NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8558, 22 October 1913, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

The case of Ellacott v. Williams, an Auckland matter which was set down on the Appeal Court list, will not come on during the present sittings. The Full Court case in re Evans (deceased). an originating summons, will be dealt with next week. Tho provisions of the Shipping Bill were discussed with the Minister for Marine (the Hon. P. M. B. Fisher) yesterday by representatives of the shipping companies and the Seamen’s Union. The conference was not completed, and will be resumed this afternoon. The following dates have been decided upon for musketry courses during the next four months: —Masterton, October 20th to 25th; Napier, October 27th to November Ist; Palmerston North, November 3rd to Bth; • Wanganui, November 17th to 22nd; Now Plymouth, January 12th to 17th; Gisborne, six days during first fortnight in March, to be fixed later; Hawera, March 16th to 21st. ‘.The Commissioner of the Salvation Army has decided to hold the next annual Territorial Congress during the last week in March and the first few days of April of 1914. At the conclusion'of the congress the new Maternity Home in Wellington will be inaugurated, and on April 2nd the Training College will be opened. In tho evening of that day a demonstration will be held, at which the officers attending the London congress will say farewell. They are to sail from Wellington the following day. The Commissioner and delegates expect to arrive back in tho Dominion in September. Fate decreed one morning last week that Mr A. W, Bishop, solicitor, should appear a fraction of a minute late before a sitting of the Christehurch Civil Court, presided over by his father, Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., and the case was struck out. The son tendered a laggard application that the case should be reinstated. “ Why weren’t you here?” said the magistrate. “The court was too early off the mark,” said the son; “too punctual.” “Seems to me,” said the magistrate, “ that you hare had an excellent example of punctuality all your life, and you ought to have profited by it.” The cose was reinstated, amid laughter all round, and judgment was given for plaintiff by default. His Honour Mr Justice Denniston sat in Chambers yesterday morning to hear the case of Thomas William Barrow, butcher, of Christchurch, against Harold. Feaver, labourer, of Now Brighton. The case consisted of an application by the defendant to set aside a judgment for specific perform'ance, and a cross notice of motion by the plaintiff for leave to issue a writ of attachment against tho defendant. Mr Peacock, instructed by Mr A. C. Champney, of Christchurch, appeared for the defendant Feaver, tho applicant for the setting aside of judgment. Mr Fair appeared for the plaintiff, and moved to have judgment enforced. The judgment in question was obtained by default, requiring specific performance of a land exchange transaction by tho defendant, and tho application to have it set aside was made under rule 236 of the Supreme Court. The original action arose on an agreement entered into on March Bth, 1913, by which Barrow was to transfer his interest in two properties to Feaver. A writ of summons claiming specific performance was issued on August 7th, 1913, and the following day the parties entered into a further agreement. In an affidavit, the defendant stated that he had never been a witness in an action prior to his being called by the plaintiff’s counsel, and in the witness-box he was very much discomposed and unable to express himself clearly. He was quite willing to complete the exchange subject to a reasonable arrangement, but, failing the plaintiff’s willingness to arrange terms, he applied to have judgment set aside. After_ hearing argument, His Honour adjourned the case until Friday week to give the parties an opportunity for settlement, t

The Wellington "branch of the Seamen’s Union has decided to vote £SO towards the Dublin strike relief fund. The amount will be cabled to Dublin. A wireless message received last night from the Manuka, cn route from Sydney, reported that the vessel is expected to arrive at Wellington about 7 o’clock this morning. A conference of representativos oi master carpenters and employees will bo hold at Wanganui, on November 7tb, to consider the question of it Dominion award. At the Magistrate’s Court- at Napier yesterday Joe Chong was fined £lO for smoking opium, and Chong Lee £5 for permitting opium smoking on his premises, according to a Press Association telegram. The finance committee of the City Council, accompanied by the city engineer, paid a visit to Kilbirnio yesterday to inspect the reclamation and some other properties, the purchase of which the council has under consideration. An inquest was hold at the Courthouse yesterday morning by the District Coroner (Dr A. McArthur, S.M.), touching the death of John. Setter, a stevedore, sixty-five years of ago, who died suddenly at his home in. Martin street. A verdict was returned, in accordance with the medical evidence, that the deceased died from syncope. Yesterday evening, at about 3.45 o’clock, a man named John Justice, residing at No. 4, Green street, Wellington, met with a motor accident about a mile beyond Johnsonviile, on tho Porirua road. He was attended to by Dr Robertson, of Johnsonviile, who found him to be suffering from a slight concussion of the brain. The sufferer was afterwards removed to his home in a taxi-cab. Captain D. J. Watson, secretary of the Merchant Service Guild, states that the masters of the smaller coastal vessels, as well as tho mates, will shortly separately cite tho shipowners to appear before tho Conciliation Council. The masters are. seeking £25 a month, as against £22 10s to £24 10s, tho present rates, and they also demand 3s 6d an hour payment for overtime. At a meeting of tho Upper Hutt Town Board on Monday night the following resolution was carried: —“That as representatives of tho people of Upper Hutt, this board is of tho opinion that in view of the proposed discontinuance of the 9.40 p.m. train on Mondays and Wednesdays, a passenger car should be attached each evening to the Wairarapa goods train, leaving Upper Hutt at 10 p.m.” The committee set up by tire Petono Borough Council to go into tho question of handling coal over tho wharf at Petone, met last night. Offers and prices of shipments were received from shipping companies, and were considered advantageous. Tho difficulty appears to bo the getting of the coal away from the ship’s side expeditiously, and before a trial shipment is undertaken this difficulty is to be surmounted. Mr F. Seed, inspector of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, reported to the meeting of the society yesterday afternoon that a lady had kindly given cover to a lame dog found in Ingcstre street. “What is urgently wanted,” said the inspector, “is a home for maimed animals found in tho streets-” Members having expressed their views on the subject, it was decided that the chairman (Mr R. H. Webb) should wait upon tho City Council and lay the position before that hody. \ A horse that was undoubtedly a staunch member of tho old school, and with a country horse’s horror of motor cars that could not be overcome, recently dropped dead under peculiar circumstances in Alfredton. The animal had previously been responsible for a serious gig accident when frightened by a motor. The other day the owner drove the horso into the township in a gig, and was about to return, home when he met a motor car on the road. The animal sprang into the air and endeavoured to bolt, but the driver restrained it, and then tho horso dropped dead without the slightest warning. It is reported from the Salvation Army territorial headquarters that developments are taking place with tho proposals of Mrs Richards in regard to tho women’s movement. Some rather startling details will bo considered in the next few days, and these, in conjunction with tho preliminaries already decided upon, will go to make the scheme of exceptional interest. Numerous inquiries are being made in regard to the matter, but up to the present time the greatest secrecy is being observed, and no information is available. The fact ap pears to bo that the proposals are still in the process of incubation, and until that period is over it would be unwise to launch the scheme. Some am'asement was caused in the Auckland Police Court on Saturday morning by a lady who was alleged to have been assaulted. “That is not the man. Your Worship,” she exclaimed loudly, when the person accused was placed in the dock. “He was only drunk. It was the man who was with him who struck me.” “Well, just step into the box and swear it,” directed Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., who was on tho bench. “Oh, I could not swear a lie,” said tho witness, and it was some time before she could bo made to understand that when on oath she had to tell the true story. On being sworn, the witness was asked the usual question as to her name, and, after giving it, offered to produce her card to substantiate her statement. This, however, w'as not required, and after reiterating that the wrong man had been apprehended she thanked tho magistrate and retired with a bow to the people in court. The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants has received the following reply (dated October Ist) to its representations regarding compensation for accidents With reference to yo'ar letter of 16th ultimo respecting tho practice of the department in cases where members, as a result of accident, sustain injuries entitling them to compensation under the third schedule of tho Workers’ Compensation Act, 1 bare the honour to inform you that -ach ease is considered on its merits. If tho injuries sustained are of such a nature as to incapacitate members -.erforramg their ordinary duties, an ndecrour is made to find __them suitable work in another capacity. If pay icnt of compensation under the schedule referred to is insisted upon, .he department would be quite within its rights when paying same to dispense with the services of the injured members, as the compensation is provided to recompense the worker for loss of earning powers, and is an indication that he is incapable of performing his duties efficiently.— (Sgd.) T. Ronayne.’*-

The following vessels will be within wireless range of Wellington to-night: ■ —Riverina. Wostralia, Wabino, Mahono, Maitai, Maungauui, Talune, Nayua. Mamma, Marne, and Kmneric. The reticulation of the Upper H* for a water service is steadily progressing. In a report to tho Town Board on Monday evening the engineer (Mr Laiug-Meason) stated that the work was expected to be completed before tho end of tho year. A district order states that tho Director of Equipment and Stores advises that the supply of arms for issue on .payment to rifle clubs is exhausted, .and none can bo issued until a supply (now under order) comes to hand from England. According to a Parliamentary re tarn, the capital cost of public slottelephones in use on September 30th, 1913, was £3448 12s 3d, and the total amount received from such telephone* •from Juno Ist, 1912, to Juno 30th, 1913, was £1499 19s 2d. Tho ceremony of laying the founda-Vtion-stone of tho infant department of the new training college and normal school at Kelhurnc has been definitely fixed for tho afternoon of Tuesday next. The Hon. J. Allen, Minister fur Education, will lay tho stone. The Upper Hutt Town Board fits, instructed tho clerk to make arrangements with tho Public Trustee for funds to bo lodged in a special account, immediately upon receipt of certificates of progress payments from the engineer in charge of the waterworks installation. On behalf of tho four Chinese who wore convicted and fined on Monday at the Magistrate’s Court for being the occupiers of common gaming houses, application was made at the Court yesterday by their solicitor, Mr R. Watson, that tho money paid in for bailment should be returned to the Chinaman who paid it in. The Magistrate (Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M.) held that tho money might be distrained on to satisfy the fines. The following subscriptions have been received recently by the secretary of tho Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Mrs Rawson and Mr C. Smith (To Aro House), £1 Is each; Kirkpatrick and Co., Gaudin and Son, Dr R. A. Cameron, Mrs T. Young, and Union Clothing Company, 5s each; Mesdames James, Langton, and Mills, Miss Crawford, Mr J. M. Campbell and Fx’iend, 2s 6d each; total, £3 19s 6d. “During three and a half years of married' life I’ve never come homo drunk yet,” a defendant advanced whoa giving evidence in a maintenance case at tho Magistrate's Court in Wanganui. “She doesn’t allege you have,” said the Magistrate. “I thought she did,” the defendant explained. The Magistrate said that defendant’s statement referred to a negative virtue. “It’s no credit to a man not to got drunk, but it’s a disgrace to a man to get drunk.’

In a letter to the Minister for Railways, Mr B. Simpson, general secretary of the Wellington Manual Lmployees’ Union, draws attention to what he describes as the lack of fair conditions under which men are employed at Kaiwarra. He specially complains that there is no decent accommodation whore the men may take their meals and no conveniences for washing. The state of affairs is referred to as “disgusting.” The Minister is urged to see that the State employees are treated at least as well as men working for private people. London papers state that the retailers of the cheaper forms of margarine aro working on a profit so small that an immediate increase is said to be almost inevitable. Tho reason given is the increase in the price of raw materials used in tho manufacture of margarine. “Up to a few y<jars ago,’* says one authority, “there was plenty of animal fat for the trade. Then it began to get scarce, .forcing tho manufacturers to experiment with vegetable fats, with more or less success. Now there is so great a demand for tho product that the price of tho raw materials has increased enormously Notice has been given by Councillor McKenzie to submit the following motion at the next meeting of the Utj Council:—“(1) That tho survey of tho town belt and botanical gardens, authorised. by resolution of tho council dated June Ist and 15th, 1911, be proceeded with iwithin six months; <2) That in connection with such survey a detailed plan be prepared showing: (a) The areas suitable for public playfug grounds; (b) tho aroas suitable for leasing to private dobs; (c) the areas suitable for planting; (d) the aroaa suitable for grazing leases er for gardon purposes; and (o) tho streets and paths to he laid out on tho town. (3) That a report be prepared showing how the matters shown on the plan are to be worked out in detail.” Consideration was given by the Web lington branch of the Seamen’s Union on Monday evening to a report that two of its members had accepted positions on a local ship through a person who was not legally authorised to procure or engage seamen. The union decided to report the matter to the Marino Department, and to again ask that the man engaging this labour b« prosecuted. It was also agreed that in future any member of the union found guilty of accepting an engagement on a ship from any person other than an officer, superintendent, or owner, be fined £5 and suspended until such fine is paid. The two men concerned will appear before the union at its next meeting, and in the meantime circulars will be sent out to all ships setting, forth the penalty decided on for similar breaches of the rules. The self-denial appeal of the Salvation Army will close in the course of a few days, and a declaration of tho returns from the various corps will bo made at a united gathering to be held in tho Vivian street Citadel on Monday evening next. There is reason to believe that the results will prove eminently, satisfactory to tho authorities. The cadets who wert temporarily drafted to tho various corps acquitted themselves very creditably in the matter of collecting, and their efforts have helped to considerably swell the aggregate sum. Tne Army officers who have negotiated the back-block districts have invariably been very hospitably received, and have met with much practical encouragement from tho largo holder#, and the ordinary workers. In fact, inquiries made by a “Times” representative yesterday go to show that throughout the country the public have evinced a warm-hearted interest in tho operations of the,-Army, which augurs well for future developments. The latest modes in hairdressing cessories from London and Paris may bo seen at Mrs Eolleston’s. Fresh supplies are imported regularly. Ladies should note the address: 256, Lambton quay, ■