LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16201, 11 April 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

On a charge of having misappropriated the sum of £940 belonging to the Christchurch City Council, William Francis Dunn, aged 26, formerly cashier in the employ of the Southern corporation, was yesterday afternoon arrested in Auckland by Detective Hammond. Dunn, who had the sum of £78 in his possession when arrested, was staying at the Thames Hotel, where he had registered under the name of Ludlow. He will be charged at the AucKland Police Court this morning and will probably be remanded to Christchurch.

Between now and the Easter vacation— which begins on the 19th inst. and extends to May there is a prospect of the Supreme Court sitting daily. Mr. Justice Chapman will hold a sitting in bankruptcy at 10.30 a.m. to-day, and will afterwards sit in Chambers to deal with the business which has accumulated during the last three weeks.

J An action was called at the Supreme ! Court yesterday relating to the estate of the late Mr. R. G. Macky, sharebroker. In his will the deceased bequeathed the whole of his possessions to strangers in blood, making no provision for his widow. Proceedings were accordingly taken on her behalf under the Testators' Family Protection Act to ensure an adequate allowance. Mr. Stanton appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. Gould for the executor of the will. Details of the case were not gone* into, an intimation being made that on an opinion stated by counsel a settlement had been arrived at, under which the executor agreed to pay to the widow £1262 17s 6d. Mr. Justice Chapman made an order accordingly. It was stated that Mrs. Macky was satisfied with the settlement.

An outbreak of fire occurred at 9.45 a.m. yesterday, at Craig's stables, in St. George's Bay Road, Parnell, where a disastrous fire took place some months ago. The fire brigade was soon on the scene, and only slipht damage resulted, several bales of straw being damaged by fire. The origin of the outbreak is unknown. The building was insured for £2000 with the New Zealand Insurance Company, and the contents for £1000 in the same office.

Two addresses were given to the returning sick and wounded soldiers and passengers on the steamer Turakina by Sir Rider Haggard during the voyage between Capetown and Hobart- Sir Rider Haggard, who is travelling as the representative of the Royal Colcnial Institute, and is investigating conditions for the settlement of soldiers overseas, joined the Turakina at Capetown. The first address was on the war and its effects, and the second on the rise and fall of the Zulu race.

! In the Supreme Court yesterday Mr. Justice Chapman sat to determine the order of the civil and Banco cases. Fixtures were made as follows:—To-day: Bankruptcy and Chambers sittings. Tomorrow : Congregational Union v. Smeetoti, hearing of an originating summons to interpret a conveyance; Parrish v. Parrish, motion to increase maintenance allowance under the Family Protection Act. Thursday: Armitage v. Home, summons under the Mortgages Extension Act; Weston v. Cummings and Philpott v. Cummings, appeals from magistrate's decisions under the Justices of the Peace Act. Friday: Madigau v, Aldred, claim for £233, on stock sold and delivered; Aickin v. Bradley, and Hughes v. Potter, appeal from magistrate's decisions. Monday, April 17: J. M. Steele v. B. Coleman, claim of £140, as procuration fee; Ferguson v. Graham, application for probate in solemn form. Tuesday, April 18: Gill v. Hollis, appeal under the Justices of the Peace Act. Wednesday, April 19: Foster v. the Tokerau Maori Land Board, motion for mandamus. It was intimated that the case of H. W. Cleary v. W. J. Smale—a claim by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland for possession of land, £220 at royalty, and an injunction to stop operations— likely to bo settled. The use, however, was allowed to remain on tho civil list for the present.

Rapid progress has been made with the work of laying the new outward tramlino in Customs Street, at the foot of Hobson Street. The alteration in the position of the tramlines at this place is in accordance with an agreement made by the Tramways Company with the City Council that after the widening of tho street the tram lines should be placed along the new centre. A slight alteration is also being effected in the grade of the incline. The work is to be inspected by officials of the Public Works Department to-day. Operations in the upper portion of Queen Street are proceeding satisfactorily, and all the poles necessary on the western side of tho street have been erected.

A soldier's bride returned with her husband on the steamer Turakina, which arrived from England yesterday. It was Etated by some of tho returned invalided soldiers that quite a number of New Zealandcrs and Australians who were sent to England from the 'front sick or wounded have married English girls.

A charge that they were owners of a dangerous dog that was not kept in proper control was preferred at the Police Court yesterday morning before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., against a young man named Gordon Hay and his mother Ada Hay, resident in Grafton Road. It appeared from the evidence of several witnesses that the dog, by its habit of rushing out and attempting to bite passers-by, had made itself a nuisance in the neighbourhood. Mr. Rodgerson represented the defendants, who did not appear. He stated that no complaints had been received by Mrs. Hay about tho dog from anyone living in the street. She had paid one person 10s for the damago done to his trousers by the animal in question, and she was then informed that nothing further would bo said about the incident. Mrs. Hay found it necessary to have a dog. Her son was now at Featherston. The dog had since been chained up, and it was intended to keep it so. The magistrate remarked that there was no course open to him but to have the animal destroyed. He made an order to this effect, and the defendants were ordered to pay costs.

Thefts of various articles from the warehouse of Messrs. Laidlaw, Leeds, have been taking place lately, with the result that the firm reported the matter to tho police. Yesterday afternoon DetectiveSergeant Hollis arrested five youths, ranging in age from 15 to 17 years, three of whom were in the employ of the firm named. They will to-day be charged at the Police Court with stealing various articles, including cameras, electric batteries, knives, revolvers, and general merchandise.

An Aus'ralian soldier, who is at present in Gishorue on final leave, mentioned a few days ago that in the Australian camps preference in promotions to noncommissioned rank is given to returned soldiers again preparing for the front. He stated that all non-commissioned officers who had not seen active service were deprived of their rank some weeks ago, and replaced by the veterans of GaUipoli.

The chief feature of the number of the Auckland Weekly News which will be issued to-morrow , will bo a rcmarkaulo series of photographs dealing with tho pursuit of the Maori "prophet" Rua and his subsequent capture by the police. As the photographs are bound to create great interest orders for copies of the issue should be placed early.

In the course of their annual report, which will be submitted at the annual meeting of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society this evening, the council of the society states that .he season's fishing has been excellent, both as reeards the number of licenses soil and the reports received from the various centres concerning the sport. In most cases the catches and the average size of the fish have been exceptionally good. During 1915 a total of 113,500 trout fry which were obtained from Rotorua were distributed.

An open season fur imported gamecock pheasants and Californian quailhas been declared for May, June, and July. Notification to this effect has been received by Col. W. H. Hazard, chairman of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, from the Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs.' The season for native gamegrey duck, teal, spoon-bill, pukeko, and black swan—will this year be restricted to two months—May and June. The pigeon season is to be absolutely closed throughout New Zealand.

"There are some men who would like to put down their names for the Fortyfifth Reinforcements," declared the Hon. James Allen, in the course of a recruiting speech at Milton recently. "We are not quite sure, however, of their bona fides, and as we want only men who are real patriots, we are only allowing recruits to sign on for six months ahead." The Minister also referred to marriages of eligible men, and stated that such marriages would not serve as an excuse for staying at home. He was not sure that tho present six months' limit was enough, and if it were proved that that period was not sufficient, the Government would have to consider the question o f extending it to 12 months, which would classify men who had got married within a specified time as unmarried men.

Tlie Minister for Defence, the Hon. J. Allen, speaking in the South a few days ago, said that since the beginning of the war 60 prisoners of war had been brought to New Zealand from Samoa. Including these, there are 243 prisoners of war on Somes Island, and 56 interned at Auckland.

i The powers of a tram conductor while in charge of a car were referred to during the hearing of a by-law case in the Wellington Magistrate's Court recently. A man was charged with boarding a tramcar at a part other than that to which he was directed by the conductor. Counsel for defendant admitted the facts, but contended that the breach was merely a technical one. His client had sought the most convenient part to enter the car, as he had been in a hurry. The Citv Council solicitor said it was imperative that the conductor's instructions should be carried out. The conductor was in charge of the car, and if his instructions were ignored, the result might be a serious inconvenience. The magistrate, Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, said he agreed that the breach was a technical one, and defendant was ordered to pay costs only, amounting to 13s.

Speaking at a meeting of the S.P.C.A : , in Christchurch, a few days ago, Bishop Brodie said that the Government should take in hand the matter of unworthy fathers leaving their children to the care of charities, whilst these men were allowed by law to live in New Zealand, neglecting their responsibilities. The law should allow that a lien could be placed on such men's wages. If such men found themselves penalised in that way they would soon reform, whereas at present a premium was put on their laziness and worthlessness. The society should approach the local members of Parliament and urge them 10 assist in bringing about the proposed reform. He supported the proposed forming of a farm colony for worthless husbands.

In the course of a lecture deliverd in Wellington a few days ago, Mr. G. Hogben said ho deplored the conservatism of the secondary schools in adhering to the traditional courses of culture, and their ilowness in adopting courses of vocational .raining. The University had shown a like failure. Although New Zealand was in agricultural country, the University had produced only two graduates in agriculture. The University sought to produce simply a general culture, which was the shadow of the achievement of the older universities of England. It was true that the New Zealand University had many able and distinguished graduates, but it was at least possible that these students would have been able and distinguished if there had been no New Zealand University. We should keep in mind the objects of education, which were to develop the best that was born in j, man, and to train him in a way which would contribute most to his efficiency as a craftsman. Above all things, we should not confuse the merits of education with mere showy proficiency in the elements of education.

"Japan is profiting enormously by the war," stated a Wellington resident, who has just returned from the Far East, in a recent interview. "Orders aro pouring in from the allies, and America is getting immense quantities of goods there. The official-political section of the community favours the allies, the common people aro indifferent, and one would think they did not know that a great war is in progress. There is also a pro-German party, which expresses its views in a very outspoken way in its own paper. I don't think those people have any national feeling in the matter—they merely think that Japan has ' backed the wrong horse.' In the meantime, Japan is immensely prosperous. Its exports exceeded its imports by an enormous amount last year, and onlv twice before in the history of the country has that been the case. Some of the firms in Osaka have orders that will keep them going for another four years to come. The trouble is now to give delivery." i

" I have never been in Napier but the sun was shining," said His Honor Mr. Just ; Stringer at a sitting of the Arbitration Court held in the Hawke's Bay centre recently. Counsel took advantage of the remark by saying that as a resuit or Napier's beautiful weather, the painters there would naturally earn more than in other districts, where weather conditions were worse. He seriously urged that as a reason why Napier painters should not ask for more than similar workers had accepted elsewhere. The sea snake caught recently at Mokau is identical with another specimen captured at Te Henui last week, writes our Taranaki correspondent. The latter was sent to the Dominion Museum at Wellington, and was identified by Dr. Thomson, the' director as a true snake. The cause of their migration to our shores at rare intervals is not clearly known. One authority suggests that they are inhabitants of warmer seas, and possibly the much-increased temperature of the New Zealand seas— to 7 degrces-during the late hot summer may have drawn them to our shorts. i