IN OTHER CENTRES. (BY TELEGRAPH-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.)

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 177, 21 April 1908, Page 9

IN OTHER CENTRES. (BY TELEGRAPH-SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.)

| AUCKLAND. i April 20.' iMr,..Jno. . St... Clair has received - the fol. ./owing. letter from Mr. K. T. To -Abu, of (Hun My), deputy-secretary to - the -Hon. Ifahuta, M.L.C.. in reference to the proposed gathering of Maoris at. Auckland i "oil itlio occasion of tlio visit of the' American .lfleel:j. : " I;,!iavo seen newspapers the ■r.-vieM of' King Maluita on-tho reception r, •.'qPtho''Am.ori6an' Fleet • which is, to visit Ijiis, 'our Island. ' The irhole. of Wai- :• Kftto; support Wahuta's; proposals that tyd> should form a largo gathering of • tho 'tYibes at Auckland as the.original people'of the land to welcome tho'illustrious guests. Secondly, tho idea for smair canoes'and. hurdle-race canoes we ''jwftrraly .support. The hurdle races would "";ho a grand idea..... I jyould- send three ■'cauoe?. Their .names .are. Puriitiakete, .and Kaitoa; .and if they - •;'>'it , aht more I can .arrange to', send four ■"•or..five,;'others.- I also think it would \ : , '.ho-, a good idea to , have Tahaeretikitiki • V'sentl back : b}V'tho . Government . from Christclmrch' and'-, repaired, so -that a genuine,'war-caiioefujly manned should : go 'out to .the Harifjitoto Channel aud ' challengo tho fleet ill true'-old. Mauri fashion, and then lead them into port after the manner, of .our ancestors."-. '■'

i, What'; Might Have Happened. , . 1 ■'■ 'One of ;tlio. witnesses at the marine enquiry '> .into-tlioi cause :of . the., collisiombetween. the.. 'I steamer \Wairuna and the keteh Moonah was mhst-emphatne^as'tto'what .might- have'hap- \ '< ' iiftned on'ithe ' night'of the occurrence.- The i " /Witness was the: ship's carpenter of the Wai-. • , - ' ruiißj' and -lie was being examined by ,Mr. " ,Sryoagh; who appeared for, the Union Steam ' .Snip Company, as ; to' the actual collision. -> : 1 : i What Would have happened l if .the Wai- > 'ruria. had struck'the' Moonah while- she (the ■ "steamer) was going at tho'rate of between'fivti 'mid six knots'-an hour? " asked Mr. i i-JfYeagh. ' . ' ■'. . . -I If > -the) vWainina^hadrstrupkr-tta l ketch. V -while 'siio was,going'atJKat..rate,;' solemnly.:' replied - thb 1 ; witness; 1 punctuating' his"' asser- •: tioi)'with raised forefinger,not a soul on : '-'board' the ketch would : ;haye been alive: to- ' day to tell 1 the tale, and instead of the ketch being' raised up . slio would have'been washed ashoro on the beach in weekly numbers:" ?• '-' A,lid'lscattered' to' fc thel'-fqur"• winds of •H'eiven? " S.Mij' with »•*.. . -■' >t« Jiot^W,-,: Gpootacular Football. ;. : ?' '.Ih-wcleoming the - delegatos/ tq the New .'Zealand Rugby, Referees'.'Association, Mr. 51. r J.- Sheahan;* chairman of the Management- . Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union, s said that-as' ono • who had fisllowed the game. • ,itv this,part of : New Zealand for'many , years, *. 'ho would liko .toist#. something -about-,spec-tacular football.He. wo,nld not daro to,pre-stirno-to give •advic6 i to !s r<jfereos as to how they-should ucontrnl games, .shut ho would ; mention. thesiiefei'encesriniKdo:'to tho attrictivehess- of Union- football Ha would suggest^'.with tho deference of one , - who was -only offering an., opinion,; that the,.,..,. Referees'-j Association -should endeavour to.-jtjwktv-thev'gama.; of-greator spectacular .Uh. ... ' Ctcrest.'^- :