AUCKLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2051, 15 June 1893, Page 21

AUCKLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Auckland, June 9. THE STUDENTS OF TRUTH. The scandal caused by the revelations concerning the leaders of the " Students of Troth" scot at Christchuroh has created a good deal of interest in Auckland. There is a branch of the "Students of Truth " organisation in' Auckland, it havicg been established shortly after the tour of A. B. Worthington, of Chri&tchurcb, in this city. The branch has a little office in premises in Shoitland street, above the Auckland Club, and here Eervices are held on Sundays and lectures are given on Sunday evenings. Literature relating to the dogmas peculiar to the denomination is also sold. A number of Auckland citizens joined the Students of Truth. The name of the eect was painted on the window of the "sf udents' " office in Shortland street, but this rnornicg for some reason or other it was seen to be washed over and erased. FOREIGNERS ON THE GUMFIELDS. So far the evidence taken by the Gumfields Commission ■goes to show that the Auntrians are all industrious and sober, but owing to keeping together in communities speaking their own language and maintaining tluir own customs, aie cot likely to be considered desirable settlers. The Hon. E. Mitchshoa gave evidence to-day. He said he had not seen much personally of the but tbe storekeeper and others who had come in contact with them spoke in terms of the highest praise of their industry acd law-abiding habits. Ilia brothers stated that the average cost of living for the Ausirians was 9s to 12* each per man per w*ek. Hs had been informed that upon their arrival in the colony they wero not very flush of money, and being strongly averse to getting into deot, they lived very frugally until such time as they sold their first quantity of guru, after which they lived just as well as any Britisher. They were not as good customers, however, to the botelkeepers. Witness's own impression of Austiians was that they were not a desirable class, inasmuch as that they came without their wives and families, this being an evidence supporting the theory that they did not come to settle peimauently. All the witnesses were of opinion an export duty would have to be paid practically by the "gum diggers, and a rise in price would bring Zanzibar and Manila gum into competition. THE LIB SEAL PLATFORM. The Star, though the Liberal organ, cannot swallow the v/hole programme published by the Liberal Association. The "planks" it objects to are an elective Governor ; abolition of the Legislative Council; State banksof issue (if it means a Sate bank pure and simple) ; State ownership of mines, gum fields, and steam coast service ; protection of seamen (if it means the captain to be controlled by the crew) ; and don-ownership of land by absentees after five yeara' absence from the colony. The editor goes on to say :— " The 17 articles ia the urcgraniffle of the Liberal Association arenot'likely to become lav/ in this calony in a hurry, and we fear unless some of the bad ones be abandoned that those which are undoubtedly good will be placed in unnecessary peril. We have thought it our duty to warn, in plain language, our friends of the Liberal Association of rocks ahead in the course they propose with regard to schemes which we have selected from their programme, which would be dangerous if they were not too chimerical to be adopted by the great body of the Labour party." THE GRAND JURY. Some controversy having arisen out of the late glove-fight case at the Supreme Court as to how the grand jury list is now compiled, Mr Brewer, the sheriff, states that out of the common jury of 3700 names he had only been able to select 391, whose qualifications would comply with the first provision of the act of 1880, which says : " That the sheriff shall select from the jury list all men who shall be classified as • esquires, gentlemen, merchants, managers of banks, civil engineers, and architects.' " But the act sail?, furthermore, that he should add "..uch obher persons whose names appear on such lists as shall be known to him to be of the bast condition." Acting on this clause he selected other names which he thought to be those of the " best condition." A BREACn OF PROMISE AUCTION. In the Supreme Court to-day, in Catherine Henderson v. William Thomas Smith, a claim for LSOO for breach of promise to marry, ths defendant admitted the breach of promise, but contested the amount of damage. Tre evidence showed that defendant was getting 8s per day as a fireman on the railway. He was et gaged to the plaintiff, but only saw her occs after wards, in consequence of her removing out of the district. His last letter to her expressed his affection and gave no intirnaiitn of a ch'-Kge in his feelings, and some time passed without further correspondence. The plaintiff then wrote asking if defendant wanted the ring returned, and receiving no rep.v, engaged a solicitor, who demanded an explanation. The defendant thereupon wrote to the plaintiff stating that absence had caused a loss of fondness, and begged her to ac 1 ; nobly and not to take proceedings. The defendant had married another woman prior to the action being taken. Defendant's solicitor offered L2O; plaintiff's solicitor asksd LIOO, and LlO 10a costs. Defendant wrote stating that the engagement was not broken in consequence of the misbehaviour of the plaintiff, but that he considered he was not good enough for her. Piaintiff deposed that she was 19 years of age, and had suffered severely from disappointment. Her father and mother corroborated this. Regarding his means, defendant stated that his wages were 8 s per day, wi^h occasional overtime ; bad paid L 3 per month towards the support of an aged father and mother ; and had saved L 35, of which L 25 had been expended in furnishing his houso. Judge Oonolly a3ked the jury not to give outrageous damages or damages insulticg to the plaintiff. The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff for LSO. Costs were allowed on the lowest scale. June 12. STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. The residence of Mr George Harper, at Mount Eden, had a narrow escape of destruction on Saturday afternoon. During a heavy thunderstorm, the full forca of the el -:ctrio current struok a pine adjoining the 1 house. The bark of the tree was stripped

circm'tously from the top to the bottom, and even the roots were bared. Two other pine trees were also damaged, in consequence of a wire clothes line connecting them with the tree first struck. The bark was stripped down to the earth from where the wire encircled each tree. The wire was all twisted up and fused at the end. The trees were also split. In one instance tho electric current followed tho tree root and burnt it up clo^e to the front door, throwing some earth on the verandah. Apparently the fluid then passed up on either the water or the gaspipe, and muat have been attracted by the metal at the keyhole of the front door, as the lock was shattered and the door thrown open. At the same time the woodwork was injured, and tho house seemed full of sulphurous vapour. Thirty-three panes of glass were broken in the windows, t\\*i lights in the hall windows wtre broken, the gasfitting was disarranged, and several globes were broken. One peculiar feature was that glass from the broken window was thrown outside. Pieces of bark from trees were also found inside the house, one being 2ft in length and 9in in width. A smaller puce was found in one of the' bed.'. Yesterday Mr Harper's home presented the appearanse of having stood a siege, the windows all being fixed up with sacks. Panes of glass in the adjoining houses of Measrd Ball and Stevens were also broken — probably the resulc of concussion.