LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 18054, 23 August 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Invercargill sittings of tlie Supremo Court opened yesterday before Mr Justice Hosking. Bernard Buiawski, who_ had pleaded guilty to forging and uttering a cheque for £lO, was admitted to probation for two and a-half years. Robert Finlay pleaded not guilty to a charge ct indecent assault on a girl under the age of sixteen years, and was acquitted. In the Greymouth Court yesterday a waterside worker named Joseph pi®™® claimed £5 special damages and £4O general damages from the local Watersiders’ Union and the secretary (H. Kirk), alleging that he had been prevented from obtaining employment on the wharf, the railway wharf foreman deposed that Kirk informed him that Clarke was 7s 9d m arrears on his union dues, so witness understood that Clarke was an unfinancial unionist, and not employable. _ Kirk deposed that Clarke had been in arrears since the quarterly payments were introduced. Thirty members had been allowed an extended time for payment of the levies. Clarke was tiro only one in arrears, and did not seek work at certain calls on the wharf. The magistrate gave a verdict for plaintiff for £3 6s 3d, loss of wages, and also witnesses’ expenses.

The first poultry club of the Southern Hemisphere formed among public school girls was opened at Te Kiiiti yesterday, with a membership of fifty. Addresses were delivered by Mr C. E. Cuming, editor of the ‘ Dairy Farmers Journal, and Mr B. Jarrett, poultry instructor under the Agricultural Department. Baca child was supplied with a hen, eggs, and boxes gratis. A periodical inspection will be made by Mr Jarrett, and the girls will be further encouraged by competitions, etc. The children arc already manifesting considerable enthusiasm in the project.

Tiro monthly meeting of the Green Island School Committee was held on Monday night. Correspondence was received from the Education Board intimating its willingness to install heating stoves on the terms set forth in the committees letter. The head master’s report showed a marked improvement in the attendance, the banner being won !by Standard VI. with 100 per cent. It was resolved to ask the board to renovate some of the school rooms and also to execute general repairs to the asphalted playing areas .and spouting. The chairman explained to the committee the scheme of junior high schools as set forth by Mr Caughley. Some minor matters were ordered to bo attended to. It was reported that some person (or persons) was removing the pebbles from the soldiers’ memorial site. It was decided that the constable be asked to try to check the offence.

Negotiations are iu progress between tho Wellington City Council and the Public Works Department in regard to the supply 'of hydro-electric power from Mang'abao. Difficulty has arised regarding tho reported desire of the department to insist on the corporation taking more current than what it will really require. It is assumed that tho department's policy is governed by the fact tnat some of the power boards in tho Wellington province are not ready to take power from Mangahao when it becomes available. The offer of the Government to lend £I,OOO for tiro further development of tiro Hauraki mines property at _ Coromandel has been declined by the directors, the amount being considered insufficient. A total of £25,000 has been expended in the company’s operations .to date, and all the available capital has been called up. The directors, therefore, have decided to close tho mine.

The Southland provincial secretary forwarded to tiro meeting of the Otago Branch of the' Farmers’ Union yesterday a copy of a petition to Parliament for circulation among farmers. The petition states that tho signatories are seriously perturbed owing to tho onerous conditions imposed on the growers of grain by the Arbitration Court,, and fear that owing to lack of knowledge of, and sympathy with, tho conditions under which they have to make their living the court does not appreciate these conditions. The petitioners submitted that farmers, being in a world market, could not pass on increased costs as commercial firms could, and that weather conditions renjiercd_ the past-iron rules laid down by the Arbitration Court awards''inapplicable to farm work, and if persevered in would surely strangle production. They therefore asked Parliament to exempt all primary farming industry from liability to Conciliation and Arbitration Acts, leaving that freedom of contract with employees which had been hitherto-not only satisfactory but successful. Tho executive decided to approve the petition and to obtain copies for circulation.

A novel conveyance, affording a solution both of tho expense of transportation and the high cost of living, passed through Gisborne the other day in the shape of a bullock waggon converted into temporary housing quarters. The waggon had been roofed Like a tent with sacking, and apparently contained living quarters. The waggoner proceeded on foot, driving his team of bullocks, whilst his wife and children rode inside tho conveyance, the rear part of which had been left open. The caravan was evidently proceeding to the east coast.

The filming of Miss Annette Keller-. Sman’s new picture is to be ’commenced at Nelson in the course of a day or two. The producer, Mr Sullivan, is experiencing some difficulty in obtaining a suitable vessel for the scenes proposed to be photographed in Queen Charlotte Sound, the Government steamer Hinemoa not being available. In the course of a conversation. with Blenheim on the telephone it w-as suggested that use might bo made of the old training ship Amokura, and Mr Sullivan is making inquiries in this direction.

The watersiders at Bluff were chuckling to themselves last week (says the ‘ Southland News’), to the discomfiture of another of their fraternity. It happened that the object of their mirth—we will call him Harry—signed on with a gang to work- a vessel. Harry had not worked very long before ho felt indisposed, probably" as the result of too much jollification, and adjourned to ono of the holds, where he was soon in the arms of Morpheus. At 10 o’clock the shift went ashore and the holds wore battened down feu- the night. Inquiries were made for the missing Harry, and 1 his mates .turned towards home, thinking that he had left the ship hours before. Peace and quietness reigned) shortly after, and only the tramp of the officer on watch, as ho ivalked the deck, was heard. Suddenly, the stillness of the early hours of the morning was broken by a cry for assistance, and the surprise of the officer can well bo imagined when he saw a face peering at him from under the covering on a hatch. It ryas the missing Harry, who had tired of his unusual bed and had managed to lift a board from the hold, but could get no further._ Needless to say Uie officer quickly extricated him from his amusing predicament, and now Harry is wondering why so many grinning faces could be seen on the wharf for days after.

The Roslyn W.E.A. _ Class is now approaching the end of its sessional study, • National Welfare in New Zealand,’ and the 'September lectures will treat of the political aspect of the sub ject. This phase commenced with a lecture on Monday evening on ‘The Political History of the Dominion,’ which traced lh© origin and development of our system of constitutional government. Tlie lecturer (Mr J. Johnson) reviewed- our constitutional system in a necessarily condensed form, but introduced, many elements of interest, which’ will be amplified in the concluding lectures. Last - week au “open night ’ was largely attended, when Mr H. D. Skinner gave a most instructive lecture, illustrated bv lantern elides, on ‘ The Maori and Decorative Art.’ The lecturer’s knowledge of his subject, his enthusiasm in the pursuit of the entrancing study of the great gifts of our native race, conTpelled the dose and engrossed attention of all, and at the conclusion of the address hearty votes of appreciative thanks were accorded, to Mr Skinner and to Mr E. Aslin, who operated the lantern.