NEWS OF THE DAY.
» Tho auction announcements of H. Matson and Co., Tonks, Norton and Co., Craddock. McCrostio Co., W. E. Simes and Co., Harris Bros., National Mortgage* and Agency Co., Charles Clark, Comvay Matson and Sons, De/eroux, King and Co., Newton King, E. G. Stavcley and Co., Dalgety and Co., Wright, Stephenson and Co., H. B. Sorcnsen and New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., will bo found on pages 15 and 14 of this issue.
An effort is being made to get the Chapman-Alexander mission to call at Timaru.
Tho Justices of the Peaeo in the jury district of Christchurch are requested to attend «a meeting of justices on April 12th at 11 a.m. at the Magistrate s Court, to revise the jury list.
The Canterbury Band of Hope Union held its monthly meeting on Thursday evening, the President, Mr J. McCullough in tho chair. There was a good attendance of delegates. The application for affiliation to tho Union from the New Brighton Band of Hope was granted. Tho Union decided to supply a programme to the Selwyn street South Bnnd of Hope at its next meeting-
It is understood that the committee sot up by tho City Council with a view to securing the amalgamation of tho Tramway and Brainago Boards with tho Council, intends to approach thoso two bodies with regard to'the proposal. It is stated that the committee will also an.deardur.to obtain the feeling of tho surrounding municipal bodies with regard to the extending of tho boundaries of Greater Christchurch.
A number of golfers had the unpleasant experience of being "xmder fire" at tho Hokowhitu links on Saturday last (says the . "Manawatu Times"). Some individuals were amusing themselves with a revolver on tho cliffs on the far side of the river, and mare than, onco a golfer was caused to "foozle his approach" by tho scream of a bullet passing above his head. It is possiblo that the firers wero aiming afc trees, and that it was tho ricocheting bullet which landed on the links. Tho average golfer has enough to try his temper without being made the target for stray bullets, causing him to bo oppressed with the fear that he may bo hurried into that hole for which no "bogey" has yet boon fixed.
Tho question of whore and under what circumstances a statement made to a police constable is privileged was raised during tho hearing of a slander caso in thp Supreme Court at Masterton. It was shown in evidence, according to tho "Age," that a woman had complained to tho police that she had been charged with taking money from her employer. The police made enquiries concerning the complaint, and in tho courso of those enquiries certain: statements were made Theso statements formed the basts of an action, for slander. Mr Justice Edwards stated that tho police wore not acting in the execution of their duty when they dfd what they were not required to do by law. It was a question whether statements made in such circumstances were privileged. As far as his Honour was concerned, ho was not aware that a decision hacf been given on the point. •
A meetings of creditors in the estate of Louis Daly Austin, musician, was held yesterday afternoon, four creditors being present. The bankrupt's statement ehowed that £67 6S 6d was duo to uusecuied creditors, tho principal creditors being Dr. Fox, £5 ss; W. pwles, £5; Jones Bros, (jewellers), £5; J. Stewart (engineer) £14; and Dresden Piano Co.. £6. There were no assets. The bankrupt said that he was a professional musician earning £4 a week. He had come to Xow Zealand two years ago under engagement to West's Pictures. After two months tho firm had ceased their operations here. His debts had been incurred during tho four months which followed tho closing down of tho picture entertainment. He expressed himself as unablo to mako any settlement at present but offered to pay 10s a week after the expiration of three months. This tho creditors agreed to accept, expressing the wish that the bankrupt might see his way to increase tho amount shortly.
In connection with the attempt (of which two instances have lately" been recorded in "The Press") to introduce tho "Spanish Prisoner" swindle into Canterbury, it is interesting to learn that the persons behind it are seeking for victims in Sydney also, and, most probably, all over Australia. The Sydney "Sun," of ilarch 16th. referring to a letter received by a Sydney merchant, says:—"ln the missive from Madrid the writer states that for certain acts executed for the dethroned King of Portugal, he was given a large sum of money, which, with an immense amount already saved, totalled £80,7G0. This was locked in private drawers and place.:! in a trunk, which was confiscated on the return of tho writer to Portugal. For assaulting the police the Spauish mnn of wealth was* sentenced to imprisonment for life; but a friend of his, a priest, whose address is given in the communication, is prepared to reward with one quarter of "the fortune anyone who will assist the imprisoned man to obtain his trunk and wealth, and defray the" cost of transportation of the priest and the man's daughter to Australia." The tale told in this letter, it will be noted, is similar id character to those which were contained in the letters sent to residents of Cheviot and Oxford.
The secretary to tho Hospital and Charitable Aid Board acknowledges with thanks tho receipt of magazines etc.. from the Public Library, for the inmates of tho Old Peoples' Homes.
At a meeting of the Christchurch Tramway Employees' Union last night. Mr Hiram Hunter was Appointed secretory, in place of Mr J. Young, resigned.
A woman wns arrested yesterday ' y Detective Gibson on a charge of shoplifting from tho D.1.C., and a eyek> mechanic was arrested by tho samo officer on a charge of stealing two bicycles.
Vandals have been again at work on the trees in Moorhouso avenue, and fivo of them on tho southern side •.">!' the avenue, between Colombo street and the railway station, havo been broken, off at the too. Ono or two of them havo been hopelessly damaged.
At the meeting held at Hokitika at M'irch a branch of the New Zealand Sports Protection league was formed, it was decided to make a rerommendation to die Board of Control that tho proposed formation of centres be cancelled, and that onch branch deal direct with tho Board of Control.
A largo number of people yesterday inspected tho pictures now being exhibited by the Christchurch Society of Arts. Arrangements for the usual Art Union have been completed, and tickets for the public aro available, proceeds to go towards the- purchase of pictures. Tho exhibition will be open again to-day.
At the meeting of tho General Labourers' Union last night, Mr E. Howard referred to tho gaoling of Tom Maim, and said that they should congratulate him on tho fact that he was the one individual so feared by the organised military and other forces in England that he had to be sent to gaol. He moved: —"That this meeting of general labourers forward a cable message congratulating Tom Mann and comrades who have been sent to gaol for their principles, and.that the message bo fient through Mr Keir Hardio, M.P." The motion was agreed to.
Steamship gubs'.dics, according to Mr A. E. Mabin, a speaker at tho annual meeting of the Wellington Chamber ot Commerce yesterday, are subject to n stipulation limiting freight. Mr Mabn said that at the present time freights to America were. oO to 100 per cent, higher thau through freights to London, with the result that trade possibilities were kilJed. Aji effort should bo made, he urged, to get tho Government to insist upon a limitation of freights when it granted subsidies. Mr Mabin's remarks appeared to meet with the approval of his follow member 6, but the subject was not discussed at length.
Somo recent visitors to the New Hebrides, , who arrived at Auckland by tho Hauroto yesterday, state that tho Condominium Government having proved such a complete failure, the residents of tho islands will welcome a. change to a distinct and definite rule. Tho joint government by Britain and Franco has resulted in a half and half observance of the law, to tho disadvantage of tho. Britisher, who kept tho letter of the law, whereas tho French wore hopelessly defiant. A strong belief was prevalent in tho Now Hebrides that tne group was being subjectcdvto British control in return for somo concession over the island interest to. France. It was thought that tho French residents, though in the majority, would not offer any serious opposition ...to tho change of government.
A land and estate agunt, who does, a largo business in Cnristchurch, informed a reporter yesterday that business was brisk_, and that tho number of transactions in property was quito up to tho average. Ho had not fouud that there was any noticeable stringency in tho financial market. His firm had arranged quit© a "largo number of loans during tho past few months, some of them for Tery substantial sums, and , tho rates of interest had been from 5 to 5i por cont. There had been a slight change noticeablo lately, and ho attributed this to the fact that the Advances to Settlors Office was not lending so freeiy. People with money took advantage of that to ask for a higher rate. He had no doubt wha'tover that thero was money in the country, as his firm was frequently receiving offers of substantial sums to bo lent on mortgage.
The statement made by tho "Dunediu Star" that skilled artisans are talking about taking up labouring work, consequent on tho increased wages earned by labourers, is not supported by several prominent loea] labourites, to whom the matter was It is questioned if many general labourers earn £3 per week, ns alleged." Builders' labourers, assuming they work full time, can earn £2 9s 6d per week, and there , may be an odd one or two making £2 los. On tho other hand, bricklayers and stonemasons ca,n earn £3 6s, carpenters £3 0s 6d, and plumbers, gasfitters, painters and puperhangers £2 18s Sd. Mr APatersoa, secretary of i;he General boiirers' Union, stated that in tbu Uiiion there were a number of skilled men, and the reason they were in the ranks of unskilled labour was that, as regards carpenters and joiners and bootmakers, they had been displaced by improvements in '■"machinery; Tho use of reinforced concrete was also displacing the bricklayer and stonemason. Mr G. R. Whiting' stated that" mahy bootmakers were '■; leaving the- trade, owing to the low wages, but in this connection _it should be remembered that tho minimum wage paid in tho industry throughout New Zealand was very low, being Is OJd per liour for" first grade men, and Is per hour for second grade workers. There was a large amount of intermittent employment, which brought the workers' average earnings down to about 9d per hour. Consequently, if a man could get any jother employment, he took it. Hafdly a year passed that did not sec fifty or sixty men leave the industry.' This would not be the case ir the minimum wage in the bootmaking industry was the same as in the building trades.
The compulsory, training under tho Defence Act was-discussed at an onen meeting oT the General "Labourers' Union last night, and the system and the Act were condemned. The discussion centred . round the following motion, moved by Mr P. Hennesey'and seconded by Mr B. Hareourt:—"That in the opinion of this meeting of general labourers the drganised workers of this country are now called unon to take some drastic action if the military powers decide to have any more of our children gaoled under the Compulsory Military Training Act; and m our opinion Labour should take a few weeks' holiday together and stop tho wheels of industry until the Act is repented." In the course of the discussion one speaker advocated that newspapers supporting tho Act and business firms advertising in such newspapers should be boycotted. Another speaker, citing tho recent Brisbane strike, advocatf'd that tho workers should undergo military training and be armed so that if, during a strike, the military were called out, the workers could defend themselves. Mr E. Howard condemned both these suggestons, pointing out that the workers could not do without tho daily newspapers and the cable news they conta:ned until there was a daily Labour paper with its own independent cable service. Even the revolutionary Socialists were not looking forward to the t:me when they would get what belonged to them at the noint of the bayonet; they ivere relying on moral force to attain their end. The Defence Act, he added, was one of tho finest Acts ever placed on the Statute Book from thepoint of view of Socialistic propaganda, the ranks of the Socialist party having been augmented larpely since the Act was put in force. The motion was agreed to.
The annual meeting of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children will-be .held to-morrow.
All tho Canterbury 6ehing streams were reported clear yesterday morning.
At a meeting at Hamilton on Monday night it was decided to form there a branch of tho' Young New Zealand party.
A Gisborne message soys that Thomas Hall was yesterday committed for trial in connection with the alleged theft of jewellery at Rakauroa.
A Dunedin message says that tho Minister of Education has given notice that the regulations concerning the examination for school teachers, gazetted on February 16th. have been suspended.
That money is firmer than it was may bo judged from tho fact that tho Timaru Harbour Board have just lent out £1500 at 5} per cent, for a term of vcars. • .
A public meeting for the punwc of forming an Anti-Chinese League will b e held in the Druids' Hall, Worcester street, to-morrow evening. Mr Hiram Hunter is to preside, and Mr J. Cameron will address the meeting.
The biennial conference of the Piiarmary Board is being held in "Wellington, It was decided yesterday to make repr<v sontations witli a view to securing exemption for chemists from service on juries. To-day the Board will con-fer-with the Health Department on tho proposed Poisons Bill, also on the pure food and drug regulations.
A woman who was convicted of vagrancy at the Police Court yesterday, and ordered to come im for sentence* when called upon, had nardjy loft the Court when sho began to exhibit syniptonis of delirium tremens. She was medically examined, and was immediately charged before Mr If. W, Bishop, 5.51.. with drunkenness, and remanded tor a week for treatment.
Tho Auckland agent of the Prow Association telegraphs that tho forthcoming exhibition is already assured of being placed upon a sound tinancial footing. During the past few days tho President and members of the Exccutivo Committee' have been engaged in an active canvass of business men and firms-of-the city, obtaining guarantors. The- original object was to securo guarantor* totalling £0000, but .so great h«s been the success attending their efforts that tho e'nra named has already been over guaranteed. Tho steam trawler Energy, coiiceniing the safety of which "there'has been somri. anxiety, returned to.Wellington yesterday morning with a large cargo of fish. Tho captain reports that the vessel was never in trouble. Bad weather compelled him to run into Queen Charlotte Souud on Saturday morning, hut ho ro- * turned to Cook. Stcait the same afternoon, and remained thoro until Monday night. :
In his sermon on Sunday night afc Baring square Church (says tho Ashburton Guardian"), tho llev. W. J. Elliott deplored tho manner in which many peoplo were "weighted with impedimenta." "It is. tho fashionVV.he remarked, "for some folks to provide big Sunday -dinners, and wo have iiw> picture, of strong, robust young men and women lounging about on Sunday" afternoon, tho victims of indigestion, instead of being engaged in spiritual or intellectual. pursuits."
All pastoral land now being thrown open is keenly sought after. For tho five additional grazing runs at Mount Peel, which were recently offered, thoro were no lc-s than 3."fl applications. Applications closed on Monday, and will bo cxanv'ned at Ashburton fit 11 o'ejock day, immediately on the nrrivnl of' the oxpn»ss. The ballot will tako placoon the following day in tho Courthouse 1 . Immediately after tho ballot 241 pastoral runs at Ben McLcod, Mount P«p], comprising a total area of 33,600 aqres, will bo sold by public auction.
Among tho cases to bo dealt with in tbo Supremo Court of Australia, noxb month is that in which Dr. H. l». i Clarke, An slim n Aruhbishpn of Melbourno, is claiming £0000 damages from John Norton, newspaper proprietor, for allowed libel. These proceeding aroso out of tho Nnsli ca.so, and tlu> hearing has been delayed owing to v Commission being sent to England to examine Canon Bards! ey and others. Tho evidence, given by thnso witnesses has now been received by_ tho prothopotory, and unless something unforeseen - happens thero is nothing to prevent the trial taking place next month.
Ai the Invercargill Cricket Club'« soc:al on Saturday evening, Mr F. C Liggins vontui'ed the opinion that Southland had made a mistake in. per- , ', mitting itself to bo classified as aseooni , grade province, and thus eJigiblo to - compete for Lord Hawke's Cup. was easy enough to como down a step,' but the Association would find it dim- - cult to advance one. Cricket here was, . •■ in Mr Liggins's estimation, not so far behind tho standard or other provinces '( that held a first grade ttatus. Tho Aβ- ■ f sociation should make an effort ia. tlio -~ near future for first-class recognition in tlie cricketing world, to bo given to '- Southland.
„ Thiring tho voyage from London to ~ Wellington (says tho "Dominion"), they Athcnic, which arrived on Saturday evening, was, except for a period, ot fourteen days, in constant wireless communication with the outside world * >' all tho time. At this time she wai ', crossing tho Southern Oce_an on her ' ' way from Capetown to Hobart. Tho longest distance at which communica- ■= tion was maintained was H46 miles, with R.M.S. OtrantOj when the Athenic was two days out from Hobart. • „' At that time the Otranto was in tho vicinity of Brisbane. A message was sent to Wellington at a distance of 760 '', miles, and communication effectively established at a distance of 270 miles.
A prompt stnrt is to bo made with the ida Valley irrigation schemo in Central Otago, as a result o£ which 14,000 acres will bo benefited- Cabinet has authorised tho commencement of work on tho storage reservoir, which is the main feature, the distributing drains not boing a heavy part of the " , scheme. Under tho law relating to , '. irrigation schemes of this character, the Government is empowered to carry out a bis betterment policy so as to en- «**, sure that, the benefit of public cxpendi- , " . ture will not bp monopolised by private ..," landowners. When more than half the * ' landowners in tho area agree to take % "_. '' tho wator supply at tho prico fixed (y „"~ tho State, a scnemo may bo carried out, and tho Stato is empowered to pur- '' chase land not siibjcot to these agreements at a price which'does not anti-»' cipato tho additional value likely to '.. accrue as a result of irrigation. "When '" tho scheme is completed, tho land can be re-sold at tho increased nrioe. This bourse will probably be followed at Ida Valley, as the necessary agreement* with settlers have been .signed.
"VVe would like, to remind our raiders that tho event which has set all Christ* church will .s/vw ho *• /tiling. cf .tie Tv'o reier, or cc/nro-, to „ tho Special Departure Sale, now being held by T. Armstrong and Co., Ltd. ' It is admitted that for real genuine value in Drapery and Clothinp this Salo has eclipsed any other that ha? been held in this city. Secure somo of tho wonderful bargains cro it bo too lato. - 6 Baggage is a bother at any time, frat - , doubly co during tho Easter rusb. To escape all trouble, check your bazgago / through us. Wo call for bairgago. ; check on by rail or steamer, take it off, and deliver it at once. Oust «ysi>'n» is reliable, most helpful, inexpensive. The New Zealand Express Company. Limited. 6 Dainty Gifts for Easter BridesMessrs Hastio, Bull, and Pickering, opposite Ballantyne's, are just now snowing very charming, yet inexpensive, new goods in Art Silverware, Antique , . > Copper and Brass; also some recent •..'*;,< dteigns in Art Porcelain, including ,-<t; dainty Tea Sets, etc. 591
Buyers for Motor-Cycles should note that G. H. Carson, of tho Ashburton Motor Garage, has several bargains in ■■- new and second-hand Motor-Cycles: These- comprise:—L.M.C., Humber. J.A.P., 8.5.A., Fairy, 1~.~5., etc. 1 A reliable vacuum bottle, "The Autotberm," for keeping liquids hot for 24 hours, is procurable for 9s 6d jt Lewis and Anderson's, ironmongers, U2 Cashel street. Other stylos, Ids -lo 33a Cd. 0 The Sterling Patent Automatic , rr)!acement system makes domestic tilephones indispensable to a modern bu«;- ---' ness house. We guarantee those instruments to give- every satisfaction. "Turnbull and Jones, Ltd., sole New Zealand agr...s. 6
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19120327.2.48
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14314, 27 March 1912, Page 8
Word Count
3,539NEWS OF THE DAY. Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14314, 27 March 1912, Page 8
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.