LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15766, 14 November 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

The ''response to the call for .recruits for the,'■ Auckland Garrison Artillery Division hag been very good. About 60 men were wanted, to -bring the division '. up to its complete: establishment ami already . nearly the whole of this number has been obtained. Some of the men who have en-, listed are : ex-volunteers, and a large proportion are men transferred from other territorial regiments. Those accepted are required to do duty continuously at the forts.

The Maheno is still kid up at Sydney. At yesterday's meeting of the- council of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. B. Kent, who presided, said there had been no movement on the part of tho firemen to go on the steamer. Tho vessel, ho understood, was very easy for firemen to work. Trade had fallen off considerably and the vessel could not be run for philanthropic purposes. They could only hope for better times to come.

Two more vessels have been added to the already lengthy list of steamers and sailing craft at present laid up in Auckland Harbour. These are the well-known barquentiue Senorita, and. the Northern Company's coastal steamer Claymore. The Senorita has just completed discharging a cargo of coal from Newcastle. It was anticipated that the vessel would' load a cargo of sawn timber at this port for Sydney, but as there was none offering, the Senorita was towed to an anchorage amongst tho fleet in Sulphur Bay. The Claymore was recently withdrawn from the West Coast trade, and has joined tho list of unemployed for the time being. The coastal steamer Rotomahana, which has been undergoing survey and overhaul for several weeks, will also, in the course •of a few days, be taken to an anchorage in the stream for an indefinite period.

The import of prices ruling at the Christchurch wool sales has caused much gratification locally. It is pointed out that theincreased valuo is really more than it appears because the increased cost of sending the wool to Britain is an important factor. "As far as we can see," remarked a local wool broker to a Herald representative yesterday, "tho prospects arc good for tho Auckland sale this month. There has been qnito a demand for any wool offered privately for prompt shipment, buyers being very keen to get the wool awiy immediately. I think farmers would bo well advised to try and get their wool in as early as possible for the sale on November 26." The next wool sale is at Wellington on Wednesday.

Though Holland has given a pledge of neutrality she is believed to be providing a medium whereby Germany can carry on trade with outside countries. This is thought to be made evident by a circular received by a business man in Auckland from a Dutch firm of merchants. 'It states that the s firm has buying offices in Germany, and as the country is remaining neutral, ships under the Dutch flag can trade to any part- of the world. Holland's splendid situation enabled her to keep regularly in touch with Germany, while ah correspondence went through without interference. Letters that did not reach Germany and Belgium would reach Hoiland, and the firm sending the circular could do the buying. Tho circular concludes :— We are shipping regularly into foreign and colonial countries, so that we know exactly the requirements. We will see to it that orders are shipped by the best and quickest routes. We ship all kinds of 'British, Dutch, and German manufactures. Do nob hesitate. Do it now!" An amusing episode occurred in connection with tho Belgian Fund street collection of the Civic League yesterday morning. One of the attractions on the lorry from which Miss Carrie Moore was collecting was a pet lamb, the property of a local troop of boy scouts. During the collection at Shortland Street, when the attention of everyone on the lorry was focused on the crowd, the lamb was left to its own devices. It promptly looked about it for something to eat, and a mild sensation was caused among the collectors when it became known that the lamb had disposed of all the sandwiches on which the party were to lunch, and had also chewed up a bunch of sweet peas and £2 10s worth of Belgian, buttons.

The award of the Arbitration Court m tho dispute between the Auckland Hotel and. Restaurant Employees' Union and the proprietors of tho country hotels in the industrial district has been filed. The award, which comes into operation on November 23. 1911, and continues in force for three years, is based upon the recommendations of the Conciliation Council, which the parties agreed to accept. The Court has endeavoured to meet the alleged inconvenienco of 'allowing employees a weekly holiday, by allowing such holidays to bo accumulated during the tourist season. Bar assistants receive, in addition, a half-day's holiday a week. In the case of several hotels in the Taupo district special provisions enable an employer to allow any worker, by mutual agreement, leave of absence on full pay fc* 14 days for ever}' period of three months of service, with the payment of an additional 10s per week during leave as equivalent to board, such clause to operate only during tho months from December to May.

Mr, B. Kent announced at yesterday's meeting of the council of the Chamber of Commerce that a sketch plan had already been drawn of tho new Lands and Deeds Office and the Government was definitely pledged to give effect to the scheme. At tho moment, finances were somewhat strained, but the building would certainly bo gone on with when money was available.

A resident of Greenhithc recently complained through the Herald of the conduct of certain visiting yachtsmen in that district and the matter has now been taken up by the Auckland Yacht and Motor-boat Association. At the monthly meeting of the association a letter was received from ono of the affiliated clubs stating that the depredations at Greenhithc were not committed by yachtsmen. Evidenco was called and this was found to bo true. The names of the offenders were ascertained and these wore forwarded to the association's honorary solicitor.

Entries for the Auckland Horticultural Society's Rose Show and Children's Flower Show, to be held on November 20 and 21 in the Domain Horticultural Hall, closed yesterday, and the number received constitutes a record. In the children's sections— gardens, pot-plants, cut flowers, vegetables, baskets, and bouquets— cularly heavy entries have been received. That gardening by children at schools and. at their homes is being extensively taken up around Auckland is proved by the fact that 295 entries have been received in this section alone. The work of judging tho entries will be commenced ■ on Monday, and, it is thought that it will take tho judges at least a week :to visit tho various gardens and como to a decision. Altogether there have been over 1000 entries in division D, baskets and bouquets, and the secretary, Mr. W. Satchell,, doclares that on November.. 20 the Horticultural Hall will be filled.! with blooms. In every respect ' the exhibition to boa great success.

.'•'; Tho supplement 'issued with the Herald to-day- contains a' number of contributed articles; They include: " Culture and Belgium," by i Tohunga; ; , "The Red Ruin at v cims," by G. Basil Barkham, A.M. Inst E.E. ; "Field-guns, in Action," by Lieut.-Colonel Grace; "Giving," by Hilda Keenc; and " Polyglot America," by Critic. «In addition there is " Local Gossip," by Mcrcutio, and an interesting article by Frank Morton on Wellington winds. The two serial stories, " Tho Turmoil" and "The Ruling Vice," arc continued, while ■ there are a number 'of articles dealing with incidents in the war. Tho supplement contains three illustrations—" Gorman Dead After the Battle, of tho. Mai-ne," "Wrecked French Military Train and "Hatching a Policy." a political cartoon. A rabbtter named Andrew Edward Paterson Canning (Mr. A. L. Denniston) yesterday petitioned for a divorce from his wife, Catherine Campbell Canning, on the ground that she had been guilty of misconduct. Petitioner said ho was married in 1908 and had no children. He and his wife had lived happily together in Gisborno, Galatea and Opotiki, but in the lastnamed place co-respondent, Harry Cairney, who followed the same occupation as himself, came to live with them as a boarder. Petitioner's suspicious became aroused as' to the relations which existed between Cairnoy and his wife, and finally ; his wife admitted misconduct. After hear- | ing the evidence of two witnesses who had J seen co-respondent and respondent living I together at Waihi, His Honor granted a i decree nisi, to bo made absolute in three months, with costs against the co-respon-dent on the lowest scale. The practice of writing letters to magistrates referring to cases which aro to come before tho Court, was condemned by Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. His Worship, addressing the complainant in a maintenance case, said that it was a wrong thing for her to write to him tho letter she had written and he had refrained from reading it. The Haapai Chamber of Commerce desires the establishment of a direct steimer service between Auckland and the Friendly I Islands (Tonga). In a letter read yesterday, it thanked the Auckland Chamber for its efforts in this direction. Mr. Kent stated that as soon as commerce regained its normal condition they would do their best to. secure an improvement in the facilities. Tho next annual conference of the Methodist Church will be held at Christchurch in the last week of February, 1915.

A meeting of the creditors of Kinnin Kallil, storekeeper, of Ohura, was held at the office of the official assignee, Mr. W. S. Fisher, yesterday. Early in the month., after the adjudication of this estate, and when the stock had been valued and the assets reported upon, the official assignee called the Auckland creditors together, and it was decided to accept an offer of £500 for the assets. This action of the creditors was confirmed at the statutory meeting of creditors yesterday. At the meeting the official assignee reported that he had received correspondence from a solicitor acting on behalf of a man, Abdullah Kooney, of Ohura, stating that the latter had a claim against Kallil for £236. It was in consequence of this that Kallil had been advised to seek the protection of the Bankruptcy Court, said the assignee. Since the bankruptcy Kooney had intimated that he did not intend to prove against the estate.

" I want to educate my children," was the plea of Mrs. John Church wood, who applied to Mr. C. 0. Kettle, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday to have the maintenance order against her husband increased from 27s 6d to 37s 6d per week, The evidence of the husband showed that he received a little over £16 a month, and out of this each week he allowed his wife 27s 6d, as well as 10s per week in reduction of her furniture account, thus leaving himself, after paying for board and lodging, 13s 6d per week for clothing and other personal expenses. Mrs. Churchwood said that her son earned 17s 6d per week, and she had a boarder who owed her 245, and was out of work. After some discussion the- husband said ho might pay 2s 6d or 5s extra, but he would want to have access to his children. Mr. Scantlebury, defendant's solicitor, pointed out to His Worship that the complainant was keeping a boarder who had no means of paying her, and remarked : " My client should not be asked to maintain a charitable institution." His Worship decided to increase the order by ss, and ordered the husband to keep an account. of his expenditure so that the Court could ascertain whether ho was unduly oppressed by the order.

With the departure of the HuddartParker steamer Westralia to-day, the port will again present a deserted appearance. The collier Kauri sailed last evening for Newcastle, leaving the two berths at the Hobson Whyf vacant. Tho only vessels at present in port working cargo, excluding the small coasters, are tho Navua, Westralia, the Norwegian barque Ba, the Italian ship Eurasia, and the schooners Waipu and Greyhound. Tho French steamer Saint Francois, which arrived from Tahiti over a week ago, is waiting to bo docked for survey and overhaul. The list of vessels laid up in the stream includes the Union Company's steamers Moura, Taluno, and Hauroto, the tugs Stella and Lyttelton, and the ketch Lizzie Taylor. Tho only'steamer

of any consequence due to-morrow is tho Mokoia, from Southern ports. The collier Rakanoa is expected about Tuesday from West-port, with a full cargo of coal, and tho Tarawera arrives on Thursday from Southern ports. Other coastal and oversea vessels due next week are the Wanaka with produce from the South. Moorabool with coal from Newcastle, and the Rakaia and Tokomaru for Homeward loading. ■ While riding a bicycle at Otahuhu yes-1 terday, a middle-aged man named Charles Thome fell and fractured one of his: ankles. Ho was taken to the hospital. , i The power given by law to the Minister' for Marino to order the confiscation of a; pleasure-boat as a warning against the i illegal picking of oysters was keenly dis- ■ cussed a few months ago, when, as a sequel to the conviction of a member of tho crew of tho yacht Raweno, tho owner of tho vessel, Mr. A. E. Gifford, was re-, quired to pay a fine of £50 to. redeem his yacht. Much indignation was expressed by owners of yachts and motor-launches at the imposition of a heavy fine upon the owner of tho yacht, though ho had no sharo in the poaching of the shellfish. Persistent representations made by Mr. J. I H. Bradnoy, member for Auckland West, resulted in a vote- being placed on the Supplementary Estimates to rofund £40! of the fine paid by Mr. A. E. Gifford. Mr. Bradney was not satisfied with this concession, but, claiming thai the law was unjust and inequitable, he urged that tho , fine was a secondary consideration, the ■ real issue being the principle. Tho session • closed before further action could be : taken, but the Minister has now tele- ; graphed to Mr. Bradney, informing him : that the balance of the fine'will so be' ] refunded. - - i i