AUCKLAND NOTES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 February 1920, Page 8

AUCKLAND NOTES.

PILLION RIDING- ON MOTOR CYCLE'S. | (From Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, Feb, 13. Cyclists don't approve of the new by-law prohibiting", pillion-riding' on motor-cycles, but people who are noc motor-cyclists, take another view of' the matter. The practice in question is undoubtedly a very dangerous one, and has been the cause of many accidents. It* the City Council would go a step further and prohibit the xise of motor-cyoles within the City boundaries altogether it would be a jolly g° : °d thing. The way in which these vehicles, tear "about the city, exposing unfortunate' pedestrians to continual risks of being run down or run over, is a terror. Motorists, generally, ixva no doubt worthy and excellent people. If they have a failing it is that they so often run away with the idea that roads were constructed exclusively for their convenience, and that the humble footpassenger has no rights at all. THE RUSH FOR DIVORCE.

Matrimony has been likened to a cage, in which those who are inside would give the world to get out, and those who are outside 'would give anything to get in. Anyhow, there are plenty of people in Auckland at the present time, who are seeking to free themselves of their matrimonial fetters. In fact, the number of petitions in divorce filed at the Auckland Supreme Court has been growing for years. In 1917 it was 83; in 1918 'it was 117, and in 1919, 238. And although 1920 lias hardly more than begun it v bids fair to beat_the figures for last year, judging by the petitions filed since Now Fear's jDay. How is this state of thing's to be accounted for? Some people 'blame the war, limiting that absence does not invariably make the heart grow fonder, but has precisely the opposite effect. Others say that the lack of parental control 'is responsible, and that young people are prone to marry in haste nowadays, without 'seeking the advice (much the sanction), of their fathers and mothers. A CONSIDERATE. MAGISTRATE. In a judgment summons ease the other day it appeared that the defendant had a wife and eight children to support, the ages of the latter ranging from 23 to 6 years. Mr. Poynton, S.M., who was. on the bench, declined to make any order in the meantime, remarking ''lf I make an order the debtor may have to get a temporary loan from a money-len-der at -10 per cent, interest." If you ask me, I don't believe there is a professional money-lender in Auckland who would make an advance at ■lO percent. The usual charge is about SO per cent., 1 believe, and I rather fancy it is sometimes more than that. A lot mere. The man who originated the saying that he who goes ii-borroAving goes a-sorrow-ing hud probably had dealings with a loan office. WASTED GRATUITIES. Judge Chapman indulged in some very plain English the other morning at the Supreme Court. He said that the majority of .the people sent to that Court were sent by Magistrates on pleas of guilty, and he regretted very much indeed to see that a considerable number of them were returned 1 soldier.-.:, and that most oi these men had got through their gratuities with extraordinary rapidity, and having come to the end of their resources had lapsed into crime. "It grieves me," added his Honor, "to see so many men who behaved most vaiorously at the war coming back to New Zealand bo live a life of drunkenness and dissoluteness, until every shilling of their gratuities and war savings is gone." These remarks were prompted by the case of a returned soldier (he had been awarded tlie Military Cross) then before the Court, who had run through tn>e money bestowed upon him by a grateful country, at express speed, having squandered upwards of £3OO in six months." This is, indeed, a regrettable state of things, but returned soldiers are not the only foolish ones. Cheques are still "knocked down" wherever money is earned. Reminds me of the remaric once""made by a magistrate when addressing an offender brought'before him: "Too often, I regret to find, you working men earn your money like horses — and spend it like asses." THE WIDOW AND THE LODGER. In December last a" plausible-ton-gued stranger answering to the name of Cliarles Henderson, rented a room at 146, Hobson St., from Mrs. Donnelly, a widow. Soon after he fell ill, and his landlady nursed him back to health. A friendship sprang up between them, and they became engaged. The prospective bridegroom (34 years old) posed as a well-to-do farmer, with a share in a. flourishing farm near Hamilton, and which share he confided to his intended (?) he was selling for £2BOO. impressed,'the widow advanced, at different times, to her fiance, considerable sums of money, in one case as much as £IOO. And everyone time Cliarles borrowed' it was, he said, to complete a deal in cattle or sheep. At last one day he told Mrs. D. that his partner at the farm was ill, and

that he would have to tear himself away in order to go to him. As he didn't return the lady became anxious about him. The next time she saw him it w<*s at the police-court. A 'tec told the Court that accused's story was "a. tissue of falsehoods." He owned up, and was committed to j Supreme Court for sentence. THE HOUSE SHORTAGE. The demand for dwelling-houses in Auckland continues —and grows more acute. It is a common thing how to find people advertising in the" local (kiiliefi their willingness to pay a. bonus to anyone who can tell them of a suitable house to let. These bonuses range in value from £1 to' as high as £5. "The landlord told me he had fifteen people ready to take the house 1 am in,'' a man told an Auckland magistrate, the other morn ing, adding: "I us;ed to pay 16/- a week rent. Noav it is 20/-, and my landlord talks of 25/-." ' This reminds me- of a recent incident. Somebody advertised a four-roomed house to let, application to. be made to a city agent. The advertisement appeared in the morning paper. Before noon the agent was fairly inundated with applications. Meantime tlie bouse was let without the agent's intervention. While a dozen or mor e of applicants proceeded to interview the agent the lady who secured the prize went along and saw the owner—and came to an understanding with him inside five minutes. 4 A JUVENILE FINANCIER; At tlie children's court, a. day or. two ago, a. little girl of 12'was charged with, (obtaining goods! by fraud. Her story was this:One day her mother sent her to the nearby grocery for sundry articles, but she lost the money on the way, and not caring to tell them at home what had happened, she conceived the brilliant idea of ordering 'the goods in the name of a neighbor'. Finding the scheme worked she continued to obtain groceries for her.mother in the same way—sticking to the money every time. Al\ went smoothly until the neighbor got the bill for the long list of goods supplied. Then the trouble began--and the eat emerged from the bag The ingenious little girl admitted when questioned that she had got over £2 worth of groceries in the manner indicated, and that she had bought a brooch for herself with the money she had appropriated. Tlie child was admitted to probation for six months, and her mother Avas ordered to pay for the goods. That girl ought to be the makings of a successful loan agent. What do you think? A PARK PROWLER. One day last week a respectable young woman, feeling unwell, stopped away from her work and went to Weston Park to sit out in the open air. Presently she noticed a man lying nearby in the long grass. He was whistling to attract her (attention, and behaving in a very peculiar way. The girl got up and took refuge in the ladies' lavatory. After waiting there for some time she emerged—only to find the same man waiting for her. The fellow at onoe seized her by the throat hntl her screams attracted the attention of the park-keeper, who came to her rescue. The man was given into custody. At the police Court he tried to make out that it was a case of mistaken identity. But the girl concerned swore to him, and the park-keeper corroborated.. The Magistrate characterised the man as a "degenerate," ,and found him guilty,, remanding him for a week to decide what should be done with him. This sort of thinghas become much too common in Auckland, where it is not safe for any girl to sit about in the parks without an escort.