Local and General.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IX, Issue 172, 7 July 1919, Page 4

Local and General.

The Napier Harbour Board will meet to-morrow morning. Should the weather be favourable the Hastings Town Band will give an open-air concert in Cornwall Park next Sunday afternoon.

Miss 2)1. Hunter (secretary Dr. Bardano’s Jubilee Day) acknowledges receipt of £1 from Mrs. J. P. Hamlin towards funds for celebrating that day. Mrs. Sedgwick. Napier, acknowledges with thanks receipt of £1 from Mrs. Percy Beattie, on behalf of the after-care committee for oar Blind Soldiers at St. Dunstans. Instructions of a sweeping nature have been issued by Defence Headquarters regarding" demobilisation, principally in regard to dispensing with the services of all temporary home sen ice officers. N.C.O’s an! men at present employed.

Attention is directed to an advertisement appearing in this issue notifying it- is intended to form a physical culture class in Hastings for business men. We understand a fust class army instructor will be m charge. The secretary of the Napier Branch of the Blanket. Society (Mrs. Ashcroft) acknowledges the following donations with thanks : —Mi s. Collings £l 1 Mrs. J. V. Brown £l, Mrs. A. D. Brown £l, Mrs. Vautier £l, Mrs. Patullo 106. Mrs. Hannah 5 Mrs. Rcaney 5-,'Mr. Jarvis 5--

It, is stated by a Canadian paper of 10th. May that “there are hundreds of families in the poorer districts of Montreal who have not been able to buy either butter or meat for months, owing to the highcost, of living. Numerous complaints of the excessive prices are being received at the City Hall.”

A special general meeting of the Hastings Peace Celebration Committee is called for to-morrow night at the Borough Council Chambers at eight'o'clock. As the business to be transacted is of vital importance owing to the Government curtailing the number of days for the celebrations it is expected that a full atten dance of the committee will be present.

Mr. Janies O’Neill, of Hastings, ’had a very unpleasant experience on Saturday evening. He left his car 1 standing in 'the street for a few ! minutes whilst he transacted some business and. when he came back. 'he found it had disappeared. When f Mr. A. E. O’Meara who had motore 1 .from Wellington, arrived in Hasti ings tins morning, he met Mr. .O' : Neil! and expressed his surprise, saying that he thought be had passed him in his car at Maikanai (beyond Otaki). When Mr. O’Nedl . explained the position, Mr. O'Meara i said he was almost sure of the car, iin which there were two occupants, ’and he took it for granted that Mr. ; O’Neill was one of them. ! At a recent meeting of the Theatre ! Commit tee of the Hastings Borough i Council, while the. question of heatling the Theatre was under discussion :t ie Mayor (Mr. Ebbett) said he thought the. Council should apprej elate the manner in which the bur ■gesses patronised their own pictures, i Every person who went to the pi-y .tares helped to make the burden <>f 'the councillors easier and he thought tliat nothing, in reason, should b.’ ■left, undone to keen up the quality ‘of the pictures and tn eater for the I comfort of patrons. The Boroug.i Engineer recommended a h‘’t ansi stem, and be was. instructed .to writ e t<> other towns in the Dominion ,to discover how such a system ■■ t'-..- e. The Silt;) nt £25" has puieed on the estimates Dr heating the theatre.

The meeting called by the Hastings Holiday Association for 7.30 tomorrow evening, will be held in the Council Chambers, instead of the Old Library, as advertised. Absence of trains won’t stop some people, and a well-known trainer from up towards the Manawatu : s said to be walking his team to the Wellington meeting. The Napier Orphans Club held their usual Korero on Saturday night in Scinde Hall, Orphan (Dr.) Moore presiding. A feature of the evening was the excellent musical programme rendered by the orchestra. TTieut.-Colonel Holderness has postponed his lecture advertised for this evening at the Hastings Y.M.C.A. until next Monday, so aS not to interfere with the Rev. F. A. Bennett’s lecture at the Assembly Hall.

In last Thursday’s court news, .is the result of a typographical error, Mr. Cyril E. Brook was reported as having been convicted of using a motor cycle without having a number in front. The name of the defendant should have been stated as Cyril E. Brock. The public are reminded of the combined Pakeha andvMaori enter tainment, which takes place in the Hastings Assembly Hall, to-night, in aid of the Maori Mission. _ The first part of the programme will be occupied with a most interesting lecture by Rev. F. A. Bennett, entitled “Maori Past and Present,” the address being illustrated *with lantern slides, whilst the second part will consist of Poi dances, recitations and vocal instrumental numbers.

Says a ”Sydney Paper: Four steeplejacks have been “strapping” one of Sydney’s highest chimneys. The other day one of them during the luncheon hour got so well “blithered” that he could scarcely find his way ' through the double gates that led to the works. At the same time his swaying t figure was presently seen dragging itself up the narrow, unscaffolded ladded. Step by step he mounted until, a. mere mannikin at the height, he climbed over the chimney-top cornice, stood erect upon the parapet above, and waved a drunken salute to the little knot watching from below. Not a soldier from Alexander to Napoleon ever showed a finer nerve.

The hearing of the case in which a police constable was charged with using indecent language was concluded on Fridav. This was a private prosecution and the language was alleged to have been used while the constable was effecting an arrest amid a hostile crowd. The Magistrate dismissed, the case without hearing the defence. He considered the suggestion by the prosecution that the case was brought in the interests of justice was not correct. He was absolutely certain complainant had no such intention. Complainant had proved himself absolutely dishonest by making an attempt to influence a witness in the case. No jury would hesitate a moment in acquitting the- constable. Crowds of people have been inspecting the captured German guns, which, as they are taken from the Waimana, are being placed in temporary positions in front of • the Town’ Hall, Wellington. Twentynine of them are to be on view. This by no means represents New Zealand’s haul of guns, but it is fairly representative of the different types, especially in regard to field guns. Unc large howitzer captured in the later stages of the war, which was exhibited through the streets of London on the occasion of the lastLord Mayor’s procession, has yet to be brought out. to New Zealand. There is, however, a 135 m.m. gun which is being placed in position. Tt weights over six tons and is 33ft. long.

“Quick March” for June shows that the journal is well established and if it receives the support which its bulk and quality undoubtedly deserve there is every reason to believe that it will become the National monthly of New Zealand. The paper is now at its maximum size of 96 pages, but the plans for all the new features will probably not be completed until the August number. “Quick March” is a very readable production and one that will be found of equal interest both by ■‘Civvy,” or “Digger.” Of course, at present the business of returned soldiers predominates in its columns but as soldiers’ business is now so much mixed up with the general progress of the country even those articles which apparently concern soldiers only, should be read by all who take an intelligent interest in the country’s welfare. Owing to the drastic cut which has been made in the railway time-table motor services are being inaugurated between the chief cities. The journey from Wellington to* Auckland and vice versa can thus be still accomplished in one day, passengers being conveyed by motor car to New Plymouth, where they will board the steamer Rarawa and journey to One hunga. These journeys will be run on every day of the week save Sunday, and the single fare will be £J. A daily motor service will also enable travellers to journey from Wellington to Wanganui in one day. Cars will leave Wanganui at 7 a.in. arriving in Wellington at 1 p.m., and vice versa. A single fare Will cost £2. In the South Island a daily motor service will run between Christchurch and Dunedin, leaving the former city at 2 p.m. This service commenced on Saturday, while a special trip has been arranged for Sunday. Cr. L. AV. Fowler has given notice to move, at the next meeting, of the Hastings Borough Council: (I) "That all members of the Borough ' Councils outside laboring staff, re- : eeiving less than £4 5/- a week, be given a lOper cent, increase.” (2) "That tbe by-law, dealing with motor cars standing in the streets, be amended by extending the time from ten minutes to thirty minutes* and also by exempting portions of Queen street. Ea-stbonrne street. Station street, and Market street from the operation of the by-law.” (3) "That, a return be supplied, showing the increases (whether by way of wages, or allowances for upkeep of motor cars or motor bicycles) granted to the following officials, since the war began : —the Boroug*! Engineer, Town Clerk, Electrical Engineer. Assistant Town Clerk (Mr. Darvell) and tiie Borough Inspector.’’ 1. "That a return be sunplied ofall other clerks, assistant Inspectors and tynist.es, employed as at July 10th. 1919. and the wages they ret eived.