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Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 52, 1 March 1916, Page 4

The following is Mr. D. C. Bates' weather forecast for 24 lours from 9 a.m. this day: "The indications are for easterly winds, strong to gale, backing by east to north. The weather appears likely to be cloudy and unsettled, with rain following. Barometer falling. Tides good. Seas heavy on the coast." Reports that operations in the Otira tunnel will be suspended continue in circulation. Work at the face in number eight break-up was stopped on February 18, and the men now are making the ground open ready for lining. Units are expecting discharge as the work finishes. Tlhe position is regarded at Otira as serious, and the local union and tradespeople are sending two delegates to interview the Minister for Public Worke to get an explanation. It is considered that the way the work is being carried out does not bear out the official statement made by the Minister recently. A display of reluctance among the Maoris in the North Auckland district to send more of their young men to the front' was "discovered by Dr. A.- W. Averill, Bishop of Auckland, on his annual visit to that portion of his diocese fast week. On his return yesterday the Bishop said that when he was at 'Otiria', near Kawafcawa,-the natives were and approached him for adv.ise,.on- He spoke to them for. an hour, pointing out that it was' their duty to continue to send their boys as recruits. They expressed satisfaction, and assured "him "that they would not in future place any hindrance in the way of their sons enlisting.' The Maoris were also concerned about an amendment of the law as to supplying- liquor to Maoris. They held a public.meeting during the Bishop's visit, and passed a resolution strongly protesting against any alteration o. the present law 6n the subject. The question of a berth for-tie pro.fi posed-municipal trawler was again considered by the Harbour Board yesterday afternoon. The Board in.. committee last week decided that the proposed 4)erth-at' the Albert whiff was-'unsuit-able, .and that it. would be Advisable to offer the City Council another berth on the western eide of the Fitzroy wharf. When the recommendation came up yesterday afternoon, Mr. A. J. Entricao, who is chairman of the Public Services Committee of the City Council, asked that it be referred back to the committee. He explained that he had been unable to attend the last committee meeting, and that ho belie,ved that what' the Council asked for could be granted without contravening the" recommendations of the Board's cugineer and the harbourmaster. 'The BoaTd accordingly decided to defer the matter for further consideration. >& TBu* .thel'iSyaney Bulletin":—"John Catighley, headmaster of the Christchurch West District High School, has been appointed Assistant Director of Education in Maoriland. Caughley was born in the Dominion 40 years ago, and has been teaching .for. 30* years, during which time he has held every class of position.in every class of school abouts. In 1913 he was president of the Educational Institute, and he has recently been representing a branch of his calling on the lately formed Council of Education. His father was a locomotive driver, and to acquire his University Degrees the son -had to work like 10 niggers. ,. It is for men like' Mr. Caughley that a University College on a central site, where they can . pursue their studies at night, affords access to the highest positions in the learned professions and education service of the Dominion. The Northcote Borough Council, which has undertaken the duties of a Boy Scouts' Advisory Committee, last night approved of the following appointments: Mr. S. J. W. Davidson, of Northcote, to be Scoutmaster, Mr. H. M. Ives, of Northcote, to be 'AssistantScoutmaster, Mr. Geo. W. Simpson to be signal instructor, and Mr. W. C. Smith to be examiner in drill and for carpenter's badges. A number of lads were "sworn in" as Boy Scouts. The Mayor, as chairman of the commitee, shook hands with each boy in« approved Scout style, and expressed his unbounded admiration of the useful work undertaken by the Scouts, and he had really been astounded at a recent review at the prac: tical knowledge disclosed as the result of the practice of scoutcraft. Encouraging remarks were also made by Crs. Tonar, Van Veen, Daniel, Hopkins, Lyon and Millar. The District Commander said ho looked to the boys sworn in that night to not only be a credit to Northcote, but to the Empire they had the honour to belong. Cheers were given for exScout W. Van Veen and other absent comrades at the front, for the Mayor and councillors, and for Mr. H. Stebbing, and the proceedings terminated with the National Anthem. A meeting of women was held to discuss the formation of an Auckland ■branch of the New Zealand Women's Anti-German League, an organisation that is growing very rapidly in Wellington.. Lady Stout (president of the Wellington branch) explained some of its objects," one of its chief features being to pledge all members to support British and our allies' industries, and to refuse to buy German or Austrian goods. A standing committee was appointed. A departmental conference was recently held in Melbourne to consider a scheme: for the purchase of the entire apple.: crop,, the object in view bein" the ietenti.on,Qf. the apples in Australia, D thus leaving more "space available for wheat Btiipmehfc It' was decided not to< inter-fere-with the arrangements already made for the export of 1,200,000 cues.

I There were some peculiar features in lan undefended divorce case, Annie White v. Francis George Henry White, in which a decree nisi was granted by Mr. Justice Cooper at the Supreme Court this morning. When the case came up for hearing about three weeks ago, the petitioner gave evidence that an act of adultery was admitted by the respondent, but that she condoned it on his promising to mend his ways. Later on he deserted her, but the period of desertion was not long enough to enable her to claim a divorce on that ground. His Honor asked Mr. E. J. Prendergast, who appeared for the petitioner, to produce come authority in support of bis application, under the circumstances, for a decree on the ground of adultery. This morning counsel quoted a< conple of cases in support of the view that although conditionally condoned by the petitioner, I the respondent's adultery might be revived as a ground for divorce because Ihe had subsequently committed a matrimonial offence (in this case desertion. Hie Honor upheld counsel's view of the matter, and granted a decree in the usual form. Captain Scott, of the 8.8. Zambesi, has written a chatty letter to a Sydney friend, in which he relates an experience ne had with an enemy submarine. The letter is dated Port Said, December sth, and states that a few weeks before arriving there the ZamDesi nearly ran on top of the submarine. Continuing, the captain says: "I used to say I should like to ram one of these craft, but that was in the days of the torpedo only. Now the bounders have guns that can smash you up at two miles, so it is a case of ' 'distance lends enchantment , for mc now. However, when flying from Mm I signalled a steamer and told of the submarine. The steamer turned and ran with mc for a while, then I gave the bearings where I last sighted the underwater craft. Immediately the master turned the vessel as if he doubted mc, and steered away on the original course. I Half an hour later he was engaged getI ting the boats ready to take off the crew, 'for the steamer was sinking. I could j see him being shelled. Did you ev.er hear of such an idiot?' Not enough brains to grease a gimlet. Ido not know if there was any loss of life. The commanders of the submarines are very bitter now, especially towards masters, so I have afair. idea of what I should have got." A youth named Ohauncey Wyverne Patterson, aged 16 years, appeared before Mr. Barton, S.M., at Gisborne, on a charge that on February 18, at Waipiro Bay, he stole £15, the property of Harry Hills. Accused pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant Hutton said for three weeks prior to the 18th accused had •been staying at the Waipiro Hotel. It appeared he had borrowed £1 from Mr. Hills! When 'he was about to return to Auckland he borrowed a £5 note and repaid Mr. Hills bis £1. Mr. Hills took him. into 'his room to- get the change, and exposed £15 which he had in a chest. Mr. Hills left for Tokomaru Bay, and on his return found the chest had been broken open and the money gone. He informed the police, and accused was accosted at Tokomaru Bay, just as he was about to leave for Auckland. He bad £10 in -baa possession. The sergeant said accused came from good and respectable parentage. There was nothing known against accused, and the sergeant said lie was prepared to i admitted to probation. His"Worship" said he was sorry to see such a young man in-such-a position. He was averse to sending youths to prison, and he "would admit accused to probation for twelve months on the usual-conditions, and the special condition that the cost of prosecution, £1, damage to the trunk 10/, and the balance of the money, £10, is paid within 24 hours. Chance is (says the Martinborough paper) a great element in all our lives, and even the tripper to the seaside'is not immune from its vagaries. A& erstwhile resident of a rising city of the South Wairarapa, desirous of retirement from weary labour, disposed of his I business, and 'hied himself and family to furnished apartments at a popular seaside resort near the Empire City for a brief respite from care. A visit to ■the agent secured the key, and directions as to the temporary a/bode, on arrival at which the newcomers were simply delighted, the apartments being luxurious, far beyond expectation. In due time the family, wearied with frivols at the beach, retired' to the humble and virtuous couch, there to enjoy NatureVsweet restorer, balmy sleep. Later, "someone in the room" aroused the slumberere, and a brief but lucid interval of explanation with the newcomer enlightened the holidavmakers with the fact that they had mistaken the house, and they were peremptorily ordered to vacate. Clad in nocturnal habiliments, they formed a weary procession to "that house next door, 1, the lock of which was equally responsive to the turn of • the elusive key, which had, by its fitness to other doors, led to the mistake. For grit and determination it would be hard to beat a, sixteen-year-old lad named J. Rae, who hails 'from Uruti, and is now probably "somewhere in France." Anxious to get to the front, and knowing that he. had very little hope of enlisting in the Dominion, the lad left his work on the farm* one'evening in August, and, clad only in dungarees, set out on his bicycle for Waitara. 23 miles distant. His cycle giving out en route, he abandoned it, ' and completed the journey on foot. At the river port he stowed away on a Home ljn'er, and when discovered by the captain was set to work shovelling coal. He stood this arduous toil manfully, and immediately on arriving at Tilbury Docks, enlisted, joining the Royal Fusiliers. He was sent for training to the Duke of York's School, Dover Barracks. On November 5, three days before his seventeenth birthday his parents got a letter to this effecT from •ham, and their minds were considerable set at rest. He is .the best shot in his squad, and will probably go to the front as a sniper, in which position he should excel, as he was used to travelling over rough country, and was noted'in his district as a crack shot. His career will be watched with interest. 4™irt TJ'J ? f . b , irfta registered in the Auckland district for the month of February total 354. In the same month last year the number was 222. There is thus an increase of 132 for the period just ended. The total number of deaths was 00, as against 93 in February, 1915 an increase of 6. Ninety-nine ■ couples were united in the bonds of matrimony 26 of these marriages being performed by the ?f eS ini- ai fV In the corre3 P°nding "month of 1910 there were 91 marriages, "> 5 of which were performed by the Registrar. At the recent Auckland wool sales Messrs Keteey Bros., of Wairamarama donated two bales of wool to tho Serbian Fund, which realised about £*0 and Mr. E. D. Holt, of Cape donated four bales of wool to the B°l gian Fund, which sold for about £80 both lots were disposed of by the New Zealand -Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. Ltd., for the benefit of the funds mentioned.