LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 156, 30 December 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Starlings and blackbirds are, it is reported, very numerous in the Masterton district this year. They are playing havoc with small fruite. Stoats and weasels were liberated in the WairaTapa some years ago in thousands, for the purpose of destroying the rabbits (says the Age) Most of them appear to have migrated to the north, but a few are still to be found about the township A Masterton poultry-yard; was visited on Thursday evening by either a stoat or a weasel, and about a dozen prize fowls were found dead on the following morning. The Marlborough Law Society has passed a motion asking the Government to appoint a permanent magistrate for the Marlborough district, and that the official mentioned shall be resident in Blenheim. It was decided to seek the co-operation of the Chamber of Commerce in the matter It was pointed out that Marlborough had had a permanent resident magistrate from 1857 until the fusion with Nelson was introduced as a war measure, and thati it was now the only provincial district in ITew Zealand without a permanent magistrate. The statement was made in a telegram from Nelson last week that a member of the Kaitoa's crew named Davey, was washed overboard in a trip from Wellington to Nelson and was rescued by the chief officer (Mr. Baggett) and soms seamen, who launched one of . the steamer's boats and went to his assistance The Mail saye the facts are that Davey. who is a lad, had been ! arranging the ropes on the platform at the stern of the vessel, and was getting down when he slipped and fell overboard. The chief officer of the Kaitoa is Mr Albert Baggett, .second uon of Mr. G- N Baggett, of the Wellington Public Library. Questioned at Dunedin as to whether the Government would consider subsidising permanent memorials, the Act-ing-Prime Minister said that the question of permanent memorials -would require careful consideration. "I think," he said, "that each city might set aside a piece of ground, sown in grass, upon which could be erected an artistic memorial, iesigned by the finest talent we can command, to pa® on the spirit .if the war to those who come after us Anyone who has; travelled and seen the Champs Elysees, or Trafalgar-square, or the Statue of Liberty in New York, will realise how these statues commemorate the spirit and life of a nation, and hand on great traditions I consider that this is the business of the citizens, dikl I do not see why each city should not have its memorial. It is supremely impontant that tbe sipirit of New Zealand and the traditions we ha.ye created should be worthily embodied in these memorials, and neither expense nor effort should be spared." The Minister made it clear that he thought the people thestaaives should and would desire to provide the memnri»!», Government acUiteM* Bans pttbMM ia~*h«

One householder in Mastcrton mud* over £50 from the sale of poultry for Christmas, reports the Age. When tho steamer OpUli lsffc Vancouver on 24th November, tho city was suffering terribly as a result/of tho influenza epidemic. At tho time thero were something like 7000 serious caira, and thero had been 900 deaths. Bumness was at a standstill, and all theatres, schools, and churches were closed. From Wednesday next (Ist January) the censorship regulation regarding tho registration of cable codo addresses will be relaxed. A codo address for cable messages may now be accopted, subject to the approval of the Telegraph Oflico, but an abbreviated or a code, signature to cable messages will not bo accepted. Cable messages for an unregistered address must be referred to the TelegraphOffice for instructions. Mrs. J. Galvin, of 65, Coromandolstreet, has been advised that her third son, Corporal Frank Ga-lvin, an old boy of the Marist Brothers' School, lias been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry on the field of action. Corporal Galvin is well known in sporting circles in Weilingtqn, he having taken a prominent part in football, encket, and boxing. He has been secretary of the Selwyn Football Club and secretary of the Wellington Junior Cricket Association. At the time he enlisted he was on the Wellington staff of the Dunlop Rubber Company. A short sitting of the Magistrate's Court was presided over by Messrs. I. Salek and L. M'Kenzie, J.P.s, this morning. Three first offenders were convicted and discharged for drunkenness, and an elderly man, named Georgeson, 70 years of age, was ordered to pay a fine of 10s or to go to gaol for 48 hours for a second offence of drunkenness. Hugh Waugh was ordered to pay 17s 6d medical expenses incurred after his arrest in a helplessly drunken condition, Patrick Cooney, who had been three times previously convicted of drunkenness during the past six months, was again convicted of drunkenness and was sent to gaol for Beven days. Mr. John Waters writes to The Post: In the sailing directions in the "Cook Strait Almanack" for 1846, published by Robert Stokes, for entering Port Nicholson, among others, it says :—The Bally Rock is said, to he off Point Jeroingham about one hundred yards, with six feet on it at high water." The Bally was a schooner sent out with despatches for., the agent of the New Zealand Company, and in sailing up the harbour struck the rock and became a total wreck Mr. Robert Langdon, who had a grocery store in Heriberkatreet in the early days, and who, I think, was a passenger by tho Bally, had portions of her masts as pillars in his shop. The rock has alwayß been called "Bally Rock," and has had a buoy moored over it for many years. A youngish man named Stanley Alfred Donaldson was placed in the dock at the Magistrate's Court this morning, looking very woe-begone, to answer a. charge of being a rogue and a vagabond. Acting Sub-Inspector Emerson said that the man had called at the Central Police Station last night in search of a dry bed. He stated that he had arrived from Christchurch about a week ago, and while the weather had remained fine, had slept out of doors.* For three days he had had no food. Apparently Donaldson finds work not at all a comfortable, means of earning a living, for he has been in trouble of the same kind before. Messrs. I. Salek and L. M'Kenzie, J P.'s, considered that gaol was the best place for the man, and imposed a sentence of a month's imprisonment. It would seem from the following contribution by the Mokau correspondent of the Taranaki Daily News that not only are there leviathan cherry trees in that locality, but that some of the Maoris residing there live to an age which put in the shade the Patriarchs of the Psalmist's day. The paragraph is as follows : "Rather a sad story from up the river ie just to hand. An aged Maori named Wi Pat, 126 years old, was up on. a cherry tree the other day gathering what little fruit the birds ha«J left. Suddenly, without warning, ,i branch broke, and Wi Pat, who turned the scale at eighteen stone, was precipitated to the ground, a distance <if twenty feet. When picked up life was found to be extinct, and all efforts to resuscitate him failed. His father, with whom he resided, has received numerous expressions of sympathy from both Natives and Europeans since the sad event " A series of burglaries hae occurred in Christehureh during the past few weeks, indications pointing to the fact that a clever and daring cracksman is at work. Most of the residences visited (reports the Lyttelton Times) are situated in Fendalton and: MerivsJe, and the thief has showed a nice discrimination in the selection of his vietirae, visiting only those homes where he might be expected to secure a substantial haul. As far as can be gathered, however, his anticipations in this respect have been disappointed, the intruder failing to locate any large cams of money, and, with the caution of his kind, preferring not to incur the risks attendant on the possession of stolen jewellery At one house he is reported to Tiave secured,a sum of about £12, and a few medals and a safety razor are alao reported to be missing. At one place,, visited during the past few days, the lady of the house, whose husband is at present in the North Island, had a rather terrifying experience. She was awakened some time after 4 a.m. by a noise in her room and observed a man handling the articles on her dressing, table. At first she was under the impression that it was her husband who had unexpectedly returned, but realising that this was impossible she "asked the intruder what he was doing there He replied: "Don't make a noise or I'll shoot you," and, after glancing round, edged his way through the door and made off. An investigation showed that he had turned on the electric light in the dining-room, where he had made a cursory examination of the contents of the drawers but had removed nothing A largely-attended meeting of Wang.v nui returned soldiers discussed the Detention Barracks report last week, and unanimously passed the following motions : "(1) That this representative meeting of the Wanganui Returned Soldiers' Association urges upon the Minister of Defence the necessity of acceding I to Lieutenant Crampton's request that a I court-martial be held. (2) That if Lieutenant Crampton is 'granted a courtmartial, the New Zealand Returned Soldiers Association should express itself as willing to engage counsel for his defence, and sea him through. IS) That this meeting of Wanganui returned soldiers fco)« strongly that it is to be regretted that the Press has permitted adverse criticism oT n returned soldier until such noldiur him had an opportunity afforded him of defending himself, either at a courl-innrtiftl or through the public I ress. Die .fncfc that lieutenant Crampton in doliovrcd under tho New' Zealand l'orces regulation*, absolutely precludes m\"i • " rcP'>'in iJ t0 Prrcs comment. (4) It ih rcspoctfully recommended that tho conrt-miirlml bo hold in Wanganui, as a matter of juotico to the administrative staff of tho Wnuganui Detention Barracks. (5) That thw meeting of the Wanganui Returned Soldiers' Association dissociates Usolf from what is known M Pnuwitin miliUmm, and deprecates tho naagostions being made that ■Bch a »y«t«e«i Kw bwn adopted in th« i tmtmntt of military d«£iilt«r» in ti» WMCMAd Dtt«4lw fceKJa,".

Owing Chriistma* week oranges -were priced at Masterton a,t 8b per dozen, wliilo ApplM wetw retailed at Is 3d lb. In> the near future hoautal ships, as ouch, will bo a thing of the past as far aa Now Zuakml is concerned. The Defence Department (ssys Chrisfcchurch 1'roofl) will fttill control tiho vessels, but f-lioy will bo known n» ambulance carrier*. Thi» xo-ckumiftca/tion provides for tho ''red crocs" being removed from the sides of tho whips, and, in addition to the carrying of troops, they will also be allowed to carry certain classes of cargo Following tho example of the Health Department, the Education Department is to publish a monthly review It will bo tho medium by which circulars and instructioua will be convoyed to teachers by the Dopaiiinerot. Notes will be given for the advice of teachers, with a .view of improving methods and schemes of work in tho schools. Other subjects will bo tho interpretation of the syllabus preßcribed, the organisation of schools, and tho like. It is intended to )i;wo articles by competent authorities on subjects of interest to teachers and others concerned with the education of the young. Advice will be given to teaohors aa to books they should read, in order to keep up with current educational thought. The review is being brought out at tho suggestion, of the Minister (tile Hon. J. A Banaii). The publication will not clash with the journal of tho Teachers' Institute. Early this month it was briefly reported by cable that a terrific hurricane had caused considerable havoc at Honolulu. ■ Some details of the occurrence were given to a reporter by Captain Campbell, master of the steamer Opihi, which arrived at Wellington on Saturday afternoon from Vancouver, via ports. When the Opihi arrived at Honolulu on 4th December, a large par* of tile town was in ruins, and the damage had been estimated at one million dollars. All work had ceased, and soldiers had started to clean up the streets. The wind blew at the rate of 80 mileß per hour, and homes were unroofed, and tree 3 torn up. The Opihi ran before the gale and reached Honolulu when the worst was over. The Australian steamer Coolgardie, However, received a severe buffeting, and the captain declared that during all hie years in the Pacific he had never before weathered such a storm. Mrs! Wallace, o£ WakefieM, Nelson, has received word that her son David, who was recently wounded in the back and right arm, has had the limb amputated. Private Wallace was engaged in fanning operations at Carluke when he enlisited, and he left New Zealand with I the Third Reinforcements. He served throughout the Gailipoli campaign and then in France. He has now been wounded five times. On the first occasion he was wounded in the band, and he remained with his unit. He wa* then wounded in tho knee, and on Returning to the front was wounded in the head, being in. hospite.l for six months On rejoining his unit he was again wounded in the same foot,'and when; the bullet was extracted' the bullet which remained in his heel was recovered. Private Wallace declined the offei to return to New Zealand, and on recovering went back to the front, where he was again -wounded. Prior to the election of Lord Mayor a few weeks ago the Sydney City Council met and fused the Mayor's allowance for 1919 at £1000. This recommendatiou (says the Sun) came from the Labour Party and • was supported by Alderman Richards, whose vote carried it by 14 to 12. Alderman Walker moved that the amount be fixed at £1500, the same as in .previous years, with the exception of 1918. Alderman Hagon moved that the amount be £2000, saying that a small city like Adelaide allowed £1500. Alderman Meagher supported the £2000 proposition, saying that during his two terms of office at.£lsoo a year his booka showed a loss of £1600 a year He did not believe in greasing the fat pig, but a city like Sydney, with a revenue nf 51,000,000 a year, should be able to make a proper allowance to its Lord Mayor He did not want to make the £2000 a year a precedent, but the year 1919 would ta? the resources of the Lord Mayor. Alderman O'Connor. said that £1000 a year would be sufficient' The j other £1000 could be spent in necessary work instead of in guzzling. Hs con- j tended that the Lord Mayor should not be asked to give elaborate functions. They wanted plain living - "Sandy," one of the chargers that I accompanied the late General Bridges when he left Australia on the Orvieto iv j October, 1914, has returned toAustraiia. After more. than four years' honourable, service (says an Australian paper) he has been brought back—partially blind, and altogether less sleek and fiery thanwhen he went away—to spend his remaining days in the well-grassed paddocks near his master's grave at Duntroon. All the men in the First Australian ' Division knew "Sandy." A well-bred upstanding bay, his appearance commanded admiration, and the late General Bridges was immensely proud of him. When that splendid soldier went to Gailipoli in command of the Australian troops, "Sandy" remained in Egypt, and after his master's death he found another owner. Later ho wae sent to France, where, after many stirring experiences, he was gassed, after his rider had been killed by a fragment of shell. "Sandy" did not die, but the skill and care of the surgeons were powerless to save his eyesight. After many days he had recovered sufficiently to be placed on a returning transport, and arrived in Australia last week. Many thousands of horses have been sent to the war from Australia, but "Sandy" is the only one that has been returned. A case in which much interest was .concentrated was called in the Dubbo (N'.S.TV.) District Court before his Honour Judge Docker a few days ago. Carl Hortman yon Schill sued Stephen Joseph Cadrnan (both of Dubbo) claiming £400 for alleged libel Cadmaii was was for some, years lion, ground officer of the Dubbo Bowline Club, but at tho annual meeting in 1917 yon Schill was elected in his pl*cc. Cadman protested against this, and 'in » latter tt> the Dubbo Despatch wrote, niter alia:— "The officer iv control of the bowling green is German by orijin. H* Ws elected to the position by the sacrifice of a Britisher, and vvilb the full knowledge of the members that he wiped hifi bowls with the Union Jack, and, flinging tho .Mnblem contemptuously aside, said, 'It's good enough for it.l' Some months ago tht> British flag on one occasion. .*r,d probably two, was gi\«slv insulted vm> U>? howling sw»n, nnd the.insuHir was promptly'rewarded by b'<>ins elected to an otaria! position in tho Bwvlins Oh»h." In this statement it v*# alleged ili*t plaintiff lifld bep» dcfanuHl CVun*e>l for (Mend tint raised the> |\w»t that plaintiff, b*» ing « Gvrwau hv dmvnt, should first liavo obtained U» Artowwy-fienwar* consent [i\\ wwdawa with the p.<\>visions nf Uw> War IVijcosuuw* Act of 19161 t*fors» iwwwWng, This W had failed to tt*\ On this siwvud h* held Hid action fsilssl VUh»ti{T* cvunwl sought, to amend thvs ys»i»t, hut h>* Honour held that *iw «wvt v net h*vh\jj jurisdiction, had w pow«- to sta** rijtht <« »« »n\e»dM*w^ R*» Hwvhv held that thp *ctsvV (»»l«si> »nd »w»«kd costs to <l#{ft«da«K

About eight years ago the Fullers purchased a section of land in Invercargill (opposite the - prwent Municipal Theatre) for th» purpose of erecting a picture house. As Invercargill now has three picture houses and a theatre, and is therefore well catered for in this direction, the Fallen decided to dispose io£ the section, and a sale has been effected. A heavy fait of enow at this season of the year is an unpleasant novelty, but at Nokomai,' near Kingston, on the 21st (the longest day of the year) such an unwelcome visitation was exp»rienoed, says the Otago Daily Tiraw.-Vei'y heavy flakes fell, and in four hours there was a fail of five and a half inches. All manner of fruit trees, heavily laden with fruit, were broken down, and crops of long grass were also flatteutd to the ground. Next morning there v;aw a keen frost, followed by mid-summeL-weather Shearing operations in thaidistrict will not commence until about the 6fch of January. Dr. 3. Wilbur Chapman, who died in, America at Christmas time, was born at Richmond (Ind.) in June, 1859, m that h« waa in his sixtieth year He wa« ordained to the Presbyterian ministry in ISS2, and after acting as pastor of charges at Albany and Bethany, he undertook evangelistio work throughout America for thiee year*. He returned to work at Albany, and from 1900 to 1905 was pastor ot the Fourth Church, New- York In the course of his' evangelistic work Dr. Chapman, associated with Mr Charles Alexander visited N«w Zealand and Australia at the bead" of a big mission party and conducted successful meetings throughout the Dominion and the Commonwealth. "Some one has blundered," writes Sergeant-Major E. Bezar to The Post in reference to a telegram published ins The Post on Saturday in reference to the experiences of Mr William Cook^ a nonagenarian, of Auckland. It was stated that before the siege of Sebastopol became effective the army was ordered to the Inlian Mutiny SergeantMajoi Bezar states:— "The siege oB Sebasfcopol ended on Btb September, 1855, and the last of the troops toolc their -departure in July, 1856 We (the 'Dieharas') bid a long farewell to the place on 28th May, 1856. The Indian Mutiny broke out in May, 1857 The first troops that were sent from Malta after the outbreak were 2QO of the 'Diehards.' I was included in the number. _We left Malta, on 30th September, 1857." A record catch of fish was recently; made by the Kooraga, a New South Wales State trawler After only 39 hours' actual fishing time the vessel landed no ' less a quantity than 964 baskets of edible fish. This represents 57,84CHb, or almost 26 ton*.' The bn\k of the catch was large deep-sea flathead. " The decks of the vessel were a wonderful sight after each haul," said Mr., Stead, manager of the State trawlers, "when all traces-.of deck pounds and hatches were completely buried beneath a slithering,/shimmering mass of fish, reaching from the half-buried trawl winch right up to the doorways of the forecastle. So large were the individual catches m some of the hauls' that the trawler men were afraid that they would never land the fish over the sides. The landing of theße huge catche* was an inspiring sight, and was an eloquent testimony of the value of the wealth within our waters." Captain William Foote, of Gilliesavenue, Epsom, Auckland, who has relatives in Wellington, entered on his 97th year yesterday, and received many congratulations on his birthday. Born in Newfoundland, he was engaged in the fishery trade thew- until the 'sixties, when he came out to New Zealand with his wife and several children in his own vessel,, a brigantine..named:"the Clara, 160 tons. His father-in-law, the late Mr.. John Gibbons, had arrived from S,t. John's, Newfoundland, some years before via Liverpool and New Plymouth, in -a barque which had formed part of his fleet of sailing vessels engaged in the codfisfcing and timber industries Mr Gibbons established, a sawmill at the Huia Harbour, Manukau, and , Captain Foote was in his service for some time. The captain then went to Greymouth, and erected a sawmill there. Returning North, he started a mill at Pararaha, some miles down the coast" from Manukau Heads, and after working it for a few years he sold it to Messrs. Guthrie and Larnach, of Dunedin. For several years subsequently he^ engaged in farming in the Whangarei district. Captain Foote, who is still hale and hearty, is a most enthusiastic gardener, arid only last week was to be seen' digging a remarkably fine crop of potatoes of his own growing. Dr. Percy Foote, Superintendent of Westport Hospital antil he joined the New Zealand Army Medical Corps, is one of his grandsons. ;. .• The fruit crop- in several districts is reported to have been seriously damaged by frost (says the Nelson M»il). This .s very regrettable, for not only will the affected growers suffer financially but all calculations a* to the iea«on'» crop are for the time being completely upset. Certain project*, such as the erection of evaporation and cool-storage works, designed to meet the _ requirements of a normal season, which were under way in different distnets. may also be affected. These will no _ doubt proceed, but the prospecte of their successful operation for the first K seasoii will be less bright. There are still hopes; however, for the pip-fruit crop. Frost damage, if not complete, is difficult to calculate. It is o'ten in such cases that the damagfe is ny <ye in the nature of a severe thinning, and. the crop, although light, of niiiCi/ better quality, resulting in the total loss in weight being much less than at first anticipated. Other districts have been more- fortunate, having escaped this visitation. It may, however,, be as well to intimate to growers, both within and without the frost-alSected areas, that no relaxation can be expected in the standard of fruitinspeofion on the markets as a result of light crops. Therefore growers, in view of the possibly higher quality, should in their own interests aid at reducing idt'ectkm to » minimum. It has often hap-f>-ned in the past after frost-damago tl *t growers have concluded that the ajji'^rently little fruit left on the tree wa« not Worth Uie trouble of spraying, only to find later that the crop far exceeded expectation*, but had been rendered worthless through disease.