NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9003, 27 March 1915, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Chief Justice (Sir _ Robert Stout) will sit in chambers this morning at 10 o’clock. An opportunity will he given the public of Wellington of seeing the Samoan relief force to-day. The men will march through the city this aftermoon, leaving the Lambton railway station. at 2.30 o’clock. A -man named James Blackie was arrested by Detective Bailey and Sergeant Mcllveney yesterday, and charged with a series of thefts of moneys in Wellington. He will apoear at the Magistrate’s Court this morning.

An application hy the Mount Hector Tourist Track Committee for possession of section 8, block 6, Wadohine, with a view of erecting a house thereon for tho use of tourists, came before the Wellington Land Board yesterday, hut was declined. At the instance of the Mayor (Mr J. P. Luke), an informal conference is to take place on Monday evening at the Town Hall between representatives of the Dairy Farmers’ Association and those of the Milk Vendors’ Association. At this meeting it is hoped that : a satisfactory settlement between the two contending parties as to the price of milk will be brought about. , In accordance with the suggestion of the Prime Minister that a committee should be set up by the Industrial Corporation of New Zealand to meet him regarding legislation necessary to establish a Board of Trade, the following have been appointed the committee The president of the Industrial, Corporation (Mr J. B. Laurenson), representing the South Island; Mr S. J. Harbutt, president of the Auckland Industrial Association; Mr 0. B. Norwood, president of the Wellington Provincial Industrial Association; and Mr 4- R. Sennet (Canterbury). Several questions ,of considerable importance concerning the poultry industry, it is stated, will £e discussed at the PoUltrymen’s Conference which begins in the Town Hall on Saturday, April 3rd, at 10 a.m., and continues until the evening of the following Tuesday. A social gathering will be held at the conclusion of the preliminary business on Saturday morning,*and in the evening a dinner will taka plape. Reports by several special committees will be presented on Monday morning, and the election of officers will take place during the day. In the evening practical addresses will be delivered. On Tuesday various remits will be considered, and in the afternoon a deputation will wait on the Minister for . Agriculture, while the evening will bo devoted to a lecture by the chief Government poultry expert. The local committee has all the arrangements well in hand, and it is expected that the convention will bo a very successful one.

Tho Court of Appeal, comprising the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Denniston, Mr Justice Edwards, Mr Justice Cooper, and Mr Justice Chapman, yesterday afternoon entered upon the hearing of the case of Cook and others v. Donaldson and others, a special case stated for the settlement of a point of law in connection with the rules of the Hawke's Bay District of the Ancient Order of Foresters. Mr 0. P. Skerrett, K. 0., and Mr H. B. Lusk appeared for the plaintiffs, Mf H. D. Bell and Mr W. <5. Wood for the defendants. The plaintiffs are Frederick Cook, William J. Francis, and Charles Briggs, trustees of the Court Ileretaunga, and the defendants William A. Donaldson, John Kennedy, and Alfred 0. Menefy, trustees of the Ancient Order of Foresters. In 1913 an action was commenced. praying for ,a declaration that certain amendments of rules with reference to the sick and funeral funds were "ultra vires,” and was decided by the Chief Justice. The following year amended rules were adopted, and the question to be, decided is. whether these are valid.

At a meeting of the Wellington Technical Education Board held last evening, Mr Luckie inquired if the board was any nearer the establishing of a central technical school than it was two years ago. He remarked that it was time some such provision was made for the city, and a move should bo made in the matter. The chairman said representation, should be made to the Minister for Education to get the building under weigh. The director (Mr W. S. La Trobe) said the Government was not undertaking the erection of buildings of this nature, so he was informed, during the war, and he was getting an expression of opinion from the department as to whether it was in sympathy with the principle involved. Mr Luckie said the Government was about to build a large police station, hut accommodation for technical education classes was of greater necessity. Mr Frost said the housing of the classes at present was a disgra'* ■ to the colony. Mr J. P. Luke drew attention to the fact that the City Council was prepared to offer £IO,OOO for a site, and the offer would remain good while the present council was in office. It was ultimately decided to ask the Ministers for Education and Internal Affairs to appoint a time for the hoard to meet them and explain the position.

The Mayor of Blenheim, Mr J. Corry, announced that he will give hi» honorarium of £IOO to the Belgian Relief Fund, states a Press Association message. i

At Christchurch yesterday, states * Press Association telegram, a youth named Edward Wilson, charged with the theft of a registered letter from the Springfield Post Office, pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence. The Wellington Technical Education. Board has received commodious premises in Kennedy’s Buildings, in Lower Cuba street, at a rental of £IOO per annum for the accommodation of some of the classes of the school.

The annual meeting of the Trade* and Labour Council was commenced on Thursday night in the Town Hall. Th» business was not concluded, and tho| annual report will be considered and the election of officers carried out noxf Thursday week.

The elections of members of th# General Council of Education are nounced to take place on Monday, May;) 10th, the poll closing at 5 p.m. Ten; members are to ho elected by eight classes of. electors, particulars as_ t<* which are contained in the advertisement in this issue. Nominations wil& be received up till 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 1 ! April 20th, and the rolls will be closed’ on the same date. "The small boys poke fun at m&iaj the short trousers,’’ said a eonio* cadet in the Magistrate’s Court at Palmerston North, when charged with failing to attend drill. Ho stoofl about 6ft high, and was aged' 17. Hi continued that it was Tike wearing bathing trunks for him. to wear thJ shorts supplied for the cadets. Hi wanted to be drafted into the Terrij toriols, where the trousers would b» more suitable. The case was adjourn ed.

Argument in the Wanganui roas case in the Appeal Court yesterday waa enlivened hy a few reflections oa the subject of declarations and nffi* davits. In the particular case linden review, Mr Skerrett, K.C., remarked that the declarations were in a parrot* like common form and prepared with a vagueness that was startling. It wa* what they omitted that was important,! No doubt the affidavits were skilfully; arranged, but their omissions ought not to deceive a schoolboy. These comments caused the Bench of judges to suggest that declarations ought not always to be taken too seriously. Said Mr Justice Cooper: “A learned judge once said, ‘You may sometimes find the truth in a declaration.”' “Yes,” observed Mr Justice Chapman, “the truth will leak out.” Having thus lieved themselves the Bench and Baa returned to the details of an oxoop-j tionally dry case. $ “Supplying small boys with' cigar* ettes is a practice by shopkeepers which! will have to be stopped,” said Mb D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., at the Magis.j trate’s Court yesterday morning. Thai remark arose from the hearing of a] case in which Sydney Cook, a grocer’s} assistant, sixteen years of ago, wad charged with giving a boy of _ fiv<ff years a parcel of groceries containing! a packet of cigarettes. Mr W. L*j Rothenberg, who appeared on behalf of Cook, contended that the case should be dismissed, as it was of, such a trivial nature, His Worship stated that the matter was not a trivial one, aa it concerned the health and well-being of boys, which waa considerably inn paired by tho smoking of these wretch, ed, deleterious things. He was award that tho boy had got them for hd father, but far too much smoking wenf on among the small hoys in Welling} ton, and it was in most oases _ th< grocers from whom they got tho cigar} ettes. Inspector Hendrey intimated that he did not desire to press for a heavy penalty, os the ease was brought as a warning to othera. A fine of 5i was imposed. \ - /

Tho annual meeting of tho Welling ton Harriers was held last evening, Mr W. H, Pollock presiding over a good attendance. The annual report, which was adopted, indicated that the past; season was not as successful as could have been desired. Twenty-one tuna had been held, but owing to ,the war the season had closed much earlier than usual. At present. there were twenty active members on the roll. The 1 balance-sheet showed an excess of as* sets oyer liabilities of £l7 8s 6d. The chairman mentioned that a large number of members had gone to the front. The following officers were elected: —President, Mr J. C. Cusack} vice-presidents, Messrs A. G. Whyte* W. B. Bennett, J. H. Pollock, A. Maw rayatt, M. Burnett, F. Wilton, H.. Moi Villy, W. H. Pollock, and O. G. WiU son; captain, Mr T. Farrington; vice* captain, Mr J. Peart; treasurer, Mjfi W. B. Bennett; secretary, Mr W. Don*, aldson; committee, Messrs W. Watt*' T. J. Eagle and C. Turnbull; auditor, Mr H. A. Lamb; delegate to N.Z.A.A.A., Mr W. B. Bennett; ban* dicappers, Messrs W. Watt and W. B«J Bennett. The delegate notified thd| meeting that tho committee had ed April the 10th as the date for tha opening of tho season, at Cliff House," Island Bay Mr W. B. Bennett k, notice bo* to he placed at Mr J* Cusack’s premises. Manners atreet. A vote of thanks was passed to tho retire ing president and officers.