LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 260, 28 July 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Commissioner of Pensions is still forwarding to the War Relief Association lists of men awarded permanent pensions, and the association’s staff will shortly be engaged in the compilation of the fourth return (supplementary to the main return) for distribution to other bodies throughout the Dominion, giving details of domestic war pension. etc., in respect to permanently disabled mon. t

Tho new by-law imposing a charge of Is. 3d. per ton on goods stopped by the Customs for examination and removed to the examination store, was confirmed at a special meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board last night. It will come into operation on August 1, 1921. At a bankruptcy meeting yesterday a creditor was remarking that a certain taxi-driver, who owed the bankrupt money, was not likely to pay up, the sum being fairly large. "I speak from experience,” ho said. “Only recently he borrowed, five shillings from. me. I may say I have never received it back!” The creditors agreed that the chances of payment were, to say the least, remote. The annual meeting of the Advisory Board of patriotic societies has been postponed. until August 16. Tho Thorndon reclamation scheme was mentioned at the meeting of tho Harbour Board last night. The chairman (Mr. J. G. Harkness) said that he had not vet received definite information, but hoped to get a decisive reply from the railway authorities next week. Tn tho Supreme Court yesterday Mr. Justice Reed gave judgment for possession, with the sum of J 390 mesne profits, for Alice Hosie against David Stone. The caso was one in which the defendant had purchased a house at Berhampore under the Government housing scheme, and had been gralited assistance by the Government to the extent of ,£750. Then some dispute occurred as to the price. By consent, the judgment will lie waived if the defendant carries out the term of a previous informal judgment delivered by His Honour. This involves a sum of about J 230, which was in dispute, relative to the cost of tho house. Sir Kenneth Douglas appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. P. J. O’Regan for the defendant. At the meeting of the executive of the War Relief Association yesterday it was decided —"That no distribution of funds, beyond such as may Ire urgently necessary in the discretion of the secretary within limits already sanctioned, or any commitments in connection therewith, bo made except on the authority of the executive of such committee_ as may have been empowered to deal with matters involving disbursements of money.” “Tho quarry s: te at Oriental Bay has long been looked forward to as a site foi°a tennis court and bowling green," says the executive of' tho Roseneath and Oriental Bay Municipal Association," and it will not be long now before quarrying operations will have to cease. This site is of no use for anything else, owing to the danger of falling pieces of rock from the face of the quarry, and to make it as safe as possible for the tennis court and bowling grecn, wo would suggest that the sea-wall, when it is extended from tho point before the tan terminus, bo taken in a straight Uno fo a point beyond the Kiosk, v hich. would allow tho present curved road to I>c partially thrown into tho silo for fho proposed tennis court and howling green.”

Tho merits of Magazine Point as a site for tho national memorial are stressed by tho executive of tho Boseneath and Oriental Bay Municipal Association in a recent report. Tho association points out that tho site, on account of its closeness to tho eon .re of the city, and its commanding position, would hold the memorial ever before the people. The remainder of the judgments of tho Court of Appeal in cases heard during the session will bo delivered to-day. A civil action will bo hoard in the morning, and another in tho afternoon.

Owing to certain circumstances, the Wellington Amateur --Operatic Society has postponed its season of “The Geisha’ from next month until October There will bo no more rehearsals until further notice.

A dead whale three miles cast of Jackson Head was reported yesterday by the master of the Mapourika. Tho whale is considered a menace to navigation. “There is no alteration in the diversity of lhe claims submitted to your committee (says the Applications Committee of the Wellington War Relief Association in its monthly report), which include requests for provision of tools of trade, payment of maternity expenses, of rent, of tradesmen’s accounts, of board and lodgings, etc., and although there is a small reduction in the average number of claims being received, it is now. much more difficult to deal with them, partly as the result of tho complex nature of them and partly because of tho difficulty—as the result of the htpse of time since the armistice—to establish the actual degree- of physical impairment and tho resultant financial loss attributable to war service.”

“No one knows better than I do the nuisance of wandering stock,” stated Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at tho Upper Hutt Court yesterday, on entering a conviccharged with permitting stock to wander. “They are a danger aud a menace to every traveller.” Tho exccutivo of the Roseneath and Oriental Bay Municipal Association suggest a use for the vacant piece of land at the southern end of the Boat Harbour, between the sea-wall and the road. This is within a few minutes’ walk of Courtenay Place or Jervois Quay, and the association suggests that if properly laid out in grass, with seats and suitable shelter, it would make an ideal place to go to for those who at present take their lunch and eat it in office or factory, and do not get the benefit of fresh air and! sunshine during the week. This is the first bit of sea 'rent not required by tho railways or Harbour Board, available to .the public at all time, from Kaiwarra to the Clyde Quay Wharf. The proposed rest park would, the association urges, work in nicely with the improvements to be made to the corporation yard front on Clyde Quay. The association pointe out that tho conservation of this section of ground, and its utilisation for purposes of beauty find rest, would entail but a slight charge in the way of financial expenditure, and if the council cannot meet such cost, the citizens might, it is urged, voluntarily contribute the sum required. In any case, this land should not be built over, but kept as an open plot where families can go for a little pleasure in watching the boats, which are a great attraction to most people. A returned soldier undergoing treatment in fho King George Hospital, Rotorua, writes to a Taumarunui friend as follows" There is a most wonderful example of a Ratana cure here. A Maori came in there three days ago. Ho had been at Narrow Neck hospital for two years on crutches, with a crushed hip. Ho was due to leave here on Saturday for Narrow Neck, but he asked tho commandant’s permission to go to Orakei on Saturday to see Ratana, who asked him. if he believed there w-as only one God, and if he repented his sins, etc. His answers being satisfactory, Ratana said: ‘ln the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, you are cured. Rut away your crutches.’ Ho said a warm feeling like a hot wave went through him. He put away his crutches against the marquee, and then Ratana said ‘Walk,’ and he took his first step, feeling very uncertain of himself, not having been off crutches for two years, but he took another step, and then walked as well as ever he did. .It all took place in under five minutes, and two days after I saw him running like a hare. Isn’t it miraculous? He has just come back here to thoroughly regain his strength. Tho doctors here were very greatly interested."