LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 86, 8 October 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The probable date at which the report of the Select Committee of the House of Representatives set up to consider the operations of Armour, Ltd., in New Zealand would be submitted to members was asked of the Prime Minister yesterday in the House of- Representatives by Mr. T. M. Wilford (Leadei of the Opposition). Mt. G. Hunter (chairman of tbe committee), who replied at the request of tbe Prime Minister, said that the evidenoe of witnesses had not yet been printed, but as soon as it was available, and returned to the Committee, no time would be lost in making the report to the House. This, however, could not be within eight or ten days at the earliest.

Mr. P. Fraser yesterday, in the House of Representatives, asked the Minister for Labour if the Labour Department had yet. decided to act on the Crown Law Officer's adsyice and prosecute the shipping companies who were responsible for the lock-out on. the wharves recently in connection with the unloading of superphosphates? Mr. Herries replied that the Law Officer had not yet decided whether they were liable.

Replying to a question «by Mr. M'Combs regarding the re-introduction of week-end excursion railway fares, the Prime Minister stated in. the House of Representatives yesterday that the matter would be taken into consideration a little later on in the season.

The Native owners of a reserve of sixteen acres at Maori ' Hill, within the Timaru Borough and close to Caroline Bay, at a meeting at Temuka yesterday resolved to accept, an-offer of £1200 made by the Borough Council. The latter will put a loan proposal before the ratepayers.

The adjourned inquest on the boy John -Douglas Inglis, who died during an operation at the Public Hospital in Dunedin on Tue«day last, was resumed yesterday. ' The result of the post mortem examination showed that death was due to shock supearvening on an urgent operation for suppuration of the right ear, the patient's condition, being aggravated by pneumonia. No blame was attached to anyone. A verdict was returned accordingly.

A special general meeting of tho New Zealand Football Association is to be held in Wellington next Saturday. Among the matters to be dealt with are the following:—"An alternative scheme of competitions for the Brown Shield ; the playing of extra time in shield matches; the pla.ying of shield matches by the holders outside their province; the location of the association's headquarters; the fostering of the game in primary and secondary schools; the question of sending teams from Hew Zealand overseas, and the-inviting of teams from New South Wales and England to New Zealand in 1921.

During the discussion on the Legislative Council Amendment Bill, last evening, in the House of Representatives, Mr. W. E. Parry sought to criticise the Prime Minister for an alleged change of front over the method of electing the Upper House. "I will compare the Prime Minister's past with his present"," he declared. "What about your past?" asked the Prime Minister quietly. Mr Parry, raising his voice above the interjections that arose, declared : "I am standing exactly on the same bedrock principles I have stood for ever since I have been in this country—and you know it."

The attention of the Minister ' for Lands was called by Mr. G. Mitchell yesterday in the House of Representatives to statements that had been made to him regarding the granting of three large grazing runs by the Otego Land Board to two brothers, who, it was alleged, already held 17,000 acres. Mr. Mitchell wanted.to know whether this was not aggregation, and whether inquiries would be made into the matter. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie replied that this matter had already been brought under his notice, and he had instructed that a report should be furnished him by the Land Board. That report had not yet reached him. If it was found that undue aggregation had taken place of lar.d suitable for other purposes the proper steps would be taken. The Hon. E. P. Lee: ''I drew your attention to the matter." The Minister: "Yes; the member in whose distinct it is supposed ie> Have occurred draw my attention to it gam a <Sa.y« «go."

A proposal for rating on the unimproved value was rejected by the ratapayers of Tauranga by 295 votes to 147.

It has been decided by the Wellington Cricket Association to commence cricket practice on Wednesday next. The season is to be opened to-morrow week.

Lieutenant-Colonel R. B. Smythe, D.5.0., N.Z.S.C., will deliver a lecture or "Maps for Peace and War; What we want in New Zealand and how we are to get it," to the members of the Wellington United Service Officers' Club, at the Club Rooms, Garrison Hall, tonight.

A sperm whale, 45ft long, was captured by two Ka.ik'Om-a whalers last week. It was the second of its class to be captured in Kaikoura waters, the first having been caught 45 years ago. About seven barrels of oil were obtained from the carcase.

Reserved judgment was eiveu. by Mr. J. S. Evans, S.M., yesterday in a case in which Dunbar Sloano sued G. Hannah for damages arising out of a motor collision on the Hutt-road. Judgment was given for plaintiff for £52 15s 9d. Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell appearedl for plaintiff, and Mr. B. Cooke for defendant.

Prospects for a good fishing season at Rotorua are said to be most encouraging. A well-known Rotorua angler stated recently that he had never seen ■more fish in the Rotorua streams than at the present time. The Fairy Springs stream, he said, was alive with large fish which, owing ie their numbers, seemed to find difficulty in swimming comfortably. He stated that from present indications the Rotorua sea-son should be highly successful.

"That there is a strong and resolute body of men in Great Britain determined to overthrow the existing order of civilisation is certain," states the Rev. Dr. Gibb. "And yet, in spite of this, and all the other tokens of unrest, I do not think matters will be pushed to an extremity. There is an underlying sanity —conservatism, if you will—in the British mind that will make Bolshevist communism for ever impossible."

The twenty-first anniversary of the departure of the First New Zealand Con. tingent to the South- African War will be celebrated this month, and extra efforts are being put forward to ensure a largo attendance in Wellington on Trafalgar Day. The South Island will bo represented by more than its usual quota. It is the wish of Major-General Sir A. W. Eobin that there should be a large _ attendance when the Veterans' Association celebrates its majority.

The placing of war trophies is causing some of the smaller boroughs some concern. The Wbokton Borough Council, for instance, has decided to place a number of machine-guns in the Woolston Park, but the decision to do so was not unanimous. "I don't recommend placing them in the park," said Councillor G. T. Owen, "as in a few months' time they will be a source of annoyanco to this council, I think we have enough war memorials around the streets in the shape of wounded men." He suggested that the guns be donated to the Christchurch Museum, stating that that sort of thing had been done by other local bodies. "We might have them in this council loom, so that order could be preserved," suggested Councillor L. H&it.

The local Bill which came before the Legislative Council yesterday proposed to give trustees power to invest in the bonds and securities of a tramway board. Sir Francis Bell said that the Government did not propose to oppose the clause in thi." case, for the board was practically a municipal body, and had a duly set up rateable area, which provided proper security for loans. The Government, however, desired it to be understood that this was not to be taken as a precedent. Because the Government did not propose to intervene in this case., it was not to be assumed that it would not be thought desirable to intervene if demands were made to extend 1 the idei to bodies not equally capable of providing securitiesl of unquestionable soundness.

Inquiries made in Manchester to-day (states the London Evening Standard of 19th August), disclose that a cargo of goods to the,value of £300,000 was sent by the Co-operative Wholesale Society of England to Russian co-operators. This was in response to representations put forward by a strong section of English co-operators that efforts should be made to trade with Russia. Two representatives were sent by the society to try and arrange reciprocal commercial relations. Their preference was for an exchange of goods rather than for payment in specie. Exciting developments in the political situation compelled a hurried departure. The paper adds that no payment was made for the goods; and, further, that Mr. R. G. Naish, a former member of the Co-operative Union Central Board, had resigned, alleging that Bolshevism was eating its way into the co-operative movement.

"So far as Scotland is concerned, I was struck by the extraordinary falling off in the attendance of the people at the churches," remarked the Rev. Dr. J. Gibb, whep interviewed on his return to Wellington yesterday, "but I do not think that in Scotland you can say that there was any general feeling of hostility to the Church. Probably even the Socialists in Scotland have a kindlier feeling for the Church because of the part it has played in the history of the nation, than they have in other parts of the world, but their service to the Church at present is only a lip service at the most. This fact, however, is to he noted : There is no lack of heart on the part of those who are really in things in Scotland. The Church is facing its problems in a very manful spirit and trying to suit itself to the needs of the moment: and the wisest men among its members, while admitting that things have been in a very bad way, are of opinion that better days are coming." Dr. Gibb added that the same condition of things was to be noted in England.

According to Dr. Charles Chilton, of Ohristchurch, the first, Pan-Pacific Scientific Conference, which he attended, proved to bo most important and was successful even beyond the most ardent expectations of its promoters. It was attended by ove^ 100 representatives from nearly ali the countries bordering on the Pacific, all of them being special experts or foremost men in their particular subjects. The last week of the conference was mainly devoted to drawing up recommendations to the Governments • and scientific institutions round the Pacific, with a view of securing some cotopei-ation in • prosecuting the various researches that were recommended. Many of those axe of great economic importance as well as of scientific interest. Several of them had a special reference to New Zealand and to the Cook and Samoan Maude i&at are now under her control, and the general hope was expressed that New Zealand would take an active part in this work.

New season's butter was sold in In< veroargill on Wednesday at 3s per lb. A resident of Mokau has, been fined £3 and ordered to pay costs amounting to £3 8s 9d for shooting grey duck outi of season. ,In the Magistrate's Court yesterday afifernoon, Mr. F. K. Hunt heard the defended case of Mm. A. M. Yeatman v. E. Doherty, a claim for £27 10s, rent of a room and maintenance of a child. Judgment was given for plaintiff fo* £17 Bs, and costs. Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. A. B. Sievwright for defendant. At a meeting of the Hillside (Dunedin) branch, of the Amalgamated Society o£ Railway Serveants, the continued increase in the cost of living was discussed, and the following motion was. carried ucanii mousiy:—"That owing to the unchecked advance in the cost of necessities and the latest unwarranted increase in the priw of butter, we ask our Executive Council to make an immediate demand for an increase in pay of 2s 6d per day." , .

The following appointments to the staff of His Excellency the Governoi^General are gazetted :—Captain Arthur Randolph Wormeley Curtis, M.C. (11th Hussars), to be Private Secretary; Mr. Albert Cecil Day, G58.E., to ba Official Secretary; Captain Pierrepont Rodney Miller Mundy, D.&0., M.C. (South Wales Borderers), to be Aide-de-Camp; Lieutenant Robert Gordon Southey, M.C, (SoyaT Field Artillery), to be Aide-de-Camp.

"Radical" writes to The Post: "Witt reference to 'Statistics' analytical ,d» scription of liquor consumption appearing in your issue of last evening, tha statement may be useful to throw dust in the eyes of certain unthinking people, but in reality it is as empty as the usual liquor arguments. If the temperance and clean-living portion of the population were deducted 1 from the total census, I am inclined to wager that even 'Statistics' would conclude the balance of the New Zealanders were very heavy drinkers indeed."

The management of the Waihi Grand Junction Gold Company has arranged with the Government for a supply of electric power from Horahora, and the poles to be used in connection with the installation have arrived. The immediatintention is to use the power for pump; ing and underground work, but it is anticipated that at no very distant date the whole plant, including the battery, will be driven by hydro-electric power. Provided no interruptions or delays occur the power for pumping and underground use should be available in from a month to six weeks.

" A few days ago (writes 'An Englishman') an appeal was made by two ladies, one in. Auckland and one at Kaiori, to the people of Wellington on behalf of the starving infaiws of Germany. In last night's issue of your paper, Dr. ScMaesman, of Berlin, states that 'overfeeding is one of the chief causes of infantile mortality in that country.' 'Who oJ these two parties is right—the man on the spot, who says there is overfeeding, or the ladies here who say otherwise? Will these ladies please explain?" 5

Mr. Harold Gaze, of Christchureh, has had considerable success as both writer and illustrator of fairy tales, for children. He worked under the ..late Byam Shaw, London, for his art work, which has suggestions of both Arthur Eackham and Edmond Dulao, and at the same time characteristics entirely original and highly imaginative. The colouring is gorgeous and the drawing exceedingly fine and miniature-like. Adaptation of prehistoric animal forms is cleverly utilised by Mr. Gaze in bis designs for monsters in fairyland. He has a fairy play in progress for production shortly in Melbourne. Ike music is written by Mr. C. Haydon, and Mr. Gibson Young, of Dunedm, will conduct.

The largest individual chaqua for surplus wool profits is not known, but it may be safely assumed 1 that the smallest is the one just received by Mr. J. A. Leslie, of Blenheim. The amount is 7d. The payment, which is in the' form of a Government imprest account cheque, was forwarded with the intimation that it covered "yonr proportion, of the Imperial Government's profits on wool handled through our store during the seasons 1917-18 and 1918-19J" and with other information of a formal nature, including the advice that this addition to tho recipient's wealth is. free from income tax. Mr. Leslie's wool output consisted of the fleece of a pet lamb, which a friend with a talent for shearing suggested should*be turned to _ account in the interests of the Dominion's staple industry; The clip realised 13s 4d. It is Mr. Leslie's intention to devote the whole of his surplus profits to the seamen's fund.

Jacob Spolski, second-hand dealar, was charged before Mr. F. K. Hunt in the Magistrate's Court this morning with a breach of the Second-Hand Dealers Act, in that he purchased two blouse* from a youth under the age of sixteen years. The youth, Lawrence Hawker, said he was fifteep years of age, and that he sold the blouses to defendant for £1. He gave a wrong name, when making the transaction with Spolski, and handed to him a note, written by himself, in the: name of bis mother, as to the ownership of the blouses, which came from his uncle's factory. Mr. J. J. M'Grath appeared for the defendant, and contended that tho articles purchased were new and not second-hand. Clothes became second-hand when they had been worn. These blouses had not been worn. Chief-Detective Ward said that it had been decided over and over again that if an article changed hands it was a second-hand article. Mr. M'Grath urged that the defendant had acted in good faith, having had previous transactions with the boy, and that there was no intention on his part to commit an offence. ' His Worship said that secondhand dealers must realise the fact that they must not- deal with boys. A second-hand dealer had to be very careful iD all his dealings. Any man with common-sense would know that blouses such as those, mentioned in the charge were not usually sold by boys. He would impose a fine of £1, but he refused an application by Chief-Detectiv Ward to cancel defendant's uV-Puee.