NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10001, 19 June 1918, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Union Company's steamer Pateena, -which has been held up at Wellington since Friday, the 7th instant — twelve days ago —owing to trouble over the dismissal of one of her firemen, will resume running to Picton and Nelson to-day. A full complement of firemen and trimmers signed on the vessel's articles yesterday, and the Pateena will sail at 1.45 p.m. to-day, but after to-day she will resume her customary time of departure—l2.4s p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The Anchor Company's steamers Kaitoa and Nikau, \ which have done 60 well as substitutes for the Pateena, will be withdrawn to-day from their special service, and will omit the call at Picton. The Kaitoa will leave Wellington at 7 o'clock to-night for Nelson and Motueka. Passengers' tickets for Picton by the Kaitoa will he available by the Pateena to-day. The Nikau, to-morrow morning, will not call at Picton on her way to Wellington from Nelson.

At a meeting of the council of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts it was resolved to invito Australian artists to exhibit their works at the next annual exhibition, to be held at the Art Gallery, in Whitrnoro street. It is proposed to hold the exhibition from September 28th to October 12th, and to have the members' "private view" on the evening of Friday, September 27th.

The young people of Wellington and suburbs are promised happy times. A visit is being paid by the ltev. JD. Palgrave Davy, of Auckland, superintendent of the Now Zealand Children's Mission. This week a united young.life campaign is being held in Petone, in the Methodist Church, Nelson street, at 7 o'clook each evening. In the South Island recently Mr Davy conducted 103 meetings, the attendance being 24,500.

Now that the debt on tho recent addition to tho Art Gallery is within measurable distance of extinction, the council of the Academy of Fine Arts feels that a little money may be reasonably expended on the purchase of new works of art. At a meeting of the council held last evening it was decided to consider the expenditure of £4O on works by New Zealand artists exhibit ed at tho next annual exhibition, tho date of the opening of which was fixed for September 27th.

Three accident cases were admitted to the hospital yesterday. Georgo Taylor, while engaged in chopping wood on the steamer Kurow, hacked his left foot through the axe slipping. He entered the hospital at 10.30 a.m. Lieutenant Carswell, while running to catch a tramcar in Adelaide road Jast evening, was knocked down' by a motor ambulance. He sustained injury to one of his shoulders, and was admitted to the hospital at 7.30 p.m. A tramway conductor named Morris fell off his tram at the corner of Willis and Manners streets last evening, and received concussion of tho brain. He arrived at the hospital at 7.45 p.m.

la an appeal touching the milk adulteration question in the Supreme Court yesterday, Mr Neave, for the appellants, remarked that the question of practicability came in. There was no use of enforcing the law to such an extent that the trade would he paralysed. "There seems to be an excellent argument," said Mr Justice Hosking, "for Parliament to alter the law or regulation. The stage seems to have been reached of the vendor becoming an absolute insurer of purity." "That is what the decision of the magistrate comes to," said Mr Neave. "The magistrate practically has found that, on this particular occasion, although the milk was late, yet you ought to have tested it," added tho judge.

A milk case occupied the attention of Mr Justice Hosking in the Supreme Court yesterday. It was a matter concerning the firm of Henry Bodley and Sons, who appealod against a conviction of Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M., on an information charging an undue proportion of water. The facts of the case wore not in dispute. It was agreed that water had been found to be in the milk, but tho contention was that it had not been placed there by tho appellants, who purchased the milk from dairy farmers on tho Manawatu line. Tho exact point to be decided was whether the appellants had taken "all reasonable steps" to see that the milk was of such quality as to conform to tho regulations. Mr T. Neave appeared for tho appellants, and Mr J. Prendeville for the Health Department. Mr Neave pointed out that his clients had installed modern plant for the testing of milk generally, but owing to tho lato arrival of milk trains, and shortago of labour due to tho war, it was not always possible to thoroughly test tho milk. On this particular occasion tho milk arrived two hours lato, and was due for distribution immediately. Judgment wag reserved.

Drapers' assistants will bo interested in a civil dispute heard before Mr W. G. lliddell, S.M., yesterday. A. H. Wallace, mercer of this city (trading as Wallace and Pibson) sued Bert Mathieson, now of Palmerston North, for the recovery of £26 53 9d alleged to be owing to plaintiff by tho defendant. Plaintiff claimed that the defondant was employed by him as a salesman for some years prior to April, 1018, and was given definite instructions not to give credit. Mathieson was also employed to make sales among officers ajid men on board vessels in port. He was told that he would be held personally responsible for any crodit given to these customers. Plaintiff said that in spite of these instructions the defendant had given credit. Altogether tho sums given in credit totalled £26 5s f>d. For the plaintiff Mr It. Jaloio contended that Mathieson's signature on the credit slips and nis personal guarantee was suffcient to mako him liable for crodit given. For tho defence Mr M. Myers submitted .hat there wero no express instructions given to defendant and oven if there had been they should have- been in writing- The magistrate upheld this contention and nonsuited the plaintiff.

"Is there any difference lietween 'the child of mo' and 'the child of mime?' " asked Mr Justice Hosking in the Supreme Court yesterday in a case concerning the interpretation of a. will. A questionable point could not bo discovered. Wills are not quite grammatical always, but whore their true intent is discerned, grammar goes by the board.

Human remains in a very advanced stage of decomposition were found in a creek_ in the Tuhipuhi mining district" on Monday (reports a Press Association message from Whangarei). They havo been identified as those of Andrew Allen, a well-known mining prospector. Deceased had been missing since Easter. He was married, but was living away from his family.

The annual report of he New Zealand Public Service Association states that _ "the total membership of the association as at March 31st last, was 5490, an addition of 333 over the number as at Match 31st. 1917. The number of members with the Expeditionary Force ds 817, and the honours list published each month in the Public Service, Journal shows that the Public Service has fully done its share in providing the men whose bravery has resulted in recognition."

The Arbitration Court yesterday took evidence regarding the partial recommendation of the Conciliationv Council regarding the Wellington Electrical Workers' dispute. Mr A. Monteifch appeared for the union and Mr VV. A. Grenfell for the employers. Judgment was reserved, partial exemption being granted in the case of the Gear Meat Company. Mr Justice. Stringer presided with Messrs W. Scott and J. A. MeUullough, employers' and workers' representatives respectively.

Some months ago the Public Service Association made representations in regard to increased salaries payable to cadets, and within the last few weeks the period of eadetship has been reduced from six years to four years. "We hope," states the annual report of the in commenting on this matter, "that this will result in attracting a suitable type of young men towards a Public Service career, but we are doubtful whether the desired result will be attained without the prospects for ultimate promotion being made brighter. The improvements made have resulted in a crop of anomalies, which are considerably exercising the minds of the cadets already in the Public Service.- As the matter is to be discussed at the conference, dt is not desirable that any further comments on this aspect of the question should be made at the present time."

It will bo of interest, to persons who have relatives or friends at the front to know the best means of sending articles to them through the post. By the parcel post, packages up to 31b in weight can bo sent for Is, or up to 71b for 2s. For packages up to lib in weight the sample packet rate of Id for the first 4oz and id each succeeding 2oz is available; but the Post Office does not recommend this mode of dispatch for articles of a saleable value, for the reason that sample packets run a far greater risk than parcels of going astray. Parcels are recorded and receipts are given for them at every stage of thoir journey; and it is possible to fix the responsibility in the event of their loss. Packets, on the other hand, are not reported, and may bo misappropriated with less fear of detection. There is no reason to believe that such losses occur while the packages are in course of transit by post; but there is reason to believe that they do occur after delivery from the Base Post Office.

The question of members of the police force joining -the' Public Service Association was touched upon by the president of the association (Mr 6. Allport), in his opening address at the annual conference yesterday. Mr. Allport said that some time ago the Government announced that members of the Police Force could join the association. A great many of them had joined but thero had been some little difficulties in connection with the police regulations that required to bo settled, and arrangements had been made for the executive to 6ee the Minister in Charge of the Police to endeavour to get those difficulties removed and to get th© conditions, under winch members of the force are members of the association, made clear, so that everyone could understand them. Arrangements had been made on throo occasions for the executive to see the Minister. The Minister expressed his full and entire consent to meet the deputation and fully discuss the ject, but, unfortunately, througl" the illness of the Commissioner of Police, the meeting had been put off. They hoped however, to be able to moot the Minisl ter soon. Ho (the chairman) discussed the matter with the Minister only a few days ago, and ho oxpressed his desire to 6 oe them as soon as the Commissioner could bo present. He hoped that tho interview would soon tako p ace, and that matters would be placed on a satisfactory footing. (Hear hear.) ' '

In the closing hours of last session parliament unfortunately passed legislation which was detrimental to tho best interests of tho Public Service, and which we can only hope will be re ,Pealed as 6 oon as peace is established," states the annual report of the New Zealand Public Service Association. "The legislation was announced as necessary because, of war conditions, and in 6ome directions had tho effect of undermining tho authority of tho Public Service Commissioner. Transfer from one department to another can now take place only with the consent of the Minister in charge of tho department to which the officer happens to bo attached, and before an officer can specially be regra-ded on account of increaso in the responsibilities attached to his position tho money has to bo provided by Parliament, which, hi fact, means that tho Minister in charge of tho department is to approve of tho expenditure and of its being placed on tho Kstimatos. Again, it is only with tho consent of the Minister that an officer may retiro on superannuation. Fortunately for tho officers alEccted, most of them are only too pleased to havo the opportunity, of prolonging their official life. In few cases, therefore, does the legislation have tho result of practically conscripting a section of tho community for homo service. The legislation, as is well known, also provides for tho postponement of tho regrading of the Public Service for two yoars. Protests against the injustice of such an action havo boon raised by all sections of tho Public Service, and we consider that the council should go into tho question of further action."

Wong Joe Yim, fruit merchant, Eketahuna, was yesterday adjudicated bankrupt by His'Honour Mr Justice Hosking on> a. creditor's petition.

His Honour Mr Justice Stranger will sentence several prisoners in the Supreme Court on Thursday morning, at 10 o'clock.

In honour of our great Ally, the United States of America, Cabinet has decided that flags are to be flown on all the public buildings throughout tho Dominion on the next 4th of July, "the glorious 4th," or "Independence Day," as the Americans call it.

The hon. treasurers of tho Wellington Navy League King George's Fund (Mrs Hall-Thompson and Mr R. Dar.roch) acknowledge with thanks the sum of £37 lis 8d from Mr J. Lewis, being the collection at the service in the Town Hall on Sunday, June 2nd, in aid of the dependents of those who fell in the Zeebrugge and Ostend raids.

The Church of England military affairs committee has cabled £3OOO to the headquarters of tho Church Army—£2ooo for the hut fund and £IOOO (the gift of an anonymous donor) to provide a kitchen car for use in supplying hot drinks and food to the men in the trenches. Since the beginning of the year the military affairs committee has remitted Home the sum of £5464 for the building of Church Army huts, and for comforts for the men at tho front.

There was a mild uproar in Pipitea street on. Monday night following on a visit by William John Reynolds and Cordelia Reynolds to the home of Albert Chaney. Mr and Mrs Reynolds called to collect some property but instead of doing so struck trouble. As the argument between the trio was becoming too violent for indoors, they adjourned to a lane. There Chaney gave vent to bad language against Cordelia Reynolds, who smacked him cm the face. Chaney, instead of turning the other cheek, returned the compliment. Mr Reynolds resented the assault on his wife and "butted" in with bad results for himself. Tht| gross result of this three-cornered fight was inevitable. The police appeared, ■trie net result was a-fine of £1 or 21 days entered against Chaney by Mr F. V. Frazer. S.M. in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Chaney admitted two charges of assault under provocation and was also found guilty of using obscene language. Reynolds is a returned soldier, but the magistrate took a lenient view of the case, as Chaney was going into camp the following day.

Argument was heard in tie Su-preme-Court yesterday before Mr Justico Hosking concerning the construction of the will of the late George Howe, of Palmerston North. The particular point at issue was the distribution of the residue of the estate upon the death of the testator's widow. Under the terms of the will provision was f™ H I . divi ? i ° n of residue brother John Howe and my sister Jane Newsome in equal shares." This language, it was contended, was open to tour constructions, namely:—.(l) That the children of John Howe and Jane isewsome herself take a s individuals: \f) that the same persons take as a fanuly; (3) that'->thcf''children of'John Howe and the r children-of Jane Newsome take as individuals; and (4) that the same persons take aB a family. The brother, John Howe, left seven children and Jane Newsome three children Besides the issue of a deceased child. A further question arose as to whether such issue should take any share under an additional clause in the will providing that if any legatee under the will should die in the testator's lifetime, leaving a child or children, such child, or children,' ■should ' ! take the share their parents' would have taken if living. The parent of such issue died before the will was made. Mr E P Hay appeared for the Public Trustee (executor of the will) and as representing the estate of Jane Newsome. Mr D. M. Findlay appeared for the children of John Howe, deceased, and Mr \V. L. Rothenberg for the surviv. mg children of Jane Newsome. Judg. ment was reserved.