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Evening Star, Issue 21284, 13 December 1932, Page 6

At the Police Court yesterday afternoon the hearing was resumed of the case in which George Benuet (Mr C. J. L. White) was proceeded against by his wife for separation, maintenance, and guardianship orders on the grounds of failure to maintain, persistent cruelty, and habitual drunkenness. Mr O. G. Stevens appeared for the complainant. Evidence was given by Constable Excell, who sakl that he had been called fairly frequently to the home of the parties when family quarrels had been in progress, and on almost every occasion lie had found that the defendant had been the one who had suffered most. Witness did not think defendant had been drinking during the past few years. The Magistrate said it was quite clear that husband and wife could not live together. There was probably culpability on both sides, but the defendant was not absolved of all responsibility for his wife and family. He considered that it was in the interests of tlve family and the defendant himself that they should separate, and an order would, therefore, be made, maintenance being fixed at £1 5s per week, the complainant to have custody of the children.

At the Police Court yesterday afternoon John Gilinour Bunting was proceeded against by his wif<3, who, oil the ground of persistent cruelty, claimed separation and maintenance orders. The complainant, in evidence, stated that she had married Bunting in June of the present year, but quarrels had commenced about a fortnight after tlw marriage, and had been of frequent occurrence since then. His treatment of her was such that she could not live with him. After the complainant had concluded her evidence, the magistrate said that in view of the fact that the parties had been married for such a short period, the grounds stated by her were quite insufficient on which to grant a separation order, and lie would refuse definitely to deal further with the matter in the meantime. The hearing would be adjourned sine die.

At a short sitting of the Police Court this morning Robert Findlay, a statutory first offender for drunkenness, was fined £l, in default forty-eight hours’ imprisonment. It is interesting to note that, with a population of 105,600, as shown in the ‘ Local Authorities’ _ Handbook, 1932,’ Auckland City paid in respect of wages under scheme No. 5, per medium of the Unemployment Board, £54,058 during the seven months ended October 31 last, while the Borough of St. Kilda, with a population of 8,220, over the same period paid a total of £8,920. A Wellington Association message states that SVilliam Schhiter, who escaped from Mount Eden on April 29, and was recaptured near Hunterville, posing as a fisherman, appeared before Mr Page, S.M., charged with being an incorrigible rogne in that ho escaped from a place of legal confinement. He was remanded for a week.

The postal authorities advise that the lonic, duo at Wellington from London on Thursday, has seven bags of mail and 475 parcel receptacles for New Zealand. The Dunedin portion should reach here on Friday afternoon.

A gratified mother said the other day to Aliss Gumming, who is in charge at the citizens’ clay nursery in Moray place; “If I hadn’t heard that there was such a place as this where I could leave the children whilst 1 did my business 1 could not possibly have got to town.” In other words other country women have also shown their appreciation of this nursery, and it is regularly used by many town dwelling mothers who have to go' out working. The value of the nursery is now fully proved. The same may be said about the Women’s Rest Rooms in Princes street. Mrs Jarman reports an increasing attendance, and many tokens of appreciation of the work therein carried on by the Ladies’ Rest Room Committee, some of the grateful patrons showing their thankfulness by small donations, which are a help towards maintenance expenses.

The presentation of ‘ The Messiah ’ in its entirety by the Dunedin Choral Society on Saturday night answered a question that arose beforehand as to how the audience would value the numbers that moat of them were hearing for the first time, and it is gratifying to be able to record that two of those numbers, ‘lf God Be For Us ’ (soprano) and ‘Thou Art Gone Up On High ’ (bass), were received with special manifestations of approbation. The soprano solo is, or used to be, one of the favourite subjects for cathedral boys in England. One afternoon, at St. Paul’s, the boy soloist’s voice cracked on the sustained F, whereupon the next boy tuned himself in on the broken note so smartly as to finish without the congregation knowing of the transfer to another voice. America having cabled to the world the story of how a Boston lady foiled a robber by slapping a cream pie in his face —the incident Was recorded in yesterday’s ‘ Star ’—it is a fair thing to let it be known that an Aucklander did a similar trick awhile back. Ho was a billsticker, out early one morning with his paste and brush, when a wildlooking man bailed him up and demanded his money. The response was a swift dash of the brush into the paste and a slash across the face that blinded the thief, thus giving the billsticker time to rush to the nearest house for protection. The children in the Glendining Home at Anderson’s Bay had a foretaste of Christmas yesterday. The Presbyterian Social Service Association always gives the youngsters a treat at about this time of the year. As usual, the men’s and women’s Bible classes provided the tea, and on this occasion the men’s Bible class endowed the home with a wireless set, the presentation being made by Mr John Thomson and Mr W. C. Roberts, the manager, accepting it. The Rev. W. Trotter presided.

In volume 28 of the ‘ Transactions of the New Zealand Institute ’ there is an account by the late Mr Augustus Hamilton of the massacre at the entrance of Dunedin Harbour in the year 1817, an event the anniversary of which was recorded in last night’s ‘ Star.’ The brig Sophia, Captain James Kelly, sailed from Hobart Town on November 12, 1817, on a sealing voyage, and anchored at Port David (the first name given by the whites to Otago) on December 11. Captain Kelly landed next day and met with a friendly reception from the Maoris. Next day he went ashore again to a small bay outside the harbour mouth, and wfts once more welcomed. He gave the chief a present and was bartering for potatoes, when he and two of his men were thrown by a mob of about sixty Maoris. Captain Kelly, armed with a billhook, fought his way to the boat, and found that Robinson, the sailor left in charge of her, had been wounded in the head. On his way he saw Peter Viole lying on the ground, and W. Tucker, another of the crew, trying to make for the beach. As the boat moved through the surf the escapers saw Tucker cut to pieces. Viole was also killed. Immediately afterwards the Maoris who had been allowed on the brig tried to master the crew, but were repulsed with considerable loss, and then the Sophia’s men went ashore and burned the canoes and huts. The bay was thus called Murderers’ Beach; now it is known as Murdering Beach. At the monthly meeting of the Tainui School Committee the head master reported that the school roll now stood at 149, although the attendance during the month had been affected by sickness. Arrangements were finalised for the break-up ceremony, at which there will be a Christmas tree for the children.

The City Eire Brigade turned out at 9.27 last evening as the result of a malicious false alarm from Highgate, near the tramsheds.

That Christmas is approaching is brought to mind by the increasing bustle at the Dunedin railway station. Mr Pope reports many bookings for the holiday period. For the week before Christmas the 11.35 train to Christchurch is practically booked up. From the 17th all the expresses will be running, the important fact to Dunedinites being that from the 17th the 11.35 to Christchurch will go on Mondays as well as other week days. The fares will be no lower during the holidays than they are now. That is the cause of the early commencement of the holiday traffic. Two banks have had branches at Port Chalmers for many, many years past. Recently one of them restricted its business to four days a week, and the other intends to do likewise after the end of this month. The matter was commented as one of considerable moment at last night’s meeting of the borough council. It was necessary, the mayor stated, that there should be at least one bank open all the week. The council resolved 'to make representations to that effect to the directors of the bank which handled the council’s business.

The functioning of the local Unemployment Committee is causing the Port Chalmers Council considerable concern, according to a discussion at a council meeting last night. Some of the councillors complained that the council was not fully informed of what took place at the meetings of the committee. The council’s representative on the committee had not reported on the subject. And the borough inspector, ono councillor explained, had been unable to report fully because ho had been told he could_ retire before meetings of the committee were finished. Tim mayor’s assurance that the Unemployment Committee was carrying out its duties conscientiously, did not dispel misgivings, and a doubting councillor suggested that the committee should only approach the inspector through the town dork to whom the council itself entrusted instructions. Several councillors were emphatic that the committee find not booked up the inspector, as it should have done, when lie had stood down relief workers. The council itself, it was hold, should really have been the Unemployment Committee, or, as an alternative, the committee should have consisted of the town clerk, the certifying officer, and ono other member. Exception was also taken to statements about easy going methods on relief works, and that the council was responsible in that respect. Behind it all, however, were indications that, although the councillors had lost .grip of the situation, there was the intention to do the right thing.

Probate was granted to-day by His Honour Mr Justice Kennedy in the estates of Frederick George Gabon, Roxburgh; Frederick John M'Donald, Dunedin; Ernest Frank Keen, Dunedin; Helen Davidson, Wairuna; and William Henderson, Dunedin. Miss Crowe of the Home Science Department, Otago University, has recently been visiting several school districts in connection with tho work of the girls’ Crowe economic section under the Agricultural Club’s Association, and present indications are that a record number of members will be enrolled. Mr J. E. Davies, of the Agricultural Department, is taking entries up till to-morow for all sections of the fruit and vegetable project. For the purpose of considering a set of amended rules, a special meeting of members of the Otago Acclimatisation Society was held in tho Returned Soldiers’ Association Social Hall last evening. An amendment to clause 4b that the words “after approval by the council ” be struck out was defeated, and a motion to add to the clause the words “ all applications to be acknowledged after the first meeting of the council ” was carried. The rules as a whole were then adopted. An automatic false alarm brought the City Fire Brigade out at 2.11 this afternoon.

Visit the Dolly Doctor and Toyman, now open in “ Bell’s ” _ late shop, 51 George street. Inspection invited.—[Advt.] Sato your eyes. Be wise and consult W. V. Stunner (optician, 2 Octagon), thus conserving good vision for old age.—[Advt.] To-morrow evening the management of tho popular Jubilee Dance will hold an extended evening, and judging by the weekly assemblies’ held throughout the year an excellent night’s dancing is assured.