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Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 130, 2 June 1923, Page 6

A painful accident occurred during the week to a young man named Gordon Wallace, residing in Gore Street, Otahuhu. He was in the employ of Mr. T. Clements, builder, and whilst working at a circular saw had the misfortune to slip, with the result that one finger of the left hand was taken off and two others badly injured. He was conveyed to Dr. Martin Ross, who attended to his injuries. The young man is now making satisfactory progress.

Mrs. Constable, who has been assistant teacher at the Northcote side school for the past few years, and has been transferred to Eilerslie school, was the recipient of a presentation from her class at Northcote on the eve of her departure. Mrs. Constable is held in high esteem by the children and residents of Northcote.

An X-ray apparatus is being donated by the "Whakatane Returned Soldiers' Association to the new AVhakatane Hospital, which is now nearing completion. At the final meeting of the association this week tne meeting empowered Dr. Wadmore to proceed with the erection of the X-ray plant at once at a cost not to exceed £400.

The Northcote Borough Council has received specifications prepared by the waterworks engineer for an additional pump of the same type as those already installed, which he considered the Ji-ost satisfactory. If a turbine pump vere used, it would, the engineer pointed out, have to be placed at a much lower level than the present pumping station, and the alteration of tho building depended on what system of pump was adopted. Consideration of this proposal was deferred.

' Three lads, two of them aged 13 and tho other 14, were admonished by Mr. Poynton in the way that is peculiar to his Worship for having converted a lady's bicycle to their own use. He pointed out that they would not like anyone to borrow a bicycle belonging to them and take it away without authority. They should not do to others what they would not like to suffer themselves. Next time they offended in any way they would bo soundly thrashed by a policeman.

William Nott Gooday, an old man nearly eighty years of" age, who formerly practised as a solicitor, was acquitted at Wellington on Thursday on a serious charge in connection with a little girl at Petone. The case recently came before the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), and the jury disagreed, so his Honor ordered a new trial. Mr Justice Chapman was on the bench on Thursday. The court was cleared while evidence was heard. After an hour's retirement the jury brought in a verdict of not guilty, and the accused was discharged.

Referring to the bequest of £1000 made by the late Sir William Herries to Te Aroha Borough for beautifying and town improving purposes, Mr. Hedse suggested at a meeting of the Borough Council that, if approved by the Public Trustee, about half of the amount should be used for the erection of a ladies' rest room in the main portion of the town. A portion of the money should also be granted to the Beautifying Society to enable it to proceed with its scheme of beautifying the town. It was decided to write the trustee inquiring if the provisions of the will allowed for an amount being spent on a rest room.

The usually placid life of a Chinaman was rudely disturbed at Seatoun, Wellington, the other afternoon. He was meandering along the main road with an unusually big load of vegetables, musing on distant days, when the sudden impact of a tramcar sent everything sky high. Carrots and cauliflower, potatoes and pumpkins, rained like a miniature barrage, while the horse and cart turned a complete somersault, the horse being held down on its back by the shafts. Chinese oaths fell unnoticed on foreign ears, while "John," unmindful of tlie discomfiture of his steed and the amused passersby, calmly collected the scattered harvest. After the last potato had been retrieved ho attended to the horse, which had an impromptu rest for quite ten minutes.

An unusual case came before Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon. Constance Gault (Mr. Sel. Clarke) applied for an order for separation, maintenance, and also the guardianship of a child from Roliert V. Gault (Mr. Sullivan). Complainant in her evidence said that she was a waitress. The child was two and a half years of age. Complainant was separated from defendant, until three weeks prior to last Christmas, when they again lived together, but her husband left her aboilt New Year's Day. Frequently he molested her at the hotel where she was employed. Under cross-examination byMr. Sullivan tbe witness admitted that in company with other women she paid several visits to ships in port, but stated that the evenings spent on the vessels took the form of musical evenings. She admitted having "had a fewbeers." but said she was never intoxicated. Tiio defendant in bis evidence denied that lie consented to his wife visiting officers on board ships; in fact, he said tbat on one occasion be went down to the steamer Kauri and brought his wife home. He also denied having molested his wife at the hotel. The application was not opposed, defendant contesting the case as he considered that his wife was not fitted to have custody of the child. Mr. Clarke submitted that the evidence of complainant had not been contradicted by the husband. After considerable evidence bad been heard an order was made by the magistrate granting separation, custody of the child, and maintenance at the rate of £1 per week.

It is just a year ago to-night since the heaviest rainfall on record tooK place at Rotorua, when 6.12 inciies of rain fell in a few hours. The geysers became very active as a result, and the downpour was described at a cloudburst. So heavy did the rain sound on the iron roofs that many thought they would not stand the strain. It seemed as though the bottom had dropped out of the heavens. At the annual meeting of the Christchurch Licensing Committee the chairman said the police report was that, with a few exceptions, hotels in the Christchurch district had been well conducted. During the year the police had found that, generally speaking;, licensed premises were clean and that improvements suggested by the Health Department and the police had been carried out. There were several cheap second-hand I motor cars sold by auction by Mr. T. jB. Arthur at 154-150, Albert Street, i yesterday. One pound was the first ] bid lor a Marathon car, and 10/ bids brought the figure up to £19, at which figure the car was sold. A five-seater Ford fetched £60, a Delage £85, a Dodge £125, a Maxwell £121 10/, and a fiveseater Oakland £IG7 10/. Some reserves were too high for the bidders and sales were not effected. In most cases the cars had seen a good deal of service, but several bargains were obtained. In view of the fact that a shed at Hnlswcll quarries was broken into a few nights ago and a quantity of gelignite stolen, Inspector Cassels warns owners of safes in Christchurch and thereabouts to take precautions. He advises them to bank their cash instead of leaving it in safes. Members of the police force on night duty have been warned to be particularly watchful. Speaking at Dunedin on the occasion of a. gathering in bis honour, Mr. T. K. Sidey, M.P., remarked:—The executive of the present Government had a pet name for him. They called him "The Tiger." (Laughter.) That might seem a strange name for him, as they might consider him a harmless individual. But, as a matter of fact, he believed it w-as because so many of his criticisms got home on the other side. (Applause.) By a strange coincidence, his sister, when looking through an old book of heraldry, had found a Sidey crest. (Laughter.) The crest was a tiger sitting up on its hind legs holding a Union Jack. (Loud laughter.) Rather serious-allegations were made in the Wellington Police Court on Thursday by three boys charged with breaking and entering. The boys were escapees from Weraroa Training Farm, and they were asked why they ran ! away. * One of them replied that the I food' was awful. Detective-Sergeant Quirke suggested that the Bench should j not take the statement too seriously; j the boys in Weraroa, he said, were very I well treated. "They would say any- j thing in justification of their liberty," j he remarked. Mr. A. J. Graham, J.P., presiding justice. said he thought I there was something more in it. He i questioned the youths further, remark- ' ing: "It would seem that an inquiry into the conditions at the Weraroa Farm would be a desirable measure." A Taranaki farmer related to a Wanganui friend an interesting transaction lie had with his bankers recently (relates an exchange). He desired to transfer his account, which was a substantial one, from one bank to a similar branch in a neighbouring town. He duly presented his cheque for the amount, and fairly took the breath of the banker away. The latter naturally asked a few | questions, and when he learned it was only a matter of transfer, he most obligingly offered to attend to the detail. ■'What will it amount to?" asked the farmer. "Between £9 and £10, the usual rate of exchange," said the banker. "But I I have my motor and can reach the : other town in less than half an hour, and am not afraid of being robbed," replied the farmer. The banker than had toi admit that he did not have such a lame | sum on the premises. Tlie farmer, who ' had served his apprenticeship in a bank, j knew a good deal about the internal workings, and asked for the bank's own cheque, free of exchange. Reluctantly, tho banker lest the commission and handed over the cheque. A sensational experience was that of a couple of men employed at Warren and Feeney"s sawmill at Blue Spur, near 1 Hokitika, last Saturday morning (re- I lates the '•Guardian'"). They were j engaged with a couple of horses" in con- j voting a ;teel rope, 20 chains in \ length, up the hill to the bush winch, ' the horses dragging the rope with chains, when lightning struck the steel rope. At the time one of the men was ! releasing the rope from an obstacle on j the track, and he was thrown into the ' scrub in a dazed state, while a second flash then struck the rope, causing the horses to bolt screaming up the Track. They were not stopped till they reached the bush, where, as soon as a'bushman released them from the chains, they again took to their heels and disappeared into the scrub The accident occurred at 0 a.m. and the mill manage- ' ment decided to cease work for the rest : of the day. For many years past it has been the ' custom for many of those with sections abutting on to land controlled by the Harbour Board in the many bnvs of the : harbour to take as much earth as they wanted when the tide was out to fill up their own sections nnd do a good deal of reclamation work to places where the tides had made big inroads into their properties without asking permission to take the material, which. before it was washed away might have been their own. but which' now" belongs to the Harbour Board. There have been cases, too, where even a little extra area had been taken in so as to square joff a section and add to its value. Now, however, the board officials arc more keen to notice such breaches of the law nnd have even jronc the length of carpeting some of the offenders in different districts, it being an offence to take mud or earth from the many bays of the harbour without first oettin" | permission to do so. To put up a fence outside the boundary of an owner's own property nnd then fill it up is also a matter of serious consideration, and rent could be charged by the local authority for such addition. In the past much mud has been taken to fill up private property, but it would seem that tn some e\-|e n t the system will be =fopne(l excent with reir.ird to very small quantities. It is well known | that tbe tides make deer, inroads info I private property on lands near the I harbour's edge, nnd mauv owners think j that they are only taking hick what j they lost when thpv on out ;„ rmpts I and eerrv in mud to fill up -he boles which have been m-ido nnd which if not I attended to incrense in =i?e. , "To see n fantflil ondenvourin;. to eat ] a daddy-longlcsTs is a curious thiris.,"* j remarked Mr. J. C. Anderson, lecturing lon New Zealand Wrd« at the V.M.C.A. .in Wellington. "The lon<rle<r« han_r out lon each side Pke feelers." said the speaker, "nnd until the insect is swallowed the fantail goes through all sorts !of grotesque contortions."

I The parents of two boys were ordered ; to pay 25/ for damage done to 10 windows in a mission hall in Virginia Avenue. *The boys had pelted stones at ' the building. The vision of a powerful ' policeman with a birch was brought : vividly before the eyes of these boys ' also. ' j "Allow mc to introduce this creditor ! to you, Mr. Assignee, he has not had to 1 attend a meeting of creditors for over •40 years," stated a gentleman at the j initial meeting in the bankrupt estate !of George Morris, the missing builder. "Well, he is a lucky man," replied Mr. 7W. S.Fisher. "But he has let himself ,! in on a nice case this time," he added. ! That the gangway is the safest means of leaving the ferry steamer has been i illustrated in a forcible, but luckily not I a serious, manner on several occasions i during the past month. Twice during ! the present week passengers have falleu ! into the water while attempting to jump ' ' from the ferry to the Bayswater wharf. •l In both cases the victims escaped without : injury. One man managed to regain the • ferry, but the other had to swim to the wharf stops. Although willing and anxious to do his best, a veiling constable picked up a case :in Queen Street that proved too much— or, rather, too little—for him, and' eventually a good-natured woman did the job for him. A nice little mite of two was obviously lost, and her screams "live the impression that she wished the i world to realise the fact, too. When tlie I policeman came on the scene he tried to ! console the lost one, but she treated his ; blandishments with loud scorn. Just ' i when things looked helpless, a good- • nature! woman took compassion on strayed childhood and perplexed police fori-i- picked up the kiddle, and the three of them took tramcar for the police ! station, where the infant was afterwards ! claimed by its worried mother. | Some member,, of the New Zealand i Labour party are anxious to wear something in the nature of a charm or amulet I whijii will at once proclaim to the gen- ' eral public to what school of politics : they incline, and at the present time proposals are under consideration with i reepect to a suitable badge for the party. I Mr. A. Stewart, general secretary of the ! Victorian Central Executive of the AusItralian Labour party, has written to ::Ne-,v Zealand stating that he thinks the 'Australian Labour Party Executive will I consent to the New Zealand party having a similar badge to the Australian, with a map of New Zealand substituted for jt'hat of Australia. The proposal is to ibe discussed further by the national j officers of the N.Z.L.P., including full ! details of the colour, design, etc., of the | badge. i A curious story was told by Bishop | Gilbert White in the course of an address i at the Church of England Missionary Ex- | hibition in Wellington. In giving an j account of the pearl fishers of Torres I fetrait, he mentioned that one native | diver, who had been under the water for I the usual two and a half minutes, came jto the surface with the marks of a i shark's teeth on his neck. He was taken |to hospital, where he received medical ! attention. Bishop White asked the man what had happened, and he replied that he had been attacked by a large shark, which seized his head. The injured man added that when he found his head in the shark's mouth he punched the brute in the throat, which caused the fish to cough and release his head. The natives say that if the shark is struck in the throat it must open its mouth to cough. An interesting anniversary in connection with West Coast gold mining | was celebrated last week (states an ex--1 change.) On May 18, 1867, the word was sent through New Zealand that a | rich And of gold had been discovered on • the flats on the West Coast, about eight : miles on the south side of Westport. The party of men who found the first I gold numbered three or four, and the I principal one was a digger by the name lof Addison. When the find was made ! known miners from the Hokitika, Grey, j Otago, Nelson, and Australian gold- ! fields flocked along in hundreds. With- - I'. in a few weeks there was a population in Addison's of about 6000, and for weeks the whole of the flat from Bald Hill on the north to the Giant's Grave on the south was nothing but a city of canvas tents. Two small earthquakes, of local origin, occurred in Wellington on Monday evening, reports the "Post," and were re- | corded on the new Milne-Shaw seismo- ; graph at the Kelburn Observatory. The 1 first occurred at 6.13 p.m., and tlie second lat 6.31. They were both of about the ! same strength, but only the first has been reported as having been felt by observers. The record of the first shock : shows a slight tilt of the earth's surface ■ towards the north; that of the second ! shows no tilt. Dr. C. E. Adams, the Government Seismologist, states that the old Milne seismograph, which is much less sensitive than the new one. shows a displacement that is just visible. lie states that, as occasionally happens, the Eastern Extension Cable 'Company's receiving instrument recorded one of the ! shocks as the result of the disturbance ,of the syphon recorder. This betrayal i of v nn earthquake only happens if at the ! time-.of the shock the instrument is running for the receipt of a message but no . message is actually being recorded. ! A suggestion that children attending 1 educational pictures should be given : fire drill in case of the remote possibility of fire in a theatre, was made to the Taranaki Education Board by the Education Department (states' the "Taranaki Daily News"). The circular will be referred to headmasters of schools which attend the pictures in a body. Mr. P. J. H. White also stressed the importance of children being- (riven instruction in the rules of traffic, ! travelling in tramcars, and the necessity j to keep clear of dangerous electric wires The attention of teachers will be drawn' j to these points. 1 Christchurch (states an exchange) is! registering the various eating-houses i and charging fees of £3 for a house ac- i conimodating 25 persons or l e s« and ' various other amounts up to flO 'where I O'er 100 persons can be accommodated i Ilt S lth tcP n ,S in response to the Publsc Ilea th Department. and Auckland. ! Wellington, and Dunedin are to be asked to follow suit. ; A remarkable, though unremarked feature of the past season's growth in the Manawatu is the entire absence of i the mushroom (remarks the Mm-i----watu Daily Times"). So far as is known not a single specimen has bee,, seen in I this district. The cause is unknown, and it is possibly the only season for 50 years that they have not been plentiful Las, year one farmer said that those grown around his homstead paddock otter nc-es would easily fill a 000-gallon tank in a single night. While walking along the beach near i the fishermen's huts at Lyall Bay. Wel--ington. on Thursday, a 'man observed a woman in the se.i, a little distance from the shore. She was immediately j brought ashore and conveyed to the Wellington Hospital.-where she gave' the name of Alice Anderson. She :* raported to be progressing favourably.