Local and General.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume X, Issue 18, 5 January 1920, Page 4

Local and General.

There was a further heavy exodus of excursionists from Napier this morning by the mail tram. During the month of December, the Hawke’s Bay County Council registered 25 cars and 10 motor cycles.

The mail train South, this morning passed through Hastings loaded with the balance of the visitors to this district, homeward bound after the holidays.

Napier taxi drivers report excellent business during the holidays; The roads generally are in fair condition, notwithstanding the prolonged spell of dry weather, and fortunately no serious accidents were recorded. The Maori and Pakeha residents of Waimarama have ’ invited Messrs Clabby and-Uren and their friends, and also the officers and officials^ of the H.B. Amateur Boxing Association to Waimarama for the afternoon, and to a dance in the evening, on Wednesday, January 7th.. A «mall boy of some seven yea«, appeared before the Juvenile Court in Napier this morning, on a charge of stealing a bicycle, valued at £5. Senior Sergeant Eales stated that the offence seemed to have been too cleverly thought out for a boy of his age, but they could not find anyone else who was concerned in tbe affair. The boy had taken the bicycle from outside the Technical School and had tried to sell it to a second-hand dealer. Being young he was sent away to get a note from his parents. He arrived back wrtn a note but it was not from the parents, and the boy admitted writing it himself. After severely admonishing the boy. His-Worship discharged him.

The chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Boxing Association has addressed a letter to Inspector Mar sack, in Napier, acknowledging the capable ner in which the - police controlled the tremendous crowd, which assembled in the Hastings Municipal Theatre, on New Year’s night. In tn.jrespect, he acknowledged the valuable assistance he received from Sergeant Hogan, under whose supe*vision perfect order was maintained; The cleverest trained dog we have ever seen- is shown with the Fox kiddies Jane and Katherine Lee in the big feature “Smiles” at the Municipal Theatre, Hastings. This is one of the most all-round motion pictures shown here in a long time. Not only are the children and the story excellent, but the, scenic effects and the photographic work are of the highest order. Saturday evening’s crowded audience were kept in roars of laughter throughout.

The question of giving instruction to school children in sex hygiene was discussed at the Dominion conference of the New Zealand Women Teachers’ Association in Wellington. The Taranaki branch submitted a remit urging that, owing to the probability of .ex hygiene being introduced as a subject in the primary schools, the Education Department should circulate widely among parents suitable pamphlets dealing with the same. Several delegates considered that the subject was not suitable for discussion among children at primary schools, and that the necessary knowledge could best be imparted by parents. Miss N. E. Coad, M.A., remarked that what was necessary to improve the moral tone of the rising generation was not to talk a lot of “the wild and woolly nonsense” about instruction in sex hygiene, but to surround tbe children with a better spiritual influence The remit was carried.

Miss Ensor, of Dunedin, Mr. J. Tennent, of Wanganui, Mr. and Mrs. Philp, and several other Taranaki residents, a few days ago made a most successful ascent of Mount Egmont. The snow was reached at about 5,500 ft. up, and was found to be in good condition. The party kept to the snow up to a point 1,200 feet from the edge of the crater. They crossed over. to the rocks on the summit track.. Conditions favourable for rock-climbing were experienced up to a point 50 feet from the edge of the crater, when a bad piece of ice was encountered. Owing to the lateness of the hour and toe freezing conditions obtaining it was decided to make the descent. Some difficulty w as experienced in'negotiating the first 1,090 feet owing to a thin coating of ice covering the rocks. Although the actual- summit was not reached the part’,’ succeeded i? getting to a point 450 feet higher than any other party this season.

Building permits to the value of £30,067 were issued by the Napier Borough Council for the month of December. Of this amount £25,000 is for a private hospital now under construction for Dr. W. W. Moore, on the Marine Parade. | The announcement was made recently that the Prime Minister has been advised that the Imperial authorities are prepared to make arrangements for the shipment of 60,000 cases of apples during the coming season. The “Nelson Mail” states that the guarantee of Parliament means that the grower gets at least 3/4 a case for the fruit, clear cost of case, packing, wood ana wool, paper, shipping, and all other charges. With regard to a subscription list, which is at present being taken round Hastings, appealing for funds, Superintendent Keith, or the Hast ings Fire Brigade, has an announcement in this issue, informing the public that his brigade is in. no way connected with the collection, nor have the canvassers any authority whatever from the Hastings Fire Brigade. Un Saturday the boys and rirls of the Hawke's Bay Children's Home were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. H. N. Stewart, at “Du Knollies” Clive Grange. The beautiful grounds were thrown open for their use ana during the day various games and amusements were indulged in, the hosts treating their youthful guests right royally. The children are much indebted to Mr .and Mrs. Stewart for a pleasant day’s outing. A big meeting ’of tramway employees was held in Christchurch on . Saturday, when the recent abortive conference in Wellington was exhaustively discussed.. None of the business done was disclosed, but speaking to a reporter at the close of the meeting, Mr. Armstrong, secretary of the Union, said it consisted of a discussion on the steps the unicm would have to take in the event of a satisfactory agreement not being arrived at in the near future with the employers. The nerve racking noises made by motor cycles in their progression, have been the source of constant complaint by the public, anu the Hastings Borough Inspector, (Mr. Fawcett) has received instructions to enforce the by-law requiring riders of these machines to use “mufflers” or “silencers,” in order to minimise the intolerable nuisance created by noisy exhausts. The inspector will prosecute offenders, aad this warning is given to persons .concerned that, if the law is not obeyed, prosecution will ensue. The ruins of the first flourmill erected in Taranaki have just been unearthed in New Plymouth. In the early days of the settlement, in 1843, to be more exact (says the ’ Taranaki “Herald”),' Mr. Rundle and Mr. S. Oliver acquired from the local agent of the New Zealand Company the piece of land where the ruins are visible . for the purpose of erecting a which the settlement stood greatly m need of. The first grinding stones were made from' boulders from the beach (they can still be seen there), and a waterwheel, 13 feet in diameter, was constructed for the motive power. Figures- from a Government Blue Book would seem to indicate that Britain is going “dry” of its own accord (says a London paper of a recent date). At any rate, the official figures show a great decrease in the number of convictions for drunkenness. During 1918 there were only 29,075 convictions in England and Wales, compared with 46,410 convictions in 1917, a decrease of 37.35 per cent. This decrease followed one of 37,781, or 44.88 per cent., in the preceding year. The 10)8 total is the lowest recorded, and is 84.61 per cent, below the total for 1913.

There is a story going the rounds of one of our Government Departments of a general who received an unexpected lesson in discipline (saj * a London paper). The general, leaving the Department, wished to make his exit by a little-used passage to the street. He found his way barred by one of the messengers, an exsoldier, who said he had received strict instructions to let no one go that way. The general’protested, and showed signs of anger; but the messenger, standing stiffly to attention, said it was impossible for him to allow anyone to pass. Finally the messenger, with great calmness, added: “I had to obey your orders once, sir; nOw please obey mine.” The general stared hard, then smiled, and said: “You are quite right”—and went quietly away.

The Australian soldier who confesses to having married a wile each of the eight sectors where he was stationed seems to_ be a serious rival to Jacques Notier, one of Napoleon’s “braves,” who, charged with bigamy at the age of twentyfive, admitted having married —so far as he could recollect —over a score of women, French, Italian, Dutch, and German. His. practice, he said, had been to marry a wife wherever he was stationed, and, as

the result had at least as many children as he had years, he contended that he was worthy of the State’s praise rather than its censure. Notier was sentenced to two weeks’ imprisonment and ordered to regard the first woman he had married as his wife, but he appealed to Napoleon for permission to choose for himself from among the crowd. Great difficulty has been experienced by many strawberry-growers during the present season in getting pickers, states the “New Zealand Herald.” One Auckland grower considers that his output would have been fully 50 per cent, greater at Christmas time could he have obtained the labour for picking. As things were, he and his wife were picking all day, but could only gather about half the berries. In former years children gladly undertook to pick strawberries during their holidays, but, from , all accounts, they are not nearly so keen on earning pocket, money this Christmas as on having a “good time.” The difficulty is experienced mainly by growers in country districts, fairly near to town, yet too far for arrangements to be, made for city children to do the picking. Last week Timaru entertained the annual conference of the Presbyterian Bible Class with an attendance of nearly nine hundred, chiefly young people, and a number of ministers from various parts of the Dominion as teachers, lecturers, and leaders. An important statement made on Thursday evening bv Professor Hewitson, Knox College, on the effect of the adverse exchange rates on remits for salaries to NewZealand church missionaries in India and China, especially the latter, the present rates requiring seventy per cent, were-for India and China-150 per cent more. To maintain present salaries £7,000 a year more was needed and an effort should be made to raise 'an emergency fund of £lO,OOO. The conference was favoured with fine summer weather, and the visitors eulogise the arrange.ner.ti for their convenience and comfort. and their cordial reception.

! The Australasian Christian Stu l dents Conference opened at Geraldine on Saturday. About a hundred delegates were welcomed by the Mayor, Mr. B. R. MacDonald. Rev. John MacKenzie, formerly of fit. Andrew’s Christchurch, now of ! Toorak, Melbourne, an old Geraldine boy, presided over the conference. » The Hawke’s Bay Amateur Boxing Association have written Mr. Corbett, their Australian agent, ■ in Sydney, asking him if he can arrange a match between an Australian and either Uren or Clabby, to be fought at Hastings, under the auspices of the Hawke’s Bay Association, for a purse of £5OO (£3OO winner and £2OO loser.) If arrangements are concluded, a contest will be held on of the nights of the Ram Fair. Mr William Mitchell, of Belle y. ue » Lancaster, and of Ingieton, Yorkshire, brewer, hotel proprietor, and fanner, who fiftyyears ago was a coachman st Ashton Ball, Lancaster, left estate <d the value of £218,000. Among his ( bequests was an annuity of £BOO and the use of his residence to his widow, which w&s to b® reduced to £lOO if she remarried. The residua of hw property' is left, in trust to pay off mortgages from income and thereafter to his daughter. The continued dry weather which held up gallantly through the holidays, broke during last night, when the rain came down in a.mild, warm and drenching pour, which tel! Uaej a benediction on the parched gtound, and vegetable growths. Last night was insufferably close but the welcome conditions cleared the air, jeav ing the early morning delightfully cool. The rain continued to-daj, and at noon the skies held promise of a further soaking, which, though late, will be productive of rniich good. The late Admiral Charles William! de la Poer Beresford, first Baron Beresford, of Curraghmore and Netemmah, left unsettled property of the gross value of £13,122 with net personalty £8,257. Al clause in the will reads as follows: —“I bequeath to my wife all my . MBS., letters memoranda, and private papers, of literary, biographical, or historical interest, and I desire that she -will make arrangements for the collection and publication thereof (omitting such of them as, having regard to the feelings of living persons, or the interests of the Services or on any other grounds, she shall in her discretion think fit to keep private).” The net proceeds of such publication are to form part of the residuary estate which he left to. his wife. It is reported that the backers o£ Uren, the winner of . the recent Uren-Clabby match, being under the impression that Olabby’s supporters are not satisfied with the referee’s decision, at Hasting?), on New Year’s night, have offered to raise a £l,OlOO purse to be fought for by the two in a 20-round contest. Clabby jumped at the proposal, but it has been pointed out that, according to the New Zealand regulations, 15 rounds is the legal Hinit of a fight. Clabby’s side offer to fight for the fifteen rounds, and. there the matter stands, for the present. One enthusiastic Clabbyite said his man wouljl “fight Uren to a finish, which was the <sn*F conclusive test for big money like this,” but, of course, a “fight to ■* finish” is not allowed in any Engling speaking country now. The rather sweeping statement of Mr. Hughes, Premier of Australia, that “but for the Australians’ sticking it there would, have been no victaty,” brings up again the 013 question; “What did the mere county regiments do?” says an English paper. No one, of course, would or could belittle Australia’s share, but while praise has

been liberally showered on almost every other type of unit in the Artny, the work of the ordinal? British county regiment has been comparatively ignoted—or taken for granted. Here is the experience of one brigade alone. The 31si Division, composed almost entirely of Yorkshire ana Lancashire battalions, held a sector on the Vimy front from May to December, 1917. During that time the 94th Brigade held a brigade front continuously without relief. Its four battalions, in rotation, spent eighteen days' in the line (front, support and reserve), and six days “out” —but always within easy marching distance of the front line. In other words, the brigade was in action for six months, each battalion spending four and a half months in the trenches. Is this “sticking it” ?

The elevation of Lord Ruthven, a Scottish baron, to a United Kingdom peerage with the title of Baron Ruthven of Gowrie recalls some historic events in Scottish history, and makes the family title and estates secure against all claimants, says the Daily Express. Hitherto the title has appeared in Debrett ’as “claimed and assumed,” as . the patent was supposed to have been burned in the fire which destroyed one of the family mansions in 1750. The House of Ruthven (pronounced Ki wen) has been involved in more plots and treasons than any Scottish family. One of the most notab'e of the Ruthvens was created Earl of Gowrie, and he celebrated the honour by kidnapping the boy-King James VI. Another was concerned in the murder of Rizzio, and was the custodian of Mary Queen of Scots while she was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle. The “Gowrie Conspiracy,” when the earl and bn brothers were killed by the King and his followers in their own house, is one of the unsolved mysteries o* history. The fighting blood of the Kuthvens has descended to the present stock. Lord Ruthven served in the Crimean campaign and did duty during the present war, in which his sons distinguished themselves.