NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8739, 22 May 1914, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Yesterday afternoon Detective Abbott apprehended an elderly man on a charge of obtaining food and lodgings under false pretences. Detective J. Dempsey also effected an arrest, a young man being taken into custody on a charge of stealing a clock. Both will appear in the Magistrate’s Court this morning.

The Marine and Inspection of Machinery Departments have been amalgamated. This is in. accordance with instructions by the Public /Service Commissioner, who considers that the amalgamation will result in economy and more effectual working. The combined departments are under the control of Mr G. Allport, Secretary of Marine. Mr R. Duncan retains the position of Chief Inspector of Machinery.

“The Scandinavian missionary officers have been warmly welcomed to Japan,” is the latest information re ceived at the International Headquarters of the Salvation Army, Wellington. Colonel Yamamuro. the chief secretary, - states that a, great crowd of people attended ■ the first demonstration in which they took part in Tokio. Ho also points out that the sanatorium scheme to provide a hospital for consumptives in the city proceeds apace, and that the organisation is helpin'' over 3000 people each day in the famine-stricken portions of the country.

A fraternal disagreement over a dairy herd upon a farm was 'ventilated in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr W. G. Riddell, B.M. The parties were George William Burrell and Ernest Edward Burrell, farmer both of Upper Hutt. It appeared that the former leased a farm to the latter for a period of five years, a condition of the lease being that the herd and the farm must' be handed back ‘ in the sam© good condition as they were on the signing of the lease. The plaintiff alleged that during the currency of the lease the farm and cattle had suffered depreciation to the extent of £143 Is, and he accordingly claimed that amount. Mr T. C. A. Hislop appeared for the plaintiff and Mr W. A. Blair for defendant. After hearing evidence, the case was adjourned till to-day. Mr' D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., held an 'inquiry yesterday afternoon into the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of -Frederick Knudsen (a seaman) while working on the steamer Eapuni on Wednesday. Senior-Ser-geant MuUaney appeared for* the police, and Mr E. K. Kirkoaldie .watched proceedings on behalf of the owners of the vessel. Dr Kington Fyffe, who conducted the post-mortem examination, said that death was due to haemorrhage from the lungs, and ••(d tubercular disease. Evidence given by members of the Kapuni’s crew was to the effect that deceased was noticed vomiting blood over the side of the vessel. He was laid on the deck, where he coughed several times, bringing up blood. His shipmates thought he died immediately the coughing ceased. Captain Mclntosh said that deceased, who was ahoir. thirty-six years of age, was a native of Sweden, and had no relations in Now Zealand. He had been out here nearly eight years and had been employed on the Kapuni for twelve months, during which time he hod enjoyed pood health. The verdict tto* in accordance with the medical evidence, that death was due to haemorrhage of the lungs. In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., the Inspector of Awards (Mr R. T. Bailey) proceeded against B. Ellis, tailor, Featherston street, for the recovery of three penalties of £lO each for breaches of the Wellington tailoresses’ award. The charges were that (1) during the period January to March, 1914, the defendant employed an excessive number of apprentices contrary to the provisions of the award; (2) during the period November, 1913, to March, 1914, the defendant failed to pay a tailoress the award rate of wages; (3) during the period December, 1913, to January. 1914, the defendant failed to pay four tailoresses the award rate of wages. Air H. E. O’Leary, who appeared for the defendant, admitted the breaches, and pleaded ignorance of the conditions of the award. With reference to the employment of on excessive number of apprentices, counsel explained that his client was unable to obtain the required number of journeymen and women, so he employed apprentices. In regard to the failure to pay the full award late of wages, counsel said that Ellis had deducted sums from the wages of certain tailoresses who had failed to put in an appearance at work on several occasions. His Worship took the first two breaches as one, and gave judgment for £9, and on tiio third he gave judgment for 10s.

The sum of £1 has been received by the Railway Department as “conscience money ” from some person unknown. Postal packages addressed to 6G, Hornley road, Peckham, London, will not be forwarded through the Post Office. The charitable aid committee of the Wellington Hospital Board will ho thankful for donations' of coal from the benevolently-disposed for the benefit of those who are unable to provide themselves or their families with a sufficiency of fuel during the winter.

The fire brigade was called to two chimney fires last evening. Tho firsx call was to a place in Willis street at i. 15 o’clock, and the second was to a muse in Lawrence street at 6.15. Only /cry small damage was done in each ’nstance.

The following message was received it Awanui wireless station at 8.30 last ;vening:—“Tutanekai’s position, 8 0.m.; Lat. 24deg ulmin 8., long. IGS degrees ,W. Weather, light W.S.W. vind, moderate sea, overcast. Barometer, 29.72; thermometer, 75de.g. She expects to arrive at Rarotonga in hirty-six hours.” At the Miramar Borough Council meeting last night, the Mayor (Mr T. Townsend) said it had been the work of the council to beautify the suburb as much as possible. It would, ho added, surprise a good many councillors from other boroughs to see the town-planning and other work which had been done to make the place a picture borough. An additional regulation, dealing ,dth admission to tho Public Service, has been made by the Commissioner. Vo regulation, 155 has been added the following sentence: —“Should a pass in any other examination, scientific or otherwise, bo accepted in lieu of the .Public Service entrance examination or Public Service senior examination, as a qualification for admission to any special department or departments, such examination shall not be regarded as qualifying for transfer to any other department.” A scene of a very different nature from that of the preceding evening marked the departure of tho southern boat last night. Wednesday was all that could be desired, for travelling, and in consequence there was a heavy passenger list. Last night was one of the wildest—if not the wildestexperienced on the local wharves this winter, and as was to be expected, travellers crossing the gangway were very , few and far between. They could not have exceeded a couple of score. The scene at the Heads was reported to be awe-inspiring. Racing motmuains of water were lashed by the fury of the gale into a boiling cauldron, and in this the Maori received a terrible “dusting.” The Victoria, which left port at 6.45 p.m. for Lyttelton, had by 9.45 only got eight miles off, a fact which speaks much louder than words of the weather prevailing. The officers of the Tahiti, which arrived at Wellington early yesterday morning from San Francisco, report that a trimmer, Leslie Macpherson, met with a fatal accident during the outward voyage to the Californian port. Macpherson was working in the bunker at 7 o’clock on April Ist, as the liner was approaching Rarotonga, when a quantity of coal suddenly overwhelmed him. Tho man was promptly extricated, but it was apparent that his injuries were serious. Everything possible was done by the ship’s surgeon for Macpherson, who was found to be suffering from a fractured skull, but he succumbed at 1 p.m. A couple of hours later the body was taken ashore at Rarotonga in a lighter and was accompanied by tho firemen and trimmers. Arrangements were made for the interment, which took place on the day after the vessel had resumed her voyage. Deceased, who was about jvventy-six years of age, joined the vessel on her last visit to Sydney.

The formation of a drum and life band for the senior cadets of Welling ton is almost accomplished, but the movement is in need of financial assistance. A recent appeal met with ittle response from the citizens, in marked contrast to those of the other large centres, in every one of which there are one or more cadet bands. No grant from the Government is available for the purpose, and as considerable financial assistance is needed to make the movement a success, the co-operation of the public is once more being sought. The territorial regiments already have their bands, and there is no doubt that a cadet bond such as is now proposed will greatly assist the training and will tend to make the cadets take a greater interest in their work. The following have generously subscribed to the fund;— The Hons. R. H. Rhodes, J. Allen, W. H. Herries, W. Fraser, and F. M. B. Fisher. The publip who attend tie review of the senior cadets by General Sir lan Hamilton at Newtown Park to-morrow afternoon will have an opportunity of showing their sympathy with the movement in a practical manner, as collection boxes for the band funds will Be placed at the entrance gates and other places in Newtown Park. It is hoped the response will be a generous one, so that Oie band may soon be an accomplished fact.

Tho Kapuni “incident” on Wednesday night had its sequel in the Magstrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr 0. G. A. Cooper, S.M., when Michael Oullopy, Thomas Holland, and Thomas Graham were charged that, being duly articled seamen on the steamer, they without reasonable cause failed to proceed to sea in the ship when ordered to do 8° by the master. The accused pleaded guilty. Mr K. Kirkcaldie appeared for the shipping company, and n addressing the court said that according to the section of the Act under which the men were charged they could only forfeit two days’ pay. The company had suffered considerable loss by the failure of the men to turn to. The Kapnni was ready to leave on Friday, but bad weather deterred her till Wednesday, when an attempt was made to go to sea. Shortly after noon the vessel oast off, but put back owing to a casualty on board. When an attempt was made to leave again the men declined duty. It was essential that the boat should go that day to get to Patea and back with a load of dairy produce by Friday for the Corinthic, which was sailing for London that day. Tho Kapuni, on account of the men’s refusal, was still in port, and the company had lost considerably. In addressing the accused, His Worship remarked that it was fortunate for them that the Act only allowed a fine and not iranrsonment. They evidently thought they could the ship at their own sweet will. The maximum penalty would be imposed—forfeiture of two days’ pay, and court costs 9s in each case; £1 Is solicitor’s fee was also allowed.

During the month ended May 10th the Hospital Board’s health inspectors made fifty-nine investigations regarding infectious diseases. The following vessels are expected to bo within wireless range of Wellington this evening: —Ulimaroa, Victoria, WiUochra, Tahiti, Maori, Wahino, and Corinthic.

An anonymous donor has presented a trophy to the Celtic Club, to be competed for by the school children of Wellington. Tho trophy is to bo awarded for tho best essay on some Celtic subject to bo decided later. A party of five young Tahitian na lives are passengers by the steamot Tahiti, which arrived at Wellington yesterday, on their way to tho Solo mon Islands, to pursue the occupation of pearl divers. Under tho auspices of the Sunday School Union, a teachers’ training class has been formed, in connection with tho city schools. Mr A. Varney is in charge of tho class, and thirty tcac-hors have joined. The syllabus deals mainly with the child, and it designed to instruct tho teachers lithe best methods of approaching tbeii scholars. In addition to the subjects set out on the syllabus, it is intended .no have, each week, a half-hour’.' Bible study.

In their annual report to tho Edu cation Board the school inspectors oi Auckland state that at tho close ol .ast year there were 6XI public schoolt in operation in the district, an in crease of seventeen since the previous year. There were 47,329 school children, an increase for the year of 2169 on the school rolls. Towards tho close of the year 2485 candidates from tin public schools sat for Standard VI. certificates of proficiency, and 17 per cent, obtained certificates of competency.

Last night’s wintry cold militated against the success of various meetings which were to have been held in the city. The executive of the Wellington Industrial Association was l<-> have met, but as a quorum failed to appear, no business was done. There will be a general meeting of the association on June 9th. The annual meeting of the Celtic Club was set down to be held in Winder’s Chambers. As only seven members (but some score of apologies) were present, the meeting was postponed to May 28th.

Apparently the annual revels of the students do not meet with the approbation of all citizens. One irate Kelburne resident complained to a “Times” reporter yesterday about the indiscriminate posting of bills advertising the procession and the function in the Town Hall. These, ho stated were placarded over private property, and he had observed some posted on the outside of Ouch a prosaic object as a rubbish box 1 They would bo much better inside, he added. If a wharf labourer did some of the things which certain of tho students did, he would be immediately arrested. Last night’s “Gazette” shows that during April there were 140 births and 68 deaths in Wellington and suburbs. Nineteen of the deaths were of children under one year of age. The total births in the four chief cities and their suburban boroughs amounted to 544, against 637 in March —a decrease of 93. The deaths in April were 25G--an increase of 5 as compared with the previous month. -'Of the total deaths males contributed 131, females 125 Sixty-four of the deaths were of children under five years of age, being 25 per cent, of the whole number; 68 of these were under one year of age. There were 74 deaths of persons of sixty-five years and upwards in the four chief cities and their suburban boroughs, as against 76 in March. For April, Wellington has the distinction of having the highest death-rate, and Christchurch the lowest.