AUCKLAND HAPPENINGS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 19 September 1918, Page 3

AUCKLAND HAPPENINGS.

[From Our Own Correspondent]

Auckland, Sept. 16

jg^TOO MANY COLLECTIONS. I don't know how much money the generous public of Auckland has donated to patriotic and other objects during the last three or four years. But it must amount to many scores of thousands of pounds. There is a street collection for something or other almost every week, and when the ladies —heaven bless them ! —are not shaking their little moneyboxes under your nose as a gentle hint to ante up, they are pleading with you to buy flowers, or i medals, or badges, or tickets, or something. They lie in wait for you at every street corner—and in between street corners —they invade the tram-cars, the ferryboats, the trains, and all places of public resort. They are as hard to shake off as pocr relations and as persistent as bad-debt collectors. More power to them ! —but they are over-doing it, just as their sisters are over-doing it in-Sydney in the same way, In fact street collections have become such a bore in Sydney that the authorities now talk of permitting only four such collections to be taken up in future in the course of a year. Sir Thomas Hughes, in referring to this matter in the New South Wales metropolis the other day, said : " The public of Sydney has been exploited to an extent never intended in connection with street . collections." Now I think this city might very well follow the example of Sydney in this matter After all it is possible to have too much of even a good thing.

SOME FRUITS OF PROHIBITION.

The Rev. L. M. Isitt and his supporters are fond of pointing to "the glorious results of prohibition in America." But are those results invariably glorious ? From an article that recently appeared in a San Francisco magazine I quote the following referring to some ot the "dry" American territory : " Shut off from lawful supplies, the people wanting whisky have turned to the bootleggers to supply it, . and by thousands now they are making their own wines and beers. Some have already begun the manufacture of * moonshine,' as harmless (in appearance) as water, but possessed of a terrific ' kick.'" A Judge of the Supreme Court of Oregon summarises the situation thus : "If all the people who are violating the law by brewing beer were put away there would not be gaols enough in the Ftate to hold them." The term " bootlegger," by the way, is applied to itinerant vendors of whisky— sly-groggers. We call them " light-houses " in New Zealand. It appears that 400 "bootleggers" were arrested in Portland, Maine, last year. Also it is interesting to note that 2,859 persons were arrested for drunkenness in Seattle during the first six months after the place went " dry." Prohibition, it is to be feared, is not an unmixed blessing. Still, we might give it a trial, say for the balance of the war period, and see how it works, Personally I have more faith in State Control.

BOY SCOUTS IN EVIDENCE

In the course of an interesting chat with niy old friend Colonel Cosgrove, Dominion Chief Scout, during his recent brief visit to Auckland, I learned with pleasure that the Scout movement is flourishing like a green bay tree all over the Dominiqn. To Baden Powell belongs the honour of originating this great movement and for making scouting a power for good in the Old Country. To Colonel Cosgrove principally belongs the credit of making scouting a power for good in New. Zealand. A man of sterling worth, and imbued with boundless enthusiasm for the work to which he has devoted himself, heart and soul, for so many, years of his life, the Dominion is fortunate in having such a Chief Scout as Colonel Cossgrove.

HIS NAME IS M'MANNS

If one happens to want a policeman in Auckland he remains, as a rule, an invisible blue and is almost as hard to find as a five-pound note. But if you don't want a policeman, and had much rather be without him he is bound to turn up. Such was the saddening experience of Alexander Murray the other evening. He popped into a Queen Street Hotel, about 7.30, and was just coming out again when he encountered the stony gaze of a policeman who, after the inquisi* tive fashion of the representatives

of law and order, asked him what he was doing there ? He explained that he had been to look for a man named Me Manns and retrieve a half-crown that the latter had borrowed from him. But strange to say no one of the name of McManns was known at the hotel. "Fined 10s and costs," remarked the Bench, after hearing the explanation of defendant, and Alexander paid vp —a guinea in all —and sorrowfully went his way. It's a cold world.

THE BUSY BURGLAR

The fifth attempt by burglars to force open safes and get away with the goods took place in Auckland only a few days ago. And all these attempts have beea made inside the last four weeks. The thieves have been successful in one or two instances, a haul of £30 having rewarded their enterprize in one case, and of £15 in another. But the rest of the attempts proved disappointing— from the burglars' point of view. It is suspected that the same gang is "operating" in all the cases. So far the police have not made a single arrest, although they are understood to "have the matter in hand." Meantime the members of the business community are wondering whose turn is coming next.

A CURE (?) FOR

RHEUMATISM

" The false pretence is this case is a cruel one," said Mr. Hunt, S.M., at Auckland Police Court the other morning, when George Thos. Rumble appeared, charged with obtaining a guinea from various persons in return for an alleged cure for rhematism. The defendunt, according to the police has been doing quite an extensive business with his "Knowles' Rheumatic Cure " —"rheumatism banished while you wait," or something like that. He commenced operations by dropping into chemist's shops and asking for the cure. That created a demand for the stuff—which consisted of Glauber salts put up in neat little 80-gram doses. Sixteen doses (a months' " treatment"), were retailed for a guinea, and as the cost price of the " remedy " proved to be one penny George must have made a fair profit. Medical evidence was called to show that Glauber salts don't cure rheumatism, and one doctor declared that no conscientious medical man would guarantee a cure for the complaint when it is chronic. Rumble traded as " McLachlan and Co," arid also signed himself T. Heath." To one woman who complained that "the great American remedy" hadn't cured her, "T. Heath " replied that he was astonished to hear it and suggested anoiher months' treatment, go the lady sent along a second guinea—but the rheumatism still pursued her ! Rumbold, alias McLachlan, alias Heath, was awarded three months' gaol. He is too enterprising for this country. But after all he only did in a comparatively small way what many big firms do in a large one —and with impunity. If you want to know more about this read the book called "Secret Remedies." It is indeed an eye-opener !

BAG-SNATCHING IN

AUCKLAND.

How it has come about I don't know, but Auckland has become the home, during the last few months, of a great many more " crooks " than we can do with. Suburban stores have been entered by night and quantities of tobacco and other goods annexed. Sneak thieves have made free (as related in my last) with the be: longings of footballers, and the enterprising burglar has . been aburgling to such good purpose that he has got away, in one case, with some thirty pounds in hard cash. And now the pickpocket and the bag-snatcher are at work. The; former haunts the railway-station, the tramway stopping-places, and the theatres, and gaily watches his opportunity to appropriate anything worth while, the prevailing fashion among ladies of carrying their purses sticking out of hand-bags or little round wicker-baskets, enabling the expert thief to get away with the plunder with all the ease in life. The bagsnatcher prefers the suburbs. He frequents quiet thoroughfares, and loafs about until he sees some woman or girl approaching carrying a hand-bag. After stalking his prey, and gradually getting sufficiently near her, the loafer will suddenly make a grab at her bag, and bolt round the corner or into a paddock before you can say "knife." In all these cases it is stated that " the police have the matter in hand." The trouble is, as I have had occasion to remark several times

before, there are not enough police to go round in this city.

"TATTS'S" SWEEPS.

Quite a lot of Aucklanders (in common, I suppose, with the people in other parts of the Dominion) send away money, more or less regularly, for investment in "Consultations." Most of them, of course, receive a little slip of pink paper in exchange for their cash —and that is all. But occasionally it happens that somebody lands a prize. I heard of one man in Auckland who won £600, and promptly invested it all in house properties. To-day he is " well in." Whether the same amount of hard cash will flow to Hobart now that the Commonwealth Government proposes to tax prize-winners to the extent of 10 per cent, remains to be seen. Winners are taxed pretty stiffly as it;s. The funny part of the business is that while the Commonwealth Government refuses to legalise these sweeps, and prescribes a heavy penalty for being found in possession of a ticket even, it is not above demanding a share of the spoil when a prize is won ! Since the "consultation" has become an institution surely it would be more stright-forward and satisfactory to recognise them, and let them be conducted openly ?