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Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 69, 22 March 1915, Page 4

planning League, and he must be aware that in. the opinion, ot Jklr , Jlavidgey; $he distinguished this sijbjeot', who lectured in Auckland a year ago, it is highly desirable that railway yards and engine shops, with all their abominable ■' accompaniment's of; noise and' smoke, should be kept far from the residential quarters of cities. Surely all these are questions -that are well worth discussing; and the consideration of them strengthens our conviction that matters of such gTave interest and importance to the citizens of Auckland should not be relegated simply -to the heads of one or two public bodies and official departments, bitt should be care-, fully nnd publicly Canvassed and investigated before any final and irrevocable decision is reached. i

The faM.wing is Mt. *D._ C. Bateo' weatibsr forecast for 24 (hours from 9 a.m. tiliis day: "The indications are for mo-d-iute to strong easterly -vind., and backing by east to south. The weather will probably prove cold and showery. The night will probably ba cold. Binometoi" ii__ng. Tides * good. Sea rough. Sw*U on t_» o__*."

Farmers 'generally are "rejoicing at last week's satisfactory fall of warm rain, which proved of so much value to their crops. Already a marked change is moitieeabie, especially upon the grass plots, which have again assumed their natural verdure, a contrast upon the withered brown caused by tbe drought. The total amount of rain for the period was 2.55 inches, which, falling on five days, is considered very satisfactory. To be of any appreciable advantage after a drought such as we have lately experienced, about three inches of warm and steady rain is required, and last week's fall, although it falls below that mark, is bound to have a good effect. The total for the current month to date now stands at 3.62 inches, nearly an inch above the average, and 140 points above the fail for the whole of the corresponding month last year, Tbe fall on Saturday was (30 points, followed by another five which were registered this morning as having fallen since nine o'clock yesteTiday morning.

The City fire brigade received a call at about 0 p.m. on Saturday, bj- one of thi})'9)tj*niatic alarms on the premises of Messrs. Sharland and Co., in Lome Street. -* When the brigade arrived at the building they were unable to locate the' outbreak, so a left on the premises to make investigations. It was later found that a quantity of phosphorus in one of the storerooms on the lower floor was alight. The brigade was again summoned, and promptly extinguished the fire before any serious damage was done to eitheT tlie building or the contents.

As the law stands in Fiji, it requires •that all natives shall be indoors hy 11 p.m. That a certain amount of laxity has crept in there is no doubt (says the Suva correspondent of the "Sydney Telegraph"). Every week there are cases before 'the court, in which Fijians are fined for being out after hours. Lately, however, several houses of white people have been entered by natives, and it is alleged that they have entered the houses with the intention of committing more serious crimes than burglaries. There have been case 3. too. where white women have been assaulted. The offenders were broujht before the Court and given the extreme penalty of the law as it stands—six months and twenty-four lashes. Suva is certainly feeling the effects of a wave of these nocturnal visits, and the uneasiness of the white population took the form of a public meeting at tbe Town Hall, which was qviite a record in its way. Mr. H. M. Scott. M.L.C.. moved that it was imperative, in the interests of the public that'there should be a more efficient police control, by -he appointment of more experienced policemen. He also moved that the penalty for entering a house with intent to annoy a female, which is the offence set out under the ordinance, be increased from six months and twenty-four strokes of the cat to two years. The speaker attacked the system by which the* important posts m the constabulary are filled- The motion was carried without a dissentient.

A fire, alleged to have been caused through a seven-year-old boy, did a considerable amount of damage to a jeweller's shop in Devon Street, Kew Plymouth, occupied by Mr. Thompson. The lad was noticed by his mother to be* very white, and on being questioned he returned vague and seared answers. iStrsp"cct«hgiitl»a.t he -bad been up to some mischief, Mrs. Thompson sent her little daughter to t-ho'shop to investigate, and she came back and .reported that the place was full of smoke. The brigade was immediately summoned, and confined the fire to.tho ground floor. It is thought that the child had been amusing himself by striking matches in the shop, and that be threw one into a wastepaper basket. The insurance on the building amounted to £400. but the 'building was very little damaged. The most serious loss appears, to hare been, on the stock, which was covered by £150 iv the North Queensland office, and ?.Ir. Thompson estimates that he has sustained a direct loss of £103. An inquiry into the fire is to be Reld.

A gratifying statement of the financial position of the W'hangarei CountyCouncil has been made by the county Clerk (Mr. H. C. Hemphill). The county finnnces, which have been steadily improving over a considerable period, show a debit to the general county fund account of £2,444 13/10. The clerk has pointed out that £2,167 was paid out in anticipation of Government grants and £123 in respect of the Houto loan, which left the Council only £154 short Of a credit balance.

The year ending March 31st, 1916, will be census' year, and for the purpose of obtaining information regarding the hours worked, the wages paid, all employers of labour in factories are to be supplied with a wages and time book in duplicate. The books will be issued at the end of the present month free of charge, although it was at first proposed to make a charge of 6d per book.

With reference to the "one shilling" subscription list opened for the author of "The Day," we, understand it has been well patronised by those living in outside districts, but has "hot received as Jarge a response as it deserves from the townspeople. This no doubt is not for. want of sympathy, with the object, but merely because public attention has not been prominently drawn to this deserving movement. It must not be forgotten that the author is only a railway porter at Bath, England, and probably not receiving a very high salary; therefore a little present from the Auckland people would be gratefully received. Already £G has been collected, and it is hoped that thi s -will be made up to "£23. Subscriptions will be thankfully received by Francis Hall and Co., opposite the old Post Office Shortland Street.

_h accordance with the promise given to the Parliament of Victoria last

-session- by Sir Alexander Peacock, the Premier, Mr. H. M. Murphy, Chief Inspector, .of,. -Factories, is visiting the other .-Spates and New Zealand, and is inquiring into the working of their industrial systems. The object is to inform the Cabinet whether it can improve --the' Victorian labour law and secure more harmonious working between employers and employees by imitating- in any respect the legislation of the other States. Mr. Murnhv has already visited South Australia" and Western-Australia, and he is now to spend a month in Tasmania and New Zealand. Some of the Taranaki cheese factories that adopted the consigning policy willit is understood, pay out from 1/3 to 1/8 per lb butter-fat—truly a phenomenal return! From April 1 the cable rate to the Argentine Republic, Bolivia, Brazil, Chili, Paraguay. Peru and Uruguay, via Eastern, will be reduced as follows.- Ordinary by fourpence per word, British Government and deferred by twopence per word. George Pheatant, contractor, of Frankton Junction, has been adjudicated a bankrupt'