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Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 252, 23 October 1924, Page 4

The municipal barometer changed suddenly from "light breezes" to "stormy" at last night's special meeting of the Devonport Borough Council, when there was being discussed a proposition by the Mayor to permanently form Victoria Road by day labour. Mr. Lamont was urging the council to expedite the work, and give the borough engineer authority to proceed at once, as they now 'had metal stocks available. This was objected to by a majority of the council who were in favour of calling for tenders. The Mayor proceeded to further explain his proposition when an objecting councillor interrupted with heat and emphasis that the Mayor "was not going to force any day labour job on this council," and he moved that the motion be now put. This discourtesy to the chair was resented by Mr. Hislop, who deprecated such an unseemly attitude. The intervention was countered by the angry member with a suggestion of immediate nasal injury being probably sustained by Mr. Hislop. and the situation ibecame somewhat involved, tbe pacifists on the council endeavouring to restore order. The barometer quieklv rose again under these calming inlluences, and when the Mayor's motion was ultimately defeated, there was every appearance of returning fine weather.

The Auckland Prohibition Council, in ■a series of resolutions, enters an emphatic protest against "the outrageous report" presented by the Parliamentary Licensing Committee. It requests publication of the names of the members of the committee who voted iv favour of the report as presented, and calls attention to the facts in relation to "this astonishing document." Tbe report, it is stated, absolutely disregards the Wgent and reasonable request of the Ne,v Zealand Alliance for a two-issue ballot-paper, and is wholly concerned with safeguarding the continuance of the Uquc* traffic, giving it more security pf tenure, providing increased facilities for drinking, and in every way assisting the trade to. establish, itself more firmly against threatened abolition..

A shipment ia being made* by the Rotorua for London, of nearly 1,000,000 New Zealand "Vggs, mainly from South Island poultry farmers. It ia expected that the eggs will realise £10,000. It la anticipated that tbe- total shipments of eggs for thecurreut season will yield a return of about £40»00Q. The eggs will arrivo in Great Britain, in time for tbe seasonal scarcity. -~„

A resident in the Manawatu district who recently received a letter from a friend in England states that the harvest has been very wet, and in consequence the corn offered, at some of the sales was in poor condition. Wheat made up to 50/, new oats 25/,harlev 70/. and maple peas oti/. The letter stated that New Zealand butter and mutton were being eagerly sought on the London market in preference to the home product.

A Maori named Rapana Harsh pleaded guilty at the Whangarei Courthouse to a charge of having stolen a pair of boots valued at :?.">/, the property of Raymond' Curry. Senior Sergeant O'Grady- said accused had taken the boots durin"- the progress of a dance at Pakotai. ou October 10. Marsh was fined £1 and £3 costs, and ordered to return the stolen property. An alternative of seven days' imprisonment was fixed.

Prospects of the dairying season in Cambridge district thi3 season are most reassuring (says our correspondent). as shown by the fact that up to September the Cambridge Dairy Company supply shows 20 per cent increase. The payout for the month of September waa at the rate of 1/0 per lb for butter and 1/5 per lb for cheese.

No less than 1004 enamel mugs are lost from the New Zealand railways in ona year, said Mr. D. Brodie, of the railways commercial branch, when speaking at the Auckland provincial tourist traffic conference yesterday afternoon. It is-" now proposed to abolish the old enamel mugs altogether, installing paper cups instead. Paper cups had already been introduced on the main lines.

New Zealand butter is making itself known in Europe. "Much satisfaction is felt" (writes the Geneva correspondent of the "London Daily Telegraph"), "that butter from New Zealand is to be imported into Switzerland. A Genevese wholesale butter merchant, who has just returned from Wembley, where he inspected the Dominion's pavilion has arranged with the New Zealand Produce Association and with the to-operative Wholesale Society for the delivery of New Zealand butter, which could be sold in Switzerland cheaper than the native product. A pound of butter costs in Switzerland 3/, whereas New Zealand butter, which is considered the best in the world, could he sold at 2/2 a pound, or even 2/." A New Zealander, who is in Constantinople, happened to be in a general store kept by an Englishman there. To his surprise he heard the request, "Two pounds of New Zealand butter and a pound of New Zealand cheese." This order was fulfilled immediately i It is believed the NewZealand produce is obtained from Egypt.

The visiting preacher at a certain church in the Christchurch diocese one evening, not long ago, had been holding forth for some little time, and had reached an impressive point in his address (narrates the "Church News"). He paused—silence is so impressive—; he gazed down at the congregation, he turned ever so slightly, and then with outstretched hand he began his peroration. "And now," he said —but before he could proceed, to hi 3 utter confounding, the congregation rose a3 one man. The preacher staggered back a step, and for a moment thought it must be a broad hint that the statutory fifteen minutes was up. In an awful moment of silence preacher and congregation stared at each other, both dumbfounded. Then one after another the people sat down, rather sheepishly, and the preacher, regaining his self-possession, announced that after all he had better stop there. That's the worst of these stereotyped cues.

It is possible for a person to travel from Auckland to Dunedin in less than 48 hours, or, if he is unfortunate in making his steamer and train connections, in less than 72 hours (say 3 the "Otago Daily Times"). Apparently, however, the postal authorities consider that seven or eight days is not an unreasonably long period for the conveyance of what is called second-class mail matter from the one city to the other. A postal packet stamped in Auckland on the 10th inst. reached its destination in Dunedin on Saturday, the 13th, and when representations were made as to the delay in the delivery of the packet the information was elicited that there was nothing unusual about the trans--mission of second-class matter taking so long —that, in fact, it was what might be expected. Of course, it would have been different if an express delivery fee bad been paid —which prompts the suggestion that dilatoriness in the delivery of second-class matter is designed to benefit the revenue by inducing the pay ment of extra fees

Industrial" circles in Melbourne are perturbed by the thought that of the 542 immigrants who arrived by the Baltana 60 are Yugoslavs who intend entering the building trade in New South Wales. The men, it is claimed, have not been monetarily assisted _in any way, each man "having paid the full passage" money. It is not expected, however, that "they will all enter the. building trade. The master of the ship, Captain Allin, and the welfare officer, Mr. Gillespie, were enthusiastic about the men. They said they were clean, sober, and industrious, and an ideal type. Some of them claimed to be experienced in the building trade. Only a' few can speak a little English. They all seem to have a definite end in view. They are well informed of Australian life" and conditions, through having friends or relative's there.

The Grey Lvnn troop of boy scouts has for the past four years held the proud position of being the premier troop of the Dominion, its trophies incbiding His Majesty's «Standard, 1920-21. the New Zealand Standard, the Waikato Standard, 1982-23 "tlie Otter Shield for championship and life-saving in swimming and the HB. Cup for marksmanship championship. His Excellency the GovernorGeneral has on several occasions remarked upon the fine record of the Grey Lvnu troop, aud on the occasion ot his farewell visit to Auckland next week the seuior lads of the troop are making a presentation to him. The presentation will be iv the nature ot a framed panel of photographs of the senior troop. Scout W. E. B- Dunniiigham. the troop representative at the Imperial jamboree, and the troop orchestra. Arrangements have been completed for the ceremony to take place at Government House at 3.4u on Friday next.

Steps are being taken to revive the I Dunedin Cremation Society, which made j a stir about twenty year; ago. An interim committee has been set up, and a public meeting is to be called. Then it will be seen if there is any strong backing from the people at large It was f<« want of such backing that the proposal to erect a crematorium fell to the ground.. A.t a meeting of members of the Bay of Plenty Tourist League held last night,, it'was resolved to form a deep sea fishing club, the object bein- tq facilitate fishing sport for visitors from outside, . -

Ladies accompanying delegates to the Municipal Association Conference, which opened at the Council Chamber at the Town Hall this morning, have been extended an invitation to be the guests of the Auckland Lyceum Club this evening. In mentioning tie invitation this morning, the chairman of the Conference (Air. Flesher) said he hoped the ladies would respond freely. Members of the Court of Convocation of the Auckland University district will meet to-morrow evening in the science building to discuss external examinations and other questions. The Hon. George Fowlds will give an address on his observations on University matters during* his recent visit to Canada and the United States. Exports of nearly one million bushels of wheat per day since the commencement of the crop year on September 1. last is the record of the foreign trade of Canada for the past year. With an exceptionally large exportable surplus, and with adequate railway facilities, tbe grain has been laid down at lake and seaports in a continuous stream of ears. The ability to use the lake and ocean steamship services of the United States and other countries materially assisted in the placing of the wheat on foreign markets. The North Shore Boroughs (Auckland) Water Supply Bill has been amended by tha Local Bills Committee of tbe Legislative Council, a new clause inserted in the bill providing that the Water Board may, in every financial year. out of its general fund, expend for purposes not authorised by any Act or law any sum or sums not amounting in the whole to more than 1 per cent of the water charges payable for that year, or in any case to more than £50. in Auckland benefactor recently donated £2000 to Otago University Council to establish a scholarship. The council has now decided that the scholarship be of the value of £175 per annum, and be tenable for oi c year only, but in exceptional circumstances! a candidate may be recommended for a second year. The scholarship shall be open to students proceeding to research work in pure and applied science and medicine. In the event of a student taking only one subject, that subject shall not be pure mathematics. In connection with the Press Association cablegram from London, published on Tuesday, concerning tbe death of llr. Felix Loudoun, son of Mr. A. Loudoun, of Napier, advice has been received that the shock of learning from a doctor in "London that active tuberculosis had begun long before he left Napier was too much for deceased. His mind was thus temporarily unhinged.

In a certain building in Wanganui electric light was substituted for gas lighting a little while ago. But the gas fixtures were kept in as a standby. A day or two ago a gas bill came (says the Wanganui "Herald"). It showed that no gas had been used during the month, yet ten shillings was charged, j One of those interested in the matter ] then hied him to the Gas Department's office for an explanation. He was told • courteously enough that it was quite true no gas had been used, but that the ten shillings was a "minimum charge," and was intended to cover hire of meter, time spent in reading same, the sending out of accounts, etc. He left the office, first making sure that there was no charge for stepping over the doormat, and l passed into the street, telling himself that he would advise all his friends who had installed electric light to get rid of their gas fixtures, particularly meters, at once, lest they be charged ten shillings per month (£6 per year)— for not using gas. When speaking at the meeting of the Auckland Tourist League yesterday Mr. R. Angus, of Messrs. Thos. Cook and Son, in commenting upon**tbe strange opinions that exist abroad, referred to a letter which he had that morning received from New South Wales. This letter spoke of the writer's intention to take up some land in New Zealand after he had disposed of his present holding, and it went on to say: "The ground which I have practically decided on is near a Maori settlement. From information I have received here, it would appear that some of these people are not safe to dwell with yet; can you tell mc whether thesa people are friendly or still hostile-!" In preparation for the carnival "that commences to-morrow, Newmarket was this morning decked in greenery —palms, and the like. The shopkeepers are also doing their share in the "outward and visible" signs, by dicorating their windows, some very original ideas being in evidence. With a bullet wound in the forehead and a pea-rifle gripped in the hands, the body of John Conway, a young man, was found lying across the grave of his wife, in Riverstone Cemetery, Windsor, N.S.W. Conway was an employee at the •Riverstone meat works. His wife died about nine months ago, leaving five young children.

As copper enters largely into extension of electric power systems, it is of interest to note that the copper output for the whole of Canada for 1923. amounted to 56,551,5371b, as against 42.579,5151b the previous 12 months.