AUCKLAND NOTES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8419, 19 January 1899, Page 4

AUCKLAND NOTES.

Typhoid fever is on the increase in Auckland and suburbs, there being at the present time no less than eighteen cases under treatment at the hospital.

The Whangarei police, it is stated, are bringing on several cases of alleged slygrog selling, which will be heard at the Pehce Court next week.

The Newton Borough Council are still in difficulties over the new name of their borough. At the last meeting, at the suggestion of the postal authorities, the Council decided to alter the new name for the borough from Grey lynn to Grey Lynn (two words). It is to be hoped that the Council has found rest at last, and that the new name will suit all parlies. As H.M.S. Taur.uiga was leaving Auckland for Gisborne on Monday last, when passing the Queen street and Railway wharves, the ship's drum and life band played a number of lively airs, including " Auld Lang Syne" and " The Girl I Left Behind me." Considering the reason of the warship's departure from Auckland, the latter number might more appropriately have been substituted for " Where are the boys of the Old Brigade, who've fought with us side by side." The return of bankruptcies in Auckland only for the year ending December 31st, 1898, amounted to 71, against (iS in 1897, and 46 in IS9G. The total assets in the estates for ISDB were .-CI/,'247, and the liabilities £30,030. The amount of assets realised by the official assignee in 1808 for the amounts estimated totalled £10,77^! 2s 9d.

A careful watcli was kept on Monday at Lake Takapuna for Uic body of the late Mr Tracey Hall, as it was tho thirteenth day since he was dtowned in the lake, and it was hoped that the body would by that date float. However, the expectations were disappointed. The friends of the deceased contemplate approaching the local authorities with a view of obtaining permission to put upon a rook formation on the margin of the lake, near where the accident occurred, fl. memorial stone or column as a mark of respect to Mr Hall's memory. Particulars to hand with regard to the death by burning oE the Native child Taumata, at Taupiri last week, show that the deceased child and another infant were sleeping in a tent, when just before daylight Te Rahiki, a Native who was sleeping in the same apartment., was awakened by the noise and light, and on getting up found the tent in flames. He endeavored to get the children out, but before he could do fo, they fell from his grasp. In a second attempt he succeeded in getting them out. The elder child, Taumata, was so badly burned, that it succumbed to its injuries in half-an-hour. The other child uas also injured severely, but is recovering. Te Rahiki assigns the probable origin of the fire to a lighted candle being left in the tent in which the children were sleeping.

The labor market seems to be in an -improved condition, and there are very few callers at the Labor Bureau. In the Waikato, and some of the districts around Auckland, farm labor especially, is said to be scarce. It is said that for the next month or two many of the farmers will be glad to give employment to casual labor. Great regret was expressed in town on Saturday, Bays the Auckland Hera'd, at the letter from Captain Browne, of H.M.S. Tauranga, to His Worship the Mayor, containing tho statement that the Royalist and Tauranga are shortly to leave our port, and that their departure is owing to the number of desertions that have taken place, and the failure of the police to apprehend the deserters. We presume, from the terms of Captain Browne's letter, that the desertions are greater here than at other ports, and that he considers our police are more lux in malting arrests. When vessels lie for a considerable time at one port, many of the sailors naturally make acquaintances amongst the population, and they desire to stay. Their acquaintances aid them to get away, and to remain in concealment. We do not know whether the police here are to blame. It has to be said that bush work is to be bad in many parts of the province, and that it is difficult for the police to keep the run of all those who are working in the bushes or on the gumfields. But the subject should be carefully inquired into, and, if necessary, the Government should specially strengthen the police force in this province to check desertion.

It is the intention of the Exhibition Committee to have an " Old Identities' Day" at the Exhibition, so as to bring them together again and make an attractive day for them. The idea is to prepare a list of old identities, and to invite them specially on one particular day. At a meeting of the Temperance Convention of the Auckland Prohibition Council, the Rev. Dr Hosking, in quoting passages in which "wine" is referred to in the Bible, mentioned one about bishops. He added : — " If there are any Anglicans present I would like them to remember what lam poing to say now. If the rest of the bishops of the Church of England were like some of their curates, they are a drunken lot. We have not a thousand miles from Auckland clergymen of the Church of England who are picked up drunk and carried home by their parishioners." Dr Hosking said further that these men were given another chance, and allowed to preach. If such a thing happened in a Methodist Church the minister would not be allowed to occupy a pulpit next. Sunday. He explained that he did not' wish it to be thought he was attacking the Analican Church. He was merely stating facts, and had no wish to attack creed or give offence to adherents of the Church of England. Further on in bis address Dr Hosking said — but not in connection with the above remarks — " It would be the grandest thing for the temperance cause if a few of us were put into gaol, because we would get this hall filled when we came out again to address the public." He said they wanted a martyr or two to rouse public interest. Dr Hosking has been severely trounced by the press for his remarks as being unwarranted and unjustifiable.