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Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 111, 12 May 1924, Page 4

>r " , . ''This man lias a fancied grievance, which he wants to place before tlfe ft ' Governon-General," said Senior-Sergeant y Rawle in the Police Court this morula ing, when a prisoner was charged with , being an idle and disorderly person. The man had heen arrested when wanle ering about in Government House Id grounds. He said he was going to tell f Admiral Jellicoe about a grievance in connection with treatment at Rotoroa 1_ Wand. Failing that, he would tell one it of the admirals aboard the warships in jl the harbour. The man was remanded . -for a week, the senior sergeant making a pointed reference to a medical examination. . _

In the Waitemata this week are the two largest ships of their class in the world. H.M.s. Hood, 41,000 tons, is the heaviest battleship tbe world has ever known, and is also by far the largest ship of any kind to enter New Zealand waters. And the Scales barque Rewa, 2990 tons, is the largest sailing ship in the word. Since August 31, 1922, the Rewa has been lying at moorings in the upper harbour, and would appear to be a rather unfortunate survivor of the lays of big "wind-jammers." At a meeting of the Devonport War Memorial Committee final reports in connection with the memorial were submitted md approved. It was shown that the ivhole cost of unveiling, including programmes, seating accommodation and jiecting the dais, etc., was less than £20, ivhich was considered most satisfactory. The financial statement showed that there ivas still a small sum required to square iccounts, but that the contractors for the Lease of the memorial bad decided to give i rebate. The Mayor of Devonport, who presided at the meeting, congratulated Mr. R. S. Spinley, the marshal at the unveiling ceremony, for the excellent trrangements he had made, and Mr. J. Kew Harty was commended for the way lie had, as treasurer of the fund for the sxecution of the memorial, invested the Funds from time to time, no less a sum than £150 being gained in interest. The total amount raised was a little more than £1000. Finally it was decided to liold a function this week, when the Formal handing over of the memorial to the custody of the Borough Council will take place, arrangements to be made by the chairman. A call to a six-roomed house in Day Street at 1.41 p.m. yesterday, was inswered by the City Fire Brigade. One .f the rooms of tiie house was gutted before the outbreak was extinguished. The building was owned by Mr. Alex. Bell, of Remuera, and occupied by Miss E. McCracken. The number of bakruptcies as a gauge whereby the prosperity of a community can be measured can 'be accepted only subject to strict reservations (says a Christchurch paper). There seems to be little doubt that to-day the Dominion is more prosperous than it was, say, twelve months ago, and certainly is more prosperous than it was in 1921. But the bankruptcy figures for the Canterbury district, instead of pointing to that fact, would rather indicate the contrary, or at all events lead to the conclusion that there has been no improvement. Against the 20 bankruptcies up to May 7 of this year, there were, up to May 20 of last year, 23. There was an average spread over the whole of last year ol 3.83 bankruptcies per month. So far this year the figures show an average of a little over four per month. January was a good month, witfi only one bankruptcy, but since then there have been five each month. Speaking in reply to the comments which had been made in Devonport with Tegard to the Borough Council at its last meeting deciding to change the name of Grey Street to May Street, the Mayor (Mr. T. Lamont) said that the council had by a majority decided on the change in deference to a petition presented to it by residents in the street and others. As was known, he had strenuously opposed the change of name, because* he thought street names, once given, should only be changed for very grave reasons indeed. The street had been named after Sir George Grey, a former Governor, very many years ago. Sir George was a great Empire builder, and it was not fitting, in his opinion, that a name of a street called after such a person should be changed to give it to honour someone else, never mind how worthy that citizen should be. He 'had, with other councillors, entered hie protest at tlie change,- but it was a law of democracies that the majority must rule, and in this case a majority of the council had favoured the change. Perhaps there was not a parallel case which he could point to, because Sir George was such an outstanding character ir the history of the Dominion and it was no ordinary change which had beer made. The Post Office people should object, for there must be finality in the naming of streets. "I am afraid that your Honor doei not appreciate my point," said counse during a criminal case in the Supremi Court, Wellington. "I am afraid that _ do not, and what is more, that I nevei shall," replied Sir Frederick Chapman amidst laughter. "Will your Honor beai j with mc for one moment?" asked counsel 'For as long as you like," smilingly re ioined the judge. Counsel then proceedet vith his statement, but his Honor rule* :he evidence irrelevant. In his report to the Lyttelton Harboui Board the chairman, Mr. F. Horrell irged that they should import only good >f British manufacture. "You advocate that, and yet here we arc using pencil >f American manufacture," exclaimed Dr F_. T. J. Thacker, at the same time throw ing a pencil on to the Press table so tha the reporters could obtain a good view o it. A defendant at the Dargaville Cour said that a man had put a "king hit" oi to him. His Worship asked what tha was, and Sergeant Griffiths chipped ii with the explanation "A U'* a man go for not minding his own business." i returned soldier defines a "king hit" a "a blow deliberately given without pro vocation," and it appears to correspone to the revolver shots fired at random ii Mexican saloons by local "bullies," wh in this manner impress the crowd am intimidate the public. In hotel bars am other places quite harmless and molten give men have b-fen suddenly struck t the ground and even sadly injured out o sheer brutality. The "king hit" grow out of the effect of bad drink on violent characters. Some "secret iilstory" of the recent band contest held in Christchurch was unfolded at the annual meeting of the Greymouth Muncipal Band by the conductor (Mr. A. McMasters), who declared that the Grey players were the real winners of the quartet number; other competitors obtained the award owing to a mix-up in tha order of rotation. The conductor said the facts in his possession were given to him in confidence by the judge, and though all possible was done to have the decision reversed, the band had to come home deprived of the honour, but satisfied thai it had merited the win. An inquest into the circumstances surrounding tbe death of Mrs. Doris .St. John (26), a native of Suva, who was found dead in her home at Narrow Neck on Friday last, was held by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., on Saturday. The medical evidence was that death was due to heart disease, and the coroner found accordingly. The body of a man, which was subsequently identified as that of John Dew: aged "about 52, who has been missi from his home in Station Road, Aye dale, since Tuesday last, was discover floating in the water in the vicinity the Motuibi wharf yesterday mornii The caretaker of the" island, who fou the body, notified the waterfront poii who removed it to the hospital morgi An • inquest was held before Mr. F. Hunt, S.M., this morning, and after c dence of identification had been take At was adjourned.