General News.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20493, 11 March 1932, Page 10

General News.

The level of Lake Coleridge, according to yesterday's report, was 1.15 ft below overflow level, which is 1672 ft. The lake level was at 1670.85 ft, as compared with 1667.15 ft last week. The Justices' Federation of Now Zealand, in conference at Wanganui, rejected by 13 votes to 9, a proposal to advocate the introduction of women police in New Zealand.—Press Association. Tlio gates at the New Zealand-South Africa Test cricket match played on Lancaster Park amounted to £BSO 6s. The New Zealand Cricket Council's share was £653 13s 3d; amusement tax, £33,4 bsd; and Lancaster Park Board's share, £lO3 8s 4d. This week the tourist office closed Milford track for tho season. The patronage of this, "tho finest walk in the world," was below expectations after the New' Year holidays until a week or two ago, but in tho windingup stage tho traffic grew quite brisk. Committees of the Canterbury Pilgrims' • Association at present are busy making arrangements for tho gathering to be held at Elmwood on March 10th. The offer of the Boys' High School Band to play a programme of appropriate selections has been accepted with thanks. The Women's Committee of the All Nations Fair has responded very generously in tho matter of enlisting collectors for the street appeal in aid of tho Mayor's Relief of Distress Fund to be made on Friday, March 18th. About 150 names- are still required to complete the 500 aimed at, and the Town Clerk (Mr J. S. Neville) will be glad it those willing to assist will send their names and addresses to him. Some interest is being shown in the manner in which City rates are coming in this year and there is not a little speculation as to the percentage of tho amount levied that will have been paid on the day prior to the. imposition of the 10 per cent, penalty. To date this year's payments, day by day, have been close up to, and in some cases ahead of, tho payments on the corresponding days last year. The indications appear to point to the percentage of : the amount collected up to March 2*2 nd this year being close upon the percentage on tho last day before the penalty was imposed last year, which was 91.17 per cent. When it was suggested during a meeting of creditors at Dunedin on Wednesday that < the bankrupt's children, who were in work, should assist him, the Official Assignee (Mr J. M. Adam) said that they no doubt should do so, but there was no law compelling children to assist their bankrupt parents. He knew of one case, in his opinion disgraceful, in which a bankrupt had been provided by his children with a motor-car. He was in a position to drive about the town and scoff at his creditors, but it was quito impossible to get any money from liim. While viewing with apprehension the expenditure of the Auckland Hospital Board, the Onehunga Borough Council, at its meeting this week, declined to support proposals that all hospital boards should collect their revenue direct from the ratepayers of their respective areas, instead of through local authorities, and that all hospital boards should be directly answerable to their own constituents. The Council expressed the opinion that when the raising of a loan was considered necessary by a hospital board, the proposal should be placed before tho ratepayers as is clone by other local authorities. It is expected that tho hydro-clectric power station at Arapuni will be in working order by Easter. The long task of reconstruction has been practically completed, and at this week's meeting of tho Auckland Electric Power Board it was reported that the date of filling tho Arapuni Lake had been advanced. It was now suggested that the Board should tako over the whole of tho Wailcato loading, as previously arranged, about Easter, during tho change-over process. That would enable tho Public Works Department to close the Horahora plant entirely and use the whole flow of the river for filling the lake, which would thus be accomplished in tho shortest possible time.

Easter holidays will be observed in Cliristcnurch on the same days this year as in tlie past. . The late night will be observed on Thursday, March 24th, and closeTiolidays will be general on Good. Friday Saturday, March 26th, and Monday .' March 28th. Retail firms will on the Saturday, although it is not a statutory holiday. The' Council yesterday had" onjthe time ; : sheet of the "Works Department' $74 fextra hands. Of the total 272 were on unemployment relief works, 54 on roadlng loan works, 24 on relief works provided for on the estimates, and 24 on water works. On work in preparation for the reconstruction of Manchester street, 27 men were employed. Unless agreement is arrived at before March 22nd in the matters in dispute between the Scottish Society and the members, of the Pipe Band that at one ■ period was connected with the Society, the Courts will be asked to settle the dispute. So far the efforts made to arrive amicably at agreement have been fruitless. The point in dispute is the return to the Society by the band of certain property alleged to belong to the Society. A statement; was made by the Et. Hon. G. W. Forbes yesterday in connexion with the final meeting of the Central Earthquake Committee, which amplifies the previous report. The statement of accounts showed a credit balance of £77,047, and subscriptions iu transit £9OO. Mr Forbes made public recognition of the fine work performed in the administration of the fund largely owing to the efficient organisation of the Public Trustee.— Press Association. "Ridiculous! No one will pay his rates," was the offhand opinion of the City Rate Collector when asked yesterday for his opinions regarding the proposal made in Parliament that legislation should be passed giving local bodies discretionary power in respect of the imposition of the 10 per cent, penalty on rates unpaid after the expiry of the period of grace. The Town Clerk (Mr J. S. Neville) also was of the opinion that the effect of the proposed legislation would be that no rates would be paid. When the Maunganui sails from Auckland to-day with her 400 passenger's for Sydney, over 1500 people will have left New Zealand within a week, the majority of whom intend to witness the opeix-. ing of the Sydney harbour bridge on March 19th. The Makura, which sailed from Wellington on Wednesday with 416 people on board, was the last vessel to leave that port for Sydney in time for the opening of the bridge. The Marama, which left Wellington on Friday last for Sydney, took 460 passengers, and the Ulimaroa, sailing from Auckland on the same day, took 300. Not since Fobruary 16th lias the proportion of City rates levied to rates collected to date been 90 far ahead, as compared with the corresponding date last yoar, as- was the case yesterday when approximately £4920 wan received by the City Eate Collector, the respective proportions being 38.20 per cent, this year, and 37.92 per cent, last year. On Wednesday the actual amount collected was £4399 Is 6d, or 36.70 per cent., compared with 36.75 last year. There are still eight days and two half days to elapse before the 10. per cent, penalty is imposed. "A stranger might eusily drive on to the crossing not knowing it. was there," remarked Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., durihg the lioaring of a caso in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, in which a motorist was charged w'tn attempting to cross the railtray-line in High street at KRiapoi, when the lino was not clear. The defendant said that there waa no wossing-koeper .on . doty after 10 Ead several' times advised the Railway Department to have the warning bells operated from the station instead of from the crossing-keeper's house, so that they would be in service both day and night. There was only the usual "Stop" sign right on the crossing, and no crossed beams to warn traffic in advance. In an address at Elthnm, Dr. T. A. Valintino, ex-Director-General of Health, made some comment •on Mr Campbell Begg's scheme in regard to the hospitals of the Dominion. He described the new scheme as putting tbo cart before the horse, and said he considered that before the districts were reduced, Mr Begg's proposals should bo submitted to til© Board or Health for consideration. Dr. Valintine advocated more co-operation between the Hospital Boards, whose districts should not be regarded as watertight compaitments. Ho described Mr Begg as an idealist whose ideals had ; somewhat run away with him.—Press Association. , From records made by instruments ] at the Dominion Observatory, Kelburn, ' it has boen estimated that the earth- ' quake shocks reported as having been ' felt in Auckland, Tauranga, Opotiki, and elsewhere on Saturday last probably liad their origin about 50 miles north-east of East Cape. Two fairly | heavy shocks were reported from Mur-

chison on Friday lost, but neither was felt in Wellington. Thore seems at the present time to be relatively more seismic activity in the Dominion than has been the case recently: but there has been nothing to cause apprehension or alarm. The case of a householder who suffered in two different ways when a burglar broke into liis home was mentioned in the Supreme Court, Auckland, when tho thief came up for sentence. The question of returning recovered stolen property was raised by the Crown Prosecutor, who remarked that he did not suppose the stolen revolver would go back to its owner. It was unregistered and the police would deal with it. "It is pretty hard to have your place broken into and then to have it discovered that you have an unregistered revolver," said Mr Justico Eced. Although few definite figures are yet available, there is every indication, the registrar (Mr H. Chapman) informed an "Otago Daily Times" reporter, that the registrations at the University of Otago for the year, which commenced this week, will be well up in number to

tnose or last year. ihe number or students taking tlie home science : course is practically the same as last | year, while in dentistry there is a considerable increase, there being new full course entrants, and three new student? taking mechanical dentistry. The total number taking the full course is "107, and the mechanical course will occupy 10. In medicine there are approximately 50 entering students, which compares very well with normal figures. In the arts aud sciences and law and commerce courses no figures ftra yet ascertainable, but it is evident that in most classes there will bo no decrease in the number of students, compared with last year. West Coasters, when you come to Christchurcli and want a taxi, come across tlie road from the railway station to our garage, and get a Gold Band Taxi and save money—our lowest fare is only Is, why pay more. Patronise the firm that brought the fares down." 'Phones 34075 and 35572. Thank you. —2 Sanatorium visitors note that by making arrangements with the drivers of the Gold Band Taxis they will meet you in the Square and take you to the Sanatorium for- the same price as it costs you from the trams at Cashmere, by doing so you will save your tram fares and } return into the Square for Gd each after i a.m. Thank 70m ~-4 I