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Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 95, 22 April 1921, Page 4

The Weather Bureau forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day, is as follows: The indications are for southerly winds, moderate to strong, and veering by south to west. There is a prospect of fair to cloudy weatheT, and the night will probably be very cold. Barometer unsteady, but falling shortly. Seas moderate; tides good.

At a meeting of the Whakatane Har- ' hour Board the failure of the loan poll for £20,000 was discussed. It was de- j cided to take a new poll on two issues —£7000 for clearing up liabilities and finishing reclamation work, and £3000----for survey work. The poll will probably be taken early in June. The wharfage and berthage charges for last month were rep6rted to be a record for the port, and almost double those of the previous month. A notice relating to the proposed borough of Avondale appears in the "Gazette." All persons affected arc called upon to lodge any written objections to or petitions aginst the propose.) constitution within one month from the , first application of this notice Such objections or petitions are to b.j forwarded to the Minister of Internal Affairs. The Railway Department, in answer to the Avondale Board's request for additional trains on the Kaipara suburban line, replied that the amount of traffic offering did not warrant an increase in the number of trains at present. Careful investigation by officers of the Department showed that quite frequently the carriages were by no means full. Furthermore, the financial stringency of the times precluded any additional expenses 'being incurred. The matter was discussed at last night's meeting of the Road Board. Members of the Board deemed the reply very unsatisfactory, and a further endeavour is to be made to secure additional trains. The Governor-General has approved of the celebration of St. George's Day this year on April 25, instead of April 23.

The Boundaries Commission will sit at Cambridge next week in connection with the proposed formation of a new county. At a special meeting held on Tuesdayit was formally moved by Mr. W. J. Andrews: "That in the opinion of this meeting of Cambridge Road Board ratepayers it is advisable to accept the proposal to merge into the proposed new county." This was seconded by Mr. Watkins and carried. An article in the "Word's Work" (London) oil New Zealand, by Mr. Maurice Hurst, gives a very striking account of the Dominion's productivity, many other journals are quoting it appreciatively, and, while noting that the United Kingdom at present gets 90 per cent of the Dominion's foodstuffs, attention ie called to the possibilities of the Canal and the new markets for New Zealand it opens up on the Atlantic sea board or States. The Canadian-American author, Mr. Raymond Fayette Stover, of New York City, is at present in Dunedin. He told a "Star" reporter that a difficulty which beset him on arrival was to find a name for the story of which he is in search, but since landing and viewing the pristine freshness of everything in this country he concluded that "Dawning" was the inevitable word for that grandeur New Zealand had at her door. The American visitor expressed himself as impressed with the advanced business methods of the Dominion.

A well-known Arm of buLter exporters has received advice from London (says the "New Zealand Times") that all the Government stocks of cheese have been cleared up, and also free shipments up to the Somerset have been practically all disposed of. This is regarded as a very satisfactory position. The Somerset left here lute in February, so that there is not a very great deal of cheese afloat to be sold, and the indications are for continued steady, buoyant market conditions.

Dr. C. J. Reukes (Director of Agriculture), who has been making inquiries as to the prospects of the butter output during the past few months, considers that while there will be sufficient for local requirements, no surplus is likely to be available for export. A large quantity of the butter bousrht by the Imperial (Invernmcnt under the contract prior to March 31 is still in New Zealand, but a substantial part of it has been allotted space in steamers due to loud in -the near future. The Imperial Oovernment, as already announced, is willing to sell this butter at less than was paid for it. a'td has asked the Imperial Sttnplie-s 1)< p-rtmi-nt to seek an outlet for it in North America or the East. The department has made some inquiries, but no sales have been effected.

A deputation from the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce waited on Mr. X. Dyson. resident engineer of the Public Works Department, to ascertain the position in regard to the railway bridge across the harbour, and other railwuv works in the district. It had lieen rumoured that hands were to be reduced. The chamber feared that this might retard work on the bridge. It was also anxious to know whether a decision hod been reached regarding the locat'on of the wharf at Tauranga. Mr. Dyson said he could not say anything regarding the rumours in circulation its to reducing hands. The work on the hridae and in the .workshops at the Monnt was proceeding us actively as ever. The department was prepared to build the wharf wherever it =uited the people of Tauranga best.

In the course of a special article in "The Board of Trade Journal." Mr. R. W. Dalton, H.M. Trade Commissioner, states: "The present economic situation |in New Zealand is not without disquieting features. During and since the | war the Dominion has enjoyed an unprecedented prosperity, a prosperity which , was so long maintained that it has almost come to be believed in many quarters that its duration might be unlimited. This prosperity has resulted in a good deal of extravagance and disregard of hard economic facts by the great body of producers and the general j public, and it is only within the last few months that there has been any disposition to. believe that prosperity might be followed 'by adversity. Subsequently undue optimism has been replaced in many quarters by equally unreasonable pessimism, and at the present time the general feeling in the Dominion is one of lack of confidence in j the future. The factors which have ! brought about the present attitude are l*varied, but the main cause for the present anxiety is the restriction of I financial accommodation."

The strictures being made by Judges, clerics and laymen of all creeds on public morals in respect of marriage has evoked from General Bramwell Booth a strong statement in which he says: "One of the churches is worrying over mixed marriages, when the cure, we believe, is not to part husband and wife with dogma. Another church is resisting a campaign against women preachers." The present riot of divorce, he adds, looks to him like a Hood tide of passion sweeping over the land- The poor have no drug sots and drunkards such as the rich harbour. The Church has not the courage to stand up io them.

On the last voyage of the Marama from Wellington to Sun Francisco a fire broke out on March 17 in the fanroom of the engineroom department. A large volume of smoke occasioned alarm

' among the passengers, but the ship's hose extinguished all traces of the fire jin 15 minutes. The only damage was to two fans, which were put out of action. The cause is attributed to coal dust be- - coming ignited and setting fire to the oil round the fans. AU the maize crops in the Ruatoki district have been destroyed by frosts. A frcater part s of the crops was owned y the natives,.but a few Europeans arc. • also heavy losers. Some gTowers had sown areas of from 20 to 75 acres, and in most instances they will not harvest the seed that was sown. The earlier crops have done well, but on the whole a large shortage is certain. You heard your wife say that you had consumed two bottles of whisky one after the other?'* said counsel to a wit- . ness at the Magistrate's Court, Welling- | ton. "1 was drinking out of a whisky bottle," admitted witness. "I take two bottles of water to my bedroom evey night, of my life, and drink them during the night." Madame Strathearn, A.R.A.M., is paying a farewell visit to Auckland and will sing at a Gospel Song Service in the Baptist Tabernacle this evening. She will also render items at the OM Folks' Sen-ice at the Tabernacle on Saturday afternoon, and the people, will be bronMit to the meeting in motor cars and will be taken to their homes afterwards. * request for the use of more cars appears in another column. Special purchase 100 English dinner Bets, 32 pieces, good design and quality. Wonderful value, £4 10/ per set. Eariy inspection advised. —Smith and Caughey, Ltd.—(Ad.)