sharks about its beaches. The public, however, Were shocked a day or two ago to learn that a school of sharks numbering from 25 to 30, and ranging ia size from baby sea-tigers to monsters, were disporting themselves one afternoon in the popular waters of picturesque Middle Harbour. They, were plainly discernible. It was probably a school of instruction for the smaller fry of man-eaters in the fine points of snatching bathers. They were on the fringe of what is regarded as one of Sydney's safest beaches. Before the alarm was raised there were crowds bathing. The school of sharks, however, quickly had the water to themselves.