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Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 69, 21 March 1919, Page 4

The Weather Bureau .forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day is as follows:

"The indications are for northerly winds, strong to gale, and backing by west to south. 'Die weather appears likely to be •gloudy and unsettled. Rain probable. Barometer falling, but rising after 24 to 36 hours. Tbe weather will probably become colder. Sea rough. Tides high."

An oiler to present to the Art Gallery 19 iarge framed photographs illustrating Capt. Scott's expedition to the South Pole was received from Mr. C. E. Morton by the City Council last evening. The Mayor, in movinjr the acceptance of the gift" said it would form a very valuable collection, and would become increasingly valuable as time passed. The offer was accepted with thanks.

Confirmation of the postponement ot the Prose Conference at Sydney until the year after the proclamation ot peace has been received by Mr. Robert ■Bell, member of the executive of the World's Peace Congress. The reasons for the decision are the social, political, and economic unrest, tbe possible recurrence of influenza in Australia at the end of this year, and the excessive passenger fares now ruling.

The Soldiers Mothers' League wrote to the City Council last evening recommending that the by-laws be made more consistent, and pointing out that the law compels citizens to eomhat the house-fly, and yet allows breeding-places in the shape of stables to exist in confined areas. It was also pointed out that there was no by-law dealing with mangy eats and doge On the motion of the May_r it was decided to send a reply in the terms of the report submitted at the previous meeting of the Council, and to point out that the Council had no power to deal with cats.

If two crippled soldiers riding in bath chairs were to start a race suddenly down Queen Street even the tired loungers who spend their days on some of the corners would possibly be aroused, at least momentarily, from their lethargy. Yet it is mentioned by the commandant of A.I.F. headquarters, London, in the course of a dispatch to the defence authorities, that race 3 between crippled soldiers are quite a common occurrence in the streets of London. On one occasion within the past few weeks two legless Australians had a race in their chairs down the Strand. They became 60 excited in their eagerness to outrival one another that they assumed charge of the roadway, and the traffic was momentarily held up pending the result of the contest The incident quite naturally aroused great amusement. General Dodds reports that the 6pirit and pluck displayed by disabled and crippled soldiers in their adversity cannot but fail to arouse the admiration of all .who come into contact with the men. Appreciation was expressed at the meeting of the City Council last evening that the Mayor (Mr. J. H. Gunson) had consented to stand for another term. Mr. P. J. Xerheny, on behalf of the Council, congratulated Mr. Gunson on his decision, particularly so in view ot the important works that were to be dealt with during the coming term, when they would require a very strong man at the helm. Mr. Gunson, in reply, said that both he and Mrs. Gunson appreciated very highiy the sentiments that had been expressed. They had looked forward to a period of rest, 'but in view of the requests that had been made, they felt it only right that they should respond to the' call. It was stated at the last meeting of the Hawke's Bay County Council, when the question of striking off outstanding rates came up for discussion, that S3 per cent of the native rates had been collected. This was a record for the Dominion, the usual percentage to be collected from natives being about 5 or 6. The actual European outstanding rates amounted to 11/1.

A conference of local bodies interested in the erection of a -bridge across the Wairoa River at Dargaville yesterday received fifteen applications from all parts of the Dominion for the position of engineer. Mr. F. E. Powell, of Auckland, was chosen, subject to confirmation from the local bodies interested.

In seconding the motion regarding thcovcrcrowding of schools in the Ponsonby district, at the meeting of householdere held last evening, Mr. YV. A. Thompson referred to the fact that more playgrounds were required for the children, especially at the Heme Bay school. He advocated that bubble fountains he installed, also that accommodation be found for the male and female teachers. Mr. J. Park announces that in response to a largely signed petition he has consented to stand for the Onehunga Mayoralty.

j A resolution from the Devonport | Borough Council was submitted to the

City Council last evening, urging upon the Government the advisability of repatriating as soon as possible all alien prisoners of war, both military and civilian, at present interned in the Dominion, and asking the Council's support. The letter was received.

A boy named Reginald Ramsay, residing in Ponsonby, had a narrow escape from serious injury last evening, through falling from the back of a moving motor car. He wag dragged along the ground for a considerable distance, but fortunately escaped with slight bruises and a.brasions.

A suggestion has been made to the City Council by the Auckland Women's Patriotic League's Literature Committee, that some practical use could in future be made of the literature hitherto disposed of to the troops. The League offered its services as an adjunct to the Library Committee. It was pointed out last evening that the Library Committee could not undertake the distribution ot literature generally, and that the committee disposed of its odd literature to various institutions. It was suggested that the Literature Committee distribute its literature on similar lines.

The City Council is threatened with a shortage of coal for the electrical power station. The Mayor stated this morning that the reserve stocks had been very seriously depleted because ot the shortage of deliveries. There was no doubt whatever, he said, that unless the State adequately increased the railway services, which were a great factor in this matter, not only the electrical department but many other interesta were going to seriously suffer. It behoved the Government to deal effectively with this question without delay.

The risk of indulging in the sport of hunting the oyster in its native haunts was impressed on a lady who appeared before the Police Court to-day as a poacher of Government preserves, that she had unlawfully picked oysters at Motutapu Island. The facts were that the defendant, Winifred Dumper, was a member of a picnic party to Motutapu, and had succumbed to the temptation to pick some oysters for immediate consumption. She had only whetted her appetite with two oysters when the inspector came on the scene and inquired her name and address, after which she entirely lost her inclination for oysters. The Bench inflicted the minimum fine fixed by the custom of the Court for this class of poaching, 20/ and 7/ costs.

A deputation of Takapuna residents waited upon Mr. A. Harris, M.P., at his residence last evening, asking that that gentleman allow himself to be nominated for the mayoralty of Takapuna. Mr. James McDonald acted as spokesman, Mr. Harris, in reply, expressed appreciation of the honour the deputation wished to confer upon him. He referred to the importance of Takapuna, a district which, if properly administered, could undoubtedly be made the finest residential suburb of Auckland. To effect that end he believed a radical change in the administration of the borough to be imperatively necessary. That, however, entailed exceedingly close attention on the part of the incoming Mayor and Councillors, the responsibility particularly of the mayoral office being such that it should be held by a man having more time on his hands than himself. He pointed out that during the present year his Parliamentary duties would necessitate his being in Wellington for several months, and immediately after the close of the session a general election would be held, which would still further take up his time. Under the circumstances he did not feel he would be doing either himself or the borough justice in agreeing to the request of the deputation. The deputation subsequently decided to interview the Belmont Ratepayers' Association, an_ endeavour to obtain that body's assistance in persuading Mr. Harris to accept nomination.

The following telegram has been received by the Rev. P. S. Smallfield in reply to the resolution passed by the Auckland Province No-License Council at its monthly meeting:—'_ have received your telegram re licensing poll. The provisions of section 18 of the Legislature Amendment Act. 1914, apply only to cases where (a) a name appears on a toll, but that name has been struck off since the printing of the roll, or (b) an elector whose name is not on the roll has voted at the last preceding general election. The Government has no power to extend these provisions in any way. If a returned 6oldier is within either provision he can vote because the law provides for the case. The Government has no authority to make laws to meet special cases.—( Signed) J. Allen, ActingPrime Minister."

An address on the subject "Democracy and Public Schools" was delivered before a fair attendance by Mr. W. D. Bayley, 8.A., in the Town Hall Concert Chamber last evening. Professor Segar was in the chair, and introduced the Canadian speaker, who was talking under the auspices of the WorkersEducational Association. The whole ol tlie address was constructive. After showing that people did not understand either themselves or one another sufficiently, Mr. Bayley elaborated and drove home the point that honesty was individual, that morals and ethics were also individual. He showed that where a man would respect private property lie would not respect public property, that sixpence taken from a pocket was considered theft, whereas £1000 extra war profits was thought a good move. The speaker proved uncomfortably well this contention ot morality, and then dealt exhaustively with the public schools, coming to the conclusion that it was in these" schools, and nowhere else, that general ethics as distinct from individual ethics could 'be instilled, and he thought it was this general honesty, together with the proper understanding 0 f other people, that would bring a true democracy. With blood streaming from his head, and wearing no garments but singlet! and underpants, a muscular man raced I down from a ship a day ago and went in I chase of another individual who had| leapt on to the wharf just five seconds before. The sight of the chase evidently stirred the spirit of an old man, for he doubtless came to the conclusion that the pursuer was mentally deranged, and! hastened to intercept him. But a violent surprise came the way of the old man, for the bloodstained one lost no time in

J seizing him. He caught his coat-tails ' , swung him round twice, let him go, and < t punched him on tho jaw. By this time. - ( the first quarry had made a" clean get- E away, and when the old fellow had re- 3 covered his dazed senses he lost no time - " in making himself conspicuous by his ' ; absence. The bloodstained one, who it l , seems, had been lying in hi 3 bunk when It * something hard hitting his head had'< made him berserk for the time being < - was coaxed to keep on the wharf, and t - eventually returned to his ship, gru__b- i ■ling wicked things about the man whoil [had cut his head open. U

The first vote in New Zealand under the Alcoholic Liquor Sales Control Act of 1893 was taken 25 years ago to-day and resulted in the Clutha electorate carrying no-license. Altogether eight polls have been taken ou the question of liquor control, seven of which have been taken in conjunction with the Parliamentary elections, the 1894 vote being so far the only occasion on which an independent poll occurred. The referendum next month will, however, be the first time in which a straight cut single issue has been presented to the electors on the licensing question, and the poll besides being taken independently of the general elections, will be decided on the bare majority basis instead of on the 55 —45 system.

In another column the Auckland Fire Board offers a reward for information which will lead to the conviction of any person giving a false alarm of fire to the brigade in the Remuera and Epsom districts. This action is necessitated by the frequency of false alarms in these districts, and it is well that the public should understand that a conviction carries with it punishment either by fine or imprisonment.

Further evidence was heard in the Supreme Court to-day in the civil action George H. Cates (Mr. Reed, K.C., and Mr. Anderson), v. Arthur G. C. Glass (Mr. A. E. Skelton and Mr. Vallance), in which the plaintiff claims £350 and the defendant counter-claims for £267 in respect of an agreement under which the plaintiff managed a farm belonging to the defendant for a period of some years. The case was still in progress this afternoon.

At last night's meeting of the Waihi Borough Council a resolution was passed urging adoption of a universal Saturday half-holiday, and that the Government be asked to take steps accordingly next session. On the motion of the Mayor it was resolved to urge on the Minister of Justice the necessity for the early appointment of a warden who is to reside in the district.

The rapid rise in land values was demonstrated at the meeting of the Ponsonby Schools' Committee last evening, when a speaker pointed out that a piece of land had been under offer to the Education Board for a number of years at about 25/ a foot. The price for the same land to-day was about £5 a foot.

In confirming the statements pointing to a shortage of native foods in Safune and Safotu (Savaii), a trader informed the " Samoa Times" that the shortage in taro is due in part to ravages of the anufe insect, which has wrought much destruction lately among the young plants. Bananas, he says, were a failure owing to the long drought prevailing in the uatter part of the year. The breadfruit, now finished, was a poor crop due to the westerly winds causing the young fruit to wither and fall.

It is understood (says th. " Samoa Times ") that in a few weeks' time Captain Pundt with a local crew will take the Wave back to Auckland, the natives complaining that the vessel te not suited to the local trade. Captain Pundt will bring back with the same crew the new motor boat Siliafai, built for Messrs. A. Nelson and Son, by Bailey, of Auckland.

The Government by regulation permits the holders of trout fishing licenses to fish .or salmon and trout u r > to April 30, but no person may take more than six salmon on one day.

See Mr. Jas. Boddie's reply on page 7 to Mr. "W. D. Lysnar on the Liquor Question. —(Ad.)