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Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 45, 21 February 1918, Page 4

The weather forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day is as follows: — "The indications are for easterly winds, moderate to strong, freshening and backing by E. to N. Expect warm and humid conditions, with increasing haze and cloudiness for change. Barometer falling slowly. Sea moderate. , Tides good."

Mr. Cross, the father of Mr. A. Cross, of Morrinsville, is within five months of reaching the century, and has the distinction of being the oldest Crimean veteran alive, having served through that great campaign as a trooper in the renowned Scots Greye. He won the V.C. during.the war, and has for over 60 years drawn the pension of £10 attached to it. He is in full possession of all his mental faculties, and takes a keen interest in the present great war.

At the annual meeting of the Thames Patriotic League, held last night, the report ehowed that for the year ended December 31 the sum of £2620 13/2 had been subscribed for various patriotic objects. In addition to this, a large number of collections had not been sent through this League, and if these were considered, the amount raised by this district for the year -would not be lees than £18,000. Assistance to the extent of £555 had been granted to men and their relatives, as compared with £159 16/ for the previous year. The League had also interested itself greatly in finding euitable work for returned soldiers.

Mr. John Brown, managing director of the Takapuna Tra,m and Ferry Co., when seen this morning, said the directors hope, by next Monday, to have made satisfactory arrangements in regard to fuel. It -may be explained that ag-ooddcal of coke is used in conjunction with iXewcastle coal for the engines on that line, and the difficulty lately has been to keep up the supply. Stocks of Newcastle coal have not accumulated since tho strike at that place, and now, with the shortage of veaele, the position lias not improved. The managing director made it quite clear that the cuitailrnent or continuation of tho present service depends upon whether or not the arrangements can be satisfactorily made.

It v&b made clear during the hearing of boot operatives' appeals for exemption yesterday that the placing of heels on boot or shoe in a boot factory is a distinctive art, especially in these days of fashion for ladies' footwear with appearance rather than durability. High heels require the touch and judgment of an expert. It was disclosed that one epecial employee represented to be indispensable to a factory employing many hands received a wage of £3 10/ per week. However, they were not doing much fancy work in this factory. Referring to theee skilled hands- one employer said he ;knew men who hadbeen doing heelmg for five years, "and even, you, Major Conlan. could place a heel better after three months' experience." Major Conlan (laughing): "If we have any more of these appeals here I will be able to make a- whole.boot-T----in theory, of course."

At the_ meeting of the Auckland Baptiet Auxiliary last evening a resolution was passed expressing deep regret at tbe death of Profeesor Bedford, able scholar, earnest social reformer, and a public-spirited citizen who was one of the leaders in the cause of righteousness in tho Dominion." Sympathy was also expressed with the bereaved widow and family. A memorial service Uto be held next Sunday afternoon in the Pitt Street Methodist Church, at which the Rev.- Percy S. SmaUfield. president of the N.Z. Alliance. Rev. P. Warner, president of the Auckland Ministers' Association, Mr. W. E. Bush, president of the Auckland branch of the V.M.C.A., Rev. A. B. Chappell. Registrar of the Auckland University College, and Mr. G. H. Poole, M.P. for Auckland West, will take part. All University graduates are invited to be present.

That bis calling up for service would cause undue hardship for the reasons: "That lam regarded ley the Turkish Government ac a subject; I have several relatives in Syria, and if captured by the enemy, I and they wo\ild be eubjected to severe punishment," was the statement of appeal of Frederick P. Sayegh, packer, Queen Street, -when he appeared before the first Auckland Military Service Board to-day. The chairman to counsel: "What nationality is he?" Mr. Prendergast: "Well, I suppose, a British subject within the meaning of tho Act. He is a Syrian, born in Wellington." Counsel added that Sayegh was quite willing- to serve, but had a strong objection to 6erring beyond the seas in or about his own country, because ho felt that there was a. probability that if captured his people also irrigrht. have the. punishment of the Turks visited upon them. The Board said it had no control over where a man ■was sent, but would give a recommendation. It wae certainly unfair to expect the man to take up an attitude that might involve punishment -on his kith and Idn. However, Sayegh was a British subject, and would have to be treated as such. Counsel said the man would -bo (jtrite satisfied if he "was going to France. However, he would ask that the case stand down to allow of communication "with the Defence Department to got an idea of the attitude adopted towards these Asiatics. The appeal wae therefore adjourned for the purpose.

A report received at yesterday's meeting of the Grammar School Board stated that the Epsom school for girls was overcrowded. The chairman said that the overcrowding proved the necessity for increased accommodation. The matter •was referred to the Schools Committee for a report, and when this has been made a special meeting of the Board will be held for the purpose of considering the recommendations. An application will be forwarded to the Government asking for a grant in aid of the proposed additional accommodation. The enlargement of the Epeoru school -would have the effect of relieving the Howe Street school, which was also somewhat overcrowded.

In the report' of the soft goods dispute at the Arbitration Court yesterday, one of the union witnesses, Thomas Henry Phillips, was stated to ibe in the employ of 7, J. Court and Co." This should have ibeen "J. H. Porter and Co."

A striking feature of the vital statistics in a recent "Gazette" is the differ-ence-between the. number of marriages in 1915 and 1917. The average rate of marriages -was a.bout 8.5 per 1000 population. The 10,02g marriages in 1915 made the rate for the year 9.12 per. 1000. In .1917 there 6309 k ataimageg, <nj».73,:Bsr IOQQat poßulaidiHv

Peter 'McFarlane Dewar, 69 years, the man charged in the Police Court this •week with counselling a woman to procure miscarriage 'by the illegal use of an instrument, and committed by Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., to the Supreme Court for trial, had 'bail'fisred this morning. The sum was set at £200, in one surety.

The matter of overcrowding on the Bayewater ferry steamer was discussed by the Takapuna Borough Council last evening, when Councillor Arthur eaid that this was specially noticeable on the early Sunday morning trips. The people, he said, rushed along to the tram immediately the gangway was down. Last Sunday two children were crushed in this rush. The Harbour Board replied to the quary of the Council on this matter that the Takapuna Ferry Company leased the Bayswater wharf, and they had undertaken to take etepe to obviate the trouble.

Nominations for the vacant office of councillor in the Birkenhead Borough. Council close on the 27th met., and the election will be held on March 5. In view of the expense involved) an attempt was made, at last night's Council meeting, , to have booths only at Birkenhead and Birkdale, but the sense of the majority favoured having four booths, as hitherto, viz., Birkenhead wharf, Council Chambers, Chelsea, and Birkdale School. The supplementary roll, which closed the previous day, was certified as correct. Messrs. Robert Darlow and J. E. Salt are candidates for the position, and it is understood that steps are in progress to nominate at least another candidate, while it is also probable that Mr. H. White, who was defeated by one vote at the last election, may also be nominated.

The following note appears in the London "Musical Times" of January 1 la6t: " Mr. Maughan's recitals ■at Auckland Town Hall, show, as usual, catholic taste. There are plenty of light items, vocal and instrumental, and a liberal proportion of transcriptions, but the people who are attracted by the3e features are given an opportunity of making acquaintance of fine mueic of the beet type—e.g., Gigout's Toccata, Frances Fantasia and Pastorale, two movements from Widor's Symphony in D, five movements from Lomare's first and second Symphonies, Wesley's Larghetto, Choral Song and Fugue, Wolstenholme's Fantaieie Rustique, besides excellent examples by Dubois, Guilmant, Hollins, Harwood, Bonnett, etc."

In order to draw more attention to the important matter' of the development of electrical power from the Waikaremoana Lake, a trip is being arranged for early next March to inspect that body of water. The Waikaremoana Hydro-Electric League, which consists of al! the public, local commercial and representative bodies from Dannevirke in the South to the East Cape in the North, has issued a number of invitations to members of Parliament and others, and it it proposed that the party shall start from Napier by motor cars on Thursday, the 7th of March. The trip is expected to take six days, and those invited will be the guests of the League. Mr. C. H. Poole, M.P. for Auckland West, has accepted the invitation forwarded to him. Thecireular refers to Lake Waikaremoana "ac containing the : greatest potential power to supply the wants of thiß Island at the least cost, and earliest possible date. Mr. Parry, the Government Hydro - Electrical Engineer^..,in >i'ak ,report, refers-, to Awapiinj,. o.n. the Waikato River, Mangahao Biver, near Wbbdyille, and Lake Waikaremoana, ac sources of electrical power for the North 'Island.

Mr. TV.' E. Bush, Gjty Engineer, in the course of his evidence before the Compensation Court which heard the claim of the Auckland University College against the City Council, contrasted the old and inadequate buildings in which the Auckland University College has carried on its operations for the past thirty-four years with the splendid edifices that have been provided for the provincial universities in Great Britain. He specially mentioned the Birmingham University buildings, erected while he was an officer of the Corporation inthat city. In reply to Mr. Prendergast, counsel for the University College, Mr. Bush stated that the Birmingham Municipal Corporation, realising the value of a university to a great industrial city, contributed £50,000 towards the buildings, and also made an annual grant towards the maintenance of the University.

An unusual claim, heard before !Mr. E. C. Cufrten, SjM.. in the Magistrate's Court, was that concerning a dairy company whidi ■blossomed out about fifteen years ago in the Kawhia district, but faded away after eleven years of sunshine and yicieeitnde. One* of the shareholders, after signing the ordinary company documents, left the district and the country, and on recently returning -was faced with a , demand for payment of share liabilities of a. factory not built before she went away, and out of which she had received no profit or other benefit. Wm. J. Parkinson, fanner. Te Rau-a-moa, and ten others (Mr. Haddow) joiatly sought the sum of £90 from Hine Rawei, a married woman, now of Silverdale (Mr. Mowlem). It appears that the party floated the enterprise primarily by. executing. a document guaranteeing an overdraft on a bank. After nine yeare the indebtedness of the company was £1,380 4/11, and, when the company went into liquidation in 1914. the shareholders, in the absence of defendant, had to pay her share, which they now claimed. The defence was that the guarantee was signed at a time the company was in process of formation, which the defendant did not think would come to friiition. Decision was reserved.