NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11652, 17 October 1923, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Petty thieving is reported to he rife at Devonport, Auckland. Many premises have been entered, dining the absence of the ocoupants, -of late.

At tho monthly luncheon of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce, to be held at the Y.M.C.A. to-day, Mr H. Amos is to give an address on “The Business of Education.”

It is understood that the sites selected for special expert report by' tho Dunedin exhibition directors are the following: The Oval, the Gardens, Lake Logan, and the northern fore shore.

“This family is costing us £3OO a year,” said Mx H. W. Rathbono at a meeting of the Waipawa Hospital Board, referring to a family at Takapau receiving assistance from the board.

“Oh, I never heard of any hard work yet,” said Mr W. T. Young, secretary of the Seamen’s Union, when tho seamen’s dispute was before the Conciliation Commissioner, and the intensity of labour was under discussion.

The “silent police” and the white painted arrows on the roadways at the corners have in a few weeks conferred an appreciable degree of safety and convenience upon the crowds who move through the streets of Palmerston North at every hour of the day.

“Wo are not talking of coastal vessels where you can put your hand down the funnel and turn off the steam, said Mr AY. T. Young, secretary of the Seamen’s Union yesterday when the seamen's dispute was before the Conciliation Commissioner.

“I remember one chief engineer that I was with coming along at 4 o’clock in an afternoon, and shouting down to the engine-room: “Well, Mi’ Bennett, you can knock off all hands and give them a half-holiday.”—Mr W. Bennett before the Conciliation Commissioner yesterday.

“Mr Commissioner, if I am an oilburner, this is my work,” said Mr AV. G. Smith, before the Conciliation Commissioner, yesterday. “I sit here watching the engines, and if a jet becomes clogged I pull it out and clean it, and put another one in. And that is what I do for four hours.”

Work in connection with the Taumarunui Borough Council’s hydro-elec-tric scheme is progressing satisfactorily, and those in charge expect to see the power turned on about Christmas. The house-wiring is proceeding expeditiously, and the erection of the transmission poles is going on apace. There are in all about 500 poles to place in position, and to date 157 have been erected.

An amusing incident occurred at tho Police Court at Auckland. The accused in a certain case, on being handed over to the care of the Solvation Army, became greatly excited and began to make incoherent remarks to the magistrate, Mr F. IC. Hunt. “Go and tell it to the captain,” said Mr Hunt, “it doesn’t interest me.” “But, Your Worship,” was tho amazing reply, “Your Worship, I suffer from invisible speech.” “Take him away quickly,” said Mr Hunt, dismissing the case.

Tho story is told in TimaTU of the doctoring by a local resident of a fruit tree which had not home fruit over a loig period of years. She had been told to drive nails into the trunk of tho defaulting arboreal specimen, and thin she did, but nothing in the way of fruit followed. Several other alleged “remedies” were tried, but without avail. The owner’s last resort was to boro a hole in the tree and plane therein a packet of Epsom Salts. This turned the trick, apd this spring the tree has blossomed out in. a most promising manner.

“There isn’t much fun in time off when every<me else you know is working.”—Mr H. Anderson in the stokehold hands’ dispute yesterday.

At his lecture at Ma3terton, Mr F. W, A’osseler said that the edelweiss growing in the Tararuas was far superior in size and beauty to the edelweiss of Switzerland.

No fewer than 70 fishing licenses have been issued at the Pahiatua Post Office for the present iseason. Forty-three were for adults and the remainder for boys.

“Juries in rriy experience arc usually gallant and side with the woman. At least that has been my experience of them,” said Mr Justice Reed, at the Full Court sitting yesterday.

“That differs from the ordinary idea of a stokehold,” remarked the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr AV. Newton) yesterday, when Mr W. G. Smith stated that in some large oil-buming ships heating the engine-rooms with electricity or steam was under consideration, as they were too cold<

“I should hare thought that the proper time would have been to bring a, claim when he is in hospital, instead of prejudicing his claim by getting better,” remarked Mir Justice Salmond during legal argument in connection with a- compensation case before the Full Court yesterday.

A Canadian paper says: “New Zealand has 5440 aliens, or less than onehair of 1 per cent, of the population of tho country. The aim of the New Zealand Government is to enforce the Immigration Restriction Act and pro vent as far as possible an undue increase over the present percentage of any aliens.”

“It is rather unfortunate that a number of these witnesses is dead,” stated counsel during argument in conversation with a matrimonial dispute in the Full Court yeeterday. The case in question had occupied the Lower Court for no fewer than four days. “But there were fifteen of them left,” replied counsel for tho petitioner.

Advice has been reoeived by tlie secretary of the urcyiroiith. Harbour Board (Mr AV. B. Gilbert) from the Minister for Mines, approving of tlie site for the proposed bore at Taylorville, and giving authority for the work to commence immediately. The bore is being put down -with the object of further proving the coal resources of the district.

“AVo have a real live Mayor at, Auckland. He is a marvel,” said Mr Tom Aitken to a “Times” reporter yesterday. “He is working for new and thoroughly’ good roads, and our Zoo will soon be something worth talking about, while tho city generally is going ahead' by leaps and bounds. There were 160,000 people there last census, and there must be a lot more now.”

The police regulation that sunblinds in front of business premises should he placed Bft above the footpath has evoked a protest from the Palmerston North Retailers’ Association, and in this connection a deputation waited on the Borough Council requesting a special permit for those businesses whose goods required protection from the eun, to erect sunblinds. The council decided to allow Minds to be erected down to within seven feet of the footpath .

“They’ve picked the dirtiest, noisiest street in tlie busiest part, and they propped up a vestibule to keep a second-hand pile of bricks from falling over. They did that to save id in the £ on the general rate, and they sacrificed the dignified site down by the river.” So Mr E. J. Howard, M.P., described the action of the Christchurch City Council in buildimr the new municipal offices in Manchester street. He stated that there was only one point of beauty about the structure —the carved crest.

There is an association in Auckland known as the Thames Old Boys’ Association which serves !bo keep alive memories of the days of the gold rush and the subsequent agricultural development of that district. It, is very flourishing, and regular reunion excursions are mad© to Thames, where reminiscences are freely indulged in. The 50th anniversary of the discovery of gold wa6 celebrated in 1915, and there was to have been a week’s jubilee. Owing to the war the jubilee function hud to be held' in the Town Hall in Auckland, at which over 5000 old Thamesites foregathered and celebrated the julbilee of the Thames gold fields.

Another Dunedin drapery’ firm is foing out of business. Duthie Bros., ltd., has disposed of its premises m George street,- and is giving up. Tho sale is completed. As to the purpose to which the premises will be nut by the purchaser nothing is yet disclosed; but the common rumour is that tho shop will rot be a dTapery warehouse. The business that is now to cease really originated in the firm of Mollison, Duthie and 00., established in 1879. In 1888 the partnership was dissolved, and Messrs John and James Duthie opened the new business across the strert in the premises that have row been sold. Four years later the concern was turned into a limited liability company.

In looking at tlie world, we are apt to grow pessimistic, declared Bishop Averill in his address at St. Alban’s, Auckland, on the occasion of tlie dedication of the war memorial tower. “On every hand we see anger, hatred, and [suspicion,” said tho bishop. “Wo hear of wars and rumours of wars, and i the world, it seams to us. has not found [peace. We ask where is the fulfilment of the hope that tho death-blow had [been struck to all wars? AA’e, however, have our part to do. God helps those I who help themselves. If we leave God [out of our calculations, there is little hope of the web-id getting better. Wo might as well go hack to the ethics of tlie jungle and fling to the winds our boasted civilisation.”

Even in solid, staid Dunedin pet dogs—“Poms” and “pugs’ ’ —have been seen ill tlie arms of fond female owners (says the “Otago Daily Times”). Sympathy with this section does not soem to be widespread. Remarks that such care and attention would he more fitting if bestowed upon a baby have been frequent. An dit was with warm approval that a large gathering in Burns Hall received Dr Barnett's remarks concerning pet dogs. Lecturing on hydatids, Dr Barnett said that dogs, though good servants, should never lie allowed to come in close contact with human beings. The practice was extremely dangerous, and was not to he encouraged. Dogs, he added, were not meant to be pets.