LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18174, 21 August 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

An outbreak of fire occurred in a twostoreved apartment house in Hobsori Street about 9.30 o'clock last night, but was subdued before practically any damage was done, by tbe promptitude of Constable Cotter. The constable, who was on duty in the vicinity, was accosted by a man looking for a fire-alarm box: He gave the alarm and t. sin hastened to th© _ house, his entrance oeing considerably hindered by the fact that the inmates were making a hurried exit. In an upstairs room the constable found th© window blind in flames and the wallpaper burning. He tore down the blind and threw it into the street and the outbreak was extinguished when the fire brigade arrived. The wall of the room was somewhat charred. A false alarm had been received by tbe brigade about the aune time as the call from Hobson Street, a box at the comer of Grafton Road and Khyber Pass having been broken. Very strict effect was given by the Chinese Government to the law forbidding opium smoking, stated Mr. Ma Hsaio Chin, a member of the National Assembly of China, who is visiting Auckland. Severe punishment followed detection of the offence, up to one arid two vears' imprisonment, and the ponce had the right of search. These severe measures had produced a great dimmution in the practice of the vice, to tne great physical and moral benefit of millions of Chinese. Moreover, no opium smokeir was entitled to a vote under the Chinese Constitution, even although he possessed the other necessary qualifications. Mr. Ma added that opium was sold freely under a British Government monopoly at Hongkong, the great entrepot opposite Canton. Th© Main Trunk express which left for Wellington last evening was a fairly heavy train. It consisted of 12 ordinary passenger carriages and two sleeping cars. One carriage was reserved tor the Hamilton High* School football team and its supporters. There were about 400 people on the train. Considerable building activity is being at present displayed in the vicinity of the Dominion Road tram terminus. n sections vacant as late as a week or wo ago, new blocks of shops are being erected. A, school and . presbytery is shortly to bo built on Dominion Raid. It is said that it will not be long before the business area at the terminus is linked up with the shops furthest beyond the terminus. An extensive building programme is shortly to be .undertaken on Mount Eden Road. Undefended divorce cases will be taken at the Supreme Court at 10 o'clock this morning. Mr. Justice Stringer will preside. The three men charged with having stolen the auxiliary yacht Raata, Alfred Thomas Henry Westlake, Thomas Henry Butler, and Leslie Manning Burke, will appear at the Police Court to-day. The men appeared before the Court on Tuesday and were remanded, bail not being applied for. The proceedings to-day are expected: to be merely formal, as the prosecution will apply for a further remand. Extensive improvements, aiming tit the beautifying of Mount Eden, are shortly to be put in hand. A committee vras recently appointed by the Mount Eden Borough Council to the work. Speciallv-selected trees are to be planted in avenues, commencing at the base and rising to the peak. It has also been suggested that a tea kiosk be erected at the top of the mountain, thus adding to its attractiveness. . . The somewhat neglected state of the small shelter shed at the entrance to Purewa . Cemetery, as well as of the notice board exhorting visitors to "have respect for the graves of the dead," has been the subject of unfavourable comment by recent visitors to this "God's Acre." the shelter shed, it is stated, has become rather dilapidated; on one side of the interior half the seat is The notice board is said to bo badly in J** 6 *** of repainting and relettering. In these respects Purewa is said to compare rather unfavourably with some of the other cemeteries of Auckland. The Pacific Cable Board has received advice that the French cable between Bundaberg. Queensland, and New Caledonia has broken in deep water, about 80 miles from the Australian coast". The board's steamer Iris, which has just completed repairing a break in the Eastern Extension Company's cable between Sydney and Wellington, and was to have returned to Auckland, has been ordered to proceed direct from Wellington to Bundaberg. Counterfeit half-crowns and florins are still in circulation in Auckland, .and people are advised to carefully scrutinise coins of the denomination mentioned that may be tendered to them. Hie spurious coins, which are excellent imitations of the genuine ones, were first noticed in Auckland about four months ago. Apparently they are from the same plant as those that were described in th© Herald early in July. The half-crowns are dated 1921, and the florins 1919. The city police authorities utate that few complaints have been received by them regarding the counterfeits, but they are aware the coins are in circulation. Some coins that were brought to them for inspection were found bo genuine, but owing to being slightly cracked they would not give the true ririg when tested. The fact that freemasonry id an established institution in China is not generally known, but evidence that the ramifications of the Chinese Masonic Society extend even to Auckland is given by the arrival On Saturday of five members of a mission t<J the brotherhood in this, city, two coming from China, one from Sydney, and two from Wellington. The Chinese order has its lodges in every country and clime, and m Auckland there is established in Grey Street a meeting place for members. Some 40 or 50 of these assembled last evening at a dinner given to the . visitors, the repast being laid out in true Chinese style, and was furbished by. a plentiful supply of cigars and cigarettes. Apparently the gathering was mainly of a festive nature, judging by the broad smiles on every face, and proceedings were not so serious as to exclude the presence of children, who romped about very happily. The amendment made by the Local Bills Committee in the Bill which provides for the raising of money to enlarge the Auckland abattoirs was explained by the Mayor on Saturday. Mr. Gunson said the Bill as drafted provided for the raising of £30,000, the estimated cost of the work, but as legislative authority for borrowing £7000 was obtained last year, it was not necessary to obtain further authority beyond £23,000. The committee's amendment had been made by arrangement with the City Council. , The Mayor added that the loan would not involve any increase in the rates, as interest charges as well as working expenses were covered by the abattoir fees. The details of the proposed extensions would be arranged by the Markets Committee in conference with the Master Butchers' Association after th® passing of the Bill. A sad case came before the Magistrate's Court at Dunedin- A man who had rendered good * service during the war pleaded guilty to theft. He had a wife and four ohildren, and was unable to procure employment. His family were starving, and in order to bis food for them he purloined articles to a' value of £1, sold them to a secondhand dealer, and obtained bread. Tbe defendant. was convicted, and ordered to refund 10s, tbe amount, he received from the second-hand dealer..' > .■ "7 :' '■ i ; 'Msl'l