OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 655, 2 August 1921, Page 5

OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

A MYSTERIOUS CRIME,

(From Our Own Correspondent)

What some of the papers call "The Arch Hill Mystery.” remains as mys« terious as ever. A fortnigne has elapsed since poor young Jew met his death, and, up to the time of writing, the police have discovered- nothing at all.-. ‘-Clues” have been found, and have led nowhere. Not even the reward of £250, offered by the Government has, so far, resulted in any disclosure being made incriminating any person. A remarkable feature of the case is it he fact that the murdered man does not appear to have, had an enemy in the world. He was quite a popular character. “Look for the woman,”* runs the French proverb. It will probably be found, sooner or later, that a woman is at the bottom of this tragic business. WHERE DID IT HAPPEN ? Where did the murder take place ? Obviously not on the spojt where the body was found. Saturday night, the 16th of July, was a very wet and stormy night Jew was found dead on the ensuing Sunday morning between 11 and 12 o’clock Had he been INng there for hours in the pelting rain his clothing must have been soaked through But it was) merely a little wtj(i, and there was positively no sign of a struggle having taken place at the spot. What do these facts point to? It seems to me that they indicate pretty plainly that the murder took place unrer cover—probably in a dwelling house —and that the body was conveyed to where it was found early on the Sunday .morning. And as it would have been far too risky a thing for those concerned to convey it far, even very early in ithe morning, it -follows that the scene of the tragedy—the real scene, that is—was not very distant from where the body was discovered.

SUPERSTITIOUS NONSENSE

A lady of my acquaintance, residing near the city, received, a few days ago, a present of a fine bunch of wattle. Next day she caught a very severe cold, and is now ill in bed. She blames fche wattle! Although it is a little difficult to understand what possible connection there cam be between a bouquet of beautiful and fragrant flowers and the catching of a cold. But the superstition that wattle blossoms bring “bad luck,” is a very common one. and the same evil reputation attached to the delightful hawthorn blossom', which in the opinion of very

many people, should never be a flowT;d to enter a house. Apropos .of this, 1 remember a medical friend telling me at the time of the terrible epidemic of influenza in Auckland two years ago, that when influenza or other infectious sickness is about flowers of any kind, but more especially roses, should be avoided as much as possible, because theys are germ carriers,, and persons inhaling their fragrance by bending over them or burying their faces in them are extremely likely to contract any prevalent sickness of an infectious nature., I can understand that. But I can no more understand why a bunch of wattle should bring v bad luck to a household than I can un® derstand one passing under a .bidder should cause disaster.

‘•MADE IN GERMANY/' The Huns have made several desperate Attempts to open up trade relations with Auckland business houses since the termination ox the, war. but I have not yet heard of a single instance in which their overtures have been encouraged. Only last week a local firm received* a packet of pictorial post cards from Hun-hwd, some at least of which, I am told, were of a decidedly suggestive character. . The letter accompanying these cards conveyed a pro-, posal that the firmyapproaehed should take up the agency for the sale of the goods, but this the firm absolutely declines to do. In fact, it ia indignant'that it should have been asked to become the medium for the distribution of the pictures. But Fritz is not easily discouraged, and he will doubtless try again. WHOLESALE BOOKING OF THEATRE SEATS. Just prior to the opening of he “Chu Chin Chow” Season in Auckland, bitter complaints were made that speculators had been allowed to ntn chase whom mocks of seats for tap initial performances, to the detrij aunt of the genera! public. 1 >m- ! dm aland that certain individuals v ailed all night ouside the booking office in Queen Street on one occasion, and engaged as mar. y as jOO and 400 seats immediately the floors were thrown open in the morning. However, that sort of thing won’t happen ana in, at all events, so far as “•jje Finn”bis coiimmed. Mr Bert

Royle, general manager in New Zealand for J. C. Williamson and Co., has instructed all box offices to limit, in,future, the purchase of tickest by any-one person to twelve seats, for any single performance. ■ A NEW INDUSTRY. It is estimated tha upwards of 7000 opossums have been either trapped or shot in New Zealand during the present season, and an Auckland friend of mine who has just returned from a trip South teils me that he saw and handled hundreds of the skins of these animals, and that in every case the fur was in splendid condition. Most of the skins were red, dark " brown or black, the balance being grey and light brown. Possibly the time is not far distant when New Zealand will be as famous for its ’possum skin rugs and coats as it already is for its tweeds' and blankets. THE HOUSE SHORTAGE. “Can’t the police help me to get a house ?” asked the harrassed father of half a dozen small children of Mr Poynton, S.M., at the Auckland Police Court the other morning. The Magistrae shook his head.t “I am. afraid not,’*' he said. The “Force” has many rolpes to fill as it is, without adding that of house-agents to the list. But something assuredly ought to be done to remedy the existing state of things If you want a house now you must be prepared to go out as far as Avondale or Otahuhu for it, and even (then you may be disappointed This scarcity of dwellings is occasioning a good deal of hardship In the case already referred to the family was living in one room — father, mother, and children—and for this room they paid 10s a week. As it seemed 'hopeless for, the man to obtain better accommodaiton three of the children were committed to a receiving home. Yes, we want more houses —say, a couple of thousand, to go on with.