NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9690, 19 June 1917, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

A Press Association message from Auckland reports that C. Gehson, aged fifteen, an ordinary seaman on a barqucntinc, was washed overboard and drowned during a heavy galo. Gebson was a native of Sydney. The Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald) stated fast night that the whole of tho first sliipment of the Government's wheat purchase from Australia had been disposed of to millers.

Tho Minister for Mines (the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald) received a telegram last night from the Inspector of Mines at Blackball, stating that a very serious fire had occurred in the mine, which will render it idle lor some time.

“You grew no wheat last season, hut. now you aro going to. Why aro you going to do so?” inquired Mr H. W. Bishop, S,M-, of an appellant before the Military Service Board, in Christchurch. “Because I think it is going to pay, that’s why,” was the answer.

Tho following is from the “Bulldog’s Sark and Devon Lyre,” published in coune-ction with a -Now Zealand transport: “If tho vessels by which Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward travelled to England had been Lusitaniacd on that voyage, and Mr Massey had been drowned, what would Sir Joe have done? That’s easy—floated aloan!” “We are all aggregating,” stated a delegate at the Farmers' Union conference at Marion, when land laws were under consideration. “There is not ono of us who will not buy a property if it suits our purposes and our pockets.” Another delegate stated that It was impossible to prevent aggregation by any means. A man could take up as much land as ho liked, and put ft in somebody else’s name. It w*as tho almost unanimous opinion of all the speakers that big estates were detrimental to the Dominion. The Belgian Government reports (states tho New York “Public”) that the assurances given by German authorities that deportation of Belgians would cease, and that those unjustly deported would bo returned, have not boon fulfilled. Tho only persons returned hav£ been those unfit for work. Two-thirds of the number aro still in captivity. Various moans have been resorted to In the camps to compel tho men to sign a “voluntary agreement to work; hut the severest hardships have been unavailing, it is reported, to accomplish this purpose, Baron Friedrich von Falkenhauson, the now German governor, has arrived in Brussels. The hearing of the compensation case John Henry White, waterside worker, of Wellington, v. Richardson and Co., Ltd., shipowners, of Napier, was continued before Mr Justice Hosking and a jury of four in the Supreme Court yesterday. The claim was based on the alleged negligence of the winchman on tho steamer Ripple while cargo was being unloaded in November last. Through this plaintiff had suffered serious injury to his arm. The hearing of tho case occupied tho. whole day. The jury returned a verdict for defendant, stating that there was no negligence on the part of the winchman. Mr F. J. O’Regan appeared for plaintiff, and Mr C. I’. Skcrrett, K. 0., and the Hon. T. W. Hislop for defendant company.

The now tram conductor, a Product of the war, is a curiosity which excites the risibility,. ( of the ordinary traveller. Ho 'nbrert- seems to recognise the face of a passenger from whon - .', ho has a faro collected, and he rummages furtively about empty seats alter looking underneath a seat to sOo whether someone is not lurking there. One of tho novitiates broke the record yesterday, when, alter plucking a hole in a concession ticket on one side turned round and demanded another fare on’ tho other side from tho self-same passenger. Ho had not tho slightest idea that a few seconds before he had taken the fare from tho passenger. Such is tho war. One who safe tho incident expressed the opinion that girl conductors would ho much more observvant. Reports from Jaffa, which has been the centre of Zionist activities, and which contains many Jews who have gone to Palestine under coionising plans, indicate (declares an American exchange) the grossest treachery on the part of the Turkish authorities. Eight thousand Jews were ordered from their homes without permission to carry provisions or other belongings, which were pillaged by the natives and Bedouins. Tho Jewish suburbs and colony ventures in tho surrounding country which showed such encouraging results have been completely destroyed. It is reported tnat Djemal Pasha, military governor ot Palestine, is persecuting tho Jews because of the advance of the British forces, and threatens them with the fate of the Armenians.

The latest progress statement issued by the Discharged Soldiers’ Information Department shows that the number of men on the register last week was 83X5. Of these, 7137 cases have been disposed of as under:—Men who have work to return to, and men who have re-enlistcd or returned to military duty, etc., 3148; men placed in employment, 1561; men ’ who havo signed ‘‘assistance not required,” 1599; left ■ New Zealand or cannot ascertain address, 167; men who havo net responded to repeated communications, and . men who havo accepted work the department found for them but failed to start work, 672. Of the remainder, 563 are men convalescing, not ready for employment, and not yet discharged by the military authorities. The number of cases on the employment wanted register is 164, of whom ten desire work in Wellington. The entry of America into tho world-war is having its effect on the markets and price of produce in that country as well as in New Zealand. Mr T. G. Sarjeant, of Wellington, has received a letter from Mr G. G. Lusher, of Illinois, U.S.A-, in which he says; “Things in this country just at the present time are rather unsettled, due to the fact that we are entering this world-war, and we have got to go through a period of readjustment. Dairy products are bringing high prices. J-'or example, last month on, my farm, where I separate cream, I received 45 to 47 cento a pound for cream - based on butter-fat contents. The price is now down to 40 cents.' Hogs have been bringing 16 cents live weight. Potatoes hare been about four dollars a bushel, wheat is three dollars a bushel, and corn has reached the unheard-of price of one dollar fifty cents a bushel. The wheat crop this summer is not going to ho as large as last year. The average planted to other grains will be larger than ever beforo-

A “Gazette” notice issued yesterday notifies that the voluntary enlistment m the New Zealand Expeditionary Force of Reservists over twenty-one years of age, and belonging to the Eirst Division of the Reserve, shall cease throughout New Zeajand on Saturday, June “3rd.

A very gratifying contribution of £1 was received last week by tho National Headquarters of the Y.M.C.A. from an unknown sympathiser, who gave the signature .“A Worker. Northland." The writer’s son went away with ilm Fifth Reinforcements just two year? ago. Ho is still quite wot), and the parent sends this donation as a thankoffering to be applied for the benefit of the fighting men as the Y.M.C.A. thinks fit.

A union secretary was “hauled over tho coals” by Mr Justice Stringer at the Arbitration Court yesterday for the manner in which has union s demands for a new award were sot out. His Honour looked over the list of parties cited to the award and remarked that the indefinite way some of them were mentioned was quite irregular. In many eases merely tho names were cited and no addresses given. In one instance merely the. surname was given. His Honour pointed out that the name, address and initials of the parties cited must be given. Tile secretary replied that it was very difficult to keep in touch with all the different parties; there were so many and they were always changing their addresses. Further, registered letters had been scut to all the parties in the list notifying them that they were being cited to tho' award. Later His Honour drew attention to the name of the union to which an amendment had boon added. 'Tt seems to me,” said the judge, “that union secretaries don’t know the names of their own Unions; you have your rules'and registered titles and why don’t you use them?”

During the past few days the National Committee of the Y,M.C.A. has received the following donations to assist it in its work for the welfare of the soldiers at homo and abroad; —Mr J. Harry Penn, £5; Marlborough Ladies’ Committee, £lO Is: Marlborough Patriotic Cliib, £OO 11s: Miss Grant, Pahiatua, £3 12s; Mr George Reid', Waikoikoi, £3 7s; Mrs McGregor. Palmerston North, £2O; Mr J. 11. Macnee, Springfield, 10s ; ' Otago Soldiers’ and Dependents’ Welfare Committee, £100; Pongaroa Red Cross Guild, £25; Hawke’s Ray War Relief Association, £500; lona Girls’ College, £35; per Hastings Y.M.G.A. War Relief Fund Committee (Mr A. MpHardy £IOO, collected by “Ben” £2)} £102; Huntcrvillo Countess of Liverpool Fund and Red Cross Guild, £lO ss; per Christchurch Y.M.C.A. for Mounted Brigade, Egypt, £100; Mrs Florence E. Beswick, £5; Nelson War Relief Fund Appeal, £15!) 4s; Dr Bedford's lecture, Blenheim, £3; Mr Neuman, £1; .Mr J. James (monthly subscription), £1: Cardiff Co-operative Dairy, Stratford, £25 ss. Travellers by tbo trams will havo noticed that recently they havo not been running us formerly. A change has been made in the time-tables. Lp till 8 p.m. the week day services are as heretofore, but from that hour the services to Island Bay, Lyall Bay and Oriental Bay are reduced from a ten minute to a quarter-hour service. So far as the Mount Victoria tunnel trams are concerned after 8.15 p.m. several of the cars that went to Kilbirnio now go only as far as Hataitai and the last car from. Lamb ton station is at 11.5 p.m. Tho only cars that go by way of Courtenay place , after that hour are two from the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel corner to tho Kilbirnio car shed and the midnight sixpenny express. So far ms Sunday is concerned, the Lyall Bay service has been reduced from a ten to a twelve minutes service and the Miramar afternoon service is one of forty minutes. Tho Saturday and Sunday services to Soatoun are to depend on tho weather. , They will bo ‘2O or 40 minutes. On the Karori line several of the cars which have hitherto run through to tho Park will proceed only as far as the Council Chambers, with a2O minutes timetable. The ordinary service to tho cemetery is to be maintained. -