AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 1, 5 January 1910, Page 5

AUCKLAND.

Garden Party at Mount Albert. Somewhere between 200 and 300 guests were entertained last week at a garden party at “Greystone Knowe,” Mount Albert, the residence of the Minister for Education (the Hon. G. Fowlds). A special train left Auckland at 2.30 p.m., and by the time it reached Mount Albert was packed. Those availing themselves of the invitation were afforded the opportunity of meeting the members of the Young Maori Party, in whose honour the reception was given. In the absence of the Hon. G. Fowhjs, who was compelled to return to Wellington on Monday to attend the continued sitting of Parliament, the guests were received by Mrs. Fowlds and Mr. G. Fowlds, jun. The beautiful and secluded grounds of “Greystone Knowe” presented an animated appearance, thronged with people, and an excellent orchestra discoursed sweet music on the lawn throughout the afternoon. Afternoon tea was dispensed in a large marquee, and the function was in every way a most enjoyable success. During the afternoon the president of the Young Maori Party, Mr. A. Wilson, headmaster of St. Stephen’s Maori Boys’ College, was invited to address those present in regard to the aims of the party in question. Having given expression to the general regret felt at the Minister's absence, Mr. Wilson went on to outline the aims and objects of the Young Maori Party. These, he said, were simplicity itself, though frequently misunderstood and sometimes misrepresented. The greatest aim of all was to raise the Maori to the highest possible plane, and to bring out in him all that was truest and best. The rate of progress had been slow, and they sometimes felt discouraged. But they were going to persevere until the Maori had reached the summit they had in view. The party had no political side. They simply believed the Maori race was to form an

integral part of this Dominion, and if New Zealand was to rank amongst the nations of the world, it would be because its people had dealt out to the Maoris that consideration, sympathy and assistance which was necessary to bring about the result they were aiming to achieve. The secretary of the Young Maori Party, Dr. Buck, M.P. (Te Rangihiroa), also briefly addressed those present. He commenced with an incantation in the soft-tongued language of the Maori, as follows: — Piki mai; heke mai Homai te waiora kia au T tu tehua aria Te moe a te; kina ite po He ao! he ao! He awatea! Which, translated into English, means: Come hither, draw nigh. Bring unto me the living waters of life. Ah! Weary has been the rest of the aged at night. But now it is dawn! It is dawn! It ie light! The incantation, explained Dr. Buck, was used by the Maoris in expressing joy, and on such an occasion as this it could be well used. The Young Maori Party, which they were representing, was endeavouring to help the Maoris to reach the highest and best positions in life. It had to be remembered that to compare the natives of this country with themselves they would have to go back to the Stone Age. The Maoris of two generations back were on about tha same level as their European brethren were 2000 or 3000 years ago. They were happy enough before the white man came, but since the advent of the European the natives of New’ Zealand had had to assimilate, in the course of two generations, what the pakehus had taken 3000 years to come through. The Young Maori Party had had much to do, and if they could see some glimmering of success ahead they must be satisfied. What was most needed to bring about the desired end was education—broad, wide, liberal education. So they fouud the young Maoris who had received some education ccming forward to help the aims and objects of this party. They looked to the European for sympathy, that they might go on hand in hand, working out a mutual destiny in the young country; The party realised that in the avenues of education lay their greatest hope: education in matters of industry, publie health, and religion. The movement had its genesis in the Ta Aute College, and had now developed into a party, with two working sections in the North and South. Dr. Buck concluded by thanking the Hon. Mr. Fowlds and Mrs. Fowlds, and, with the aid of the Maori visitors present, gave the ringing Maori tribute of appreciation;— Ka mate, ka mate! Ka ora, ka ora! Ka mate, ka mate! Ka ora, ka ora! Tenei te tangata, puhuruhuru nana Nei i tiki mai i whakawhiti te ra Hupane. kaupane! Hupane, kaupane! Whiti te ra. Accidents and Fatalities. An accident, involving the loss of two lives, occurred near Stratford on Wednesday, the victims being Jessie Burgess, aged 21, and Ada Cheer, 16 years of age. It appears that the two girls were sitting on the bank of the Mangaehu river, near Toko-road, When both slipped, and being unable to recover a foothold, slid r:ght down into the river and were drowned. During the progress of a fire in Rotorua, on Tuesday, two firemen and a stranger went on the roof of a lean-to building. 'Die roof fell in. and the stranger, whose name was Grayson, was picked up dead with his neck broken. A fireman named Chilton had his leg broken, and suffered internal injuries, while the other fireman, named Leach. was internally injured, and is now confined to his bed. A number of suicides were recorded during the week. An Auckland jeweller, Frederick Gapes, and a dentist, William F. Butters, poisoned themselves with cyanide of potassium. A man named Biggs attempted snickle on his wife’s grave at Rotorua, but, though he shot a way a portion ot nis brain, he is likely to recover. Alexander Stewart, aged 79, shot himself near Dunedin last week. Kaihu-Waiiua Railway. Information has been received that the Government lias consented to a grant for extension of the Kaihu Waiina railway, and that £2500 has been passed on the Supplementary Estimates, though it is intimated that it will take £IO.OOO te

eomplete the desired connection. The work is one of i-onsiderable importance both to Dargaville and Kaihu, and will be the means of giving access to large timl>er forests stretching between Wailua and Hokianga. It is now hoped that the work will be undertaken with dispatch. The line will ’give access to large timber areas, ami. in addition to providing facilities for getting out timber, will also give a big impetus to settlement. Four Men Drowned. The Christmas season was marked by a •ad boating fatality; four young men having lost their lives on Sunday, by the • inking of a small boat off Kohimararaara The names of the ill-fated four were:— Darius I. Winter, aged 21 (Epsom-road) ; Hector Lovelock, aged 19 (Mt. Koskill), David Dawson Kell, aged 22, (Eden Terrace); Thomas Jenkins, aged 19 (Epsomroad). These young fellows and a brother of Winter proceeded to Kohimaramara on Friday with the intention of camping there. About seven a.m. on Sunday, when it may be remembered, a strong south-west wind was blowing, they put off from the beach in a small boat to try and catch some lish. They evidently did not know that a full gale was blowing ■when they left the lee of the land, but they were soon undeceived. As they began to feel the full force of the wind and the high sea that was running, they evidently became uneasy, and when about 250 yards off shore were observed to tnm the boat’s head round, probably intending to return. They were seen to drop anchor to prevent the boat drifting into Stormier water, and she immediately began to take in great quantities of water over the bow. Before they could make any attempt to ease the frail craft she filled and sank. The boat, on being relieved of her crew, turned bottom upwards, and all four were next seen clinging to the keel. Two of them attempted to swim to a vessel some distance away, but failed,- and all four sank before the eyes of a number of horrified spectators ashore and afloat. Attempts were made .to reach them, but failed owing to the stormy weather conditions and a rough ■ea. Registration of Births. A peculiar anomaly exists in connection with the Births and Deaths Registration Act (writes our Dargaville correspondent). It appears that there is no provision in the Births and Deaths Registration Act. 1908, for the registration of a birth after two years, eo that if a child is unregistered after that period nothing can be done to place him, or her, on the registration records, and to all intents and purposes the child, so far as the law is concerned, does not exist. The provisions generally as to registration, are that a birth may be registered -within sixty-two days, inclusive of tile date of birth. After sixty-two days, and within six months, a birth is registrable only after a declaration before; the Registrar, and' on payment of a fate fee of five shillings. .When six months have elapsed, a birth cannot be registered, except within one month after conviction of a responsible pereon for neglect. But information for •uch neglect must be laid within two years of date of birth. Recently, in the Northern Wairoa district,-- several parents, who had neglected to register the births of their children within the period prescribed, discovered that the only way by which the necessary registration could be effected was to go to the police station and ask that proceedings be taken against them for having failed to register, and by following this course the omission was rectified. As a rule, people like to keep away from the precincts of a. Police Court as far as possible, but in the case's under review, it was the only way open to make amends. After two years, however, as previously pointed out, them Is no provision whatever for registration. There is every reason to believe that hunurctis of back block settlers, who had no facility for registration during the time children were being born to them, have failed to comply with the law, and, as a result, whole families are unregistered, and likely to remain •o, no provision having been made for ■uch cases. Vital Statistics. The records of births, deaths, and marriages for the year-show that in Auckland at any rate the population has increased naturally at a greater rate than

during 1908. The returns for 1909 show that marriages and births have increased, and deaths decreased. Following are the totals for the year, those in parenthesis being the totals for 1908 Births, 2937 (2862); deaths, 1150 (1279); marriages, 1326 (1273). The figures for December, as compared with those • for the last month of 1908, are as follows: —Births, 266 (245); deaths, 118 (122); and marriages, 181 (140). Tne vital statistics for the .Wellington registration district for the month of December, compared with the corresponding month of last year, were as follows, the figures for 1908 being in parentheses:—• Births, 147 ( 209); deaths, 84 ( 63); marriages, 112 (123). Of the marriages 24 were celebrated in the registrar’s office last month, as against 18 in December, 1908. For the past 12 months the figures, with those of 190 S for the purpose of comparison, were as under:—Births, 2075 (2134; deaths, 839 (744) ; marriages, 1030 (1070). It will be seen that in registration parlance, 1909 was “a bad year,” the marriages are 40 less, which is believed to be attributable to slackness of trade, involving restricted employment. There were 240 marriages celebrated in the registrar’s office, as against 237 similarly dealt with in 1908. The births, which in the ordinary course of events, with the population of the city and district steadily increasing, should show an increase every year, are actually less this year by 59. Deaths, on the other hand, show an increase of 95, but the wreck of the Penguin is responsible for some 75 of these. The vital statistics for December in the Dunedin district are: —Births 164, marriages 78, and deaths 57. For the whole year there were 1743 births registered, which is a record for the past decade. The number of deaths was 795, as against 823 in 1908, and the marriages 641, as against 664 last year.