NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9623, 31 March 1917, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Informations under the War Regulations charging tho publishers of the three daily newspapers of Wellington with wrongfully publishing matter in relation to oversea ■ vessels were brought before the. Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Mr V. R. Meredith, who appeared for the Crown, stated an adjournment of the hearing had been arranged until Monday. Mr M. Myers, who appeared for the “Post” and “Dominion,” explained that Sir John Findlay, K.C., .was to represent the “Times,” but ho was engaged in the Appeal Court.. He understood that it was proposed to withdraw one of the informations, but Sir John Findlay and himself desired to refer to the matter before this course was taken. Mr L. G. Reid, S.M., agreed to the adjournment of tihe cases until Monday.

Tho daily lists of recruits at the Town Hall of late contained a small percentage of married men,

Mr Courko, of Opaki, has shipped two young draught stallions, three years'old, for the autumn sales at Sydney.

A man named Clarke, employed at (Munpliy’s brick works, met with an accident yesterday through getting his right foot caught in *OlllO rollers. Ho was admitted to the hospital to have the injury attended to. For the four wocks ending March 28th tho sum of £C4 Is 6d was taken in fees for admission to tho Zoo. .For tho corresponding period last'year the returns amounted to £SB 17s 9d. Two deaths among the inhabitants of the Zoo were reported during the month. Tho recruits who have enlisted at the Town Hall recruiting office during several days past have included a fab! sprinkling of Garrison Artillery men. The reason is that the members of the Artillery have been invited to enlist, and a number have already responded.

A court-martial on two soldiers for alleged breaches of discipline will bo opened sX 10 o , doclt at tlio Drill Hally Buckle street, on Monday morning. The board which will sit to try the cases will consist of Lieutenant-Colo-nel C. B. Macdonald. 1.G.5., Major D. B. Menzies, and Major W. Sim. Golf is an ancient and Boyal game, and has done much to dispel the superstition that the Scots, as a people, lack humour. It has been alleged that John Knox himself, amongst other unorthodox doings, played golf on Sundays! Mr Justice Donniston, in the Supreme Court yesterday, expressed a wish to know' whether the City Fathers' had been of one mind when they passed the by-law that gave rise to so much controversy and Incidentally much work for the Bar and the Bench. Mr O’Shea, the city solicitor, said be could not answer off hand. It has been ascertained, however. that the City Councillors, including the Mayor, wero unanimous-in passing the much debated by-law, the chief reason annexed to the act being that the council had the control of the reserves, and was competent to pass such a by-law. The chief argument now used by counsel for the City Corporation is that the by-law was not a concession to the sacerdotal conception of the sanctity of the Sabbath, but in the interests of the citizens. One man who had been hit by a ball was mentioned, but be was not produced as an “exhibit," and his opinion, of golf is not on record so far as is known. Golf, as befits a game which has its origin in Scotland, has given rise to much controversy, and has a vocabulary and literature of it* own

Sitting in Divorce* yesterday the Chief Justice granted a deem'" nisi on ; the petition of Virginia Townshend against William Townshend, on the ground of desertion. Costs on the lower scale were allowed against respondent.

Nominations for the election of Mayor of the city and councillors >dose on April 14th. The present Mayor (Air J. P. Luke) will again he a candidate for the position, and Mr T. •SI. Wilford may also be indfeoed to offer his services. Ho has he,en waited on by more than one deputation, and is considering the request before givnig a definite answer. The conference between, representatives of the shipping companies and waterside workers of New Zealand, which has boon sitting for some time past, has arrived at an agreement in respect to working conditions, excepting a few local conditions, which are to be considered by the local disputes committee. The conference, which resumes to-day. is now discussing tlio question of wages.

In response to the request of a very large number of people in Newtown, Sir'John Castle has decided to be a candidate at the coming City Council election* Mr Castle has boon chairman of the Newtown School Committee for eight, years, and con nee to?* with the South Wellington Progressive Association since its formation four years ago. He has also taken a keen interest in Zoo matters.

‘•A wonderful record,” was the comment of a member of the Military Service Board yesterday when, in discussing tlio risks ships’ firemen ran in the danger zone from submarines. Captain Baldwin said he believed that since the outbreak of the war only one transport with troops on board bad been sunk. This was a splendid record, in view of the fact that, millions of men had been transferred across the water.

In making written application tor temporary exemption to the Military Service Hoard yesterday, a Dalmatian stated as one of his reasons for the request that ho had overlooked the tact that ho already had two brothers IciUetl at tile front. Members of the board smiled broadly. Mr Considmo wanted to know by whom the brothers had been killed. “Probably by the Hermans, sir,” -was the reply of Captain Baldwin.

The following annual contracts for the year ending March cist, ItUH, have' been accepted by the M olhngton Harbour Board-Cartage contract No. 1 Mnnt, Cottrell and Co., Ltd., oo per cent, on schedule rates; cartage contract No. 2, Hunt, Cottrell and Co., Ltd., 85 per cent, on schedule rates; coal, schedule A, Westport- ■ Stockton Coal Co (G. H. Beales, Ltd., agents), schedule prices; coal, schedules B and C, Blackball Coal Co., Ltd., schedule prices; coal, schedule D, D Andrews, schedule prices; removal of rubbish, Munt. Cottrell and Co., Ltd., schedule, prices. As a result of the accident between a motor ambulance and two tramcars at the Basin Reserve on the Btb inst., Henry Melville Brown, the driver of the former, was proceeded against at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday for negligent driving. Mr P. W. Jackson, who appeared for the defendant, urged that Brown was usually a careful driver, and that the accident was the result of a mistake in judgment rather than negligence. Mr L. O, Reid remarked that with wounded soldiers in the ambulance the defendant should have taken no risk, and inflicted a fine of 20s and costs. The offence of keeping the police waiting at his door when they: applied for admission on a recent Sunday was charged against James Kile ray, the licensee of the Princess Hotel. iho evidence of Sergeant Wade was to the effect that, in company with a constable, he visited the hotel, at V. 15 p.m., and was -knocking for ten minutes before ho was admitted. * In the meantime ho heard the drawing of corks. On being admitted at. last he saw two men with the licensee, and tiiay claimed to he lodgers. Mr U- • O’Leary, for... the , defence, ul ]fs uc : that the licensee was not to know that the knocking was by the police, for ho was often annoyed by persons seeking admission who had no right to come, to the hotel. The plea held good and the. charge was dismissed by Mr U «• Reid, S.M. -■ ... The golfer ,is . generally a , good '•‘sport”.'who’ enters into the spirit of the game.. It is proverbial that qis language on certain occasions is forcible and" free.-, and not exactly suitable for publication. . Mr Justice Cliaipman, however, seems to regard the golfer as a gentleman as well as a “sport.” Argument in the appeal case on the question of Sunday golf playing -was heard in the Supreme Court yesterday, and it was stated by Mr Cray, on behalf of the City Council (which seeks to maintain the validity of the by-law against Sunday games on the town belt), that a man who had been hit by a ball could be produced. Mr Justice Chapman thereupon remarked that if a citizen out for a walk crossed the line of fire the golfer would warn him, or wait till the pedestrian was out of range of golf artillery. Mr Gray said that would he good taste on the golfer’s part, but maintained that there was a real danger in the practice of playing golf on Sundays. Mr Justice Chapman remarked that the only danger he could see was that the golfer might use the language traditionally attributed to him when the course of true golf fails to run smooth.

The rather remarkable case of a man assaulting came before the Magistrate’s Court yceterday. The defendant -was 'William Millar, who was charged with assaulting, on February 27th, Harold Couzens a lad of fourteen. Mr H. F. O’Leary, who appeared for Millar, stated that, according to his client’s version of the affair, Couzens had thrashed his boys, the oldest of whom-was nine. Ho had called Couzens to account, and ho had "been insolent and threatened to repeat his performance. Millar thereupon lightly kicked the lad in a suitable part of his , anatomy, but really did not hurt him very much, and _ there was no occasion for the calling in of a medical attendant, as had been done. A constable was thereupon put in the boa and related that when he saw young Couzens he complained or being unable to swallow, and there wore finger-marks on his throat. He "was bruised and scratched, and had the appearance of being knocked a Consequently Dr De Latour was called in. Mr L. G; Reid, S.M., said it was alwavs dangerous for a man to take the law into his own hands, and it looked as if the boy had been rather violently. A fine of imposed, with an order mant of medical expenses (LX 2s ou;.

To-day a man will traverse the principal streets of the city and present a half-sovereign to each Person, who, on request, cau produce a Fed Cross art union ticket.

The National Efficiency Board having regard to the fact that bush-felling operations would, in ordinary course, be commenced in various parts ot die country at an early date, recently considered the subject. The board informed the Government of j's opinion that under present conditions bush-Mbii;;; should not be regarded as an essentia 1 industry. The Government has advised the board that it ugi-ees with the conclusion arnvod Qt.

‘‘What's that?” said the chairman of one of the Military Appeal Hoards to an elderly farmer. '‘Von want an exemption for your shepherd ? Ridiculous ! Absurd! Nonsense! Poohpooh 1” “But I cannot get on without him! I can’t keep going! He’s the only reliable man i vo got!” “Preposterous! You can easily got someone else to take his place! Why don’t you try a woman?” “A woman I Have you ever heard of a woman shepherd?” “Well, I—er —er or—” “I only heard of one woman who ever tried to be a shepherd. That was Little 80-Peep. And you know what happened there—-she lost the loti”

Regarding the shortage of male teachers now existing m the State schools,, and which is daily becoming more acute, it is pointed out that the scarcity is likely to bo felt for a considerable period now, for not only arc trained teachers joining the Expeditionary Forces, but the Training College students and pupil teachers art also being depleted of their male section. As many of these will not resume their teaching avocation after the wpr, their places, as far as men are concerned, can bo taken only by males who have not yet started on their courses of training, which occupy several years.

“I brood thoroughbreds purely as an industry, and have only raced one horse in thirty years. I very seldom bet on a race and do not attend race niobtiings,” said a witness at tho Military Appeal Board at Te Aroha last week. “You can’t teach mo onytlnnj about horse-breeding. There’s nothing like losing money to teach you a knowledge of horso-hreoAitig, replied a member of the board, who added that ho had been a director of a stud company. “If you or anyone else want a sympathetic hearing and favourable judgment from this board, you must oome before us as a dairy fanner, not as a thoroughbred horse-breeder. Xho very best time te sell young thoroughbreds is the very first opportunity. Don’t lose any chances, either! witness retorted' that he certainly did not advance horse-breeding as a reason for exemption.

The latest progress statement of tho Discharged Soldiers’ Information Department shows that the total nunvbci of men on the register on March 29th was 7562. Of those 6274 have been disposed of a© under;, Men who Lav e work to return to, and -men who have re-enlisted or returned to military duty, 2638; men placed in employment, 1428; men who have signed “assistance not required,” 1409; left Now Zealand or address cannot ho ascertained, 155; mien who hayo not responded to repeated communications, and men ivho bavo accepted work tho department found for them hut failed to start work, 594. Of the remainder, 422 are men convalescing, not ready for employment and not yet’ discharged by the military authorities. : Th-o number at present on the: employment wanted register is 111, of whom five desire work in lingtonWalter Proudfoot, manager of a Manners street shooting gallery, was Charged at the .Magistrate's Oourt yesterday for exhibiting an indecent sot of pictures in a pen ny-in-tlie-slot machine. The evidence showed that when Police-Sergeant Fitzgerald called at - the place he was allowed to examine the machines, and in one he found objectionable illustrations. The , defendant (who was represented .by Mr H. F. O’Leary) stated that he was employed by Messrs Williams and - Brown, and at the time of the sergeant’s visit the gallery was lot • for three weeks to Mr V. Ladd to show some submarine pictures. Proudfoot at this period really had no connection with the “show.” Moreover, these penny-in-the-slot machines had been used by tlie City Council at Day’s Bay. Crossexamined by Inspector Marsack, tlie defendant was unable to say that this particular series of pictures bad been exhibited under the’authority of the council. Mr' L. G.' Reid, S.M.,- determined upon a fine of £5. Ploughing by dynamite is being, carried on extensively in tho lljiitcd States. -The famous Dupont Company —one of Scwab’s enterprises, which. last year showed a profit of twenty millions sterling—-who are the biggest manufacturers of. explosives in the world. Have invented a system which enables the farmer to till virgin land by means of specially prepared tovpower dynamite cartridges, which are placed at intervals of ten yards.' The dynamite makes a regular furrow, similar to that made by a plough, and the depth can be graded as required. The explosion is so delicate that farm handj who are drilling the hole for file second cartridge • are not injured *y tin explosion if they are ten yards back Stumps of- trees arc readily removed; and during peace time the scheme h recommended for the construction of bunkers and undulating greens on golf courses. Low-grade cartridges are" also now used for breaking up boilers, whether embedded in brickwork or not, which have hitherto had to be broken up by hand with groat trouble and expense. ,

A case came before the Magistrate's Court yesterday in which a passenger on the Day's Bay ferry was charged with travelling without having previously paid his fare. The' defendant was Mr Sigurd Lestrup, the well-known professional singer. ■ Mr Anderson appeared for the Eastbourne Council, and Mr Willis for the defen-' dant. Mr Lestrup stated that he was a resident of Muritai. On February 2nd he was travelling on the, ferry steamer to Ilona Bay, after an absence from Wellington on holidays. When the ticket-checker came round he found that his periodical pass had expired, and be volunteered the information that he had made two journeys previously which he would have to pay for. This ho did, and he wroth a frank explanation to the Eastbourne Borough Council on the subject. It was a matter of pure inadvertence that he had omitted to take out a fresh periodical ticket, and as soon aa he discovered the omission he obtained a now ticket. On no previous occasion' bad he been asked to show his pass. The defendant was convicted and ordered to pay costs.

Donnelly’s Hair Restorer. —A real tonic. Cures dandruff, stops hair falling. Chemists, stores, hairdressers, 2s 6d. Donnelly’s, 65, Vivian street. •

Severn I handsome donations have boon received by the committee of tho .llcturned Soldiers’ Hostel from supporters of tho proposal to secure another hostel nearer to the centre of the city. Mrs T. 11. Lowry, of Hawke's Bay, has given 150 mixed ewes, valued at jCl£so; Mr Lowry has given £IOO in cash ; and one of the Gisborne district brandies of the Women’s National Reserve has promised £SO towards .the exjicnse of furnishing. Tho first donation was made a little while ago by Miss .Anderson,_ of Rc-rcru, Hawke’s jtfay, sjo gave through the Hon. G. '\v; xcusscll a motor-ear, which is to bo disposed of hy art union. Other gifts are expected. Tho difficultieii experienced by many children in back-blocks districts in getting to school were emphasised on Wednesday by Mr R. O. Smith, a member of the Auckland Education Board. Addressing tho Minister tor Education, the Hon. J. A. Hanan, who attended tho meeting of tho board, Mr Smith, said ho considered that the department should assist those back-blocks families by contributing towards tho keep of the two or moro horses frequently required to take the children to school. They often rode twelve miles in tho day, tho horses being of but little, use for any other purpose, and ho thought some encouragement of this kind should bo given to the people who were settling the country districts. Mr Hanan, in reply, said that the department had always opposed the suggestion to grant capitation for horses, but requested iMr Smith to put his request in writing, bo that it could bo considered. Tho Hon. J. A. Hanan, replying to n question brought before him at ths Auckland Education Board meeting, said it was a lamontable fact that many of our future citizens and woi leers wasted tho golden time of preparation, between the ages of fourteen and seventeen. Tho compulsory period stopped at fourteen years, and between this and seven:cen or eighteen was the most critical timer. . Many thought their education was finished when they loft the primary school. The education which closed and gave place to wage-earning when tho boy had reached tho ago of fourteen fell short of its aim. Tho best results would accrue if it were continued three or four years longer. It certainly would be bettor, in the interests of their future welfare and tho interests of tho State, if they remained longer under authority and Instruction than they do now. It would be some time you before this idea gained general acceptance. Ho would liko, however, to see publi'c opinion so educated and vitalised in order that compulsory day classes should bo established for young people who had left school and taken up employment. Many boys drifted into tho ranks of unskilled laboui into blind alley occupations—-and at times of depression they suffered most Horn unemployment. Tho. subject called for attention.