LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15563, 21 March 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

A motor-cau driven by Mr. Thomas Hanson, of Cromwell Street, and a tramcar, came into collision in Dominion Road yesterday afternoon. The tram struck the rear of the motor, doing a considerable amount of damage. Mr. Hanson fortunately escaped without injury.

Matters at Huntly are reported to be quite satisfactory. Mr. E. W. Alison, chairman of directors of the Taupiri Coal Mines. Ltd., stated yesterday that there is now no friction whatever at the mines, and that on Thursday last the company had the biggest output since the strike (nearlv 1000 tons). The staff of miners is sufficient to meet present demands on the company, though, with the winter coming on, a few more miners could be taken on.

" The waste of time in this Court is shocKing." said Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. His Worship complained that Mr. J. R. Lundon, who appeared for the defendant in one of the cases, had left the Court in the middle of the case. " This sort of thing cannot be allowed to go on," continued His Worship. " How can business be properly transacted when counsel leave their clients in this manner?" Mr. Lundon, who re-entered the Court at a later stage, explained that he had been j called away to the Police Court, to to present at the taking of evidence in regard to a serious charge. He could not help it if cases in which he was engaged were proceeding simultaneously in different Courts. The police, he added, should be urged not to have all their adjourned cases crowded into one day. " I know you can't be in two places at once, Mr. Lundon." the magistrate rejoined, "but some different arrangement will have to be made. You should get a junior to appear for you." Mr. Kettle promised that he would refer to the Law Society any complaints that Mr. Lundon had to make in regard to the business arrangements of the Court, if those complaints were put in writing. The annual retreat of the clergy of the Roman Catholic diocese of Auckland will be held next week at Kawau. Bish<sp Geary and the priests w.ho arc taking part will leave for the island by special steamer on Monday evening, and will return on Friday next. It is expected that about 50 will take part in the retreat. The offer made by their employers to the Auckland timber workers of an increased wage of 8s 3d per day was unanimously rejected at a large meeting of the workers, which was held in the Trades Hall last evening. This offer involved an increase of 3d per day on the present average rate. It was estimated that only 40 per cent, of the workers would be benefited by this increase, as already the majority of them were working for a wage much above that stipulated in the award. The question is thus finally left to the finding of the Arbitration Court.

The relations between the City Council and the Harbour Board were incidentally touched upon at the meeting of Ponsonby ratepayer? last evening. Mr. A. J. Entrican, who is a member of both bodies, in replying to a casual remark by the Mayor, said that the work of the Harbour Board in controlling the affairs of the harbour and port was of a very important nature. Mr. Parr, in some subsequent remarks, said that he had never under-rated the importance of the functions of the Harbour Board. During his term of office, he said, he had been • associated with the board in carrying out some very important joint schemes on behalf of both bodies, and the good feeling existing between the chairman of the board (Mr. Gunson) and himself had been very helpful in this connection. At the same time he had to recognise that his first duty was to see that the city got a " square deal" in all matters.

The question of who. should pay the insurance premiums of members of a fire brigade serving a local authority, was raised at the meeting of the One-tree Hill Road Board last night. The Green Lane Fire Brigade sent a letter acknowledging the board's cheque for £19, but regretting that the board declined to pay the accident insurance premium of £2 16s 9d. The brigade members thought it hard that, though giving their time to keeping in practice, and being willing to turn out day or night to render service, they were expected to take all the risks themselves, and pay the insurance out of their own pockets. It was hoped that the board would consider a reasonable request. The chairman (Mr. E. A. Craig) agreed that the request was only reasonable, but the difficulty in the mind of members of the board had been whether in paying the premiums of the firemen they should make themselves liable to claims for injuries which the public might receive during the operations of the firemen. It was agreed that inquiries be made as to what is the practice of other suburban local bodies in the matter of insurance of firemen.

In his address to the ratepayers of Ponsonby last evening the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr) said that he was pleased to be able to say that there would be no increase in the city rates during the coming year. So far as the council's ordinary rates were concerned there would certainly be no increase and the loan proposals, if carried, would not add a penny piece to the ratepayers' burdens. He was satisfied that this would be the case as the result of going over the accounts with the citv treasurer during the past week. Mr. Parr referred to an increase that had taken place last year in the hospital and charitable aid rate. He said this was a matter outside the council's control, the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board'having raised the levy on the council from £6000 to over £9000.

The fund for providing a motor ambulance for the Auckland Hospital was increased yesterday by no less than £68 The Auckland Racing Club contributed £10 10s, Mr. R. M. Wilson £5, the Onehunga Borough Council £5 ss, Mr. H G Fleming £5, Well Wisher £5, the Maunga'whao Masonic Lodge £2 2s, the Royal Yacht Squadron £2 2e, and Mr. W. Henderson £1 is. The other subscription recerved was anonymously subscribed by "The Family." In a letter accompanying the donation it was stated that the sympathy for the object was such that the whole family had put in a self-denial week the total of £2 being the result. The sum subscribed now amounts to £306.

An arrival at Auckland early yesterday morning was the Shaw, Savill, and Albion liner Rangatira, which came from London, via Plymouth, Capetown, Hobart, and Southern ports. The Rangatira came out in the company's mail service, running in place of the Athenic, the latter steamer's time-table being disorganised owin<r to the recent strike. The Rangatira is "loading a big shipment of frozen meat, butter, and other dairy produce at Auckland for London. Owing to the vessel being delayed at Wellington by heavy rain on Tuesday last, her departure from that port for London has been postponed until 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 :»

The supplement issued with to-day's Herald contains a large number of interesting items. Amongst the special articles are " Roads and Civilisation." by Tohunga; "The Forgotten Poets," by Frank Morton; " Out in Suburbia," by Elsie K. Morton; " Rewi's Part at Orakau;" "Mountain, Lake, and Forest." by Isabel Maud Peacocke ; and "Maori War Trumpets," by Archdeacon Walsh. Mercutio's column of Local Gossip appears as usual. Two photographs show an aeroplane flight indoors and on earthquake scene in Japan.

The theft of a bicycle, valued at £3, in October last, was the charge preferred against a boy at the Juvenile Court yesterday before Mr. F. V. Frazor, S.M. Mr. Hackett appeared for the accused, urging that the boy had teen actuated by nn felonious intent as the man from whom the frame of the bicycle was taken had pro. mised him a machine in return for work done. The boy said that he took '.lie frame and built the bicycle with other part? He was admonished and discharged, being ordered to pay costs 245. "The case is a very distressing one." said Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., yesterday when considering an application of the police for the removal of a child from the custidy of its mother Mrs. Cecilia May Ward—to an institution. The ground of the application was that the child was not, under proper control. It appeared from the evidence that the mother was living apart from the father, who under an order of the Court, paid 25s a week towards her maintenance. Witnesses called by the police alleged that Mrs. Ward was of intemperate habits. In the witness-box the mother of the child assured the magistrate that she had not been drinking since

the maintenance order was made by His Worship, and indignantly denied impropriety of conduct alleged against her. She protested that the loved iier child, and made remarks as to what she would do if it was taken from her. "1 don't doubt," said His Worship, in making an order for the little girl to be committed to the Si. Mary's Orphanage. " that you love your child and I recognise that it is hard indeed for you to lose its society. I amveiy, very sorry 1 have got to make this order, but the child's surroundings and environment are such that I would lc neglecting my duty if 1 did not send it somewhere where it would be properly cared for and educated. If you will qualify yourself to be the custodian of this child it may eventually be restored to you." Again protesting, the mother left the Court. The father agreed to pay 7s 6d a week towards the child's maintenance in the institution.

An unusual incident occurred at the conclusion of the meeting of the residents of Ponsonby, which was addressed by the Mayor (Mr. (.'. J. Parr) last evening in connection with the coming poll on the City Council's loan proposals. As those present were about to leave the room a woman attired in mourning garb rose, and speaking with much emotion, made a pitiful complaint of an alleged wrong for which she said she had received no recom- ' pense. It transpired that she is the widow of an ex-employee of the City Council, who died a few months ago. Some time before his death he met with an accident, and the question at issue, in considering a claim for compensation, was whether the accident did or did not cause his death. Mr. A. J. Entrican. chairman of the Finance Committee of the council, who was present, stated that the matter had been carefully considered by the committee, and that it was still under consideration. The evidence brought forward, he said, showed that there was no legal responsibility on the part of the council, 6ut there was some doubt as to the equity of the case He appeased the -widow's indignation by assuring her that her claim would receive the most careful attention of the committee. The experiments undertaken by the- West Australian Government in the erection. of workers' homes bave 4 according to the Premier of that State, been a signal success. Mr. Scaddari stated last week that during the first year they had expended £150,000 in acquiring land and building houses, and during the second year, which had not yet ended, they had spent £300,000. They could not keep pace with the demand. They were putting up attractive cottages with modern conveniences,

at a cost .of about £600, which were purchased by the tenants in weekly instalments that worked out at less than the rents charged by private landlords for similar homes. For a five-roomed cottage, for example, they charged a rent of 15e ad, and in 20 years it became the tenant's own property, the rate varying according to. the purchase period and the locality selected. Provision was made by which a tenant could obtain an exemption for a stipulated payment in cases of distress arising from sickness, and in this and other •ways the tenants of the State were much better off than those of private landlords.

Talking of the weather experienced in the Antarctic, Dr. Mawson said last week in Sydney that no one who had not sojourned in that inhospitable region could realise the extent of the wind. Between the middle of February, 1912, and the middlo of February, 1913, the average velocity of the wind, recorded at the expedition's main base, was 50 miles an hour. The average day in and day out was, therefore, that of a gale, and the calms were as few as the gales and the hurricanes in our own latitudes. Not only were the Antarctic gales terrible, the puff velocity reaching 500 miles an hour, but the dense driven snow, beside* nearlv blinding one. made it impossible frequently fo see any distance away, and on occasions one could not see his hand in front of his face. The greatest velocity recorded for one whole hour was 116 miles. Every now and then, however, they got a puff or gust velocity up to 300 miles an hour, and one of these gusts would certainly blow down half Sydney. Three hundred miles an hour was the velocity of the Galveston hurricane, and it carried away practically every building. Despite this awful weather, members of the expedition took a pride in keeping their instruments going properly, but they had a tremendous straggle at times to do so.

The old and the new methods of 'arming were referred to by Mr. Rudall, M.P., in a speech at the Roseworthy (South Australia) Agricultural College last f *k. It was the precepts and examples of such men as Professor Lowrie which hud largely contributed to raising finger-posts for the modern husbandmen. He alluded to the time when farmers with an eight bushels average were satisfied that they had attained the possible, and he showed how many of them were perpetually on the verge of bankruptcy. Then he graphically described how bags instead of bushels to the acre, came to be expected, as the result of the application of superphosphates, and how farmers had been able to increase yields and buy motor-cars. He pointed-to the value of agricultural colleges" and congratulated those concerned upon the fruits of their labour. Mr. Laffer also touched on the same subject, and he laid stress upon Professor Lowrie's recommendations to farmers to make greater provision by means of fodder crops to increase tic J stocking capacity of fche farms. I