NZ’s Wembley effort improved

While New Zealanders were ashamed of the dominion’s display at Wembley during the first month the Exhibition was open, all that is now changed.A complete and welcome transformation has been effected. Every visitor now is seized with admiration, and though he may have been right through the whole of the wonderful Exhibition he finishes up by taking off his hat to New Zealand.

 

The visiting representative team of English Rugby League footballers was accorded a civic reception by the Mayor (Mr H.L. Tapley) in the City Council Chambers at noon yesterday. In addition to members of the English and the New Zealand teams and of the local League Board of Control there were a number of representatives of the general public present. The Mayor expressed his gratification at seeing such a large attendance of the public to support him in extending a warm and hearty welcome to the English Rugby League team particularly, and also to the New Zealand team. They particularly welcomed the English visitors because it was always a source of gratification to them to welcome their fellow citizens from the Homeland.

 

For some time the library department has been suffering from a recurrence of magazine pilfering. Certain magazines, such as the “Quiver”, “Sunday at Home”, “Wide World”, “Munsey” and “Wireless” are removed almost as soon as they are placed on the tables. There are also a number of people who take clippings from the newspapers. Steps are being taken to apprehend the offender or offenders, and it is the intention that the first culprit caught removing magazines or taking clippings from the library shall be handed over to the police authorities for prosecution.

 

The Reserves Committee has decided to re-erect the Wolf Harris fountain in the Botanic Gardens at the end of the main path entering by the Valley entrance. In this position the fountain will be seen by every person entering the Gardens, and the creek water is alongside and available for use in the event of restrictions in the town supply. The work will be carried out by the city engineer’s departments.

 

The Works Committee reports that four tenders for the supply and delivery of asphaltic cement were received, and the tenders with report thereon by the city engineer are laid on the table. Three of the tenders were for material prepared by the distillation of a suitable petroleum, and the fourth was for refined solid lake asphalt with a liquid petroleum flux.

 

The committee recommends that the offer of Mr J.A. Roche to sell land required by the council for widening Cargill road, on the condition that the council at its own expense removes and sets back the dwelling on the land to the new building line, re-erects copper in shed, and re-fits a bath in space occupied by copper, be accepted.

 

Instructions have been given to communicate with the Kaikorai Tramway Co requesting the company arrange for the provision of a suitable apparatus at the junction of the Kaikorai cable car and Maori Hill electric tram to serve as a warning to vehicular traffic passing along Highgate. The company’s agreement with the council provides for the provision of such an apparatus.

 

It is understood that Mrs Murphy, licensee of the Criterion Hotel, has sold the goodwill of the hotel and furniture to Mr Angus McIvor, late of Middlemarch. The lease still has nine years to run. The price paid for the goodwill of the hotel and furniture is reported to be £14,500. — ODT, 9.8.1924