LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 120, 14 February 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A meeting of supporters of the' Government. called-by the Prime Minister, wto lie held this afternoon. Matters of considerable interest: are to be discussed at. tins meeting. The impending Appointment of t.\vo lieiv Ministers is one of the matters t.liat is attracting interest. Jt is anticipated , that. Mi\ Jlas.-ey will have some information for the meclin!? on tlie point. The allocution of the liorti'olio of Public Works is another matte;- in which members are deeply interested.

The Minister of Finance (Sir James Allen) is a member of the party that is fn visit Samoa. During his absence the nortfolio of Finance will be held by the Prime Minister, and that of Defence by tho Hon. J. G. Coates.

The audience in tho Supreme Court yesterday morning very nearly received a. practical demonstration of tho "tales." The jury in a manslaughter case was •beins empanelled. The list was'exhausted bv challenges, and it seemed that an imoasse had been readied.. Mr. P. S. li. Maeassey (Crown Prosecutor) immediately said: "Your ■ Honour, 1 pray a lales." His Honour ordered tho tloors of tho court to be locked, and as this order was about to be obeyed a jury that had iust concluded 11 divorce case came in. and the panel was completed by drawing upon these jurymen. "Praying a tales" has been common law procedure in Ensland for centuries. The word tales is taken from the uhrase "talus de circunistantibus," '•which means "11 like number of those standing about," or "tho bystanders.'"

l'ho quarterly meeting of. tho Public Servico Superannuation Board was held at t)io board.room, on Thursday, Mr. J. it. Richardson, C.M.G., presiding. Fortyrax contributors, retired uiider section. E of the Act, by reason of age or length of servico. vera granted allowances of a total of JioSOl per annum, and eight contributors, retired as medically unfit, were granted allowances tolling J2G32' per annum. A retiring allowance was refused in the caso of one contributor whom it was sought to retire as medically unfit, as tbo medical reports were not oonclusivo. The cases of three contributors, previously. retired as medically , unfit, wcro reconsidered, and it was resolved to continue the allowances already granted. Fourteen widows and fourteen children wwo granted : tlio .statutory allowances, amounting to per annum. In consequence of retirements under eeclion .'to of the Act, accrued compensation to the amount.of .EGGI7 became .1 liability of tho Superannuation .Fund, and a corresponding relief to the Consolidated Fund.

Tragedy surrounds the death of a young man -who died in'Christcliurch a few days ago a victim to influenza. Chauffeur to a well-knoyn resident, ho was engaged to a young Christcliurch lady, and their marriage was to liavo lakeu placo next week. A little over a week : nfto she contracted influenza, but easilv recovered. Her liance, howovej', iiext contracted it, and handicapped with a bullet in his lung, a legacy of the war, he-rabidly sank ,and died,

Mr. C. J. M'Kinnou having his position of associato sub-editor on the sta.lV of Tim Dominion', his former (co-workcrs assembled, yesterday rioon. ami through the editor (Mr. C. AV. Ea,rle) presented him with' a. token of their esteem. Mr. M'Kinnon was one of the original members of The' Dominion literary staff. He is now engaged in "frco lance" journalism, in which activities his former colleagues wished him every success,

Charles K. Bayfield, a returned.soldier, and a married man, died under an anuesthelic at the Port. Chalmers Military Hospital (says a l'res-J Association telegram frojn Christchurch) this afternoon whilst minor operation;

Cleanliness of fowl-runs is to be insisted on bv tho Devonport Borough Council. whose. Sanitary Commitieo has recommended that in the- interests of health, and as a means of minimising tho rat and blowfly menace, the by-law compelling fowl-runs and houses to be concreted or asphalted be enforced. Some members of tiio council, however, think that the by-law is too ulringent, and it has been left to the sanitary inspector to submit a report on the mathr.

As a stimulus to trade'San'-Francisco will witness this year the greatest, foremen trade convention evci- hc'.d in tho ■United States. 'It is expected that more than three thousand American merchants from all parts of. the world trill be in attendance., in addition to which invito(ions have been extended.to reveral hundred foreign representatives. : Tho impoftance of. tho Pacific Coast as the American frontier of. foreign trade will 'be emphasised.

T'rom Mr. Alexander Jfosley, of Gibraltar. the curator of the Christcliurch Botanical Gardens lias received a. packet of acorns -for planting, in return for soino seeds of New Zealand native plants. The''acorns are those of the cork oak ami ilex, oak, and aro tivice the s i^, ot acorns common in New Zealand. "Ilex acorns." writes Mr. Mosley, "afford sblcntlid food, lor pigs, |tud it is-the custom here to drive large herds-of pigs into the forests, where they fatten in.a.very, short time, as. Ilex acorns contain a largo amount of In tact, the acorns aro largely eaten iii the santc wnv.as nuts or walnnte by country people. mid are quite 'palatable."

Tt is reported, unofficially (states a Press Association telegram from Christchurch) that the Lyttelton branch of the Seamen's Union favours acceptance of tho'employers'offer. • . •

Mr. »S." ..-K. JJianch. headmaster of Christ's; College. has tendered his resignation, to take elfcct from January. 81 next. Mr. Blanch inn-nds to retire from ictivo v■":•!'■ In his profession (state? a Press 1 . Oi-r'stciiurch).

frf a meeting of the Wellington branch of the Marine Engineers last evening' the actum of the Federal Government in placing an embargo' on the institute funds wa.s severely commented 011, and a resolution was adopted:—"That Wiis branch of tlu; Australasian EngineersInstitute will support their brethren 11/ Aus'ralia to 'he' utmost."'

Mr. I'. 0. A\"eW Is' earfyiiift out 4U infontion to return to the coal mining industry (says the "Grey liive.r Argus"). ](o has gone to Iho Cronadun' mine to worli, and this week will don tlio apparel of the miner onco more. Mr. WeW), who is, of course, a miner of lung experience, Lm in this instance* engaged for the special purpose of. ascertaining the capacity and prospects of the mine in question. He 'lias been commissioned by a number of Greynwuth business people to examine and report as to whether .the niino will prove a paying proposition.

A l'res-; Association cablegram from l.oiidon renorts the death'of Mr. W. V. Kive.-i. tlr.' laivn tennis player.

The Wellington Corporation Tramways Band will play i\ prograimno of popular music tiiis■afternoon at Lyall Bay. ..

New Zealand is not the only country where coal supplies arq short. A circular to hand from the! Guaranty Trust Co.. New York, has the following parasranh:— I "Production has been cut down 50 nor cent, or less of normal, and reserves are bains rapidly wiped out. One of the results is the seizure of the mines hv the State Government in several instances, and. the calling for volunteer millers. Tho Department of Justice is arranging for the protection of these volunteers, and to such miners as may wish to return to work."

ITis Honour Air. Justico .Hashing will hear a- number of divorce cases this morning. The conditions imposed by the Makara County Council in reference to the transfer to the Education Board of a site in Wakefield Roud, JohnsonviUe, for tho i>urposes of a swimming balli, formed the subject of a communication received bv the council yesterday from the Johnsonvil'n School Committee. The council had stipulated that the baths should be onsii onlv to children of school age who resided at JohnsonviUe, or in the county of Mlikara. and that the controlling authority should provide sufficient vigilant Wotection of the council's prnpi'rty. It; was nointcd out by the School Commitfee that, number? of children' living in Johnsonvir.e were attending secondary educational institutions in Wellington, but it had no objection to their using tho bati.s. It would not b; possible for the school teachers at to exercise supervision at the baths, 60 it would be necessary to make other arrangements. Tlio commmiftce thought: there was no necessity for the conditions imposed bv iho council, therefore it was honed that the laud would be transferred to- the educational authorities unconditionally. ' The council resolved to, ad'here to'the conditions laid rlowii. ■

The. King has awarded . the Albert Medal to Lieutenant Randolph Gordon Ridlimr. New Zealand liille Brigade, in recognition of k his gallantry in saving life. AI; Brccton Camp,, Stafford, on Auril 19. ISIIB, a recruit, who was under instruction in bombing, dropped ,a live Mills erenade in the throwing bay after pulling out the pin. Lacking the presence of mind to attempt to escape, lie kicked the bomb towards tho entrance, and retreated to the inner end of the bav. Lieutenant liidlinfr, the bombing officer, seeing the man's danger, went to his rescue. Seizing him in his arms, lie started to carry him out, but the bomb exploded before he could get clear of the ■lmv. and lie was wounded severely in the groin. But for Lieutenant ißidling's coolness and bravery the man, who was only slightly wounded, would, in all probability. have lost his life. .

•At the Tinner Hutt on Thursday afternoon Mr. P. Robertson, J.P., and a jury of fcnr held an imiuest into the circumstance: surrounding the death of Mr. E. J. Beavis, who succumbed on Wednesday to injuries sustained through a fall from a dogcart. Dr. ICemo. who made an external examination of the body after the accident, said that deceased had disd'from a fracture of the base of the skull. A verdict of accidental death was leturned 110 blame beini: attachable lo anyone.

Mr. James A. Cassidy, the well-known Christchurch barrister and solicitor, who died suddenly yesterday afternoon, was (says a Press Association telegram) in his 53rd year. He bad been ailiilg for some time, but had continued' lo attend to his practice. He. leaves a widow and 1 a daughter U years of age.

The suspension of t'hp weekly auction sales of ten 111 Colombo is notified in a private cablegram, dated February 3, received in Auckland (says the "Herald"). The message states that the rate of exchange lias lurther advanced, being now lis. 9d. per rupee. No further information has been received, but the cessation of the auction sales is regarded as being due to. the banks experiencing a difficulty in negotiating bills of exchange. The London exchange quotation on January '.'.O waff slightly under 2s. sd. per rupes. Surprise is expressed at the rapid advance, especially in view of the statement cabled fi'pm London} on I'ebruary'l to the effect tliat the India Office has received a recommendation from the Currency Committee to the effect that the value of the rupen 'should lie/ stabilised at 2s. Id. The •par value is Is. 'Id. The fact (hat the tea auction sales have been tmspunded is not regarded as implying the cessation of pnvate sales.

"A greatmany families in Auckland and in other centres cannot aft'ord to havo tnoir children closely watched by servants-, and it. is, therefore, my solemn duty to protect these children irorn men of your kind," said Jiiv Justice Cliapuran at the Supreme Court recently (says tho "New Zealand Herald"), when sentencing a prisoner who had been found guilty of indecent assault. His Honour added:—"Many- children are compelled lu jilay in the open streets, and u great many mothers, when I'liev hear of eases like'tbis, l must, feel considerable apnre-. hension, Since, I have been "on .tho' Bench I have had plenty of evidence of the anxiety of parents regarding the safely of their young children from men 'of evil habits and. designs." Tho prisoner, who had been recommended to mercy by the jury, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment with hardJabour. ' "The action of radium oil cancer," said Dr. Cameron (radiologist at Dunedin Hospital), in an mlerviow given to a "Star" reporter, "causes the cancer-cells to bo transformed into harmless tissue, or to bo absorbed and lo disappear nl■together without leaving a trace." Dr. Cameron spoke with a knowledge widened by rccent visits lo England and America. He said tlmt in Manchester in. 1017 casts, of earner, exclusive, of rodent ulcer, wero rendered free from symptoms and signs during Tho year. This represented just over 9 per cent, of tho cancerous cases treated. In addition' lo the, above cases of malignant, disease, 2-i ease.* of rodent ulcer and ' 111 non-malignant conditions were apparently cured. Of tho cases noted as "improved" or "100 early for observations to 100 made'*'iti 191(5, .M.'casw of malignant disease, four of rod eh I. ulcer, and niue of other conditions were rendered free from symptoms and 1 signs during 191 V. "Thus," to quo'.p the official - report, "100 completely successful cases | have been observed during the period covered." In 1918 -IS cases of malignant disease, exclusive of rodent ulcers, were rendered free from symptoms and signs during tho courso of the year. This represented 11.75 per cent, of the cancerous cases treated, an improvement of over' 2 per cent, oil the previous year. It is noteworthy that a marked increase in the successful treatments of cancer in women has been tnitdc, there being L'O successful eases in 1918. In liho rodent ulcer ca;6s nearly half of those treated (IS) ivor| apparently cured. Besides this, 2G non-malignant cases were "cured, The value of radium ins a pnllintive is very marked. Turning to the report again: "Apart from tho possibility' of removing growths, radium is of great use ill reducing the discomfort of patients suffering from hopeless cancer. Thus it is employed to , relievo pain, heal ulceration, check discharge--, stop bleeding, and in this way to improv'o the general health of tho patients. A great deal of satisfactory work of this kind is dono in the treatment: of ve : y advanced cases of malignant disease."

Japanese (roods continue to find a mar-, ket in the Dominion, but (heir luck of durability in many instances is causing the public to look nt them askance and Ito cherish the hope that it will not bo loissr before more substantia! British manufactures are obtainable with greater facility. Particularly is this so in the case of glassware and clobes fur fas fittiujs. At the present time it is somewhat difficult to buy a rood British globe, and (lie ■ Japanese practically control the market: in this respect. "I consider that the Japanese had an excellent opportunity to capture trade with their -"oods." remarked one shopkeeper to a Dominion reporter, "but. the fact that many nf ( the thimrs lliev turn out are ultimately found to bo flimsv in nature, has spoiled their chance of maintaining a hold on the market of the Dominion. It will be only a matter of time when .lapanese manufactures will be out of the field so far as the New Zealand public is concerned." That some shopkeepers apparently hesitate to place Jnpanese goods openly before the nnblic wis. evidenced tho other day, when a a lady went into a shop to purchase a glass vase. When tho vase was turned upside down a label bearing the name of the shopkeeper was found affixed to the bottom. The label was scraped off and the purchaser learned that the vase had been m.ido in Japan. She expressed regret I hat she had been unable to procure a British article.

Tho tender of Mr. A. Cometti, of P* tone, for repairs and alterations to th« motor ambulance van, was accepted Iff tho Ambulance Van Committee law iiiuht. The price is JMllOs. The lonjr-siifToriug public is about to , have another shortage thrust upon it, says a Gisboine telegram to the "New. Zealand Herald." This time it is sausage skins. A reporter learned that the local butchers were 'alt very short_ of this necessary article of their businessj and that the nrospect of supplies was somewhat remote. This state of affairs had ben hrouchfc iibout bv one firm effecting n corner in the supplies.