LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 91, 14 October 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

People all over New Zealnnd may expect to have the Prime Minister looking in upon them during the coming Parliamentary recess. Mr. Massey mentioned this fact to a deputation this morning. During the last six or seven years, ho said, he had been very largely tied to his office; there were even some parts of his own electorate which he had not seen for years, but fortunately they^ were a very patient people in the Ivorth- It was time he visited various parts of the country and hs intended, provided nothing unforseen happened, to make the most of the recess for this pui*pose.

Arising out of an incendiary fire at Weraroa Training Farm, Matthew Spencer, overseer, whose cottage was destroyed, yesterday petitioned the House of Representatives for compensation for the loss of his furniture..

The Government has agreed to grant students, over 20 years of age the concession of travelling to and from technical schools at half-rates on threemonthly season tickets. Students under 20 years of age are already privileged to travel free.

A petition was presented to the House of Representatives by Mr. G. Mitchell (Wellington South) yesterday, on behalf of Henry Luks, praying for an investigation by a Parliamentary Committee of the allegations made by the Wellington Technical Education Board against him, and the finding of the Teachers' Court of Appeal thereon.

Cricket practice was commenced at the Basin Reserve last evening, many players making use of the first opportunity to get into form for the season, which will be officially opened on Saturday next. Eighteen nets were occupied at the initial practice. The ground "is in excellent condition, reflecting much credit on the custodian, Mr. A. Brewer.

Judgment for plaintiff, by default, was entered at the Upper Hutt Court yesterday, by Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M. in the following undefended civil cases : —Upper Hutt Cash Stores v Lockwood and Richardson, £6 7s 2d, with 25s 2dcosts; Lawrence Dooley •v. Fred Longstone, £2 10s, and 19s costs; J. S. Munro v Thomas Lockwood, £1, and 8s costs.

B. G. J Gwilliam, a young man who was undergoing medical treatment ;n the Trent-ham Military Hospital, was recently arrested by Constable Le Fevre, of Upper Hutt, and charged with a serious crime. He appeared before Mr F K. Hunt, S.M., a,t Upper Hutt, yesterday, and was remanded to Wellington. The accused did not belong to the Wei lington district

Mr. George J. Lancaster, M.A., has bsen selected from 26 applicants in New Zealand and Australia to be headmaster of the Christchurch Boys' High School in succession to Mr C. E. Bevan-Brown. Mr. Lancaster is an "old boy" of the Boys' High School, and is at present senior mathematics master at the school. He held senior and junior New Zealand University scholarships. He was for five year? assistant master at St. John's College, Auckland, and afterwards was senior assistant at Nelson College for thirteen years.

A special missionary service organised by the New Zealand Board of Missions was held in St. Peter's Church last evening. The service was led by Archdeacon Watson, and the lessons read by the Revs. W. J. Durrad and H. N. Dramraond, of the Melanesian Mission. In his sermon, the Bishop of Nelson spoke of the importance of mission work, and said that it was an essential feature of Christianity. Both laity and clergy were responsible for passing the Gospel on to others. It is proposed to hold a special missionary effort in connection with St. Andrew's Uay-

Yesterday, at the send-off to the New Zealand rifle team for Australia, President H. Marshall, chairman of the Rifle Clubs' Executive, said that Sergt. Loveday, who was unable to join this New Zealand team, finished 17th in the King's Hundred, West 61st, and Croxton 66th. It was a remarkable performance that, notwithstanding that they only landed in England on the date of the opening of the Bisley Meeting, all thiee New Zealand representatives finished in the King's Hundred. Of fourteen South African competitors only four found places in the final hundred, and of twenty-five Canadian representatives only four also. (Applause.)

Two papers, "Green Island Coalfields" (by Mr I. J. Grange) and "The Physiography of Porirua Harbour" (by Mr. G. L. Atkin) were read by Mr. J. Henderson and Dr. C. A. Cotton respectively, at a meeting of the geological section of the Wellington Philosophical Society in the Museum last evening. Mr. G. H. TJttley was in the chair. The first paper explained the commercial probabilities of the coalfields, which are situated a few miles from Dunedin. In the other paper the -raised beaches and rock platforms around Porirua harbour were ascribed to the earthquake of 1855 that shallowed Wellington harbour. The 'history of Porirua inlet was also traced. Votes of thanks were accorded for the interesting and instructive addresses. «*■

A "horse-trainer. Albert Goodman, ■was charged by the truant officers at Uppei Hutt yesterday, before Mr F K. Hunt, S.M., that, being the householder in whose home a boy of under fourteen years of age dwelt, he had failed to send him to school regularly. The defence was that the parents of the boy had informed defendant in writing that the boy was over the school age. The Truant Officer pointed out that he had sent a warning to Goodman, and that the onus was upon him of getting the boy's birth certificate. The Bench was of opinion that Goodman had acted bona fide, and merely ordered him to pay the costs (7s) on each of two informations. The boy is to return to school, and defendant was advised to send him to night classes to make- ap for lost time. During the course of the hearing the Truant Officer alleged that boys working in stables were frequently encouraged by their employers to evade attendance at the school.

"Your Worship, these men appear regularly, as litigants, each -month, at this Court/ said Constable Le Fevre at Upper Hutt yesterday, when Alfred Southee was charged, oe- the information of Matilda Anne Southee, with assaulting his brother, George Southee. The Magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., apparently was of the opinion that there was not much to pick and choose between the two men, for he replied : "I II promise you that the Court will have a month's respite if they appear before me for disturbing the peace, for 111 send them Both to gaol for ? month. On this occasion it "was proved that Alt, who was bound over to keep the peace in January, had. after both had been indulging "in liquor, struck George a severe blow over his eye with ? closed pocket-knife which he had in hir hand. He was fined 20s. with 28s costs, ■•<. seven days' imprisonment At the suggestion of'the Bench, and on tho application ot the police, a prohibition order was issued against each.

The Postal authorities advise that the s.s. Paloona sailed from Melbourne at noon on the 9th inst., for Bluff. She carries 109 bags of mail for New Zealand

The London correspondent of The Post, states that Acting-Lieutenant W. R. Fell, R.N (son of Dr. W. Fell, of Wellington), has been appointed to the Dolphin for duty with submarines.

At the Lyttelton Magistrate's Court yesterday, William Edgeworthj a donkeyman on the steamer Kittawaj was sentenced to three months' hard labour for fltealing stores of the value of three shillings belonging to the vessel.

A meeting of the Advisory Board of' tho Federation of the New Zealand Pa-triotic War Relief Societies will be held in the Accountants' Chambers tomorrow morning, following which there will be a conference of delegates from the various * patriotic societies The Minister of Internal Affairs will address the delegates at the commencement of their meeting.

Headmasters of primary and secondary schools and directors of technical echoc-ls have received a circular from the promoters and organisers of the Trentham Scholarship Fund—a fund raised to assist sons of soldiers to obtain higher education—which notifies the terms and extent of the benefits, and that advantage may be immediately taken of the fund by those entitled to it. Student* desiring information should apply to their teachers.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, His Excellency the Governor-General (Admiral of the Fleet, Viscount Jellicoe) expresses appreciation of the arrangements made for receiving him on the occasion of his arrival in Wellington. Lord Jellicoe adds : "I should also be grateful if the military authorities could be informed* of my sincere appreciation of the share taker by the military in the arrangements, and of my appreciation of the appearance, bearing, and steadiness of the troops."

The prospects for the coming fruit season in Auckland are regarded as being very favourable There has been a good showing of blooms, and stone fruit is setting reasonably well. In some districts, however, the disease known as

"ripe rot" has destroyed blossoms. The number of strawberry plants under cultivation this year is stated to constitute a record. In most gardens the plants are looking well, but owing to the large number of frosts experienced during the winter the fruit will be later than usual. It is not expected that the berries will appear on the market in appreciable numbers before the beginning of November.

The unsatisfactory nature of the present method of financing technical schools was again commented upon, at a meeting of the Board of Managers of the Petone Technical School last evening. The secretary notified the board that after paying accounts passed at the meeting, amounting to £89 5s 3d, there would be in hand the sum of only £12 to pay the teachers' salaries due at the end of the month. He could not be sure that a cheque for money due would be forthcoming from the Education Board during thp month, and was entirely in the dark as to how much would be granted before the end of the year. Managers commented on the impossibility of carrying on satisfactorily the work of the school while unaware of th» real financial position, ,

The Auckland oyster season, which closes to-day, has not been quite so successful as that of last season. Since the opening of the season od Ist June, over 6500 sacks of oysters have been received, at the Government oyster depot, compared with 6880 sacks last year. This slight fall in the supply is due in part to the difficulty experienced, in obtaining; suitable men as pickers. The Hauraki Gulf hag been the principal area worked, nearly half the season's supply being dirawn from there. Particularly fertile beds were those at Waiheke. The vicinity of Russell came next in importance, 276 sacks being obtained in that area. Other sources of supply -were the Kaipara Harbour and the Great Barrier Island. The quality of the oysters gathered this season is seported to have been excellent, especially those from the Hauraki Gulf beds.

The decision to set aside £10,000 for the benefit of blinded soldiers, in order to carrj out the scheme suggested by Mr. Olutha Mackenzie, will be reconsidered at a meeting of the Advisory Board of the New Zealand Patriotic Societies to-morrow. It appears that there is a good deal of opposition to the scheme. The Dunedin, Society finds that its constitution prevents it from, setting aside any moneys for any particular class of Teturned soldier, and mucb prefers to go on treating each case on its merit's. Other societies point oct that a single blind soldier now received £4 a week, and a married man £5 a week pension for life, and therefore they cannot see the urgency, or even^necessity, for establishing such a fund as is suggested. It is further stated that, in any case, the societies will always assist a blind soldier in the provision of a house, or bj setting him up in business without my call on his private purse.

Those interested m Wellington leaseholds have frequently complained about the constitution of the Assessment Court which considers valuation appeals. According to a letter from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce to the Prime Minister, leaseholders feel that the Court is not likely to consider their interests. T;he experience of leaseholders, it is said, has been that the local body has striven to keep up the valuations irrespective of the representations of the lessees—^ that is, the payers of rates. Whilst the Chamber realises that the present Bill improves the constitution of the Court, it feels assured that if the Government could only see its way to give effect to the full recommendation of the Commission, th© dissatisfaction which obtains would be removed. An Act providing for the appointment of a permanent President ha? recently been placed upon the. Statute Book. In reply to the Chamber the Prime Minister (Right Hon. W. F. Massey) writes :—"I have to inform you that after very careful consideration of the matter I am confirmed in my opinion that the method of appointment of assessors by local authorities will ensure security for the equitable representation, of ratepayers. As the Bill provides for the appointment of a permanent President of the Assessment Court, who will devote his time to the duties'of his office, it may be reasonably anticipated _ that the knowledge of values and familiarity with the problems involved in the practical work of valuation which he will acquire are reasonable guarantees that the grounds of dissatisfaction with the existing Court will disappear."