LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16265, 26 June 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The mail steamer Makura is expected to arrive from Vancouver via way ports at seven o'clock this morning. She is carrying 103 passengers and a pood deal of cargo, and will berth at the Queen's Wharf. The liner is also bringing an English and American mail, comprising 166 bags for Auckland, 214 bags for Wellington, and 209 bags for elsewhere. The Makura sails for Sydney at 7 p.m. to-day.

There were stirring scenes at the Auckland railway station on Saturday night when 523 soldiers who have been enjoying their final leave in the city returned by special train to the camp at Featherston. All the jnen were in excellent spirits. The soldiers were the recipients of all kinds of good things bought by those dear to them, and .numerous other gifts were handed them as they marched down the platform to the train. As the latter drew out punctual to time at fifty minutes past eight o'clock the cheering of the large crowd was essentially British in its enthusiasm. Captain Summerville was in charge of the men, and others were to be picked up on the way to Marton.

I A launch, owned by Mr. G. Rumble, of Jubilee Avenue, Devonport, was totally destroyed by fire early on Saturday morning near the North Head. Shortly before 3 a.m. the captain of the ferry boat Kawau heard an explosion, and looking in the direction of the Defence Wharf at Devonport saw a large fire. The Devonport Fire Brigade was summoned, and men from Fort Cautley also turned out, but nothing could be done to save the vessel, which was destroyed and sunk. The owner was on board on Friday, and did some cooking, but he can assign no reason for the outbreak. The launch, which was practically a new one, was insured for £350.

Two small boys, aged nine and ten years respectively, were charged before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., in the Juvenile Offenders' Court on Saturday with stealing a watch and with attempting to steal money from a till. They were also charged with not being under proper control. The lads admitted the offences, and were committed to the Weraroa Training Farm.

A recipient of several trophies at the Auckland Rowing Club's prize-giving ceremony on Saturday evening, who was undoubtedly eligible for active service, felt called upon to explain why he was not at 'the front fighting for his ■ country. He said he was a member of that branch of the Public Service which was maintained to keep law and order, and he had not yet been able to get the necessary permission to join the expeditionary force. One of his brothers had made the greatsacrifice at Gallipoli, another had returned to the Dominion wounded, and a third was now fighting "somewhere" in France. He hoped to eventually get permission to enlist, and in the meantime was keeping himself physically fit by indulging in athletic exercises.

J A Rugby football " college day" was held at Eden Parle on Saturday, when in spite of the cold and showery weather over 3000 people were present. The attractions for the day were the alwayspopular King's College-Grammar School match and the meeting for the first time this season of the University and Grammar School Old Boys' teams, the undefeated leaders in the Auckland Rugby Union's first grade championship. The Grammar School team had a comparatively easy win, but the first grade match, after a clever and exciting game, ended in a draw, each side scoring six points. Although the ground was heavy the game was open and fast, and the play showed that the war conditions have not spoiled Rugby from a spectator's pcint of view.

In reply to Mr. W. ; A. Vcitch in the House of Representatives, the. Minister for Railways said he proposed to keep up engine building in the Dominion to the level of last year, provided the necessary material could be obtained. He had no intention of importing any more engines at present. He was quite satisfied with the American engine. The Department was keeping up the supply of locally-built engines, of which it had 48 in hand at present.

The Morrinsville Chamber of Commerce has received advice that the Government has acquired 2600 acres of the Kereone Block at Kiwitahi for closer settlement. The land is all improved, is loaded, arid is close to the Kiwitahi station.

The 'easy way in which stolen goods can be disposed of was demonstrated in the Juvenile Offenders' Court on Saturday, when a boy, 15j years of age, was before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., on eight charges of theft. According to Chief-Detective McMahon, the lad, who was a member of the Salvation Army and the boy scouts, had purloined goods valued at about £30 from members of each organisation, and had disposed of them to a second-hand dealer at prices considerably under their 11 alue. Though the boy looked over 16 years of age, and had given the dealer a fictitious name, it was remarkable that the latter had not suspected the goods to have been stolen. Tho boy had led his father to believe he was working, whereas lie was doing nothing, and he had taken the money received for stolen property home as his wages. On the application of the probation officer, who detailed extenuating circumstances, the boy was formally committed to the Weraroa Training l<arm, with a recommendation that ho be admitted to probation.

The system of selling Id special relief tickets on the electric cars has proved such a success, in connection with the various patriotic funds raised in Auckland that it is to be introduced in connection with the Sailors' Relief Fund. Tho tickets will be sold on all cars to-day, and in this way the travelling public wiil have the opportunity of contributing a substantial sum on behalf of the naval men and their dependants.

The trial of the prophet '■ Rua enters this morning on the fifteenth day in the Auckland Supreme Court. The case has already broken the Auckland record for length of hearing, which was held by an alleged benzine stealing case a few years ago, when 11 days were occupied. The defence in the Rua case has some 30 witnesses in all, many of them being natives, and as enly three of these have been taken it must be well into July before the end arrives. Counsels for the accused is expected to take up two days in addressing the jury, the Crown Prosecutor win require one day at least, and the summing up of His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman will follow. Even when the Rua case is over there are five other natives to be tried for alleged complicity in the events at Maungapohatu, and as these men are to be dealt with separately there will be a decided Maori atmosphere in the Supreme Court for some time to come.

A petition in bankruptcy has been filed with the official assignee by William James Sneller, of Shortland Street, restaurant-keeper. The first meeting of creditors will be held on Thursday next.

Notice was given in the House of Representatives on Friday last by Mr. J. Payne (Grey Lynn) to ask the Minister for Public Works "Whether he will inquire into matters complained of in connection with the Main Trunk line construction works at Mangapai, where, a correspondent points out, preferential treatment is being meted out to Austrians in the matter of payment for work being done?" The member alleged that it was asserted that where a British gang were being paid for a certain work only Is 9d a yard, they had to abandon it because they could not make it pay, but Austrians taking the same job over received 2s 3d a yard.

We have a way of dealing with cases here that the prisoners do not usually like," remarked His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman in the Auckland Supreme Court on Saturday in the case of a native named Tai Hekora., aged 23 years, charged with forgery in connection with a Post Office bank-book. The accused said he would like his case to be dealt with at once, as he desired to get back to camp as early as possible. His Honor stated that there were difficulties in disposing of the case', and the accused will now take his chance. Hekora was undergoing a term of probation of two years, which commenced on June 26, 1914. It is . alleged that he secured a Post Office bank-book, cut out the name of the depositor, and substituted his. own. The amount to the depositor's credit was ss, which was changed to £500 15s.

In a resolution passed by the committee of the Churches of Christ in Auckland, which has been forwarded to the Prime Minister, surprise is expressed that there is a likelihood of no action being taken with regard to the question of six o'clock closing. The committee contends that the keeping of open bars is in direct opposition to the Prime Minister's recommendation to the people of the Dominion to economise. In view of the fact that one-tenth of the population of New Zealand has requested by petition the closing of hotel's at six o'clock it claims to be entitled to a "fair deal."

A native witness irr the Rua case in the Auckland Supreme Court on Saturday spoke of having bought a mere from a Jewish pedlar for £10. The mere was made by the Maoris and sold to the pedlar, who in turn disposed of it as stated. His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman, who was obviously aware of the value of the mere, enquired if those gentlemen were in the habit of selling things at onethird of their value. "I do not know what schemes these men may have in their heads," the witness replied, appearing to be content that he had secured a bargain. The fact remains that the Maoris purchase such goods made by their own race, but the most striking feature is that the usually astute pedlars do not seem to realise the true value of the articles.

A resident of Black's Point, Reefton, Mr. Charles Porter, was admitted to the hospital on Saturday morning suffering from severely bruised feet. The injuries were sustained through Mr. Porter accidentally falling while crossing Hobson Street on Friday afternoon, the wheel of a passing vehicle going over both feet.

In the course of the Rua trial in the Supreme Court on Saturday it transpired that the followers of the " prophet" are known as Iharaira, or " The Children of Israel." The petition sent to the Prime Minister, in which it was stated that "a gun would be fired if Rua was punished again for the same offences," was, a native witness stated, signed for the whole of Israel, meaning the followers of Rua. "We are all religions down there," the witness added. " and have been under the banner of Iharaira for the last 10 years."

"I want to be excused," said a man who had been called to serve on a jury during the recent Supreme Court sittings at New Plymouth. " I owe a man £5 that I borrowed, and, as he is leaving for England to-day for some years, I want to catch him before he gets to the boat and pay him." "You are* excused said the judge, in icy tones, " I do not want anybody on the jury who can lie like that."

A rather unusual claim for expenses was made by a complainant in the Dunedin Juvenile Court a few days ago. When asked if he claimed expenses, he said he wished to be paid for the loss of two music lessons as the result of injuries received to his bead through a shot from an air-gun tired by another boy. The magistrate, Mr. H. Y. Wlddowsoti, S.M., allowed expenses to the extent of 10s 6d.