NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9094, 13 July 1915, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Last month, the engineer’s department of the Rotone Borough Council issued permits for buildings to the value of £3835.

A wireless message received yesterday from the Moana, en route trom San Francisco, announced that the vessel is expected to arrive at Wellington on Thursday. In addition to heavy contributions to the Belgian, patriotic and other funds, the Huddart Parker Company have recently donated £2500 to the Australian Red Cross fund. The First Division of the Court of Appeal has granted leave to Mr E. G. Jellicoe to appeal against the decision of Mr Justice Chapman in the bankruptcy matter of the Phoenix Aerated Water Company v. Connell, in which adjudication was granted last weekThe Conciliation Council, under the presidency of Mr F. Hally, Commissioner, continued its sittings yesterday in connection with the furniture trade workers’ dispute, in which a Dominion award is sought. Proceedings were in private, and had not concluded when the council rose for the day. A man named Harry Urquhart, described as a labourer, was arrested by Sergeant, Willcocks, of Manners street police station, at 9 o’clock last night in Clyde quay on a charge of theft of a purse containing jewellery valued at £l2 15s. It is alleged that the articles were dropped from a lady’s handbag and were picked "up by Urquhart It is stated in the half-yearly report of the Catholic Federation that many members of the federation are now on active service, and that the Catholic manhood of the Dominion has contributed its full share of men. The executive offers its sincere sympathy to the relatives of those who have given their lives for their country War-time brings changes nearly everywhere, and even at the Diocesan Synod last night its effects were to be seen. • The Synod had cleared up all its business, the Doxology had been sung, and the Benediotioh had been pronounced, but the members did not feel that they could separate until the National Anthem had also been sung. The Mayor of Petone (Mr J. W. MoEwan) was last night given a free hana in regard to approaching the' Government in conjunction with representatives of the other local bodies to advocate that Government lands be ratable. It was shown that Petone has only 465 acres of flat land that is ratable, and that if rates were paid on Government property it would relievo the borough of the heavy expenditure on the construction and upkeep of the Hutt road. , The Administrator of Samoa (Colonel Logan) reported yesterday that the general health of the garrison troops was good. .Wireless operator KCroucher was suffering from enteric. The following members of the relief force were suffering from various complaints::—Privates W- Martin, W. H. Shaw, F. W. Bezar, W. McGuinness, H. G. Atkinson, J. Sharp, A. H. Gannaway, S. Guppy. -All were doing well. i

The general meeting of the Society of Friends for New Zealand was continued yesterday at Boulcott street Hall. Both sessions were devoted to the topic of “ Peace.” Searching consideration was given to the subject, and a pronouncement is being drafted which will be issued before the meeting separates. On Sunday evening, at the Friends’ Hostel on the Terrace, Mr Alfred H. Brown, of London, gave an account of his trip to Japan. Last evening he told the story of his visit to the aboriginals of Australia. To-morrow is Arbor Day, and the City Council’s official programme of tree-planting is to be carried out on a section of the town belt on the Tinakbri hills. The Mayor (Mr J. P. Luke), . the chairman of the reserves committee (Councillor G. Frost), and other councillors are to attend, and the public are also invited to .be present. The section to he planted is opposite Harriet street, and south of the metal bins-in Grant road. The best, access is from George street to Grant road, thence southward .by , a track. The trees will include a selection of ornamental eucalyptus and native trees, .turrounded by a belt' of larger eucalyptus. The necessary shelter belt of pine trees has already been planted. After the official ceremony, the Mayor and the Mayoress will proceed to the Botanical Gardens, where they will each plant a tree. In the afternoon Mr Luke will visit Island Bay school, where further trees are to be planted. The First Division of the Court of Appeal, consisting of His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) and Their Honours Mr Justice Dexmiston, Mr Justice Sim, and Mr Justice Stringer, had its - attention - occupied yesterday with the hearing of a criminal, case stated by Mr Justice Chapman for its opinion. The case concerned Peter Francis Regan, formerly an attendant at the Stoke Industrial School, Nelson district, who was convicted last month of indecent assault upon boys, and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment with hard labour. The questions submitted to the Appeal Court involved the admissibility of certain evidence, and it was asked the prisoner was rightly convicted. . Mr JB. Callan, jr., and with him Mr Fell, of Nelson, appeared for. the prisoner, and Mr J. W. Salmond, K.C., for the Crown. After hearing legal argument, the court reserved its decision.

The following additional offers of accommodation for invalided soldiers have been received by the Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Minister for Public Health and Hospitals:—Mrs J. Campbell, Salamanca road, Wellington, accommodation for two; Mrs C. Carswell, Maraekakaho, near Hastings, accommodation for three; Mr P. Cowlishaw, “Lin wood House,” Linwood, Christchurch, accommodation for two; Mrs K. Constant, Rotorua, the lease of Langham House at a nominal rental; Mr L. F. Gubb, Otana School, Kaikohe, accommodation for two; Mr A- Hatrick, Wanganui, accommodation for four at Pipiriki House; Mr Thomas Hearn, 14, Danube street, Island Bay, accommodation for two; Mrs A. S. Herbert, Kelso, her residence and grounds known as "Toropuke,” with eggs, butter, milk, etc., from her farm; Mr L. H. McHardy, Napier (per Hawke’s Bay Hospital Board), his house in George street, Napier, with £SOO a year towards upkeep; Mr John Moore, Woodlands, Paukawa, Clarence bridge, accommodation for one; Mrs B. J, Morgan, 21, Ghuznee street, Wellington, accommodation for one: Mrs W- Packard, Motupipi, Takaka, accommodation for one; Mrs JB. Payton, Seatoon road, Kilbirnie, accommodation for two; Mr C. H. Stephens, Hawkestone' crescent, Wellington, accommodation for one; Wellington City Council, tea kiosk at Kelborn.

The Petone borough engineer (Ml \ , Cowie) in his monthly report to the ovuncil last evening, stated that the grass grub infested tho roots of the grast on the Recreation Ground. Inquirios had been made of tho Department of Agriculture, and a reply wns received to the effect that exhaustive experiments have been made in America and Europe, but so far a cure has not been, discovered.

The pilfering of coal from truck* standing in the railway yard at Petone is proving a serious question with the local Borough Council- According to n report by the gas engineer (Mr J. C. Masters), it is also pointed out in the report that tho Railway Department is charging demurrage on coal, a fact that may stifle tho gas industry as business increases on account of the difficulty in procuring sufficient drayj to cart Iflie coal away in time. A Maori, twenty-three years of ag®,< named Jo© Rawin, was brought up on remand at the Lower Hutt Court yesterday, before Messrs G. A. Chapman and W. James, J.P.’s, to answer throv charges of breaking and entering. Ra wiri was charged with entering thw dwelling of Francis Mansell, of Woburn farm, on two separate occasions and stealing therefrom the sums of £2 4s 2d and £1 Xls 6d, and with entering tho bedroom of Noe! Clark and stealing the sum of 15s. A plea of guilty was entered by prisoner to each charge, and he was committed to tho Supreme Court for sentence.

The mail train from Napier, owing to the derailment of tho engine ah Woodville, did not arrive at Wellington until 7.20 p.m. yesterday, being’ an hour and a half late- The Main Trunk express from Auckland, due to arrive at Xhorndon at 3-15 p.m. yesterday, did not roach Wellington till halfpast J. this morning. The cause of the delay was a slip on the line, the train being ten hours late in leaving To Kuiti. It was ten hours and threequarters past schedule time when it arrived. The tramway authorities pub on a special car to meet the train. The slip was not serious, and tho lino is now clear.

The annual report, presented by the. librarian at a meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council last night, stated that 1263 books had been taken out by subscribers during the year, as against 1446 for tho previous year. Though there had been three new subscribers, there was a decrease of twenty-seven members. Councillor McDougall observed that though the work of the librarian was most satisfactory, the report could not bo so described, and he contended that tho question of improving the library and increasing the membership should be thoroughly discussed. It was resolved that a meeting he held on Thursday night for this purpose.

A deputation introduced by Mr McCombs, M.P., waited upon the Hon. w; Bf. Homes, as the Minister in. charge of the Inspection of Machinery Act, yesterday, to urge that the clause as to the effective charge of stationary engines should be more rigidly enforced. This provides that rrfen in charge of engines at sawmills and mines shall not bo called upon to do work which takes them away from the immediate control of the levers. It was stated by Mr J. Reid, secretary of the Engine-drivers’ Association of Westland, that among offenders against tho regulation necessary to secure the immediate stopping of an engine in case of accident was the Government itself, for at tho State colliery an ‘enginedriver was called upon to attend to a pump seven chains away from his proper Sphere of action. Mr Herries promised to consult the Minister for Mines and have the matter thoroughly investi- ■ gated. He recognised fully the necessity of having the Act properly administered. .

Steps will have to be taken immediately to replenish the coffers of the Mayor’s patriotic fund committee, upon which many calls have been made lately. It has now a credit balance of about £IOO only, and this will soon bo exhausted. The other centres have been helping to some extent in connection, with the camp work, but the fund lias rapidly dwindled. The positionwas reported to a meeting of the committee yesterday. Mr J- Clark, Mayor of Dunedin, was present by invitation. The secretary also reported on what had been done since the last meeting. It was shown that a large quantity of fruit had been placed aboard the troopships, and that two lots of, fruit and tobacco, also some books and magazines, had been sent to the measles hospital. The sum of £2OO was given to Chaplain-Major Dutton, of the hospital ship, for use either on the Mahcno or in any hospital with which ho may be associated. Though intended primarily for men from the Wellington military district, the money is to be available to assist any New Zealander, indeed any soldier of the Empire, in urgent need. A sum of £IOO was voted for the benefit of the men in camp at Trentham, to be placed in the hands of the Mayoress for expenditure. These donations were all approved by the committee. Consideration was given to the cases of two sufferers by the war—a widow and a wounded man—and it was decided to pay their fares to England, where their relatives reside. A. telegram was received from Lieutenant .Bird, in charge of the camp at Tanherenikau, intimating that it was “very wet,” also that a supply of cigarettes, tobacco, and socks would be very acceptable, as the men were unable to procure such articles. ’The committee decided to send a supply to each of lie camps.