NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10640, 13 July 1920, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Last year tho number of bodies cremated in London exceeded 2000, an increase of 13'per cent, on the figures of 1918.

Last month the Petone Council sold 143 tons of coke. Tho principle purchaser* were local retail consumere and manufacturers, who purchased 114 tons. The tar sales from tho gasworks totalled 1295 gallons.

■ The Wanganui Returned Soldiers’ Association’s new club building is fast nearing the stage when it will'he ready for occupation, and tho final touche's are now being given to tho interior. It is understood that the club will be opened free of debt.

For the three months ending June 30th,_ tho Petone Council has issued permits for the erection ot buildings in the borough to a total value of £9658. The aggregate sum represents five dwellings, costing £4432, and business premises estimated to cost £5226.

Sir Alfred Booth, head of the Canard Lino, testifying before a British industrial court, recently, said that a steamer which before the war cost £320,000 was torpedoed during tho war. £605,000 insurance being recovered. The vessel, he added, was being replaced at a cost of £950,000.

Tho Anglican Synod has congratulated tho St. Mary’s Guild on ' tho great success of its twent3’-first birthday effort, and especially on the fact that nearly every parish had its share in that effort, and commends to church people throughout the diocese the continued support of tho important work.

Tho shortage of coal for household purposes is having a marked effect on the demand for gas at Petone and Lower Hutt. In June, 5,955,500 cubic feet of gas was manufactured from 430 tons of coal, being an increase of 1,075,500 compared with June, 1919. Of tho total manufacture, Lower Hutt purchased 2,379,000 cubic feet.

Tho profits of the canteen at Trcntham Military Camp arc divided amongst the units in camp according to their numerical strength. In the last distribution of £IOO the Army Ordnance Corps received £32 14s 4d, the N.Z.A.M.C. £27 14s, Temporary Employment Section £l4 4s lid, Array Service Corps £7 18s 4d and six other units smaller amounts.

“I understand that on wet days tho footballers who play on the Petoilo Recreation Ground carry away half the soil on their boots. If a man was asked to work on a wet dtiy half the unions in New Zealand would bo down upon him.” .said Councillor Churchousc at the Petone Council last evening. Councillor Brocklebank replied ho was present on and witnessed an enjoyable and scientific game.

The highest thermometer rending recorded in tho Dominion yesterday' was at llussell (59) and tho lowest at Castlepoint (46). At Auckland the reading was 55, Gisborne 57, Napier 52, AVanganui 53, AVcllington 62, Grcymouth 50, Christchurch 61, Port Chalmers 50, nno Bluff (47). The lowest barometer readings were at AYellington (29.25) and Akaroa (29.15). and the highest at Cape Maria van Diemen (29.54) and Auckland (29.48).

Tho Petone borough inspector (Mr W. B. Gough) informed the council, at its meeting last night, that tho ecalo of charges permissible under the Impounding Act was insufficient for tho purchase of fodder for tho sustenance of tho stock impounded. The scale of chairgos had not been revised since 1887, and tho allowance then made of Is 6d for the daily sustenance of each head of cattle and 2s 6d for a horse was totally inadequate to-day, with the high price of fodder.

Mr H. E. Holland, M.P. for Bullet, his received a telegram from Mr Condliffo, of the Workers’ Educational Institute, Christchurch, asking for letters of introduction to the Labour organisation at Grcymouth with a view to forming tutorial classes there. To this Air- Holland replied yesterday as follows: —‘‘I am recommending tho Labour organisations not to take any steps to form Workers’ Educational Association tutorial classes until assurance is given that there will ho no class victimisation of the Rev. .1. K. Archer by the Canterbury Worker*' Educational Association.”

The sittings of the Wellington Prices Investigation Tribunal have been resumed in Wellington, the members haring returned from Napier and Hastings.

The minimum pressure of water in the Petone mains during June was 371 b and the maximum SOlb. The average weekly consumption of water was 2,500,000 gallons.

An offer was made to the Lower Hutt Borough . Council last night of 23 acres of land, comprising Mason’s Gardens, for the Bum of' £17,500. It was decided to decline the offer.

The Fire Brigade Social Club desires to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of £5 5s from Messrs Murphy Bros., brick and tile _ manufacturers, in recognition of services rendered.

A Press Association telegram from Napier states that the “Daily Telegraph was fined £lO for publishing statements as to investments on the totalisator at the recent Hastings meeting.

Loan proposals for raising £60,000 for water and sewerage schemes for the Matamata township were carried by a large majority. The figures were 104 against 17. The poll of available ratepayers was heavy.

A recent English newspaper states that the Robert Louis Stevenson Club has purchased No. 8, Howard place, Edinburgh, in which Stevenson was born, and intends to convert ib‘ into a R.L.S. museum and library.

The next lecture under the auspices of the Workers’ Educational Association will bo delivered at St. John’s Hall, Dixon street, next Saturday evening, Mr Theodore Rigg will give an address upon “The Russian Peasant.”

In June 2053 books wont into circulation from the Petono Public Library, comprised of ,2046 of fiction and 7 of reference. Twenty-six new books were added to the shelves, 9 subscribers resigned. and 13 new members joined the institution.

Numerous applications are being received by the HuH Borough Council for the installation of gas. The Mayor stated at the meeting of the council last night that it was qnesionable whether the granting of such applications would overtax the plant.

The recent rains (writes a correspondent) have left many Wellington streets in a deplorable condition, probably the most noticeable being Victoria street, which hinders pedestrians considerably. The old circular brush device has not been evident of late.

A Press Association message from Oamaru states that a splendid downpour of rain during the past few days has thoroughly drenched the whole countryside and there' are improved prospects of a good wheat yield from a much-restricted area.

In a liquor case at the Supremo Court, Hamilton, it was shown that an appellant had paid £7 4s for whisky in a period of about a month, and- was receiving £l2 in wages for the same time. “I hope it’s not the usual standard of the King Country, anyhow," remarked His Honour. “I am afraid it is,” commented Mr Gillies.

With reference to the recent protest made on behalf of the Auckland erside Workers’ Union by Mr N. Saunders, the president, in regard to charges of pilfering levelled against the local workers, Mr Saunders slates that while “dead boats” and “butterflies” frequent the wharves, they are not members of his union, and that he knows of no. dishonest; sailors in his union.

Additional details of the extraordinary accident which happened on May troth to M. Doschanel. the President of the French Republic, arrived by the last English mail, and appear in the notvs columns of to-dav’s “Times.” The circumstances connected with the acci-, dent, which was of a peculiar and sensational nature, have occasioned a good deal of comment, both in the English and Continental patters.

It is reported that a Christchurch syndicate ts making arrangements to work the Brighton coalfield in the (Buller district. Tho coal is close to Woodpecker Bay, where a wharf coujd be built at a reasonable cost, and whence it is proposed to ship the coal direct to market. In th<} early golddigging days, there was a population of 4000 at Brighton, a place that has since relapsed into obscurity.

The Christchurch “Sun” says editorially: “During the session members will bo asked to vote themselves an increase in salary. It is a uniquely happy position to be in, but the country will agree that £3OO per annum is not a living political wage, when an expert arid hard-working miner can earn £6 per week, and skilled tradesmen almost as much. With payment for services rendered going up and up there is no reason why the salary of tho M.P. should remain stationary.

“The instrument was bought by the plainiff out of her own hard-earned savings,” said counsel in a case at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court lately, when an old age pensioner, a blind woman, sought to recover. possession of a. piano fr.om her son-iu-law. ‘lt lias always remained her property; in fact, she has kept it for a certain purpose. Being a pensiober, she wants it to defray her burial expenses. Her husband is buried in Papanui churchvard and she wants to he buried there also. ’

The correspondent of . the ‘‘Times” nt Peterborough, England, states that Pilot Sadler, who had come from Acton to give a short season of subscription flights, flew a. new Avro, with a couple of passengers, guests of the local hotelkeeper. The ’plane had only been' in the air a few minutes, and was emerging from a loop at a height of 2000 feet, when the wings were seen to drop. The machine caught firo and fell. Sadler lept from tho ’plane when 1000 feet from the ground. Ho was smashed to pieces. The bodies of the passengers wore charred and unrecognisable. ‘ .

What appears to he a cleverly worked fraud upon professional music teachers in Brisbane has been brought to light. It appears that a man has been going about for some weeks processing to have authority <o make an agreement with music teachers to pay them a guinea an hour for undertaking to teach the rudiments of music nt tho Central Technical College, one day a week. He produces an agreement, and upon payment of a sum of 10s signs it as,a guarantee of good : +h. Upon Inquiries it has heen_ asvertained that the whole matter is a fraud, and that no such arrangement has boon made bv the college authorities. It is said that the man has been working this scheme for some wpoks, and that he bad been successful ’u getting tho 10s on a number of occasions.