OUR AUCKLAND LETTER

Evening Star, Issue 16263, 4 November 1916, Page 9

OUR AUCKLAND LETTER

f Special to ths ' .Star.'] Xovemher 1. A HAUGHTY- J.P A local Justice of the Peace is apparently likely 10 bo called upon to show cause, etc., etc., to the Department of Justice, It seems that this J.P. regards his time as of rather more value tlian is usually placed upon it by the State. It was reported to the Crown Lands Board the other day that the J.r. referred to had refused to take and witness declarations from a number of returned soldiers and others wiio were applicants for land. ,It was further alleged that ho stated to one person who required to make a declaration that a solicitor would have changed a fee for lus services. The Commissioner (Mr Skeet) said the J.P. should have his name- struck off the rolls. He did not deserve to hold tho Commission of tho Peace. The hoard agreed to report the matter to Wellington. OLD LAXD MARKS DISAPPEAR. The widening of Beach road, which is part of tho City Council's big improvement scheme, involves (ho demolition of the last remaining landmarks on the eastern side, of Auckland City. Where the railway yards now are, and where tho Parnell cars run along tho flat, was once, part of the harbor, and the steep bank between Reach road and Jermyn street was then tho sea oil if. This bank is now a wilderness .if pohutu kawas and aa-am lilies, but all this is to be taken away, and the, 66ft roadway widened to 110 ft. Ono by one the old dill's and beaches, such as Point Pritomart. Official and Mechanic's Bay, Campbell's Point, mid St. George's Bay, all names familiar in tlw early history of ibis city. Tim scheme necessitates" the removal of some of tho oldest horses. One. owned by the late Sir Maurice O'Rorke, was formerly tho residence of Mr A. .Shepherd, the first Colonial Treasurer, and ch- tkio old pohutukawa troes on the sti-vp cliff have been known to generations o; Aiieklaiiders File bank was oikv part of tin: a'belvimg clifts of Official Bay. and a little further ivestwajd stood Wvnyard ! pier, known t«< nil ciarly pioneers. Where the King's drtvo now passes, tho curly residents gathered on the beaches to watch the.regattas. XORTHERX TIMBER AREAS. For the 12 months ended August 51 oversea export of white pine iron; the Kaipara Harbor alone, was 23,52i1,400it. Most of this timber came from the Kaihu Valley, which is also famous for its kauri forests, but very little kauri has been worked along the great timber river, the Northern Wairoa, of late. At Taita and Maitahi, on tiie lvuiim Railway, there are tramways rimni c into the- bush for several miles',-and the .'Maitahi mills supply some 80,000 ft weekly. Th.e amount of standing millabie tiiu'oer is estimate*! at 12,000,000 ft. Furrier up there are other areas, and settlers are anxious to get tho railway extended to Donnelly's Crossing. Unless the line gets there (a distance, of four miles, of which two mill's of formation have been completed) inside two years, some 6,000,G00ft of timber will bo, felled and burned; which will cause a loss in rovaltv aicne of £6,000. ' ' POISONOUS HONEY The wharaimi (Bruchyglotfis repanda), a native plant, i ? in full' flower this season. It seci'tU a hiiney which contains a peculiar poison, that has had very serious on human beings on different occasons, and it is unsafe to cat of bush honey or honey gathered from hiVes near bush areas just now. After about two months the same honey will be perfectly safe, as the poisonous properties, being m" a volatile nature, will have passed off. The honey or ermmevee is perfectly safe, for that is taken and tinned or bottled well on in the new year. PROCURATION FEES. It has hrcome a recognised custom for land, agents and solicitors to advertise money to lend, and then, vixu: a borrower comes along, ho is :haraed a procuration fee—i.e., a- fee for procuring for him the loans they advertised. In a. case beard here last Friday it was stated the defendant arranged to purchase ;>, property ottered for sale by a land agent, and to facilitate the purchase t.ho agents lent him £250 at current interest-. "But they also wanted to charge a procuration fee, and part of the loan was money thev themselves owned. The Magistrate gave judgment" against the procuration fee,"and said lv was not satisfied that tho principle of principal and- agent had been established. FIGHTING FAMILIES. Tn-stancis of families v/ith a iiii;ii record of service continue to bo noted in (he. local Pivss. Mr W. 11. Clarke, farmer, of Otorohanga, has f.evcn sons in the forces, and the father and daughters have to carry on a kiv.' 1 d-diy farm bv themselves. Mr J. W. O'l-r, of Mapiu, near J'auniarunui, lias six sons on active scrvi::e, and the family has a large number of cou.-ins fighting—in fact, ail their cousins except ono are on active service. Mr J. W. Russell, of Opunakc, has just learned that he lost three brothers in the Somnid battle, tiiree nephews, ami three cousins, and another brother was wound-ed in the Jutland battle. INVALIDED SOLDIERS DISCHARGED. Just lvcentiy ail the so!die.--s in the military hospital here, whether they were confined to bed or ivere. able to -.vaik about, reci'ived notice of their discharge from the military forces, and the men fee! they have a grievance. They maintain that until cured or out- of the" hospital in the ordinary way LJiev are viititled to be kept on the stivngth ;' but '.lieio he.s i>-en no distinction. Ail aiv disch.irgt'd, K ;!d | some of them will be a kmg time before they are a-b'e- to leave- hosjiital. They are allowed railway pa : . r ;e?. but a lallway" jtass is no good to a man e« ■::;];:-d to bed." Their I military pay eoaKs at the end of three j weeks, and even it they got- tiie fail pension of 35s a. week it will not sufiice for the married men. - 'i.'ho authorities, on the other hand, maintain that the m«i wiil not suffer, as they will still rccoive free liospital tr-.at-ment, and instructions had been issued to discharge all. soldk-rs w.iio are unlikely to be ht to lvturn to duty inside six months. The ];ension of 55s was equal to a private's pay in any ease. The men, however, point out thai their board will have to come out of the 35s during the period after disehaiye from hospital, iu which they are unable to take up work, and oos a- week is of little use to married men in these days of high cost- of living; and, moreover, experience fihowed thatvery few of the- men got, pensions of more than £1 per week, if a man. has to return for medical treatment after a certain time, he has to pay for it in the. ordinarv way: ami how ate his wife and children to get along while lie i.< had up and paying for meilit'id services rciid«'ied necessary bv his being wounded in the country's" service ? ■SUCCESSFUL POLICE LAID. The Auckland police are engaged in a vigorous campaign against the disorderly house. Some yeais ago an almosteomplet'-c clearance was obtained, but sine-'., then the evil has Ixvu growing. A house, in Victoria stre,et, ostensibly used as ;i hu-jre boarding-house, had been under observa- j tion for somo weeks past, and 'a**, nmhi ! «a-s doemed to bo a ioo<l opportiniitv unit raid. Accordingly, "10 police sm-r./ujided the. plaoe at a given signal at 11 p.m., and the occupants of the place were caught com.plet.ely by surprise. Five motor cars had to be obtained to take the inmates ■ 17 men and 2 women—to the police station. Sentences ranging from oim month to 12 months were passed next day. j