LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 100, 24 October 1925, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho figures relating to the postage revenue for- September reveal that, notwithstanding the reversion to the penny postage rate, tho revenue actually exceeded that of September, 3023, when the l*d rate was in operation. Mr. A. Markman, Secretary of tho Post Office, stated yesterday that the revenue for September, 1923, was £ 99,860, whereas, for-the corresponding period this year it stood at £101,7-15, an increase of £1855.

"This man has been on strike for nearly two months, and was formerly'a fireman on the Leitrim," explained Chief Detective Kemp when John Kelly was charged at the Magistrate's Court to-day with the theft of a bag and its contents valued at £2 10s from a seaman named Eandell. Mr. Kemp stated that Kelly found the complainant's bag at the Commonwealth and Dominion Line's office and dumped it over the wharf in revenge. The shipping company had agreed to make good the loss to Kandell. The Magistrate (Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M.) sentenced Kelly to ten days' hard labour.

"Whether the man of independent views is really so useless in political matters I do not pretend to say, but I make bold to claim that .in education and, I may add, in all liumau progress, the advance has been primarily due not to a party but to the independent man," stated Dr. C. Chilton (Rector of Canterbury College) at Christchurch on Thursday. He added: "The independent man is the person who has the ability and power to free himself from the narrow bounds and limited outlook of his immediate surroundings, and has the vision to see beyond the petty details of the present to • the broader questions arising before him."

The British and Foreign Bible Society, in, its annual -report, says:— "In marked contrast to China, the importation of the Scriptures into the Soviet Republic (from Petrograd to Vladivostok) is still forbidden. All endeavours to gain an entrance into KuEsia have failed. Yet the Russian people have not lost their love for the Scriptures. Instances are recorded of Siberian peasants who would willingly give a cow for a Bible." For the third time in its history, the society has issued over ten million volumes of Scripture iv a year. Out of every ten books sold by the society in 1924, about . four were sold iv China. One half of the increased circulation last year was duo to the demand from China.

Water snails in his tap water were discovered by a Takapuua 4'esident on Wednesday morning (states the "Auckland Star"). While a quantity of water, was being drawn off a collection of twenty or thirty minute shells settled in the bottom of the container. Obviously they had come through the mains from the intake in the lake. In appearance the shells were like miniature periwinkles, and, when examined" under the microscope, were found to be quite ■empty. Though this was the first-com-plaint from Takapuna, an inspector of the Health Department reports that shells had been found in tap water in other parts of New Zealand, and he cited the case of Christchurch, of which he had personal experience, where shells frequently occurred in the artesian water. Consumers, of course, did not welcome their appearance, but there was absolutely no danger in using such water. • •

Before the advent of the pakeha the Maori population was about 200,000 or more. The transition was so rapid that the Maoris fell to about 40,000 in number. Since then there has been a decided increase in the population, greater per 1000 in some districts than the European population. This information was furnished by the licv. A. J. Seamcr to the New Plymouth Kotary Club (says the "■Taranaki Herald"). Someone had said that in a few years all that remained of the Maori race would be their beautiful eyes. Ho felt sure that, it would be a great many years before the Maoris would be merged with the Europeans, and for himself ho,hoped the process would be long postponed. When they did merge he felt sure they would contribute to the New Zealand race something more than beautiful eyes—gifts of imagery and poetry, artistic and musical powers, for the Maori was by nature a poet, a musician, and an artist —gifts which only those who have been brought intimately in contact with them could properly appreciate.

"Well, you don't; stir the right way,'or you want a longer spoon, or something,'' said Mr. C. F. Bennett on Thursday night at the Anglieau Synod in Auckland, when a parson interjected by way -of protest that the clergy did stir people up (states "The Post's" correspondent). Mr. Bennett was talking about the central fund, which is in rather a bad way. Ho complained that, although the Anglicans were such a Jargo boily in the community, they could not raise more than £4000 in a year. Near his parish of All Saints, at Ponsimhy, ho knew of. one Presbyterian tnurch that raised over £2000, and the small congregation of Latter Day Saints, with under 200 members, had raised £1500, which was all the very large parish of All Saints could raise. He thought the clergy should put more energy into their appeals to the people. .Some of the clerical mem-bers-who 1 spoke later turned the tables and said it was the laity's duty and not the clergy's to look after the finances of the parish, leaving the minister free for the work ho was primarily sup2iosed to do.

"Cures" for cancer, tuberculosis, and other diseases are being "discovered" every week or so by enterprising persons, whose paucity of medical knowledge is hardly compensated for by' the superabundance of enthusiasm^ When another "cure" conies along (states "The Post's" Dunedin correspondent) it is only natural that "it should be viewed with profound scepticism by those with some pretence of knowledge of tho obvious difficulties in tho way,, and this was exemplified at a meeting t/of the Otago Hospital Board, when a communication was received- from the South Otago Board enclosing a jirealar headed, "(Jure for Cancer, Tuberculosis, and other diseases: John Moslcy's discoveries." " In support of Air. Moslcy's qualifications it was pointed out by the chairman of tho South Otago Board (tho Hon. A. S. Malcolm) that ho "is a retired farmer. Of his intelligence and' honesty of purpose there is no question. i"or ten years or more he has been investigating the mailers touched on in his statement." It was also stressed that the cost of following out Mr. Moslcy's "recommendations" was "so trifling." It was decided to forward particulars of Mr. Mosley's "discoveries" to the honorary medical staff, one of the members venturing to suggest that they might give the medicos concerned a. "few lips."

The Secretary, General Poat Office, has received advice that the Republic of Cuba adopted on -the 19th July last tho time of the 75th meridian west of Greenwich, that is, five hours behind Greenwich time.

During his political address at Te Awamutu the Prime Minister announced that that town would be included in the scheduled stopping places of tlia Main Trunk daylight expresses, state a Press Association telegram.

About thirty members of the Wellington Motor-cycle Club left this afternoon for Poxton to participate in races on the Foxton Beach on Monday. A stay will be made at Otalri to-morrow, from where several runs will be made. The party will return home on Monday evening.

What is believed to be the biggest bag of trout so far obtained from the Wainui-o-mata this year was caught by Mr. Lan M'Kay on Thursday evening, when he landed eighteen fish'between 5 and 6.45 p.m. A "Hardy's favourite" Hy was used. The fish averaged one and a half pounds each.

_ "What do you think of dimming lights?" was a question put by Mr. ]?. K. Hunt, S.M., to a motorist who was giving evidence in the Police Court at Auckland. The motorist replied that lie thought it was a foolish idea. The Magistrate: "So do I. I know of five or six cases where people would have been alive to-day if headlights had been full on.

The succession to an intestate estate, where the intestate was one of five illegitimate children, was determined by the judgment of his Honour Mr. Justice Heed entered in the Supreme Court yesterday. The question was whether tho defendants, who were the' other illegitimate children, or their descendants were entitled to succeed to the estate of the intestate, or whether this should' be distributed amongst the next-o.f-kin of their mother, .who married the father after the birth of the last illegitimate, their being no further issue. His ,Honour held that the defendants were entitled to succeed to the estate. , '

That the lessee of a farm under Native lease, who cut and sold standing timber upon the laud, was not so entitled to do was the decision of the Court of Ai^peal entered yesterday. The parties in the case, ■ removed to the Court of Appeal for hearing, were Te I'brou Hirawanu, plaintiff, one of several joint owners of Native lands, and Frances Clara Gardner, the defendant, lessee of part of the land, near Taumarunui. . The lease was for 42 years, and contained a covenant to cultivate and uso the land in. a husbandlike manner, though the land was not cultivated when she took possession. The defendant had cut and sold 41 acres of timber, to the value of £600, and thereafter sold the lease for £700. The Court held that the cutting of the timber was done for the purpose of making an immediate*^ profit, without any regard to the improvement of the land and without any idea of making it suitable for use as a farm. The Court considered that the plaintiff was entitled to recover only his own share of the £600, and the case should be remitted to the Supreme Court in order that the other owners might be joined as plaintiffs.