LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16561, 9 June 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP.

bt iiEßcnrao. The interest, attaching .to Auckland's meteorological records has been heightened rP-;'-:: during the past few months by the pub- ;;•;.. lication of the details of several record "&/_;■ ;■ rainfalls. Very few ' countries possess %£'■■ unbroken weather records for so long a f period as Auckland. Observations have been taken in this city continuously for ;.'V. about 6-1 years past. They wore comV.> menced in 1853 by Lieutenant T. R. • Mould, 8.E., who carried on the work for ;§i-; . 38 years. The original records, it is beK; lieved, are still preserved. Mr. T. Kirk $..,-. father of Professor Kirk, of Victoria Uni-' £'.- : versify College, Wellington, and of Mr. |;;V . T. W. Kirk, of the Department of Agri- ;';. culture, continued the observations from 1871 to 1873. Mr. E. B. Dickson took jap .:;';.' the work in 1874, and continued it until :;.','. the end of 1882. Mr. T. F. Cheesenun ;. , assumed the duties in January, 1883, and v'.' : ;' fulfilled them for 33 years. He was suct;... ceeded in January, 1916, by Mr. F. A. F. ;•;>. „' Burnett, of the Auckland staff of the Post ~v ; and Telegraph Department.

Mr. Cheeseman's long service of 33 years was surpassed by the late Mr. H. I. Jones, of Wanganui, who kept records of the weather there for nearly 60 years. From this fact, and tho fact that observers in England have established even longer records, it may be judged that the study ...,-of meteorological conditions, like that of other sciences, has its attractive features, , despite the fact that it entails close at- ." tention to a prescribed routine. This . routine involves about a dozen observations and readings every day, to say nothing of tho numerous calculations that are made from them. It has been stated that one well-known English philosopher loft I his life thorugh getting wet whilst -ead u ing his rain guage. This fortunately is not a frequent occurrence, as observers :„ usually enjoy long life. -'' A well-known New Zealander has been ■tte victim of the "gross exaggeration" of which Mark Twain complained when ,; his death was prematurely recorded. Some English, papers recently announced a the death of Mr. J. W. Salmond, the New | Zealand Solicitor-General, and -paid high (j tribute to bis legal work. The mistake Jj; arose through the misreading of a cableMi gram announcing the death of Mr. J. W. ft Salmond'a' father, Professor Salmond, of - Otago University, a man whose name and ■works were as widely known in New Zeac. ? land as those of his distinguished son. v ; The Americans say that money talks. Pln Auckland it appears to grow. The ;'Auckland Racing Club's totalisator receipts for the season show a jump since } the season just before the war oi £72,750. i For every £20 risked in the year 1913-14 'f £23 has been risked this year. Some i- people have a theory that if you put a pound eight times through the totalisator % it Disappears. Others assert that it can ■.':■. be made to disappear at the first action. % The figures seem to dispute both contenitions. At any rate, if the money is not growing in the totalisator it must be growing about Auckland. Eace trains have ceased, but the " tote " moves more merily than ever. It would- be rash to predict that even the threatened curtailment of race days will stop the upward f£ march. The machine can do double time. Ha • ■ . -- so • ■ - .. ff The reputation which Maori soldiers have won in the battlefields of Gallipoli and France baa evidently not been so folly "appreciated in some parts of the : world as it deserves. European soldiers from New Zealand describe incidents of the voyage to England, in which the treatment of their Maori comrades at a V certain port of call has roused general indignation. They state that the white citizens of this town made the mistake of classing Maoris under the contemptuous heading of "niggers," obviously forget- >> ting that in this' war dark-skinned ;A; soldiers have fought as gallantly as any other subjects of the King, and have ft won a new. claim to respect and admira- ■:■:. tion. Yet at this port of call Maori sol-, ;:": diers were refused attendance in res- ;-.•; taurants, and suffered other indignities . merely on account of their colour, and in -ore instance it was only-when' the Mayor . intervened that the soldiers were able to ; obtain a meal. Pw ' ..- ~~1/' ■h The supercilious attitude of some troops 1 which joined a New Zealand transport at V this town also caused friction, until the ;;: officers interposed and told the men that Maori soldiers were deserving of the same ; honour that wfiuld be accorded to others wearing the King's uniform. The-story has a happy ending—the Maoris per- .". formed their hakas during the voyage, ~ • and by them completely won the goodwill 3K of their new comrades.

1 — : vV. It seems strange that, after a score and Wore reinforcement contingents have | sailed from New Zealand, departing soldiers should not be fully informed of the | accessories with which they should provide themselves for the voyage.. A Wel- | lington soldier has written home to cay : ! : that salt-water soap is not supplied on •',the. transports, and the men apparently : l ;Bever think of laying in a store. Art ■; Auckland soldier's letter confirms this (/ advice. He adds that another essential C_ •; provision is a pair of boots without nails, lne deck shoes issued are not adequate protection against the wet decks, and the men are not allowed to wear the ordinary military boots with their reinforcement of nails. A soldier who does not take a pair of civilian boots has laboriously :!> to extract the nails from his regulation ! ;> footwear.

':?vAn example of the insidious methods | by which eympathisers with Germany are •foil striving to create dissension among •he people of the Entente allies is con- - wined in tho gratuitous advice from the .■(Aew York American to Britain " to bring J the colonial commonwealths to a realisai\;tion of their duty," by bringing conscription into operation. The whole world ;-. applauds the spirit displayed by American ;?: statesmen in adopting conscription, but jt people who have followed the couree of Vytho war with intelligent interest will not nave much sympathy with the views of g the Hearst newspaper in ite implication, y that the British colonies have net done '0 their duty in the warever tince the || fateful August three years ago. Apart 'from other considerations, New Zealand wrought conscription into operation eight ;■:• ■months ago, being the first to follow the H example of Britain, as it was also the m •first of the Overseas Dominions to offer assistance in aimed men. Canada is fol- ■ lowing the example of Britain and New | Zealand in forming a national Cabinet, and in adopting conscription; India has ; » measure of compulsory service in opera- . tion; Newfoundland proposes to'enforce *tilistmenls to maintain its gallant regim ment in France. Australia may yet learn joe j wißdom of the actions of her sister I dominions. At any rate, the British Dominions do not need the assistance of a • pro-German newspaper in learning their .duty "to' the Empire. Australia, without conscription, has seat 7 per cent, of her gjomjlaGooi Canada, afc least 5 pa cent**