LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 26 November 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the Supreme Court at Hamilton, an advertising agent named George Wilson, formerly a draughtsman in the Lands and Survey Department, Wellington, for 17 years, was sentenced to nine months’ hard labour for forgery. A native named Charles Murphy was sentenced to IS months’ hard "labour for theft. A native named Tame Otene was sentenced to nine months’ reformative detention for breaking and entering.—Press Assn.

A fire on the fifth floor of the Farmers’ Trading Company premises m a stage, display of an Alaskan hut amidst the snow was speedily' extinguished with fire sprinklers, but the display was almost destroyed (says an Auckland message). A number of musical instruments were damaged by water, which also found its way' to the stock on the floor below. The fire was extinguished before the brigade arrived. The damage is considered to be light.

Sir Ileaton Rhodes presided at the annual meeting of the New Zealand executive of the New Zealand branch of the. British Red Cross Society at Dunedin. The treasurer’s, statement disclosed a balance of £11,079 in the No. 1 account and £33,090 in the No. 2 account. The action of the Government in retaining the sum of £30,000, which the British Red Cross returned to the New Zealand Society, was adversely criticised by Mr J. A. Flesher. After some discussion a resolution bearing on the. matter was withdrawn on the president (Sir Heaton Rhodes) undertaking to interview the AttorneyGeneral personally. Sir Heaton Rhodes was re-elected president. A y'outh aged 17 j'ears pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court at Timaru yesterday to having set fire to the South Canterbury Shoe Company T- factory. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Two youths aged 16. years for burglary were sentenced to two years’ detention in the Borstal Institute, and the youth who set fire to the shoe factory was sentenced to three years’ detention in the Borstal Institute.—Press Assn.

The claim for £II,OOO by Peter Joseph Liddell and his* wife against the trustees of the estate of the late Maurice Casey, concluded in the Supreme Court at Auckland yesterday. Mr Justice Reed said the plaintiffs had not proved their case: either on the main claim or in regard to the allegations of breaches* of trust. The trustees had done nothing to which exception could bo taken. Judgment was given for defendants (says a Press Association message). The New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition has made a wonderful start with the remarkable attendance: of 150,470 for the first seven days. This has been achieved in spite of unfavourable weather over the week-end, which still continues. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders’ Band has triumphantly_ vindicated the directors’ bold decision in bringing it out from England at great expense. Its wonderful popularity was* demonstrated last night (says a Duuedin Press Association message), when, in spite of the wet weather, a tremendous crowd* filled the big festival hall, where the band played instead of at its usual fine weather' location in the grand court.

Dr. Fenwick, off icer-in-charge of the radium department of the Christchurch Hospital, reported as follows, to the Christchurch Hospital Board yesterday for the month of October: “Thirty-nine new patients have been accepted for treatment during the past month, of whom twenty-one were suffering from 'some form of malignant disease. We have discharged six patients who were treated for cancer of the skin. I am glad to say that in each case no trace of the original disease remained. Up to this date we have treated 77 cases of this disease. Only one h\asi returned, tor further treatment. Fifty-three have been discharged apparently free from disease. Twenty-one are still under treatment. Two elderly patients have died and one has been transferred to another department. Three very advanced cases have been arrested, and of these one shows signs of complete recovery.” In regard to Captain Kingsford Smith’s project for an air flight from Australia to New Zealand, it is pointed out that the machine must carry 2h tons of fuel; that is, .if Mr. Lebbens Hodeu’s giant flying boat is used, as has been proposed. Bought about four years ago, the flying boat- is the biggest air machine that Australia lias known. It has two 375 horse power Bolls. Boyce engines—the driving equip lnent used on the Vickers Amphibian that carried the Smith brothers from Englnad to Australia. 'The appointments arc on elaborate 1 scale. The upholstery of the cabin is velvet corduroy, silver vases adorn the walls. But the big hying boat lias yet to fly. It was never assembled. A private hangar at Botany Bay contains the partly unpacked cases. Consider the fuel aspect of the Tasman Sea Right; it means one “hop” of about 1000 miles and about 18 hours up aloft altogether. The Fairey seaplane in which Goble and Mclntyre flew round Australia consumed about 20 gallons an hour.

The Kaponga Croquet Club announces that a grand' dance is. being organised to take place in tlie Auroa Hall on Wednesday, December 3. Exceptionally heavy voting in favour of the “No-Rubbing Laundry Help” is anticipated at the coming elections. —Advti. •

The half-yearly box opening of the local habitation of the* Young Helpers’ League, in connection with Dr Barnardo’s Home, will be held at the residence of Mrs Lovell, the president, South Road, Hawera, next Saturday afternoon. An invitaiton is extended to all members and intending members to be present.

The mystery which surrounds the death by drowning of James Bray, a single man, aged 65, was not cleared up at the inquest (says a Wellington Press Association message). The evidence showed that deceased was last observed* walking along the sea wall at Thorndon. No one saw him disappear, but the body was subsequently found on the rocky foreshore. It was very windy and a gale was blowing at times, and it is possible deceased might have been blown into the harbour. The coroner fouud that death was due* to drowning, but there was insufficient evidence to prove how he came into the water.

A deputation from the New Zealand Women Teachers’ Association waited upon Sir. James Parr (Minister for Education) at Auckland yesterday, urging that women be given greater opportunities for headships in higher grade schools. They also urged that better provision be made f° r teaching dull and backward children. The deputation further urged that women be appointed' inspectors of schools. Ine Minister, was sympathetic, promising that all the matters would be considered. As to inspectorships, when the next vacancy occurred he hoped women would be given the opportunity of Assn. The unexpected frost at tlie beginning of the month cut back thousands of tomato plants in commercial orchards in the Manawatu and Hawke s Bav districts. ,Growers report, however, that in many cases the plants are sending out new heads, and practically the only loss will be that due to the crop being delayed. If R. J. Mason says “yes,” Gloamino- may. make at least one more public appearance for which his advancing years will in no way disqualify him. It is suggested that he may parade in the piocession being organised by rhe Canterbury Pilgrims for their 75th anniversary celebrations at Christchurch.

A Hastings merchant informed a reporter that he had learned from a reliable source that the Canadian Government had offered to supply New Zealand with its requirement of wheat over a period of three or four years, as the New Zealand Government might decide,at 4s per bushel. The proposal, it is stated, is being considered by Cabinet. Specimens of a freak foxglove head —the stem being surmounted by a large double bloom in p’ace of the usual taper of buds —have reached the Star office from an Auroa friend. This crowning flower resembles the ordinary foxglove bell in colour and marking, but in shape it is quite different, being saucer-like and fully three inches across. A florist to whom the stalk was shown says that the type, although unusual, i s "by no means rare. The Masonic Grand Lodge at Dunedin concluded its business before mid. day, but will meet again on Saturday night for the installation of Sir Charles Fergusson as Grand Master. Besides the adoption of the reports of managing boards, the Grand Lodge passed a~ resolution expressive of sorrow at the death of the Queen Mother and gratitude and veneration for the example of a true womanly life.

Members of the Hawera Scottish Choir, Orchestra, and Pipe Band met on Tuesday evening in the Carlton Tea Rooms for a social-evening, to mark the end of the year’s work. Chieftain W. G. Simpson presided. Mr. John Robertson, ex-M.P., who is.at present on a visit to Hawera, was a guest at the social, and entertained the company with many interesting reminiscences and anecdotes. Mr. J. E. Campbell also told a number of Maori stories. Mr.. Lamb, conductor of the choir, stressed the necessity for starting early in the next year, as there was plenty of first-class music on hand. During the evening a programme pf vocal and elocutionary items was given.

Unpleasant flavours in some of the cream sent into the Tolaga Bay butter factory led to the discovery that grazing cows on land that had been recently top-dressed was the cause of the trouble' The land had been topdressed in the spring, and there had not been sufficient rain to allow it to soak into the ’ground. Consequently the cows had been consuming a certain portion of it in their. food (says the Gisborne Times). Similar trouble has also been experienced in the Waikato on pastures that had been topdressed in the spring, and farmers there were recommended to .do all their manuring in the autumn, as there was every chance then that the rain would wash it into the ground before the milking season commenced.

The conrerence of the Victoria League was held at Dunedin yesterday. A small committee was set up to consider the question of holding the loonference annually instead of biennially. On the motion of Mrs. Tripp it was decided that the present system of nominating emigrants be revised in favour of following one which, if (satisfactory particulars of •situations requiring educated women workers are supplied to the immigration officer, Wellington, he will permit the new settlers’ committee of the Victoria League to cable open nominations at week-end rates, the girls to be selected by the Society for the Overseas Settlement of British Women in London, and approved at the High Commissioner’s Office, this, - being deemed sufficient to secure assisted passages to New Zealand. Mr. Thomson (Under-Secretary for Immigration) assured the League that the department would assist it in every way, and suggested the group system of nomination. —Press Assn.

The opinion of Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., regarding the much-discussed question of name suppression found voice at the Magistrates’ Court, Hamilton, -tlie other day, when counsel asked for an order suppressing the name of a' youth of 18 who had been admitted to probation lor two years on a charge of dishonesty. There were' several considerations, his Worship said, which weighed with him as to whether a name should be suppressed, and he would only make an order when the circumstances were of a very special nature. In cases where the accused was a youth of tender years or an elderly man whose life until the autumn of his days had been a blameless one, his Worship would consider the suppression of a name. However, he would not entertain the suppression of a committed person’s name merely for the sake of the relatives who wanted to save their own faces.

Preliminary notice is given of the coining performance on Friday, Decern her 18, of the /well-known operetta Princess Chrysanthemum, by the Con vent pupils in the Opera House Special arrangements are being made, the dressing will be exceedingly pretty and a feature will be that the scenery will be painted for the performance by an expert, so that a very good production is assured.