LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15824, 22 January 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The recruiting officers at th© Auckland Drill Hall had few men to deal with yesterday, but, nevertheless, the.-e will be between 40 and 50 then ready for medical examination to-day Already 80 men for the fifth reinforcement draft have passed the medical officer. Tho Auckland City and suburbs quota for the fifth draft totals 110 men, made up of 75 infantrymen and 35 mounted men.

An accident which occurred at Te Puia Springs, Poverty Bay, last week, has resulted in the death of Mr. Ernest Roy Abbott, only son of Mr. Cecil ErnestAbbott, of St. Stephen's Avenue, Parnell. Tho deceased was in his 20th year, and was being trained in farming at the Takapau Station, Poverty Bay. About ten days ago ho was riding a horse behind a mob of sheep, when the animal slipped over a steep face, and rolled over several times with the rider still in the saddle. The deceased was seriously injured internally, and was conveyed to the Tokomaru Hospital. Two operations were performed, but his condition did not improve, and he died on Wednesday night. The deceased •was a grandson of the late Mr. John Abbott.

The proposed amalgamation of Remuera with the city was mentioned at a meeting of the City Council last evening, when the Remuera Road Board asked for details of the conditions on which the council was prepared to agree to the union. The Mayor, Mr. C. J. Parr, remarked that a certain section at Remuera had succeeded for some time in preventing the will of the majority from being carried out. Now, however, a poll, he understood, was to be taken. As far as the Road Board's request was concerned, he pointed out that the council had already placed before the board certain conditions, but a committee could go over the terms again and decide whether there was reason to make any changes. "During war time," he added, "we are not anxious to take other local bodies into the fold, but to my mind there is no doubt that the great majority of Remuera residents earnestly desire the amalgamation." The Mayor's suggestion was adopted, and the matter was referred to the Finance Committee.

A report concerning the forfeiture of his seat upon the City Council by F. E. N. Gaudin as a result of the term of five years' imprisonment imposed upon him for offences against the Samoan military regulations was made by the town clerk to the City Council last night. Mr. Wilson stated that official intimation concerning Gaudin's imprisonment had been forwarded to him, and accordingly he had consulted the city solicitor, Mr. J. Stanton, and various members of the council, as to the need for holding an election to fill the vacancy. They had agreed with him that, seeing that the council had already more than the statutory number of members— to the inclusion of the ox-Grey Lynn Borough Council members and on account of the large expense en-, tailed by an election, which would result in the member elected sitting for only three months, the council would be justified in taking no action in the matter. The report was received.

The need for some means of regulating the traffic, especially that of motor-cars, on the Clevedon-Maraetai Road is pointed out by the Herald's Clevedon correspondent. This road,, which is the only road from Papakura and Clevedon to-the Maraetai Beach, is. so narrow in places thatt two vehicles can hardy pass safely. A narrow escape from a serious accident occurred a "few days ago, when a motorist, who was travelling from Clevedon, met a man riding ind leading two other horses at one of the narrow points. The rider motioned to the chauffeur to move to one side, but he, mistaking the sign, drove straight on, hit the two horses on the chest and sent them over the bank into a thick bushy growth, where one horse became so tightly wedged that some pungas had to be cut to release it. The animal, beyond a certain stiffness, was uninjured. Its companion also escaped injury.

The Auckland Education Board has received notification of a grant of £2485, being the final amount of the grant for the equipment of the new training college. The chairman, Mr. G. J- Garland, explained at yesterday's meeting that the grant ensured that the college would be in a good financial position when taken over by the new Board of Governors, which would have a free college and a very fine asset. The principal, Mr. H. A. E. Milnes, reported that the college had a credit balance of £5000. This state of affairs was regarded as highly satisfactory, and reflected credit on the board. The chairman remarked that the Department had been extremely sympathetic regarding the question.

When the steamer Aotea was abreast of Mangawhare on Saturday last (says our Dargaville correspondent) she dropped her rudder, and had to come to an anchorage. Passengers for Helensville were transhipped to • the Wairua, which conveyed them to Helensville. It was subsequently discovered that the Aotea's anchor had fouled one of the Telephone Club's cables, and, whilst it was being lifted, the cable was broken and the shore posts carried away. The accident resulted in residents at Horehoro being cut off from the exchange, and in some expense to the Telephone Club in providing and laying a new cable.

In the Herald of Wednesday last appeared a summary telegraphed from Wellington of the official report of the Gaud in trial. In an introductory paragraph this telegram stated that "Gaudin had carried quite a number of letters from German subjects in Samoa to German prisoners of war." This statement is not strictly in accordance with the evidence. The only letters to prisoners of war carried by Gaudin were one letter to ex-Governor Schulz and one to Mr. Marz, his secretary. The other letters written in German were for Mr. Kronfeld, at Auckland, and for A. Ohle and Hellfritz, who are Germans resident in Pacific islands.

The fact that a number.of the streets in the township of Ngaruawahia bear German names was referred to at a meeting of the local town board on Wednesday night. The clerk to the board, Mr. T. Paterson, sen., said that in his capacity as a private citizen he wished to protest against the retention of these German names under the present circumstances. The names alluded to were Herschel, Tycho, Brache, Copernicus, and Kepler. The chairman, Mr. T. Parker, said that he thought that from national or patriotic viewpoints the fact that the names were of German origin was not a matter of much concern, but he did think it inconvenient that the people should be obliged to try to pronounce such unpronounceable names. On the motion of Mr. A. Hambli* it was decided that the Surveyor-General be asked to have the names changed.

Another penay-in-the-slot telephone machine has been 'nstalled in the city, near the Grey Statue. There are now 12 of these machines in use within half-a-nnle of the local telephone txchange.

The members of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand National Reserve will parade at the Drill* Hall this evening., when Colonel J. E. Hume, officer commanding the Auckland district, will insped the force. After the parade at the Drill Hall, to which members of various local bodies have been invited, the reserve —headed by the Onehnnga Bandwill march through the principal streets of the city. During the last few days the membership of the reserve has increased rapidly, and it is anticipated that as a result of the parade, which will give the public an opportunity of seeing the fine stamp of men in the force, the numbers will be further augmented.

The Post and Telegraph Department has authorised the fitting-up of a new telephone office and bureau at Bayswater, and the work is to be undertaken at once. The new office will be in Leitch's store «-nd Mr. T. A. Woodbouoo will act as telephonist. It is expected that the office will be ready for opening next week.

Whilst driving his motor-car along Beach Road a few days ago. Alfred Thompson crossed over to his wrong side in order to turn down a side street. Being unable to make the turning, owing to there being too much traffic, he endeavoured to get back again on his proper side of the road. But before he was able to do so, the motor was struck by a tramcar and swerved through the fence on to the railway line. Fortunately no one was injured, but Thompson appeared before the Court yesterday on a charge of driving on the wrong side of the road. He was fined £1 and lis costs.

Two lads, one armed with a pea-rifle and the other with an Enfield rifle, recently indulged in a shooting expedition at Point Chevalier. On the way home the Enfield rifle, which was minus a trigger guard, was accident discharged. The bullet penetrated -the side wall of a bouse i but fortunately did not, hit anyone. When, brought before the Police Court yesterday the lads said that -the cartridge which was discharged was one which had previously missed fire. After being warned of the seriousness of playing with firearms, each lad was fined 10s and costs. '

An interesting point was raised in the Police Court yesterday when three men were charged with having "dispersed a paper" which did not bear the printer's name and address on it. The " paper" in question was a small pamphlet issued by a certain section of the waterside workers at the time of the election of the officers of their union. Mr. R. M. Moody, for the defendants, contended that to "disperse" meant to "scatter broadcast.'' The pamphlets in question were handed only to waterside workers—the

only interested persons. If that was to scatter broadcast, and an offence, he maintained. then anyone who sent out invitations to a wedding or a pardon party was also committing an offence, unless such invitations bore the printer's name. which they never did. Counsel also handed to the magistrate the Law Society's report which, he -said, had been dispersed to the members of the society, but which did rot bear on <t the printer's name and address. In reserving his decision on the point, Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M, said that it eeerued rather unfair that the defendants should be penalised for the printer's mistake, especially as the minimum penaltv was £5. *

The takings at the hobson Street baths up to January 12 amounted to. £449 18s, including season tickets, a dairy = average of over £12. On four occasions the day's takings, exclusive of season tickets, ranged from £18 16s 6d to £20 17s Id.

The request of. the Auckland Anniversary Regatta Committee for a donation in aid of the funds . for its annual carnival, the surplus from which is to be added to the Belgian Relief Fund, raised a protest from Mr. R. Tudehope when it came before the City Council last night. He considered the council would be making a mistake if it continued its practice of donating £20 to the committee's funds. The council was too liberal with other people's money, and, in any case, many of the members of the council were giving to the funds in their private capacities. His amendment to the Mayor's proposal to give the usual £20 was seconded by Mr. P. M. Mackay, but was lost when put to the meeting. The original proposal was carried.

It is stated by Colonel Holgate, managing director of the Northern Coal Company, that the directors have not yet come to any decision in regard to the closing of the new mine at Hikurangi, although they certainly contemplated such a course of action. The company had been considering for some time past the installation of an electrical power plant in this mine, and they had also, for 12 months past, been opening up a new mine at Kiripaka. The latter mine was nearing completion, and the directors were considering the advisability of commencing operations there. It was incorrect to. say that the Limestone Island fire was the reason for closing down the new Hikurangi mine, as the whole demand for the works on the island would not materially affect the total output of the company.

It was reported at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Education Board that the Minister had authorised a grant for the acquisition of an additional area as an addition to the Newton East school site. The board's solicitors have been instructed to take the necessary steps to acquire the land under the Public Works Act.

An object of considerable interest, in the form of a German helmet from the battlefield of Ypres, will be- on view in the window of Messrs. Smeeton, Limited, to-day. The helmet was worn by a member of the first regiment of the Kaiser's Potsdam Guards, and was captured as a trophy by Sergeant Safferty, of the Fourth Middlesex Regiment, familiarly known as the "Old Die-hards."

The dairying district of Waiuku has long been a favoured one, and the decision to lin* it up with the railwaySystem further enhances its possibilities. The nest step in the order of progress will be the erection of a new butter factory, for which the New Zealand Dairy Association is now inviting tenders. When finished, the factory promises to be one of the largest and most complete in the Dominion. Alternative tenders for the erection of the building in concrete and wood are invited. Mr. H. E. Pacey, general manager of the association, states that the proposed factory will overlook' the Waiuku Estuary, and will be built upon an ideal site which offers unusual advantages in the way of water supply and drainage facilities. The floor space of the factory will comprise nearly 10,000 square feet, in addition to a substantial power block which will be detached from the main building.

The appeal of the National Committee of the Young Men's Christian Association for funds to establish and maintain their work among the New Zealand troops in Egypt has met with the following response:—John Court, Ltd., £10; W. E. Bush, £1 Is; sundry amounts, 14s 6d; total, £11 15s 6d.