LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 16662, 19 February 1918, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL

s The offices of Messrs W. S. Laurie and Co., seed merchants, Customs street east, Auckland, were entered during the weekend, and £2O was stolen from a drawer in the strong room, which was forced bv removing some woodwork to permit of a bar -being pushed back. The chairman of the National Efficiency Board (Mr W. Ferguson), in replying to "a communication from the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce regarding a report that the board proposed that flax-mills should be closed in order to liberate- labor for harvesting, says there has been no proposal in that direction, and he assures the chamber that the sentiment contained in their letter urging that before action was taken it would be just to hear all the parties interested would meet with the entire approval of the board. The Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday carried a motion endorsing _ the policy indicated by the Prime Minister in regard to the disposal of the German colonies in the Pacific. The Greymouth branch of the Labor party has received from Sir Jas. Allen the following telegram :—" Your telegram received. On inquiry 1 find that the .Military Service Board had considered application of Mr P. C. Webb's appeal, and refused to grant a rehearing. I rcoret that I am unable to interfere further in the matter, as decision with respect to exemption rests entirely with the Military Service Board." The Wellington Patriotic Society have undertaken the control of the Salvation Army's schemefor raising money throughout the Dominion for war purposes. At a meeting of the Christ-church Ministers' Association yesterday a long discussion took place on the present position of conscientious objectors in the Dominion, lhe meeting were unanimous in their support of the sacred right of conscience, but anxious not to shield the shirker. Finally the Rev. J. J. North moved that, in view of the charges of gross ill-treatment recently and publicly made in Christ-church, the Ministers' Association urge that the Government appoint a commission of inquiry into the treatment of conscientious objectors by the military authorities. The motion was carried unanimously. In the Magistrate's Court at Wanganui yesterday Alien Hector Loveridge, a taxi driver and a married man, was charged with the abduction of a girl under 18 years of age. The girl's mother said her daughter left home to go to a hockev meeting and did not return. Nearly three weeks later she received a letter from her daughter saving : " Good-bye for ever ; don't look for me." As a result of certain information witness, bv appointment, metaccused and her daughter near Wanganui but the latter threatened to drown herself rather than return home. The girl eventually returned home in a certain condition. The case was unfinished when the Court rose for the day. In anticipation of seeing how Daniel Murphy would spend his 'Night Out ' vaudeville patrons packed the Princess Theatre last night, And Daniel, as a gay spark who "did" a- New York cabaret "and returned home early next morning in a Kate of blissful intoxication, was quite as hignly diverting as Daniel in any of the other situations in which we have seen bun. There is a naturalness about Mr lorn Haverly's brogue and his Irish "phiz ' that enriches the humor of his part Mr J. P. O'Neill's Irishman is of another type, but nevertheless it is most effective. These two comedians extracted laughs innumerable. We- have learnd to expect tuneful music from this little company, and last night proved no exception to the rule, there being a number of songs, duets, and choruses with lilting melodies, the Kowpio Kids, in addition to their bright chorus work, performed an "acrobatic ballet," which met with warm approval. The standard reached in the vaudeville portion of the programme lately was well maintained. Ihose two popular sketch artists, Mr Ted Mac Lean and Miss Genevieve Lee, made a welcome reappearance, and played with success a one-act comedy entitled ' Ootscy.' In this Mr Mac Lean "doubles" the parts of John Smith (a pillar of the church) and Bob Smith (his cowboy brother), a sort of Jekyll and Hvde business requiring quick changes and skilful acting; and Mr .Mac Lean does it well. -Miss Lee,_ as the trusting wife, was excellent. The other newcomer on the bill was Walter C. Mackay, "the musical nut." Mr Mack-ay plays a number of instruments ot the banjo-guitar variety with some skill, gagging beLweenwhiles. His playino- met with the entire approval of the "house " Kelly and Drake repeated their clever act of last week, the eccentric dancing and •intics of Mr Kelly creating roars of laughter. M'Kay and Graham, despite their long stay, continue to cive pleasure with their songs, while the De Booviers confinned the good impression formed of them last week with some now artistic poses.