Untitled

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 305, 23 December 1903, Page 4

The "Star" will not be issued on Friday (Christmas Day), but will appear on Saturday as usual. An eight-page Xmas Supplement is issued with to-day's "Star." It will be found to contain a large amount of seasonable reading, suited to a- great variety of tastes. The continuation of the daily and bi-weekly serials will be found on page 7 of this Supplement. The following is Captain Edwin's weather forecast s for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day:—"Moderate to strong northerly winds; glass fall soon."

The Auckland Harbour Board yesterday decided to hand on to the Ferry Company Mr. Skeates' suggestion that the company should be "touched up" with regard to the alleged unpunctuality of the Birkenhead service, and asked the company for an explanation of the complaints made.

Mr. H. F. Wyatt, envoy of the Navy League of- Great Britain, is in Auckland. He has had a most successful

mission throughout those parts of the Empire which he has visited, and has been well received and assisted by the heads of department whom he has met. He proposes to address a public meeting in Auckland early next month, at which it is hoped that Lord Ranfurly will preside. Mr. W. J. Napier referred to the matter at the Harbour Board meeting yesterday, and said that a meeting to discuss Mr. Wyatt's mission would be held by the Chamber of Commerce, at which members of the Harbour Board and other public bodies would be invited to attend. He hoped the Harbour Board would give Mr. Wyatt a good welcome. On the motion of the chairman (Mr. Julian), it was decided to invite Mr. • Wyatt to accompany the members on a trip round the harbour early next month. Mr J. H. Witheford, M.H.R., who introduced to Sir Joseph Ward a deputation from the Auckland Agricultural Association, which asked that the Rotorua express train might stop at Papakura on sale days, has received a reply that instructions have been issued accordingly. The Thames Borough Council met last night and decided to take immediate steps to have the intake at the rear of the Pacific Hotel filled in, reclaimed, and made suitable for recreation purposes. On the suggestion of Mr. A. Bruce, town clerk, it was resolved that the

southern end of the intake remain as at present, with a view to seeing whether something could not be done in the direction of erecting public baths.

The coastal boats are bringing into town large numbers of passengers daily for the Christmas and New Year holidays. The Union Co.'s Takapuna, which arrived at Onehunga from Wellington and New Plymouth this morning, had 200 passengers in all classes for Auckland. The Ngapuhi brought from Whangarei 141 passengers.

The Wanganui Amateur Swimming Centre at a meeting last night declined to accept the championships offered by the New Zealand Association, and also expressed disapproval of the association's system of allotting the championships, favouring all events being allotted to one centre. _ . _

Auckland bowlers will be well renr*. sented m the tournament which start, on the Te Aroha green, and conti„ le l ■■■' until Saturday. A number left for' *« Aroha by train this morning, and others will leave later. The Auckland Club has sent a team composed of M McCul him, J. Thornes, Brookes and J M * Mennie, while Devonport will be renr* sented by Harty. McCallum, Perrett and Harrison (skip). ; v The residence of Mr. James Kevte auctioneer, of Whangarei, was d? stroyed by fire yesterday. One of the boys had made a fire, and left the house Soon after this smoke was seen issuing ' from the building, and an attempt waa made to extinguish the fire, but without success. Before the building could be reached it was so full of smoke "that but v little could be saved. Air. Keyte is a heavy loser, as his insurance on the furniture is only £ 100 in . the Norwich Union.

Telephone bureaux have been opened at Albany (Stevenson's store) and Onetree Hill (Bell's store).'connecting -with the city telephone system, and can now • be utilised by the public. An elderly man named Archie McLellan fell into the harbour from the Queen-street Wharf about 11 o'clock last night. Fortunately, he grasped one of the stringers underneath the wharf, which enabled him to pull himself almost clear of the water. The crew of the steamer Rob Roy, hearing his cries for help, went to his assist" ance in an open boat and effected his rescue. Constable H. Cox, who arrived early on the scene, examined the man and then charged him with drunkenness. McLellan was very dazed when he faced Air T. Hutchison. S.M., this morning, and admitted that before he fell into the water he was "pretty well on." Upon paying his cab fare to the watch-house. McLellan was discharged with a caution.

A conference of the committee with Mr Kent, president of the Chamber of , Commerce, has resulted in a postponement of the proposed meeting with Mr Wyatt, the Navy League Commissioner, till after the Christmas holidays. Mr Wyatt will probably remain in Auckland over those holidays and then woes ' South. * , b

"Brett's Auckland Almanac and Directory, 1904," is again an enlarged edition- The diary has been doubled°in size, and there are now only three days an a page, making it possible to keep in account of quite extensive transitions. In many other respects, notibly in the inclusion of a large variety of tables of everyday value the volume has been added to. The book' is one which is invaluable in the home in Doth town and country; indeed, no household or business firm should be without it.' All the features which have gained' this "Almanac" a reputation as a standard popular work are retained and brought right up-to-date. To anyone' not familiar with "Brett's Almanac" we would strongly recommend the wisdom of investing in it, to those who have bought it year after year no such advice will be necessary. The edition printed is a very large one in view of the "Almanac" having been early sold out in recent year 3, but speedy application to avoid disappointment is nevertheless advisable.

I Our tVhangarei correspondent tele--1 graphs that a destructive • #re occurred at 5 o'clock last evening, when a house,, together with most of the contents, owned by Mrs. Hoare, and occupied by Mr. James Keyte,, was totally destroyed; A few wedding presents and a bed-only were saved. Mr.. Keyte is a heavy .loser. The house was insured for £75 in the New Zealand Company, and the furniture and effects for £100 in the Norwich Union. Mrs. Hoare's loss is also considerable. . ,' The hearing of the compensation case as to the prjce to be paid to the Government by the Assets Board for the ! Matamata estate, which commences''at Te Aroha on January 11, is expected to last well over a week. Sir Robt. Stout,'' Chief Justice, will preside over the hearing of the case, and-will be assisted by. Messrs. Frater and Forest, assessors. Sir Robt. Stout visited the estate on Monday in order to inspect it before; the commencement of the case. • - v A Mr. G. Thornton, a well-known Waihi footballer,met with a severe accidentyesterday, at the Waihi mine, whilst engaged in trucking quartz frpm one of the passes. He got his right hand jammed tween a truck and the end of a pass with the result that one finger was nearly severed, and another badly bruised. Dr. Guinness put in several stitches. The following candidates passed the examination under the Dental Act, held on December 17 and 18: D. McGowan

and D. Fife (Wellington), H. Sigg» : (Pahnerston), A. Cranwell (Waihi), X. Coldicutt, N.. Noakes, C. Holmes, and R. Owen (Auckland), ¥. Washburn (Nelson), S. Powell (Westport), T. Bain (Christchurch), E. < Gilbert (Stratford), C. Carey (Blenheim), E. Brewer (New Plymouth).

A special meeting of the Mt. Wellington Road Board was held on Saturday last at Ellerslie, when it was resolved to proceed with, the formation of Amystreet, for a width of 20 feet from, Pan-, mure-road end up, as far as Mrs Ring* house, The clerk was authorised ,to take steps to have the second schedule of the "Noxious Weeds Act, 1900," extended so as to include the plant penwinkle. 200 cubic yards of picked metal are -to be used on Robert-street, and 201) yards in patching Panmure-road. Mr Jas. Atkinson is to be notified that he must grub up and remove all gorse, ; briar, etc., growing on his road frontage.

There appears to be very general dissatisfaction on the part of dental students ' with the present method of conducting dental examination (says our Wellington correspondent), and students, appear, furthermore, to have_ the sympathy of a number of practising dentists in their protest, which extends ■ to a claim for „ revision of the syllabus and a general amendment of the Dental. Act in the direction of improving the method of examination. A petition is.in circulation among dentists requesting the Government to take action in the direction indicated. Warehouse stock of ladies' and gent's straw hats to be sold at the following low prices:A new shape, "the Girl from Kay's," warehouse price, S/3 each, to be cleared at Cd each; French sailors high-class straws 1/ each; Beefeaters, sailor, 1/11 each; fancy straw ribbon hats, smart shapes, 2/11 each, usual price 6/11; nut straw hats, whcl*sale price 12/6 each; Panama shape, only 3/0 each; men's and youths' straw*, at half price, 6d, 1/, 1/6, 1/11 and 2/» end.; best value ever offered ;-..»'*-> Auckland. John Court, draper and clothier, the lower shop, Queen-street —Advt. ._ _ ■ „__.-«-x-