LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 124, 19 February 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Ruapehu, with returning draft No. 214 is to arrive at Wellington to-mor-row afternoon. . . . ,

, An interesting sidelight on Maori custom was given at the Supreme Court, Auckland, before - His ■ Honour' Mr.. Justioe Hosking, during the hearing of the murder charge .against Edward Campbr»l, a Maori, of DaTgaville. Lewis Wellington Parore, a Maori interpreter, in giving evidence, said the Maoris had a peculiar way'.when accusing-a person of killing someone. The fact that they charged a man with killing another did not necessarily mean that -they charged him with murder; it might signify-that they meant that he was the indirect cause of the other's death. In the case bsfore the Court it.. might • be taken that they meant that accused was the cause of his wife's death because of the-jealous feeling between them* When the? made- the charge the phraseology was such that the' charee was neither direct nor indirect, The fact, -even, that accused said' , .'he drowned her might if the words were spoken in deep grief, be taken to indicate that he was the indirect cause of ' her . death beoause of the trouble between them.

A sensation was created, at Martoh Junction dining-rooms last week' owing to a fight which took place between a man named Joseph Patrick O'Connor arid a waitress name Hilda Zanda. According to. accounts, it appeared that O'Connor, who was alleged to be under the influence of. drink, called a girl a German, and used other offensive language. The girl smartly retaliated by .slapping him across the face; O'Connor, objecting, as'-lie said, to be struck by a German, returned the blows. Constable Anderson was rung up. and he immediately put in an appearance, with tho result that O'Connor was Arrested. He was brought before the Court on three charges, and after the hearing of evidence, accused was fined for using obscene language, .£1 for assault, and was convicted ■ and. discharged on a charge of being drunk. O'Connor is said to be a returned soldier, and, it is also said that the pirl's brother fought on the side of the Allies.

The Shaw-Savill liners Corinthic and lonic are expected to leave London shortly for New Zealand with Now Zealand troops on board. The first port of call is not yet known.

The Abattoirs Committee of the City Council reports that during the month of January the following stock was' slaughtered in the municipal abattoirs :— 97 cows, 480 bullocks, 2! bulls, 4262 ■sheep, 2356 lambs, 167 calves, 32 pigs. The total fees amounted to 12s. 2d. being .£59 Us. Gd. less than for the corresponding month of last year.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the committee of the Wellington Society for the Prevention of 'Cruelty to Anjmals took place last evening, the president, Mr. F. Meadowcroft, in the chair. Mr. C. E. Galwey was unanimously elected to fill a vacancy on the committee. The inspector reported on several cases of ill-usage to horses, cattle, and fowls, which had been inquired into. The subscriptions amounted to .£lB Is,, • including JI3 3s. from Mr. B. Hannah and jei Is. each from Roberts (N.Z.), Ltd., tho New Zealand Kennel Club, Mr. M. J. Kilgour, and Mcsdames Seville and Kernot. Addressing the annual general meeting of shareholders in the Wellington Gas Company yesterday, the managing director, Dr. C. Prendergast Knight, stated that in all eixty-two of the company's men had enlisted for active service, , and ot these twenty-four were still away. Thirteen-had gallantly kid down their lives for the Empire. One of the company's employees, Private William B. Cooke, had gained high distinction. He had not only gained the Military. Medal, but had gamed a ■hav i to. it. ; He had afterwards won the Military Cross ■ an* been promoted to the rank of lieutenant on the battlefield.

In no uncertain way Mr. J. B. Montague, judge ■ of elocution, voiced his opinion as to 1 the manner in which the little children are being conxed along the elocutionary wa; t in Wellington. Mr. Montague pointed out how extraordinarily receptive children of tender years are, and how readily they will pick up tho rMit idea when it is imparted to them. Ho hinted that Wellington lagged behind other cities in this important regard, which he mentioned not without a fooling of regret, as there was so much nativo talent in Wellington. He hoped his words would not be taken as unkindly,-but for the children's sake there was room for improvement in the way they were taught.

"Advise Colonel Weston Billy on board." So runs a cable message addressod from London to the Director of Movenients and Quartering at Wellington with regard to the arrival of the transport Horarata, due in the Dominion shortly with returning soldiers. Billy is a little dog which shared many of his master's experiences in campaigning in Franco. AVhen Colonel Weston was wounded at Passcliendaele and sent back to Blighty Billy had to remain behind with the battalion, but a little later he too was sent to England, a friendly aviator carrying him over in his aeroplane. During Colonel Weston s long convalescence Billy was his devoted companion.. ' Twenty-h'vo New Zealand nurses loft for Australia yesterday, under direction oif the Public Health Department, to assist in fighting the influenza epidemic. 'Phis was in response to a request made by the Australian authorities The Premier of New South Wales lias cabled to the Government of. New Zealand asking for any ndvice and information that this "ountry can give in connection with the epidemic. The Minister for Public Health (Hon. G. W. Bnssell) stated yesterday that a cablegram had been sent in reply, embodying the experience of New /Zealand in dealing with the outbreak. ' "■ ..:.-..

An interesting sale of property took place at Marton yesterday, when Laudswood, Mount Curl, was disposed of. This beautiful homestead, of 200 acres, was purchased by the Jenkins family, who have been in occupation for some time. Tlio oilier part, of the estate went to Messrs. Soiers Bros. The price paid was in the vicinity of .£3l 10s. per acre.

The rapid riso in the price of serge was mentioned i\t the last meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board, when the uniforms of the board's employees were under discussion. Mr. H. B. Burnett, thu board's seoretary, stated (hat before the war uniform serge cost.Bs. n yard, but that latterly it had increased to 165., and now was quoted at 245. a yard. Writing to a friend in Palmerston by last mail, n soldier stationed at ;v trainin,,' camp in England says: "There was a big disturbance hore recently. Weve a. 'tarter' of a -colonel, so we gave mm ft certain time in which to 'abdicate' It , , failed to do h>, and the crowd therefore marched up to headquarters and demanded shorter hours and less pack drill, etc.' The request was acceded to,,but not before- a few windows were smasned, the canteen broken into, the 'clink' thrown open, and prisoners released, and the 'C.8. , books burnt."

Questions have been asked regarding the municipal voting qualifications of soldiers who may return home before the elections in April. In an official statement, the Minister of Internal Affairs says:—"A soldier doers not lose his residential qualification Tjy absence on active service. For the purpose of this franchise, an elector is resident in the place in which he has his permanent home. The Minister states that local authorities have power- to Tcplace on the rolls the names of soldiers that may have been .struck ofi" during the men's absence- on active aervice, but this restoration must be dono before the date of the closing of the roll. If a soldier elector's name is not thus replaced.on the roll before the closing date

he will not be eligible to vote. The Base Records Office reports that No. 22,981) Private Miles Frederick" Hudeon, .a discharged soldier, died .at the Cook Hospital on-February 15, from .inflammation of the brain. The deceased was 27 years of age and single, the next-of-kin being Mrs. L. 1)..'. Highman (mother), 79 Crawford Koad, Kaiti, tiisborne.

A statement supplied to The Dominion with reference to the plasterers' dispute stated incorrectly that the men hail been earning £3 17s. a week. Mr.: Grenfell, secretary of the Builders and Contractors' MJnion of Employers, stated, yesterday that the' weekly' payment to Che men concerned for some time past had been £i 13s. 4d.,. which included payment for five hours' overtime. There

was no lost-time. ■ . ■ [ The Minister of-internal Affairs stated yesterday that , the medal.: to be givento:the6chool children on Peace Day would be similar in style to the medal issued

in commemoration of the part taken by New , Zealand in the South African War. There were approximately 225,000 children attending the schools,' ' including 190,000 attending the primary . schools, and there would lie a medal for .each, child. About" 15,000 medals would'be , hvaiiable for distribution, .'to children , who had not attained school age. Mr. Kussell added that the 'design would be prepared at once, and the work of manufactoring the medals would be distributed, among the four centres.

Cabinet decided yesterday to grant a sum of. .£6OO for the relief of sufferers by the recent floods at Kaitangata. This i/ioney is to be.administered by a coni•ciittee consisting of the Mayor of Ivai< tangata, a representative of the Agricultural Department, the chairman of the' Bruce County Council, a representative of the Public Works Department, and the local magistrate if available. Cabiaet decided also to pay a subsidy of pound for pound up to .6100.0 on local relief contributions. This money: is to be administered by the committee, a , *! is to be available to cover losses of. fur.

■niture and clothing and repairs to ; homes.

A cable message published in Australia etates that the Home Secretary has decided, at the request of Mr. Lloyd George, to release on license Alfred and Winifred Mason, who were convicted in February, 1917, of being concerned in a conspiracy to murder the Prime Minister. ■

While the position of the Dominion engineeringinuustry was before the Parliamentary Industries Committee at Christchurch (says the "Sun)", two of the Christchurch Tramway Board's sprinklers rolled into mental view. Mi , ." Frank Cooper had mentioned how, desiring two sprinklers some years ago, the board had decided to have one built locally and to import tho other from America. He explained that whereas; in the one case, iSOO had been paid in wages to Christchurch . workmgn, in the other' j>l4oo had gone right out of the Dominion. "Which was the better machine?" nsked the chairman (Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P.). For an answer the committee was referrod to Mr. A. W. Beaven, as a practical man who had been connected with the board at the tin\e. "I can only say," said Mr. Beaven, "that the imported sprinkler has had spent .on repairs double the amount expended upon the locally-made article; and ifs no better now."

A report has, been published that there would shortly be a rise in the price of sugar (states the "Sun"). However, the secretary of the Board of .Trade (Mr* J. W. Collins) informed a "Sun", representative that an agreement, made some time ago with the. Colonial Sugar Company regarding the price wne still in force, and would not expire until the end of June. Any retail advance in the price would hardly bo justified under the circumstances, as when the board made its investigations it was satisfied that prices then were reasonabel to all concerned. i