LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16678, 24 October 1917, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The establishment of Church schools in the diocese was the subject of a notice of motion given at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Anglican Diocesan Synod. The motion read as follows :—" That the synod being convinced that the lack of any provision for the religious instruction of the young in the national system of education is a fatal blot, and seeing that our best endeavours to introduce any change has failed, wo are of opinion that the time has arrived for the establishment of Church schools throughout the diocese; and that with a view of giving effect to the foregoing an association of churchmen be formed, to be known as the Auckland Diocesan Church Schools' Association, and that the following be appointed to prepare a constitution and to report to the Bishop and Standing Committee as early as possible Canons Tisdall and Williams, the Rev. E. H. Strong, and Messrs. C J. Tunis, H. P. Kissling, D. Hav, and the mover, the Rev. W. C. Wood." The Main Trunk express, ' which left Auckland last night, was longer than usual. It was composed of twsjve ordinary coaches, one sleeper, and two luggage vans. Five of the coaches were nut or. for the accommodation of trw CI men proceeding to the special camp. The news that the sailings of passenger steamers between Australia a*"d New Zealand have been resumed will be a relief to a large number of intending travellers. It is reported that when the strike was declared " off" some weeks ago, 600 people desirous of visiting New Zea-1 land look out passports at Sydney. In i New Zealand, it is stated, "800 people have booked passages for the first steamers leaving the Dominion for Australia. i

The creation of a diocesan insurance fund to provide against loss by fire in churches, chapels, schools, and vicarages, including furniture, was the subject of a bill read a second time at the Anglican Synod last evening. The bill provides that the Clerical Pensions Board of the Dioceses of Auckland, Waiapu, and Melanesia shall be given power to add to the scope of its operations by establishing a j branch to be known as a fire insurance branch, and also be empowered to formulate regulations for the conduct and main-1 tenance of the fund. The bill was in the ! hands of Mr. C. Hudson, who quoted in- ', stances showing that other dioceses and other denominations had established fire insurance funds with eminently satisfactory _ results. The bill passed "its second reading without amendment, and will come up for the third reading to-day. The case in •which Gunner Christopher C. Clements and his brother-in-law, Mr. Herbert E. McEntee, are charged with assaulting the Rev. Howard Elliott was further adjourned in the Police Court yes-1 terday until next Wednesday.

The annual meeting of the Auckland Railways League will be held at the Chamber of Commerce, at 2.30 p.m. to-' day. The president of the league, Mr. J. H. Gunson, will preside. The subscribers to the league and all interested in the progress of railway construction in the Auckland district are invited to attend. A good record of Sunday-school "work was announced at the Sunday-school "rally" in the Town Hall last night, when Mrs. T. G. Carr, of the Mount Eden

Methodist Church, was presented with a diploma, after 50 years service as a Sunday-school teacher. In making the presentation, Mr. J. Burtui said ho remembered being associated with Mrs. Canin the Pitt Street Methodist Sundayschool thirty years ago. Mrs. Can- was loudly applauded when receiving the diploma. A suggestion that financial assistance' should be given for the purpose of restoring the grave of the Rev. H. M. Ruarangi was made at the Auckland Anglican Synod last evening by Anhdeacon H. A. Hawkins. The archdeacon said the Maori clergyman had died the death of a martyr after nursing in a noble and self-sacrificing manner victims of smallpox in the Wai | kato. He had been buried beside the rail- ' way line at Hopuhopn, and grass was now growing unchecked over his grave It was proposed to erect a tablet setting forth the facts of his death. " The clause in the War Legislation Bill, ' which makes it an offence for persona to solicit or receive contributions for a war fund without securing a permit, relates to newspapers as well as to individual' states the Hon. G. W. Russell. In the case of existing funds it is not necessary to do more than secure a permit from the local Mayer or superintendent of police, ■but before a new fund can be opened the authority of the Minister for Internal Affairs must be obtained. The Minister states that the new clause was aimed at miscellaneous oersons and concerns appealing for war funds, the proceeds being largely eaten up in- expenses, i

A splendid full-page portrait of Sir Douglas Haig, the British Commander-in-Chief, is published in to-day's issue of the Auckland Weekly News, and will, no doubt, cause a more than usually strong demand for the paper. An excellent variety of other illustrations appears, including a striking page 'of snapshots of the Red Cross carnival in Auckland last Friday. Among the war pictures a close view of the country in Flanders, where a bombardment is in progress, is represented, while other subjects deal with different phases of the operations on the western and Italian fronts. Many will bo interested in a fine photograph showing wounded New Zealand officers taking part in a sports meeting in London. The steamer Opouri lying a hopeless wreck on the coast at Greymouth forms the subject of two fine illustrations, while the doublepage of the issue contains views of many of the bridges in the North Island of New Zealand. Other interesting New Zealand views also appear. A statement regarding the causes of his failure has been filed at the official assignee's office by George Henry Lee, carter, of Hamilton, who has been adjudicated bankrupt. Bankrupt stated that he was married nine years ago, and had four children by his first wife. Three of these were living. His waees had averaged from £2 10s to £3 for the last six years, and at present they were £2 18s a week. Owing to domestic troubles, he had been involved in an expenditure of over £100. His total liabilities now amounted to £126 3s lid, and he possessed nothing but his furniture, worth about £30. He ascribed his position solely to domestic troubl'3, and said he had been forced to file through pressure by creditors. The first meeting of creditors will be held at Hamilton on Monday nest.

Owing to the boilermakers' dispute taking longer to consider than was anticipated, the sitting of a Conciliation Council in the trawlers' dispute, which was to have commenced this morning, has been postponed until 2.15 p.m. to-day. A committee was appointed by the Auckland Diocesan Synod yesterday to

consider the alterations in the book of Common Prayer, and the desirability of their adoption in New Zealand: also, the desirability of other changes in the book of Common Prayer, in view of existing New Zealand conditions. The Rev. A. Nield, at whose suggestion the committee was set up, stated that the book of Common Prayer was insufficient for presentday needs. The most successful part of the book was the service of the Holy Communion. The Litany was very nearly obsolete, and the order for morning and evening service was of very little assistance. Soon, instead of having one Common Prayer book, there would be a thousand private ones. Judgment was given by Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday in the case in which Milburn and Co., land agents, Shortland Street (Mr. Richmond), claimed to recover from

Francis T. Meyer, farmer, Auckland (Mr. Johnston), the sum of £150 as commission or. the exchange of a farm at Litchfield. The defence was that the authority to act given to the plaintiffs did not comply with section 13 of the Land Agents Act, also that it was not disclosed by the plaintiffs that they had arranged to be paid a commission by the other party to the exchange. And, further, that the plaintiff had not obtained the execution by the parties of a binding contract. After traversing tho evidence at length, the magistrate gave judgment for the plaintiff for the amount claimed. Whales are reported to have frequented the waters near Rarotonga in greater numbers this year thin formerly. Five haw been killed and landed during the past two months. One exceeded in size any previ-' ously caught, being about 60ft long. It made a great fight for its life and for that of its calf. One boat was smashed completely and two others damaged. Tho narpooner was badly cut by the blade of an oar which the whale struck from the' hands of one of the rowers. A bill providing for an alteration of the boundaries of the parish of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Khyber Pass, was discussed by the Auckland Diocesan Synod yesterday. It is proposed that the boundaries be amended so as to exclude the district of St. George's, Kingsland, which is to be created a parochial district. The bill was read a second time, and will be finally dealt with to-day. Proposals for a closer investigation of all claims for exemption from service have been made by the Rodney Chamber of Commerce. It considers that owing to the absence of local knowledge, the service boards and the military representatives are often unable to estimate accurately the grounds upon which exemption is sought. The chamber has therefore suggested to the Minister for Defence that the grounds should be stated in all notices of appeal, and that at the hearing only those grounds 6hould be considered. It proposes that these notices should be referred for investigation to the local police, defence authorities and local authorities.

An alternative scheme in lieu of sending gifts in kind to the front under the Dominion gift parcel scheme is contained in a letter recently received from a soldier in France. He >s against the despatch of monetary contributions, and says: "I know the receipt of parcels I among some of the units has not been I altogether satisfactory, loss in transport j and breakages contributing a great deal I towards the shortages. On paper the j sending of money sounds very good. I I consider a good idea would bo to keep ! the collected money until after the war, ', and then donate it to disabled and partlydisabled men to help give them a fresh start. The parcels have always been appreciated, but when the cost of sending them is reckoned up it. seems to me the money could be put to better use. People in New Zealand will find plenty of outI lots for surplus cash by the time everything is finished." A monument is to b« erected at Rarotonga in memory of all residents of the Cook Islands who have served in the war.

I The decision of the Minister for Public Works, the Hon. W. Fraser, to reinstate ' the co-operative system in connection with the tunnels on the North Auckland : Main Trunk Railway is endorsed in a telegram sent yesterday to the Minister by the chairman of the Auckland Railways I League. False alarms were received at the Parnell and Remuera fire stations last evening. Five false alarms have been received by various city and suburban stations within the last four days.

Several friends of the late Captain Edward (Peter 1 Harris, of Geraldine. who was killed in action, have subscribed I a sum of over £700 to found a memorial I scholarship to be tcr.abl? at Christ's College. The primary purpose of the scholarship is to help (a) sons of soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, . who have fallen or suffered in the war; (b) sons of members of the New Zealand ' Expeditionary Force who have been on active service: (c) sons of members of the various forces of the British Empire who have served during the present war; (dl sons of members of any New Zealand naval or military forces: (e) near relatives of any of the above classes. I 'Hie total amount in hand as the result 'of last Friday's appeal in Auckland on behalf of the Red Cross Fund is now £6534. The following sums were received yesterday:—Through the hon. organiser, from i various sources, £160 Is 6d; Victoria League, £71 3s lOd; Mayoress of Newmarket, £58 8s 9d; Women's National Reserve, £34 3s 9d; Auckland Hospital nurses, £31 0s 4d;' Women's Christian Temperance Union, £26 9s 9d; Swiss Chalet, £12 13s 9d; Merer Guild, £7 12s Id; Y.M.C.A. dug-out, £6. In regard to the proposed new war regulations the National Efficiency Board has expressed the opinion that the Government should have the power to prevent money being invested in picture shows till the war is over. The Government is asking for power to make regulations for that i purpose, I