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Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 26, 1 February 1926, Page 6

At the age of 19, Mr. Michael Hawkins,' who retired from the position of ConI troller-General of Prisons to-day, learnt ' what was meant by the American slogan I j "always hustle.' . He landed at Cleveland, j '• Ohio, with four dollars in his pocket, and j ' after three days, he obtained a position as a bricklayer on a large building. ■ From the outset, he noticed the splendid I manner in which the work was organised, j there were 'about thirty men at work on a wall and each man had his own section to complete. As each finished his portion the line of wall was raised. Being a mere novice, the young Irish immigrant found it somewhat difficult to keep up with the other men. but they assisted him. During the day the '"boss" had kept a watchful eye on the workers and when "knock-oft"' time came, he approached the newcomer and, taking out his pocket-book, said "'Here's your money, youngster/ The unfortunate young man inquired what the trouble was, to which the foreman replied, "Look here, if you want to get on in this country, you've got to hustle, and until you do, you're no good.' . Very downhearted, young Hawkins explained his position, pointing out that he was a stranger with absolutely no prospects of employment and very little cash. He received the reply that he had come to a job, not a charitable institution. But by good fortune, the man in charge of the local union was an Irishman too. and after he was appealed to. he arranged for his countryman to be kept on as an improver. And so he learnt to hustle. The pleasures and pastimes of men in these Southern climes are very varied, and while it is hard to associate the' i quiet sedate game of bowls with the' more strenuous and exciting as well as! exhausting sport of deep-sea fishing, yet i men of leisure indulge in both sports, i This week a very large party of Stanley j Bay bowlers leave on a week's cruise, I the chief object being to indulge in big: fish catching, some, of them having much success in that line last season when some splendid specimens were hooked. , A peculiarity of the law w:i* evident ■ at the Magistrate's Court to-day. When : a case was called a letter was read from j the defendant stating he was too ill to j attend. It was then noticed that there i was no proof that the summons had been served. Theerfore the case was struck out.

Passenger traffic in and out of Auckland railway station has been particularly heavy during the last few days. Last night's two expresses for Wellington were full to overflowing, the "ordinary' , having 20 vehicles attached. Again this morning all trains were well patronised and the Limited, which arrived at 9.30 a.m. from "Wellington, did not have a vacant scat. People were standing on the platforms and all the way up it was a full train. The outward and inward express trains during the weekend carried many school children, who were returning after the holidays. A good tramping performance was p;it up in the week-end by three young iiirn belonging to "'The Bachelors' Retreat, '' a cam]) at Takapuna. The party i set out at half-past two on Saturday J afternoon on a walking tour. They walked continuously until they reached Pulioi. whore they turned back to Waiwera, which place was reached at 4 a.m. on .Sunday. Here they slept, between wet blankets, until S a.m., and after a light breakfast they set off for home, getting back to Takapuna at o o'clock the same afternoon. The distance covered was 0(5 miles, and the actual walking time 19 hours. As the pedestrians were only 17 years old, and all of them carried packs, the pace of 3 J miles per hour was very creditable err! i net

A protest is being made by the Tarannki Hospital Hoard because the Health Department will not pay the expenses of more than two members of the board and the secretary to the Hospital Boards' Conference, which opens in Dunedin on the 24th inst. It is claimed that, seeing that the conference is likely to be of the utmost importance to the hospital boards of the Dominion, all tile members should have been allowed (.ravelling expenses, seeing they give so freely of their time in connection with board work. The American expert, Dr. Maeechern. who is to inspect the hospitals of the. Dominion, is to he present and address the conference, and it is claimed that travelling allowances for all members who would go would be money well spent. Five members of the Auckland Board and the secretary will represent the Auckland Board at the conference, Mr. Wallace being chairman of it. The Auckland Board consists of twelve members, and represents onesixth of the population of the Dominion, and on that basis the conference would comprisee 72 members if all the members of the board attended, but that would be unworkable, because many of the smaller boards do not represent very populous areas, and the aim of the association has been to give full and adequate representation to the smaller boards. Being caught unawares by a squall about two miles oif Surfdale early last evening, the small yacht Docima capsized. The crew succeeded in climbing onto the hull of the upturned boat, where they remained until rescued by the steamer Hauiti, which was returning from Omiha with a party of picnickers. The yacht and dinghy were also recovered, being hauled on board by the steamer's winch. While running through from Auckland to the regatta at Hamilton, on Friday last, a motor car. owned by Mr. C. Cain, of Birkenhead, and driven by his -on, skidded on some loose, metal when turning a corner on the KangiririTe Kauwhata Road, and ran into a bank. Mr. Cain, who wa? slightly injured, was attended by Dr. McDiamid, of Huntly. Vive other members of the party escaped unhurt. It is probable that in March next a commission of American lumbermen will visit' New Zealand. The commission sailed from Vancouver in December, and is due in Wellington early in March. The members are: Mr. Hugh M. Cochran, Union Lumber Co., San Francisco (chairman); Mr. H. E. Crawford, Pacific Lumber Co.. Scotia, California; Mr. H. F. Faull, Hammond Lumber Co.. San Francisco: Mr. J. H. Quill, Humboldt Stevedoring Co., Eureka, California (secretary.)

A man who was charged in the Court at New Plymouth with obtaining credit for £8 11/ by means of fraud elected to be tried by a jury. He had no one appearing for him. but told the magistrate he understood the difference between summary trial and trial by jury. "Well, what is the difference?" asked the magistrate. "Oh, well, perhaps I don't know exactly; but I know enough to know what a trial by jury is, and I'll get a lawyer in the next Court. You get a better trial." The Magistrate: "You think twelve men are I better than one?"' Accused: "Yes." And a laugh went round the Court. An English philatelist complains in the Press that there is a growing practice on the part of colonial postmasters of blue pencilling stamps on registered mail, lie has recently had the opportunity of examining large quantities of registered letters" from such places as Jamaica, Gibraltar. Leeward Islands, Mauritius, etc. In the very large majority of cases the stamps were heavily scored through with blue pencil, and, i from a collector's point of view, useless. j A large proportion of the postal revenue lof our smaller colonies nowadays is derived from the sale? of postage stamps to collectors. It is, therefore, he says, only fair that the interests of collectors I should be studied to some small extent. Here is an opportunity for the Stamp Trade Protection Association to take Stops in the matter. It is no doubt possible for them to address a memorial to the Colonial Secretary on the subject. The control of the wild life of the Dominion, such as deer and pigs, and other vermin inhabiting forests, at the present time is regulated by many bodies. Apparently (says the Director of Forestry i. Mr. L. Macintosh Ellis, in a paper delivered in Dunedin during Horticultural Week!, no co-ordination prevails, with the result that the deer, as a vermin, is becoming most serious. The Forest Service, as the competent authority controlling the forests of this country, is prepared to assume complete I responsibility for the control and regulation of wild life. The (Government has been recommended to place this complete control in the hands of the Forest Service by 1930. The road gang engaged in paving one of Wanganui's roads with hot-mix hit upon the happy plan of starling work at 4 a.m. In this way the men escape the heat of the day. finishing their day's work at noon (says the "Wanganui Herald.") One enterprising worker who lis out t< l make extra money while the ' time is ripe, commences on another job |in ihe afternoon, working 12 hours a i day. • The criminal sessions of the Supreme ! Court will be opened to-morrow, this ! marking the first sitting of the court I since the long vacation which commenced ; about the middle of December. There ,is a fairly long list of cases for heari ing, and these include a number of seri- ! oils charges. Mr. Justice Stringer and ; Mr. Justice Ilerdman will preside. j False alarm called the City Fire BriI gadc out shortly before nine o'clock last J evening to the city end of Mount Eden Road. A passer-by, seeing smoke issuing from a chimney, thought it was a fire and gave the alarm.