IRELAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 90, 17 April 1922, Page 4

IRELAND.

The provisional Government in Ireland has now a fully legalised status, but up to the time of writing this docs not seem to have produced any change in the situation. The Republicans, who appear to be divided into two groups— do Valera's followers and a still more militant wing—are openly defying the Provisional Government, and Mesers. Collins and Griffith make no sign. The, other day a raid lasting several hours was made on the Dublin Customs House. The authorities must have known of this long before the work of destruction was completed, but they made no movo to deal with the raiders. Now the extremists have seized the Law Courts and other public buildings in Dublin. It would teem as if the Government must do something soon if it is to command respect, but it is possible that its inaction proceeds from policy and sot from weakness. Irish public opinion is very touchy, and the Government aay feel tha-t any counter move against the Republicans at the present time •would be interpreted as action taken at the bidding of England. Ho information is available as to the strengths of the rival armed forces, but all the signs point to opinion in Ireland being overwhelmingly in favour of the treaty. Knowing this, the Government may be deliberately withholding its hand co that opinion may rest in this conclusion, and the rebel movement hang itself in the noose of its own extravagance. It is a dangerous game to play, and one requiring great nerve, but it may prove 1 to be the wisest policy. The elections ' are near, and the Government is waiting i for them. Unfortunately the question ' may arise whether, with the Republi-1 cans appealing to force and openly try-' ing to suppress freedom of opinion, the I election will be free. , I

A decided improvement in the weather > conditions in, the city and suburbs wae • observed over the week-end, and this ! morning the barometer was remaining i comparatively steady at 30.30 in. The i wind wae from the north-eaet, and the > sky was overcast, with the atmosphere i pleasant. The Auckland Racing Club's autumn i meeting was opened at Ellerslie on Satl urday last, when despite the cold ( 'bleak weather there was a very large attendance, which included the Gov-ernor-General, Lord Jelßcoe, and Lady JelMcoe. The racing was interesting, ; the Gieborne sportsman, Mr. A. B. Wil- . liams, providing both first and second in the Eaeter Handicap, with Grotesque 1 and Gasbag, while he also won the ■ Great Northern Champagne stakes with , Rapine, in which Epitaph, another of his . horses, ran third. The Great Northern Oaks resulted in a surprise win for Bonny Doreen, which although trained 1 at Ellcrelie, carried the colours of the i Gishorne owner, Mr. Haynard. The , totalisator investments showed a big falling off, the decrease on the opening ' day laet year being £26,820 10/. With the advent of the football season comes that light-fingered gentleman ! who has a penchant for searching the pockets of discarded clothing while the owners are out on the playing field. Last Good Friday during a practice match on Richmond Park, a footballer left £2 in his clothing, and on his return from the game he found that the money had disappeared. Another player also lost a leather belt. In view of these losses players are well advised to take a3 little out as possible to the matches, and to leave such valuables that they may have on them with some trustworthy person during their absence on the field. The Hon. G. J. Anderson [Ministen Jof Marine) informed a '"N-Z. Timea"' re-1 j presentative that it is> intended to send ' lan engineer to the Three Kings at the first opportunity to report on the question of the best locality for establishing a lighthouse there. It is also intended to go into the question of putting a more satisfactory light at the Nelson end of the French Pass. .In the old building now being demolished at the corner of Shortland Street and Princes Street one can see how solidly people used to build when Auckland was in its infancy. And although it was one of the earliest buildings put up, it was built of such excellent heart of kauri that some of the timber is still as sound as a bell. Compared with the rickety looking skeletons which are now tlie fashion — the very minimum of strength consistent with holding together—this relic of. early Auckland is solidity itself. Ihe studs are six by four inches, and instead of one lonely brace from corner to corner each space of about six feet is crossbraced with extra bits in hefe and there I just to make certain. Each corner etud is a six by six and extends in one piece from the ground to the top of the second storey. The joists are* in keeping, and some of the beams are over a foot thick. Most interesting of all was the method of covering the walls. , Instead of the usual weatherboarding upricrht boards of exceptional width, and thickness were used Each board was a solid bit of kauri about three feet wide by about an inch and a-huli thick, tongued and grooved, and a batten over the joint to make it watertight. To build a place on such a generous scale to-day would cost a small fortuneHigh wages (cays the "Southland News") are occasionally earned by men employed at contracting work in the mines of the Nightcaps district, as shown by the fact that a man and his eon for eleven days' work recently received n° less than £80, and during the past twelve months had averaged £6 a day. Another miner a week ago drew a cheque for £50, representing two weeks' employment. Some might be inclined to doubt the accuracy of these figures, but they were to-day supplied to a representative of tho "News" by one who is in a position to speak with authority. These are, of course, exceptional cases. A suggestion that the Government should assist returned soldiers to undertake the marketing of the vegetables and fruit produced by white market gardeners in the Hutt Valley was placed' before the Prime Minister and the Minister of Repatriation on Thursday. Sympathetic consideration of the scheme was promised. Mr. W. J. Pascoe said that tho white market gardeners in the Hutt Valley were willing to enter into an arrangement with some of the partially dieaWcd men for the distribution of vegetables and fruit. The gardeners found that when they sent their products to the auction market, the Chinese had almost a monopoly of the buying, and the practice was for one Chinaman to buy for all the others, thus preventing competition and keeping down the iprices. If the Government assisted through the Repatriation Department to provide the returned men with a store and delivery carts, a profitable and useful business might be developed. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie said that he thought the suggestion was well worth consideration. The annual meeting of the "Flying Angel Mission to Seamen" was held last week. The following ladies were elected: President, Miss M. Herrold; vice-presidents, Mesdames Ferguson, ■ Milsom, Hardie-Neil. Hodgson and Miss Bent; secretary, Miss A. Snelling; : treasurer, Mrs. Preston Chambers. Sympathy with Mrs. King Davis was extended in the loes of her husband and son. The main object of the meeting -was to arrange for the "Fringes of the Fleet" to be held for three days during June in the Town Hall. An exclusive riglvt to fish in Lake Roto Aira has been granted by Order-in-Council to Maoris. The regulation provides that it shall be lawful for any Native of the Ngatituwnaretoa tribe to take trout or other fish from Lake Roto Aira without taking out a license or i payment of any fee. Any Native of the , tribe may authorise in writing any other Native ip take trout from such lake, but no such authority shall in any case be granted to a European. No trout taken from such lake shall be bought or sold or exposed for 6ale. No person, except as provided in the regulations, shall be entitled to fish in the lake, notwithstanding that he may be the holder of a . license to fish in any acclimatisation district or of a license to fish in the Rotorua acclimatisation district only. A rather alarming experience was the ' lot of a little girl in Waimate on Sunday morning (says the "Advertiser"). She was eating one of the seasonable confections known as "Easter eggs," when she suddenly was unable to swallow, and i felt something sharp sticking in her .throat. The child's parents were unable ;to dislodsre the obstruction, and a visit was hurriedly paid to a medical man, .[■who discovered that the cause of the- ■ trouble was a short piece of very fine wire, which had by some means or .anotner found its way into the chocolate "«fig."