DRUNKEN MOTORISTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 260, 3 November 1925, Page 6

DRUNKEN MOTORISTS.

Punishments that are being imposed in the local Police Court—to say nothing of eases elsewhere—make it clear tiia:. men who drive motor cars when intoxicated will not receive much merer. Last week an offender was fined £2-3. and lost his license for twelve months. Yesterday a fine of £10 and k>ss of driving right for six month? was imposed in a case where defendant was sitting in a stationary car. This morning, boy ever, another offender, who had been actually driving, was fined £-">o an 1 depri. -d of his license for twelve month-. The history of this class of offence suggests that the penalties rear be ma ie even Btiffer, and no one whose opinion is worth anything will grumble if they arv. A motorist who is not ?c>>er is a menace to everybody else or, the road, and r.ierits no mercy. He is uiiri: to be trusted with a car. and, quite apart from that, he deserves to be punished severe.>■ T "'' community may be thankful f-■:' ia?year's Act and for magistrates who enforce it with heavy penalties.

Speaking: at the Auckland Senior Cadet tlubroom last evening, Mr. E. C Cutten. >.M said that stainless knives" which only came into modern use about 13 rears ago. Mere used by the ancients before the rise of the Roman Empire Incubators for hatching eggs had also been used, and the of the opinion that time would prove that a great rL-.d of tho world's present knowledpe was known to the ancient world. '•Impertinent ,- was the comment of the Auckland Industrial Association yesterday 'iron a letter from an Australian firm requesting that a revision of the tarill' b<- mad.' with a view | 0 reducing the duty on canned fruits imported into New Zealand. The firam in question possessed practically a monopoly in canned fruit from Australia: and it was state! by members of the Auckland Association that, it the suggestion were acted upon, serious losses would result to men engaged in the trade in New Zealand. A telegram, expressing Auckland- views, had been sent to Wellington and the matter was allowed to lapse. The care and attention with which tho Crown Prosecutor (Mr. V. R. Meredith) presents his cases to the jury at criminal sessions of the Supreme Court was favourably commented upon by Mr Justice Keed this morning, during the hearing of a case of alleged manslaughter. His Honor said the defence could not take any objection to the way in which the Crown had presented the case adding: "A fairer Crown Prosecutor than Mr. Meredith never entered a court Wl,e n ti great crowd of people were ea?,rly waiting at the Grey Street side ot the Town Hall last night, near the door where ticket-holders got in, a lady in a fur cloak and with a business-like air about her pushed through the crowd to get into the hall. Three burly policeWon however, had to be satisfied that tho lady had a ticket. She seemed a little taken aback that she was not allowed to proceed, for she evidently thought she would be known. "I am Miss Melville," she said at last. "Oh are you?" observed the sergeant with arched eyebrows. "So am I," called out a number of women in the crowd. The tall limb of the law bent down, and Miss Jfelville soon satisfied him that she was the right person, and not long afterwards her voice was heard through the loud speakers discussing the land policy of the Labour party. During the strike there has not been the 'best of feeling between unionist and non-unionist labour on shipboard, and with three vessels at Timam at present—the Raranga, with a unionist crew; the Canadian Prospector, with a part Canadian complement; and the Hner Athenic, manned partly by free labour—friction was prvevalent amongst the crews at times (states the Timaru '•Herald"). It appears that trouble started early in the morning, when two or three of the seamen from the Karanga were said to have visited their non-unionist "friends" on the Athenic, and there issued a challenge for a fight. The crews did not appear to be on the best of terim throughout the afternoon, and shortly before 8 o'clock at night members of the rival factions, who had spent a "merry day, -, met near the Strathallan Street crossing, and a brawl eventuated. Hand-to-hand encounters took place, and one of the •stalwarts of the crowd, who had more than the average ring ability, succeeded in laying three of his opponents out. | Members of the police force, who had anticipated trouble, and who had been on watch throughout the day, soon brought hostilities to a close. One of the late-comers at the Grey Street door of the Town Hall last night was the Hon. E. W. Alison. He was soon recognised by quite a score of waiting ladies who were without tickets, who buttonholed him in the hope that he might be able to get them in. All he could do was to shake his head as he looked at the number of policemen on guard who demanded to see tickets. One lady, knowing , the hon. gentleman's sporting proclivities, appealed to himi by saying: "Many a time you've put mc onto a winner, Mr. Alison; don't let mc utrike a blank to-night!" A gleam of light appeared in the sporting Legislative Councillor's eye for a moment or two, and then the policeman's demand that only those with tickets could get in silenced any further anniment. A medical scholarship for the Otago Medical School will be established as a result of bequests made under the will of Jane Anne Dunbar. widow of Pro- j fessor Dunbar, who held the of Greek for some years in Otago I niversitv. To found the scholarship the late Mrs. Dunbar has bequeathed two houses in London Street, subject in one case to certain life interests. The scholarship will be known as the Dunfbar Research Scholarship, and will be j awarded every two years. It will be , open to graduates in medicine of not I more than five years' standing who. have taken their medical degrees in | Vev.' Zealand. The subject will be] selected by the medical faculty. and ( will Le embodied in a thesis published in the "Medical Journal" on women s disease* Book.= from the late Professor Durcbar's library have been left to various friends, and some to the MVola=dian College library and to the University- Hbrarv. A bequest of £100 has, been left to the beneheiarj fund of the Presbyterian Church. Mr Cecil Georctc Farrow had a narrow ee ; apP from death in flames which destroyed his home in Selwyn Street, Christchurch, early yesterday morning. T l,e fire was discovered about 3 o clock ny a neighbour, who gave the alarm. Mr Farrow did not know of the outbreak until the brigade arrived.The house, a six-roomed one, was valued at £000, and insured. Members of the Auckland Power Board have decided to pay a visit_ of inspection to the Arapuni electrical works. The party will leave Auckland hy the Main Trunk express on Thursday. November 19, for Hamilton, and will return to the city by the Limited on Saturday morning. Yesterday at Pataua an inquest was held concernins the death of a six-mnnths'-old Maori child, the father of whi.h. Henri Mahansa. had cometo to enlist the services oi a doctor"when he received a telephone message statin" that the child had died. Mr R W. Tate. S.M., district coroner, presided. A veTdiet was returned in accordance with the medical testimony, that death resulted from pneumonia. Last week members of the Auckland F.Wtric Power Board inspected the proposed cable route from Penrose substation to the King's wharf. It was (--■timated that it would cost £0 per yard to complete the work. At yesterdays mooting of the board the route was confirmed, and the survey and levels will now be proceeded with. In re-Jy to representations made by the county engineer to the Public Works Department, the latter has offered the Whakatane County a free vote of £60 towards the repair of flood damage on tha Tβ Teko-Kotorua Eoad.