LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15951, 23 June 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A request for J comforts for tho men of the' Philomel ! has teerimado by the commander, •; Captain < Hall-Thompson, and the Auckland , Women's ' Navy Relief ' Fund Committee, working under the auspices of the Auckland , branch of the. Navy League, has made itself responsible for the supply of socks and mufflers and other desired articles. 1 Already, the committee has practically arranged for the supply of the whole of the required comforts.

Tho work of renovating the Barstow Home, Epsom, in preparation for its equipment as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers, was commenced yesterday. The home is situated in Domett Avenue, near the comer of Manukau Road, and it is tho property of the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Accommodation will be provided for 40 convalescents, and it is anticipated that the homo will bo restored to first-class order in a few days' | time.

A decision was given by Mr. Justice Hosking yesterday in regard to tho application for divorce made by Amy Adelaide Garner against William Frederick Garner. His Honor granted a decree absolute, and gave tho custody of the childto. the petitioner. The respondent, who is serving a long.sentence ■of imprisonment, applied for access to the child, but» His Honor held that it would be time enough to consider the matter when ho came out of gaol. At the hearing Mr. W. R. Tuck, instructed by Mr. J. F. Hosking, appeared for petitioner.

' The threo local golf clubs, Auckland, Maungakiekie and Waitemata, in response to an invitation issued by the New Zealand Golf Association, will take part on Saturday in the Dominion medal handicap, promoted by the Wellington professionals, Jas. Watt and E. S. Douglas, in aid of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. The clubs of the Dominion have taken up the matter, and the entrance fee of one shilling each from both ladies and men will be handed over to the fund without deduction. The ladies of the three local clubs will play their medal rounds to-day on their respective courses.

The necessity for further police supervision of the wharves at night was mentioned by Mr. G. R. Hutchinson at yesterday's meeting of the Harbour Board. He said the wharves were frequented nightly by drunken men, who seemed to go there to evade the police. He himself had prevented one intoxicated Man from falling into the harbour on the previous night. These undesirables often left the wharves in a, dirty condition. Mr. W. Wallace endorsed bis colleague's remarks and the chairman, Mr. H. D. Heather, undertook to have the matter attended to.

A few minutes before the North Auckland express was due to leave the Auckland station yesterday morning, a woman who was seated in one of the; carriages gave birth to a child. Railway officials and others did all that was possible for the mother's comfort during the time which necessarily elapsed before a nurse, who had' been '] telephoned for, arrived upon the scene. The carriage - was detached from the train, and remained at the.platform until ' the. mother ) and •' child i were removed , to the v hospital. ■'(;. Both are reported to be progressing' satisfactorily.

: An arrangement has been provisionally made by the committee of the ■ Auckland Automobile■> Association to . provide clubrooms for the members 'of the association. by , securing for them the' use of the Pacific, Club's premises. This• plan will be j submitted ;; to the { annual ~ meeting, of, the. association on 4 Tuesday evening. | A memorandum by the committee, which has been circulated among the members',' states that the committee resolved on October 8, 1912, that, upon the' membership reaching 300, steps : should , taken to obtain a club-house. > As the membership of the association is now v nearly 400, the committee has recently ' taken the- question into consideration. ■ In < view of -the' serious financial difficulty in the way of acquiring and furnishing <•; premises,' the ' committed submits a proposal that,' upon j. payment to,the Pacific Club of the sum of £200 per annum, the members of the association will be given full use of the Pacific Club rooms. The report states;' that, '; if .the tea levy, is allowed to remain as at present, the benefit of these club-rooms can. 1 be obtained without any increase in the annual subscription. '.-"■ It is suggested that the arrangement should be for 12 months, at the end of which time the conditions will'; be - reviewed."*;' Z~ "C ; lr"* v ' : ! ■/-*;* '. f,v

The Patriotic Sports Carnival Association wrote to the Harbour Board yesterday requesting it to grant the free /us©' of'one of the sheds on Queen's "Wharf' on the night of : July '3 next, 0 for '.the : purpose 'of, getting ready the vehicles to take part in a procession . to r . be .; held, on i that : night. The traffic manager ,-. reported that the Queen's Wharf shed's might be fairly fully taxed,' but ;\ that'' shed ) No. 7, Northern Wharf, could be used, i It was agreed to place"the latter,shed at the disposal of the association,': and further, to give the firms lending j their vehicles ) for the occasion a remission of half-'a-day's storage fees. The use of the same shed, it was agreed, should, ~ if available, ho,granted to the Women's Navy Relief Fund for its flower carnival on. December 10 and 11. Another decision arrived at as the outcome of war conditions was to place the machinery in the Calliope Dock at the disposal of the Government..

■ The following prisoners will come before Mr. Justice Hosking, to-morrow ■ for' sentence:— Patrick Williams, breaking, entering, and theft, Auckland; Komene Eaire and Joe Mawino, breaking, entering, end theft, two charges, Kaikohe; Clifton James McCormack, arson, To Aroha. - ..

"Work in connection with Myers" Park is being pushed on as much.as possible," stated ' tho Mayor, Mr. J. H. Uunson, yesterday, "and the formation of the children's playing ground and other work is well advanced." Mr. Gunson mentioned that the plans ,of the ' kindergarten and school for backward children, to bo erected in the park, had been forwarded to him by Mr. A. M. Myers, M.P. The whole of the cost of this building, which was most up-to-date throughout, was being defrayed by Mr. Myers. The plans, which were now before, a special committee of the council for consideration, had already been approved by the Auckland Kindergarten Association and the Auckland Education Board. In a covering letter, Mr. Myers stated that any further suggestions which j the council might care to make in regard I to the building, would have his most care- I ful consideration.

|. The Devonport Council is endeavouring to secure the lease of the Presbyterian ( manse in Vauxhall Road, with the object of presenting it to the Government as a hospital for wounded 'soldiers.'. At the meeting of the council, held last night, the Mayor,' Mr. A. M. Pickford, reported that Mr/- J. Henderson had been negotiating in the matter; on behalf of the , council. l The building was at ; present unoccupied. It was' agreed •■ that Mr., Henderson' should continue his efforts to obtain the building for the purpose mentioned. ( ■<■; .,.

o The Auckland Weekly News, issued to-day,\ is ,an _ exceptionally " interesting number;*' for 'it •<. contains very' fine photographs of ; members of the New Zealand and Australian- forces, taken in the firing lino at the Dardanelles. The frontispiece of issue is bound to attract considerable attention'. It was taken on } the western shore of - the Gallipoli Peninsula, where the Now Zealanders and Australians landed on April 25, in the face of a terrible fire from, a strongly-entrenched enemy. The picture features the rendering of first-aid to a wounded New Zealandeiv In the distance appear two warships and a transport. An admirable idea of the steep, and difficult country our troops had to traverse under a, hot fire, can be gained from .the photograph. Another picture shows the colonial troops at the top of a ridge,, making their way ta the fighting line under shrapnel fire, while other photographs depict the bursting of shrapnel in the air. In the same issue the portraits of 216 New Zealanders, who have fought and fell for the Empire, are produced. The number also contains many other features of general interest, including the latest European war pictures, a, photograph of the funeral of the late' Lieutenant W. G. C. Gladstone, M.P., leaving the grounds of Hawarden Castle, pictures of the King's ■ Birthday celebrations at Samoa, and many other subjects. J Some account of the work in which he is now engaged has been given by Lieu-tenant-Colonel G. Gore Gillon, of Auckland, tin a letter to Mr. A. M. Myers, M.P. Advice was recently received that shortly after his arrival in London Mr. Gillon had been appointed LieutenantColonel in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and attached for duty to the Queen Alexandra Military Hospital, Milbank, S.W. Colonel Gillon writes that he has charge of the Queen Alexandra ward, with supervision of the King Edward ward, and that he is second in command on the surgical side, Lieutenant-Colonel Pilcher, D.5.0., being in command. There are between thirty and forty R.A.M.C officers on duty at the hospital. Ever since his appointment, Colonel Gillon states," he has been busy operating on wounded soldiers sent across from the firing-Ine. His hospital is the headquarters of the R.A.M.C He concludes his letter by expressing,-.his pleasure at being able to serve his King and country in this manner.

• In recognition of the "conspicuous bravery and great perseverance" displayed by Master Jack Preston in saving two boys from drowning at Preston's Beach, Point ChevaJer, on January 12, a gold watch will bo presented to him at a concert in the Point Chevalier Public Hall on Friday evening. The concert" is" being organised for the benefit of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund, and during the eveilng the presentation will be made'on' behalf of the subscribers by Mr. W. Forrest, chairman of the Point Chevalier Koad Board. ~ '.''-' -•--■' ■' ':■..■'' '■

Residents of Stanley Bay are seeking to form a new recreation ground .on the western side of wharf -at" .that ■; suburb. Owners of the riparian righto, affected had agreed to surrender them, but the land has to be vested in the Devonport Borough Council as a Domain Board;/'The •matter' having been recently/brought/before i the council, that body has applied to the Harbour Board, asking •it to "receive a. deputation on the subject.,,-" At yesterday's meeting of' the board 'it was decided to receive a,deputation at the meeting of the board in committee, on Tuesday/ next.

''■ Probate in -the } estates of the following i deceased persons was < granted.by : Sir. Jus-. tice Hosking yesterday if-Samuel'Marsde'n Baker : (Mr. Hodge), John Hortoh (Mr. Thome), John : William HaU (Mr. Miller), Michael. Lahiff (Mr. ..Wilson), John Macdonald (Mr., ■ Gribbin). ''. '■■■. Letters vof -i ad- ; ministra'Acirwere granted in the following cases:—Helen , Fair Lamb ■ (Mr. v Durham), Hector Kandal Howard Kerr Taylor (Mr. Gribbin).

Complaint regarding the condition of the Great South Koad in Manurewa has been conveyed to the. Mahukau County: Council by a.petition from owners of- properties with frontages 'on the, thoroughfare. They declare that, between the Station Koad and the? Public Hall the road ,is; in a, disgraceful condition. .The petition was read at a special meeting of the council yesterday morning, and ' instructions were given: to the foreman to' investigate the,. complaint, and to report to the next meeting of the council. . ' •

I A new development in.;.the / raising iof patriotic : funds .':• is ••;, the proposal of. the Mayor of Wellington to convene a conference of Mayors of all towns in New Zealand, 1 and' chairmen of, patriotic committees, to 'determine if there shall be one national • war relief fund or several provincial funds. '. "We have-not received any intimation on this matter," the Mayor, Mr.- J. H. Gunson,'• stated'.yesterday/ "While we are willing to : co-operate to the fullest possible extent,'yet as a mat--tor of principle Auckland in the .'past has* stood for provincial administration^ 4 , of these funds. The matter of Auckland's representation at the proposed conference will receivo consideration '"'■ as'_";' soon-■ as official intimation comes to hand.", '"Vj-Vj

| "It is very foolish indeed; for neigh< i bouts to quarrel over.. these things," ve' i marked Mr. C. C. Kettle, B.M| at the i Magistrate's Court yesterday, ■when he had settled a dispute regarding the' payment of the cost of a dividing fence. "Itonly creates bad feeling. This matter is only. a trifling thing. People 'often; prefer to spend pounds and „ pounds rather than meet together in an -\ amicable ; spirit, i Well," he concluded, '.' this Court, is open' to everybody. If people like to make it a ' luxury to come here they, may do so." "•

; Co-operative labour employed on railway works 'with which the Province of Auckland is concerned, during the month of April, was as follows:—Kaihu railway extension, 112; Kawakawa-Hokiauga, 27;-Whangaroi-North Island Main Trunk, 293;' North Auckland Main Trunk-Kaiwaka Northwards, . 280.; ■ Huntly-Awaroa, 125 Waiuku Branch, 102; Waihi-Tauranga, 100; Maunganui-Taneatua, 384; GisbornoMotu, 54; Napier-Glsborne, north end 233, south end 1; Stratford-Main Trunk, east end 149, west end 221 ; Ractihi-Main Trunk, 181; Opunake branch, 70. Total North Island, 2332; total South ■ Island, 635; grand total, 2967.

i The police desire to communicate with any eye-witnesses of the accident which occurred' at the corner of f Hobson . and Wellesley Streets about 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, when a, small boy was knocked down by a motor-car. It is stated that the car was travelling on tho wrong side of the road -'at the time, and was without. lights. . In addition, it is alleged that after running over the boy the driver of the car .failed to stop.

.. A poll is to be taken in the Northcote council chambers to-day on.the post office site question. The hours of polling will be from 9 a.m. till 7 p.m. 4

. The Russell girl 'scouts have succeeded in providing a substantial sum 0 money for/war purposes. The scoutmistress, Miss G. M. Holt, has forwarded to the Herald two cheques, each for £16 12s lid. One is to be added'to the Hospital Ship' Fund arid the other to the Belgian Fund, ..." "