NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10085, 25 September 1918, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Acting-Prime Minister (Sir James Allen) has received the following cablegram from Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward —Exceedingly grieved learn casualties pneumonia epidemic transport. Please convey all parents, relatives those members expeditionary forces whose illness has terminated fatally our heartfelt sympathy, condolence— Massey, Ward.

The officer commanding the New Zealand hospital ship now on the way to the Dominion has reported “ail well” from another port of call.

A Gazette Extraordinary has been issued calling up for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force 73 members of the First Division of the Native Expeditionary Force Reserve.

“The health of the troops has been excellent.” is the advice received by the Minister for Defence with regard to the right wing of the 43rd Reinforcement from their last port of call, un. der date September 20th.

In the advertising columns to-day appears a list of some of the items which account for the enormous , Red Cross expenditure at the present day. The objects of the Red Cross organisation are not perhaps so widely understood, as they might be. and the list sets out clearly many of the good uses to which the funds are applied, both here and abroad for the alleviation of suffering. The flag ■ drive which is now under way enables all by the purchase of flags on their windows to assist in meeting this vast expenditure..

Petty theft's, from the New Zealander Hotel led to the appearance of a middle-aged woman named Josey Williams in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. For some time the management of the hotel noticed that articles of cutlery were disappearing. Owing to her intemperate habits, the accused was dismissed, and subsequently she was found with goods in her possesion valued at 7 4d. It was shown to the court hy Mr H. P. O’Leary, defendant’s counsel,- that the woman was a victim of unfortunate circumstances, which caused her to act indiscreetly. In the ircumstances, Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., convicted the defendant and admitted her to probation, on condition that she took a prohibition order out against herself. • , -

The Appeal Court resumed its sittings yesterday. The court comprised the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), Mr Justice Cooper, Mr Justice Chapman, and Mr Justice Sim. Mr O. P. Skerrett, K.C., was granted leave to appeal to the Privy Council in the Auckland will case Tarbutt v. Nicholson. On the application of Mr H. F. von Haast, a stay of proceedings was allowed in the case of Scott v. Hepburn, a matter having relation to a patent flue for cooking ranges. On the application of Mr P. S. K. Macassey, for the Crown, the case of Collins V. Arrowsmith and others was set down for hearing on Tuesday, and Hammond and others v. the Commissioner of Stamps was fixed for argument afterwards.

The secretary of the Waterside Workers’ Union (Mr J. G. Bruce) stated’at yesterday’s sitting of the Military Service Board that assertions which had been made bv members of the Harbour Board that there had been no shortage of labour on the waterfront were not correct. He handed the board a document which proved that from August Bth till September 14th several ships had been delayed through no Harbour Board labour being available. As an instance ho mentioned that on September 6th an oversea vessel arrived from Melbourne with 3000 tons of general cargo at 1 p.m. and got no labour until Monday, September 9th. He also declared that there was a shortage of labour for “freezers.” and the companies were finding a difficulty in getting labour for freezing chamber work.

Three police cell mates who could not agree appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to explain the reason for the severance of the ties of friendship. Their names were Martin Ladbury, John Finn, and John Pinto, all seafaring men. The trio was lodged in a cell at the Central Station in connection with various offences, and appeared to get along very well for a while. Subsequently, however, their behaviour attracted attention, and on going to the cell the watchnouse-keeper found that Pinto, who is a Chilian, was very badly knocked about. Apparently the trouble arose over a question as to the nationality of Pinto. Ladbury and Finn readily admitted assaulting Pinto, but they said that the latter had given groat provocation by his remarks concerning the Britons. Both were drunk at the time. The defendants’ idea of British fair play did not appeal to Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., who characterised the affair as a drunken brawl. Ladbury and Finn were each fined £3, and costs, and an order was made that half the fines should be paid to Pinto to defray medical expenses.

When a number of fathers of families of two in this town (says the New Plymouth “Herald”) had been examined by the Medical Board one day this week and were handed the papers which showed that they, being classed €2, hero granted indefinite leave without pay, they thought that another remarkable example of military carelessness had come to light. Each* paper bore a description of its holder. One man, aged 43, saw himself described as 50; another, aged 38, was told by the paper that ho was 44; another man, who had always calculated his ago as being 46, wondered who had slipped when he saw himself described ns less than 40. A deputation, headed by the portly man “aged 50,” filed back to put tho position before the attesting officer. As tho officer explained, his hearers grew more and more admiring. A policeman might stop them to ascertain that they had not deserted or failed to register; he would compare the description on the paper with the appearance of the man before him. Therefore the age on the papers was not tho actual ago of the reservists; it was the age which they looked.

“Cabiast at their Wiping to-day,” stated the Hon. J. A. Hanan (Minister for Education) to a “Times” representative yesterday, ‘‘approved of my recommendation that financial provision be made in order to secure an adequate supply of probationers, pupil teachers, and training college students for the teaching service.”

Messrs Harcourt and Co. report that there was a good attendance at the auction sale hold at their rooms yesterday, when a block of business premises with frontages'to Courtenay place and Tory street was offered. As the bidding did not reach the reserve of £IO,OOO, the property was passed in, and is now in the hands of the auctioneers,

A speaker at last night’s meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber or Commerce said that the time had come for practical business men to take a hand in the finances of the country, instead of leaving them to bo muddled by politicians. “fancy the candidates now standing for Wellington Central”—added the speaker, hut he ■was interrupted by derisive laughter.

In the Magistrate’s Cdilrt fit"'Auckland yesterday, Ernest McKenzie plodded not guilty, and was committed for trial, on. a charge of attempting to obtain £7O from the Kailway Department by claiming through a solicitor for a cycle, wrongly alleged to have been lost in transit. A statement was made for the prosecution to the effect that the cycle had been consigned from Baetihi to Auckland, and checked, being obtained at Auckland without giving up the check ticket (reports the Press Association).

At the monthly meeting of the Wellington Typographical Union the Trades Council’s action in regard to the employment of returned incapacitaed soldiers at. trades outside of. which such soldiers were employed prior to going on active service at low rates of pay was approved. . The matter of the Arbitration Court refusing to grant an award to the Auckland City Soft Goods Employees’ Union was also considered, and the following motion was passed: “That this union strongly condemns the Arbitration Court for refus ing to make an award in the soft-goods industry in Auckland city.” A copy o» the resolution is to he forwarded to tho Acting-Minister for Labour.

Memories of a very heroic act on the part of a fourteen-year-old schoolboy, Philip Laurence Hunt, were revived at the Normal school. Thorndon,- yesterday, when the teachers and scholars assembled to see pinned on his breast the silver medal of the Royal Humane Society of Australasia for a gallant ao. tion he performed' at Neahaurango o» December 16th, T 917. ' The headmaster (Mr J. Costin Webb. M.A.') presided, and on the platform were Captain HallThompson (Natal Adviser ’ to the New Zealand Government), and Mrs HallThompson, Mr It. A. Wright, M.P., and Dr W. J. Anderson (Director of Education), .Afsiohg those present were Mr F. E. Hunt, ’father" of the young hero, several members of the crew of 5.M.5. Philomel, and Sergeant A. R. Rudkin, M.M.. a former teacher-stu-dent teacher at the school, who has just returned invalided. .

White Island has shown a great deal of spasmodic activity latetly, says the “Bay of Plenty Times,” Tauranga. The sounds heard one '' evening resembled: distant heavy explosions," arid produced a jarring effect on'many buildings like heavy thunder. Investigation, however, - showed tho night to be absolutely clear and cloudless, neither was there any oscillatory movement of hanging articles such as usually accompanies earth tremors.- One afternoon, a few days ago, however,’after a sudden'and rapid rise of steam from White Island, there rose more slowly a fine, pale, gray veil, from the same,spot, which spread, to much greater width than the,steam clouds and gradually rose till it almost blocked it from view, to a height approximately of five or six thousand feet. From its appearance it must undoubtedly have been fine volcanic dust or ash, such as the island, throw out. in the disturbance of September, 1914, after the mud.

An Opunake correspondent writes to the “Taranaki News’’ as follows:—I wish to let you know that I saw a very mysterious light out at sea, due west, on Thursday evening, between 6.20 and 6.25 o’clock. We had just finished milking, when my son drew my attention to a light out atfSea. , It could.be seen very distinctly, showing a bright Light. When we first saw it it seemed to be stationary, but all at once it seemed to make a dart forward, and was soon travelling at a terrific speed along the top of the water in a northerly direction. It seemed to be travelling the line which the New PlymouthWellington steamers travel, or it may have been further out west. We were only able to follow it for.four minutes, as a boxthorn hedge and sandhills prevented us from following it any further, but in the short time that we did see it it must have travelled many miles, as I consider it was travelling at the rate of 50 to 100 miles an hour. What .the light was U arn at' loss to know, unless a seaplane, which I firihly believe it was.

“The war has revealed our weak spots,” said Mr L. Ashcroft at last night’s meeting of the Central Chamber of Commerce. “It has shown ns how dependent we are on importations from the outside world, but it has also revealed our strength. To-day we are manufacturing many lines which hitherto were imported. To-day we have no need of protective tariffs; circumstances are favouring us; they are forcing us against our will to act upon our own. resources. After the war are wo going to revert to the old order of things? Are we going to sacrifice the extraordinary opportunities thrust upon US? Australia, that budding nation of the Southern Hemisphere, is showing ns the way; she is organising her industries, and must prove a factor of vast importance in the industrial world. Are wo going to lag behind in the face? We must seize hold of our local industries faster and “boost” them with entnusiasm and intelligence. We must support the brand ‘Made in New Zealand,' and make it something to bo proud of.”

The speaker at tile residents’ and soldiers’ servic'd “at’' tlio Y.M.C. A, on Sunday morning was' Mr T. S. Newcombe. while Mr Richard Brown addressed the men’s meeting in the afternoon About 30 soldiers and visitors were welcomed at the strangers’ tea. Seven-ty-five soldiers were entertained at the after-church song-service and supper During the week-end 184 beds and 469 meals were supplied to soldiers at the hostel in Boulcptt street, arid 162 beds and 267 meals at the main Y.M.C.A in Willis street, a total of 346 beds and 736 iieals.

It, was reported yesterday that influenza, fortunately in a mild form, is prevalent in Trentham camp. Yesterday the number of men in hospital was reported as 3SB, but many of these were merely suffering from colds, and there were no severe or serious cases. Every precaution is being taken by the medical authorities to check the spread of the disease, and it has been deemed prudent to nut all men affected, however slightly, into the hospital.

A plea for enthusiasm was made DJ a speaker at last night’s meeting ot the Central Chamber of Commerce. As an example of American “boosting methods, the speaker said that in Los Angeles some time back, a man named Sam”’Neat made'a canvas of the city, pointing out to shabbily dressed citizens that they needed a new collar, a new tie, or a new suit, as the case might be. , He put the matter before the shabby ones in a practical way, and the result was that some day s later 10,000 people wore transformed by, new clothes, and finally formed themselves into a procession, and, headed by bands, marched through the mam streets of the city.

"“AW officer on the Western front told a London pressman this nice little tale of the Chinese collies that have been employed in his district. “They had some sports last week, mostly composed of strange ceremonial dances with wooden weapons. . A .brass :band was set down- to perform for..them.-We could not understand why. all their plaudits were reserved for the trombones, two of which were included in the band. Their players were surrounded and separated from the rest of the band by a crowd-of shouting, laughing “Chinks.’ The puzzle was explained to us by an interpreter. The coolies thought that it was a first-class conjuring trick,, and that each time , the performer pulledan. his bands, hie. swallowed the disappearing part of the instrument.”

Speaking last night of the, great in* crease in land values in New. Zealand, and the effect on the cost, of living, Air Atmore (Radical candicate for-: Wet* lington Central) said that the increase' was created by public expenditure and tho growth of population. They put a railway, for example, through the land of a man who owned 100,000 acres, and put up its value by -£1 t° 30s per acre. That practically meant £IOO,OOO to £150,000 put into ; his account, and ..he wanted 5 per cent, out of the people on that increased value. He raised the price of his produce accordingly, and up went the cost of living. They should levy a' heavy tax on the increased values, and so break up land monopoly, increase production,, and reduce prices (Applause.) . r

Tho following definition of the aiim of a Chamber of Commerce was given by Mr L. Ashcroft Edwards in a paper he'read before the Central Chamber of Commerce last 1 night. A Chamber o t Commerce should be an organised body of citizens that will work intelligently, unselfishly, and enthusiastically, for the honourable advancement of their city. This advancement of necessity 1 must be mainly along the avenues of. commerce. It is our duty to jealously guard j purify, and -expand the flow of commerce along these channels. In the course of suggested reforms to the chamber, Mr Edwards said that members were too apt to wait for the Government to act, and. too apt "to >abuso, the Government for 1 ‘its’ shortcomings 1 . 1 What was wanted was a lead by a combination of business men who could give the Government the benefit ol their collective experience and intelligence.

Further reference to the vexed question of Rugby rules was made at last night’s meeting of the Wellington Rugby Union. The committee ■ reoeiv. ed a letter from the New Zealand Rugby Union forwarding the resolution passed at last meeting calling upon the Wellington Union to pursue the inquiry as to why the Auckland-Wel-lington game was played under the amended rules. Mr, Cook moved that the coach and all the Wellington players be examined on the question. A different view was taken by Mr Griffiths, who moved as an amendment that' no further action be.taken in the mat. ter. Knowing that the game was played under' the laws of English Rugby he did not see what more the commit, tee could do. There was no seconder to the amendment.' Mr Weir said that the best plan was to fix a.date for the inquiry hud get on with it. Finally the motion was carried, and it was decided to hold the inquiry next Tuesday night.

A young reservist named Hawke, who resides in the Martinhorough district, and who had been exempted from active service as the last man on the farm, stood itl the witness-box- at-the sitting of the Military Service" Board in Masterton and implored the hoard, to recommend the return of his brother in order that he Iwitnessl could go and fight. The young man stated that his brother had been classed unfit for service in England, and for some considi' erable time had been attached to the hand in Sling Camp. He considered that his brother .should ho brought home to take his place on the farm, thereby enabling him to go and fight. The chairman said the hoard greatly admired the action of the reservist, but it rested with the authorities at Homo if thev released his brother. All the board couhi do was to recommend that if unfit the brother be sent home. He advised the young man to coble and ascertain if his brother was still unfit, and the board would then know what action to take.

Mr Atmore (Radical candidate for Wellington Central), alluding to the fact that Mr L. J; F. Garmson (the returned soldier candidate) and Mr C. W. Tanner (also a candidate) were present at his meeting, remarkged that they represented one-half of the contestants for the seat, yet they were very friendly together. They might all bo in the same boat at the finish, but, if so, they would sympathise with one another, and there was no need at all for them to quarrel. (Laughter and applause.) He understood that Mr Garmson had not been able to get a hall that evening, so he would invite him to address the meeting. Mr Garmson thanked the Radical candidate for his courtesy, and took advantage of the opportunity -to state that he was standing in the sole interests of the soldiers and their dependents, and was placing himself before the electorate on those linos. (Applause.) He thanked Mr Atmore for allowing him to show himself to the electors that evening, since he had not boon able to obtain a hall, the reason being, be understood, that the Labour men had secured most of the halls. He had much pleasure in inviting Mr Atmore to attend and. to speak at his meeting to-night. (Applause.l