NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9513, 22 November 1916, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

There were forty-nine applicants W work registered by the Labour Bureau last week. Of these nine were found woik in the Government employ, thirtythree were placed in private situations, and five were assisted with rail fare, ■caving only two unplaced. Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., delivered judgment yesterday in a civil case arising out of an assault at Ekstahuna on June 21st. Plaintiff, Edmund Hill Jackson, sued Cecil H. Parsons for £SO damages. Judgment was given for plaintiff for £lO, and costs £6 ils.

Information has been received in Wellington that the price of flour has been advanced in the Oamaru and Christchurch markets 10s per ton. The price is now £l4 per ton f.0.b., southern ports, and the cost to buyers in Wellington will be £ls in store. A tram conductor, Thomas Moody, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday with the theft of tram tickets, the property of the Wellington City Corporation, valued at 20s. He was found guilty, fined 40s, in default fourteen days, and ordered to refund 13s, being the amount he had received for the sale of the tickets. A woman who was said by Inspector Hendrey to have many accomplishments, appeared in the Magistrate s Court yesterday on a charge of inebriety. The police said that the brother of the woman desired to see her sent to an inebriates’ home, for hor own sake. The magistrate ordered that she bo committed to an inebriates’ home for the space of twelve months-

The Ohinemuri Miners’ Union recently prepared a set of rules making provision for the payment of certain benefits similar to those, granted by friendly societies. The C rown Law Department has advised the Labour Department that these proposals are outside the provisions of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Mr P. J. O’Regan, for the miners, has issued an originating summons _ against the registrar of industrial unions, and the matter will be argued in due course. A “Gazette” notice issued yesterday stated that licenses for the importation of goods into Now Zealand from certain foreign countries, as provided by the War Regulations of July 24th, 1016, shall no longer be required. Accordingly, clauses 1 to 10 of the regulations mentioned, clause 14 of the regulations issued on October 18th (providing for a declaration as to the origin of goods and the nationality of the manufacturers) and clause 2 of the regulations of August 28th arc revoked.

Mr P. J. O’Regan attended the Royal "'ommission appointed to inquire into the cause of tine sulphuric acid , explosion on board the Mouowai on September 7th, which opened at Auckland on Monday, 14th inst., and is still sitting. ' Mr O’Regan appeared during all last week bn behalf of six of tho injured men and also on behalf of the Auckland Waterside Workers’ Union, [t is understood that a number of actions for damages will be commenced shortly against the consignors of the Mi-go, who are a prominent Melbourne firm.

The half-yearly meeting of the Hotel ‘■Workers’ Union was held on Monday night, the president (Mr J. McCusker) in the chair. The report and balancesheet as already published were adopted, also the recommendation that £SO be'voted to the memorial fund initiated by the Trades and Labour Council in honour of the late secretary, Sergt. E. J. Carey.- The election of officebearers resulted as follows: —President, Mr J. McCusker (re-elected); vice-pre-sident, Mr J, Cleveland; treasurer, Mr W.- Calloway: trustees. Messrs J. Cleveland and G. Woods; committee, Messrs Alison.- Martin, Thompson, Nicoll and Baker, _ and four women members representing the female section. At the Methodist Synod at Lower Hutt yesterday, there was some discussion respecting the attendance of church 1 members at the Communion services. The Rev. Jfi. Drake (Newtown) said that in his opinion the Sacrament had not its proper place in the Church' life. At the present time Church members seemed to regard the ordinance service as a part of the ordinary church service, to be got over as reasonably quickly as possible. He would like to see the day dawn when the «ordinance service would have a much more impressive influence upon the minds of the Church members. It was resolved to, defer further consideration of the question until this morning.

Kathleen Van Cant, who has a bad record, appeared before Mr L. G. Reid, S.M., yesterday, on a charge of habitually consorting with, prostitutes, to which she pleaded not guilty. Evidence was given by the police, going to show that the woman was not particular about her company, and that sho prowlwl tbo streets at night. She also haunted Chinese laundries, but stoutly maintained that this was for industrial, and not for immoral purposes. She also made the - categorical statement: “I am not a prostitute. 1 have always been kept. 1 ’ She denied having been previously convicted, but the police records were against her. When asked by the Bench what she had to say about her shady past, she pleaded forgetfulness. Facts were clearly against Kathleen Van Cant, who was given compulsory retirement from the gaze of a censorious world for the period of three weeks.

An “Old Timaruvian” writes an interesting letter to a contemporary regarciiug the extinction ol the mpa. Ho says; I< l was born near Cbristcnurcii :n the eany ’fifties. Then, moa bones lay about on the surface of the plains, and I remember as late as ’7B seeing a number of bones on the hillside near Burke’s Pass. .1 made some investigations and inquiries upon my own account, and learned that the Maoris, using torches and fires, drove the raoas into swamps, preferably small ones, with an open centre and a margin of “nigger heads 1 ' —this for the reason that the kick of a moa was a very bad thing for a man if he caught it, and the ring of “nigger” heads et. abled the’Maoris to reach and kill the moas without much personal risk. Such a swamp was that once known aa Bentley's Lagoon, in the town of Tjmaru." Part of this was excavated for engine-sheds in the late ’seventies, and then curious blue streaks were found penetrating the clay for a considerable depth. The Maoris, after a big “kill,” could not use all the moas they had slaughtered, and so many bodies were left in the swamp. The phosphorus from the bones of these combined with the swamp iron to form those bluish s’-reaks penetrating the clay. Another favourable place to trap the moas was on spits between the sea and lagoons when the lagoons burst their way into the sea in winter. Down on to these spits the moas were driven and tilledSaltwater Creek Lagoon, near Timarn, was a, killing place, and when I was young plenty of pieces of moa eggs and the bones were to be found there."''

The proposal to change the name of Johnsonvillc was considered by the Town Board last night, having been introduced by a petition, on which wore 284 signatures. The board decided that no change should be made.

A member of the crew of the barque Golden Gate writes'refuting a statement which appeared in the “Times” to the effect that the crew were absent from the ship and that the assistance of the police had to bo invoked to get them aboard. The writer says ■that-.all the seamen went aboard the ship in due time of their own accord.

In September last the export of wool from the Dominion totalled 2,783.0581 b. valued at, £197.377, as compared with 4.110,2031 b, valued at £264,614 for September. 1915. For the first nine months of this year the export of wool amounted to 171,728,2991 b, valued at £11,385,899, as compared with 165,179,397, valued at £8,599,856 for the first nine montfis of last year.

The management committee of the Wellington Cricket Association has resolved to enforce strictly the rule regarding the starting time of matches on the Basin Reserve. In future a bell vdl be rung at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, when all practice that may be in progress must cease. At 2.15 o’clock a second bell will be rung when teams must be ready to commence play, otherwise the penalty may bo enforced.

No agreement was arrived at by the Conciliation Council which sat yesterday hearing a claim by the Wellington bookbinders and paper-rulers for a new agreement- The case will bo referred to tbe Arbitration Court for settlement. The main point at issue is the granting of a-war bonus. The employers were, unable to concede this in view of the fact that most of the employees are now paid more than the minimum wage of £3 os per week.

During September 1640 cwt of butter, valued at £12,725, were exported from New Zealand as against 13,002 cwt. valued at £95,611 for September. 1915. For the first nine months of this year the exports of butter totalled 209,065 cwt, valued at £l,448,006; while, foif the first nmq months of last year the amount- exported was 233,749 cwt, valued at £1.399,592. In short, tlj 6 exports were 24,000 cwt less in volume, but die value was over £50,000 .more. The cheese exported by the Dominion m September last amounted ito 18/0 cwt. valued at £8,303, as mi.-uust 4813 cwt, valued at £18.744, for September , 1915. For the first nine months of the year- the exports of cheese totalled 733,512 cwt, valued a £2,607,530,' as compared with 5/9,99cwt,, valoed at. £1,891,599. for the-first nine months of 1915. In a letter written by Major Bell-on the deafh of Surgeon-Captain Gilbert Bogle outside Flers on September 16th17ih, the following passage occurs:— “At least you have the memory.of a splendid man who Sued a -splendid death.’lt was while he was tending .the wounded, not only of h'-s own, but of several others that were near, ns; tlmy were always under shell-fire, .and he had been working practically without straightening his back for 48 -hours. It was only with difficulty he could he persuaded to leave his patients to take a mouthful of food. His capable and “untiring work, his patience) and Ills invariable cheerfulness, particularly during the last week’s operations, have been the admiration of .us all.' He always seemed so absolutely part of the battalion, the mess, on the march, and in the field, and was always so helpful to everybody, that there is no one who could bo., sp, much missed by ,officers or men, A yoi v gaUafit bflrcer and a very dear friend.” • ' '

Police Commissioner Cullen is 1 to retire to-morrow, but so far as can be ascertained his successor has not been definitely appointed. It is understood, however, that Superintendent-. J. O’Donovan, of Wellington,, will most likely be appointed to the post. , Superintendent O'Donovan’s connection with the Wellington Police Force dates back upwards of 37 years- He entered the force in March, 1879, and served in this city as a constable till 1894, when he was transferred to Stratford-. Three years later he was made a sergeant and moved to Hawera, and in May of 1897 he was transferred to Wellington as section sergeant. - Mr O’Donovan was appointed as instructor of ..police recruits in police and law subjects, as well as physical and military drill, at Mount Cook Barracks. For the law work ho was particularly well fitted, having ouali&cd as a solicitor of the Supreme Court. On the retirement of Inspector Pender, Mr O’Donovan was appointed sub-inspector at the Lambton quay police station, and remained there till June, 1908, when he went in the sjimo capacitv to Palmerston North. In- February, 1911, he was made an inspector and moved to Invercargill- In June of the following year he took charge of tho Napier district, and was subseqtently promoted to superintendent and given charge of the Dunedin district. There he remained till November of last year, when, in succession to Superintendent Ellison (retired on superannuation) he was transferred to Wellington.

Descendants of the old Black Cuffs (58th Regiment), and they number many thousands in this Dominion, may have forgotten that last Sunday, November 19th, was the fifty-eighth anniversary of the departure from Auckland of the regiment for Great Britain, after service in the Bay of Islands from 1845- The annals of Auckland, and New Zealand generally, would be somewhat uninteresting unless the doings of this regiment were recorded. The first regimental colours unfurled in this Dominion were the colours of the 58th Regiment, now deposited in the vestibule of the Auckland Free Library; the first regimental band that discoursed sweet music in this land was the 58th Band. Over 1200 men of tho regiment took their discharge during their thirteen years’ residence in New Zealand, most of them settling in Auckland, Taranaki, and Wellington. One of the regiment became Governor of New Zealand, Superintendent of the Auckland Province; others were in the Provincial Council and tho Legislature- of New Zealand, two becoming Ministers of the Crown; the poet of the regiment dropped the non-paying pen and entered commercial life, becoming' a director of the Bank of New Zealand. Hundreds went on the land and became successful farmers, and their de : scendants arc,still found in pioneering districts. The only surviving memb®. of the regiment in New Zealand lid day is Mr Free, of New Plymouth who with a brother 58th Regiment man (Lieutenant-Colonel Stapp) were the leaders in the engagement at Wai-' areka, in Taranaki. Lieutenant Free is carrying his 92 years of age wonderfully well, and the old gentleman oecasionally walks from his residence to the city, and his reminiscences of Heke’s war in 184-3 are corroborated by Major Bridges' diary in the Auckland Free Library.

Tho Administrator of Samoa has telegraphed that the health of the garrison troops is good. There are only two hospital oases at present, the noxt-of-kin of tho patients in each ease being resident i» Samoa. Tho members of the Presbyterian Assembly, now mooting in Wellington. havo boon invited, together with their friends, to a garden party at Soots College on Saturday afternoon next.

Tho statement is made on good authority that it is intended considerably to relax the medical tests, v>iuch have led to tho rejection of so many recruits suffering from varicocele, varicose veins and like troubles. •Many of these men will probably bo passed as lit when their names aro drawn in the ballot. A man named Ernest Troriro, who resides at Bowen street, was admitted to tho hospital at 5 o’clock yesterday morning suffering from painful injuries as tho result of a motor-car accident on tho Hutt road. Tho injuries comprised cuts on the forehead, nose, chin, right elbow, and right knee, and ho also had some teeth broken-

Said Mr A. do Ik Brandon at yesterday’s meeting of the Moderate League :—“An old philosopher who flourished many years before Christ onoo made tho remark that it is a mistake to make too many laws for if you have too many laws you only teach the people to bo cunning and dishonest. So it is with the legislation regarding liquor. With too many laws you encourage the people to break thorn—invite them to be dishonest. In fact the more restrictions you place the more nearly you approach the serpent of tho Garden of Eden that tempts you to break the law.”

Mr Justice Higgins recently gave his judgment in tho dispute between Burns, Philp, and Co., Ltd., and William Crosbv and Co., on the one hand, and the" Australian Institute of Marino Engineers on the other. The increased cost of living had been given as a reason for claiming an increase in wages. An agreement was submitted by Mr Justice Higgins for a 13 per cent, increase in wages, based on tho 1912 agreement between tho parties. Overtime for chief engineers was refused, and Mr Justice Higgins would not the rate of overtime for second engineers.

The Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. J. Allen) will open this morning the Conference of the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce, to be held at the Wellington Chamber of Commeroe, Customhouse quay. A large and representative attendance of delegates from the various centres throughout the Dominion is assured, mid the conference this year will be of more than usual interest, in view of the fact that among the questions to be discussed are several relating to pdet-war problems—British trade protection and trade relations,, post-war trade, company law _ and registration of firms, naturalisation, commercial defence fund, scientific research, and so forth.

Tho Auckland Education Board has made arrangements with the MornnsTillo Farmers’ Union for its instructor in agriculture to supervise the carrying out of experimental work on several farms in the Morrinsville district. The Farmers’ Union has promised a donation of £5, and five farmers aro contributing 30s each towards tho cost of supervision. The experimental work will include: Swedes, variety test of one acre; soft turnips, test ot one acre, general manorial trial or two acres. Arrangements have been made by which the Department of Agriculture will supply the seeds and manures free of charge, and will also 'pay the farmers undertaking the experiments 30s an acre to cover cost of ■ cultivation of plots.

At a Maori shearing shed, where the workers had decided to take tickets and then changed their minds, a meeting was held ny the secretary of the Hawke’s Bay shearers, to explain the aims and objects of unionism, savs the “Maoriland Worker. At the dose of his remarks, which dwelt upon the benefits conferred upon the workers by union action, a venerable old native ganger or boss rose, and after , clearing bis throa-t, expressed himself in this way: Well, I know my shearer he get -o bob a hundred, I know iry wahme and my rouseabout get 12s 6d a day. I don t know how the way. First I think the boss, he got the hig heart. Now I satisfy not so much the big heart as the push by the union. Well, kapai the union. Help the Maori Yea, Mr Bean, all my people ket of the union. God save the King. In sentencing a prisoner to reformative treatment for forgery and uttering, Mr Justice Sim, at the Christchurch Supreme Court, spoke in.no uncertain manner of what ha described as the silly practice of business people in cashing cheques for persons whom they did not know and upon the signatures of people of whoso identity they were also ignorant. In the caso before him, said Hia Honour, tho prisoner had made four utterances of forged cheques. Three of these had been cashed, and only one of the four ■persons approached to cash a cheque had exercised common sense and held up tho cheque, and made inquiries which resulted in the forger and utterer being . brought to task. Tho most glaring incident in the caso was that in which an hotelkeeper had cashed a chequo for £5 12s tendered in payment for a threepenny beer. Tho* signature of tho chequo was not known to the hotelkeeper, neither was tho man who had cashed the chequo. It was really astonishing. An hotelkeeper or other business man who behaved in that silly way deserved to lose his money.

News has come to Dunedin M a shocking state of affairs among the cattle on Endorhy Island, one of the Auckland Group. Some years a g? a well-known Invercargill resident stock-ed-the island with cattle, tho number of which has increased to such an extent that many of tho animals die of starvation while_all are in a weak, emaciated state. Tho island is four miles long and one mile broad. It has little .vegetation at any time, tie water, and for the former tho cattle have formidable compotitois m tho rabbits, which are numerous. As the island is heavily overstocked, the cattle: can only live and d '° Some of them wade into the sea ana eat the kelp. There are skeletons m all directions, telling a pathetic tale of suffering that was relie hv death. The few trees on the island afford very little shelter. In the r desperation a number of the _ have swum to Rose W and ' ‘ q . - t of a-mile distant. is as scarce there. and " atc f tt . P, re nracticallv none. Those tact, practical v Magnus, second rouched foi by -«r u. „ , ’ i ; c (, engineer of the Rachel Cohen returned to Bluff recently from visit to the Ancklands. toKfS andoiftap'chemT^; stores, hairdressers. 2s bd.