LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 16663, 20 February 1918, Page 7

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A meeting of the executive of the Otago branch of the Navy League was held yes-tea-day, afternoon. Mr J. A. Johnstone occupied tho chair. The correspondence included„two letters from the head offico.of the league in London, and a letter of acknowledgment from the captain of H.M.S. New Zealand expressing thanks for the gifts sent by the league to the crew of thrtt vessel. Four interesting letters were received from members of the New Zealand Motor Boat Patrol—Lieutenant Walter H. Hislop, and Motor Mechanics L. Grigg, A. R. G. Radford, and Ernest V. Smith. These letters were also in acknowledgment of gifts sent by the branch, and expressed the desire that the thanks of the writers should be conveyed to the members of the Women's Patriotic Association for the socks which had been supplied for inclusion in the league's parcels. The case in which a taxi driver named Loveridge was charged with abducting a girl under 18 years of age concluded at Wanganui yesterday, accused being committed for trial at tho Supreme Court. Bail was allowed—self in £IOO and suretics of £IOO each. Evidence-,was given that accused and tho girl stayed in a Palmerston. North boarding-house for eight weeks, accused spending the week ends there. At a meeting of the executive of the South Island Poultry Association, held at Christ-church, the schedules for young bird shows of the Otago Bantam Club, New Zealand Utility Poultry Olub, and Christchurch Canary Chb were passed: The following were alloted to Dwiediio—English White Leghorn, Ancona, utility White Plymouth Rock, muff tumbler pigeon, and magpie pigeon. Kaitanaata—Hamburg, White Wyandotte, White Plymouth Rock, English and African owl, and any variety of canary (color-fed). Oamaru—-Game, Orpington (other than black), utility Barred Rock, working homer, and mule canary. Tapanui—-Silver Wyandotte, old English trame, Barred Plymouth Rock, cle.anlegged tumbler (other than self), plainhead, clear, ticked, or varioeated yellow Norwich canary (non-cn/"-a-:!). In the Magistrate's- • 't Gisborne yesterday Margaret 81, ; boardinghouse keeper, was chan ' . permitting liquor to be consumed ■>" premises when licensed pre-nises \ squired by law to be closed. The ~, ;e gave evidence that they raided the" loarding-liouse and found dTinkin.r, in progress among boarders. Tho' police suggested that _ the boarding-house was a restaurant within the meaning of the Sale of Liquor Restriction Act of Last session. The Magistrate (Mr Barton) said the point was a far-reaching one, and reserved his deci- i sion. On a further ' charge of sly grogselling the defendant was fined £2O, in default six week's imprisonment. The evidence disclosed that she purchased 52 dozen quart bottles of beer between December 1 and February 1. The -executive of the Wanganui Protestant Political Association passed a motion of protest against the assault on two clei-gymen following their participation in a_ meeting to form a branch of the association in Feilding. The executive demanded that the Government should bring the perpetrators to justice and take such action as would effectively end an attempt bv those opposed to the association to terrorise any people actively engaged in that association, and to safeguard the inalienable right of all to free speech. Peter M'Faxlane Dewar, a health specialist, has been committed for trial at Auckland on a charge of counselling or' procuring a woman to permit the use of an instrument. In the Supreme Court at Auckland tlijury failed to agree in a case against Hannah Dalton on a charge of having used an instrument or other, means on one Vein Baker with, intent to procure a certain lesult. At the .last- sessions the accused was charged with' the manslaughter of Baker, and the jury failed to agree, a new trial being ordered. The present proceedings, are on an additional count. ] The Mangatu Trust Commission opened proceedings at Gisborne yesterday, the whole day being occupied with an address by Mr Coleman representing tho East Coast Native Commission. The evidence I promises to be of a somewhat remarkable > character. I A P.A. telegram from Lnvercargill states: One day recently, while a girl named Annie Casey was returning from her mother's house to the place at which she was employed she disappeared, but turned up later, making allegations upon wdvich a. young district farmer named Samuel Muir was arrested on a serious charge. Tho case was tried yesterday, when the girl and eight others gave evidence. Mr Hanlon (Dunedin) addressed the Court, after which the Magistrate (Mr Cruickshank) dismissed the case, remarking that from the girl's statement it was clear to him that she could have avoided j the accused's attentions if she had desired I to do so. "' | Darkness and silence ushered in the New j Year in the streets of Central London. Outsido St. Pool's Cathedral, in place of j the great crowds of pre-war New Year's [ Eves, only the rumble of an occasional om- i nibus and the foot-steps of a few people i hurrying homewards broke the silence. .A | chill easterly breeze blew searchingly along ! the deserted streets. At 11.30 v.m". a few ! stragglers made their way. to the top of I Ludgate Hill, but, finding members of j the City Police Force in sole possession of i the cathedral frontage, they turned on I their heel and departed. the pledging j 'cf health and "A Happier New Year"; was reserved for the home. fireside, and i London streets were deserted. The Hogmanay revelry of past years has been killed by the war.

"I like New Zealand very much; it is God's country right enough," said Professor Trueblood to a Manawatu ' Standard' reporter. The visitor pointed out how different were farming conditions in NewZealand, when contrasted with the United States. "Your farmers do not* have to grow the food ours require to," he stated. "In the States they plant from May to November, and wary has the farmer to be to see that no sudden frost comes along and cuts down his food crops. When the cold iwaatfier comes,- at the end of October, the ground is. frozen hard. We have even to put our water pipes down several feet to prevent them from becoming frozen. In New Zealand grass grows naturally and abundantly, and the climate is good, too."