Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4592, 22 June 1917, Page 4

Local and General.

A meeting of the executive and members of the National Reserve will be held this afternoon, at u o clock, at the Gisborne Hotel. In ibs> report of the committee cf of the Victoria League published yesterday, the name of Mis Henry White was omitted, ibe name—Mrs H. Patulld should, have read Mis Brooke-Taylor. The Saturday sale of home-made food ' supplies on behalf of the Led Cross will be in charge of the ladies from the Patutahi and Agatapa districts. Included! in the food for sale will be cakes, pastry, lamb, mutton, hams, pickles, flowers ana vegetables. Mr C P. Davies, lion, treasurer of the Gisborne Victoria League Led Cross Shop, asknowledges a furtmr donation of £6O los, which has xe added to the takings of the shop on Saturday, Jim* 2. He also acknowledges donations amounting to a-I/ 63 6d, received from the Motu committee which have been added to their shop'takings for May Z'o. It was 'intimated at the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon that Mr. Lusk who had been* retained tor the defence in the alleged forgery and uttering cases against le laea -fait, was engaged in Supreme Court business at Napier, and would not be able to reach Gisborne before Monday. It was therefore agreed not to take the case before that oay. Mr. It- S. Florance, S.M., presided over the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, and gave judgment for plaintiffs by default in each of the following undefended cases:—G. H. 13. Lockett (Mr. Willock) v. M. Roberts, £2 6s 6d, and costs 10s; Ham1011a Hei v. A. G. Hall, £27 Is 6d, and costs £2 19s; Common, Shelton and Co., Ltd. (air. Blair) v. T. Cani 11, £sl 3s lid, and costs £4 2s 6d. In the course of his summing up in a case of an. alleged offence against a’child at the Supreme Court yesterday, His Honor, Mr Justice Hosking, said he regretted that cases where

children were concerned could not be disposed of immediately, while the impressions were fresh upon young witnesses 7 minds, instead cf the cases having to stand over until the impressions of the event had been dimmed by the expiration of time. ‘•'You grc-w no wheat; last season, but now you are going to. Why srs you going to do so?” enquired Mr H. \Y. Bishop, 8.M.. of au appellant before the Christchurch Military Service Board. "Because I think it is going to pay, that's why.” was the answer. Subsequently it was stated that the appellant- had 50 acres of wheat already sown this season, which the chairman remarked put quite a different- complexion on the matter. The appellant stated that all the assistance lie could get was a boy of fifteen, who did ploughing and alf kinds of heavy work. The order of taking civil business at the Supreme Court was fixed by His Honor, Mr Justice Kosking yesterday morning. On Monday morning the case of Henry Goodley. o’ Toioga Bay, v. Cook County Council will be taken, and on Tuesday the cases of J. J. Niven and Co., Ltd. y. P.B. Farmers, Meat Coy.. Ltd., will be heard. Following this will be taken the cases of Wiriata W airama v. A. R. Wyllie. and R. G. Haliamore v. A. Hoo-d. At the conclusion of the jurv cases the case of E. Smith c. G. Smith and A. W. Rees will be taken. Applications for divorce will be taken on Friday next. During the last fortnight, says a Wellington Press Association wire, Mr Hampton, president of the Associated Society of Railway- Servants, has visited various centres of the North Island for the purpose of explaining to the railway men the balloting method adopted by the RaUwav Department for the selection of men to be released for service in the Expeditionary Force. The Te Kuiti railwaymen had carried a mot.cn strongly condemning the departmental ballot, but after -bearing Mr Hampton they had. reversed the decision and resolved that the system adopted was the -best in the circumstances. A sentence of 12 months' imprisonuent was taken very philosophically ,v a Native at the Supreme Court •esterdav morning, liis sole regard, ppareutlv, being as to how lie would are in regard to ‘Lai” when in gaolIc asked his Honor, through an inerpreter, liow many meals he would, 'et in prison, and was assured that e would be provided with three meals very day. Prisoner said that he nly received two a day at the small otintrv lock-up where he was keptor a time, and having been assured hat rations in the Auckland prison,

which would he liis home during- lus incarceration, were served three times a. day, prisoner left the dock, apparently" quite satisfied. In a judgment summons case at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, J. H- Ormond (Mr. Wauchop) v. Wm. Bradley, an affidavit was sworn that defendant was evading; service, and the personal service of the summons was dispensed with. Evidence was given by a- solicitor’s clerk that he had called at the house of defendant, and on knocking had heard a child call Ci Dad.” The knock was answered by Mrs. Bradley, and witness left, the summons with her. Mrs. Bradley gave evidence that her husband was in the country and knew nothing about the summons. His Worship, Mr. R. S. Floralice, S.M., said lie was satisfied the summons was properly served and that he knew all about it. The case was adjourned for, a week to enable defendant to appear. Senior Cadet competitions in squad drill, rifle exercises, and physical drill were held at the Garrison Hall last evening. Three teams were entered, representing No. 7, No. 19 (High School), No. 66 (Native College). The squad commanders were, No. 7, Sergt.-Major Stephenson; No. 19, Sergt.-Major Murray: No. 30. Sergt.-Major Webb. The judges were: Lieut.-Col. Moir. Captain McLernoii, and Lieut. Mitchell. At the conclusion of the competitions Lieut.Col. Moir congratulated the cadets upon the work, which was exceptionally well done. He said No. 7 had been handicapped by having some of the best of its men transferred to the. Territorials, and not lia viug the advantage of the training facilities enjoyed by. the other _ two teams. He hoped that the evening’s competition would be the first of annual competitions, and he suggested • bolding them earlier in the year before the transfers to the Territorials ivere made. The awards were made as under : Squad drill. No. 19 Ist, No. 66 2nd, No. 7 3rd. Very few points separated second and third. Rifle exercises: No. 19 Ist. No. 66 2nd. No; 7 3rd. . Physical drill: No. 36 Ist, No. 19 2nd. No. 7 3rd. He congratulated No. 66 upon the fine showing it had made in this comnesecond vitli 259, and No. 7 third with

“The feeling in favour of conscription is growing in Australia,” says a. Sydney business man in a letter to a friend in Wellington. “The result of the referendum did not represent matured opinion. The call for recruits ah that time was tangled up with all sorts of political catch-cries and personal feuds, with the result you know. But sine© then Australia has had letters from the front. She had learned that divisions are dwindling in the field for the lack of meats. She has seen New Zealand .actually forming an extra brigade from accumulated reinforcements. She has seen the critical phases of the submarine campaign, and watched Amenca t/lic war. X I>cliovi6 -that a vote on conscription to-day would 1 everse t'ho, earlier decision emphatically.” •

While searching a hut occupied bv Antonio Dambrogio, 31, a native of .fettitzeilancl, who died 1103.1*. a couple of days previously, Constable Earnshaw discovered a “plant” comprising bank deposit receipts, bank share certificates, and mining serin tlie value amounted to £3BIO Deceased, who arrived on'this goldfield pi the /‘fifties,” had lived by himself in a miserable ■ hovel near the Ivangu—ioo Flat railway station for many years He had a seizure on. Wednesday last. and as he was in a helpless condition when found by a neighbour Constable Earnshaw had him removed to the hospital, where he died. So far as is known the old man had no relatives in Australia, but it is understood that two nieces are living in Italy. "

One of the most interesting incidents of the inspection made recently by General Smuts of th e South African Hospital, at Richmond, England, was the visit the general paid: to one of the patients, a Dutch soldier, who was wounded by a British bullet at Colcuso. The man is suffering from the shattering effects of. a German explosive bullet. The X-ray examination revealed the presence of a British bullet that had been in the patient’s body for long years, and had caused no inconvenience. This bad been received while fighting against us. Like so many of his compatriots the man had taken up arms in defence of the Empire, but has found to his cost the difference between the methods of British fighting and the- barbarous customs of the Germans. He was much encouraged by the kindly remarks addressed to him by General Smuts.

At a. recent- meeting of the Te Awamutu Borough Council, a strong protest was voiced against the action of the prison authorities in sending dangerous criminals to the Waikeria Prison Farm in the King Country. It was held that the authorities were not exercising a proper discretion. in selecting the men for reformative treatment from those who are kept behind stone walls, and the frequency of the escapes and: the class of prisoner concerned, was a source of mncli uneasiness to the people in the adjacent districts, and constituted, therefore, a menace to society. During the recent past several long-sentence prisoners had escaped. The council decided to send a strong protest to the Minister of Justice, pointing put the ever-prevalent danger to which the settlers are exposed, the class of prisoners located at the institution, and the impossibility of proper supervision for men of this type in such a locality.

The purchase of land in the Dominion bv foreigners during the war period was discussed at- a conference of the various Waikato farmers’ trusP-e hoards, held at Hamilton last week. One speaker stated that in a oeitai 11 district foreigners (he did! not mean enemies) were purchasing land, ana if the practice were allowed to continue it was possible that bargains infer Jit be struck to the disadvantage of New Zealand-born farmers, who were called up to fight for the Empire, and wished to sell. It seemed unfair that foreigners who shovec. no sign of interest in the war should be allowed +o benefit ah the expense or men under whose protection they wens living The conference expressed approval of these views and passed a resolution urging the Government to take measures to ensure that all men m New Zealand owing allegiance to the Allied nations should carry out then military obligations m full. d e .«P inion was also expressed that foi b- • - ers should bs prohibited from dealing in land during the war.