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Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 41, 17 February 1910, Page 4

The following i≤ Mr. D. C. Bates' weatl>er report and forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day: "Moderate to strong «aKteriy winds. Indications for fair and hazy weather; glass fall slowly, 'lherc are indications of winds freshening after 24 hours."

In a recent trial the guilt, of the prisoner turned upon the question whether certain boot nail marks detected upon some floor boards produced in Court were the impression of a pair of boow with heavy nails in them, worn by tho prisoner at the time he was ajro-sted. In order to test this similar boards without nail-marks on them were placed upon thp floor of the Court chamber; the prisoner was required to put tho boots on, and to stand upon the boards The nail-marks thus produced were compared with those on the original boards, and as a result of their examination the jury acqiiitted the prisoner. The adequacy and reliability of this tost has given rise to a great deal of discussion. It is pointed out that according to the way a man walks a great variety of imprints can b« obtained from the samo pair of boots. Moreover, a man who walks across a floor has hie whole weight now upon one foot, now upon the other, and especially upon the fore part of the foot. On the other hand, a man who merely steps lightly on to a floor and stands still without moving forward has his weight quite differently distributed over the soles of his boots, and the impreftsion therefrom will probably be quite different in many respects from the walking impression. There is certainly room for a difference of opinion as to the adequacy of the test imposed upon the prisoner.

A water tap in the grounds of the Supreme Court daring this hot weather would be a great boon to the largo number of thirsty people who have to hang about the Court-house waiting for cases to come on. What with jurymen, witnesses and policemen, there are frequently from fifty to a hundred persons waiting about outside the Court, and during these warm days mauy of them go roaming a,bout the building searching for carafes. If a water tap were placed m some convenient spot in the grounds, everybody could quench his thirst without pestering the Court officials.

The Premier of New South Wales bus received from his ExeeUency Lord Cbelmsford a copy of a dispatch forwarded by Lord Crewe, Secretary of State for" the Colonies, in answer to a letter which Mr. Joseph Howe, of 53, Boyee-street, Glebe Point, wrote to His Majesty the King. Mr. Howe asked for the Royal permission" that 120 boys and girls, who were under his control, and training as Sons and Daughters of Temperance, might fly the Union Jack as their banner. Lord Crewe's letter requests the Governor to "inform Mr. Howe in reply that the Union Jack is the national flag, and may properly be flown on land (but not on sea) by every British subject." In communicating the text of the letter to the Premier, Lord Chelmsford writes that, in view of the many inquiries that have been made from time to time in regard to the flying of the Union Jack, he feels sure that the dispatch will prove of interest.

An attack by two hawks on a wounded seagull was observed up the Arm at Bluff recently. The two attackers were viciously pecking at the unfortunate gull, whose efforts to reach the water were invariably frustrated by ite tormentors. <by getting in front and driving the gull back. With a desperate effort the seaibird "rushed" its attackers and eventually managed to reach the waAer, and so saved i tsali from * ipaiaful fate.

A meeting c£ tih« Olinenrari Biver Silting Association was held a± Paeroa on Tuesday night, Mr. G. Buchanan presiding. Some routine business was gone through, .and the secretary was instructed to again write to <fche Minister of Mines and urge thai <the Royai Commission regarding the silting up of the rivers 'be appointed at as early a date as possible. It was also decided to ask Mr. H. Poland, M.P., to urge upon the Minister the necessity of the Commission 'being appointed at once. Mr. Martin was appointed a member of the Association.

Among the visitors to Dargaville on Tuesday (telegraphs our correspondent) was Mr J. J. Craig, of Auckland, the object of his presence on the Wairoa being to inspect the Avoca coal measures. Mr. Craig thoroughly investigated the seam as opened up. There is, he states, an outcrop of about ten feet, but nothing has been proved as to its downward continuation. Mr. Craig brought away samples of coal, which, he says, look good, and an analysis of the same will be made in Auckland.

The narrow limits of the ALhaimbra Theatre stage were responsible ioT a somewhat sensational incident recently (s-aj's the "Obago Daily Times.") A trick cyclist had been skimmdng around on his machine, and once or twice, when ■he swung out dose to the footlights, the movements of the orchestra players, who were almost directly underneath, suggested that they were not perfectly happy. Then the unwished-for —though not the unlooked-for —'happened. The cyclist attempted a difficnlt balancing feat .right beside the footligirts, and failed. He was standing on his bicycle, and the machine felL.,j}utwards. The trick cyclist was practically helpless, and fell in an avrlcwaxd, spread-eagled way on top of the vioinist in the orchestra pit. The violinist went backwards, and cyclist, light-holder, and music stand made a mixed up heap on the floor. Roars of la.ujrhter arose from the audience, wliile the cyclist clambered bock on to the «t;i*;e and rcsiimed his performance ; and the violinist, flurried, tried to gather his music scoree together again.

'"For real solid work you cannot beat thoto boys at Lincoln College," said Air. T. Teeehnjaker with pride at a meeting of the committee of the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Saturday. Mr. Tesolimaker. who was recently elected to the Liincoln College Board of Governors, stated bhat he bad attended the lost meeting of the Board and had gone through the institution. It was his opinion that tic work was thoroughly well conducted, and if he had a son going into agriculture he would certainly put him f>hrough a course at the college. The students did uncommonly good work, and were well antended to. With the aid of two or three men the entire work about tihe place was done by the students. It was a.bsurd to say bhat the work was purely theoretical, for the practical work of a good-sized farm was done by the students. On the day he visited the. fields there was a hot nor'wester blowing, with a bunting sun overhead, ajid yet the students were stocking and aiding threshing operations with their heads uncovered.

A proposal to establish a teachers* journal in New Zealand, though adopted by tihe conference o«f inspectors (.save the "New Zealand Times"), met with so lukewarm a reception Chat it is scarcely likely to eventuate. The idea of Mr. Wyllie (Southland), who moved the motion, -was that if the Education Department issued a re-gular journal for teachers instead of ■circulating orders and copies of Gazette notices on small slips which were frequently last, the creation of an esprit do corps would be greatly cnrouraged. Such journals were published in several Australian ftates. A valuaHo feature suggested h\ another speaker was the opportunity of promotion wi'ich would he given to teachers, particularly in small education districts, if ail vacancies wej-e advertised in the offl*<?uU journal. "R all coats money," said the InspectoT-fieneral of Schools, and the motion, though adopted without signs of dissent, was greeted wdth few "Ayes."

Nearly every native bird in New Zealand will be absolutely protected 'by law this year, says a southern paper. The Animals Protection Act, which was designed largely to protect the birds from their human enemies, provides that 1910, and in every third year after that, may, at the discretion of the Governor-in-CouDcil, be declared a close season for native game. There are thirty-two Aecli'ma'lUa.tion Societies in the Dominion. Six have comrmmicatod with the Hon. D. Buddo, Minister for Internal Affaire, on the suibject. Of those, one has asked for a close season for all game, native and imported, two have asked for on open season for all game except native pigeons, and throe wish for an open season for imported same only. Apparently there is no society which wishes to see the native pigeons 9hot this year. Mr. Buddo thinks that in bringing all native jiarae under the protective regulations this year he is acting in accordance with the general feeling. TheTfe are a ic-vr native birds, natobly the kea, the black shag, the native lark or pipit, ami in some districts the hig blackbacked gull which, for their sins, are placed outside the pale of human sympathy. The kea and the black shag" of course, are so completely oirtJjvwed, tha/t a price is placed upon their heads. In most districts in Canterbury hares are ■branded as vermin, and they may be shot down at sight. In that case the only protected animals are deer, whiuh may not be killed without a license.

A recent order iseued by the Union Company forbids any officer, whHe on watch, from oorranuirica'tiiig with any passing vessel unless the captain is on the brid.cpe. The reason given for this edict ia that the officer on watch is lia,ible to become too engrossed in the lamp signalling, and thus neglect proper attention to navigation. This ■would more or lees endanger Che vessel. The officers who have been in the ha/bit of practising "with the Horse lamp on every possible •occasion so as to "keep in form" are now giving less attention to practice, as they do not care to call up the captain merely for the sake of exchanging signals with another boat. Officers are consequently losing their skill with the Morse code, as practice is essential to maintain a reasonable knowledge of the system. Lately a man-of-war tried to communicate a message to one of the Union Company's passenger boats, but through neglect of practice iby the officens of the latter steamer the message from the cruiser could not be read. It is smrsested by masters and officers as an alternative to the new regulation •tfbat the officer on watch may simply call up an extra AJB. on the bridge to keep a sharp look-out for a few minutes while the JJorse signalling is effected. This would obviate the necessity of ■troubling the captain. The Morse lamp is a valuaible equipment which should be available for use when emergency reqflilGM.

Yesterday afternoon tie Hon. George Fowlds, Minister in Charge of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Department, opened the two new wards in the basement of the Auckland Hospital building. The Minister delivered an interesting address (published in yesterday's issue), and appropriate speeches were delivered also by the Mayor (Mr. C. D. Grey), Dr. Ingiis, Dr. McDowell, and Mr. G. Knight, sometime Chairman of the H. and C-A. Board. There was a large attendance of visitors, and the official party included Mrs. Fowlds, Mrs. Grey, Messrs. G. Knight, P. M. Mackay, E. Johns, l>. J. Bagnall, J. Jenkin, E. Dye (members of the Board), C. H. Poole, M.P., the Hon. E. Mitchelson, Drs. McDowell and Ingiis. After the opening ceremony, all the visitors were given an opportunity of inspecting the new wards, and afterwards there was afternoon-tea. provided.

The number of solicitors practising in the Dominion at the end of December was 860, an increase of 19 over the total for the previous year. The number practising in the several districts and -the variation during the year are as follows (the numbers in brackets being the figures for 1908) :—Auckland, 193 (184); Canterbury, 123 (124); Gisborne, 20 (19); Hawke's Bay, 44 (41); Marlborough, 10 (10); Nelson, 14.' (15); Otago, 113 (111); Southland, 28 (29); Taranaki, 55 (52); Wellington, 240 (240); Westland, 19 (19). . "

The "New Zealand Times" says: We are advised, on competent authority, that it is not correct to say all the experiments tried by the Wellington Harbour Board at the gn> ring dock, with a view to getting the concrete to settle on the foundation, have been "failures." The facts are tbat the results of the experiments have been les3 satisfactory than were anticipated. Experiments have been made with various kinds of cement, and are still in progress. Trials on a larger scale are likely to be undertaken before the Harbour Board's experts finally decide on the nature of their report to the Board.

Some misapprehension may possibly have arisen in certain quarters with regard to the "rarer t.lian 'radium" substance poloninm, which forms tihe subject of a cable in the press this evening. The new product, whibh, by the way, is sure to be expensive, though christened poLomum, is in no way connected with or derived from the popular comestible known as polonies, which, are retailed at a much more reasonable rate -than ■the new metal is likely to toe sold at for some time to come. The cable informs us that the radio-active powers of polondum are exceedingly powerful, far exceeding those of radium. The older product polony, is also possessed of powers of very considerable magnitude, but whereas the cable informs us that the polonium "'rapidly disintegrates," it has frequently been noticed uhat polony, specially the species enveloped in a.-brdght red tegument, is remarkable for its «> hesion and almost sullen resistance to the action of digestive fluids. The fa«t that polonium has been discovered by a Madame Ourrie, will doubtless bring an association of ideas to the 'popular mind, for though the component parts of the polony ha-e formed the subject of much anxious speculation from the earliest ages, nothing certain has ever been determined with regard to the same. Ib has been definitely ascertained, however, "that certain atoms, scraps, or. leavings, as they are sometimes called, which are generally supposed to form tie basig- of the polony of commerce, ane also to be found in a. common known breakfast dish, epe.cia.Hy the Crrrrie Bordinghouaia, doubtless familiar to many of our readers.

A farmer of Willowby, near Christchurch, has received a letter from the seretary of the central unemployed body for London, thanking him for placing in employment a man who had been sent out to him. The secretary wrote that the committee wonld greatly value any observations as to local conditions and development, with the object of finding employment in selected cases for deserving men. Except in special instances, the committee did not favour the emigration of large families. It had on its registers a large number of young men, from 17 to 30 years of age, of good personal and industrial character, used to horses, and in many cases accustomed, as ex-army men, to habits of discipline. The writer suggested that ventilation of these facts in the locality might induce other employers to correspond with the committee, and acquaint them with openings for men of this class

At a. meeting of the Otago Education Board yesterday, a discussion took place on a suggestion by the North Canterbury Board that an effort should be made to secure a conference .between the several education boards in the Dominion. It -was decided to cordially approve the suggestion, and to state that the Board would be glad: to co-operate with the North Canterbury Board in the matter. In the course of discussion it was started that while the cost of education had increased very considerably, the results now were not nearly as satisfactory as they were 10 years ago, and that the education given in some country schools was scandalous.

Two interesting dicta have fallen from Mr. Justice Cooper during the past week in connection wfth medical testimony. The first touches the legal position of a. medical man who examines the mental condition a patient suspected of being of unsound mind. Counsel, in crossexamining a doctor upon this point, asked him if he had caused a patient to strip. The witness replied in the negative. "It would not be a proper thing to do, would it?" asked the Judge. "Not unlees I suspected some physical injury," replied the witness. "If a medical man called in to examine the mental state of a person made him strip against his will," said the Judge, "it seems to mc that he -would render himself liable to a prosecution for assault." The other point turns upon the question of the competency of counsel to cast doubt upon the reliability of expert evidence. A cross-examining counsel put a number of questions, or rather suggestions, to a medical witness which were calculated to discredit certain expert evidence given by the witness with regard to the microscopical examination and detection, of certain organisms. "I cannot allow you to examine the witness in that way," quoth his Honor. ""You are not a scientist yourself; you do not caU expert evidence, and you do not quote from any scientific work. You are not competent, therefore, to criticise expert scientific evidence." Try a tasty tie from our attraction window. We have your favourite colour.—Geo. Fowlds.—(Ad.) The last of the great value '"shilling toundles," to-morrow and Saturday, at Grey and Ford's, Limited. The last 500 to be cleared at' 1/ each.—(Ad.) Hats for the heat. Helmets and linen hats should be worn for safety and comfort.—Geo. Fowlds.—(Ad.) The biggest, brightest, and bsst of the •shilling bundles to-morrow and Saturday, at Grey and Ford's, Limited. Ihe last 600.—(Ad-l