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Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 192, 14 August 1911, Page 4

The following is Mr. D. C. Bates' weather forecast frr 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day:—"Moderate to strong westerly winds prevailing, hazy, unsettled and cloudy weathrr, increasing after 10 hours; tendency glass fall slowly." A resident of the west eri.t or Ciiristehur.h went through a somewhat unusual experience recently, his house being invaded by a small army of bush rats, which apparently found their previous habitation uncomfortable during the southeriics experienced about a fortnight ago. The bush rat belongs to the same family as the ordinary rat, but differs from it in several respects. Instead of gnawing its way into a house it climbs alKmt till it finds some opening. In the instance under notice the bush rats discovered a place in an addition to the original building, where a space had been left, and by which they gained access to the s-paco between the w-alls. They climbed up the studs and made their presence known by the noise of their senmpcring. Chloride of lime 'had to be used to rid the house of the pest.

Tbe New Zealand Government had a very fino display of apples at the. Royal Horticultural Society's suaimor show, held at (Jlyinpia, writes our London correspondent. The exhibit, although not large, was of excellent quality, and. owing to the artistic mair.ier in whivh the fruit was displayed, attracted a large amount of attention from the numerous \ i-.itors intending the show. It has been awarded tlie Knightian silver medal. The apples, although gathered in New Zealand four months ago, and held in cold store for that lengthened period, were in splendid condition, and there is no doubt that with proper care in hand linjj and shipment, apples from New Zealand ran be landed in London in firstrate order, and that if quality such as that now shown can be shipped, a highly satisfactory and profitable business should he assured to growers in tin Dominion.

A mounted parade, which is called foi the 22nd inst. at Drury, is causing considerable uneasiness amongst a number of the men in the Waiukn Mounted Rifles, as General Godley publicly stated his willingness to meet the farmers, in not asking the men to go more than 12 miles to attend a parade, or one hour's ride. Tn the present instance, although possibly it is not known by the authorities, a lar_'e number of the men will have no less than <IS miles to ride to attend the parade, and the same in "returning, making Oil miles for one parade, while the nearest men will have 23 miles eaeh way, which means some will have to leave home long before daylight to report themse.lves at Waiuku at 7-30 a.m. to proceed to Drur?.—Waiuku correspondent.

The Auckland Garrison Band, under Conductor G. F. Cater, gave an enjoyable musical programme to the inmates of the Avondale Mental Hospital on Sunday morning.

The Waikato Acclimatisation Society's secretary (Mr. E. B. Uall) at Cambridge, has purchased no less than 2000 hawks' heads within the last five months, at threepence _each. One individual brought in no less than 550; and this demonstrates that the birds must have been plentiful in the Cambridge district. The Coroner (Mr. T. Gresham) held an inquest yesterday on the body of Mrs. Louisa Jane Andrew, of Milford Beach, Takapuna, who was found drown in the Wairua Creek not very far from her houso ou Saturday morning. The evidence showed that the deceased was in the habit of going to the creek to feed some ducks, and only six months ago she is said to have fallen into the water, whilst so engaged. The jury found that tfeceased was accidentally drownpd. Regarding the statement made on Saturday that "very little" of the Colonial Sugar Company's output goes to Australia, and but a small quantity of refined sugar is imported from Queensland, it has been pointed out that absolutely none of the sugar refined at the Auckland works is exported beyond New Zealand, and that what little refined sugar is imported comes from Sydney, not Queensland. Of course, the puint illustrated that the portended trouble in Queensland would not affect New Zealand is not changed by this qualification of the statement made.

Details of the tragedy in mid ocean on the P. and 0. liner China, the Australian mail steamer, were received by the English mail yesterday. Two days after the liner had left Colombo, one of the stewardesses, Miss Alice Brewster, was fouud murdered in a cabin, and one of the crew, a Lascar, was charged with the crime. Miss Brewster, a tall, muscular woman, about 40 years oi age, was in attendance on first-clas3 passengers, and the man under arrest was bathroom attendant, his duties also concerning firstclass accommodation. After he had prepared the baths, it was Miss Brewster's custom to see that everything was In readiness for the ladies, and it is al leged that there had been frequent friction between the two, chiefly about their respective duties. The tragedy happened during the night of June 10, two days after the vessel had left Colombo. Miss Brewster was not astir as parly as usual on Sunday morning, and to awaken her Miss Crutchley. another stewardess, went to the cabin. There, huddled in a heap, she found Miss Brewster dead, having apparently been attacked with a heavy spanner. Desperate efforts had been made to dispose of the body. Tne cabin had a large porthole, through which an attempt had evidently been made to thrust the body. All indications pointed to her having been attacked while she lay in bed. and a succession of blows were rained upon her. To protect her head she had raised her hand, for the back of her hand and her fingers were deeply cut. It is alleged that one of the reasons for suspecting the Lascar is that he was found to have washed his clothes on the Hay of the crime. On the other hand, he is of very small build, and it is =nid to bo hardly probable that he could have lifted the body as high as the porthole in the attempt to dispose Of it.

After the advance of various speculations as to what the ultimate end of the Powerful will be, it now transpires that she, at all events, is to be spared the ignoble fate of being serapheaped. She will relieve the old Impregnable, at Devonport, as a boys' training ship. The Powerful, though obsolete as a-fighting ship, should make an ideal training school, in which may be taught the rudiments of modern sailorising. Part of a bluejacket's curriculum nowadays is stokehold work, the use of everyday tools, and a general smattering of mechanical work. For this purpose the Powerful should present special facilities, for. besides the abundance of accomoda-

!ion slie affords, neither her guns, machinpry, nor boilers are bo obsolete that a knowledge of them oan be dispensed with entirely. As the Powerful will not return to KnsrlaiKl before the end of the year, on being relieved by the Drake, as flagship on the Australian Station, rind (he work of dismantling her and fitting her up as a training* ship will take probably another year or more, considerable time must elapse before the Impregnable ■nill disappear as one of the picturesque bits of Devonport's beautiful harbour.

The chairman of the Wcnganui River Trust, in bis annual report to Parliament, says that in the memory of the oldest native in the district the water in the river was lower lhan it had previously been known, many of the streams feeding the river being absolutely dry. The greatest volume of water came from the snow-clad mountains, Ruapehu and Tongariro, while the Ongarue tributary contributed, although to a lesser degree, than is usual. Despite these conditions it is most satisfactory to be able to report that 'the traffic bj- steamers and launches from Taumarunui to Wangaaui, a distance, of 14-S miles, was fully maintained. The main efforts of the trust during the year have been iu the direction of clearing the steamer channel of large boulders and papa reefs. The exceptionally low river made this very important work less difficult and expensive, and mest valuable work was accomplished. The work of improving the river channel is drawing to an end. An expenditure of £10 n 0 per annum for two years should about suffice, after which time the revenue, derivable from river and other dues, should produce a sufficient income to meet expenditure for maintenance. The chairman urges the Government to provide £IOOO on the estimates for the purpose of a motor launch for mainten .in,-e work, and says i< would save much ■•f tli- present expenditure. The work proposed to be undertaken next seasni consists mainly in tl"* construction of training walls on various parts of (he rivpr. for which purpose he asks for CI 000.

Bishop Clears made his first episcopal visitation to the newly-created district of Bemnera yesterday, and was received br Father Doyle (the rertnrl. Fathers Clarke. ITolbror.k, and Patterson, and a largo body of the parishioners. At the 10 o'clock service Father Doyle welcomed the Bishop to the parish, and in doing so pave statistics showing that the church his a memb»rship of over a thousand Catholics, while the primary schoolroll numbers one hundred and sixty children. The communicants for the past six months reached the total of six thousand. Bishop Cleary then administered the sacrament of confirmation to some sivtv children and adults. Mr. Thomas Mahoney acted as sponsor for the boys, and Mrs. Wenzl Scholium for the girls. Me-ssr.s. Alick SiTodde;i and Anthony Gibbons were the sanctuary servers. It will pay every gentleman who reads these lines to go at once and order from his tailor a Roslyn liigh-gTade tweed or worsted suit,— (Ad,)

\* dham Evans, a visitor fmm 11 kune, was knocked down by m. Su $H m Queen-street on Saturday ? CM was walking across the street »„*> not notice the motor till it «.. , dl *K on top of him. He attempted^ o ** * clear, but was bit on the J? 3Um > thrown on to the pavement Hi v M * was badly cut and bruised anJIK ** taken to the district hospital J? *»* inquiry thl3 morningi , t £ g J*g*« he is progressing satisfactorily. *' With oil fuel coming into ordinary ~.. in the commercial marine it U than likely (remarks the "r^J 00 , 1 * Herald") that the Union adopt it on the Vancouver wSK?'* 1 as supplies of fuel are .btainaK both ends ot the journey. Th«. v, ~ coast of America is alreidy i n t h • of being provided with oil iu\liL'*!P pots, and events point to New Hvmonrt being in a position to supply the fall' m abundance before very lon* tv, with ample water and a partieul C accessible harbour, this will offer adv™ tagcs -which no other port i n the "W minion can offer. I te gee-graph ca J situation is unique, both for itSS ■ rom seaward and for distribution If traffic over New Zealand. With t v completion of the StratfordVPngarM railway we shall be within twelve hour. ! by rail of Auckland, Wellington and Napier, while Nelson and the Vest Coast ports will be more easily readied from here than from any other centre. There are probaWy few people vrho realise what an important centre this will become when the oil industry i. fullv established. A few shrewd farsighted individuals are, however, already in the field taking up property whjch jj likely to bring them large fortunes.

A sitting of the Onehunga Magistrate*! Court was held this morning before Mr F. V. Frazer. S.M. The only case be'fora the Court was a charge of theft of cig. tettes against four small boys, who .wen cautioned by the magistrate and dftcharged. The civil sessions of the Auckland Supreme Court were opened before Mr. Justice Edwards this morning, andthere was a full attendance of members of the bar—overtaxing the available accommodation—while the list of cases set down for hearing was gone through, and. arrangements made to take the trials at a time most convenient. All the divorce causes were stated to be ready, and at the request of counsel hi 3 Honor agreed not to take them before Tuesday of nest week. It was announced that the ease of David Goldie v. Walter Messenger and Edward Sanderson, decree for sale of land and partition of proceeds, had been settled out of 6ourt. Two ease* were definitely adjourned till the next sittings of the Court, viz., Patrick Keanev v. Geo. Sutherland and Henry Holland, claim for statement of acconnts and damages; and Bond and Bell v. Teasdale and Co., recoverv of £406 lft/6 for goods undelivered. Other cases were fixed for hearing during the current anj liex! week.

A picturesque anil unique ceremony took place in the Maori village at tha White City on July 7 (writes our London correspondent), when the first Maori baby ever born out of New Zealand was named in the presence of the Maoris and a number of English guests. Tha ceremony was conducted according to the ancient rites and traditions of the Arawa tribe, of which the new arrival is a member, and Maggie Papakunij the ' well-known guide, Hini, the father, and Mr Grey aetcd as sponsors; Maggie holding the little brown infant in her arms during the celebrations, which were conducted with much pomp and stateliness by old Meta Taupopoki, the chief, in all the splendour of a great kiwi mat, a headdress of kiwi feathers and a long feather bedecked staff. All stood, in tha blazing sunlight, round the margin of a lagoon that forms the centre" of the village, and the scene (though some twenty cameras did their best to give it a modern and practical significance) seemed far awoy from the Old Country. Meta Taupopoki was in his element on an occasion that called for the eloquence he can so well pour forth, and Maggie, who acted as interpreter, was hard put to it at times to translate him into staid and limited English. He first welcomed the guests to the rrreat ceremony which celebrated the birth of the first Maori baby born out of New Zealand, and in England, "the home of Kings and Queen-" "It is a Coronation gift," he said, "and we are very proud that it should have been sent to us at such a time." Then he addressed the baby boy. and here a great chance for artistis nhotosrranhr arose as the white bearded old fellow bent over the little mortal asleep in Maggie's arms. "Little child," ho admonished it. "grow and thrive, and walk in the footsteps of your forefather?. Follow Had and He will guide von through life." Solemnly then the child was Tilled Hori Koroneihana (Coronation) Hini. Then came another pretty incident, for Iwa. the singer of the tribe, a singularly pretty and graceful woman with a charming contralto voice, stepped forward and looking down on the child sans to it a Maori lullaby, plaintive, soothing, and of crest sweetness. Then, altogether, a Maori hymn of nraise wa* rendered by the tribe, and Meta Taupepoki led a war dance *4th fierce una youthful srest-ures. After the ceremony the guests were entertained in the Maori theatre with a hnka, Reveral poi exer pises, a charming l canoe son?, a Maori game played with sticks thrown from opp woman to another, amid singing, and AKred Hill's Waiata poi. verv prettily sung bv Twa, nnd nernmpanied by the other women of the tribe.

II.M. ships Cambrian, Psyche, PjJV mus and Pioneer sailed from Port Jackson on August 2 for Colombo, via Thursday Island and Singapore, with their time-expired crews. H.M.s. Powerful remained stationary while the warships got into line, and the band on board played lively music as each ship, with the officers and men, steamed past. Farewells were waved by those on board the flagship, aud the response came bravely. Thereupon the signal flew to the head of the fiagship, 'Line ahead, 70 revolutions,"' and the vessels moved off in the order mentioned. Just at this moment the White Star liner Afrie was passing outwards, and her siren was blown as a final farewell. The warships steamed slowly dawn the harbour. They wijl have bunkers replenished at Thursday Island with Westport coal, which will be delivered there by a Union Company a steamer. The outcoming officers ana crew, now en route from England, mil join the warships at Colombo, and come on to Sydney by their respective vesselsThe Opera House was crowded last evening, when Mr. Scott Bennett lecturea on "How Wealth Accumulates and Jen Decay." A natural charm distinguishes the wearer of a Warner's Rustproof Corset. (Ad.) Men are finding out from actual experience that it is more economical and bettrr in every way to wear nothing but Rosiyu ail-wool'dothing.— (Ad.) Wear Roslyn unshrinkable all-wool flannel, "Delta" finish, and you will know what real comfort is.—(AAJ,