LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 37, 12 August 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Information has been received by the Primate (Bishop Nc-vill) that Chaplain W. H. Ford, of the Suffolk, met his death off the coast of Belgium. The late chaplain was formely a student of Selwyn College, and later had charge of the Anglican Church at Stewart Island, when he proceeded to England, where, he was appointed to a chaplaincy in the Navy.

Speaking at the Kilbirnie Hall on Saturday evening, Dr. Newman, M.P., stated that it was his personal opinion that the war would not be concluded by the end of .1919.

A daring robbery is reported to have taken place at Kelburn one night last week. Mr. and Mrs. N. Phillips, of Fairview-crescent, left their, house early in the evening,, and were away several hours. As they were leaving, the house they noticed a pile of cases on the kerb near by. When they returned the cases had gone, but all their jewellery, plate, and silver ware and the best of their clothing had been taken from the house and evidently carted away in the cases. The goods stolen are said to be worth several hundred, pounds. The house is in_ plain view from all houses in the neighbourhood, being on an eminence, with a steep approach.

Sitting in bankruptcy in the Supreme Court this morning, his Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) granted a discharge to Tasman John Chamberlain Gunn, manufacturers' agent, Wellington. Mr. H. E. Evans appeared for Gunn, and there was no opposition to the application. ■ " ■

New Zealand-grown potatoes are not plentiful, and the market would have been very much perturbed but for the shipments from Australia, states the Dunedin Star. Now the Australian supplies are exhausted, and the merchants are wondering how to replenish them. Potatoes can be bought in Australia, but it is a job to get ships to fetch them. The difficulty is accentuated by the fact that a steamer is required to make regular trips to carry the wheat that the NewZealand Government has purchased. The position makes for high prices. The best sorts of potatoes are worth £10 per ton wholesale in Dunedin. and up to £13 and £14 in Auckland, where the supply is very short. It is hoped that the wheat-laden steamer due shortly will have found a little space for potatoes and onions.

The cup presented hy the Camp Commandant at Featherston for the bestkept huts and lines has been awarded to tha 47th Specialist Company for tbo week ending Saturday, 10th August.

A full statement was reached in 11 out of 14 disputes , which came before the Auckland Conciliation Commissioner dur-[Mig-the-R»9t-t*ft;ffioathß,

During the interval at the performance of "The Bing Boys Are Here," on Saturday evening, an appeal was made by the Commercial Travellers, assisted by members of the company, for funds to aid the copper trail. In this way the sum of £80 was raised.

The new site for the Auckland Museum in the Outer Domain has been selected by the Council of the Auckland Institute. It is an area measuring 500 ft by 250 ft, embracing the top of Observatory Hill, the most elevated portion of the Domain, and, in accordance with a recent resolution of the City Council, will he duly reserved lor museum purposes.

Illustrating the cheeriness of the wounded, Chaplain Bladin, at Dunedin, cited the case of two New Zealanders, each of whom had lost a hand. Both attended all the concerts together, the reason being given by one, who explained : "You see, whenever we want to applaud, Bill holds out his hand and I smack it." The speaker also made a fine acknowledgment of the wonderful achievements of the British Navy.

Failure to enrol in the First Division of the Expeditionary Force reserve was admitted by John Henry Thomas in the Auckland Police Court 'last, week. Act-ing-Sub-Inspector M'Namara said that defendant, a single man, had been living with a woman with two children for'five years, and had registered as a married man with two children. He had been classed as fit. Defendant was fined and ordered to be handed over to the military authorities.

Discharged soldiers are, finding difficulty in procuring employment in Auckland, and the question of providing-oc-cupation for them is assuming proportions which are considered to carry the problem to a. scale beyond the scope of the local Employment Committee. The Mayor of Auckland stated j recently that while the committee had done and was doing all that was possible, it was a question whether the matter should not be placed on a wider basis, and a special repatriation committee appointed, representing both citizens and returned soldiers.

One of the names on the list for awards that came before the meeting of the court of directors of the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand, at Chriitohnrch, was that of Ernest Clarence Cross, who attempted to resJue Alexander Terence O'Calla.gha,n from drowning at Stimner on Wth January, 1917. It was stated that Cross had been killed' at the front about five months ago. Some discussion took place as to wiliethe-r an In M.emoriam certificate should be issued, as in the case of a person who loses his life in the act of rescue. An opinion was expressed that as Cross had not lost his life in the act the actual award should be handed to the relatives. This course was agreed to, and a certificate will be handed to the next-of-kin

The latest gun story reached Masterton oy the mail this week. It was from a lad who was always regarded as most truthful. Evidently, however, he has been rubbing shoulders with some of the Yankees. This is what he says: "Our new guh Trill fire a shot from New York to Berlin. It would take^a Ford car a day's run to go from one end of it to the other. It is nearly as long as you can remember. When 'it is fired, besides lobbing a 100-ton shell on Berlin, it takes rations and munitions up the line, and on its recoil it brings back wounded and prisoners. When a shell explodes it kills 50 per cent, of the population within a radius of 50 miles, and those it doesn't kill it handcuffs. It takes 12 horses to pull the lanyard, and these are shot after each round is fired, to keep the gun a secret."

The Justices of the Peace Association welcomed Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., on the occasion of his taking up Magisterial duties in Christchurch. In reply, Mr. M'Carthy said it afforded him a great deal of pleasure to' meet them, and it also afforded him pleasure to find that the Justices were taking such an interest in their duties as to form an association, with a view of conferring with each other and acquiring a, larger knowledge of their duties. Justices had not a legal training, but they had common sense. He had once been asked to define what common sense was, and his reply had been that it was a sense which was not common. In conclusion, Mr. M'Carthy thanked them for their welcome, and the spirit in which it was given, and said he was sure he would have their hearty cooperation.

Farmers in the King Country (says the Auckland Star) are still complaining tnat the weather continues rough and cold, and that in some cases stock is suffering severely. Many of the milking cows are coming in early, but on account of the recent and continuous severe frosts there is very little grass. Many of them have have started on their last haystack, while the turnip^ are nearly done. One old Maori near Te Kuiti, who was born and has lived there nearly all his life, says he has never seen so much snow as this season, and that the nearest approach to it was in 1875, or, as he puts it, the year when Sir Donald M'iLean, the Native Minister, paid a visit to the old Maori IJing, and when amicable relations between the Pakeha and Maori races were resumed, which Sir George Grey, the great friend of all races, but more especially of the Maori, cemented more closely when ho became Premier two years later.

The shortage which naturally follows winter conditions, and perhaps the increased difficulties mot with through bad weather during the last month in getting supplies into the city, have apparently had a sad effect on the milk sold by certain vendors, for the percentage of samples, taken by the inspector under the Sale of Foods and Drugs Act, which did not come up to the set standard was unusually high. The offenders will be dealt with in the Magistrate's Court in due course, and it is stated that in regard to one of the cases there will b^e exceptional features. It may be mentioned that the Sale of Foods and Drugs Act provides that a penalty up to £50 may be imposed, in the case of a first offence, and a maximum of £200 for a second or subsequent offence. If, however, it is proved that the adulteration was wilful the penalty for a first offence may be a fine of £200, or as an alternative three months' imprisonment.

Alteration in the trawling in the Hauraki Gulf was opposed by the Auckland City Council at its meeting last week. On the recommendation of the Markets Committee it was resolved to write to the Minister for Marine, emphatically protesting against any alteration of the limits, and also to ask the suburban local bodies to consider the position seriously before supporting any proposal for alteration. Mr. E. J. Carr, chairman of the Markets Committee, said that if the limits were restricted and only trawling in depths beyond 40 fathoms were allowed, as asked, the public would have to pay much higher rates for fish than at present. The city, he added, possessed the only vessel in Auckland capable of trawling in depths of 40 fathoms. Statistics furnished by the committee showed that the council's net profit on its dealings in fish for thr last three months amounted to £157, after making allowances for depreciation of plant, etc.

To help the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts to provide prizes for students' competition, Mr. T. S. Weston has given £5, Miss D. K. Richmond £1, and Mr. A. Atkins £1.

A Press Association telegram from Greymouth states that the Acting-Prime Minister, Sir James Allen, was given a reception at the Town Hall on Friday night. There was a good attendance, the Mayor, Mr. Lynch, presiding. Sir James Allen was presented with an address. A vote of thanks was proposed by Lieutenant Frickleton, V.C., seconded by Private Willis, a returned Anzac. Sir James Allen especially appreciated the fact that the soldiers had proposed the motion.

The next sitting of the Bankruptcy Court in Wellington will take place on Friday, 29th November.

The cost of school stationery has been discussed by the New Lynn School Committee, which has decided that the Board df Education be requested to communicate with the Minister for Education, suggesting that a central depot be established where school requisites could be purchased at cheaper rates.

In Sydney coarts lasfc month several merchants were heavily fined for delivering coal, coke, and firewood in sacks without weight labels being attached. For delivering firewood short in weight one defendant was fined £10 and costs, for delivering coal short in weight £15 and coste, and for delivering firewood short in weight £7 and costs. ■

A Marlborough soldier's tribute to Scotland : "I had a fine holiday in Scotland. The people cannot do enough for you, and as for a Scotchman being mean—l don't think they know the meaning of the word. I liked the country round Edinburgh; it is very much like New Zealand on a small scale."

A charge against a resident of Waihi of having stolen a motor car tire, valued at £10, was dismissed at the local court last week. The evidence went to show that the accused found the tire on the roadside, and had neglected to take prompt steps to find the owner. The magistrate said that he was satisfied that there had been no intention on the part of accused to act dishonestly. He had simply been careless and dilatory.

Mr. John Henry Newton, the oldest inhabitant of Lyttelton, is dead, at the age of 93 years. He arrived at Lyttelton in the ship Victoria in 1859. He leaves two daughters, five sons (one of which lives at Wellington), 28 grandchildren, and 45 great-grandchildren

At a meeting of the Waihi .Settlers' Association, relative to the proposed establishment of a cheess or butter factory in Waihi, Mr. Howard, managing director of the Manawaru Cheese Factory, said that a cheese factory would increase the valv.e of the land by at least £3 an- acre. On the question of. cost, Mr. Howard said that an up-to-date factory, with space for an extra vat, together with a manager's house, would be in the vicinity of S3OOO.

Some idea of tha treatment that American soldiers are receiving in German prison camps may be gathered from a letter received by a boy's parents at Minneapolis : "We are having the very best treatment," he says. "The Germans provide us with the best of everything. There is only one thing we could wish for, and that is to be at Lakewood Park." Lakewood Park evidently impressed the German censor as a pleasure resort. It is a cemetery.

Mr. A. R. Jordan, chief clerk in the Auckland branch of the Public Trust Office, has been promoted to the position of Assistant Local Deputy Public Trustee at Auckland.

After having for many years imported the greater part of" school furniture, desks, forms, and the like, many of which came from Canada, and were therefore subject to heavy freightage, the Canterbury Education- Board has decided to establish a workshop for the manufacture of school furniture and apparatus. The necessary machinery has been now obtained, and it is hoped to have a suitable building oructed shortly for the purposes of the workshop on a section owned by the board on Moor-house-avenue.

Sixty women scrubbers, employed at Edmonton Military Hospital, recently refused fish dinners providedl for 1 them. The authorities offered to compromise and give fish and meat on alternate days. Some of the men accepted this arrangement,' and the hospital committee went further and agreed to take only two meat coupons each week for six dinners. The appearance of the wounded from the bis battle in France, however, caused all the women to swallow their grievances —and the fish. ,

A statement was recently made in Auckland that line fishermen in the Hauraki Gulf are receiving no higher prices for their fish to-day than was the case thirty years ago. A table prepared by the Auckland City Council shows' that the price paid by the council to fishermen for snapper has increased from 2s to 2s 6d per bundle in 1915, to 4s in 1918, for Kaipara mullet from Is and Is 3d per dozen to 2s 7d, for Auckland mullet from Ss per dozen to 6s to Bs, and for other kinds of fish in much the same proportion.

Mr. L. J. Barry, circulation manager for the Christchurch Press Company. Ltd., has severed his connection with the company after nearly 20 years' service. Before "leaving he received a presentation from the conMiercial and publishing staffs.'

At a meeting of the officers ot' the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, over which Lord Weardale presided, a statement regarding peace was unanimously adopted In the document this passage occurs:—"lt is only with the authorised representatives of the German Democracy represented by a Ministry responsible to Parliament, frankly repudiating the domination of a military caste, the continued existence of which has been, and will always remain, a menace to the liberties of mankind, that it will be possible to"enter into a profitable discussion of the terms of peace."

Lord Liverhnlme, at the annual meeting of Lever Brothers, Ltd., said the directors had been caused much concern * by the announcement that the Government was considering the prohibition of the manufacture of toilet eoaps. This would throw thousands of people out of work, and would result in the production of less glycerine, which they musthave to win the war, and would do away with soap in its most economical form.