Untitled

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16142, 3 August 1914, Page 4

It is currently reported that the Electric Light and Power Committee of the Cfty Council has, by a majority, decided to recommend the council to terminate the engagement of Mr E. E. Stark as city electrical engineer.

The Licensing Bill will probably come Up for its third reading on Friday. Membere of the House, generally, are not anxious (our Wellington correspondent states) to accept the recommital of the Bill with a view to _ reconsidering the ' polls majority issue, though it ie stated that members of. the New Zealand Allianoe have been pressing them, with a view to getting a reoommital of the clause.

To Mr Bradney (Auckland West) belongs the distinction of leading off in the singing of tho National Anthem (writes our Wellington correspondent) alter the Prime Minister had made his statement on Friday eveniag regarding the Government's decision to send an expeditionary force to the ussistance of the Mother Country should occasion requite it. Tho fervour and enthusiasm with which it was sung was a itriking reflex of the patriotic sentiment oi the dominion, and will go down to history as one of the most noteworthy in the records of the Now Zealand Parliament.

Earmsclough fruit-growers will be glad to known that the Postmaster-general has informed Mr R. Scott, M.P., that the work of erecting a telephone line and establishing a bureau from the schoolhouee to Clyde Poet Office is to b$ put in'hand at once. This -will fill a long-telt want, as now that fruit-growing v has attained iSueh large proportions in thia locality, the growers were very much handicapped in not being able tp get into rapid communication with the dominion's markets. It is to be hoped that the work will now be pushed on to a speedy termination, so that during the incoming season this disability may disappear.

The Green Island Goal Miners' Union have filed a dispute for hearing before the Conciliation Council. They ask that shift wages be not less tbaa lie per shift, that round coal be paid for at tho rate of Iβ 2d per box, small coal iOd per box, engine coal filled with the fork BJd per box, and dross 4d per Box. The dispute -will come on for hearing on the 17th inst

The City Fire Brigade wae called out last night to attend a fire m a chimney oa Mr W. L. Hooper'e premises, situated at tho corner of Jetty and .Crawford streets. No damage was done.

The ease in which Donald M'Pherson -wae charged, on July 1, with failing to provide for the maintenance of hie illegitimate child was dismissed owing to the fact that the complainant agreed to withdraw the charge.

For some years past the most important social event in Port Ohalmere has been the annual military ball given by the rank and file of the Port Chalmers Navals, now merged into the Territorials. This function was, held last Friday evening in the Garrison Hajl, which was gaily decorated for the occasion,' and reflected credit on the skill of Sergeadt-major Moir and hia energetic committee, who left nothing undone to assure the success of the tall. There was a very large attendance,' 120 couples participating in the grand march. Visitors from Dunedin included Colonels Stoneham, M'Ara, and Strong, Major Fredrio, and Lieutenants Cowie, Richards, M'Dougall, and Hicks, and amongst the local patxrne were Messrs J. Mill, J. M. Stevenson, and' J. Cook. > Major Dodde and his officers— Captain Crawford, Lieutenante Braitbwaite, M'Kellar, and and Surgeon-cap-tain Borrie. Miae Fairley rad charge of the catering, and M.Donald's Band supplied the music. '~ / •

Comment was made' by his Honor the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) in the Supreme Court at Wellington on Tuesday (says the Domiffion) on the impropriety of city councils erecting smallpox hospitals on land set aside 'for recreation grounds.' ' Ijhe fact that each things had been.done showed the danger of entrusting recreation grounds to city councils. His Honor expressed surprise that the. public submitted to the grounds being in this manner destroyed far recreation purposes. In Dunedin the same thing had been attempted, but an outcry was raised, and the council, after < having erected a fever hospital, had to remove it at a cost of between £3000 ask £4000.

An instance of the inadequacy of the port of Oamaru to suit the' requirements of the trade of the district (die Mail reports) wae afforded the other day when the Maraari was loading here. After taking in only a portion of the cargo offering, it was found neocssary to cease loading operations in case the Mamari would mot be able to leave the port owing to drawing too much water. The cargo shut out comprised a line of oafs the number of bags in which approximated 1200, and for which space had been secured. The oats were ultimately railed to Timaru for shipment there, and now thhre is a dispute, to eettle which litigation is talked of, between the exporting company and the shipping company as to which should pay the railage.

Wireless is to play an important part in the Australian geographical surveys now that H«rt&i«i waves have been employed in making suoh observations. Signals will be exchanged over Land lines and by -wireless between Sydney, Melbourne, and. Port Augusta. Arrangements have been made with Mr Balsille, engineer of the radio-tele-graphy for the Commonwealth,: to connect the Melbourne wireless station with the, clock at the observatory, : and it will, be possible for the observers in Port Augusta to hear the clock beats through a special receiving set which is being installed at Port Augusta. By comparing the clock times of Port Augusta and Melbourne, deductions can be made to determine iho difference in- longitude between the, two places.

A craze is being evidenced .among the country towns for the holding ef "queen" carnivals in lieu of the established bazaars and other " social-business " forme of appeal to pleasure—and, incidentally, to the public puree.- Some communities have been carried away in their enthusiasm, and' the novelty s apparently proving profitable.. Carnivals were in full swing during last week at Danj nevirke and at Hawera, and a .njumber. of similar functions have been concluded in other parts of the dominion. That held at Fahiatua recently realised receipts amounting to £812, whilst another at Maeterton yielded £530 net. £1280 worth of tickets were sold for the Gore carnival. Carterton, Timaru, Woodville, and other* places are now contemplating the innovation. Invercargill last week wae intoxicated with the joys of a carnival. In this connection a Timaru Herald reporter interviewed a Timaru gentleman, who has been kept in close touch with the movements of the Invercargill committee, and was told that there was keen rivalry between the Gore* and Bluff candidates. Both ha.i influential committees supporting them, and both committees had gentlemen who were anxious to see their respective candidate elected. To gain this these gentlemen had given the committees blank cheques to fill up to the " amount required to win the election." Bluff •will not want to see another " carnival queen " election of the kind for many a long day (says the Prese). It drained the finances of the town to the extent of £350, and only £35 will come back on the 10 per cent, allowance. The business people were "hit" very severely, and no one was allowed/to escape. They were all very patriotic, as the result abundantly testified. '

• Sheep-breeders have long recognised that soil is a most important factor in ehecpbreeding, and reference was made to the subject by Mr W. Perry, of Mastertoq, in an address delivered before the paetoralists on Tuesday afternoon (says the Post). The limestone hills of the Wairarapa, Mr Perry remarked, were renowned for the good eheep they grew. One saw fine mobs of robust, strong-boned sheep coming from these pastures, but they had a different stylo of wool from those grazed on the clay and shingle plains. The wool grown ■ on Aβ limestone had a firmer feel; the looks were smaller, and, though there was a fair ; amount of curl, it was difficult to produce a strong fleece on this land Taratahi, the district in which his farm was situated, used to havo a reputation for clay, stones, and rabbits, and now, within a radius of about five miles there were 10 stud eheep-breeden, most of whom enjoyed more than the oriinisry success in the show and sale riage.

Cabinet was busy on Saturday afternoon, putting (our Wellington correspondent informs us) the final touohee to tho Financial Statement, which, under present arrangement, will bo delivered by tho Minister of Finance (tho Hon- James Allen) about tho end of tho present week.

Mr E. W. Burton held a brief sitting of tho Oity Police Court on Saturday morning, when several offences arising out of drunkenness were dealt with. Two first offenders were each fined sb, in default 2K hours' imprisonment John M'Sweeney, who pleaded guilty to a charge of ' helpjess drunkenness at Waikouaiti, was convicted and discharged and orderedi to pay expenses, totalling £3.

Tho Mercantile Gazette notifies the registration on July 24 of tho London Bookstall and Photographio Depot (Ltd.) as a private company, of Dunedin, with a capital of 1000 shares of £1 oach. The subscribers named are: S. Earland 500, E. Earland 400, E. A. Earland 50, E. M. Earland 50. The objects of tho company are to acquire and tako over from S. Earland, as a going concern, tho business now carried on by him iii Dunedin as a retail bookseller, stationer, etc.

In one of the divisions on tho Licensing Bill the other evening (states our parliamentary correspondent) a South Island member on the Liberal side of tho House came in through the passage leading between the public gallery and tho ladies' gallery, and took part in a division after tho doors had been locked, notwithstanding the remonstrance of a messenger. Such an action is, of course, a breach of the Standing Orders, and might easily influence an important decision. Exactly the same thing- wae done by another member during a previous session of Parliament.

According to a letter received by a New Plymouth resident from Mr J. T. "Robertson, who was' for some timo in charge of the Bonithon Company's bore at Moturoa, and who returned eome months ago to California,' our Wanganui representative states that the company he is now working for has sent out to Taranaki an expert, with the object of endeavouring to secure land for boring purposes. Mr Robertson goee on to say that he will probably come over himself in October if his .company can get the hund it wants, and that ho will know definitely in August If he comes, he says, ho will be in charge of two plants and competent drillers. Tho company he is with has a great deal of property with good wells in different parts of California, and he haa just finfehed a well for the company.

The practice of so many men getting on a train when under the influence of liquor and causing a disturbance (says a Press Association message from Wanganui) is apparently to be severely dealt with in future. A case has just occurred at Otaki where a man named George Slaunders was fined £5, and costs, for such'an offence. It was pointed out that, in the absence of police on trains, guards were subjected to much annoyance.

A considerable eeneation was caused in Chrisfcchuroh on Saturday afternoon (says a Press Association message) when it became known that a prominent barrister and solicitor had been arrested at 1.30 p.m. on a charge of misappropriation of trust moneys. Mr Thomae Maude., barrister and solicitor and estate agent, of Hereford street, was arrested by Detective Sergeant Hunt and Detective Regan in the City Hotel. The charge on which he was apprehended was that, during the month of July, 1910, at Christohurch, he did receive from Thomas De Renzy Harman, the sum of £1050 on terms requiring him to account for or pay the , same to one Elizabeth Barnett, and that he did fraudulently convert the eame to his own use. The information wae laid by Detective Regan, and' the warrant was signed by Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M. arrest was made very quietly. The acoised, when approached by the detectives, expressed some surprise when informed that they were, arresting him on the charge mentioned. He made no sign of resistance, and walked with the detectives to the police station, where, after being searched in the customary manner, he was placed in the lock-upvlate this afternoon. Maude appeared before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., and was formally charged. Bail was granted, aocused in the sum of £1000, and two sureties of £100 each.

Week-end cable messages for places on the Continent and Europe, other than Belgium, Holland, and France, to he posted from London, may be accepted for transmission by either cable route, at the same ratee as week-end messages to England. The .indioator for this class of message is "T. W. T.," which must be Jrritten before the address, and paid for as one word. It must also appear in the instructions, with the additional words "Post London." All messages must bear full mailing- address, and will be delivered by registered post! but the prefix "R. P." is not necessary. The word "London" after the office of postal destination, ie not necessary, as the indicator "T. W. T." explains the disposal. A mailing' fee of 5d must bo prepaid on all such messages.

The Sydney Morning Herald and Daily Telegraph take exception (a Press Association message states) to a message from Sydney, published on July 17, with regard to the circulation of 70.113 claimed- by the Sydney Sun as a record. They point out that the certified circulation of the Herald is 120,274 copies daily and of the Telegraph 81,947 daily, and assert that the Sun's claim is wholly misleading.

A Wellington Press Association message states that John Mason, who was convicted at Palmerston Nor.th of placing a block of wood across the railway line at Awapuni, camo before the Chief justice on Saturday for sentence. The prisoner, who is 22 years of age, was described as mentally deficient. His Honor ordered him to be sent to Invercargill for reformatory treatment.

St. John Ambulance Brigade's overseas competition in first-aid work and stretcher and hand-seat drill will be held in the Early Settlers' Hall on Monday evening, under the auspices of the district staff. The competition will comprise all the ambulance work as taught at the classes held by the local association. Two splendid trophies have beon presented by Dr Barnett and Mr A. C. H'George for competition amongst the nursing divisions and men's brigades respectively. His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. B. Shacklock) will occupy the chair, and there will' bo no charge for admission.

The best machine for the owner the Trusty" Triumph, again clearly shown. Tourist Trophy Race, Ist 2nd private owner positions. Also wins 50guinea Manville trophy at Coventry. Will take sidecars round the world.—W. Stuart Wilson and Co., Bond street, Dunedin - Advt. See that you get the special sale bargain circular issued with Thursday's Times; it will interest you.—Mollisons.—Advt. A. B. J. Blakeley, dentist. Bank of Australia^ corner of Bond and Rattray street* (next lelegrapb Office). Telephone 1859.Advt _ IWfliem all. You'll find the best whisky is Watson s No. 10.—Advt. «, r , C s? ildre s,' e H «cWn* r-oneh at nighi, Woods Great Peppermint Cure, Is 6d, 2s 6d —Advt We recommend for watch, clock, and Jewellery repaire A. J. Shaw, 13 Rattray etreei Absolutely the best in Dunedin.--Advt Coughs and Colds, trifling ailments, quickly cured by a few doses of Benjamin Gum'; but neglected, may result in pneumonia snd consumption. "Benjamin Gum," Is 6d bottle.—Advt. Who ie Peter Dick?— The most reliable Watchmaker, Jeweller and Certificated Con wilting Optician, 490 Moray place (off Princes •trect), Dunedin. Charges moderate.—Advt.