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Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 63, 15 March 1915, Page 4

The following is Mr D. C. Bates', weather forecast for twenty-four hours from 9 a.m. this day:—"The indications are for westerly winds,, strong to gale, and veering by west. Expect changeable and showery weather. The barometer has a falling tendency, but rising Soon. Tides good. Sea moderate swell," -• ''-

I An Australian mail of 240 bags was 'brought to Auckland tk._ afternoon by the steamer Biverina. Another Australian mail should arrive at Wellington to-morrow morning by th e Moeraki, and the Auckland portion Should arrive her. by Wednesday morning's express. The postal authorities report that the Suez mail dispatched on January 22 arrived at London on March 7.

The second train of the three experimental trains with excursion fares promised to the Rotorua Business Men's League, was a great improvement on the first. • Some 225 excursionists took advantage of -he,excursion, which may be considered highly satisfactory. The total number of passengers totalled about 400. The excursion to Te Aroha was hot so well patronised, Of course Saturday -was the first train run at the excursion rates, and probably like I those to Rotorua, there will be more people travelling later on. While very few people, went from Auckland on Saturday,,-there was a fair number from Hamilton and Cambridge.

Some small hoys who were playing in the Cemetery Gully yesterday afternoon, set the dry grass alight. Damage was I done to a number of trees in the gully, and to about ten yards of the fence. I The city brigade turned out and es-'tinguis-hed tlie Maze before further damage was done.

The top of Beresford Street has for some time past presented the appearance of a contractor's yard, owing to the works that are in progress in Hobson Street. Large machines are stored in - Beresford Street for tarring the mac-dam used -in coating Hohson Street, now that the concrete foundations are about completed. When this work is completed it will make Hobson Street up to the modern standard of well constructed roads in Auckland, and should save a lot in maintenance in the' future, to say nothing of saving the wear and tear entailed in continually carting metal along city roads for topdressing purposes.

Another medical inspection of recruits for the Expeditionary Reinforcements will be held at the Drill Hal! to-morrow, commencing at 10 a.m. There seems to be a little misunderstanding about the manner in which officers and non-com-niissioned officers are being allotted to the rciuforcemcnt drafts. The batch of twenty non-commissioned officers who j went away on Saturday arc to be attached .to j-the seventh draft, not the sixth., dp aU2.cas.es, officers are sent down |tj) Tipnthani.a month in advance of the nieri, so'that tlie iiext batch of : officers ~to'"ieave"'wirV b.>-attached to the eighth j reinforcement, draft. The recruits whs arc now being enrolled are being drafted jto the sixth draft which leaves Auckland for Trcntham in tbe middle of April.

Preaching at St. Stephen's Presbv-i ! teriarv Church- yesterday from the text, '■ i "Ye will not. come unto Mc, that ye' I might have life," the Rev. Isaac Jolly touched upon the question of why people did not attend divine sen-ice. Mr. Jolly i frahkly conceded that the church was itself not entirely free from Maine for the lack of church attendance. More (sympathy, more friendliness, more zeal for souls on the part of the Church, to Win people to Christian "Worship! and* perhaps s alio win them for Christ. But when that had been saia the real reasons .that kept people from the Hou9 r e. of God had not .beeni touched. The reasons given by nonchurchgoers themselves would not bear examination. Those who professed to| worship God in Xature not infrequently) did so by lying in bed, or' lounging about .he house, and the Sunday picnicker would not seriously say that he went to worship. Other reasons given were - equally p6or. The lesson of history was that the men who neglected the Church usually also neglected Christ.; The" times when the churches were empty were when there was low religious life. The men and women hearts were set on earthly pleasure ahd earthly possessions were not attracted by Christ, and not prepared for the self-sacrifice entailed in the conditions of discipleship of His church, which. demanded self-denial and. cross-bearing.

»JtFliej'-Towne—S-with which the work on the Okahakura Tunnel was being done was...hro-wat before..the Minister for Public Works at Te Kuiti by-Mr.'W. T. "Jennings,"" M.P. He pointed out that for over a month no work at all had .been ;done. _ It."is stated that very little ! has *een done in the main tunnel itself, and it is the opinion of experts that its completion would take nearly; three j months; even if 2the work were "started at once.

I . A poll of ratepayers was held on Saturday at Mt. Roskill, On the proposal to borrow £1500 for water supply purposes, land to sanction a special rate, is security. The proposal was adopted, 81 votes being , recorded in "its favour.. There were 388 i names on "the roll.

The annual "visit of thfe members of the ''Thames Old -Boys' Association to their former home-took ph.ee on Saturday, about .40 going in the .Wakatere. There was a large crowd at Thames, to welcome the visitors. In response to 'th» representations, made previously there was no formal reception or evening function, so that''visitors would, simply be able to. spend, the time 7 with old friends. All the vehicles at Thames Were fully occupied during the day driving' visitons- to various places of interest. The Grey Lynn' Drum and Fife Band" went, by the Wakatere, and were .welcomed at the wharf by the Thame? Drum and Fife Band. A combined church i parade took place on Sunday.

An inquest was held yesterday, before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., in connection with the death of Mr. F. J. Moore, of MOOpe Avenue, Parnell, who expired suddeiriy on Saturday inornihg while bathing atTVVaiheke. The medical evidence showed that deceaised Was suffering from heart disease, and this bad caused his death. | A verdict in accordance with this testi--1 many was returned by the Coroner. ' At a meeting of the committee eet: up 7in connection with tue St. Patrick's Day celebrations, a motion was passed expressing deep Sorrow at the demise of so thorough an Irishman as the late Mr. Frederick Moore.

: A wonderful example' of the accuracy. of survey work is reported in the case of the recent survey of a railway route from Te Roti, round the mountain to Moturoa, in Taranaki ' Working from the Te Roti end, forty miles from New Plymouth, the levels were, of course, taken all along the route, and when Moturoa was reached the discrepancy between the survey level and the railway at the point of junction .was found to be only three-quarters of an inch.

There were 280 male and 16 female prisoners in Mount Eden gaol at the end of last week, including 275 prisoners serving hard labour sentences. During the week 43 prisoner* were received and 37 discharot^

Speaking on the subject of wheat! growing to a Wellington pressman, the I Prime Minister Baid: "We are not' growing enough wheat for our own requirement 3, and have to make up the deficiency by importation from other countries, and this state of things will last with its consequences I in high-priced flour and dear br.ead, until farmers see their way to grow a larger area of. wheat than they have done for tlhe last two years. It is a plain business , proposition, if the farmers see their way clear to a fair profit they will sow wheat; if not, they will produce something that promises better. I am satisfied that with very little encouragement during the coming season there will be enough wheat i grown for our own requirements, and probably a_fair margin for export. The wheat crops this season are turning out better than was expected, but there will not be sufficient to last until the harvest of next year, and I believe that the whole of the million bushels of Canadian wheat over which the Govern ment have the option will be required."

The A Squadron Mounted Infantry of .the National Reserve are having their ! first mounted parade next Saturday afternoon. This section of the Xational Reserve, which is 64 strong, iB showing very evident signs of careful training, under Staff-Sergt.-Majdr Robertson, and Saturday's parade is being looked forward to with j?reat interest by the ■members. Some ilttle difficulty has ; been occasioned by members not having horses, and Mends willing to lend a hoise are asked to communicate with ; Mr. E. C. Selwyn Hamlin. Hobson Buildings. Two young women named "Dorothy I iScoullar and Lesley Reid, convicted of the theft of a sum of money, amounting to over £141 from a hotel, were admitted to probation at the Supreme Court in Wellington by Mr. Justice Chapman. The I money with the 'exception of about £18 ' had been recovered.

The Wellington Farmers' Meat Company has decided to increase its capital by £60,000 to enable provision to be made for increased storage capacity at Wai.nginva works capable of providing for another 100,000 sheep.

During the hearing of a land case at: tlie Supreme Court at Christchurch it was stated that a block of land had been described by the seller as aggregating 48 acres, and advertised by the agents as 50 acres. His Honor: How ! do you explain the discrepancy? The •witness explained that agents frequently altered the area Slightly in order that, neighbours should not knoW that the property was for sale. Frequently people did not like., to have it known that they were endeavouring to sell out. His Honor: You put an incorrect aTea in the newspapers and trust to putting the correct area to the buyer when he; comes in? Witness: That is the prac- : tice to a certain extent. His Honor: j To what extent do you consider it ad~*is-1 'able to "cook" advertisements. Witness: Three, four or five a'cre3, as a rule.

The Prime Minister states that the j Government has found it necessary in the meantime to prohibit the exportation of oats. "The Registrar-General has reported to mc," says Mr. Massey, "that, judging by present appearances, there are barely enough oats in New Zealand this season for our.own requirements. Unlike wheat, it would be almost impossible to import oats from any other country, and to avoid hardship and inconvenience later this! export. of oats, must stop -for the present."

Maoriland once nearly captured a I Belgian community (says a writer iv the Sydney "Bulletin"): iii the eafly '80's gay King Leopold conceived the 'idea of exporting surplus population by! annual drafts, and accordingly sent a. prominent business man of Antwerp,' I Einil D'Baarven, to Maoriland, charging: him to investigate the prospects forexpatriated Belgians. Sir Hercules; Robinson, Governor of New Zealand at that time, was in favour of the scheme.: I The Government of the day regarded ft! 'favourably, and the Belgian emissary, was handed over to Edward Wakefield,! a well-known pressman at Timaru,. who made a hobby of plans of this kind. The two men drafted a schemje, and together ■inspected many localities in search of a 'suitable one for the experiment. Eventually they decided* upon a tract of fertile land in the Hakataramea Valley, and the Government consented to this I lump of country being handed over. After spending a year in Maoriland IVHaarven returned to" Belgium to report to the King. He was too late. Stanley had just persuaded the old man to devote all his surplus cash and energy to the Congo Basin. So the Belgian surplus was pushed out to the [ Congo to earn dividends, and Maorifland just missed some much-needed settlers.

| In making an urgent appeal for.help, the Belgian ' Commissioners point out j that any money sent should be addressed 'to the :pommissiotteis as there are two organisations in existence, the other oitie being that for relieving the Belgian refugees in England, who have already been well provided for. In the Pitt Street church this evening the Rev. Percy "Knight, 8.A.. will give his great lecture on the "Life and Works of Dante."