NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3313, 12 September 1917, Page 36

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Patrick Smith was fined £SO at Auckland on a charge of s assisting in tho commission of an offence of betting in an hotel on July 14. . , ... News has been received that the auxiliary ketch Jane, which stranded on the Okuru bar on Saturday, August 25, has become a total wreck. As tho result of a visit to Dunedm of the Rev. Howard Elliott a branch of the Protestant Political Association was formed, and a temporary committee set up. The Crown Hotel and Andreson's store at Norsewood were destroyed by fire on the sth.. A jrale was blowing. Nothing was saved The licensee and Anderson are heavy losers. George Warburton, aged 50 years, attempted to commit suicide by cutting his throat at Wanganui on tlie 10th. The wound is not dangerous. Tho man arrived from Palmcrston North a tew days ago. Wcndels (Limited) were fined £SO on a chargo of selling hop beer containing more than" 3 per cent, of alcohol. The evidence showed that the Natives at a tangi at Otorohanga were affected by hop beer containino- as much a 9 10 per cent, of proof spirit. The Finance Minister (Sir J. G. Ward) would not make an off-hand promise to amend the Finance Bill so that an old-age pensioner could earn £52 per year without suffermg any deduction of pension. Sir Joseph, however, promised to carefully consider the matter. When sorting rubbish in the back yard of his shop in Wellington on the 10th Mr Perry, tobacconist, discovered a large jar containing three pounds of gelignite, but no detonators were found. The gelignite could have been there only a few davs. and had it been exploded considerable damage must have resulted. After .meeting many delays and difficulties, the directors of the New Zealand Iron Oro Smelting Company are now confident of success. During the last few days the furnaces have been tapped seven times, and rond ; tions are improving nil the t : me, assuring continuity, which hitherto has never been secured. The Canterbury Fruit-growers' Association has decided to make a charge for fruit cases so far as Dnncdin is concerned, but t'i lo Nelson and Stoke Associations have notified the Toviot and Poxburph Association that, owinf to local conditions, they are unable to fall_ into line with the Otago associations °n this noint. Tho crippled soldiers' hostel art union waa drawn on the sth at the conclusion of a concert held in aid of tho funds. About 400.000 tickets had been sold. The winning numbers of t.bc first seven nr : are: First prize 398.545: second. 266.173; third. 602 519: fourth. 126 705: fifth, 342.160; sixth. 165.783; seventh, 509,570.

Tho Tonga correspondent of the Star states that tho cutter Janet, on her voyage from Xiuafu to Vavau, on August 20, passed for 12 miles through a sea thickly covered with pumice. Despite a five to seven-knot breeze, tho vessel's progress was ofl"' 1 ;! stopped. The pumice field extended to the horizon in all directions. At the court at Wellington on the 10th John De Lacy Crawley was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for making an utterance with intent to excite disloyalty. The. words used wore: "Germany is going to win, and I would rather see Germany win anyday. They shot Casement, and I'm tho same as him. They can put me on Somes Island if they like."

Delegates from the Federated Seamen's Union and representatives of the shipowners hud a conference in Wellington last week regarding tho interpretation of tho houre clauses in the existing agreement as it affects seamen on coastal steamers, but failed to agree. The employers intend to approach tho Arbitration Court for an interpretation of the clauses in dispute.

The Harbour Board has resolved to alter the harbour dues and wharfage charges, somewhat increasing the former and reducing the latter in respect of measurement charges, which are not to exceed twice tho dead weight charge. This affects the import of motor cars chiefly. Tho wharfage on coal is increased from Is 6d to 2s.

The difficulty of obtaining telegraphic material, especially suitable wire, owing to war conditions is likely to delay the granting of a special wire to connect Roxburgh with Dunedin, and at a meeting of tho Teviot and Roxburgh Fruit-growers' Association it was pointed out that unless the special wire was secured the telephone exchange would to a large extent be \iseless.

Referring to the allowance to be made for depreciation of buildings in connection with the income tax, the Minister of Finance said that taxpayers need have no anxiety regarding the operation of the concession he had foreshadowed in the House. The allowance would be 4 per cent, on wooden buildings and 2£ per cent, on brick buildings. The Commissioner of Taxes had power under the Act to make this allowance.

Attention has been directed to what may be regarded as a strange phenomenon (states the Taranaki Herald). From the gutter that separates the main roof from the small hip roof over the side porch of the Whiteley Church may be seen a shrub which has now developed to about two feet in height. The only means of sustenance tihat can possibly keep it alive are air and water, although a little silt may have been blown into the gutter. At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Cricket Association to-night the following motion was carried: —"That this meeting is strongly of opinion that it is inadvisable that taxation of any kind should be imposed on any grounds held for furthering amateur sports; that the balance sheets of every club associated with this association show that no extra burden can be borne; and that the sole purpose of carrying on these grounds is that our boys shall find on their return that we have as far as possible preserved their sports for them." At a meeting of the Auckland . City Licensing Committee the police complained that recent prosecutions showed that bookmakers carried on their calling in five hotels. The chairman said that if betting took place and a licensee was not aware of it, that indicated that his conduct of tho hotel was not so careful as it should be. Should further complaint bo made, the committee would take the same stand as in one particular case, where it advised the owner to get his license transferred. Licensees could look on this as a warning. The Hon. J. A. Hanan, Minister of Education, in his annual report has drawn pointed attention to the unsatisfactory system of a,d ministering the funds granted to Education Boards for the maintenance and rebuilding of schools. He says there are so many inherent and administrative defects in the system that it should not be permitted to continue. . There is abundant evidence, he states, that school buildings are not being maintained in a proper state of repair, and the department has been under the necessity of condemning schools which with proper attention could have been made use of for an extended period. A better system is clearly essential, and proposals in this direction have been submitted to the Government. The annual report on the Columba Presbyteian College for Girls, prepared for supbir.is-sion to the General Assembly, states that the number of pupils was 170. of whom 67 were boarders. Authority has been n-iven for tho erection of a three-story extension of the house. This will provide for 75 boarders. The ground floor will contain a dining room capable of seating over 100, while the first floor will have a complete hospital equipment. About 11 acres of land, formerly part of the golf course, have been purchased, and the future of the college has been secured alike for residence, tuition, and recreation. The Principal believes that further accommod.ition is still necessary, and the Board of Governors appeals for donations and legacies. The successive extensions would not have been possible had it not been for the responses made to appeals for the loan of money without security. Four small coasting steamers at Wellington —the Huia, Queen of the South, Kaitu, and Blenheim— : could not leave on the 7th inst., as the members of the crews declined to #o with the vessels unless two men were employed on watches. The trouble is an outcome of the interpretation of tho eight hours' clause in the new agreement. The seamen contend that they considered it dangerous to have only one man on watch, as the steersman, with his eyes on the compass, could not keep a proper watch. The ship-owners contend that, while in the past two men were supposed to bo on a watch., generally one remained at the wheel and the other' turned into his bunk. They also point out that an officer was always on the bridge to assist in koenmsr a look-out. Mr Young (general secretary of the Seamen's Union) savs there are six or seven other points in dispute. He confv.tlicted the statement that men were paid overtime for time spent in bunks. This might have happened in isolated cases on phort runs. Ship-owners had given evidence brfore the Arbitration Court that no ship v.-".- <;:if'-- at sen. with only one man on watch; thev had gone so far as to say three • •■. -- «-'iould be in the watch. On the 10th inst. the number of vessels laid up had increased to U.