LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 107, 7 May 1923, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The first session of the Anglican Synod of the Wellington Diocese -will open on 3rd July. The Right. Rev.' Dr. #jprott will preside. Bills are to be lodged not less than one month before the opening day, in order that they may be examined by the Bills Revision. Committee.

The difference in the time taken in the clearing of vessels arriving at Wellington and at Sydney is referred to in a letter received from Mr. John Fuller, junr., written upon his return to Australia. The Niagara arrived at Sydney, he said, early in the morning with a large number of aliens aboard, and within, an hour she was moving towards the wharf. - In Wellington the average time occupied in clearing the Moeraki x and the Manuka was about three hours, and most of the passengers that had to be dealt with were Australians and New Zealanders. Something should be 'done, he thought, to stop these wasteful. delays, which benefited nobody and inconvenienced many.

The Mayor of Lower Hutt, Mr. W. T. Strand, has secured the use of a suite^f rooms over the Hutt Meat Company's premises, in the main street. These will be used as a dental clinic, Plunket Society depot, and ladies' rest rooms. The school- dental clinic, which has been established by the Government, is the first of its bind in New Zealand. It is expected that the rental of the rooms will be met by public-spirited citizens in the district..

.At the practice of the Port Nicholson Silver Band'yesterday, the secretary, Mr. B. V. Williers, read a letter from the Redfern Band (Sydney) to the effect that that band was giving a concert on 6th MJy, the proceeds of which are to be forwarded to the 1 fund to. assist in paying for the new set of instruments recently purchased by the Port Nicholson Band. The conductor, Mr. Drew, spoke of the sterling qualities of Mr. Partington, conductor of the H«dfern Band, and of his men, and a motion was carried to express the thanks and appreciation of the Port Nicholson Band for its generous a-ssistance and kindly and sportsmanlike spirit. It will be remembered that the Sydney band offered its set of instruments to the local, band when in Dunedin, so that it might compete in the "Own Selection," and whilst greatly appreciated, the offer, for several reasons, had to be declined.

The foundations of the new women's infirmary ward at the Costley X Home, Auckland, have been laid, and it is expected that good progress will be made in the erection of the building, states the "Star." There .'is a long waiting list of elderly women anxious to get into such a ward, and when it is built it will not only relieve the present infirm:, ary ward, to make more room for the ordinary class of inmate, but it-will also relieve the congestion in many other ways. The doctor's old house is to be renovated to make it suitable for the extra nurses who will be required ,to cope with the' increased number of patients. As the institution grows it becomes necessary to alter from time to time the structural arrangements, and it will not be long before, the kitchen; will have to be increased in 6ize and built in a more central position, when all parts of the institution can bo more easily reached than is the case at present.

A suggestion that young men should be allowed exemption from military drill if they, undertook to attend the classes of the St. John Ambulance Association, or of other kindred societies, was made by the Rev. Hector Maclean at the annual meeting of. the Dunedin centre of the society, reports • the; "Otago Daily Times.". Mr. Maclean was referring to the fact that there seemed to be a dearth of young male members in th« association. For this he did not blame the young men so much as the Government for the requirements, of the Military Service Act made a considerable drain on their time. He thought that a young man who was keen enough to attend classes of that kind would be keen enough to make himself an efficient soldier if the time came. (Applause.) Later the Hon. C. E. Statham, M.P., expressed himself a^ favourable to the suggestion, and said that rte would be pleased to bring it under'the Government's notice. He believed that if it was carried out it would be of great help to the society, and would be the. best thing in the interests of the community.

The Community Club movement established in "Wellington for the benefit of. Territorials and Senior Cadets, with a view to developing among them a high sense "of their duties as the future, citizens " of New. Zealand,. appears to ,be making substantial headway elsewhere. A Community Club, founded'on the lines of the parent club in Wellington, has been, running successfully in ; New Plymouth for twelve months past, and now a thirsl club is being started in Auckland. The "Auckland Star" of Thursday last states: —"At the last meeting of the Executive Committee of ihere : cently-formed Community Club, the chairman, Mr. C. V. Houghton, stated. tha.t £500' collected for a similar purpose had been handed over to the club by, the City Council. This donation would enable the committee immediately to set about the preparation of the club.rooms in the Drill Hall," B.utland street. The-club has been fortunate in getting these premises from the Defence Department at a nominal rental, and with the monetary assistance above referred to, hopes to be able soon to start its work, which has already enlisted a great deal of public interest and sympathy." The General House Committee of the Community Club at Buckle street will meet on Thursday evening to consider the results of the recent ball and "Paddy's Market" in aid of-the club funds, and various important proposals for the future benefit of the "club. '

The Wapiti, a specimen of which was shot recently in the West Coast Sounds district, is a North, American deer, belonging to the same group »3.the Scottish red deer. The antlers are- greatly developed, are smooth, and have the sur-royal tines, usually three or more in number -in the adult, flattened and expanded, while the beam •is markedly; curved backwards. The colour is dark brown on the head and neck, gray on the back, flanks, and sides, and blackish below; the legs being brown. The height at the shoulders is about sift in a fullgrown stag, which may weigh as much as, 10001b. In habits the wapiti resembles, the red deer. The moose is the largest living deer. The antlers are present only in the male, . and ai-e so placed that their, basal portion lies in. the .'same plane as the forehead. This basal portion is short and cylindrical,, and expands into a huge basin, 'whose margin is prolonged into, short branches or snags. This form of antler is described as palmated. ■ In both sexes of the moose the neck is shQi't, the muzzle broad and overhanging," the legs'long, with long and pointed hoofs, the tall very short, and the ears long. The height at the shoulders does not apparently exceed 6ift. In summer the males fight fiercely, the combats sometimes leading to the death of both animals. In spite of their somewhat ungainly build the animals Kin swiftly.

"He is one of those men who took up land at an absurd, value," remarked-the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) at the Supreme Court to-day during the hearing of an application by a returned soldier for discharge from bankruptcy. "It is amazing to me that there have been so few bankruptcies, considering the land-gambling—for it wag nothing else— that went on from: 1917 t0.1922."--

"We don't want you shop-lifters about. One month's hard labour," said Mr. F.K. Hunt, S.M., when a young man named Francis Keating, 28 years of age, appeared at the- Magistrate' 3 Court to-day, on a charge of stealing an overcoat valued at £6 17s 6d,.from. Messrs. Wallace and Gibson. Senior-Sergeant Lander said that the accused,, who was appearing for sentence, was a native of Australia, and since his arrival in New Zealand had done very little-work.. "He has been-hanging about the town," concluded the Senior-Sergeant, "and he is altogether undesirable," . ■ -

A definite indication that the Federal Government does.: not-. contemplate._...the.. scrapping or abandonment of the Australian navy as": a "separate unit was made by the Prime Minister (Mr. 'Bruce) recently. Referring to certain published reports which had been Brought before his notice, and which suggested that the scrapping of the ■Australian fleet was contemplated in the future naval ar-" rangement of the r British Empire, Mr: Bruce stated that he for one.would not regard any such suggestion with sympathy, or would it be favourably received by the Government or by the country!

It has been proposed that the name pi Cornwall Park, Auckland, should be altered to that of Campbell Park, in honour of the donor, the late Sir John Logan Campbell. The idea is not a new one,' for when the park was opened 20 years ago, on the occasion of the visit of the present King, then the Duke of Cornwall and York, Sir Edwin Mitchelson hold that it should have been named after the donor (states the "N.Z. Herald"). The proposal was revived by Mr. R. G. Clark, chairman of the One Tree Hill Road Board, at the annual meeting of ratepayers in the One Tree Hill district, and> he expressed the hope that it was not too late, to effect the change in name. It is probable that some move in this direction, will be attempted. : :

Dr. Oliver, an evangelist, mho is. touring the Dominion, and who is at present holding meetings in Gisbbrne, .is apparently havfnjr a strenuous time in that town. At one of his iecent<-meet-ings in the Opera House, reported by the "Times," there were a. number of interruptions, during which a man was removed from the building. After the removal. Dr. Oliver said: "I've been ijettin? a lii-tle rumour about what the people of this town intend to do. Let me advise them 'Don't start any nonsense.' I'm :6ft 4in in height, and weigh SlOlbs. and I'm in excellent form. I'm not afraid of all their bombasts I'll stand no elur and insinuations against wom«n and children. We will prpcead." (Applause.) " " •-. . -

The current issue of "The Imperial Food Journal" (writes , "The Post's"London correspondent on 28th March) contains a very interesting illustrated article, explaining the work done by Mr. j. B. Merrett's ingenious eggpulping machine. If is remarked that during the last five years oj. -so the , gradual expansion, of tire' manufactured egg pulp in New Zealand has opened up brighter prospects for poultry-keepers, and there seems to be no reasonable doubt that the industry has, a. very promising future before it, not' to^mention the fact that there are considerable possibilities in the way of extending the manufacture of dried egg products, dried whites being very largely used in the confectionery trade. The. prospects for business at any rate were good, enough to influence the New' Zealand Government in the. direction of providing a measure of protection for the egg pulp trade. Information. is also given about the hand-pulping process of China and America. .. . . ■ . ,

Along thirty milei of the W»it Co*st south from Kaipafa Heads,.the eueroaehment of the shore sand has given rise to some anxiety, but those on the spot, who incidentally are the moit concerned, do not regard the menace a«on» which cannot be coped with, «ays the " NewZealand Herald." The sand drift has extended for an average of three miles, but where'marram .grass, ice plant, ori lupins have b«en planted ■, the drift has been stayed. At Woodhill the Govern-; menfc .has commenced planting on 500 acres, but there is some complaint that the work has not been tackled and carried forward in an energetic manner, and for this reason remits leave room for improvement. Some years ago Mnd grasses were planted at Moiutara, and the sward obtained has now made possible the planting of. trees, bat the land is a reserve, and apparently this work is nobody's business. A curious circumstance is that along this itctipn.of coast the shore line is gradually'creeping a*awar.d. The old cliff line, which one* formed the' shore can now be traced a mile inland. The., sea,, bed is naturally becoming more shallow off the shore, the depth six miles out being not greater than six fathoms. A similar aand drift to that being experienced in.the Kiipara district occurred some years ago on th» east coast toward Wellington, but it was completely stayed by the planting oi grasses, the operations being-carried out on a comprehensive scale. In view of the success there ackieved, there can be little doubt that the^Kaipara menace will not present inwpembl* diffionlties.

i The Auckjand War Memorial Museum fund campaign is progressing, steadily. The Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunsdn, stated on Thursday' that the policy which had been observed froru the outset was being preserved, and that the personal" canvass of citizens was producing steady results. The next meeting-of. .the committee would be held at the end of this month. It had been tentatively resolved, said the Mayor, that the public appeal for further funds should be made between August and September, and there wasno. doubt whatever that it would be concluded at that time. The committee would; meet ; the; architects shortly with the. view, of preliminary. ] planning ' being put in hand, and'the j time was fast approaching when.definite instructions 'would be, given .in connee-' tion with the' erection of the '.building (states the "New Zealand. Herald").. It was estimated that the'planning and calling of tenders would take from slx< to nine months from the date-of commencement. The winning design for the: new museum would be preserved in its features and main plan, the only replanning being in regard lo certain interior arrangements, and definite requirements for the war memorial section of the museum. "The fund to-day stands at £150,000," said Mr. -Gunson. "This will be slightly increased on the completion of the personal canvass, before the public appeal is made. A feature of the movement recently has been the receipt of second donations from a number of the original subscribers. In some cases these have been very substantial. This exemplifies, in a marked degree, the fine public spirit which exists in Auckland. The fund has never lagged from the outset." The Mayor added that from the mvfseum standpoint considerable assistance was expected .{ran the provincial centres. There v^*no doubt the Auckland Museun^Pas at least a provincial institution, particularly with its rich Maori, section.

Diichargea from bankruptcy wera thi» morning granted by the Chief Justice (Sir Robert I'Stout) in. the following cases :—John Searle, Frederick William Mills,-John Richard Whetter. Ano Robert Sproule Menzies. The: application of George Godfrey Martin was adjourned for a week.

"The office ol Mayor « a very important one," said Mr. J. -A- Math, M.P., at the installation ceremony of the Mayo-; (Mr. F. J. Nathan) T last week, report* the. "Manawatu Times...". "It wa6 first instituted in the reign of Henry 11. .-•The first Mayor of London was Henry Fitz-Alwyn, appointed in 1189. He hsld the office for twenty-four years. In those days Mayors were chosen for life . ... ; . to-day it is a matter of fighting for the position every two years." ' • '

"Off- again,- on again, gone again. Finnegan !" The historic report of the Irish-stationmaster appears to be almos^ equalled by the three successive an- 1 nouncements concerning the fate of the" waterworks Joan of £100,000, taken at. Wanganui, says the "Chronicle." Last Thursday night it was announced that. it_ .w as _ carrie.pl,.. at the Mayoral installation it was announced as lost, while on Friday—the latest bulletin—brings the further _ announcement that Jit has been carried "by "13 votes. TKis" wfll'"prob"ably revive the .'controversy about 13 being an unluckj' number. :'.'.>

, Requests have recently been made'to the Federal Government for an embargo on the importation of maize from South Africa, or. - alternatively for heavier duties, says, the Melbourne "Age." The cjuestion 'has been considered by Cabinet in the, light" of Australian requirements and local production. According >to official information it appears that not only will there be a shortage. in the; crop, but reports from South Africa indicaie that there will be a shortage there also, with correspondingly increased > prices. There does not appear to be any immediate danger of Australian grower's being faced with low prices. The Cabinet notices that the price of maize is rising, and that; recently it reached 7s per bushel. The Tariff Board has been directed to keep closely in'touch with current prices, and should prices fall tha. board will report for-'further consideration of the Government."'This meons that for the present no action will be taken; by the Government in the direction of placing any restriction on the importation of South African-grown maize. The outlook at present is that the Australian crop will be al^ut two-. : thirds of normal requiremnts, but that this year, owing to the dry season and the demand for fodder, requiremnts will, be about 40 per cent, in excess.of ordinary, needs. . .' .■■'■■.....

A letter, was received at a meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Rugby Football' Union from the honorary secretary of the Linwood Club, drawing attention to the. "unfair and uncalled-for remarks of certain members of the* Can-, terbury Owners' and Breeders' Association with .reference to the conditions and conduct of certain football clubrooms in Christchurch." The committee felt, stated the letter, that it should enter a very • strong protest against the statements made, as, if they wereallowed: to go unchallenged, they would prove harmful to football clubs in their endeavour to attract young players to the Eugb'ycode, reports" the "Press." With reference to the same matter a deputation from the association, 'consisting of Messrs. R.. W.. Trist 'chairman). G. Hickenbottom'; R. • J. .Munro, and J. N. Clarke,_ waited on the meeting, and en-" tered into ait explanation .of their remarks,_ which they said had not been made.' with' the intention of being published. There was no intention of reflecting on' footballers: It was stated also by' one" of the deputation that he was satisfied that he had beeu misinformed regarding the conduct, of the clubs, and would withdraw his remarks. Mr. H. Davis, who represents the Linwood Club, said that he had felt that the association had been hitting below the belt, "but the explanation had put a, different complexion on the matter." The matter then dropped, .Mr. ■ Trist, as the deputation withdraw, expressing pleasure; at the manner in which it had been received. . „ • ■..-...'.

With very earnest purpose, the "African World," published in London, hopes and trusts that every Dominion Premier will be present at the Imperial ■ Confer- *, ence, this autumn, says "The Post's" I London correspondent, to debate on and, decide questions of paramount importance to the British Empire as a uuit. effectual though scattered, in the- realm of world politics. "These questions ars peculiarly domestic to one and all-of the Dominions and ourselves.- They are economic—trade and the migration of peoples; they are self-preservative— communications by sea and by air; they" are administrative—for greater union in certain and greater common support in other matters; they.might eventually be Constitutional, excepting for the very wise horror of the Anglo-Saxon for anything in the nature of a Potsdam rule-of-thumb. precision:". They are \ all this and more besides, and the time has come^rwe are frank and shall not; indulge in the platitude that the .time is coming—when they must be threshed out in the interests of the whole Empire and its' component parts. Therefore, we urge the Premiers of. South Africa, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to make every human effort to be in person present at autumn 1923 • Imperial Conference. More than human- foresight can now predict depends on this gathering. of the Dominions with ourselves."

From time immemorial the desirability of keeping Courts of Justice^open to the public: has . been' impressed by 'Judges, even though the nature of the'evidence to be submitted in certain cases is unsavory, states the- Melbourne "Age." Police Magistrates and Justices of the. Peace are much more easily persuaded to hear cases behind closed doors, risking all the dangers of loss of .confidence in. th« administration of justice that usually results from the ■'■ adoption of "star chamber" methods, in preference to permitting unpleasant details or strong lan-, guage- to --bo-given-in-.the presence oi" .those who should not hear it. But there 'are other; methods. of meeting a difficult; situation.-.'.;Eecently a case involving al-. . legations of' gross indecency was called before .*he Criminal Court.;-•- Observing I that : -six- or seven-women were seated in' ;the. gallery, th» presiding Justice re--imaged,- "Before/this ...case, is proceeded •with I would strongly,.recommend all re;spectable women here- to ■ leave the Court."' The recomemndation was unanimously adopted, eve»y 'woman' present withdrawing from the Court.;' It, is related that in-'like circumstifnces several women listened to a similar,,' judicial., recommendation, but made no* move in the direction of the door. On that occasion, after a minute's pause, the. Judge said, "Now that the respectable women have ■ left, the police will clear the Court of those who remain."