LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 18053, 22 August 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A '® , bllingfcon ' message announces that men are warned, ■ in an official statement issued by'the Minister of Internal Affairs, against expecting to find work in Britain. The Minister states that a largo number of applications were being received by the High Commissioner asking for financial assistance from men who have worked their way Home, and are now unable to obtain return berths. He urges tho shipping companies not to sign on men except for return trips. Judgment was given at Wellington for the defendant in the slander ease John Page (of the Wellington Spiritualist Church) v. Margaret Stables, a claim for £5Ol damages for alleged slander in the words“ The police hold a letter now that will send John Page'to gaol.” His Honor said he could not understand why plaintiff had not been called, and a. considerable argument took place between counsel and the court as to whether in such cases the plaintiffs evidence was admissible. In the course of defendant’s evidence she said that Sir A. Conan Hoyle denied that Pago had ever been associated with him on the platform. Tho Venerable Archdeacon Curzon-Sig-gera presided yesterday afternoon at tho meeting of the Society for tho Protection of. Women and Children. The sub-com-mittee set up to consider the whole question of women patrols reported that it had met Hr MTCibbiu and the, Hev. W. Trotter in conference, with tho result that a 10-lter had been sent to tho Minister of Health, Wellington, informing him that the society is considering a scheme to collect the sum of £IOO annually, provided tho Government subsidy thereon can bo obtained, which will provide for tho employment of one whole-time woman patrol, or two part-time patrols. Correspondence was road from several members of Parliament, and the usual business transacted. Tho treasurer’s statement was tabled and passed for payment. At a meeting held in tho Pine Hill School for the purpose of forming a local progressive society a strong and representative committee, ,consisting o;f Mcssic Spoor, Kilncr, M’Hugh, Chipps, Ford, M'Ara, Scott, and Campbell, was elected. It was unanimously decided that tho immediate objectives should bo tho establishment. of a lighting system on and tho sheltering and beautifying of the main Pino Hill road. At a subsequent iheeting Mr Spoor reported that he had interviewed Cr Shacklock concerning the lighting, and that the Lighting Committee of tho Hunodin City Council would at an early date receive a deputation on tho matter. Huring the current spring several hundred poplar trees are to bo planted along the road, and in this connection Mr Speight is lending his assistance.

Tho Rev. P. Gladston Hughes (minister of tho Chalmers Presbyterian Church (Timaru) received a letter signed by six members of his congregation which declared that ho (1) preached an uuscriptural doctrine, (2) prophesied smooth things and made sin appear something less of an enormity than it was, (5) did not preach the Gospel. Mr Hughes announced from tho pulpit on Sunday his reception of the letter, and called a meeting of the church session for last night to consider the matter, stating that if tho charge were true he should not be there. Tho meeting of the session was not open to tho Press. The result was that the session unanimously decided that tho charges were groundless, ail'd in a most emphatic manner repudiated them. Tho writer of the letter stated that ho did not desire to lay tho charges before the authorities of tho Church.

The question of Scripture teaching in State schools was considered last night at a meeting of the Christchurch Council of Christian Congregations. The following resolution was carried “ That this council receives with pleasure the report of an agreement concerning the reading of Scripture in State schools reached by tho Wellington conference of the various denominations present, and approves generally of the plan suggested, and urges tho Government to give effect to the recommendations, as it considers that knowledge of the text of the Scriptures must form a part of the essential education of all children in tliis dominion.” The council also passed tho following resolution That the Gaming Act ho so amended as to provide for summary treatment for offenders under the Act.”

Montague Thomas 'Sabine Pasley (Into accountant with Hoadlcy, Son, and Stewart, of Hastings) pleaded guilty yesterday to the theft of £471 from the firm, and was committed for sentence. Prisoner (who had given himself up) made a signed statement to the police. In this he said that he joined the firm thirteen years ago, and about a year after commenced taking small amounts, and before ho realised it found himself deeply involved until he could bear tho strain no longer. He had kept a private account of all defalcations, which ho handed to the auditor. Hone of the money was saved, but spent principally on gambling. Tho total amount of the defalcations was very large.

After they had knocked down and kicked a young' woman in tho Melbourne streets one night this month, a gang- of men discovered that they had attacked tho wrong woman, and ran away. The victim of the dastardly assault was Miss Grace Healey, machinist. Victoria street. West Melbourne. According to a report made to the police by Mr Matthew Myring, Peel street, North Melbourne (tho ‘Argus’ records), Miss Healey was walking in Victoria street,_ near Queen street, about 10 o’clock at night, when a tall man stepped from a right-of-way and seized her. Without saying a word, ho struck her a violent blow ill' the face and knocked her down. Another man appeared, and tho two men kicked tho young woman about the body. Several other men. who had been lurking in the shadows, joined the woman's assailants, and one of them said: “There must bo a mistake; I know the woman.” The men allowed Miss Healey to get up from the pavement, and she ran to her home. The men also ran away. Frederick John Rendlc and Walter Goodyer were charged before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., at Palmerston North yesterday, that, on July 15, at Podding, with intent to defraud, they did falsify (olegrams relating to Some Fashion and Romance at tho recent Trentham Meeting, and did thereby obtain from William Prince the sums of £260 and £65. Prince, the chief witness, was indemnified by the police from any prosecution relating to the hets. Voluminous evidence was given by thirty-three witnesses, tho case lasting all day. • Both the accused pleaded not guilty, and were committed for trial at tho next sitting of tho Supreme I Court at Palmerston North.

The problem of the lepers at Samoa, of whom there were always a dozen or more, had recently been solved by transferring them to thd leper station of the Fiji Government at the island of Wakogai, stated Mr R. D. Gray, Secretary for External Affairs, in an interview at Auckland. Formerly (he added) Samoan leper? had been isolated on a small island at the eastern end of Upohi, and arrangements for proper treatment had been difficult and unsatisfactory. The present arrangement had been made as the result of eighteen months’ negotiations with the Fijian Government, and would not only secure for the afflicted a better chance of recovery, but would also effect considerable savings on the former methods of treatment. The cost would be borne by the Samoan Civil Administration. The ’Makogai leper station was a very fine, establishment, and great success had attended its work already. The lepers went cheerfully and willingly to their now abode, as they were aware that cures were being effected' at Makogai, which in all respects was as well staffed and equipped as the American station at Molokai, in the Hawaiian Group, which had been made famous by its associations with Father Damien. Tho transport of lepers over 600 miles of ocean, from Samoa to Makogai, in a small auxiliary motor ketch, was no small feat, but fine weather favored the two trips which were necessary. Dr T. R. Ritchie, of the "New Zealand Health Department, and at present health officer at Samoa, made the two journeys, and his work ill this connection was worthy of commendation .