NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9173, 13 October 1915, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

.The postal authorities advise that the Maitai, which is duo at Wellington from Sydney to-day, -has on board an Australian mail.

A perfectly sunny day was oxpori. enced in Wellington yetscrday, and a total of 11 hours 2 minutes of bright sunshine was recorded—s hours 22 minutes before noon and 5 hours 40 minutes after noon.

Tho call of the Empire has met with a hearty response from members of the Maranui Surf Club. A large quota of names appears in the annual report under the heading of “Advance Guard.” Other members went away with the main body, 4th, sth, and 6th Reinforcements, Trentham Rifle Brigade, and Australian expeditionary force.

The first of a series of recruiting stimulants was applied last evening, when the Newtown and Island Bay sections of the National Reserve, headed by the Tramway Band, paraded the streets of the city. Tho reservists marched from Newtown, throughout the main streets to the Post Office, and thence back to Island Bay, to stir up the youth of tho efty to the call of tho Motherland. An announcement was made in the House of Representatives yesterday morning by the Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister for Internal Affairs) that he had received the sum of £IOOO from the people of Otago to he devoted to the relief of the residents of the islands and highlands of Scotland. The subscribers desired that the money should he forwarded to the High Commissioner, in whose administration of the fund they had every confidence.

When, a woman named Lilian Jukca appeared before Mr D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., yesterday, on charges of drunkenness and wilfully damaging property' belonging to the Government, SubInspector MacKinnon applied for a remand on the ground that Jukes acted strangely, and he thought it advisable that she should be examined as to her mental condition. Accused, who did not appear to : agree to this prooeeding, called out “Mental 1 Why can’t I be dealt with now? There is nothing mental about mol” She cpntinued protesting as she was hurried out of court.

Reserved'judgment was given by Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., yesterday in the case in which the Scott Motor Agency, Wellington, claimed from Perry and Co. the sum of £4l, balance' alleged to be duo on the purchase of an Austin motor-car. and extras. His Wor-' ship said that it was doubtful if any amount of damage for the long delay in delivery of the car could' be fixed. In the first instance a oar had been ordered of a less value than the one supplied. Defendant required the car, which was priced by plaintiff at £466, for demonstration purposes, and it did not fulfil these requirements, and was sold. All. along defendants had hold that the price of the car was too high, and had paid £425' to plaintiffs, and the balance, £4l, was now the subject of the claim. His Worship was of the opinion that defendants were entitled to a reduction, and he fixed this at £2O. Judgment was given for £2l, and costs £3 2s. Mr E. M. Boechey accepted judgment for, plaintiffs, and Mr H. >E. Evans appeared- for defendants.

■ In the course of a recent visit to the United States, Mr A. M. Ferguson, of Auckland, obtained a very, good idea of what the feeling of the average American is towards the war and particularly towards the cause of the Allies. A London correspondent states that Mr Ferguson says his experience convinced- him that the Americans were quit© in .favour, of the Allies, with the exception, of course, of the German-American element, for whom he could not speak. The average intelligent New Yorker seemed to have “no time” for the German-American,' towards; whom many of them expressed very 1 strong and outspoken views. At one of the best known commercial clubs of New York on the morning of the sinking of the Lusitania, a group of members were discussing the event when a prominent German-American came up and remarked :“I say. Smith, you must not . look so glum. .This .is a bad business hut you must put a good face on it.” Smith reply, but the whole group turned thenbacks on the interloper, who had nothing to do but to pass on. It is a far cry from Potsdam to Upper Hutt, but an incident noted at the latter place yesterday was the outcome of a decree . issued from the former something over ' a year since. That decree plunged the world into war, and that war has made heavy calls upon the manhood of many lands, so that it has often been necessary for women to carry out work formerly done by men. Whether things have reached such a pass at Upper Hutt is' not stated, hut two sturdy young women were to be seen yesterday engaged* ih the strictly utilitarian occupation of driving carts laden with house blocks and unloading the latter at the railway station for transit to trucks. The blocks were of tbe usual solid proportions, so that considerable muscular strength was, required in their handling, but this did not seem to cause the young : women any concern. Some mere men on a passing train, however, were so overcome by surprise at the sight that; they forgot to offer assistance to the fair workers. A deputation from’ the Boys’ Cricket League waited on the management committee of-the Wellington CricketAssociation last evening, asking if it would be possible for the league to be recognised in some way by the association. The deputation explained that the Boys’ League had been in existence for ten ,years, ' and that large numbers of hoys had passed through it and attained to senior rank. It was shown that the great drawback to the boys’ progress was the dearth ol coaches, there being no one to take any interest in them and to show them, the finer points of the game. The league will have eighteen senior and junior teams playing this season. The association promised to see that the team# secured suitable playing wickets on the Basin Reserve,- Jn [regard to coaches, the, association would sec what could be done, and would also do everything in its power to encourage' young players. Another deputation, from the Wellington Boys' Institute Cricket Club, waited on the meeting, and put in an application to have a senior team included in the championships. The request : had been refused at a previous meeting owing to there being eight senior teams entered for the season, and thr inclusion of another team would necessitate a bye. The deputation asked the committee to reconsider its decision, and pointed out that the inclusion of a boys’ team; in the senior matches would provide good matches and bright cricket. The committee .adhered to its former decision

Replying to a question put to him in the House of Representatives yesterday, the Minister for Finance (Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) stated that applications would be invited publicly for the three seats on the Board of Trade. The Government would consider tho applications and make the best selection possible.

At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon a man named Edmund Paulsen was brought before Mr D. G. A. Cooper. S.M.. on a charge of deserting from the steamer Arawa at Wellington on September 27th. Paulsen, who was employed as a , fireman on board the vessel, was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment, with orders to bo placed on board if the steamer leaves tho Dominion before the expiration of tho term.

The production of chicory will sKorb ly be resumed in Otago, remarks an excliange. Owing to the curtailment of supplies from other countries, a Dunedin firm of coffee manufacturer* has decided to revive the industry on its farm at Inchclutha, where large quantities of chicory were grown some fourteen years ago. A kiln, situated just across tho river from Balclutha, is to have several additions made to it in tho shape of storing sheds, and a manager’s cottage is to be erected, while chicory growing on an extensive scale is to be resumed on the farm.

A claim by the Wellington Boot Operatives’ Union for a new local award for the Wellington.' industrial district was heard by Mr Hally (Conciliation Commissioner) yesterday afternoon. Messrs P- Viunell, W. Bosher, and J. Hutchison acted as assesors for the union, and Messrs J. A. Frostick, B. Mappleheck, and J. B. Frame for the employers. The chief claims of the workers were Is 6d an hour for male workers, a forty-four-hour week, 35s a week for females on an hourly basis, and £2 5s per week for wax-thread machinists. ' The hearing, which was taken in committee, was not completed, and was adjourned to a later date.

The Mayor of the city (Mr J. P, Luke) in taking up in earnest the organisation of special street and other collections on October 21st, in response to the appeal issued by the Marquis of Lansdowne, with “he; approval of Their Majesties the King and Queen and Queen Alexandra, to nil parts of the Empire to raise funds on behalf of Red Cross requirement*.- _ The Mayor is seeking the co-operation of the local ■ St. John Ambulance , Corps and of all others who are willing to belt) to take up a collection on the day,. - and ho trusts that the response ■will in every way bo worthy ,of the citizens of Wellington.

War increases in retail prices are set out in a lengthy table in the September monthly “Abstract of Statistics.” For the four chief centres the percentages of increase in prices ruling on August I4th, 1915, as compared with those for m July 31st, 1914, are as follow : —Groceries: Auckland, 17-88 per cent, increase; Wellington, 21.30 per cent.; Christchurch, 12.91 per cent. ; Dunedin, 19.13 per cent. Dairy produce: Auckland, 13.10 per cent, increase ; Wellington,; 8.25 per cent.; Christchurch, 11.33 per cent.; Dunedin, 10.23 pei- cent. Meat; Auckland; 4.69 per cent, increase; Wellington, 7.43 per cent.; Christchurch, 16.42 per cent.: Dunedin, 8.90 per cent. Groceries, dairy produce, and meat combined: Auckland, 11.65 per cent, increase; Wellington, 13.20 per cent.; Christchurch, 13.44 per cent.; and Dunedin. 13.53 per cent, increase.

Two cases of apparent injustice to returned soldiers wore mentioned in the House of Representatives' yesterday. Mr Okey (Taranaki) asked if it was just that a man Who had been through the fighting at the Dardanelles and had been invalided home_ should be required now to take his discharge from the forces without first being medically examined as regarded his fitness for work in a civilian sapacity. The Defence Minister said ■ that he would bo glad to receive details of the case. Mr Wilford (Hutt) mentioned a soldier who had been refused a pension, although disabled, onl the ground ; hat his condition was due to an apoplectic stroke and not to the conditions of service. The Minister said that the man had two courses open to him. Ho could either apply for a pension under the amending Pensions Act just passed or he could put his claim before his local patriotic society.

Yesterday Mr W. G. Riddell, S-M., delivered resefyed judgment in the case ill which A. S. Paterson and Company claimed from Jessie-Compton, Charles Beaumont, and David William Russell, the sum of £ll3 6s, being the amount of indebtedness to plaintiffs by -J. H. Compton, of Hlice street, city; The claim was for goods supplied on a written guarantee executed on July 14th, 1014, in favour of plaintiffs. The defence set up was that since the guarantee had been given Compton, hod taken a partner into the business, and it was contended on this ground that the guarantee was nullified. His Worship went fully into the case, and gave judgment as against the defendant Russell for £75 Is 4d, being the amount before a partnership was effected. Costs were allowed to the amount of £7 3s. Mr H. E. Evans appeared fori plaintiff, and Mr A. H. Hindmarsh for defendant*.

The monthly “Abstractor Statistics” shows that for .August last the births in the four chief centres were as follow (the figures for the corresponding month of 1914 are shown in parentheses) : —Auckland and suburbs, 191 (191); Wellington and suburbs, 136 (134); Christchurch and suburbs, 145 (161);’Dunedin and suburbs, 109 (124). For the first eight months of 1915 the births were:—Auckland and suburbs, 1586 (first eight months of 1914, 1547); : Wellington and suburbs, 1178 (1191); Christchurch and suburbs, 1100 (1038); Dunedin and suburbs, 941 (985). In Auckland and suburbs the deaths for August, 1915, were 77. as against 72 in August, 1914; in Wellington and suburbs, the deaths were 68, as against 67 in 1914; in Christchurch and suburbs, 62, as, against 55; and in Dunedin and suburbs, 66, as against 80. For the first eight months of 1915, the deaths were— Auckland and suburbs, 591, as against 619 for the first eight months of 1914; Wellington and suburbs, 473, as against 486; Christchurch and suburbs, 434, ns aga-nst 451; and Dunedin and suburbs, 493, as against 459.

During the parade of the troops oa Saturday one of the “Cinema'" photographers happened to catch the “Earl of Liverpool’s Own” Band playing New Zealand’s National song “The Soldier.” This will he reproduced in the film, and doubtless will be screened in due course. ♦