LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 50, 27 February 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Arrangements have keen made by the Returning Officer (Mr. J. W. Heena'n) to make known the Tesult o* the Wellington North by-election as expeditiously as possible to-morrow night. It is expected that the final result will be announced shortly after 8.30 p.m. As the results are received from the various booths they will be recorded on an election board at the Evening Post office. Candidates desiring to address the electors from The Post balcony after the election are invited to do so. "Somebody has said the wheat people have been making fortunes," remarked the Prime Ministe.- at the meeting at the Town Hall last evening. "Let the man who -has produced wheat for twenty years running show me his books, and I will guarantee that that man is not a shilling richer now than when he started twenty years ago. I have been through the mill, myself. They are not making a shilling an hour,"the very best of them. Here is the difficulty; and I hope when we get back to normal times it will be put right. The shadow tlfat hangs over New Zealand is the fear of dumping from Australia. We shall have to put the New Zealand wheat-.grower on a level with the Australian wbfcit-grower, so far as Customs duty is concerned, and then he will be protected." / In order to save putting Dunedin city to the heavy expense of holding the licensing election next month, the suggestion has been made that the temperance and moderate parties should compromise—two members to be selected by each, and'that the fifth be selected by the Government. At its meeting on Monday afternoon, the Canterbury College Board of Governors carried a motion urging on the Government the early completion of the Otira _ tunnel, and ' the installation of electric power for. haulage through the tunnel. A spark from a neighbouring chimney settling on the weather-boarding is thought to have been responsible for an outbreak of fire yesterday afternoon in a four-roomed dwelling at 48/ Thomp-son-street. The Fire Brigade was notified about half-past two, and quickly got the blaze under before the damage extended beyond a few pounds' worth to the side of the house, which was occupied by Mr. Thomas Baldwin, and owned by Mr. Robert Birch, of 41 Nairnstreet, The contents 'of the dwelling were insured in the Phoenix Office for £90. and the building in the Sun Office for £100. The report of the Inter-State Commission on the price of meat was considered at a meeting «f the Federal Cabinet last week. The_ report had been referred by the Prime Minister (Mr. Hughes) to the Minister in Charge of Foodstuffs (Senator Russell) and the Chief Prices Commissioner (Mr. P. Whitton). Mr. IJughes stated after the Cabinet meeting that.both Senator Russell and Mr. Whitton had endorsed the recommendation of the Commission. This was to the effect that, the wholesale price of meat for local consumption should be the same as the wholesale price of meat for export. The recommendation was approved by the' Cabinet. "We were married on Ist June, 1907, and I lived with my wife until 9th January, 1909," stated John Rigg in the Supreme Court yesterday in connection with his petition for a divorce from Pauline Rigg on the ground of desertion. "I had arranged, or rather promised, to allow my wife's mother and daughter to live with us and sharo our expenses;. We had taken a house in Ellice-avenue, but after a ,short period I found that I could not get on with my mother-in-law. As time went on, she began to influence my wife against me, and my married life became very unpleasant. I saw that V could do nothing, and 1 realised also that I was no longer the master of my house, so I decided to send the old lady away. My wife said that if her mother went she would go also. I spent a great deal of time trying to persuade my wife to change her mind. I pleaded with her over and over again—pleaded hard—but all to. no purpose. A few days later they both left, and my wife never came back again. She stated that her mother would come before any man." After corroborative evidence had been given, his Honour Mr. Justice Herdman granted a decree nisi, to be made absolute in three months. Mr. A. H, Hindmarsh appeared for the petitioner. A regulation under the War Precautions Act, which has the effect of prohibiting any agreement among traders to increase the price of commodities purchased by the Commonwealth for the use of the troops, was gazetted last Friday. Although officers were reticent about the matter, it is understood that the regulation has been rendered necessary, by suspicion that an arrangement was being made to exact higher contract prices from the Defence Department' for certain supplies. The first commodity to which the regulation will apply is bread, but its application may be extended to other commodities by notice in the Gazette. Although at first glance the regulation might be construed to prevent any combination to fix a minimum price, or boycott a retailer, its scope is limited by the definition of ."supplies," which is as follows: —"Supplies include clothing, equipment, foodstuffs, or other commodity used by or required for the use of the forces and notified by the Minister by notice in the' Gazette as being supplies within the meaning of this regulation." The continued absence from his home of Mr. A. J. Thompson, late- clerk of the Court at Queenstown, is causing great anxiety to his friends (says Monday's Otago Daily Times). Some months ago Mr. Thompson suffered a serious nervous breakdown, and for some time he has been subject to fits of deep depression, losing for the time all sense of locality. He left his home on Sunday week to visit a friend at St. Clair, and since then heihas been completely lost. In appearance Mr. Thompson is of medium stature, had very fair hair, wore a dark suit, a brown overcoat, and a soft grey felt hat. Stories were told last week to the Victorian Premier and the Minister for Lands to the effect that the rabbits in the Mallee, near the New South Wales border, were becoming such a pest that a number of settlers had been compelled to leave the district. Rabbits were devouring the crops, and were even eating the roses and flowering shrubs around the houses. A poisoning week, in which the farmers will be asked to join, has been arranged from 18th March to 25th March.

The Federal Minister for Defence, i Senator Pearce, stated last week that i Brigadier-General T.Griffiths, commanding A.I.F. Headquarters in London, acting on a suggestion made by Mr. W. S. Robinson, of the Associated Smelters, is making arrangements Ho permit of Australian soldiers, when on leave or convalescent in Great Britain, who were either skilled artisans or interested in manufacturing industries, being, afforded opportunities for inspecting industries in Britain. It is hoped that their knowledge and skill in industry may thereby be improved, and that a valuable adjunct to^the repatriation efforts of the Commonwealth may be effected. "You may comment as strongly and as often as you like, on a public man," said Mr. Justice phampan, during his summing up in a libel action at Christchurch, "but before you do so you must have facts, and make certain of your facts. Comment without facts, or with perverted facts, is no comment." Recently the executive council of the Federated Firemen and Seamen's Union approached the Commonwealth Government requesting that the vessels.now in course of construction in the United States to the order of the Commonwealth Government should be officered and manned by Australian seamen. It was suggested that the necessary men should be selected in Australasia and then sent to America to bring the ships to Australia. It was stated on-Thursday last, says a Sydney paper, that the union had been notified that the Government had now decided that the vessels would be manned by members of the 'Federated Firemen and Seamen's Union. The question of instituting a superannuation fund for employees of the Christchurch City Council was raised again at Monday evening's meeting of the council by Councillor Taylor. It was decided, owing to pressure of business, to postpone discussion till the meeting in the second week in April. • s Three seamen, Patrick Monaghan, Toni Mati, and Alexander M'Lean, were seen by two constables, who happened to be passing along Waterloo-quay in n motorcar, engaged in what, appeared to be a triangular duel. They -were brought before _ Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court to-day, and it was shown that Mati and\M'Lean hod started a quarrel, had finally come to blows, and that Monaghan had stepped in to act 'as a peacemaker) but the rough-and-tumble was bo willing that onlookers would have thought that all three were fighting. Two of the men were fined 40s, in default 14 days' imprisonment, and the information against Monaghan was dismissed. Robert Miller, of 5, College-street, an employee of the Windsor Manufacturing Company, whose left hand was accidentally severed above the wrist yesterday, was this morning reported by the Hospital authorities to be making good progress. The Kumara correspondent of the Greymouth Evening Star says that all that now remains, to remind one of the once prosperous gold mines of the Kumara field—heaps of stones—are now being turned to profitable account, as they serve as a run/for hundreds of sheep, which appear to do remarkably well. This is instanced by the fact that one sheepowner shipped wool, representing the season's clip, to the value-of close on £400. A number of moa bones, concerning which a controversy raged years ago between the late Captain F. W. Hutton and Dr. H. 0. Forbes, a one-time curator of Canterbury Museum, have (says the Christchurch Press) been presented to the Canterbury Museum by Mr. F. W. Stubbs, of Geraldine. The fossils, which are the remains of leg'bones, belong to an earlier date' than that of any other moa bones found, and it was upon them that Captain Hutton established one of the many species of the moa, which he named Anomalopteryx Antiquus. Members of the species belonged to a group of small, thick-set clumsy moas standing three or four feet high, allied to a species whose remains are found near Takaka, Nelson.' Captain Hutton placed the bones as belonging to the. Upper Miocene or the* older Pliocene period, Mr. R. Speight, curator of the museum, agreeing with him, but Sir Julius yon Haast assigned them as far back as the early part of the Tertiary Era. The bones were discovered beneath a lava flow at Timaru by Mr. Stubbs many years ago, when he was employed by the Harbour Board there. Shortly after 9 o'clock on Monday night a fire broke out in the operating box at the Empire Picture Theatre, Sydenham, and two parts of the "star'v : picture, "A Gambler's Soul," were destroyed, reports the Lyttelton Times. The operator, Mr. Williams, was taking the first spool off the machine, when the end of the film became ignited. He tore off the blazing end and threw it to the floor, preventing the fire from spreading to "the spool. Unfortunately the burning end fell on another spool containing parts two aid three of the star drama, and this took fire. The fireman on duty at the theatre dashed into the operatingbox, seized the burning spool and carried it to the street, where it burnt out, about 2000 ft of film being^destrpyed. There were between 400 and 500" people in the theatre at the time, but the promptness of the fireman completely removed any danger, and there was no panic. Mr. Williams was taken to his home suffering from shock and bums on his hands, and the fireman also had his hands severely burnt in carrying out the "blazing film. Outside the destruction of the portions of the picture no damage was done. "There is no greater . fallacy in the world than the old saying, 'There is no sentiment in business,'" said Mr. F. Wilding, ICC, in the Supreme Court at Chrietchurch. "Business is full of it. Sentiment is everywhere. What is it that sends our brave boys to the front, that leads our gallant ladies to Red Cross work, but sentiment? Everything that is good arid noble in the world rests on sentiment." Mr. J. Caradue, who has been on the staff of the Bank of New South Wales in Nelson for the past four years, has been transferred to the inspector's. staff, Wellington. Prior- to taking up his appointment, Mr. Caradus will relieve the manager of the bank at Wavetley.

In succession to the late Dr. Bedford, Archdeacon Woodthorpe will for this year take charge of the classes in economics and the pass class in history at the Otago University. . Arrangements for the advanced class in history have not yet been completed (says the Otaco Daily Times). ■ • h At a sitting of the Conciliation Council at Masterton yesterday (telegraphs The Post's . correspondent) the Wellington builders and general labourers' dispute was considered. It was decided that a settlement be effected on the came rates of wages and. conditions as agreed upon in settlement at Hastings, Napiet, and Wa.nganui. The council will hold a. sitting iii regard to the same dispute at Dannevirke to-morrow, and at Pahnerston on 2nd March. . "A.M." writes to The Post:—"ln a book entitled 'Nature,' I came the other day across a statement by the author, W, H: Davies, that in an English lane he had found what he called a gold bug,, a creature which was actually encrusted .with or partially composed of the precious mineral, and, because of the weight, could not fly. I should be very grateful if some of the authorities here' would say if such a creature does or can exist, and, if so, where I could find any further information about it." The new diving prer, which has been erected by the City Council at -Island Bay, will be opened shortly, and to mark the occasion a swimming carnival will be held. Up to the present time Island Bay swimmers have suffered from the disadvantage of having no place from which to dive—a disadvantage which has been keenly felt. The present pier, which is about 120, feet out from low water mark, will no doubt prove a great boon to swimmers. It is a hardwood structure,. 24 feet long and 6 feet wide, and 1- having at the end a spring-board projecting eight feet from the pier. Asked by a Christchurch Sun reporter how the traffic on the reiirorated 9.15 p.m. train to Lytteltou and'the 9.45 from. Lyttelton to Christchurch compared with that prior to their being discontinued, Mr. Grant, chief traffic clerk in the local office, said that the traffic jiow carried on the two trains mentioned was not so heavy as previously. It ; was considerable on Friday night, but then it had always been heavy on Friday evenings. He was •unable to say whether the reinstatement, of the trains would pay the Department, as it must be remembered that probably some of the traffic now carried on these trains was carried previously on other . trains. They could only judge according to the whole returns from the complete service on a line. The part which Oddfellows are taking in the war was referred to at yesterday's conference, and the following motion was carried unanimously:—"That this conference of the Wellington District, Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows, extends to thei large body of fellowbrethren absent on active service hearty fraternal greetings. We rejoice that the representatives of this district are truly linked in the bonds of friendship, love, and. truth, with an army of 150,000 Oddfellows so worthily upholding the honour of the Empire and the- Order, and fervently hopes that the cause of the Allies will soon bo triumphant. Further, endeavouring to in some^ measure express appreciation of their great sacrifice, we pledge ourselves to continue protecting the rights and privileges of members of the Order serving their King and country." . „ "Free Bathing for School Children" is the subject of a- letter written to The Post 'by "Bathing Essential." The correspondent writes:—"A paragraph in The Post on sth February etated that school children could enter the baths without payment in certain hours on epecified days. That permission is. largely nullified by the qualification 'accompanied by their tea-chers.' Some of the teachers do not go vo the baths ; at all, and whole classes are disqualified I because of this. lam far from saying} they ought to go—their work is sum- ■ ciently: arduous because ol the purely school duties, ancl they cannot be expected to put in the extra hour or two after school hours which this necessitates. Either the bathing should be in school j hours, when attendance by the teacher j could reasonably be asked, or some arrangement' should be made, such as a printed pass from the headmaster, with school and date on it which would carry a child in." The Canterbury College Board of Governors had before it at its meeting on Monday a letter from Dr. A. Hill, secretary of the Universities Bureau of the British Empire, also- a memorandum from Professor Gilbert Murray to Dr. Hill, embodying proposals for the interchange of university teachers and students among the Allied countries. The chairman of the board (Mr. J. C. Adams) explained (says Christchurch Sun) that' the correspondence ha-d been beftre the University Senate, which desired to have an expression of opinion from the boards before jiext April,' when there would be a special meeting of the Senate. The flfcesident of 'the committee of the British Universiti»s Bureau anticipates that after the war, if suitable arrangements can be made, the migration of members of- foreign universities to the universities of the British Empire f. will assume considerable importance, j. The matter was referred to the College j; Committee and "Professorial 'Board to report upon. ~ . . ■ :' Says the Melbourne Argus of recent date:—Money cannot now be raised in Sydney, for reproductive enterprises at less than 8 per cent. This fact was disclosed by Mr. Beeby, Minister for Industry, in asking the Legislative Assembly to pass a Bill authorising the Australian Gaslight Company to increase its capital and to offer 8 per cent, instead of the present maximum of 7 per cent. The company has been hedged in. by a number of statutory restrictions, but Parliament, in fixing a maximum, rate of interest, made no provision for the company's having to extend its business when money ' became dearer. Members of the Labour Party viewed the Bill with suspicion, and Mr. Storey, its leader, declared his disbelief that money was not available at 7 per cent. It is regarded as "correct" procedure by Caucus members to suggest that public companies %are ever ready to commit some impropriety. But, needless to say, no prudent company pays interest at a higher rote than is necessary. There are 3000 applicants awaiting connec,tion with the company's mains, and it would, be very good business if capital could be secured at a low rate of interest to serve these additional customers.