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Evening Star, Issue 16907, 3 December 1918, Page 4

Tho postal officials advise that a portion t>f the English and American mail, which reached Auckland on Sunday morning by the Makura, numbering about 70 bags, will reach Dunedin to-morrow night by tho express from tho North. Tho whole of tho Makuxa’s mail has been thoroughly fumigated at tho Auckland quarantine station, and is being distributed throughout New Zealand in sections. Tho balance of tho Dunedin portion is expected to arrive hero on Thursday night. The Arterial Highway Bill, of which Dr Thacker is tho sponsor, was put through all stages in tho House of Representatives yesterday.

Tho ordinary mooting of tho St. Hilda Borough Council was to have been held last evening, but only four councillors were in attendance, and tho mooting therefore lapsed. Several members of tho council are still suffering from influenza.

A lad of IS years took tho opportunity of his employment at tho Central Bureau for tho relief of influenza patients to steal therefrom sums totalling 12s. Ho was arrested yesterday by Detectives Hammorly and Hall, uud 'appeared before tho Juvenile Court this morning, charged with tho theft. Chief Detective Bishop, in asking for a, remand till Friday. explained that other lads were probably implicated. The present accused (ho added) was a dull boy, for though ho had been to school for 10 real’s, ho had attained but to tho Third Standard. His parents were vary respectable people, bat bo had been before the court on an earlier occasion. The boy was remanded till Friday, and released on his mother’s nominal bond of £5. In the Magistrate’s Court tins morning, Mr Young, S.M., presiding, judgment by default was given for H. Wise and Co., of N.Z. Lid., in an action amiinst John Friend (of Wanganui) for advertising, £6 19s. The costs given were £1 5s 6d.

At Inst night’s meeting of tho Port Chalmers Council Councillor Lightboumo suggested that tho Prime Minister bo asked to obtain the visit of a unit of vessels of the British Navy to Now Zealand, preferably participants in the North Sea fight. Councillor McLachlan said the idea was a good ouo and he would support it although, unfortunately, wo did not have a harbor to take a warship into. The other councillors were also favorable, and it was resolved to do as Councillor Lightboumo suggested.

The Part Chalmers Council were not veiy favorably impressed, last night with a long letter from the Board of Trade about the high price of oatmeal. Tho letter, which contained a labored explanation purporting to demonstrate that the high prico cf oatmeal was duo to high cost of production, was in reply, tho Mayor said, to a letter ho had sent to tho Board of Trade as a result of complaints made about tho prico of oatmeal. Tho Mayor stated that in 1900 tho price of 251b of oatmeal was 2s 9d, and tho prico of 501b of flour 4s. In ISOB the oatmeal was 5s 6d for 25 and the flour 6s 6d for 50. To-day 25 of oatmeal was 8s and 50 cf flour 8s 6d. He regarded tho letter from tho Board of Trade as unsatisfactory. One of the councillors asked the Mayor if over ho had heard of tho Board of Trade discovering any charge tn bo exorbitant. His Worship replied that he could not say he had. All the cases on tho civil list were this morning adjourned until the next sittings of the Supreme Court in February. This has been found necessary on account of the present epidemic upsetting all arrangements for tho hearing of cases. In the House of Commons a few days ago Sir Macnamara (Financial Secretary to the Admiralty) stated that it had not beep possible to salve or examine the cruiser Hampshire (which was lost off the north coast of Scotland while carrying the late Lord Kitchener to Russia). She had boon destroyed by a mine, and the Government saw no reason to alter their decision not to publish the report of tho official inquiry. Before tho House of Representatives rose last night tho Crimes Amendment Bill, providing tho right of appeal from sentences passed on criminals by the Supreme Court, was read a second time on the motion of tho Hon. T. M. Wilford. Tho Minister declared that over and over again in this country tho Judge had refused to stats a case for appeal, the result being that there was no power, of revision. “I wknt,” said Mr Wilford,' “the right to consider from all points every element which went to secure a conviction.”

The Prime Minister has replied to the Returned Soldiers’ Association regretting that Cabinet, after full consideration, regrets that, in view of the huge expenditure necessary in connection with the repatriation scheme, it is unable to accede to the request that separation allowances to dependent soldiers should he made retrospective.—Wellington P.A. message. A Sydney message states that cable news is slack owing to delays. The Mayor of Auckland has received, a letter from the Union Steam Ship Company, enclosing a. cheque for £IOO towards the Auckland epidemic relief fund. Donations are coming in from the city and country districts, and the fund now totals over £2,000. District cricket was played in Christchurch. on Saturday. A. W. Thomas, for Lin wood, scored 115 runs against Riccartem.

The National Executive of tho Second Division League passed tho following resolution:—“ That this league view with alarm tho continued dilatonness of tho Government in regard to the question of repatriation, particularly in view of the fact that thousands of soldiers are now being discharged, and that official statements point to an early return of the men from overseas, and urge upon tho Government and Parliament that no further delays bo tolerated.”—Wellington telegram. A peculiar after-effect of influenza, particularly in the case of women, is for the vocal chords to bo affected (states the ‘Dominion’). Such people may bo able to speak quite dearly in the daytime, but after dark tho voice commences to got husky, possibly through tho added moisturo in the air after sunclown. This affection of tho voice gradually wears off with complete convalescence.

The retail price of tobacco was advanced in Auckland as from yesterday, in consequence of tho increase in tho wholesale price. Prices will now bo as follows ; Tinned tobaccos, Is 4d j loose plug tobacco, 8d air ounce, la 4<l two ounces; cigarette tobacco, 8d an ounce, la 44 two ounces; dark plug, Is Id; aromatio tobacco (4oz plug), 2s 6d.

Country local bodies often experience considerable difficulty in getting landowners to clear corse from tho roads through their property. Drastic measures are resorted to only as a very last resource. Complaint was made at tho Waikouaiti County Council meeting yesteaday that the gorge had blocked a certain water* wav, with tho result that the surface water had been diverted to tho road, and recent repairs washed away. Tho adjoining pro-perty-owner. it was stated, should have had tho gorse cleared, but the usual excuse these day’s in respect to non-clearance of gorso was Inability to secure the requisite labor, "Well, what do you propose to do about it?” inquired the chairman, who went on to state that several years ago complaints about tho gorse on the roads were so numerous that the council eventually decided to take action, Tho councillors were asked to submit to the inllowing council meeting the names of tho throe worst offending landowners in tho several ridings for prosecution in the courts. 'At the following meeting, however, the names wtVo not forthcoming. "I suppose,” concluded tho chairman, cynically, “that these councillors had come to tho conclusion that the gorge nuisance was not so bad as they thought it was.’’ A smile wont round the table when tho chairman concluded. One councillor, who evidently discovered a personal association with the circumstances of tho anecdote, proffered an exonerating explanation; hut none of the councillors moved that drastic measures bo now adopted to compel tho removal of gorge from adjacent roadways, and tho blooming gorse may continue to gild tho watertablao of tho Waikonp.iti county roads.

A judgment of considerable Interest to owners and lessees of hot-els has boon delivered by Mr Justice Chapman in tho case of Crawford v. Messrs D wan Bros., T. and W. Ydung, and J. (Speight and Co., which was argued recently at Wellington. Tho proceedings wer brought by means of an originating summons to detormino the rights of tho parties. The facta were agreed to, and wc.ro shortly ."is follow; Tho plaintiff leased To Aro Hotel to tho defendants for a period of 10 years, at a rental of £1,040 per annum, and received £5,000 goodwill. The tenants sub-leased the Hotel for five years to the sub-tonanta, and received £4,000 for the goodwill, Tho sub-tenants claimed a reduction of rent, which was reduced to £624 per annum, and tho Court was asked to determine whether tho owner was found to make the oamo reducMen to tho tenants as they mndo to tho sub-tenants. After reviewing the terms of the statu to requiring tiro rentals of hotels to ho reduced during tho war, His Honor held that tho question of premium received by tho owner and tho premium received by tho tenants from tho sub-tenant wore not to lie taken into consideration, hut that the rental payable bv the tenants to tho owner was reducible porporHonately, and that tho tenants were entitled to the same reduction from tho owner's as they had to allow tho sulytanants. Tho defendants were allowed £l2 12s costs. “Everything working satisfactorily, and things gradually getting back to normal,” was tho answer given in reply to a query by a ‘ Star ’ reporter to-day concerning matters on tho Dunedin waterfront. The epidemic appears to bo but a memory ns far as tho shipping in port is concerned, and there is every indication of a brisk time ahead for tho port. Tho local watersiders aro settling down to work again in good style, and although operations wore only resumed yesterday morning, excellent results have been accomplished. Tho men worked on until 10 _ last night, and work was again in full swing throughout to-day. Loading operations wore completed on the Corinna at 8.30 last night, and tho vessel sailed shortly before 9 for_ way norts and New Plymouth. Tho xvotaro completed her loading shortly after noon to-day, and sailed this afternoon for Bluff and Invercargill. The work of unloading tho To Anau’a cargo from Auckland was completed this morning, and tho vessel then went down to Port Chalmers to taka in bunker coal, sailing a few hours later for Bluff. A largo general cargo is being handled on the Calm, and that vessel is expected to sail to-night for way ports and Wanganui. Several gangs were secured to work the Tn-rawom yesterday afternoon, and £3 additional men were available to-day, good progress is being made with the discharge of her Sydney cargo. A start was mado to discharge tho Broezo this morning, and tho work on this vessel will bo completed by to-night. Excellent result?, havo also been obtained in landing tho cargoes from tho steamer Stella, tho auxiliary schooner Houto, and tho brigantine Aratapu. Tho two former vessels will commence loading to-morrow for Wellington and Lyttelton respectively. Tho Pntiki, which arrived hero this morning from Wellington and Timaru, discharged 125 tens of cargo, and is now loading a full shipment of merchandise for Oamaru, Lyttelton, and Nelson. Work is also proceeding apaoo at Port Chalmers, whore the Kamona is engaged in coaling tho Mokoia, while tho latter vessel is being fitted out for cargo service again, and tho ferry steamer Maori is undergoing overhaul.

In tho Outram Court yesterday, before Mr K. A. Young, S.M., Mona Milne, a young woman, was charged with the theft of P.od Orpss funds amounting to £lO 2s. She was defended by Mr IV. L. Moore, The evidence showed that on tho 28th of Juno last a danco was held at Loo Stream, in connection with which there was a guessing competition, and the proceeds amounted to £lO 2s. Tim dance was organised by accused and her employer (Mr Borthwick). Tho money was handed over to the young woman to bo paid to tho Red Cross fund. Borthwick gave oyidenss that on July 5 accused said sho paid tho money to Constable Southgate, and that it was acknowledged in the ‘Star.’ At the end of September accused sent the monev to the secretary of the Outram Rod "Cross Association, Tho money had not been paid to the constable. Accused gave evidence that after tho dance sho was away for a fortnight attending to tho house of some of her employer's relatives, and on the day sho Mrs Borthwick was taken to the Dunedin Hospital. She had to manage tho place herself, and had neglected, _ through extra work, to scad the money in. Sho denied ever saying that sho paid the money to Constable ’Southgate. She had had the money all tho time. His Worship said tho evidence showed that tho girl had the money all the time. The reason given by her was that she had overlooked paying it in, and it simply became a question of fact between Borthwick and herself, and the former’s evidence was vague na to dates and several other matters. Accused had not been shaken under cross-examina-tion, and in these circumstances the case would be dismissed. In any there was a reasonable doubt. The young woman and James Borthwick were then charged with a breach of the War Regulations, in that they collected money for patriotic purposes without a permit. Mr Monro said that tho dMendants were absolutely ignorant of the fact that _ a permit was "required. They were convicted and discharged. •

Tho Government offices throughout New Zealand will be closed l on 25th, 26th, 27th, and 23th December (Christmas holidays), and on Ist and 2nd January, 1919 (Now Year holidays). A whole ' family of seven Maoris was wiped out through tho influenza epidemic rit Putoa roontly. They lived in a picturesque little bungalow on a rise overlooking tho beautiful valley through which the Patea River flows. When the old mother was taken from her homo to tho hospital, although very ill, she refused to stay there, and got back to the steps of her own house, where she sat and wailed. She was again taken back to the hospital, with tho same result, and in a few hours was dead. Her aged husband soon followed. A son and Ins wife had already died, and then the other three members”of the family all died in one day.

A Westport message reports that the bodies of the late Mrs Thoimor’s children are still nnrecovered, also the body of tho man Harris. Rescue parties are still at work dragging tho Karainoa.

‘ Tho reluctance of somo people to aid their sick neighbors was illustrated in a case in Auckland, where tho patient, a man living alone, had boon very feeble and ill for several days. Ho seemed to make little improvement. The visitor Oreports the ‘ Herald ’) noticed one morning that his outdoor clothes were in a different place from that in which she had last seen them several days before, “Have you been out?” sho asked in surprise. Tho man hesitated, and at last confessed he had got up and dressed every day in order to go outside and feed his fowls. His neighbors had shown marked aversion, “and I couldn’t let the poor birds die of hunger.” he said. Tho visitor lost no time in calling on the people next door and expressing her personal views on tho maitor; which wore sufficiently strong to wring a reluctant promise to oaro for tho birds until their owner was fit to leave his bed.

Jubilation I Celebrate it in Watson’s No, 10 Whisky; without a poor; just lovely.—■ [Advt.j

“No Rubbing” Laundry TMp for Washing children’s summer clothing. Clothes lasi twice as long when "No Rubbing” is used. Is 3d largo packet. War doll Bros, and Co. —[Advt.J Members of the Dunedin Athotusuin are requested to return tlieir hooks and magazines without delay through J:ho door slot of tho library, Watson’s No. 10 is a little dearer than most whiskies, but ig worth the money.— [Advt.] Ladies recommend Martin’* Apiol and Steel Pills. Sold by all chemists and stores. ssea you got ho genuine.—fAdvb.J