LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 29, 3 August 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

On thing that impressed him most, said the Mayor (Mt. R. A. Wright, M.P.), at the gathering of early settlers last night, was the sturdy indepandence and self-reliance of the pioneer settlers. In" his opinion a little more of the spirit of out fathers was wanted to-day. One thing necessary to restore the equilibrium of the world* to-day was the self-reliance and adaptability of onr pioneers. (Applause.) People who drive vehicles along the Hutt road without lights are going to "catch it" if they are haled before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in future. "Public Attention is being drawn to the danger of this road," remarked his Worship at the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon. "It is i one of the most dangerous Toads in Wellington. There hay« been fatal accidents on that road. In future the fines are going to go up. If people are going to drive along that roati without proper lights, then heavier penalties will have to be imposed." Pour minutes was sufficient time in which to dispose of the list of police cases at the Magistrate's Court this morning. Captain Hennah and Mr. J. B. Teaedale, J.P.s, were on the Bench. After four first offenders had been convicted and discharged for insobriety, Joseph Harvey Cornish was arraigned on a charge of having obtained £4 from Montague Harry Tisdall by means of a valueless cheque. Acting-Chief Detective Andrews asked for a remand until 10th August, stating that other and more serious charges were pending. The remand was granted, and bail was allowed in the sum of £100. "I think the Government is deserving of a pat on the back as far at its sugar contracts are concerned," said Mr. H. S. Hart, at the Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday. He briefly reviewed the report of the Board of Trade's sugar operations. To him it seemed that the board and the Government had done very well indeed. Perhaps some mem- : bor of the chamber would move a mo- : tioa congratulating the Government, upon its sugar activities over a period of sis years. The chamber might also suggest that the time was now rips for all trade restrictions to be removed. Nobody was prepared to adopt the suggestion, which accordingly lapsed. "We hear a loud cry for more homeaccommodation for Wellington,' writes a resident on the Manawatu line to Mr W. H. Field, M.P. lor Otaki. "Why not give families a chance to live along this route by extending the suburbai fares to Paefcakariki, and speeding up the trains leaving Paekakariki at 5,50 a.m. and 7 a.m., and aleo the-Hrains leaving Wellington at 5.25 p.m. and 6.24 p.m.? I am informed that there are families, whose; workers' jobs are in Wellington, anxious to live at Pukerua and .Paekakariki (they already own building sites at these places), but the absence of suburban fares makes it prohibitive. I would not advoete the extension of this service if the trains had to be extended also, but it does seem unbusinesslike to ran a train 10 miles and, one might almost say, refuse fares. The population along this route has grown by leaps and bounds during the last 20 years, notwithstanding the fact that it has been, and is still being, held back by an obsolete railway servioo." Various charges involving breaches of the bylaws were heard by Mr. F. K. Hunt, 8.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon. P. Wiltshire was fined 5s and costs for having driven a motor lorry afcng the Hutt road without , having a tail-light. Charles E. King was ordered to pay 7s costs for having driven a motor-car without liaving a license, and J. Leach was fined ss, with 1 costs 15s, .for having an unlicensed, motor-car plying for hire. Henry Haywood was fined 20s, with 7s costs, for driving a motor-lorry without lights on 1 the Hutt road. On a charge of having ridden a motor-cycle across the intersection of Manners and Willis street* at an excessive speed, Cyril Gheeseman was fined 10s, with 7s costs. It is not per mwsible to cross this point at a greater speed than six milts an hour, but ft police constable stated that defendant wait travelling at not' les« than 26'rmles per hour. For failing to pay a train fare, Charles Edwards, who did not appear, was fined £1, with costs £1 19s. The superiority of British lenses and optical glasses to those produced on the Continent was stressed by Mr. Hardie ShaVe at yesterday's meeting of the Centra), Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Shaw read a pamphlet which set out to prove that the pre-war belief that Germany was alone in the manufacture of the articles mentioned was a pure fallacy. Under ,very severe tests the efficiency of the British article had been proven to the satisfaction of experts. The public should be urged to support British goods whether they be optical appliances or something else. Mr. J. G. Castle raised tho question as to what were really British goods. Articles upon which 25 per cent, of the value had been spent in British labour were regarded asBritish goods. The council decided to suggest to the Government that the percentage should be increased to SO. Mr. C. J. W,ard suggested 75 per cent. Mr. H. Hart said that traders had to be more ajid more guarded in the matter of suggesting increases in the tariff. There should be a sound policy of Empire preference, developed with the idea of keeping wealth within the Empire. The New Zealand postage on postcards, circulars, unsealed letters, and certain other articles is l£d. People who post such things find themselves uuable to buy lid stamps, and when large numbers are dealt with the attachment of two or three stamps to each becomes laborious, especially ac the "Victory"' issue is remarkable for its size. Three half-penny "Victory" stamps ""make a strip 4i inches long by an inch wide. It is explained officially that owing to the last, change made in the postage rate* there is a big stock of pennjf and halfpenny "Victory" stamps, for which the ordinary demand is greatly reduced. In order that these shall not be wasted, postal officers, have been instructed to sell two half-penny stamps when a penny one is asked for, and either a ' penny and a half-penny or three halfpenny stamps for a penny-half-penny. The labour of attaching stamps is, of course, easily reduced by using some kind of "mechanical licker," oven if it is only a. wet ,vag. If postal matter is despatched in large quantities, of 240 Or over, a permit can be obtained under which postage can be'paid in a lump I sum without the use of adhesive stamps.

Mahia Natives, who have been pre> paring for some time to revive whaling on the old station, suffered a reverse on their first day out (states a .Press Association telegram from Wairoa). On Monday a, large whale was sighted, and a crew soon got fast, but when the monster made off the rope fouled the leg of one Native, almost tearing his foot off. The whale kept going, and soon after the "boat capsized. The whole party were in danger of drowning till a rescue launch put out. The injured man was removed to the hospital, and is likely to lose his foot. Landlords who fail to keep in order sanitary appliances in houses let to tenants, will not get much sympathy from Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. Before Mr. Hunt, at the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon, Mary Denton, the owner of a house, 32, Jessie-street, was charged with not keeping in order a waste-pipe leading from some tube. "Why do you keep a place if you don't keep it in order?" asked his Worship of defendant. "It needs new tubs," replied defendant. "Well, why don't you put them in?" retorted the Magistrate. Defendant answered that the bylaws did not compel her to put tubs in a house. "You want tenants in there without any conveniences , for washing," observed his Worship. It was stated to the Court that defendant had removed the tubs from the house. "When she is called upon to repair the wastepipe she takes away the tubs," said'the Magistrate. "I am going to fine you for not effecting the repairs," remarked his Worship to defendant. Mrs. Denton: "If the tubs are not there, there are no repairs to be done." The Magistrate; "Very well, when the tubs were there you didn't repair them. It would have been much cheaper for you to have left the tubs in and. dome the repairs. You are fined 40s, with 29s costs." Defendant left the Court protesting that she w«s not going to put the tubs in. In the Magistrate's Court at Nelson yesterday Andrew Strand was charged with being in unlawful possession of ammunition for an automatic pistol. Counsel said that defendant was very well known to the B.S.A. as a man of very excellent character. • Defendant was a foreigner, who spoke English with sotne difficulty, and there must have been a mutual misunderstanding between him and the police. Defendant, who was a seaman, went to register a pistol, but was not aware that ammunition nod to be handed in. Wheti he was approached by a constable the ammunition was immediately handed in. A police witness said that objection was taken by the P,olice Department to defendant retaining bis pistol, as tUe report was not favourable. Crossexamined, the witness said that he knew that defendant was born ia Denmark, and was a naturalised British subject. Constable Mackenzie raid that there was no evasion by defendant, and that he knew him as a man of good character. The Magistrate said it was quite clear that an offence had been committed, but be took into consideration the fact that defendant w«s a man of good character, and that nothing was known against him. H« ordered th«^ the ammunition be forfeited to the Grown and fined defendant 10s, with 7s costs.