NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8655, 13 February 1914, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Taranaki Letterpress, Lithographers, and Machinists’ Industrial Union of Workers has given notice of the cancellation of its registration under the Arbitration Act.

As work has been begun upon the installation of the tramway loop near to Newtown Park, it is hoped to have the extension, to the park gates ready for use by Easter, when the Citizens’ Carnival will be held.

The raid made by the police on Wednesday evening on a house in Haining street led to the appearance in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday of Ah Lum and Wong Ling. The former was charged with assisting in the management of a lottery, and the latter with being the occupier of premises which he used as. a common , gaming house. The defendants, who were represented by Mr J.. F. W. Dickson, pleaded not guilty. On the application of counsel the men were remanded till to-day week, bail being allowed ;n the sum of £SO each. The old common belief amongst parents that children must at some time have an attack of certain inf actions diseases,, and that the sooner the infection comes plong the better, was referred to by Dr 0. Savill Willis, principal ’ medical officer to the Department of Public Instruction in New South Wales, in a paper read before the public health section of the Australasian Medical Congress.. As a consequence of this belief, he said, mothers w'ere accustomed to purposely expose their children to infections. “In these i days,” he added, “this is not done, as mothers know that it is not necessary for a child to have measles, scarlet fever, etc.; consequently more children now reach the school age who are still susceptible to the various infectious diseases.”

After considerable delay the Labour Department is now about to proceed with the, erection of workers’ dwellings on the Taitville block, and a meeting of the board will be held next week to allot the sections. For a long time the scheme has been hung up in consequence of difficulties over the construction of a road, which is now, however, practically completed. Authority has also been given for the erection of a number of dwellings in various other parts of New Zealand, and arrangements are being made by the department to hold meetings of the boards in each town selected in the same way as in Wellington. Among the towns chosen for the erection of dwellings is Patea ; and a meeting of the board there will be held on Thursday.

The February number of the "Review of Reviews” contains many articles of special interest. In “Can Radium Cure Cancerp” Dr Howard A. Kelly, of John Hopkins University, tells what radium has done in conquering this fell disease, and what its limitations are. Possessed of a whole gram of the precious cieiiient- tnero are only thirtynine other grams in the hands of scientists—Dr Kelly has been able to carry out a series of vitally interesting experiments. The, views of prominent writers are given on the Home Rule question. M.M.B. gives a short account of Harry Lauder, who will soon reach those shores. The Character Sketch gives some intimate particulars about the late_ Lord Strathcona. The serious condition of Federal:; finance is the subject of an article in which the editor points out that a deficit of £5,000,000 may bo expected next year. Mr Sherwoll, M.P., who recently visited Australia, gives his impressions, dilating on the enormous advance since ho was last here. The conspicuous need of Australia, he says, is, of course, population. The same note is struck by Mr Stead, in a special 'article on immigration.

There is a proposal before the City Council at, present to increase the sources from which the water supply of Wellington is drawn. The Mayor yesterday stated that the city engineer had made a suggestion to him that the council should approach the Government with a view to having the Orongorongo forest reserve vested in the corporation as a catchment area for the extension of the city’s water supply in the future. “ Though our water supply is sufficient for a long time to come,” said Mr Luke, “we must, nevertheless, look to the future, when the demands of a very much larger Wellington with a ring of suburbs will necessitate additions to our present sources of water. The suggestion of the engineer is that when the forest reserve is added as a catchment area to that now part and parcel of the Wainui scheme, a tunnel should be driven through the dividing range to tap the Orongorongo stream. Mr Morton thinks that the work might be very economically carried out by continuous work spread over a term of years, as there is no need for haste in the constructive part of the work. It is not improbable that a flying survey will be taken as soon as an officer can be spared, and the city engineer will then be able to furnish the council with a report on the matter and estimates as to cost end time required. It is hoped that the Government will see its way to help the corporation in regard to a transference of the reserve.”

The Native Land Court will sit at Hastings on February 17tli, and at Wanganui on February 23rd. A passenger who arrived at Wellington by the Ruapehu on Tuesday is suffering from delusions, and is being detained under medical surveillance. The mails which left Wellington on January 3th, per R.M.S. Tahiti, arrived iii London via San Francisco on tlie 11th inst., three days behind contract time.

A loud clanging of the fire alarm startled the residents of Miramar at about 8.25 p.m. last night, but the outbreak 'proved to be nothing more serious than a gorse fire in a paddock adjoining the Miramar golf links. The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Riveriua, which sailed from Sydney on Wednesday for Auckland, has on board Australian mails only. The Wellington portion is due per Main Trunk express on Monday next. The civil cases dealt with in the Magistrate’s Court of the four principal centres last year totalled up as follows: Auckland, cases_ 4201, amount recovered £43,863; Wellington, 3189, £41,744; Christchurch, 2969, £30,444; Dunedin, 2418, £20,237. The Arbitration Court will probably sit in Wellington under its new President, Mr Justice Stringer, on March 3rd. The list so far includes three disputes, four compensation cases, and various applications, such as motions to add parties to awards, and the like. A novelty in the way of a bloom decorated the luncheon table at the Lower Hutt bowling pavilion yesterday. The flower was a Lillium Nepalenso, grown by Mr Hardy, of Lower Hutt, and besides its beauty and distinctive features is unique to the extent that the bulb has never previously been known to bloom in New Zealand.

“I am very 'sorry,” said th® Chief Justice in the Supreme Court yesterday, when it Was announced that, the jury were unable to agree in the case of Edward Hunter on a charge of sedition. “I am afraid,” His Honour added, “that in this class o.f case, we will have to get some alteration of the. law. That is for the Legislature to see to.”

At the meeting of the Petono Borough Council next Tuesday, Councillor Forsyth will move: “ That the order for bluegum timber from Australia be cancelled and that a- suitable New Zealand timber ho procured at oho© tor timbering in sewerage works. the extension of Richmond street into Islington street be proceeded with at once.”

A resident of Hawke’s Bay is so impressed with the value of radium as a curative agency that he has donated £IOOO to the fund being raised at Palmerston to establish a-i radium, institute (states a Press Association telegram from Palmerston North). Already £IOOO has been raised locally, and it is expected large additional sums alii be forthcoming immediately. The Hospital Board yesterday enthusiastically decided to assist the movement, and will circularise the whole of the North Island with an appeal for funds. Yesterday, in the Magistrate’s Court, Wallace Herbert Stewart, motor agent, sought to recover from Alfred lugs, motor dealer, the possession of a »umher of car, accessories, valued at £lo, or, in the alternative, judgment for the sum of £lO. Defendant counterclaimed fir £lO, an amount alleged to have been due by plaintiff to'him, and for £5 upon an 1.0. U. After hearing argument, the magistrate (Mr Riddell) said that judgment must be for the defendant on the claim, and for plaintiff on the counterclaim. Mr A. Dunn appeared for the defendant, and Mr H. Hill for the plaintiff. . * The date' for the hearing of the sedition charge against William Thomas Young is not definitely fixed. ' The Supreme Court will proceed to-day with the hearing of the ordinary criminal cases. The order of charges for the remainder of this week is as follows : —Frank Collins, theft from the person; Bernard Smith, alias Haulsten, attempted carnal knowledge, Charles Vivian Portcous, theft; Thomas Coffey, attempted to carnally know; Jean Millard, false pretences; David Menzies, alias Breen, attempted carnal knowledge and attempted unnatural offence.. The case of Ellen Margaret Seymour, charged with murder, is sot down for Monday.' The recent rearrangement made by the Union. Company in the steamer service between Auckland and Tonga was condemned at this week’s meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board, and a resolution was carried asking the company to reconsider the matter. Reference to the serious effect the change would have in the trade between Auckland and . Tonga was contained in a letter from the Premier of Tonga. The chairman considered that the board should, take cognisance of the matter, especially as the by-laws had recently been amended to encourage the island transhipment trade, which was being deflected to Sydney, and the suspension of the steamer service would ruin the trade entirely and almost totally destroy the valuable import trade that for many years had been carried on with Auckland.

“Strikes should not be illegal if is no broken contract, 5 * said til© Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) yesterday, when summing up in the case of Hunter. charged with sedition. ‘A roan need not work,” His Honour continued; ‘“there is no law to compel him to ’ as long as there is no contract in the way. Similarly, an employer may say he will not employ a man. It is a principle of freedom that a man is allowed to work when and where ho pleases. If you say, *W© will not' allow a man to work unless wo ap» prove of it,’ that is tyranny—it is equally tyranny whether an employer or a trade union is concerned. There are any number of grievances in the; world, and the world is not likely to remedy them by violence. Those who resort to violence will reap violence, and in the end will not achieve anything.”

The executive of the 'Wharf Labourers’ Union, replying to the most rerecent requisition for a meeting, states “that in view of the disorderly nature of the meeting held last Saturday they are convinced that at the present time it is impossible to obtain a meeting of the union at which matters brought forward can receive proper attention, and the discussion of business fairly transacted, or at which members can express their views or record their votes without being subjected to intimidation or molestation. As soon as the executive can he reasonably satisfied that the unruly members of the union who are in the habit of attending meetings are prepared to behave themselves in a reasonable and proper manner they intend to call meetings at regular intervals in order that all members may have an opportunity of. voicing their sentiments and taking part in the transaction of business."

Regulations under the Beer Duty Acts are published in last night’s “Gazette.”

The number of Chinese in New Zealand at the end of bisk year was estimated at 2516, .including 112 females. The Napier Borough Council has arranged with .the A.M.P. Society to taka up an old £115,000 loan, falling duo shortly, at 5 per cent., a Press Association telegram reports. . It is notified in the “Gazal-to" this week that in 1915 the.ro will only bo four New Zealand cadetships to compete for at the Royal Military Colleger of Australia.

For the supply of motor-’buscs to the tramway department, a number of tenders have been received by ilia City Council. They Will ho considered by the tramways committee on Monday afternoon.

The persons committed from the Sing-' istrates’ Courts of New Zealand last year tor trial numbered 584 males and 19 females; those committed for sentence were 347 males and four females. Summary convictions totalled 37,279 and 2406 respectively. It is the intention of Oounoilloil Townsend to move at Tuesday night’* meeting of tho Pctonc Borough Council “That all minutes relating to lotting or leasing the recreation ground for football purposes be rescinded and that steps he taken to accommodate both . Rugby and Leagud upon the recreation ground proper.” Yesterday a little hoy named Bgo, aged five years, and a son of Mr Loo, fruiterer, Adelaide road, was playing near the Caledonian Hotel, when ho ran out into into the roadway and was knocked down by a motor-car. The boy, who sustained some nasty cuts and bruises, was removed to the hospital, where late last evening he was reported to be progressing satisfactorily.

A meeting of the Hospital Committee of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held yesterday afternoon, when there were present: —Messrs J. ’Smith (chairman), H. Baldwin, D. Robertson, W. Freeman, D.’ Campbell, G. Petheriok, the Revs. Van StavCren and J. Kennedy Elliott. Thai committee decided to recommend that the report of the medical superintendent, giving the duties of the tuberculosis officer, be adopted, also; that ho be authorised to make arrangements for Mr Marshall, of Dunedin, to enter the hospital for a few months ns_ senior medical student. The resignations of Doctors Fraser and Mathieson were ac< eeptod with regret. The Inspector of awards (Mr R. T» Bailey) proceeded against H. Fisher, baker, of Newtown, in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, for n penalty of £lO for an alleged breach of the Wellington bakers and t pastrycooks’ award, in that he paid 11. Taylor at less than the award rate., Mr J. J. McGrath appeared for the defendant, and stated that Taylor whs out or work,when Fisher, more for charity’s sake than anything else, employed him as a bakers’ labourer at la an hour. Counsel contended that the breach was but a light one, and that a nominal penalty would meet the case. The magistrate imposed a penalty of 20s. The inspector also claimed £2. from H. Taylor for failing to ask for the award rate. Judgment was 1 for 10s. With reference to the statistical information bearing on the cost of living which the Department of, Labour, in co-operation with the Dominion Statistical Department, is collecting in the four centres, Mr J. R. Fraser, of the Department of.Labour, hhs been in Christchurch for the past,week interviewing a number of business men, and is still engaged in inquiring into matters relative to the wholesale and retail prices of comodi tics. ! The idea is to obtain statistics on the subject on the lines followed in Australia, provided that similar data exist here. It is" proposed to collect the information monthly, after the first step has been completed, and to "publish the results in the “Journal of the Department of Labour.” The information will ni"ko it possible to follow the, fluctuations i” the prices of commodities. 1 The earthquake on Sunday was very pronounced locally, says a Stratford, correspondent. A good joke is being told against a visitor to the town. He accompanied his friends to church, though he announced that InS reappearance in the sacred edifice after an absence of so many years would probably bring the church down. When the earth trembled and the building rocked, he remembered his jest and wondered. A somewhat similar story is told of a visitor to Wellington, who was being shown by a friend the principal places of interest around the city. The two were standing in the Bolton street cemetery, viewing the monument to the memory of the late Mr Seddon, the local man descanting upon the many good qualities of the late Premier and of the wonderful command he had over men. Suddenly the railings around the monument began to rock, and both men realised instinctively that an earthquake was In progress. “Well,” observed the visitor, after the tremor was over, “he might have had wonderful command over men, but he didn’t have much command over that.”