NEAR AND FAR

Evening Star, Issue 14534, 9 December 1910, Page 3

NEAR AND FAR

A divorce ease, Frank Evans v..J?anny' Evans and. Huntly Kliott (co-respondent), heard in camera ( before Mr Justice Cooper and a jury of twelve, was conclnded at Wellington last night, after a hearing lasting four days. The petitioner claimed £5Ol damages, but the jury returned a verdict for petitioner, with \d damages. A decree nisi was granted, and the petitioner was granted the custody of the children.

" Taking the State as a whole, the position and prospects of the city districts were practically the same at the end of October as they wene a month earlier," writes the New South Wales Director of Labor in his report for October. " Many districts had much-needed falls of rain, but generally the amount was small, and a good deal more is nt?cdcd. Some few districts are sull'ering from droughty conditions, which have stunted the crops and lowered the expected yield of wheat and other cereals. The country generally is, however, in a sound and healthy condition, and prospects as a whole continue good." The reports from 2(10 agents of the Bureau in different parts of the city show no change in the position, from an employment point of view, of the pastoral, agricultural, and mining industries during October, while there was an improvement in the dairying industry. Mr Schey goes on to say:—"The returns of unemployed in city districts are slightly less favorable than a month ago, caused in the mam by -shearing being finished hi most districts and partial failures of crops in some places, as a consequence of continued dry weather. It is satisfactory,. however, to note that only 6 per cent, of agents, xeport any number of unemployed. In city and suburbs industrial matters during the month of October were exceptionally active. All the main industries wero oxceptioually busy, and from an employment point of view it may he said thai trade matters were never at any time more brisk."

Mr Kenrick, &.M., heard an unusual case nt liawera yesterday, when the Hawora County Council proceeded against the chairman and an emnloyee of the Waimaie West County Council for cutting a road within the liawera County. Owing to a, dispute between the two bodies respecting the upkeep of a road, the Waiinato Council had applied for a commission, and while collecting evidence it took two engineers to inspect the road, and it was cut to ascertain the depth of metal, tho controlling body's permission not being asked for. It was admitted that the road was undamaged. The case was dismissed as trivial, but the Waimate Council were ordered to pay the Jlawera Council's solicitor's fee (£1 Is) and 13s costs. Mr Herbert Woodward and his son have constructed a monoplane at Sydney. It was given a trial at Botany, and an eight-minute flight was made. Tho machine descended in shallow water, and was slightly damaged. The father carefully tested every part before he would allow the engine to be started. The machine was anchored by its fail to the trunk of a tree, and Mr Percival Woodward jumped into the seat, and started the engine. In a couple of minutes the machine was released, and, with a run of only about 30yds, rose off the ground to a height of about 40ft or 50ft. The young pilot said subsequently : " I was all right with the wind, which was strong dead on, but in turning I got a fright. The machine nearly canted over, so I made a half-right turn instead, and with a big swoop gradually brought her head round to the wind. Then come the mistake. I stopped tho engine to descend. 1 should have slowed down. Instead of gliding down gracefully, the machine was caught broadsido on by the wind, and down it went into about 4ft or sft of water. Ono of the planes was broken across, and the engine partly broke from its fastenings, but no serious damage was done. The fall was only from a height of about 10ft, and I escaped without a bruise." The monoplane was fully eight minutes in tho air, during which time over three miles were covered.

Before Mr Kettle, S.M., at the Auckland Magistrate's Court yesterday, the Certificated Engine-drivers' Union claimed to recover from the Direct Supply Company a penalty of £lO for breach of award. It was stated by Mr Skelton, for the complainants, that a man named Atkinson, who was a unionist, had been dismissed by the defendant company, and in hia stead a non-unionist was engaged. Counsel contended that the employment of a non-unionist in place of a unionist was a deliberate breach of the award, fflio defendants stated that they were not aware of the clause giving preference to union ists. Atkinson was getting up in years, and when the staff was being reorganised he was dismissed, and tho other man taken on. The magistrate said in his opinion this was a case for an exemplary fine, and he inflicted the full penalty asked for—namely, £lO aud ?osts (£2 2s). "In a case like this," remarked Mr Kettle. " 1 think that portion of the line should be given to the man affected, instead of being disposed of as at present."

When the agreement in the metal workers' dispute came to be signed yesterday afternoon Mr T. Gillies proposed a vote of thanks to Commissioner Triggs. He eaid he wished to place* on record the appreciation of the assessors for tho employers of the tact and courtesy displayed by the Commissioner, to which he attributed the successful termination of the proceedings. Mr R. Breen, in «?oonding the motion, said that the workers were credited with being hostile to the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, but tliat was quite a. mistake. It was not tho Act they objected to, but the manner in which it \v:\b being administered. He ventured to say that if tho Conciliation Commissioners in the other districts of New Zealand displayed the same uniform courtesy and. tact that Mr Triggs displayed there would be very little business to go before the Arbitration Court, and there would also bo prevented some of the bitterness of feeling that was at times displayed between tho workers and the Court. Mr Triggs, in returning thanks, 6aid the knowledge that ho had been successful in pleasing bith sides was sufficient recompense for any work ho had done. Unless a young Russian, Christopher Kradzier, reached Warsaw before November 1, his sweetheart declared 6ho would marry ajiother. And she has given him, us a reason, that seven years' absence from ber side is quite long enough for the man who hoped to call her wife. Not during that time had the couple set eyes on one another, the young fellow having left his home for America in order to make the necessary nest-egg. Since then the girl has waited patiently, but a little while ago she issued an ultimatum, saying she would wait no longer for the wedding. When tin's coinmiinication reached Kradzier he hurried away to the savings bank, drew out his fortune of £6O, and plunged into a study of the sailing dates of the Atlantic liners. He selected the French boat La Provence, purchased a ticket, and then found he had hardly time to catch the ehip. He reached the pier, breaildcss and perspiring, juet after the gangway had been drawn up and the vessel was leaving her berth. Dropping his baggage, ho made a leap foT tho boat, grasping a hawser which the sailors were hauling in. The sudden pull caused the sailors on the deck above to loso their hold, and the ■ desperate lover was plunged into the water. The dip. however, failed to cool his ardor, and in an instant he w.-is working his way hand over hand up tiie line. Once more, however, he fell back into the water, and this time ho lost hold of the rope and struggled about in the muddy stream until rescued by those on the pier. When fished out ho told Ids story to a sympathising thron?. " Never mind,' 1 he exclaimed, 'Til tiy again." lie caught tho next available steamer, the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, and with ordinary luck he ought to have got to Warsaw iu time, though the margin of time was an extremely narrow one.

A paetagEaph in, tho annual report presented to tie Canterbury Philosophical li>etitute on Wednesday stated (wires " Our Own") that tho efforts of tho Council of the Institute, the Canterbury Accliuiatu-a-tioa-Sccioty, and the Ofcago Institute had

factory modification- of the OTisting Jcgisla-/ tion. jjrotecting the native fauna. A letted fronviiio Hon. D- Bnddo oofy of the report was read- The 31in» ister, making rofarenco to the paragraph. \ mentioned, stated that as £ho Bill which, ( had been, dropped. at th« end of the eesaon \ had gone through 'he House of ILepresenta- \ tives ifc had not met the -wishes of many f of those who wore interested in the pre- ' serration of native birds, but through, the ;' efforts of Sir W. J. Steward a xepxesenta-_ t-«i had been made to the Legislative Council to reverse the present law uirexehy exemptions were made ior jrrotectaoiij -and declare all native birds protected. This provision, was at present in the Act vrhich , made provision for exempting all that were > considered -undesirable or were affected s& , game. The Minister added that he in- ' tended to have a poster prepared showing : the native birds protected, and if possible , liave it placed in or near public schools, so that the )-oiuig people of the Dominion might learn" to treat pathetically the native bud life of the country. The reading of the letter was followed by applause. The Mayer of Gisboriic- has already given an indication that, as the result of . his personal observation and inquiries, ho; is disposed to recommend the obtainment' of Edison storage battery cars for the Gis-; borne tramways, s.-rys the ' Poverty Bay' Herald.' Considerable inquiry as to the ( menus of these cars has been made in vari- ) ous parts of New Zealand, for itis recog-i ni-sed that if the -claims made on their r behalf should be sustained they present \ exceptional advantages ior towns such as*f Gisborne, where economy in installation, and-ccst-of working have io bo-considered.

During a violent thunderstorm an extraordinary occurrence took place--at Mi. G. Loach's shearing shed, Orari (says-ih«' ' Tcmuka Leader '). A Hash of lightning, struck the shearing machine- and travelled / down "the tube to"the clippers Jif-ld in a J shearer's liands and killed the sheep -ha! was shearing' stone dead. Fortunately 1 , for the .shearer there was a leather pro- < : tectioti on the handle of the-chppeiSj and) this no donbt saved tho, man's li.i'e, Th» body of the .sheep, immediately flfic/' death, turned quite black, Noedtesa uf say. all hands knocked off shearing- afc once till the thunderstorm passed ovo\ \ The sheep was a merino wether owned by .; Mr J. Jones, Geraldine. \

The respectful refusal of Mr Tvcxß,.Com- ■;' missioner of Taxes, to accept- the earn of ! £l5O from the Slate ap a reward forJtiSj services : n detecting irregularities -of cer- > tain linns in regard to tho income tax,, 1 ' will have a. satnt-ary effect. Tire system of reward* to public officers should heGtrict«l to displays of heroism -where life! is imperilled, and should not bo extended, to those who have onJy done their obvious dutv. Are we to assume that tho performance- of the duties of public servants an?, as a rule, fo perfunctory that, when a?i olliceL' exhibits adequate interest in his work, he should b<? awardecLa premium?— ' Oamaru Mail.' Six mules bred at Orongorongo (says the Wellington 'Post') will .shortly be shipped to the South Island by Messrs Dalgety and Co. They are consigned to Mr pinekney's station, Waikaia, in thj Lakes district, and will be used for packing purposes. The animaLs are specially suited for the rough country to wliicu they are going, as they have been bred in tberanges. \ They are to be used principally for wool f pockcl/3, and each k expected, to carry some / 2201b of wool. There kan •unsatisfied de- / mand for mules for packing purpose* I throughout New Zealand, but the breeding j 36 not extensive. : "Tho Conciliation and Arbitration. Act / is doing all that was expected of itAje- ' marked -Mr Harle Giles, Conciliation Commissioner, in Gisborne, on Friday, -when approached vpon the subject of industrial affairs and liabor matters in the district to which he was appointed. Anckland _ and, Taranaki were, lie 6aid„ quiet and in a catiafactoiy condition. Tho Act was work- > ing very well, and proved that if an. em- , plover "and employee met together and j showed themselves amenable to reason, the i disputes were, on the whole, eaaly BCttled. To-day, when the typewriting jnacMne- is..; accepted as one of the most useful articles , in the business world {says tho "Sydney ; Morning Herald'), it is strange, to recallthe opinion held br Government depart-; ments in tho past with respect to it. Ono of the first typewriters introduced into New South Wales came into tho possession of. Mr S. A. Donnelly, of Wyoming, Waiatah, whose death took place a few day 6 ago. Mr Donnellv commenced writing his official ,' correspondence with it. Tho innovation/ was not received favorably by the department. which, in reply to one of his communications, instructed him to refrain from using "that useless toy," adding that if hj& could,not write it would bo well if ho employed an amanuensis at his own expense.

The Anglican Mission of Help, winch, has been conducted throughout New Zealand, mis concluded at I lie Town Hail, Wdlington, last night. The Bishop of Welling- , ton presided over a crowded audience. Canon Stnartj delivered a spirited address. On behalf of Ilia audience Bishop Wallis \ wished Canon Stuart and all the ndsshaaers, | who aio leaving New Zealand to-morrow, • bi \ery grateful and affectionate gcod-b>e. lie said the meetings all through had exceeded, the greatest cqicctations. The Methodist Synod at Wangamri yesterday unanimously resolved to congratulate the Government upon giving the people the riant to voto on. National Prohibition, also for the better protection of the nativo race against the sale of liquor. The Synod protested emphatically against the retention of tho three-fifths majority, and demanded that breweries within No-license- areas be subject to the people's, vote; that_ tho . period after which a, successful National Prohibition vote will operate be reduced from four to two years. The Synod strongly urged Methodists <o endeavor to t caiTy No-licenso, seeing tho nanarkablo ' diminution of crime -which had taken place in tho districts where No-license had.been tried. At tlirf monthly meeting of tho Society ■ for tho Protection: of Women and Children, ! held in the Town Hall yesterday, it wafi..( resolved—"That the society reaffirm tho ; desirability of legislation to prevent chil- ■'< dren under ago "being on the streets at. ; night without a guardian." The society'.-', will not meet again till February. Chi the closiDg day of the-cession a jcinra' was presented to Parliament showing the amount of travelling allowances and ex. penscs drawn by during tho-., financial year ended March 3L, 1310. In • parentheses wo give, for the'purpose of comparison, the sums drawn by individual : Ministers during the previous year:—The | Prime Minister, £267 (£613) ; the Native I Minister. £175 (£233); tho Minister of I Railwavs, £.310 (£27-3); the Minister of 7 Education. £327 (£026); the Attorney* General, £145 (£345); tho Minister ofj. Works, £495 (£200); tho Minister of In-. tern.il Affaim, £159 (£45); tho Hon. Mr ( Nrota, £421 (£S6); the Minister of Com-' meVoe. Customs, and Agriculture, £243 (£8). Mr Ifogg, whilo he held office last; Year, drew £231.