LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17593, 5 October 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The following weather forecast was issued by Mr. Clement L. Wragge at eight o'clock last evening:—The nucleus of the high pressure system has made southing, and now operates in' the South Island, while the isobaric slopes thereupon cover the country between Stewart Island and the Auckland Province. A tropical low pressure rules the North Auckland Peninsula, however, while the Antarctic disturbance Dethal is situated south-west from the Manukau. Thus generally fair to fine weather should obtain for a short time longer over most parts of the country south from the Manukau and Auckland, while overcast and unsettled conditions, should prevail in North Auckland, with some passing rain. Winds from between south and east-south-east, later veering north-east, north, north-west. Bough seas north from (risborhe. Fourteen Chinese arrived from Sydney yesterday by the Riverina. Of these 13 applied for admission into the Dominion, and -were allowed to land here. The remaining Chinese was not in possession of the amount of the poll tax, £100, and did not apply to be put through the education test. The money, however, is expected to be forthcoming to-day, and on payment being tendered the usual application for admission into the Dominion will be made by the newcomer.- The total number of Chinese who have landed here since the beginning of the year is now 664. The Atua, which arrived from Suva yesterday, carried four Hindoo, bound for Sydney. The spec : trains run from Auckland to Avondale on Satudray, in connection with the Avondale Jockey Club's Spring Meeting, carried a total of 4100 passengers. Tickets issued at the city station totalled 2700. at Newmarket 700, and a similar number at Mount Eden. During the two days of the meeting, Wednesday and Saturday, 7600 racegoers travelled on the special trains.

A dismissal service was held at St. Matthew's Church yesterday morning in connection with the departure of the Mission steamer Southern Cross for Melanesia this afternoon. The service was conducted by the bishop's commissary, Archdeacon G. Mac Murray, who delivered an address, followed by a formal dismissal of the missionaries about to take up work in the Islands. Special prayers were offered for the Melanesian Mission, and the service concluded with the administration or Holy Communion. The missionaries who are leaving bv the Southern Cross are the Rev. T. W. Law, and Miss Williams. "The Rev. R. P. Wilson is going on the steamer as chaplain. The lack of electric lighting facilities in the Supreme Court building was demonstrated last evening in the concluding stages of the waterside workers' libel case. The jury retired shortly after five o'clock, and had to carry on its deliberations with the aid of four candles. In the courtroom itself three electric radiators, three kerosene lamps, and two candles were used to dispel the gloom. The Auckland Prices Investigation Tribunal yesterday received a number of complaints, alleging overcharging by retail ♦radesmen in respect to bread, boots, shoes,' and plumbers' goods. Other charges received alleged that certain wholesale houses were asking excessive prices for woollen goods. The tribunal' will proceed to Rotorua on Saturday, and will hold a sitting there on Monday for the purpose of taking evidence regarding the price charged for meat. A tour of inspection of the city street works will be made by the Works Committee of the City Council to-day. The Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, stated yesterday that progress on a number of the works had been considerably,, hampered by the continued shortage of material. The chairman of the committee, Mr. G. Baildon, the city engineer, had been investigating the matter, with . the object of accelerating progress, particularly in regard to the concrete paving work. Eight cases of. pneumonic influenza were notified to th» district health officer during the week ended at noon yesterday, sompared with 14 cases during the previ-' ius week. Th#, cases were distributed as Follows-Suburbs 2. Clevedon 1, Thames I, Rotorua 3, Waitomo'l. A married man, Mr. George Thomas Florence, admitted to the Auckland Hospital yesterday suffering from a dislocated right knee. Mr. Florence was leaving his residence in Grey Street at 6.30 p.m., when he slipped on the footpath. J

A further grant of £1051 for school building purposes at Tauranga has been approved by the Cabinet, this sum being necessary to bring a previous grant up to the lowest tender.

Another compulsory classification course for officers of the territorial and reserve forces ; and non-commissioned officers above the rank of corporal will be held at the Narrow Neck military hospital grounds from Monday, October 18, to Saturday, October 23. The camp will be under the command of Lieut.-Colonel J. E. Duigan, chief staff officer for the Auckland military district. A considerably larger number of men will be in camp than was the case with the similar camp held last month, 30 names having been already handed in to headquarters. A further effort is to be made shortly to raise the hulk Selwyn Craig, which sank at Chelsea during a gale on October 6, 1919. A diver from Port Chalmers has been engaged by the Union Company, owners of the hulk, and on his arrival in Auckland operations will be commenced. I

A number of Rotorua residents, European and Maori, are taking steps to test the question of the admission of the public to the Pukeroa Reserve as a matter of right, and not as a concession, by bringing a case before the Supreme Court. A number of applications under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act were considered by the North Auckland Land Board during the latter part of last week. The cases included 72 applications for grants to purchase or erect houses, 35 applications for money to purchase farms, and 26 for advances for improvements to land.

For shooting grey duck in a close season, a resident of Mokau was fined £3 and ordered to pay £3 9 costs, at the New Plymouth Police Court. Replying to the magistrate, Sub-Inspector Hutton said the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, in whose district the area was, was being troubled with a good deal of poaching, and asked for substantial penalties in these cases. The magistrate intimated that in ordinary circumstances the penalty would be £5, but in*view of the amount of costs in this instance the fine would be limited.

The inquiry into the circumstances which led to the resignation of DetectiveSergeant Mason from the police force is to be opened at Wellington on October 6. Mr. Justice Stringer will preside. The largest individual cheque for surplus wool profits is not known, but it may be safely assumed that the smallest is the one just received by Mr. J. A. Leslie of Blenheim. The * amount i s 7d' the payment, which is in the form of a trovernment imprest account cheque, was forwarded with the intimation that it covered "your proportion of the Imperial Governments profits on wool handled through our store during the seasons 1917-18 and 1918-19," and with other information of a formal nature, including the advice that this addition to the recipient's wealth is free from income taxMr. Leslies wool output consisted of the fleece of a pet lamb, which a friend with a talent for shearing suggested should be turned to account in the interests of the Dominion's staple industry. The clip realised 13s 4d. It is Mr. Leslie's intention to devote the whole of his surplus profits to the seamen's fund.