LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 18532, 15 January 1924, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At Greymonth, Jimmy Lin was fined £5 for . having opium m his. possession. Detective Young commented on the illicit traffic by Europeans, who were assisting the Chinese to evade the law. ■ The summonses against about 500 miners for an alleged unlawful strike, and against coal mine owners for an alleged lock-out, were, adjourned at the Greymouth Magistrate’s Court' yesterday morning to January 28, on the Labor Department’s application. - A man named Miles Reilly, aged about thirty-one, who has been resident at Hokitika for twelve months, is reported missing. His clothes were found on the sea beach. He had been low-spirited for some time. At the Police Court, Auckland, James Lee was charged with manslaughter, arising from the death of James White on Saturday- evening, following a blow in Wellesley street west. The inquest on the deceased was resumed at the same time. Mr Poynton, 6.M., sitting as coroner, found that death was due to the rupture of an artery at the base of the skull. This might, have been caused either by excitement during the (juarrol or by the fall after the blow which was delivered by Lee under provocation, and not with the intention of causing grievous bodily harm. In his capacity as magistrate, Mr Poynton . dismissed the charge of manslaughter, but convicted Leo of assault, fining him £3.

In order to register their protest against the decision of the Christchurch City Council to limit the length of speeches, Councillors H. T. Armstrong, M.P., 0. Carr, F. R. Cooke, and Mrs M'Combs (Labor members) retired with precipitation from a special meeting of the council which was held last night, and so left the meeting without a quorum, and consequently without the capacity to carry on. The business of the meeting was to adopt a new sot of standing orders, and certain progress had bepn made when the time limit question Jed to the disruption. Three habitual prisoners—William Scarborough, Herbert Helm, and W. J, Davidson—escaped from Mount Eden Gaol, Auckland, about 4.40 p.m, yesterday, and' have not been recaptured. They were working in a prison quarry, and suddenly dropped their tools, disappearing before the warders were aware of their action. Scarborough was serving a sentence of three months for being an idle and disorderly person, Helm three years for forgery ana uttering, and Davidson two years for forgery and uttering.

An interesting dispute has arisen between the Marine Department and the Gisborne Harbor Board over the new harbor scheme. When a poll of the ratepayers was taken the first instalment of the works was said to include a section of the outer breakwater. The proposals have now been modified and tne outer breakwater has been eliminated in the meantime. The Minister of Marine has pointed out to the board that it should acquaint the ratepayers with the fact that the deparment considers the modified scheme has faults and would not prove satisfactory. The board’s engineer at yesterday’s meeting defended his plan, holding that whether a harbor with ingress and egress at all times for vessels drawing up to 15ft will or will not give much satisfaction to the district is a matter for the decision of the board, as is also the question whether the district receives value for the money expended. A big deputation was appointed to wait on the Minister.

A meeting was held in the Taieri Month Hall last Saturday evening for the purpose of forming a society or committee to control concerts, picnics, etc., that may be held in the future at Taieri Mouth. Mr W. B. Brugh was voted to the chair, and on taking control of the meeting explained the object for which it had been called, and detailed what had been done in recent years to raise funds for improvements to tiie locality. He specially mentioned the laying down of a tramway at Titri, the erection of the goods shed, hall, bathing shed, and a certain amount of road construction. The time had now arrived when some controlling authority was necessary. Mr Brugh also mentioned the advisability of securing certain frontages to the river and ocean as a domain and of bush areas being declared scenic reserves to prevent the destruction of native bush. Mr Wilson referred to the necessity for a record being kept of the business of the meeting, and Mr J. P. Walls was appointed minute secretary pending the appointment of a permanent secretary. -Messrs P. J. Priest, Lindlav, Wilson, Desmoulins, and Walls spoke in favor of the proposal to form an amenities society, and suggested that the meeting adjourn till that night week, and that every endeavour be made to secure an attendance representative of those who were permanent residents at Taieri Mouth, those who owned cribs there, and also" those who visited the place at holiday seasons or for picnics. After a short discussion this was agreed to. The chairman and Mr Wilson gave some details as to the formation of an amenities society, and on Mr Grey’s motion, seconded by Mr Davies, the following were entrusted with the drawing up of rules for the guidance of the committee when it had been elected: —The chairman, secretary, and Messrs Wilson, Priest, Lindlay, John Joseph, and L. Joseph. The meeting recommended that the subscription for men be 2s 6d and for ladies Is; that the officebearers be; President, two vice-presidents, secretary, treasurer, and a committee of nine; five to form a quorum.

The trustees of the New Zealand sheep owners’ 'acknowledgment of debt to British seamen fund have acquired a very suitable property near Bulls, in the Rangitikei County, for the training of sons of British seamen who wore killed or disabled during thee war, and the London Advisory Committee has been informed that despatch of the first lot of boys can now bo made. The property is of considerable area, and comprises all classes of land. There are extensive river fiats with some of the best agricultural and dairying land in the county, well drained swamps, lighter grazing country, and sandy ridges suitable for afforestation. The buildings already on the property are most substantial, and with minor alterations will be most suitable for the accommodation of boys and staff. It will be possible to give the boys a comprehensive insight into all branches of farm work—stock breeding, milking, agriculture, fencing, farm carpentering, gardening, poultry and bee keeping, fruit growing, etc., and afforestation will be a particular feature. A.r the property will be ran on commercial lines, the boys will start on a sound basis and make valuable assistants to farmers to whom they will later bo available, and eventually it is hoped they will themselves become prosperous settlers.