NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9719, 23 July 1917, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Secretary, General Post Office, has been advised that from July 14th to September I3th legal time in .Russia has been advanced one hour.

Captain Sawyers, of tiro .coasts#, steamer Kapiti, which arrived at Wellington yesterday afternoon from Wanganui, reported that a huge whale was lying stranded at Terawhiti.

The personnel of the Labour Rills Committee set up by the House of Representatives on Friday last is Messrs Massey, Anderson, T. A. H. Field, Glover, Hindmarsh, Okey, Scott, Voitch, Walker, and Wilkinson. A concert will be given to returned soldiers at the Town Hall to-morrow night. Songs will be sung by French soldiers now in Wellington. The pror coeds are in aid of the Red Cross Society and Returned Soldiers’ Club. A splendid record of patriotism was shown by a letter received recently by the Christchurch Rod Cross executive from the secretary of the Addington Hockey Club. In it he. stated that of the 7.3 active members of the club, 67 were on active service, and the remainder had all volunteered. “That’s an Irishman’s way of putting it.” remarked Mr J. S. Evans (chairman of the First Canterbury Military Service Board), at a sitting at Rangiora, when a witness, giving evidence as to employment, said that “now and again ho was constantly employed.” Vestcrday the body of Thomas William Hill, a soldier, who was reported missing to the police in February last, was found hanging to a tree in the bush at Silverstream. It was removed to the morgue. Hill’s wife is laid to bo living at Frankton Junction.

Mr W; A. Veitch made a jocular reference to tins Kaiser in, his speech in the Address-in-Reply. ’Referring to the suggestion that no more reinforcements should ho sent to relievo the Main Body, ho said, "It would be very good news for the Kaiser when drinking his sauerkraut and would cheer him up considerably.” The joke lies in the fact that sauerkraut is a solid article of food and not a liquid. ‘‘This man was in a filthy condition, and, was remanded for a week for a clean-up,” said Inspector Marsack, when a man who answered to the name of George Smith camo before Mr S. 11. McCarthy, S.M., on Saturday, accused of being an idle and disorderly person. Accused said he had not been before the court for throe years, and was trying to reform. Drink was his trouble. Ho was sent to gaol for throe months.

"This-man gives one tho impression that he deliberately attempted to shirk his responsibilities,” remarked Inspector Marsack, when a man named Lomond Kennedy was before the court on Saturday for failing to enrol in tho First Division Reservists. ‘‘When the proclamation was issued ho stated lie was married, and consequently was placed in the Second Division. It has since been proved that ho is single.” Defendant was heavily lined for his deceit.

A tragedy presenting some sad features has been reported to tho police. On Friday morning Ellen Whitcombo Burke, wife of Charles William Burke, loft her homo in Blucher avenue, Newtown, and was not again seen alive. A search was made, and toe dead body of the woman was found washed up near Miramar wharf on Saturday morning. Tho deceased had been suf fpring from insomnia, and camo from tho Wairarapa a short time ago to obtain medical advice. To mark the third anniversary of the declaration of war a' citizens’ patriotic demonstration is to bo held in the Town Hall next Saturday. The chair will be taken by the Mayor (Mr j P. Luke. C.M.G.). and the following motion will bo put to tho meeting: —"That, on the third anniversary of the declaration, of a righteous war, this meeting of citizens again records its' inflexible determination .to continue to a victorious end to struggle in maintenance of those ideals of liberty and justice which aro the common and sacred cause of the Allies.” ;A defendant in the. Magistrate’s Court on Saturday said his name when he was born was George Smith, but he could not remember going under the names of Mills, Williams, and Francis when asked by Inspector Marsack. Hia memory was revived when he was confronted with a record-sheet which showed that he had served several sentences for various offences under the names mentioned. Tho police had ordered him to leave the town, and he excused himself for not doing so by saying ho was to go into camp today (Monday). Ida Ellon Robson, seventeen yearn of age, and described as the wife ol a soldier, appeared before Mr S. E McCarthy, S.M., on Saturday morning, on a charge of theft. The charge was proved, and the police asked that sentence be deferred m order that the Salvation Army authorities might bo communicated with. Later in the morning , Inspector Marsack informed the Bench thpt the Salvation Army would gladly take the girl, but she refused to go to the Home. Tho magistrate said that was a pity, and a s ho could not allow’ defendant to go at large she would be sentenced, to three months’ imprisonment.

At a meeting on Saturday of members of tiro Defence League, the following motion was carried unanimously ;—“That this meeting deplores the suggestions recently made in Parliament in favour of reducing the reinforcements which the Dominion stands pledged to the Empire to provide; resents such proposals as grossly insulting to the patriotism and the honour of the country, seeing that to carry them out would involve a breach of faith with the men we have sent to the front, and to our friends in the Old Country who are hearing the brunt of the fight; thanks Sir James Allen and Sir Francis Bell for their emphatic repndiation of these dishonouring suggestions; and assures the Government that the people of New Zealand are really in no mood to prostitute their honour by leaving the defence of their liberties to others.” An Auckland waterside worker named Ernest Emil Lind, who claimed to be a Russian subject, was charged before Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., m the Police Court with having published a statement indicating disloyalty in respect so the present w-ar. The nords which formed the basis of the charge were; “Down with the British. It is to my sorrow that I cannot get back to Russia. You know Icm a strong Socialist, and I would stir things up. The British are all bluff, and if they were hand to hand vith Germany they would be wiped cut. The British ~are getting what they were asking for,” The magistrate said that at the commencement of the case he was of the opinion that accused might hare had a p<x»r op'D'cn of the British without actually be’r.g in sympathy with Germany. The evidence given, however, showed disaffection in regard to the war. He was a foreigner of doubtful antecedents, and ho would be sentenced to eleven months’ imprisonment.