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Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 127, 29 May 1918, Page 4

The Weather Bureau forecast is as follows: "Indications are for moderate to strong south-easterly wind?, veering by south to west, but indications for temporary improvement soon. Barometer has a rising tendency. Tides good. Sea moderate."

The Supreme Court action, before bis Honor Mr. Justice Cooper, in which Richard J. C. Wight, farmer, of Taeroa (Mr. A. E. Skelton). claimed .£2OOO damages from Margaret Robson, Paeroa (Mr. 11. H. Ostler), for alleged breaches of certain clauses of the lcaae of a property at Paeroa, wae continued to-day. Yesterday the juTy paid a visit to the fartn. and further evidence wae taken to-day. The case will probably be concluded to-morrow.

A telegram was sent to the Minister of Defence by Mr. A. EL Glover, M.1 , ., yesterday regarding a number of carpenters out of employment. He asked if they could not be employed in refitting some of tho troopships. In reply to thin Mr. Glover has received a telegram from the Minister to the effect that there are at present no transporte refitting in the Dominion, but a transport is due at Auckland shortly, and will probably refit here.

A public meeting is to be held on Friday evening in the Chamber of Commerce, whun the views of the Good Roads Association will be laid, before the members of Parliament for tue surrounding districts, the members of the various county and borough councils, road boards and engineers. It is felt that to further this scheme it is imperative that the various public bodies be got together so that the Association's ideas should be laid before them, and advantage has •been taken of Farmers' Week, when a large number of those who are on public bodies will be able to attend, and from the readyv response that hue already been accorded we are led to believe there will be a very large and representative gathering. Major Lusk. one of the vicepresidents will occupy the chair.

Tho proposed -visit of inspection of I<he Waikato Kiver by the Blininter of Lands, lion. D. H. Guthrie, has now been postponed for some months. Arrangements have been made for a three day trip by the Waikato River Board, in conjunction with other local bodies interested, bat the Minister could not at the present spare so much time, and the visit has now been pretponed till AugTist next. In the meantime, the settlers on the lower portions of the rirer-flatK, whose drainage is serionsly threatened by the -works erected by the River Board, are uneasy at the prospect of the groynes being allowed to remain in position for another season. Last spring, as the Result of the finding of a Royal Commission, the Government ordered the removal of certain groynes, but thie hae not so far been done, and it was hoped that the Minister's visit would have led to early action ibeina taken, co that the winter freshes would have had a chance to dear out the accumulation; of sand deposited bedow the groynes.

Before the Military Pensions Board, which is now sitting in Auckland, there were the applications of 64 soldiers and 15 soldiers' srives yesterday. The pensions of 38 of the soldiers were renewed, and in most of the other cases the men had their money reduced, 'because of an improvement in their health. Nine of the wives had their pensions renewed, and the other six pensions were terminated. Permanent allowances were granted in six instances, an<i three further applications were adjourned for more information. The Board adhered to a previous decision in cancelling two pensions.

Mr. John McAlister, of Morthcotc, who has just returned from a visit to the United States, when asked his view on the position of aifairs over there, remarked that the Americans had gone into the war in earnest, and 'Were dispatching about 80,000 troops across every week. Mr. McAlisterV? reason for going to America was to see his youngest son, who lias been over there for the last three years, and has now joined the U.S. Flying Corps. Although only 20 years of age, young McAlister has already gone through all the mechanical examinations, and is now stationed at Dallas, Texas, engaged in instructing others in the mechanical part of an aviator's dnty.

Quite a number of people who are legally aliens in this country came before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S-M., to-day •because they had failed to register within the trme allowed, as aliens. The defendants included four Americans, a colonial lady who had married a Norwegian, one who had wedded an Italian, yet another mated to a Swede, two Russians and two natives of Mount Lebanon. The latter objected strongly to being termed Syrians declaring that the inhabitants of the cedar mountain considered themselves an independent nation, and that they were natural enemies of the Turks; but thej- admitted that they were not British. In all cases the defendants had gone to register, when they discovered what the requirement of the law was, but, being kte, they had by luw to bo brought before the Court. The defendants were convicted, but in no case was a line considered neccssarv.

A carefully-planned robbery wiw brought off in Sydney one niprht roeentlj. - The thief was aa su<-ccseful aa he wae daring, and ho and his accomplice made good their escape with 78 diamond rinfrs valued at £1.000, the property of Bmw and Walsh, jewellers and gem merchants, of fieorge Street. At about 0.-2. r > p.m. a well-dressed youug man walked into the shop and asked the attendant. Miss Meehan. to let him have a look at a tray of diamond rings displayed in the front window. .Mr. .S. A. Waleh, one of the partners of the firm, was in the shop at the time. Miss Meehan placed the rinps on the counter, when the man tucked the tray under his arm and bolted into George Street. Miss Meehan screamed, and Mr. Walsh, who was behind the counter, went in pursuit of the thief, wlio -was followed for some distance. but ultimately escaped.

" The Board of Trade." states a message received by the Governor-General from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, " reports that the British Government has contracted to purchase from the Zinc Producers' Association Proprietary Ijinited, of Australia, stocks of zinc concentrates existing at the en<l of 1017, lefiH reserves subject to the reasonable protection of Australian requirements, and alsn the production from the beginning of 1918 to a maximum extent of 250,000 tons per annum during the war and one year after, and 300.000 tons per annum for the subsequent nine years.' .

Passengers by the Wairarapa express on Saturday had a most exciting journey, consequent upon the shaft of the engine breaking while at full speed near Mangatainoka. The engine and tender were derailed, and the train was held up for eomo hours. Though the passengers in the front undoubtedly received a shock when the mishap oocurred, there wae very little alarm. The application of the WcKtinghouse brake quickly brought the express to a standstill, and the engine-driver is commended on his instant application of the brake.

The Rev. Canon Ciirzon-Sigge,-s, president of the Dunedin Society foi the Protection of Women and Children, declared at the annual meeting of the society that the record of work for the last year was the worst and saddest in the 1Q years of the society's existence. There wot an increase of wife desertion, and girl life was at a low standard. The speeches which followed his, made by several well-known social workers and members of the Legislature, were timely, and touched upon several phases of thej question, the urgent need of bringing into operation the provisions made for women patrols, and of taking drastic measures to cut out this hideous ulcer of social disease. A deputation from the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joinere this morning waited on the Farmers' Union Confereuec, and requested the delegates to pass resolutions urging the Government to regulate the high prices now charged for timber, which they claimed was not due to the increase in wagee. After hearing the members of the deputation, it was decided to take a remit from Huntly West, which dealt with the question. Eventually a remit from Huntly West, amended as follows, wae passed, viz.:—"This Conference disapproves of the principle of the Government controlling prices except for Imperial war conditions, but, as practically all the farmers' producte have been requisitioned and the price regulated, •we call upon the Government to protect us from exploitation by taking steps to check the unwarranted increase in price of materiale, machinery, and other necessaries which are essential to us for the maintenance of production."' In a letter written to the Dunedin "Star," Rev. Howard Elliott says: — "1 deeply regret that übc was made of reports and inquiries received which reflected on the morals of the Church ol Rome in the letters written at my house to test the object of the censorship ot Box 912. I have always regretted tlie use of that material. It was done without thought, and without desire or intention to make public charges against either priests or nuns. Further, I regret the public reference by my6elf to the matter." The opinion that the property of reservists (meaning deserters) evading military service should be confiscated, and the proceede pooled for the benefit of returned soldiers was expressed in a remit from the Ebtow branch of the Farmers' Union that was dealt with at the annual Provincial Conference yesterday. The proposal was lost on the voting, 65 voting against, and 34 for. The Whakatane paper reports that Captain A. A. Jonas, master of the Harbour Board's scow Vesper, was arrested ac a prisoner of war. He has been interned on Somes IslandIntending patrons of the gathering in the Town Hall next Saturday can register their scats at Messrs. Wildman and Arey's. The bookings are assuming large proportioneIt is fifty-six years to-day since the first Albertland settlers left London for Auckland in the ships Hanover and Matilda Wattenbach. Gent's "Kaiapoi" boxed suits, 69/6; "Sincerity" suits, 77/6; saddle tweed trousers, 15/11; raincoats, 47/6, 57/6: macs., 49/6; canvas coats, 42/6; all-wool under flannels, 5/11. All goods keenest prices.—Bridgman's, opg. Town H*lL Ad.

A verdict of not guilty was returned , at the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon in the case in which Charles Croßflley Cox (Mr. Ostler) was charged with the theft of £52 11/ and a pocket-book from Herbert J. Mold, at Auckland. Prisoner wae discharged accordingly by his Honor, Mr. Justice Stringer. Hon. J. A. Tole, X.C.. appeared on behalf of the .CTOwn.

The question as to whether the Farmers' Union should eeek Parliamentary representation was again considered by the Farmers' Union Conference yesterday. A remit on the subject had been received from the Elstow Branch. A discussion on the same lines as that on the opening night took place, and on the remit il>eing put to the meeting, it was rejected by 70 votes to 35.

The notices of motion by Or. W. H. Barnes, having- for their object the relieving for active service of the waterworks engineer (a First Division reservist, and who was exempted sine die as being essential to the maintenance of the Northeoic water supply), and al&o that the Borough boundaries be extended to include Little Shoal Bay Reserve, were again down for consideration last night lit a special meeting of the Northcote Borough Council, called at the instance of three councillors; but this special meeting, like ite two predecessors, proved abortive, no quorum being present. The. Town Clerk 'mentioned that either verbal or written messages had been received from the Mayor (Mr. J. B. Tonar), Councillors H. Crowley, J. Broady, K. W. Herriek, R. Webster, but none from Cr. G. H. Lyon, while Cr. N. E. Heath was on business in the South Island. At the request of some ratepayers, who had come to hear the discussion in anticipation of the meeting being held. Cr. Barnes explained the proposals which for several meetings had been before the Council, but so far nad failed to receive consideration.

A meeting of the Soldiers Mothers' League ie called by advertis<sn«fi t to make certain alterations in the rules.

There ie a coupon in every tin of Hudson's Balloon Brand Baking Powder that entitles yon to receive a free copy of the Balloon Baking Book, containing 60 valuable recipes for Home Baking. Ad.