NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10536, 12 March 1920, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

The. departure of the R.M.S. Tofuu from Wellington for San Francisco yin ports has been postponed till noon today. A list of tho passengers appears ■in the shipping column of this issue.

When a juryman was called upon for service at the Hamilton Supremo Court a few days ago, ho claimed exemption, as he , had strong religious objections. His Honour said it was the first time he had heard a juryman claiming exemption on religious grounds, and asked the man to what sect ho belonged. Ho replied that he did not belong to any sect, but had strong religious objections. “Well, I will exempt you,” said His Honour, “for it is quite clear you would be a most unsatisfactory juryman.”

Durin the month of January the prime stock slaughtered at the City Council abattoirs included ~7 cows, 815 bullocks, 6340 sheep, 3457 lambs, 43r calves, and 34 pigs. These figures show increases upon last year’s figures of 335 bullocks, 2039 sheep, 1101 lambs and 246 calves. Tn„ total fees tor the month amounted to £775 los 4d. representing a decrease of £ll7 11s 2d on tho previous month, and an increase of £216 3s 2d on the figures' for the corresponding month of last year.

Discussing tho rapid advance in the price of hides with a reporter, an Ashburton farmer stated that this was another instance wherein at any rate the North Island scored over Canterbury. Canterbury could not lay claim to producing hides in any quantity like tho North Island, therefore the latter place was now going to make tho Canterbury people pay dearly for leather goods, while the North Island rakod_ in tho hulk of tho profit. *‘lt was just the same during the war,” he added, “when the ’ farmers horo wore asked to grow as much wheat as possible to feed tho North Island population, while the farmers thorn gathered in huge suras for their wool and mutton.” A dealer, when asked for his views on tho matter, said tho advance on hides would moan no extra profit for tho cattle dealers, who would have to pay higher prices for the stock they handled and dispose of them accordingly, tbo margin of increase in each instance allowing .lot the increased price of hides.

The work of asphalting round tho band stand at Oriental Bay is to bo put in hand.

Some 11,230 acres in the Rotorua block, Auckland Land District, have been gazetted as set apart for selection.

The departures from Now Zealand during February last exceeded the arrivals by 154. In tho corresponding month of 1919 there was an excess of arrivals over departures of 561.

The ballot at present being held In connection with the Wellington Tramways Employees’ Union for the selection of a new union secretary will conclude at noon on Saturday. ’

A request from the Wellington Tramways Employees' Union that Good Friday shall be observed as a close holiday, will be considered at tho next meeting of tho tramways committee of the City Council.

It is notified in yesterday’s “Gazette” that unclaimed property in the hands of tho police at the various police stations will, if not claimed before Wednesday, March 31st, 1920, be sold thereafter by public auction.

Advice was received in Wellington yesterday that tho influenza outbreak at Runanga is rapidly abating. It was anticipated that the State coal mines, which have been closed down for about a fortnight, would re-open. to-day.

A letter has been received by the City Council from tho Yogeltown and Moruington Municipal Electors’ Association, asking the council to expedite the work of constructing New load and protesting against the council embarking on work in other suburbs while leaving this work undone.

Regulations gazetted yesterday provide that each member of the Board of Public Health, not being an officer of tho public service, shall bo paid the sum of £1 10s, for every day on which he attends a meeting of tho hoard, together with the sunl of £1 10s for every night during which he is necessarily absent from his homo by reason of such attendance. Reasonable travelling expenses are also allowed.

The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr W. Newton) is faced with a number of busy days next wdek in hearing the various local claims and arguments,in connection with the Wellington plumbers’ dispute. On Monday he will sit at Wellington, on Tuesday at Palmerston North, on Wednesday at Wanganui, and on Friday at Napier.

The advisability of either selling or turning to some useful purpose the vacant section of City Council property bn Adelaide road, was urged upon the City Council last night by Councillor Bennett. The Acting-Mayor (Councillor G. Frost) said that the matter would be considered at tho next meeting of the tramways committee.

“If there is going to be a Royal reception,” said a speaker at a meeting of the. Waimairi County Council, in moving a vote of £25 towards the Royal Reception Fund, “I hope it will be held in the open, where the Prince can see the people ho wants to see.” “As was done in Canada,” added Mr C. E. Cross, who favoured a grant of £SO. The motion was carried.

“A butcher is aHowed 4d a lb for delivery, and a butcher's cart can put out four times as much as a baker’s cart in the day; yet bakers were only allowed Id on the 21b loaf (stated a Master Bakers’ Association delegate to the Prime Minister on Wednesday). Another delegate said that they had worked it out and found that it cost them 3Jd for every live minutes that the cart was out.

The population of New SijUth Wales reached 2,000,000 just before tho closel of 1919. During the last twelve months the population has increased by 71.966, the largest since 1912, when it increased by 80,226. The excess of births over deaths numbered 22,143, and there was a net increase by excess of arrivals over departures of 49.823, largely due to the return of soldiers from active service.

School matters were briefly touched on at a meeting of Hatadai residents, and tho following resolution was unanimously passed:—“That this mooting of Hataitai residents urge on the Education Department and Education Board the urgent necessity of adding additional, accommodation to Ihe Hataitai School at the earliest possible moment so as to provide for standards five and six.”

In reply to a resolution passed at a public meeting held at Stratford calling on tho Government to push on with tho completion of the StratfoioOk uluikn rn railway with the least possible delay, the Prime Minister has written to the Stratford Borough Council expressing his intention to confer with the Minister for Public Works regarding the matter, ami to arrange for the council to receive a further reply as soon as possible

A cannon ball, about four inches in diameter, and weighing about ten pounds, was recently unearthed by Mr Joseph Wood in his garden at Halifax street, Nelson. It w,as found three feet beneath the surface, and was much corroded with rust. Similar cannon balls have been found at Wangamoa and at Cable Bay, and it is surmised that they were fifed from French warships under the command of Captain D’Urville,' when he was exploring New Zealand in 1770.

The fact that lady passengers travelled in the smokers’ compartment of an Auckland tramcar resulted in a scene in Wellesley street on Monday. A man named Samuel Wallace protested in such an offensive manner against their presence that tho conductor remonstrated with him and asked him to leave the car. Wallace cfbjeeted and struck tho conductor on the faoo with his clenched fist. Thereupon a constable Fas called, and arrested him. In tho Police) Court Wallace admitted using obscene language and also assaulting Lance Buckley, the conductor. He was fined £5 on each charge.

A disputed account rendered in connection with work alleged to have been carried out on defendant’s premises, formed tho basis of a civil action—brought before Mr W. G. Riddell. S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday whereby Driller and Co., glass merchants and manufacturers (Mr D. M. Findlay), sought to recover from B. Smith, grocer, of Courtenay place (Mr A. M. Salek) tho sum of £3B 4s 9d. Tho defendant opposed the <Jaim on tho ground that the charges wero excessive. After hearing statements made by the parties and by expert witnesses, t.jio magistrate held that one item had boeri overcharged by 7s 6d. He made a reduction accordingly, and then entered judgment for the plaintiff for £37 17s 3d.

So many pupils and teachers hare been affected with influenza at the Tiiuaru Boys’ High School that the school has been closed for a week.

Notifications redefining the acclimatisation districts of Auckland, Wellington, and Rotorua, have been gazetted.

<A proclamation was gazetted yesterday taking an additional three to four acres of land at Kaiwarra for the purposes of the IVellingtou-Napief railway.

The City Council decided last night to formally call upon the Renewal Fund Commissioners to pay to the council the cost incurred in relaying the tramway 'tracks in Lamljton quay. (£3133'13s lid.)

Fifteen acres in the suburbs of Grahamtown,. Auckland Baud District, 13£>0 acres in the AVellington Laud District, and 2336 acres in the Hawke’s Bay Land District, were gazetted yesterday as set apart for soldier settlement.

It is notified in yesterday’s “Gazette” that the season for taking or killing imported game and native game is to be closed absolutely during the year 1020 in the district comprised in the County of Opotiki, and that no imported game or native game of any species is to be taken or killed in the district during such close season. ,

The by-laws committee reported to tho City Council last evening that they had received a deputation from the Taxi-owners’ Association with re-, ference to taxi-cab stands in the city,’ suggesting that the stands he balloted for. The matter was receiving! consideration, and a report would be’ presented at a later stage.

At a meeting of the South Auckland Farmers’ Union, a letter was received from tho Welfare League asking for the support of the executive in urging tho Government to arrange a national industrial conference, as suggested ky the Federation of Labour, such conference to include representatives of conBurners as well as representatives of employers and workers. ■ Uuanimovs approval of the proposal was expressed,) and it was decided to co-operate withl the Welfare League in endeavouring to arrange tho matter.

Our Otaki correspondent writes: —> At a meeting of the committee appointed to arrange and carry out a five-aside hockey tournament for Easter Monday, it was decided to run the tournament on tho same lines «« the one held last season at Levin, and to offer five gold medals to the members of the winning team. Teams as far north as Feilding and south as far as , Wellington arc to he invited to take part. It .was agreed "to hold working ‘tbees” at an early date for the purpose of putting the ground in order. Mr A. Adsett was elected secretary.

At the Wellington. District Land Office this week a sale of Crown landswas conducted by Mr W. S. Hardy, on behalf of the Land Board. Ten lot* were offered, in MawaihakOna township, Marshall and Karewarewa villages, and Kopuranga S.D. Six lots were sold, all at the' upset prices. Section 30, Mawaihakona, was pur. chased Iby Mr John Purvis : section 1, village of Marshall, by tho trustees ot the late Mr J. D. McGregor; sections 15 and 33, village- of Marshall, by Mr R. E. Beckett; sections 5, 25, 26, 27, 2S, 30, 31,- 32, village of Karewarewa, by Mr Sydney Stent; and section 210. Block 11.. Kopuranga S.D., by Mr Samuel Jackson.