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Otago Daily Times, Issue 18876, 31 May 1923, Page 6

The hearing of the charge of alleged rape which has been preferred against Abraham Alfred Lind, missionary, was further adjourned at the Police Court yesterday morning. In asking for a remand Sergeant Dunlop stated that the Orown Prosecutor (Mr F. B. Adams) had intimated that one of the principal witnesses was away m Christchurch. Mr Callan, who appeared for the accused, said that he understood Dr Marshall Macdonald was away, and that a further remand would be necessary. He pointed out, however, that a long time had elapsed since the accused had been originally charged, and that although there had been talk about two other charges the police had not yet formulated them. Ho had not yet persuaded the Crown to bring these charges forward, but it seemed as though it was time they were mentioned. The magistrate (Mr J. R. Bartholomew) said that counsel was entitled to havo things brought 'to a head, and apparently that would happen during the week., In any case the bail would have to be heavy on the one charge. A remand was granted for a week, bail being fixed as before. Gangs of men are working on. the Leith from Harbour terrace to some distance above Woodhaugh. The men are engaged in shifting stones from the bed, cutting down the willow trees growing on the banks, and building concrete walls where the river has bored into the bank. The largest concrete wall is being constructed just above Davidson’s sawmill, which now lies a wreck to testify to the destructiveness of the recent floods. There is a bridge just above this locality, with an adjacent solid stone wall. The flood left this wall practically hanging, but it has now been made secure, and the bottom of the river at the bridge is being concreted. A considerable number of men are removing smaller-sized stones from the bed right along the river. These are carted to the Woodhaugh crusher, and the metal is being utilised by the corporation. The screenings, for instance, are used for the concreting work. Aa it would require too much effort to break up the very largo stones, these are being: dragged to the sides and placed as a protection to the banks. The men have pretty rough work in handling the stones, and naturally only slow progress can bo made. Below the Gardens a largo number of willow trees on the bank are being out down and either carted away or burnt. The bridge at Union street has again been made secure. Below the Forth street bridge a gang of men is engaged in removing shingle from the river bed. It is estimated that the cost of putting the Leith into something like a safe condition will be from £30,000 to £50,000. One man engaged in the operations informed a Daily Times reporter yesterday that it would take two years to carry out all the necessary work. Another man’ said that it would require all that time, and ho doubted if it would be finished even’ then. Certainly a huge quantity of stones have to be shifted. In those places where the river has been cleared of the stone, tlio improvement is quite apparent.

The Auckland Mental Hospital Reform Association carried the following resolution “That this meeting regards with great concern the fact of the inquiry arising out of the discharge of Auckland Mental Hospital attendants, having been conducted in private. The feeling of unrest on the part of tho public constitutes a strong reason why tho fullest publicity should be given to all matters relating to lunacy administration.” It was felt that the charges having been publicly made, the inquiry, both from the standpoint of the dismissed attendants and also of tho patients, should also have been publicly made. The City Fire Brigade was called out at 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon to a. false alarm on the promises of Messrs Hallenstein Bros, in Dowling street.

The ■•city engineer requests us to state that it is necessary that householders should keep their places clear of all hedge clippings, cut grass, pieces of timber, and all heavier material which would be likely to bo washed into storm drains or on to gratings. Much damage is done by the choking of gratings in tho first stages of, a flood. Gratings should be kept clear during a flood, but should not be removed. The removal of them admits all sorts of debris into the conduit with the result that choking takes place.

The Public Trustees, as controller of the New Zealand Clearing Office, announces that, the Anglo-German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal ha-s fixed December 31 next as the final date for sending in claims lor process of liquidation of property in Germany and compensation under the Treaty of Versailles. After that date no further extension of time will be granted (says a Wellington Press Association telegram). At a sitting of tho Magistrate’s Court, Lawrence, on Monday, presided over by Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M., James Roughan (Waitahuna) was fined £2 (costs 7s) for exposing 180 lice-infected sheep at Tuapeka saleyards. Messrs J. Watson and J. Tait, J.P.’s, issued a prohibition order at the Port Chalmers Court yesterday against a single man. Tho police applied for tho order.

A Te Awamutu Press Association message says that the unveiling of the town and districts war memorial took place yesterday in tho presence of several thousand people. The ceremony was performed by the Governor-general, and was in every way a fitting ceremony., The memorial takes the form of a cenotaph erected on a triangular plot on a section reserved for the municipal offices and the town hall.

Charles Michael Doyle, a fireman on the s.s. Kaifcuna, was arrested last night by Detectives Roycroft and Lean on a charge of manslaughter arising out of the death of William Henry Simpson, a night watchman on tho same boat, who it is alleged died as the result of injuries received in a brawl at Grcymouth on April 2. Accused will appear before tho court this morning.

William Alfred Potter, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of obtaining £4 14s Id from Thomas xienry James Whyte by means of false pretences, and who bad been remanded pending a report from the probation officer, was further remanded at the Police Court yesterday morning. The report was unfavourable, and Sergeant Dunlop said that the police had come to tho conclusion that the accused was not a novice. They desired to make inquiries in Wellington, whore the man had worked. The magistrate (Mr J. R. Bartholomew) remanded accused for a week for sentence.

Owing to the fact that there will be no sale at Burnside next week on account of the Show there was a double market yesterday, the beef and mutton sections being particularly well supplied. There was a iarge attendance of buyers, and a number ot interested visitors. Over 5000 fat sheep were yarded, compared with 3183 for the previous week, and there was a representative lot from all parts of the province, including some pens of extra prime heavy-weight shofv wethers from Tapanui and Central Otago, which for truck Jots averaged approximately £2 18s and £2 10s per head respectively. Prices opened about 2s per head easier than last week, but they improved by about Is, and hoid fairly steady to the close. Extra heavy wethers brought 5J)d per )b; prime wethers 6|d to 6id; second quality and light-weights 6d to 6id; extra prime ewes, 4£d; light ewes, 4d to 4£d; second quality and old ewes, 3id. Graziers took all the unfinished wethers. The quality of the tat lambs, of which there was a large yarding, ranged from mixed to very fair,, and prices showed little alteration from last week. Extra prime show lambs made up to 9jrd per lb; prime freezing lambs, 9d; second quality, 8d to Bid. The yarding of lab cattle numbered 341, compared with 592 at last sale, but there was a largo entry of store cattle, wliich mot with a fair demand. The cattle sale opened at an advance of nearly 20s per head on the previous sale, and before the close it had increased by a further 20s. Extra prime bullocks realised 27s to 28s per 1001 b; good light bullocks up to 30s; prime heifers, 22s 6d; light heifers, 30s: good cows, 18s to 20s; old and inferior, 16s to 17s 6d. Pigs were in oversupply, and prices were consequently a shade easier, prime baconers being worth about 6d, and prime poi'kers about 6|d per lb.

. A Hamilton Press Association message says that the Prime Minister announced that a new Minister of Railways would bo appointed soon, owing to the illness of Mr Guthrie. Mr Massey also forecasted an improvement in the passenger services. At a representative gathering of over 100 clergy, Archbishop Julius presiding, it was decided to approach the Prime Minister with a view to securing legislation with respect to Bible teaching in schools (says a Wellington Press Association message). Arrangements are being made for a deputation to wait on Mr Massey at an early date. A committee was set up to further the interests of the movement.

The Conciliation Council Eat in Wellington yesterday (says a Press Association message) to consider the dominion carpenters’ award tiled by the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners. Mr T. Bloodworth (representing the workers) said that the parties were in agreement on 75 pot? cent, of the claims made, the main questions remaining being those of hours, wages, and the new proposals regarding apprentices. They were suggesting five days a week. This already applied to Auckland to a large extent, but not on the same lines as proposed in the claims. Another principle they were seeking to establish was a weekly wage. At‘present men. lost their wages every time weather interfered. An appreciative reference to the Native race was made by the Prime Minister in his speech at the Town Hall, Auckland, on Thursday evening last. He remarked that he had a great admiration for the Maoris, and he extolled the readiness with which their young men went to the front on the outbreak of the war, and also their conduct on the Empire’s battlefields, which, gained for them universal regard*(states the New Zealand Herald). It had been said the Native race was dying out, but he did not agree with this view. What probably ■would happen was that the race would be merged in the Anglo-Saxon people, and the latter would not be any the worse for it.

At Che Whangarci Magistrate’s Court last 'eek, before Mr F. H. Levien, S.M., the rtev. George Qraig Cruiokshank, vicar of Christ Church, Whangarei, was fined 10s, with costs (7s), for driving a motor car without a tail-light. The defendant conducted his own case, and took exception to the charge. He saadiho resented the civil sword being unsheathed to kill a fly, and ■was sorry the action was taken without ■Warning. The offender also argued on a point of law. He declared his case was one of persecution, not prosecution. The Magistrate said the case was indistinguishable from the ordinary one of a man going out in a car without the lights being on, and being discovered. As to the contention that the inspector should have warned the defendant, the magistrate observed if the inspector had to do that there was likely to be a large gathering to enjoy the comic show of an inspector chasing cars. Bylaws were framed for the general good of the public, and the onus was on car users to see that lights were all right. In the Supreme Court an order was made adjudicating bankrupt George Moms, builder, of Auckland (says a Press Association wire from Auckland). The Crown Prosecutor stated that Morris owed over £SOOO to merchants for builders’ material, and also to his late workmen. Though Morris was missing, it was believed that he was still in New Zealand.

Speaking to a meeting of fanners at Balclubha on the question of immigration from the farmers’ point of view, Mr 11. C’. Cameron, who acted for a number of years as Government Immigration Officer in London, expressed the opinion that an amendment of the system of nominated immigration was desirable, as the very best class of immigrant—the farm labourer—could not always come here. Farming, was the root of our industrial life, and without agricultural and pastoral success no other industry in the dominion could succeed. It was essential, therefore, that expert farm labour should bo available. His experience was that we did not always secure the best class of immigrant. In Scotland, the North of Ireland, and the agricultural parts of England there were many good men anxious to come out here, but because they were unknown here they could not bo nominated, ,md as a result they went to Canada or Australia.

Mr T. M. Wilford, M.P., has asked us to amplify our report of his remarks with reference to taxation at the social at St. Hilda on Tuesday night, as the condensed report might be liable to cause some misapprehension. When, as reported by us, he “referred to taxation of 7s 4d in the £ on woollen companies as compared with 2s 6d in the £ on such institutions as the A.M.P. Society,” he explained that an institution like the A.M.P. Society, which lent considerable sums of money, invested its funds in the purchase of local bodies’ debentures, paid only 2s 6d in the £ on the income so derived. He has asked us also to mention that the statement in his speech, as reported, that “the Liberal Party hold out the hand to the Labour Party” did not correctly express what lie intended to say, which was that the “Liberal Party held out the hand to the workers who stood for the Empire and constitutional methods.”

The monthly meeting of the Mornington School Committee was held on Monday, Mr M. K. Haig presiding. The head master reported that the ettort of the staff and pupils during flood week was a very worthy one. Provisions, vegetables, clothing, and the sum of £l4 ,11s in cash were handed over to the Relief Committee. Mr H. D. Campbell was elected bandmaster to the school fife and drum band. The winter term holidays will be from June 4 till Juno 11, both dates, inclusive. During his recent visit to Wellington, Mr Allen Bell, M.P., Bay of Islands, interviewed the Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of Public Works, regarding his proposal to set up a Royal Commission to inquire into the question of motor versus railway transport in,various parts of the dominion to assist immediate development in the meantime. The Minister replied that the position was now so apparent in New Zealand, and strengthened by what had taken place in Great Britain and America, that he did not at the moment consider the commission necessary, and that he had instructed his departmental officers to go into the whole question and report as to those districts that could be more expeditiously and efficiently served by modern roads, and the financing thereof. In solving the problem, he felt sure that they would have the assistance and experience of the Railway Department, and the Highways Board would also make recommendations which would clear up, and no doubt solve, many of the problems if the recommendations wore given effect to. A representative meeting of delegates from the dairy companies operating around Dannevirke discussed the Dairy Control Bill, and by alarge majority decided to approve of the principle of Hie Bill, provided that financial bucking by the Government was forthcoming.

A Wanganui resident points out that growers of potatoes nowadays very seldom see the once familiar potato apples on their crops (says a Wanganui paper). In the resident’s opinion this is a sign of deterioration in the crops. At one time ho points out that many growers took the trouble to procure fresh stock per medium of the apples. Now the growers in the majority of instances are too indifferent and are content to use the same tubers for seed over and over again. This method no doubt is instrumental in weakening the stamina of many varieties, and make them more prone to the ravages of disease. Work in connection with 'he duplication of the cable between Auckland and Suva has been commenced by the Pacific Cable Board’s engineers. The first slop is tho laying of a section of cable across tbo upper harbour, from the Curran street junction box to ‘ the North Shore connection at the head of Shoal Bay. All the material has been tested, and work was commenced at the Curran street beach last week (states the New Zealand Herald). Owing to tho possibility of damage to the cable by tbo ground tackle of small boats, the cable is being laid in a shallow trench for soma distance. Tho island connection between the Ponsonby hut and the Auckland central station will be made shortly before the final section of the deep-sea cable is laid.