LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 70, 19 September 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

To-day's Rugby representative match between Otago and_ Wellington, at Athletic Park, has reanimated enthusiasm in the dying hours of the football season, and the great interest taken by the public is indicated by the large crowd that journeyed out of town to see the struggle. The Wellington team is the one that brought back the much-coveted Ranfurly Shield from Taranaki, and is sure to make a big effort to uphold the honour of the province. A detailed report of the match will be given in this ovening'e Sports Edition of The Post, together with a budget of notes. Tho baseball game at the Basin Reserve nx aid of the Patriotic Fund will aleo be fully described, and reports of the concluding day's racing at Avondale, the hockey match between Wellington and Auckland, and outdoor fixtures in other parts of the Dominioti will be published. In addition, the latest news from the seat of war will be contained in the issue. War broke out in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon on a matter of Government advertising. The Minister of Marine w.as accused of playing a Kaiser role, in provoking hostilities, and he and his colleagues retorted that the Opposition had long courted a clash. The Premier gave nis opinion frankly that the Government would prefer the ordinary party fighting to the sort of truce which the Opposition had indifferently kept. Many observers of tho parties have had a belief for a week or two that tho end of the pseudo peace was near. After this reversion to old practice, the consideration of the Estimates waj resumed. The largest class was working railways (£3,030,000), and many important points were raised. Other votes included State coal mines, Native affairs, preservation of " scenery, and State fire insurance. The House rose at 1.45 a.m. The Legislative Council, which sat for only half an hour, passed the Abolition of Imprisonment for Debt Bill and the Shipping Documents Bill. " Advertise in the paper with the largest circulation" is a maxim of good business, and this is what Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh, M.P., in the course of discussion in Parliament last night, recommended the Government to do with its large amount of advertising. Ho believed that all Government advertising ought to be done on purely business principles, and asked why it s.hould be deemed necessary to advertise in threo newspapers in one city. As an example of the effect of circulation on advertising he recounted an experience of his own. He had inserted the same advertisement in the three Wellington daily newspapers. Through the Evening Post he got seventeen replies, through one of the other two papers he got one reply, through the third paper he got no reply at all. (Laughter.) " 1 believe," concluded Mr. Hindmarsh, "in advertising in tho paper that gives the best results." The position of Imperial Army Reservists who have been called to the front and whose families, in some cases, are practically destitute, was mentioned 'd yesterday's meeting of the Mayor's War Fund General Committee. Mr. J. P. Luke stated that he understood that the Government was making arrangements whereby the reservists who had been, resident in Now Zealand would receive the came pay as members of the Dominioti Force. Thejiard case of a British reservist is revealed by the Shannon Correspondent of the Manawatu Standard. He writes : "A reservist and his wife and family, who were living in Shannor some ten months ago. left Shannon for Liddlfl Bay, where the reservist was to work at a sawmill. At the outbreak of the present war he reported himself at Christchurch, having to pay his own travelling expenses, -and sending his wife and fam ily back to Shannon, it being the only place in New Zealand where she knew anyone. He has now been transferred to Awapuni, and since he reported himself (five weeks ago) he has not feceived one penny of pay. The result is that, but for the assistance of a few friends in Shannon, the wife and family of a man who has answered his country's call would be destitute." The Railway Department has replied as follows to a recommendation by the Dominion Conference of the Farmers' Union that better facilities should be provided for the conveyance . of road metal for local bodies :: — r 'Road metal for local bodies is carried at absolutely unremunerative rates, and the Department can undertake the conveyance thereof only at times when more remunerative traffic is not offering. The difficulty experienced by local bodies would probably be reduced if they made arrangements for the provision of depots at which the metal could be unloaded during slack seasons and carted therefrom as convenient. Every effort will, however, be made to meet the requirements of the local bodies consistent with the requiiements of other classes of traffic." Complaint was made at the Dominion Conference of the Farmers' Union that the burning of the grass along railway lines endangered private property close to the railroad tracks, and it was decided to make representations on the subject to the Railway Department. The Minister of Railways has sent the following reply :—"I: — "I have the honour to inform you that in order to clear the lines efficiently it is necessary tiiat the burning off of the grass should be undertaken in dry weather, but the staff have instructions to take every care to prevent the spread of fire to the adjoining properties. The few instances in which serious damage has been done as the result of the operations of the Department's gangs when burning off the grass show clearly that as a. general rule proper care is exercised. You ,wih recognise that there is always some* element of danger of fires occurring on properties adjoining the railway lines, but the advantages that accrue to the landowners by reason of their proximity to the railway far outweigh any disadvantages." Evidences of drought everywhere were seen by Mr. A. W. Rutherford, of Canterbury, during his recent visit to Australia. To a Christchurch Star reporter Mr. Rutherford (who was accompanied on his trip by members of his family) 6aid : " We took a ran. up to Connowie, a noted stud station in South Australia. Surrounding the station were a considerable number of farms, and really things were in a terrible state. There was no grass at all. We heard that stock on, the farms was dying and that some of the farmers had shot half their stock in order to conserve the food for the remainder. Cows and horses were just turned out on the roads to take their chance. Hundreds of thousands of acres further north had been abandoned. It is said to be the worst drought for forty years, and must have a serious effect upon the crops. In South Australia the wneat crop, over a considerable area, is a complete failure, and in more favoured districts it will be considerably below normal. In parts of Victoria, where many of the great runs havo been cut up, or perhaps subdivided and let on the share system, the farmers liave realised that the crop is pa-sfc saving and have turned in the stock to feed it off. Generally speaking, there must bo a. great_ shortage of grain in Australia. Rain now would be too late to save the crop." In all widths of brim. We have just opened up a large shipment of straw boaters, and we can guarantee a fit for every head. Geo. Fowlde, Ltd., Man-ners-street..— Advt &

The date of th© opening of the inquest on the body of the murdered Chinese Wong Way Ching has been post« potted, pi-obably until 8Otn« timo nextweek. While the Manuka wa« steaming out of tho harbour last evening, bound for Sydney, a stowaway was found on board. The man was transhipped to the inwardbound Kini from Greymouth, off Worsei' Bay, but as soon as that vessel touched the wharf lie slipped ashore And disappeared. The Dominion Museum is about to receive a valuable collection of rare and interesting articles brought to New Zealand from tli6 Solomon Group by Mr. Tacon, of Christchurch, who has already presented a much larger collection to tho Canterbury Museum. Tho articles include war clubs and shields, fish hooke, canoe paddles, images, women's dresses and trinkets, arrows, feathers, and fibre. A parade of " A," " B," and "C " Companies of the sth (Wellington) Regiment was held at the Drill Hall this afternoon, for the purpose of reorganising them in view of the recent withdrawals and additions on account oE the war that have taken place in their ranks. The reorganisation occupied some little time, after which it was proposed to hold a march out. "D" Company paraded at the same time at Lower Hutt, A fireman named Joseph Andrews was arrested by Detectives Andrews a«d Dempsey yesterday, and charged before Mr.<D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., to-day, with deserting fche liher Corinthie at Lyttolton on Wednesday last. He wag aboub to sign on the Moeraki when taken into custody. His Worship sentenced the prisoner to one month's hard labour, and ordered him to be placed on board his ship when the vessel is to sail. Many inebriates came before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., at to-day's sitting of the Magistrate's Court. Guy Cockburn, a frequent offender, was Bent to gaol for one month; John Sheriff and ' John Shannon, were both fined 20s, in default three days in gaol ; Harry Whittaker, William Able,, and Harry Hawthorne were fined 10s or 48 hours 1 detention; and seven first offenders (including one female and one Maori) were leniently dealt with. A special sitting of tho Conciliation Council waa held last night for the purpose of considering the application of the Wellington Slaughtermen's Union for a new award prescribing working conditions at the municipal abattoir. Mr. P. Hally, Conciliation Commissioner, presided. After a conference lasting about aji Hour, the proceedings were adjourned for cix months, as the parties were unable to come to a, settlement. The dcci« sion wad come to on account of tho unsettled state of tilings resulting from the war. *- Several cases of distress have come under the notice of Mr. J. W. M'Ewun, Mayor of Petone. However, the Petona Distress Fund amounted to a few pounds' only, leaving very little to conto and go upon. Consequently, Mr. M'Ewau has asked the Mayoi of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke) that the amount contributed to the city fund by the Petone Workshops be transferred k) the suburban fund. The application, came before the Mayor's Fund General Committee yesterday, and the transfer of £17 17s was agreed upon. One of the resolutions of the last Dominion Conference of the Farmers' Union was that all auctioneers' and hotel license fees should be paid to Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards. Replying to that recommendation, the Minister of Justice says : "By the Licensing Act, 1908, it is provided thai all fees paid in respect of licensed houses shall bo paid to the local authority within whose district tho premises in respect of which the license was granted are situated, and shall form part of the local authority's ordinary fund. It is not proposed to make any alteration of the law in this direction. A dog fight in Willis-street on. 21st August had its sequel in the Magistrate's Court yesterday atternoon, when Thomas Richards was charged with "setting oil a dog in his .charge to attack another dog." Mr. E."M. Beeehey prosecuted on behalf of the City Council, and Mr. H. F. O'Leary acted for the defendant, who pleaded not guilty. Evidence Nyas to the effect that the dog in question had at Jeasfc half-a-dozen fights withia. twenty minutes, and that Richards had urged it on. Nearly a dozen witnesses came forward to deny tho allegation, and in the end Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., dismissed the case. Yesterday, while in Buckle-street, Detective Andrews became suspicious of I the movements of two men of the criminal class, so he shadowed them for a time. They eventually made their way to the prison works at Mount Cook. One of .the men, John Black, scaled the ironwork, and waa seen to secrete a parcel in some_ loose clay. Black waß accosted — his friend made off hurriedly— and detained. Investigations proved that the parcel contained tobacco, cigarettes, matches, and a newspaper, and it was addressed to "Bill 'Thomas/ a criminal at present undergoing sentence on the Terrace. Black was charged with the I offence before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., this morning, and the maximum term of imprisonment— three monthswas imposed. As recently as June last Black was sentenced to three months for vagrancy. He has now rejoined his friend Bill Thomas. An unenviable reputation was given Elizabeth Kempton in the Magistrate's Court this morning. Late last night sha was fouud, without lawful excuse, in. the backyard of 70, Abi?l-Smith-street, and, addressing Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., to-day) Inspector Hendrey said of her: "She is dirtj', ill-clad, immoral— a nuisance to herself and a auisanoe to the community. I think it would be to her own interosts if she was sent to gaol for the maximum period. She has been before the Court many times on charges of drunkenness." Kemplon denied that she was idle and disorderly, and stated that she had a husband who looked after her. She gave no excuso for being found as stated. "Give mv a chance, your Worship," she sayi. "I pray and beg of you to give me another chance. .1 promise— l promise faithfully that I won't come before you again." "I sentence you to six months' imprisonment," said Mr. Cooper. Fresh new British goods just landed in big selections. Socks, underwear, shirts, collars, ties. All suitable for the summer trade. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners-street.— -Advt. Your time is too valuable to spend ib doing Customs work. Pass the work over to us. We'll clear the goods. You've no bother, and save time. The New Zealand Express Co., Ltd., 87-91, Customhouse-quay.-— Advt. The daily reports of the war are causing considerable anxiety among quite a large number of our people. Still, wd hope for peace in a, t very short time, and then all will be looking on a brighter outlook. Till that time arrives, however, we advice everyone to get the best values in their purohases possible. Wearables are among the most important things to consider, and we have no hesitation whatever in advising our readers to purchase their olothing and general drapery from Messrs. C. .Smith, of Cuba-street. They are_ giving the very beet value possible— their good 9 wore bought, paid for, nnd shipped before the trouble began.— Advt. 20,000 DOCTORS are recommending Plasmon All-nourish-ment Cocoa because— (t It yields a delicious beverage containing all the constituent* able to euppctft Ufe."— Vide Lancet .^—Advti