NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10686, 4 September 1920, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

The historic ship Brussels, which was commanded by Captain Fryatt, has been sold on the Baltic Exchange for £3IOO. The purchaser was W. H. Scott and Sons, Liverpool.

The Naoier tramways appear to :.e 3 profitable " investment. Tlie net profit for the last year's workings amounted to £1593 18s sd, after providing for interest and sinking fund.

"The man who interferes with a bailiff or an officer of the law is committing a serious offence; such conduct is not for an instant to be tolerated," said Mr J. S. Evans, S.M., m the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Replying in the House of Represent tatives yesterday to a question by Mr A. S .Malcolm (Clutha), the Prime -Minister said that the report of the Forestry Department would be laid on the table next week—probably on Tuesday.

The mission steamer Southern Cvoss returned to Auckland yesterday from her round of the New Hebrides, Banki. Island, and, Solomon Islands. Tne voyage was uneventful. The vessel w:'ll bo docked at Auckland before Bailing again this month.—Press Association.

The residents of Earori consider that aa part of the city, their district is entitled to a refuse collection service similar to that enjoyed by other portions of Wellington under the control of the City Council. Tho Karori Progress L<eague decided last evening to urge the council to institute a regular rubbish collection system.

The Victoria University- College Debating Society will hold the 14th annual contest for the Plunket medal in the To*n Hall on Friday next, September 10th, at 8 p.m. Eight speakers will take part, including two women students. The list of spenkers, with their subjects, will be announced later. The public is invited to be present.

Joe Kee, a Chinese fruiterer,) yesterday took action in the Magistrate's Court against R. D. Murray for an alleged assault. The charge \ arose through a dispute between the two at the markets recently, when both became rather heated as to who- should occupy a position in the queue. The magistrate found accused guilty, and fined aim £5 and costs.

In. the Magistrate's Court yesterday Mr it. T. Bailey (Inspector of Factories) proceeded against M. David, a draper of Vivian street, and .Davis Stevens, a grocer and dairyman, for failing to close the shop at I p.m. on. the customary half-holiday, as required by the Act. Both defendants individually were profuse in their apologies and explanations, and tinder the circumstances the ma-gistratp' fined eacn 5» and 7s costs. '

The winding-up meeting: of the Citizens' . Renown Lntertainment Committee was held at the Town Hall yesterday, the chairman, Mr A.. F- Roberts, presiding. The financial statement showed accounts amounting to £524 19s 4d, and these were passed for payment, leaving a credit balance; o£ £6 8s lid;. A vote of thanks to the- ladies who. "conducted" the club for the crew of the Renown, wai adopted unanimously, it being stated that any credit" for the. success of the venture was their due.

.. The proposal that the various ratepayers' associations should unite into a combined ratepayers' association, each to .be represented on a central executive committee,- was discussed at 'last night's meeting of the Karori Progress League, It wa» explained that the bodies would not lose their individual, ity by combining into one large' association, but that they would be united in much the same manner as the School Committees* Association. The appointment of three representativea from the Karori League to sit on the central committee was referred to the executive.

The. state of the roads in same of the bush districts in the King Country was shown by two bespattered bush farmers who joined* the Main Trunk express at k small station where the engine stopped for water one night this week. They had urgent business in Auckland, and had ridden 35 miles over roads that were full of bogholes, which' tested tho reliability of their horses to the fullest extent. It had taken just on ten hours to do the journey, then eight hours' train journey, a. day in tho city, then eight hours in the' train on the return iournej'j and ten hours on horseback again.

The director of the horticulture division has received from tho Wellington apiary instructor (Mr F. A. Jacobsen) the- following report concerning the honey ' crop prospects: — "Tho prevailing weather conditions throughout my district givo promise of a successful season. The growth of clover at tho period of writing indicates good forago during Nie Summer and plenty of mild weather and sunshine will assure the success of the honey crop. Bnlk honey is. very scarco at -present and section hone.r is almost unprocurable. Prices are firm. Boeswax is selling freely at 2s 6d per -lb when obtainable."

Decision was given 'at the Magistrate's Court in Auckland- Regarding the value of an old dwelling arising out of a claim for rent. Mrs Elizabeth Ohlson sought to recover 25s rent from J. D. McConiisb. An application was put in by Mr.G. Lightfoot, inspector of factories, to have the capital value of the dwelling fixed. The landlord had given_ notice to increase the rent from 15s to 20s per week, and the tenant refused to pay the extra 5s demanded. His Worship fixed the value of thei property at £4BO and remarked this sum at 8 per cent, would nfl* justify a higher rent than 15s per week. Judgment was therefore given for the, defendant. The homing pigeon that was carried aoross Cook Strait by Captain Dickson on the northern flight has returned to his wife and family at the Sockburn aerodrome. Tho bird should have been liberated at Blenheim, but he was forgotten in the hurry. A "toss at Trcntham in the afternoon would have given the pigeon no hope of finding his way back. He was liberated for an hour or two in a hut at Trentham, where he perched on Captain Dickson's finger and picked a few peas and had a drinkv Then he was put back in his basket and sent south by the ferry steamer. He was 'tossed/ off Lyttelton Heads, and reached his loft promptly. The pigeon, a red chequer, is a young bird,J>ut he flew from Nelson last year. He has been named Captain Cook.

Councillors P. Fraser, J. Hutchison, and C. H. Chapman will speak at tho Paramount Theatre an Sunday evening a* 8, in support of Mr T. Brindk\ the labour candidate for the City Council by-election

For boarding an outward bound train at Lambton station while the train was in motion, a man named ¥. Wood was yesterday fined 20s and 7s costs.

The proposal of a new railway station site tor Wanganui was discussed at a meeting of the Borough Council, and the suggestion to utilise a portion of the racecourse for the purpose was disapproved.

"Hew do you remember the date so well?'} asked counsel, when cross-exam-ining/a' female witness in the Police Court yesterday. "Because I have had it drilled into me so much lately," said the woman unconsciously, and somewhat to the discomfiture of the questioner.

The sittings of the Railway Appeal Board were continued at Invercargill yesterday, when decision was reserved in the cases of J. L. Jacohson, stationmaster, Edendalo, and W. Hartley, good 6 clerk, Invercargill, against being superseded in the 1919 D-3 Classification List.—Press Association.

The Feilding branch of the Wellington Freezing Workers' and Related Trades Employees' Union has decided to heartily support the cablegram sent by the New "Zealand Labour party to the British Labour Council of Action endorsing the steps taken to prevent Avar with Russia. —Press Association.

A sitting of the Stipendiary Magistrate's Court "waa held at Otaki yesterday, when' two offenders, for theft of benzine from Te Horo, were each fined £5, and one, for theft of kerosene, was fined -22. For assaulting an aged Chinaman by striking him with a whip, an able-bodied young man was fined £2. Several oivil cases were also dealt with.

Aur exhibition of paintings by the .late J. M. Nairn is to be held in the Aft' Gallery, Whitmore street, in the second week of October next. The exhibition will be open to the public, free of charge, for one week. There are many examples of this artist's work- in_private collections in and around Wellington, and the council of the academy will bo grateful for offers of loans for the occasion.

The resumption of the normal gas pressure yesterday afforded much relief to. these who are largely dependent upon the service for cooking and lighting, purposes. The subject of the large amount of air in the pipes affecting the readings of the meters, and the consequent increase in the gas accounts, which was discussed by the City Council on Thursday evening, was referred yesterday to the secretary if the Gas Company <Mr J. H. Helliwell). The company, he said, was prepared to reconsider the accounts of consumers who believed they-were being charged for air- He urged, however, that any complaints be forwarded to the company, which will always give" them careful consideration.

"In view of'the existing discussion regarding the most appropriate form of the Dominion ;'\Var Memorial," (writes "Englishman"), "permit _ me to snggest'the'erection of a Dominion Memorial Institute upon the site 'of the existing Museum building, taking tihe ,full ifronltage from Bowten etreat to Sydney; street. This National memorial building could be a storehouse for the glorious records of the Dominion's' sons and daughters iix the world war. also containing, those valuable works of art.and general interest at present practically invisfblei Future generatoioris" would"" thehT' be able - to ! study and" appreciate-" such.. war_ records and works of art in a suitable ivironmeiifc, and the war .memorial would be visited and enjoyed by the countless thousands of people residing in, or passing through the capital city." ,

Referring in his annual report to the number of children leaving school before passing Standard Vl.,'tho 1 Minister for Education points out that, in 1914, there were 21,651 pupils in Sfiradard 1., who, allowing for various, contingencies, should at the end of 1919 have been, in. Standard VI. The fact that there were only 13,235 pupils in Standard VI. in 1919 demonstrates the regrettable fact that 39 per cent, of the primary school pupils leave- school wi.th.out reaching ' the very moderate standard -of education represented by Standard Vl.' This figure is higher than the one ascertained in 1918, the reduced number of pupils in Standard ; VI., referred to above, accounting for the fact. Similarly it appears, that 16 per cent, of the pupife leave school without doing the work of Standard V. Tho Taw' "as" at'pr'esent constituted allows children to leave jtchool upon attaining the ago of fourteen years, irrespective of the class reached, and an amendment in the direction of raising the'' compulsory 6chool age would .unquestionably benefit the, leavere here referred to. In 1918 they numbered 4662, \being nearly half as many as left having passed Standard VI. An attempt to assist some of the children leaving school thus ill-prepared for their future wort was. made by extending 'the free-place system at technical schools, to offer them some training in subjects related to industrial occupations. , The attempt has been successful in so far as nearly 1000 such free places were taken up in 1919 by pupils who had not passed Standard VI.