NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8736, 19 May 1914, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

On Monday fortnight. June Bth, the council of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce will meet in committee to consider an amendment of the Bankruptcy Act and the Companies Act. The committee will include the legal members of the chamber. At the same meeting, remits for tho local bodies’ conference will b© considered.

Ohakuno must he quite a lively ■place to live in whjlst road improvements are proceeding. In one street tho other day a party of borough workmen put a charge of gelignite under a stump, which, when the explosion took place, was hurled bodily into tho air, and landed on the roof of a cottage. It went right through tho roof, and put a hole through the ceiling of one of the rooms, where it stuck. The occupants of ‘ihe house were at homo at tho time, but fortunately escaped unhurt.

The employers of labour on the waterfront recently requested all the men who joined the new Wharf Labourers’ Union before December 9th, and are still members of the union to produce ‘proof of their membership, with the object of their being afforded a further means of securing priority of engagement. Up till yesterday, 320 members had responded, and Mr Dodd, tho secretary of employers’ inquiry committee, anticipates that there will be a large increase in tho number before the list is finally closed in a day or two.

Every cadet company in Wellington may bo distinguished by its colours, which usually take the form of a hat band. The colours for tho senior cadet companies in the city and suburbs have now been definitely decided upon and registered. They are as follows; —St. Patrick’s College, navy blue hand, with narrow white edges, and College badge, in white, on front; Wellington College, old gold, black; St. Anne’s, red, yellow, red; St. James’s, maroon, white, maroon; ffilbirnie, red, blue, red; Brooklyn, red, white, black; Newtown, red, white red; St. Thomas’s, red, white, red; Thorndon, gold, blue, gold; Karori, black. whitei black; Johnsonville, cerise, blue; Post and Telegraph, navy blue, gold, navy blue; Petono Technical School, dark blue, light blue, dark blue; Petone, khaki and red; Upper Hutt, green and white; Lower Hutt, navy blue, saxe blue, navy blue; V ellington Y.M.C.A., black, red, black, with twisted yellow cord round bottom; Wellington Boy Scouts, green band, with narrow red, yellow, red lines; W’cllington Boys’ Institute, yellow and red; Wellington Technical School, black band., with narrow gold line in centre; Amokura, naval uniform. The various companies will wear their colours for tho first time at a brigade parade nest Saturday.,

General Sir lan Hamilton is to bo tendered a public welcome at the Town Hall on Friday next, at -1 j>.m. Dr Purdy, at a conference at Petcne last night, said it was admitted that Wellington was the healthiest city in New Zealand, and the Hint Valley the healthiest part of tho district.

The Board’s monthly meeting, which was fixed for Tuesday next, will he held next Friday afternoon instead. This will ,bo the last time that Mr R.'Lee will preside at a meeting of the board. AVhatever improvement may take place in the weather to-day can only be regarded as temporary, as tho Dominion Meteorologist declares that there is more wind and rain to follow shortly. There may be a brief lull in the winds, but by to-morrow evening the conditions will be very unsettled again.

A wharf labourer named Charles Smith, a married man, forty-eight years of age, residing at 0, Oxford terrace, was stacking bales of kapok ex the Aparima at bo. 2 shed, Jervois quay, at 3.15 p.m. yesterday, when a tier of kapok fell, and knocked him down, fracturing his right thigh. Dr Faulke attended the injured man, who was subsequently taken to the hospital.

The. Commonwealth. PosimasterGeneral has announced that there are to be no more one penny steel-en-graved stamps. Philatelists, therefore, have cause, for rejoicing. Already a million of these stamps have been placed in circulation. A worldwide protest was made hy tho philatelists when a second million was issued. Mr Wynne has decided that in future only the 2Jd, 6d, and Is stamps will bo produced from steel-engraved plates. Other varieties will be printed by the electrotype process. A petition has been sent to the City Council by residents of Hill street protesting against the proposal to construct a branch lino of tramway from Molesworth street to Tinakpri road via Hill street. As this is purely a residential street, they say, the noise and dust which would bo caused by the proposed tram would be a great nuisance to the people living there. They object to the proposal to lay a double line of tram rails in the street, as if is too narrow, and they are opposed to the expense (estimated at £10,000) for such a small length of line. Australian manufactures to-day axe, according to the president of the New South Wales Chamber of Manufactures (Mr Praften), in something of the position of little Willie, who got lost. “Well, well, it will bo all right,” said a sympathetic neighbour to his sorrowing mother; “everybody in the neighbourhood knows him.” “Oh, nobody will know him to-day,” his mother answered, “because I’ve just washed him!” (Laughter.) The mud and dirt of prejudice (Mr Flatten continued) that used to begrime local productions were rapidly being washed off, and they were proud to say that everybody knew Australian manufacture now.

Local yachtsmen are much exercised in their minds over the decision in tbe Pilot-Atalanta collision case. It is believed in some quarters that the verdict, placing most of the blame on the Atalanta for failing to keep a proper look-out, upheld the contention of counsel for the Pilot’s master that an Order-in-Oouncil. of . 1909, stating -that it is the duty of yachts, launches and small vessels to keep out of-the way of larger vessels in a fairway, applied to Wellington harbour. The court gave no definition of tho word “fairway,” which might be either the course from wharf to harbour mouth only, or else that and also any course from wharf t,, wharf. There is some talk of a deputation waiting on the Minister for Marine to ask,him to define the mean, ing of “fairway,” so that local amatem sailors may know where they are., At present many believe that in all cases the rule of the open sea prevails, that steam should always give way to sail. Victoria is at present devoting a deal of attention 'on the teaching of domestic economy in all its branches, in the girls’ colleges and schools. Mr Frank Tate, Director of Education in Victoria, stated last week that in addition to tho College of Domestic Economy, there was a hostel where 30 girls could be accommodated as residents for a two years’ course. They were granted each a Government allowance on which they were required to conduct the place, just as they would conduct a home on a salary. The allowance was. with the practice of economy, sufficient and to spare. A special, feature of college training in domestic economy was what was known os the “engagement ring.” This was a separate class, comprised solely of girls who were contemplating early marriage; hence its title. An engagement ring was a qualification for entry into this select little circle. The idea had become very popular, and some good work was being done. Girls were taught not only how to become good housewives in the- matter of everday work, and the art of making tho most out of every penny spent, but, under medical supervision, they were instructed in the principles of hygiene, as affected the person and the home.

The annual meeting of tho Wellington District Hotel, Club and Restaurant Workers’ Union was held in the Trades Hall last night, Mr M. Craig presiding. Til© ©lection of tbo council for the ensuing year resulted in the return (unopposed) of all the retiring officers, with the exception of three, who had left the district, these vacaaicies being filled by the unopposed return of three other local members. The report and balance-sheet showed that during the half-year 533 new members, bad been admited, and that total was made up as follows;—Wellington; 146 males, 64 females, and 6S on clearances; Hastings: 23 males, 42 females, and 22 on clearances; Palmerston. 34 males, 29 females, and 27 on clearances; Wanganui; 29 males, 29 females, and 30 on clearances. The receipts during the six months in weekly subscriptions from the branches of the Wellington union totalled £383 odd. The expenses were exceptionally heavy, mainly on account of the cases for awards that had been commenced and were in progress, and roughly £IOO had been expended in this direction. The period, however, finished with about £95 cash in hand. The officers, in returning thanks for their election, spoke hopefully of the now award that had to be obtained in the country districts. Mr E. J. Oarey stated that this was the fifteenth occasion on which he had been elected secretary of the union unopposed, and he was especially gratified this time, because of the fact that while nominations had been invited by circular over the whole membership of the union no opposition to his ©lecttion had been offered. This he took ns a mark of the general confidence of members in his work.

The mails which loft Wellington on April Otli per s.s. Maunganui, and connected with the Naples dispatch per lt.il S. Orsova, arrived in London on tho 16th inst.

Australian mails only are being brought to Wellington by the AVillochra, which left Sydney on Saturday, and is due here to-morrow morning.

The following vessels are expected to bo within wireless range of Wellington this evening:—Victoria. Maori, Wahine, Willochra, Tahiti, W.arrimoo, and Aparima. One of the most important items for consideration at Thursday's meeting of tho Hospital Board is tho medical superintendent’s report on venereal diseases, which was laid before members at the meeting last month. “When I entered Parliament in 1894,” said the Right Hon. W. !•'. Massey at the farewell gathering to' Mr J. Strauchon, of the Lands Department, last evening, “people said I had the blush of innocence on my cheek. (Laughter.) Now they say I have the cheek without the innocence.” (Laughter.) The Manchester Private Hotel, which was destroyed by fire on Sunday morning, was built by Mr G. U. Peers, and was sold to Messrs Kingdon Bros. A mortgage for £BOOO, which was taken as part of the purchase money, was purchased by tho late Mr Robert Stains, and fell ip in 1910. The place thus became his property, and is now vested in the Stains Estate Trustees.' Tho building was insured in the Commercial Union office for £ISOO. The Minister for Defence (Hon. J. Allen) said-yesterday that he was well pleased at tho progress made by the ieimcrials towards efficiency, as evidenced at the recent encampments. Tho cost of these, ho added, would be more than last year, for the reason .that more men were under training. Against that, however, was tho fact that the cost of feeding had not increased in proportion to the numbers, it being cheaper in proportion to feed a large than a small number of troops. The fact that the Army Service Corps Was now in practically full working order, had enabled the department to effect considerable economies. At noon on Friday next, Victoria College students will leave St. Peter’s schoolropm, garbed in fantastic fashion, for their annual procession through the streets of the city. They will proceed via Ghuznee street, Cuba street. Manners street, Willis street, and Lambton quay to: tho Government Buildings ; thence along Fcatherston street to the Post Office square, where a few short speeches will he delivered. Tho procession will then return to St. Peter’s, via Customhouse quay and Willis street. There will also be much entertainment afforded by the students in the Town Hall in the evening.

The Hon. J. Allen, Minister for Defence, stated yesterday that a crew had been obtained for H.M.S. Philomel from the present crews of the Philomel, Psyche and Pjrramns. The Philomel is to bo handed over to the New Zealand Government in July, Mr Allen stated that already, although no. formal request had been made, a considerable number of applications had been received from young men desirous of entering on a period of training, both as officers and seamen, and there appeared to be every, prospect of tho Philomel entering on her now career as a training ship for the navy under tho most auspicious conditions. Tho following figures, supplied by the Dairy Commissioner (Mr D. Cuddie). show tho quantity of butter in cool store at the various ports throughout the Dominion on May 15th, 19X4, as compared with quantities held at corresponding periods of the past two years :—Auckland, 32,757 boxes; New Plymouth, 13,030; Patea. 1241; Wanganui, 2536; Wellington, 33,426, Lyttelton, 4208; Dunedin. 3076; total, 90,274; total on May 15th, 1913, 60.814; total on May 15th, 1912, 60,115. The increased supplies of butter available for distribution this May loth are 20,460 boxes more than last year and 30,159 boxes more than for the like period of 1912. Yesterday afternoon Mr W. G. Riddell (district coroner) held an inquest concerning the death of Maggie Gibson, who expired suddenly at her residence in Hawkestone stieet on Sunday afternoon. Dr Pyffe, who conducted a postmortem examination, said that death was caused through effusion of fluid on tho left pleura, probably due to tubercular disease of the loft lung. Death could have been averted by having this fluid removed by a doctor. Maud Turner, a neighbour of deceased, said she saw her last at about half-past 10 o’clock on Saturday morning. The deceased said she had pains in her chest arid felt very ill. Witness then asked her if she wanted to see a doctor, but deceased stated she would wait until Mr Smith came home. Witness then gave her some brandy, which brought relief. Hons Rasmussen Smith, wharf labourer, said that deceased, who had been living with him for tho last seven years as his wife, suffered occasionally from bad pains in her chest. On Saturday morning she had complained of the pains being more acute than-usual, and asked him to get some gin and peppermint. He did so, and it seemed to ease her. He again gave her a similar drink upon her complaining of the pains on Sunday morning. Tho last time he saw deceased alive was about 4 o’clock on Sunday afternoon. He then went into the kitchen, and on his return to tho bedroom at about 6 o’clock ho found her dead. In returning a verdict that death was due to syncope, the coroner remarked that if the fluid mentioned in the evidence had been removed her death would have been avoided. Prom the evidence it was clear to him (tho coroner) that a doctor should have been called to see the deceased.

Musical and dramatic performances aro sometimes brought to an unexpected and abrupt end by unlooked-for circumstances. Recently a large nightmoth, by interrupting an electric circuit, was the cause of a London picture theatre suspending its sessions. Two or throe days ago the tragic death of Mr Walter Dagleish in a West Australian theatre while in the midst of & performance resulted in the sudden termination of a play. It was nothing tragic that prevented Mr Bernard F. Pago, tho city organist, from finishing the programme of his recital Last Saturday night, but it was something extremely uncomfortable. After several selections had been given the wintry cold was so intense that the continued contact with the ivory keys rendered the organist’s fingers numbed and motionless, and Mr Page’s original intention of playing every item on tho programme was perforce abandoned.

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