LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2951, 11 December 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The following telegram from His Excellency the Governor of Bombay has beon received by His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand:—"Myself and Her Excelloncy inspected your boautiful hospital ship Marama on December 7, and I'should like to congratulate you and the people of Neiv Zealand on its most complete equipment.—(Sgd.) Willington."

Tho twenty-third Infantry Reinforcements, now completing their recruits' course of musketry at Trentham, will be transferred to Featherston by special trains at the end of the week. Tho Twenty-first Infantry will bogiu their march from Featberston to Trentham on Thursday, and will reach the latter camp on Saturday. Both those drafts are considered to be showing great promise, and tho same is said of tho Twenty-seconds, which are at Featherston.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that tho police on Saturday afternoon raided a house in Albert Street. Dice wero found on the table, and a game of hazards was in progress. Twelve men were arrested, and eleven were charged with being found in a common gaming house._ One was charged with keeping and assisting in the management of houso.

Felled with a bottle of beer which broke across his head, Thomas_ Joseph Neagle appeared iu the Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning in support of a prosecution taken by -tho police against John Lane,, a man_ with whom Neagle had come into collision in the New Zcalander Hotel. The Magistrate said tho case was peculiar on both sides. Both denied having provoked the onslaught, and no conclusive evidence was produced as to the cause of the disturbance. Neagle said he gave no provocation whatever, and Lane said that Neagle struck him, whereupon Lane retaliated, forgetting for the moment that he had a bottle of beer in his hand. Lane's blow knocked Neagle to the floor of tho bar, and inflicted a deep cut near the eye and othor cuts. Lane-was lined £1.

A moeting, at Auckland, attended by two hundred and fifty transport workers, under the _ auspices of the Now Zealand Watersido Workers' Federation, carried a resolution endorsing the principlo of the Federation of Transport Workers, pledgiug all unionists present to do their utmost to bring about federation.—Press Association.

Insobriety brought a city resident a good fright, a "ducking," and might have cost him his life on Friday night. Said citizen was zig-zagging toward a vossel moored at one of the wharves when ho fell into tho harbour. Luckily there wore others about at tho time, and he was rescued.; The police provided him with a drying-room for the night.

A letter from the Board of Agriculture asking the names of the six worst noxious weeds and the best methods of eradication was read at a meeting of tho Oxford (North Canterbury) County Council last' week. The council decided to reply that all weedß' were bad, and that the Crown lands were as badly infected with them as tho freehold. Membera expressed the opinion that a staff engaged in compiling such statistics at tho present time might ho "much better employed at the battle front in placo of some of tho farm hands who are continually being sent away."

Two inquests are fixed for this morning. At 9.30 an inquiry will be opened regarding the doath of the elderly man found drowned at Oriental Bay, with his feet and hands bound. At 10 o'clock Mr. W. G. Riddcll,. S.M., will conduct an inquest touching tho deaths of Emily Thomas and Gilbert Marshall, who wore found dead in Thomas's house in Cambridge Terrace on Friday morning.

Lieut.-Colonel Andrew, P.M.0., Trentham Camp, has received intimation that the Wellington Racing Club has given a donation of £1000 for the erection of a now ward to the military hospital, to be called tho Wellington Racing Club's Ward.

Tho inquest respecting tho death of tho telegraph messenger, "William Gason, who was fatally injured by a motor-car in Clyde Quay last Sunday morning, was concluded on Saturday. Mr. W; G. Biddell, S.M., returned a verdict of accidental death. His Worship said the occurrence was ono of those unfortunate accidents which wero happening. Ho expressed his sympath with the relatives of the lad, but said it was clear that tho motor-car which struck him was not travelling at oxcessive speed. \

All examination of a number _ of Auokland women who have signified their willingness to replace soldiers by taking up public or private work was concluded last week. The Hon. G. W. Russell stated in Auckland on Friday that he had reviewed the results of tbo examinations from Mrs. H. M'Lean, president of the Auokland Women's Branch of the National Reserve. The names have_ been transmitted to the Public Service Commissioner for consideration in the filling of vacancies in the Auckland district,

Tho Makara County Council resolved on Friday that, tho clerk should circularise the motor agents in Wellington, notifying them that the council-'s-nuw a registering hody, and suggesting that purchasers, should register with the council.

The compulsory enlistment of farm workers was discussed at a meeting of the Oxford County Council last week. The council decided that the Government 6houkl be asked to exempt all farmers' sons and farm labourers in agricultural districts from tho military ballot until after harvest, and that a copy of the resolution should be sent to every county council in Canterbury, asking its support.

At a meeting of the Woolgrbwers' Committee in Christchurch on Saturday, it was reported that the post of arbitrator had been satisfactorily filled by the Minister of Agrioulture, who had appointed Mr. William Nicholls. The members of the committee were informod that the cost of arbitration in connection with the wool would be paid by the loser in each appeal, i.e., either the grower or the Government, and in tho case of the grower the expense would be a charge pro rata upon the wool which was the subject of appeal. The committee considered that the time for lodging appeals against valuations should be extended from 48 hours to 72 hours, and this suggestion was communicated to the Minister. .

The Military Appeal Board on Friday heard an appeal by Messrs; Dalgety and Co. for the exemption of Neville Charles Witcoinbe, one of their employees, who had been drawn in the ballot. Mr. Witcombo himself did not appeal, and it was stated by his employers that ho was willing to serve. The firm, however, had already parted with a largo proportion of its experienced men, and could not at present spare Mr. Witcombe. A term of suspension was granted.

Concerning.the wreck of the Stormbird recently, Messrs. Marshall and Hutton, the Wanganu'i Harbour Board's solicitors, intimated at Friday's meeting of the board that they had received I a writ from the owners of tho vessel '(the Wellington and Wanganui Steamship Company), claiming £7000 damages.

The oeremony of unfurling a New Zealand ensign presented to the Hataitai Sohool, Ohiria Road, took place on Saturday afternoon. The flag was hoisted on a flagstaff erected by Mr. P. Watt, tho unfurling ceremony being performed by the Hon. J. G. W. Aitken, chairman of the Education Board. also delivered by tho Messrs. H. W. Morrison and A. L. Hunt. There were about 300 children present at the ceremony.

The question of utilising prison labour for road-making has Tocently. been discussed by local bodies in the northern districts., the matter arising out of a suggestion made in this respect by the Kotorua Chamber of Commerce. The Minister of Justice (the Hon. Dr. M'Nab) has replied to the Hawke's Bay Comity Council on tbe matter, slating that at present some prisoners aro engaged in opening a road from Wahnarino to Lake Taupo. Tho scheme proposed the tho Rotorua Cbambor of Commerce was quite impossible. The only uvailablo prisoners for road-making are those working at ltotoma, trce-plau ting, and under no circumstances could tho Minister agree to the important work of afforestation being terminated to enablo them to work in different, parts of JN'ew Zealand on the roads. "It is a mistake," said tho Minister, "to suppose that wo have a largo number of prisoners in this country. Fortunately our proportion is much smaller than in other parts of the Empire, and we have at present very nearly all the prisoners engaged in useful occupations, including road-making, and I can hold out no hope at present of an extension of the prisoners activities in other parts of the country."

The view. that tho Bankruptcy Act pressed somewhat hardly upon a debtor, in respect of the amount of his possessions it entitled him to retain, was expressed by creditors at a meeting held in Auckland! The bankrupt in question was a plumber by trade. His creditors were considering the point of allowing ' him to keep sufficient furniture, etc., to enable him to make a fresh start. The Official Assignee explained that the Act protected a bankrupt's property only to the extent of of "tools of trade, wearing apparrel, and furniture," of a gross valuo of £25. The Act was passed 30 years ago, he said, when £25 meant more than it did now. It provided also, however, that creditors could, of their own volition, give back to » debtor possessions valued at not more than a further £50. If it was desired to bo more generous still it would be necessary for creditors to pass a special resolution, which must subsequently be confirmed, and which must, on both occasions, be carried by a majority representing threequarters of the value of the debts in the estate.

The Government steamer Hiuemoa, is to leavo Onehunga on Wednesday for Pelorus Sound with a load of oysters. Theso oysters are to bo planted in Pelorus Sound, and to help them grow it is intended that instead of detaching them from the rocks they will be brought down on the rocks. Last season a number were planted in Queen Charlotte Sound, and theso appear to he doing well. Mr. Aysou, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, is at present at Pelorus Sound selecting whero the oysters are to bo planted, and wbile there he will also select a spot to erect a trout hatchery. ,

A report upou the question of the treatment of cancer was submitted by tho medical superintendent of the Auckland Hospital, Dr. C. E. Maguiro, at_ a meeting of the Hospital Board this week. He stated that with the institutions under the control of tho board here was no reason why any member of the community who was unable to afford medical treatment should go untreated. , With the board/s dispensary and the open-door policy at the hospital, everyone requiring treatment should obtain it. The proper recognition of this disease, especially in its earliest stages, was of great importance. As to lectures on the subject by doctors, it was recommended by Dr. Maguiro that these should bo doferred for tho present, owing to the large number of doctors absent at tho war. Tho report was adopted.

A very clear and definite indication is given by the enormous increase iu the price of tramway rails that tho present is far from being an opportune time for a tramway undertaking to embark on extensions (says tho' Christchurch "Press"). The "Christchurch tramway authorities state that the effect of tho war on prices of tramway rails is shown by tho fact that whereas in August, 1914, on tho outbreak of war, the price of tramway rails was £7 12s. 3d. per ton landed in Now Zealand, plus duty, the lowest price recently quoted to them was £17 18s. per ton landed in Now Zealand, plus duty. _ The Christchurch Tramway Board is under the necessity of obtaining rails for repair and other purposes, and its requirements are such as to involve ordering 200 tons, and this has been done despite tho high price above quoted. The rails aro being got from the United States, cable advice having been previously received that permission to ship English i ails had been refused by the British Government.

The insidious nature, of "miners' complaint" was exemplified in the persons of witnesses in the Thames mining dispute, heard in tho Arbitration Court at Auckland, says the "Herald." The president of the union and the four ■witnesses who appeared for the men were all declared to be suffering from miners' complaint in the first stages. Each man -was middle-aged, ruddy in complexion, and heavy in frame. Apparently they enjoyed excellent, even robust, _ health, but the president of the union explained that, despite his appearance, he had been obliged to rest three or four times on his way from Queen Street to the Supreme Court to regain his breath,

A ruling in regard to the anti"shouting" _ regulations was given by His Honour. Mr. Justice Edwards at the Supreme Court in Wanganui. He upheld an appeal by the licensee of a hotel, who was convicted on a charge of permitting "shouting," the chief ground for the conviction being that he had failed to place notices in tbo bar. The Judge held that it was unnecessary to place notices in the bar, provided licensees warned thoir employees and conformed strictly to tho regulations, as the appellant had don©. His Honour expressed the opinion that the barmaid was also wrongly convicted, and steps could be taken to nullify her conviction. ' y- .

The death occurred yesterday morning, at the age of 59, of an old native of Wellington, Mr. Joseph Ralph Renner, fourth son of the lato Captain E. W. S. Renner, a well-known skipper on the coast in the early days of the Dominion. Tho late Mr. Renner was at ono. time a prominent figure in. cricketing and literary circles. About 1878 he and a number of other young men formed the Excelsior Cricket Club, for which he played for a number or years, showing good all-round qualities and being particularly successful as long-stop. In literary matters the late Mr. Renner took an active part in tho Wesleyan and St. Johu's Literary Societies thirty to thirty-live years' ago, and at ono. time produced at St. John's Schoolroom, under tho auspices of the latter society, a parody which he wroto on the Court scene, "Bardell v. Pickwick," from Dickens, and which was favourably noticed by local critics. Of recent, years ho assisted from time to time with tho entertainment work of the Sailors' Friend Society. _ Well read and of a genial though retiring disposition, Mr. Rentier will bo missed by a large number of friends.' He leaves a widow, but no family. Surviving brothers arc Messrs. George Renner, Kaikouia; W. H. Renner, Gisborue-, John Renner, San Francisco; and EC. Renner, of Wellington.

At- the last meeting of. the City Council, the question was raised as to what tho council's intentions were, in regard to utilising the extremely valuable block of land that'would be cleared by tho demolition of those buildings on the Market Reserve Block between the old Manners Street Fire Brigade Station (Flockton's) and Mr. S. Gilmer's leasehold. Councillor W. H. Bennett expressed the opinion that tho council should retain a strip of land alongside the Gilmer lease for the pnrposo of shops, ono of which could be a retail depot in connection wiS? the Municipal Fish Market. Councillor Bennett did not intend,'it to be conveyed that the shop should servo as a placo in which offensive- work would be carried on, but in view of the council's determination to have a central depot for retailing the fish, he advocated what he considers to>be a most admirable sito. It such a strip of land were retained, there would be room enough for three or four shops, whoso window lights would be visiblo from ono end of Courtenay Place to the other, and would bring in more rent than all the properties (other than the hotel) on the block.