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Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 1, 1 January 1921, Page 4

The Auckland Trotting Club were more fortunate with the weather yesterday, and after two postponements from Tuesday and Thursaay, succeeded in getting oif the first day of their summer meeting. There was a very large attendance who witnessed some very interesting racing. The big event of the day was won by Mr. Corrigan with the Australian bred horse Man-o'-War, While the classical event went to Mr. G. Craw whose colt, Nelson Derby, won in good style. The sum of £74,910 10/ was passed through the machines, making an increase of £6,447 on the corresponding day last year.

The zest with which the boy scouts from No. 1 Auckland district have entered into camp life at Henderson has made the gathering an assured success. Despite the inconvenience caused by rain in the early stages, tent life is being fully appreciated by the khakiclad lads. With their officers the young army has_.cntered into its course of instruction and recreation with groat enthusiasm. The afternoons are devoted to games of various kinds, and a swimming pool in the creek, which forms the boundary of the domain in which the camp is situated, is freely patronised. Colonel D C. W. Cosgrove, chief scout commissioner for the Dominion, arrived in Auckland yesterday, for the purpose of paying an official visit to the camp.

A sensational accident recently occurred at Ercildoune Estate, near Ballarat, during the progress of a stock sale. Among those in attendance at the auction were Mr. Samuel Barrett, a well-known district farmer, and his wife. They were driving over the estate in a buggy, and when passing a dam, the water in which is about 20 feet in depth, the horse took fright. Mr. Barrett, who is of advanced age, endeavoured to check the animal, but it bounded into the dam, dragging the buggy and occupants with it. Mr. Basil Cumming, a returned soldier, who saw the accident, fan to assist. Jumping into the dam, he pulled Mr. Barrett on to the bank, and he then rescued Mrs. Barrett. The horse kicked itself free from the shafts and swam ta the bank.

A telegraph linesman experiences many strange- things in the ordinary course of his work, and one of these hard-working and-useful artisans the other day had an adventure that he is not desirous of going through again (says the Marlborough "Express"'). He was engaged in mending the line at Shakespeare Bay, and was about to ascend the ladder to the top of the telegraph pole. A bull that was pasturing in the field objected to the obstruction of the landscape, and started to investigate. Our friend shinned up the ladder at electric speed and grasped the crossbars holding the insulators. Mr. Bull kept prodding away for over an hour at the ladder, now and again looking up with longing eyes at the dangling figure above. The linesman's predicament was noticed by an employee at the freezing works, and he rounded up the angry bovine with dogs, and the "telegraphician" made a safe "get-away," -with no other ill result than a shock to his nervous system.

Struck by a tramcar in Weiiesley street west about 5 p.m. yesterday, Hilda Caldwell, a little girl who lives with her parents in Nelson street, was knocked down and injured about the head and face. Removed to hospital, she was detained for treatment. Her progress is satisfactory.

A horse he was unharnessing yesterday kicked Alexander McKendry, aged 25, of 43, Alpha road, Parnell, an employee of Messrs J. J. Craig, Ltd., breaking* two bones in his left arm. He was taken to the Auckland hospital and treated for tho injuries.

"Gold for notes" is one of the oldest ruses adopted by the confidence man in tho pursuit of his nefarious profeseion. This type of individual usually selects as his "mark" a stranger in a strange land or a person g-oing to another country, and "very kindly" oilers to secure for him gold in exchange lor paper currency, but when the innocent hands over the notes the trickster disappears and fails to return with the equivalent in precious metal. This particular practice has been exposed so often in recent years that nowadays it is rarely attempted. Occasionally, however, some acquisitive person takes a chance, and with success. One such case was reported to the local department at Wellington on Thursday, the victim being a passenger per the lonic for England. Victimised for £50, he left by the mail steamer a sadder but wiser man.

In conversation with a medical man we learn (says tho "Mannwatu Times') that tlte case of a well-known Wangantti resident who died last week, and who had been unwell for many years past, is exciting considerable interest among the doctors. After his death it was discovered that in addition to tlte customary number of ribs remaining to the share of the ordinary man ever since tlte creation of Eve, the patient had an extra vortical rib inside the others on the riglit side. This had pressed upon certain muscles, and had caused his long illness and eventual death.

During the past few harvests the demand for new machinery has not been so pronounced as formerly, owing to the substantial increase in price (says the Wanganui "Herald"). Farmers naturally looked up* their old machines that had been practically relegated to the scrap-heap, and witli the application of a few spare parts these were made to «erve for a further period. However, oven patched-up machinery does'not last for ever, with the result that this season the demand for new machines has brightened up considerably. Although graingrowing i.s somewhat limited in the W'anganui district, except lower down the line, mowers and hay rakes have been bought freely of late.

With the prospects of the New Year looking the brightest, a fruit hawker, Michael Connolly, was very penitent when he appeared at the Police Court this morning in response to a charge of being drunk when in charge of his nomadic fruit shop. "Be lenient with mc, boss," he appealed. "This is the best time of the year for mc, and I promise not to come back here for at least two years, and if I fail to keep that promise you can do as you like with mc. The Magistrate, Mr. VV. R. McKean, rather shattered his hones by remarking that he had the power to act thus at present, as this was Michael's fourth appearance within a month. I'ndaunted, Michael continued to pledge himself to mend his ways, and to make himself conspicuous by his absence for at least a year, when the Senior Sergeant interjected that he "hadn't a possible," as he was due to answer a further summons next week. "You are n danger to the public with your vehicle," added Mr. McKean, but the apple distributor persevered. "The horse is that well broken in he can go without a driver," he retorted, while someone remarked "force of habit." The Bench summed up by giving Michael the opportunity of making the first contribution to the State tor the year 1021, and he was fined £5 in default 14 days. Appealing for time tc*"pnv. he was confronted with the poser that he still had a debit account with the police.

Whilst Mr. T. L. Elliott (of Birmingham), now in Wellington, found Germany in April last to be in a state of direst misery, and a large percentage of tne people existing on a starvation diet, he found Belgium "overflowing with milk and honey." Prices were reasonable tliero as tilings were, and the country appeared to be solidly prosperous. Denmark. Norway, and Sweden lie found well provided for as far as foodstuffs were concerned. Prices were certainly high, and raw materials in short supply, but it Would not take very long before those countries were back to normal.

Mr. J. W. Williams, marine engineer, who was a passenger by the Konowna, which reached Sydney "from Hongkong last week, stated, in an interview, that, owing to weakness and incapacity of the republican administration in China, pirates were displaying great activity and daring on the const and navigable rivers, with the result that shipping traffic had been in a very large measure paralysed. The country, on the whole, was in a very disturbed state, and in many districts neither property nor life was safe.

The New South Wales District Finance Officer (Colonel Fitzgerald, M.R.E.) recently supplied the following information in regard to claims for the war gratuity: IG.OII cash payments, £1,302,850 10/b ; 70,,H73 bond payments, £(I,]lß,Gß(> 11/', total. 02,884 claims representing £7,511,. 537 1/0. It is impossible at present to give any reliable estimate of the number of outstanding applications. In the course of his annual review on matters pertaining to fires and fire-pre-vention, the superintendent of the Wellington fire brigade (Mr. H. Tait) mentioned that he was glad to see that firms who used a good deal of benzine in the course of their business were seeing the advantage of underground storage. There were now some twenty of these concrete tanks in Wellington, and Mr. Tait's advice to all steady, everyday users of benzine is to consider the advisability of "sinking their risk safely in the ground." Mr. F. N. Uar-trarn, M.P., will lecture on 'Sunday evening at the Li'baur party's meeting in Fuller's Opera Hoiwe, his suhject being "Government Inspection of Ships, and Antique and Weird 'Contr'apt'ons.'" The musical programme will include songs from the operas "11 Trovatore" and "Roberto II Diavolo." The orchestra will play from 7 to 7.30 p.m. The swimming season is now on. A fine lot of new costumes just in at Fowlds', Victoria Arcade.—(Ad.) Our motto, "Quality furniture—everything for the home." Don't fail to pay a visit of inspection to our showrooms before leaving town.—Tonson Garlick Co., Ltd.—(Ad.) The best quality boot polish is the "Keep Smiling" brand, Bd. large tin, at J. Taylor's Boot Stores.—(Ad.) At Tonson Garlick's you may furnish throughout on the spot. "Quality furniture —everything for the home," "is their motto.— (Ad.) When are you going awair? Have you jgot reliable bags. Don't" be worried, [buy a good one at Fowlds'.—(Ad.)