LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16317, 25 August 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Information was received by the Auck- ] land police yesterday from the constable at Papakura, to the effect that Henry Casaubon, 83 years od age. had been found dead in a hut at Drury. The old man lived alone, and had apparently been dead for two or three days when the body was discovered. An inquest is to be held. Cable advice received by the local office of the Huddart-Parker Company states that the steamer Westralia left Sydney at 6 p.m. on Wednesday for Auckland direct. She is bringing 47 passengers for New Zealand, and has 1600 tons of cargo for discharge here. The Westralia is expected to reach port early on Monday morning, and will - sail on Tuesday afternoon for East Coast and Southern ports.

With only a week to elapse before, the end of the period, the rainfall record for the month of August bids fair to be eclipsed. The record for this month - was set in 1870, when 10.56 in was recorded, and this monthup to 9 a.m. yesterday 9.42 in had been registered by the official observer, Mr. F. A. F. Burnett. The average fall for August over a period of 63 years is 4.13 in.

Rough weather has prevailed on the west coast for several days past and heavy seas have been breaking over the Manukau Bar. The Aupouri was delayed inside the heads from Tuesday until yesterday morning, while the Rosamond, bound for Greymouth, and the Arapawa, for Wanganui, were unable to cross until yesterday morning. Stormy weather still prevails on the east coast. The Monowai, from Southern ports, encountered a strong south-westerly gale after passing the East Cape on Wednesday night. Her progress was considerably retarded, and she consequently did not arrive at Auckland until 6 p.m. yesterday, about four hours late.

The Auckland Acclimatisation Society recently asked the City Council if it would have any objection to the city reservoirs at Nihotupu being stocked with rainbow trout. If not, they were prepared to supply the fish at an early date. The matter was referred to the waterworks engineer, who reported to the council last night. He stated that he did not think it desirable to put trout in the dam, as it would .attract fishermen; also that if trout died in sufficient numbers it would injure the supply. The matter "was referred to the Public Services Committee.

The cheapness of fish in Auckland is attracting attention in Wellington. There the municipal fish market has not been a success. The Post says it has not paid for itself, and whether it has cheapened fish is at least doubtful. "In some quarters," proceeds the Post, "it is thought that Wellington should imitate Auckland and go in for fish-trawling. In other quarters the view is held that Auckland has far better trawling waters than Wellington, and that Wellington, instead of buying a trawler, would do better ,to urge the Railway Department to improve the railway transit, in speed and in cool storage, so that Wellington might draw easily on Auckland's cheap fish supply."

A visit wns paid to the Soldiers' Club yesterday afternoon by General Sir A. Robin, officer commanding the New Zestland Forces, and Colonel Patterson, officer commanding the Auckland district. They were received by the chairman, Mr. A. G. Lunn, and made a thorough inspection of the whole club. On leaving the club the general expressed his gratification that the. returned, boys in Auckland had such excellent premises, so thoroughly well equipped for the purpose of rest, recreation and amusement.

A presentation from the boy scouts of New Zealand to the boy scouts of France, in the shape of a French tricolour flag and a casket, is now being exhibited in a Queen Street window. The flag, which has the coat of arms of the City of Paris worked on it, was made in Auckland, and was put up to auction in His Majesty's Theatre on Tricolour Day. It was then sold and resold several times, with the result that over £400 was raised towards the French Red Cross Fund. The boy scout organisation secured it finally and several embellishments have been added to it. These include a staff, 10ft long, made from New Zealand honeysuckle and surmounted by a greenstone orb three inches in diameter. The orb in turn is surmounted by a casting representing a French Imperial Eagle, with wings outstretched, made from New Zealand metal and gilt with New Zealand gold. The casket, which is made of rimu, is 6ft long, 12in wide and lOin deep, and has a blue arched top. There is a silver plate inside the lid with the inscription, " Presented by the boy scouts of New Zealand to the boy scouts of France as a token of comradeship, 1916." Both the casket and [ the eagle were presented to the scouts by Christchurch firms. The flag is attached to the staff by two silken ropes with tassels. The gift, which has already been exhibited in the South, will ultimately be despatched to the Governor, who will forward it to France.

A question as to the truth or otherwise of the statement that the City Council has sent an expert to Australia to purchase another trawler, was asked by Mr. H. N. Bagnall last night at the meeting of the council. In reply, the Mayor, Mr. •I. 11. Gunson, said that such was the case, and lie proceeded to explain that this course was taken in the best interests of the council and all concerned. Had it been possible to buy the trawler in New Zealand this would have been done. The council's expert had. however, visited various other parts of the Dominion and inspected all the vessels which were for sale. He had returned and reported that none of them was suitable. In Auckland also several vessels had been inspected, with the same result. Every vessel that was for sale either in this city or elsewhere in the Dominion had been examined and reported upon. As a last resource the council had sent- its buyer to Australia to secure the trawler. A boy named Gordon Kidd, 12 years of age, residing at 70, Customs Street West, was admitted to the hospital yesterday afternoon suffering from a broken leg. The injury was the result of a fall while i having a friendly wrestling contest with I another boy attending the Nelson Street school. It is reported from Wellington that the Auckland-owned three-masted scow Arrah-na-Pogue, which has been engaged in carrying timber from Greymouth to Wellington for some time past, is to be sold. It is understood that the vessel will come to Auckland shortly for inspection by prospective local buyers. The Arrah-na-Pogue is the largest sailing vessel now registered at Auckland. She left Wellington on Tuesday for Hokianga to load timber for Auckland.

The responsibility incurred by permitting men with large families to proceed to the front has been recognised by the Defence Department, and circulars will be issued to-day to all married men over 25 who have volunteered notifying them that if they have over three children they will not be allowed to proceed to camp. Exceptions will be made only in cases bearing special circumstances.

In order to ascertain their position in view of the possible compulsory enrolment

of men of military age. a number of Auckland, employers are obtaining complete returns of the men on their staffs who are liable to service. Active steps in that direction are in progress just now in connection with tho Auckland Gas Company and the Auckland Tramways Company.

In the celebration of Labour Day this year it is intended to dispense with the usual street demonstration and substitute a children's fete in the Domain. One feature of the proceedings there will be addresses by Labour members of Parliament, and also by Mr. F. Anstey, a Labour member of the Commonwealth Parliament. Auckland is not to bo without a memento of the celebrated racehorse Carbine. At a meeting of the Auckland Racing t Club Committee yesterday afternoon, the following letter was read from the Duke of Portland to the secretary of the club, Mr. J. F. Hartland :— The skin of Carbine is at present in the hands of Messrs. Rowland Ward, Ltd., the taxidermists, of Piccadilly, London, undergoing the processes necessary for its preservation. As Carbine was bora in New Zealand, it has occurred to me that it would be fitting that his skin should be deposited in the land of his birth, and I think that perhaps the best course I could take would be to ask you, as secretary of the Auckland Racing Club, to receive it, and then present it to the Auckland Museum. I should be much obliged if you would kindly let me know whether this course would be agreeable to you. It is quite probable that the skin will not - be sent while the war continues, but I write now, so that everything may be in order when 1 the time comes for its transmission." It is interesting to recall that the Duke of Portland purchased Carbine ' from the trustees of the estate of the late Mr. D. S. Wallace for 13,000 guineas. The powers conferred on magistrates by one of the provisions of the regulations recently gazetted under the Imprisonment for Debt Limitation Act, 1908, were exercised by Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., in the .Magistrate's Court yesterday. The Act requires that a creditor, before proceeding against a debtor under a judgment summons, must be satisfied that since the date of the judgment the debtor has had sufficient money to pay the debt after providing reasonable maintenance for himself and his family. In the event of this provision not being complied with the magistrate may exercise his discretion and order costs to the defendant. Two creditors applied for judgment yesterday in connection with debts amounting to £1 14s lid and £4 12s respectively. The debtors were examined, and maintained their in-

ability to pay. The magistrate remarked that creditors should take more care in ascertaining the financial positions of debtors before proceeding against them. He dismissed the applications and ordered costs to the defendants.

•' I have been looking over the mortality tables," remarked His Honor Sir. Justice Cooper in the Supreme Court yesterday, "and find that a man 90 years old who is hale and hearty may look forward with some degree of certainty to three more years of life." It had been stated by a witness in a case that the plaintiff, a nonogenarian had before meeting with a motor-car accident been expected to live until he was 106 years old.

An announcement in the Gazette states that a Domain Board has been appointed to administer a Crown lands area of 117 acres, situated in the Birkenhead Borough. The reserve has a deep-water frontage, with sheltered, sandy bays. The first meeting of the board, which consists of Mr. H. M. Skeet, commissioner of Crown lands, Sir. J. H. Gunson, Mayor of Auckland, Mr. H. D. Heather, chairman of the Harbour Board, Mr. M. Laing, chairman of the Waitemata County Council, and Mr. J. P. McPhail, Mayor of Birkenhead, | will be held on September 8.

Two men, required to make up deficiencies in the Auckland quota for the Samoan garrison, ■will go into training at Narrow Neck on September 4, prior to proceeding to Samoa.

The postal authorities advise that the steamer Westralia, -which is due at Auckland on Monday morning from Sydney, ; s bringing 144 bags of English mails and 62 bags of Australian mails for this district. This mail will probably be delivered in the city and suburbs on Monday afternoon.

A very successful afternoon in aid of the Girls' Friendly Society Lodge funds was given on Wednesday to the associate members of the Auckland diocese by the associates of the St. Matthew's branch. The Rev. W. E. Gillam presided, and in the course of an interesting address spoke of the good work being carried on at the lodge and the urgent need of financial support at the present time. So successful was this appeal that the sum of £7 •was taken up at the meeting, and a further sum of £90 was guaranteed by the ladies present.

A number of very successful entertainments in connection with the Navy League's campaign have been held in Auckland recently, and the financial returns of these were received yesterday by the hon. treasurer, Mr. A. F. MacKay. Four entertainments were given, the total returns of which amount to £354 5s 9d. The most successful concert was that given by the Bohemian Orchestra, which resulted in- the sum of £125 12s sd, while the concert organised by Mr. Barry Coney and Miss Wyman added £116 6s 6d to the fund. In addition to these, a performance of " The Geisha" was given, which brought in £68, and an entertainment at the Lyric Theatre resulted in the addition of £44 6s 8d to the amount in hand. The organising of these entertainments entailed a large omit of work on the part of the promoters, and the financial success attained is therefore very gratifying to those who undertook the work. Speaking of his experience of Chinese as employees, alt. C. x.. D. TisdaD, of the British and Foreign Bibie Societv, at the annual meeting of the North Island branch of the China Inland Mission last night, said Chinese were employed by his society in Singapore as book-keepers. He declared that the Chinese were the finest book-keepers in the world. Not a figure would be out of place, the writing would be copper-plate, and the whole work would be perfect. A gift to the Servian Relief Fund is at present on view in a window in Queen Street. It is a collection of trinkets, forwarded anonymously to the secretary, Mr. G. L. Scansie, manifestly by a woman, probably a resident in one of the Waikato towns. The articles consist of a silver and gunmetal watch, two gold rings, set with a topaz and an amethyst, respectively, a gold brooch, a pair of ear-rings, set with topazes and amethysts, a bracelet, a gold cross hung on a necklet, a tiepin, and a pair of silver sleevelinks. In forwarding the package the sender wrote: — I am sending by this mail a registered packet containing my trinkets. I have no money I can subscribe to help, bui thought that perhaps you might bo able to sell these. They are all very precious gifts from my own beloved people, but I do co want to help." It has not yet been decided how the gift shall be utilised.