LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16673, 18 October 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

«, _ Prices for fat stock at Westfield yesterday showed a slight falling off in some lines, the best price realised for choice ox j beef being £2 17s per 1001b, as against £3 at last week's sale, the highest priced steer fetching £23 7s 6d, as against £24 , at the previous sale. Cow and heifer beef ! showed no decrease in price, and sheep, which were penned in full numbers, were sold at prices equal to the high rates which have ruled for some time. Lambs, which are now coming forward in large numbers, were easier in price than at last sale, the best selling at from £1 5s 6d to £1 10s 6d. as compared with £1 8s to £1 13s last week. Shorn sheep aro now coming forward in fair numbers, and thus should have the ef.'?ot of decreosing '.he prices for mutton as the season advances. Pigs were sold at rates equal to last week's Bales, heavy baconers realising from £5 6s to £7 ss. Three Auckland pupils of the New Zealand Flying School, Kohimarama, yesterday qualified for their pilots' certificates. They were :Messrs. F. S. Gordon, A. H. Murison, and M. D. Sinclair. The tests were carried out in the presence of Colonel G. W. S. Patterson, 0.C.D., and Major Price, A.A.G. The certificates entitle the holders to admission to the Royal Flying Corps. An 18-months-old child, whose mother resides at Tawera Road, Green Lane, and whose father is a member of the Expeditionary Force, died yesterday through being choked by a piece of banana. The accident occurred on tho beach at Devonport. All efforts to remove the obstruction and restore respiration failed, though medical attention was immediately forthcoming. An inquest was held at Devonport last evening by Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., who returned a verdict of death by suffocation from the cause stated. That the burden of taxation must be spread, as far as possible, over the whole community, so as to causo each individual to share the saerifico according to his ability to pay, was an argument, advanced by Mr. W. H. Hemingway last night in his lecture to accountants. This principle was, of course, very similar to the canon of equality, he said, but it was one not infrequently infringed in practice, as was the case with the notorious excess profits duties in force in New Zealand last year. " You cannot treat a taxable community | a* a commander may treat an army," said Mr. Hemingway. " The latter may. in case of necessity, sacrifice a whole regiment, or even an entiro army corps, for the common good, but a State cannot so sacrifice a section of its citizens for fiscal purposes. "■

Two accident cases were admitted to the' hospital yesterday. A middle-aged man, | Mr. Michael Wilson, living in Burfield Street, was suffering from a broken arm. He is a driver in the employ of l J. J. Craig, Ltd., and was driving a dray near Beach Road, when a trumcar struck the vehicle. He was thrown to the ground, and a wheel of the dray passed over his right arm, A seven-year-old girl, Sylvia Gilbert, of Trafalgar Street, Onohunga, while crossing at the junction of Trafalgar and Queen Streets, Onchunga, was knocked down by a motor-car, and sustainod several broken ribs. Tho shortage of milking-machine repairers and mechanics was yesterday brought under'the notice of the First Auckland Military Servico Board by the representative of an Auckland firm, which applied for extended leave on behalf of one of its employee* engaged in this class of work. It was stated that, owing to the increasing scarcity of farm labour, dairy farmers were installing milking-machin-.-s in greater numbers, but there was a serious lack of trained mechanics to erect these machines and attend to repairs. Tho appellant produced a sheaf of telegrams received from farmers during the last few (lavs, nskintr for tlin spi'virn« nf an nrnni-t.

cither to erect machines which have hcen j recently purchased, or to effect repairs. l I An extension of time was granted until 1 February to enable men to bo trained in ' i the work. ' - "Itis an invariable rule of public ex- * r ] pendituro in norma] times that, not only j . I should it be definite and certain, but open I to public criticism," said Mr. W. H. ' Hemingway last night in lecturing to 11 5 1 tho Society of Accountants. "In timo of ( 5 war," he said, " this is unfortunately im-| \ I. ' practicable, hence, the groat danger of! < i waste and extravagance Publicity and \ f * , responsibility have been shown by exneri-; 1 5' enco to be absolutely necessary conditions I f i for oflicient public financial administration 1 1i at all times. Particularly is efficient and. I . , economical administration imperative now, i i I for this war is a fight for our very national '! existence." | ' j A waggonette driver, Frederick Crabb, i junr., was charged in the Police Court ; ' r yesterday, before Messrs. C. H. Furness I , and J. P. McPhail, J.Ps., with being j I the owner of a dog which attacked and I ' . endangered tho limbs of a boy at Devonport. Evidence was given to the effect j that the dog was following defendant's I waggonetto when it suddenly attacked and | l bit the leg of a boy who was riding a i > bicycle. As tho evidence also showed J , that the dog was in the habit of rushing | ', at pedestrians and vehicles its destruction j ' [ was ordered. Defendant was fined 5s and ! i . 15s costs. I , " j A tender of £2656 submitted by Messrs. ; 5 ■ Craig Bros., for the erection, in brick, of ' i b'a separate infants' department at. the ! 1 Edendale school, and one of £820 by Mr. : k H. Keith for tho enlargement of tho i Whakatane school building, wore yester-! ' day accepted by the Auckland Education j - Board. 1 ] " Continuous experimenting firstly with i r j excess profits, and then with compulsory - ; loans, added to the fact that our taxes 1 are frequently made retroactive, is probably one of the weakest features of our financial j policy in relation to tho present war." | declared Mr. W. H. Hemingway in his lecture to accountants last night. "A Minister for Finance, having, at the commencement of tho war, decided upon a certain sound financial policy, should V ' stick to his guns.' Ho should do this, . | even although complaints and vituperation ! from certain quarters may sweep around i r I Vis bead liko British bullets _at the j

■ c." S "he Lands Committed reported to the .liocisa of Representatives yesterday on the , petition of George Catterall and others praying that tho necessary road repairs be effected and the Bystem of drainage improved in respect of land held on lease by Crown tenants on the Henderson gum reserve, near Swanson. The committee is of opinion that the petition should be referred to tho Government for consideration. The agreement under which tho City Council will take over, subject to validating legislation, the undertaking of the Manukau Water Supply Board was ap-1 proved last night by the One-tree Hill Road Board at its ordinary meeting. Plans I of new offices for the board were passed. I It was also decided to grant the A. and [P. Association a rebate of £25 on its rates. Motions of condolence with the relatives of Lieutenant H. A. E. Milnes, late principal of the Training College, | who was killed in action, and with Mrs. | I K. E. Boscawen, assistant teacher at the j ! Albany school, whoso husband, Captain | i H. T. Boscawen, has been reported killed ; I in action, were adopted by the Board of Education yesterday. It was also decided ito send a letter of condolence to the | ! father of Mr. K. R. White, late headteacher at the Awanui school, who has been reported missing. The Takapuna Tramways and Ferry Company, Ltd., notified the Takapuna Borough Council last evening that, owing to the continually increasing cost of running the tram and ferry service, there appeared to bo but little possibility of the reinstatement of the 5.45 p.m. trip during the summer. The company also stated that it emphatically denied the council's statement that lady passengers had had to and on the step of tho car from Hauraki Road to Bnyswater on the 5 p.m. trip from Takapuna on Saturday. September 22. The council _ received the letter. A resident wrote stating that she had had to stand on the platform of tho car on the trip referred to, and in her opinion there were enough people standing to fill ; another ear. It- was resolved to forward j a copy of this letter to tho company. I Tho Richardson steamer Awahou is | still delayed at Auckland, as no seamen i havo been obtained to tako the placo of .! thoso who left her on Tuesday. She ' shifted yesterday from tho King's Wharf to tho Central Wharf. The Government's Social Hygiene Bill was adversely criticised at a largely-at-tended meeting of chemists of the Auckland City and suburbs. A resolution was unanimously carried strongly urging that the Bill be not pasted in its present form. Four young men wore charged in the Police Court yesterday, before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., with stealing two anchors from Deep Creek. The evidence showed that the anchors had been left on the shore at Deep Creek for some time, and recently they were missed. When seen by tho police" tho youths frankly admitted that they had taken them, under tho belief that they had been abandoned, to uso as moorings for a yacht. After hear- ;! in~ the evidence of one of the accused. His Worship said there was no reason to 1 I doubt the youth's bona fides, and dismissed the charge. During the period July 19 to October , 11, 14 lectures on fruitgrowing were de- , livored in Auckland, under the auspices of the Board of Education, at tho request of the Huapai Fruitgrowers' Association. 1 The supervisor of tho manual and tcchni- ! cal branch reported to the board yesterday that the lectures had had very satisfactory results. The average attendance had 1 been 23. 'Jlie lecturers were recognised authorities, many of them having had over 25 years' experience in fruitgrowing. ' Tho report was adopted. Tho arrest of a reservist, Francis Joseph , Carroll, was recently effected at Awanui, ' North Auckland, by Constable Martin, of Kaitaia. Carroll is one of thrco brothers ' who wero called up in Juno last, and who i subsequently disappeared. The arrestee is 1 alleged to havo taken an assumed name i and to have passed himself off as an 3 American citizen. He was taken to Pal--1 merston North and handed over to tho t military authorities. ' In a lecture given in Wellington, Mr. T.*M. Wilford, M.P., said that sabadilla j seods had boon declared -contraband. II 1 was from sabadilla seeds, he said, that i the first poison gas bad been made - in 1912-13. The Germans bad bought up r tho whole of the sabadilla crops of Mexico ) and Venezuela. In gathering sabadilla 1 crops tho labourers had to woar masks tc protect their eyes and nostrils,.