LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 27, 1 February 1923, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The reduced postal rates, details 'of which have \ already been published, came into operation to-day. Letter postage is now*l£d instead of 2d and the newspaper rate has been restored 1 to id. |

The Hon. C. J. Parr declined to make any comment in Auckland yesterday regarding the Eden election petition, the matter being, sub judice. It is understood that Mri Parr's motion for adjournment is to be heard at Wellington this week.

The following letter has been received by "The Post" from Mr. 0. R. Bendall, Consular Agent far France:—"Admiral Giliy, of the French v/arship Jules Michelet, which has just left port, informed me that he had received a number of letters and inquiries from both official and private • sources, and to which he found it impossible to reply, owing to the shortness of the vessel's stay in these waters and his being fully occupied during the whole of the time he was here. He has the intention of replying to these letters in' the course of the voyage and posting to the interested parties as soon as possible."

The Arbitration Court will sit in Wellington on Monday next, and after dealing with non-contentious business will make fixtures for country districts. The date for hearing Wellington city contended cases will be subsequently announced. The eases to be heard by the iCourt concern the following workers: — City tramways and powerhousfe employees, .metal-workers' assistants, Merchant Service Guild, journalists, freezing workers, and related trade employees.

After being buffeted by tempestuous weather off the New' Zealand coast, during which the chief officer, Martin Lock, was lost overboard, the American schooner Lottie Bennett, arrived at Wanganui yesterdayj lumber laden from the Pacific Coast. The Lottie Bennett experienced a fair run across the Pacific, and last.Friday land was in sight. During the night the wind increased to a gale, with a mountainous sea. Early the next morning a heavy sea swept the vessel, carrying the mate overboard, and injuring one'of the crew. The vessel was at the time running before the wind, and rescue work was impossible. Several sails were carried away, and an anchor got adrift, but it was made secure after much difficulty. The next day the sea moderated, and port was reached without further incident. The Lottie Bennett has a cargo of 700,000 ft of lumber.

A second team of Australian bowlers, a representative combination from New South Wales, is now touring the Dominion, and will arrive in Wellington from Palmerston North at midday on Wednesday. A civic reception will be accorded the visitors at >'5 p.m. On Thursday the team will visit the Hutt Valley, and in the afternoon will be the guests of the Hutt Valley clubs a-t the Cenfcral Club's green at Pefone. On Friday, the New South Wales team will play in the morning and afternoon on the Wellington green, and will hp entertained at a smoke concert in the evening. Saturday morning will be free for an inspection of the city, and during the afternoon the visitors will be the guests of the Victoria Club. The party will leave for Nelson in the evening, and'will travel to Christchurch via the Otira Gorge.

Fishing from Cod Rock, Charleston, seems to be a risky business, states the " Westport Times." Two residents of Westport had a narrow escape from drowning the other day. The sea was not at all rough at the time, but one of' those big waves that' come along un-, expectedly swept in and completely enveloped the fishers, who clung tenaciously to the rock, and just succeeded in maintaining their hold long enough to prevent the backwash carrying them away. They then scrambled ashore as quickly as they could, so' as not to run the risk of being overtaken by another big wave. At least eleven people are known to have lost their lives through being washed off the rock. Only one who was carried off was recovered alive, and he died shortly afterwards.

Scotland's women are as noted for their bravery as Scotland's men. Speaking at the "Burns night" in New Plymouth, Dr. Thomson told a tale of one Highland mother who was not afraid in the face of adversity. She had sent five sons and her husband to the war.

and one of the former was associated with the doctor in the same dugout in Gallipoli. Every week the Scotsman received a letter from home and every week for a period, he received news of the death of a brother. But the undaunted mother's advice was: "Go ahead, my laddie."

There is little doubt, according to military experts, that the attenuated military training system now in vogue in New Zealand is not giving, an adequate return for the money being spent upon it, for with the reduction which the Government has made in tha ■ defence vote in the interests of economy has come a lowering of the efficiency of the forces out of all proportion to the temporary cash Baying being made, states' the "New Zealand Herald." The experts agree that the passing of the junior cadet system has occasioned no very great loss to the Dominion. Military training in the ■ primary schools, they say, is neither necessary nor desirable, so long as some regular and definite system of physical training is followed. Service in the senior cadets is required of the boys from the age of 14 until they reach the age of 18, when they are drafted to territorial companies. Under the original Act, boys were compelled to train with the territorials until the. age of 25, but-this age limit has now been reduced to 21, at which age they are posted to the reserve, remaining on the register until they attain the age of 25., .

It is curious to find that there ate still some sceptics of the sheep-killing proclivities of the. kea, remarks the Dunedin " Star." , The. incredulity, however, is confined to those who live at the greatest distance from the ksa country. It is not long since somebody in Blenheim was expressing his conviction thai the mountain parrot of New Zealand was a much-maligned bird, and now Mr. Langridge, the Curator of the Wellington Zoo, has made bold to commit himself to a similar opinion. - Mr. Langridge finds it hard-r-|to believe that the kea, in its natural state, can kill sheep for the sake of their fat, because he. has found that keas in captivity have no liking for mutton. Perhaps the keas in the Wellington Zoo never suffei-ed from hunger. vMr. Langridge, presumably, is not acquainted' with the small book on " The Kea: a New Zealand Problem," published by the late Mr. George R^ Marriner. F.R.M.S., fifteen years ago, «.which claims to be viewed as a' conclusive investigation of this question. . Apart from other evidence which it affords of the kea's acquired habit, in the form of definite statements by a large number of those who have seen it performing its depredations, this book contains five photographs which should _be convincing. The first shows n dead, or at > least a prostrate, sheep being pecked at by keas. Four others! show the wounds made" by the kea beaks on dead sheep at. Mount Algidus and Lake Coleridge stations. Those sheep might not liavg been attacked until after they were deed, but to any ordinary mind' the evidence of those who have seen the mountain birds attacking living sheep will be conclusive. .

It was reported at the annual meeting of the Marlborough Fruitgrowers' Association a few days ago that about 4000 cases of apnles had been booked for export this reason. They will be distributed amonjj the South American, Hull, and London markets.

The highest Customs returns for Auckland for the last fifteen months were collected in January. The total v was £187,956, compared with £161,085 in December and £109,060 in January, 1922. -

Mr. Justice HosEing will sit in Chambers .at the Supreme Court tomorrow morning for the purpose of fixing the civil list for the coming sessions, which open at 10.30 o'clock on Tuesday next.

In the Auckland Police Court, Thomas John WMteman was fined £20 for being in possession of a revolver 'and ammunition in a public place. The arrest of accused for drunkenness revealed his possession of arms.

As the French naval party was about to leave Levin, one officer surprised a group of local residents by saving the visit had been "kapai." '''Kapai?" they queried. "Yes, jnst the same as-'tres bon'—very good. You see I speak Maori," he explained, amidst laughter.

A Wairarapa resident who has spent a fortnight..at Palliser Bay every Christmas for the past 25 years, says he-,has never seen_ the katipo spider as numerous as it is this season. He says that one may be found under almost any piece of dry wood picked up) on the beach. He attributes their numbers to the exceptionally dry season experienced.

The vital statistics for Wellington for January show -a decrease of eight in the number of birth's when compared with the figures for January, i 922. Last month there were 196 registrations. Seventy-eight deaths were recorded, as against 72 in January, 1922, and the marriages totalled 112—five more than were registered duiing January- of last year. -. N .1 '•

With reference to. the closing of the harbour edge road beyond Point Halswell, for the reason that it is considered ■dangerous to wheeled traffic, the Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P.),,states that the City Council is waiting for the formal . vesting of the thoroughfare in the City Council before action is taken to put the road in order for motor and other vehicular traffic.

A humorous touch was added to the swimming sports at the Calliope Dock, Auckland, on Monday afternoon by a large black dog repeatedly taking part in the races. Though he invariably came last, the dog was always ready when another event was started. When the racing was over, the animal, not yet tired of the sport, attempted to take part in the game of water polo, but this being a distinct breach of the regulations, he was ejected from the bath.

"If there is another General Election, and it doesn't come off before I leave on my' visit to America," Dr. Thacke'r remarked to a Chrisichurch "Press" reporter, " I'm goinjj to leave a nomination paper all ready made out." " For Christchurc East?" asked the reporter.' " No; for Christchurch," Dr. Thacker replied; "there will be proportional representation. The evolution of the present Parliament will be to pass appropriations and imprest supply, put proportional representation on the Statute Book, and have another General Election. I reckon the General Election will be about 20th March."

A child, Harold Lefinox, aged six years, Bon of jGordon J. Lennox,: of Semuera, was drowned at Orakei • yesterday, states an Auckland Press Association message. With his brother and two other boys, the eldest aged 11, he was fishing, and fell into the channel, which has a strong current.' The eldest boy, Reginald Judson, pluckily jumped in, and almost reached the deceased when he himself began to .sink. After being drawn to safety he ran .for assistance, and a boat brought Lennox ashore, but too late. Judson, who is a son of Lieutenant • Judaon, V.C., learnt to swim only a ? fortnight ago, and couldn't swim more than ten yards.

At the Hamilton Police Court on Saturday a young man, who had suffered severely from shell-shock at the war and, since his return, had spent a long period m military hospitals, was charged with breaking into a chemist's shop at Frankton and stealing two packets of morphine. It was mentioned that the accused's hospital treatment had included frequent administration of morphia. He was now addicted to the drug, and had committed the offence with which he was charged to allay his craving. Nothing else had beec taken from the shop (repcrts the "New Zealand Herald"). The accused, who had applied to be sent to Eotoroa Island for a year, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if required on condition that he remained on the island for 12 months or a shorter- period if the authorities thought fit.' .