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Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 307, 28 December 1922, Page 4

The Auckland Trotting Club's Summer Meeting was opened at Epsom yesterday with a very large attendance, which included the Prime Minister and a number of visitors from Australia and the South. The principal event, the Auckland Trotting Cup, provided an exciting race, the winner turning up in the Sydney-owned horse Minton Derby, while the classical event, the Great Northern Derby, was another exciting contest, the Wellingtonowned co'.t Acron scoring a head victory after a, meritorious performance. The new members.' stand was in use for the first time, and was greatly appreciated. Speculation was good, the sum of £73,14f>. 10/ paesing through the machines, which represents a decrease of £22!)4 on the corresponding day last ypar.

All the requirements for a free fight. Mere present on Lower Mawhera quay (states the Oreymouth "Star"). The opposing parties were heatedly discussing the industrial .situation in Xew Zealand, and reference to free labour included the delicate expression "Scab!" This was hotly resented by the members of one party, some of whom were "'free' , labourers on boats in port. One of them introduced a large knife into the argument, and serious results might have been the consequence had not Constable Mureh taken a hand in the argument. The wielder of the knife was quickly escorted to the "cooler," and things simmered down for a while. A fresh outburst seeemed imminent when two of the crowd came to blows. An unscientific rush ended in the combatants coming to earth. They were separated, and led away by their friends. The atmosphere of belligerency evidently was infectious, as two dogs immediately afterwards held a "mill," in which, however, there was more noise than damage.

An interesting sketch of the birth of the system of savings banks has been given by Mr. G. E. Emery, InspectorGeneral'of State Savings Bank of Victoria. About 130 years ago, he said, there were no savings ba-nks. Then an ambitious clergyman, believing that he could best, save souls if he first saved some bawbees, started the Sunday bank from- which the present savings bank system had sprung. Not long after, this particular parson delivered a sermon on free salvation. After the sermon he announced that a collection would "now be taicen," and that after the service he would receive the usual deposits for the. Sunday bank. At this juncture a member of the congregation, in whom thrift had been greatly stimulated .by the new Sunday bank- asked why should a collection have to be taken up if salvation was free, as the parson had suggested in his sermon. "■Well," replied the. clergyman, "the water from heaven is free. It fills your tank without charge. But if you have it laid on to your house you have to pay for it. In this case the salvation is laid on."

A lady's gold wristlet watch, that played an important part in the fcheft case in the Invercargill Magistrate's Court, provided an amusing interlude when the case was finished, states the

"Southland Times." Counsel for the defence had used it freely during his crossexamination of witnesses, and a final conference was held over the watch on the Bench. After the magistrate had vacated the Bench, counsel for the defence suddenly missed the watch and a hurried search failed to rpveal it. Visions of another case arose before those interested, and the magi-strate was hurriedly recalled from his room and asked about it. For a short period consternation reigned until the absentminded counsel for the defence 'dis,covered the watch tucked neatly in his own vest pocket.

Havelock residents report varied experienced in connection witli the recent hailstorm experienced there. In the centre of the town the damage was very slight, hut along Te Mata and lower Tp Mata districts whole orchards were stripped of leaves, while the fruit was smas-hed about in such a way as to render it worthless. In several instances orchardings, up till now buoyed up with the hope of record crops, have lost the whole of their season's harvest, md some are in sad straits, a*, they had just begun in the line and were awaiting their first return*.

By the Wanaka. which left Lyttelton nn A\ edne-sday was shipped riie t-pcon ; i consignment from one breeder nf Enpli-h Leicester rams. The shipment comprised 325 head of two-tooth"s from Mr. J. 0. Coop's Springvale flock. Little River, and was sent by the Xe-w Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company to Xapier and Gisborne for distribution in Hawke's Bay and up the coast.

A party of Xew Zealand minere left, this country for Russia about four months ago, states the "Grey Kiver Argus," and, it is believed, reached their destination saiely. They will work in the Siberian mines.

The RJM.s. Maunganui from San Francisco was expected at Wellington at 6 a.m. to-day, and the letters of her Auckland mail will be put aboard the mid-day express for the North, arriving here on Friday. The newspapers of the mail will come by a later train.

Miss G. Smith of Kauaeranga, Thames and Mr. Kelvin Cuff of Auckland, who were thrown from a motor car as it capsized on the YVaitakaruru-Ngatea Road on Sunday are reported to be out of immediate, danger and progressing as well a3 can be expected. Mr. Cuff sustained severe bruises and injury to the head, Miss Smith was leas severely hurt, though both were unconcious when picked up by the Thames Hospital Ambulance which had been phoned for as soon as possible. There is a good stretch of road where the accident occured and the cause can only be attributed to a blow-out. The car, a racing model Fiat two-seater, is badly damaged. The front of the body is smashed, ajid the.' radiator resembles a badly damaged concertina.

To realise that after all there may be some justification for the many profeste af the county councils against wool and benzine traffic being diverted from the State railways to the county roads, one has but to take a motor ride to Wellington (save tie "Manawatu Times.") A contractor eetimated that J5,000 bales of wool and 75,000 cases of benzine have been carried by road to Wellington this season, at a loss to the State railway revenue of £20,000, which sum was diverted to private enterprise. The more serious aspect of the matter, however, is that an extra burden of £80,000 for road maintenance and repairs was thus thrown upon at least three counties. Against this, the wool men are estimated to have saved £3750, and the crarage proprietors gained £1500 in freight and handling—a modest private gain of £5250, as a set-off against £100,000 of public loss. No man with business capacity can for one moment fail to fix the full responsibility for this grave financial blunder upon the Minister of Railways, who. having been provided with the best haulage track yet discovered (two steel rails), would rather "save"' £5000 in his own figures than prevent the loss of £100.000 in another direction. His want of imagination is worthy only of the satire of Dean Swift, for it is altogether beyond the comprehension of ordinary men.

As far as the Maoris at Tokomaru are concerned, the sale of liquor is prohihited and the question of "nationality" is consequently a matter of some moment where <-ourt proceedings are concerned. When a Maori youth was giving evidence before Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Palmerston North Police Court in a slygrog case, Senior-Sergeant Fraser wanted to know if the father of the witnese was a full-blooded Maori (says the "Time?" , .) "I don't know whether he was a half-caste or a quarter-caste . . . I was little at the time. I don't know whether he was a Chinaman, a Maori, or what he fas." (Laughter.)

The Railway Department draw attention in the advertising columns of this issue to a special advertisement in connection with train arrangements for the .New Year holiday;.