NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 25

NEWS IN BRIEF.

At Wellington on the 25th Archibald Gibson Harricks, who had enrolled as a member of the Second Division while a single man, was fined £lO. A branch of the Otago and Southland Freezing Works Union has been formed at Pukeuri, North Otago, with Mr C. Walker as president and Mr J. Turnbull secretary. John Davidson, a sergeant-major on the permanent staff at Featherston, was sentenced at ,Masterton to three months' imprisonment for exhibiting an indecent photo to a young girl. Mr Palmer Gore, 'manager of the Albion Pictures, died suddenly at Invercargill. He had a slight heart seizure the previous day, but remained on duty. He was for many years associated with Haywards. The Dominion Private Hotel, Gisborne, owned by Mr Lawless, and occupied by Mr Williams, was destroyed by fire. Tho boarders narrowly escaped. "Que, named Campbell, suffered severe burns. It is officially notified that there is no ground for tho rumour that Dr Thacker, M.P., would be tried by court-martial for the charges he made at a meeting he addressed at Napier against the Defence Department. Following on similar prosecutions in other centres for -Sunday trading, the Christchurch police on the 23rd brought several charges against shopkeepers who have been in the habit of selling soft drinks on Sundays. Small fines were inflicted. The Wyndham Branch of the Southland War Funds Association has decided to undertake a "live stock drive" in the Lower Mataura district in aid of the funds. One enthusiastic gentleman offered a donation of lOgs, while another offered the use of his motor car and his own services. Charged that, being bookmakers, they did trespass on the Riccarton Racecourse on November 10, D. Ross (Wellington), Thomas Butler and Louis Curtis (Dunedin) were each fined £5 at Christchurch on the 28th. Edward Amess, on a similar charge, was fined £2, while a case against H. Bustin was dismissed. Dr Thacker. M.P., addressed a packed meeting at .Napier, at which he vigorously attacked the administration of tho National Government. Resolutions were unanimously passed demanding the resignation of tho Minister of Defence and the National Cabinet, and. expressing alarm at the continued increase in the. Cost of Living. Fire broke out early on the morning of tho 28th in tha stables behind the Elbow Hotel at Lumsden. The flames spread rapidly and destroyed the Post Office. Griffith's draper's shop, and Marshall's (butcher). Sparks lodged in the railway station several times, but the building escaped. The Elbow Hotel escaped with a scorching. The annual picnic.at Brydone, near Edendale, resulted in £lO7 16s being raised for the Southland War Funds. Fat wethers donated by Messrs W. Irvine and James Drysclale were the subjects of separate weight-guessing competitions, the winners, Mrs B. Parker and J. Savers, rcdonating their prizes. Well done, Brydone ! According to tho law in New Zealand a man can live in a hotel and get drunk there—a licensee is not held, to hare permitted drunkenness if a man gets drink after having contracted with him for board and lodging on the premises. Such was the decision jn a Christchurch case, in which a man arrested for being helplcsly drunk died in the mental hospital. Steps are being taken by the Waikouaiti Council to have tutsan (sometimes erroneously termed St. John's wort) declared a noxious weed, and taking it out of the jurisdiction of the council and placing it under the control of the Agricultural Department. The weed is spreading very rapidly in the vicinity of Deborah Bay. It is a difficult weed to keep under. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.. reserved decision in a case heard on Monday, in which Andrew Bremner was charged with permitting liquor to be drunk in his restaurant after the closing hours of hotels. The members of a Revue Company were being entertained at supper, and defendant had ordered a dozen bottles of liquor, which was bdng consumed when the police made their way into the place. There was no charge that the liquor was sold. A general ' court-martial assembled in Auckland on the 29th for the purpose of trying Lieutenant-colonel C. H. Turner for allowing Count von Luckner and other prisoners to escape from Motuihi Island. Colonel N. P. Adams is president and Captain P. E. Baldwin prosecutor. On the 31st a court of inquiry will assemble to inquire and report upon tne responsibility of Colonel J. S. Paterson and Major J. Osbourne-Lilly in respect to the escape of the same prisoners. Colonel N. P. Adams will preside At last week's meeting of tho Otago Harbour Board the chairman (Mr J. Loudon), in reply to a question, said he was not at .all satisfied that everything was being done to safeguard overseas shipping in harbour against damage by bombs. Some recommendations- he had made had been ignored. Recently he knew of some 40 packages put on board an overseas vessel, and there was not even an inquiry made by the Defence Department as to who packed the goods. In tho Hokitika Magistrate's Court the licensee of an hotel was charged with allowing liquor to be consumed after hours and with selling after hours. Tho evidence showod that tho licensee was getting change for two visitors who had dined, and when they were in the bar parlour the licensee invited them to have a liqueur to celebrate a birthday, when the police appeared and laid an information. The Magistrate said it was quite clear the case must fail, as there wa3 no evidence of sale. The information was dismissed. A Wellington grocer was charged under tho Sale of Food and Drugs Regulation with selling goods by weight without having plainly marked on tho

packet the net weight of the contents and tiie manufacturer's name. The defendant had purchased honey in bulk and ran it off into carton packages to save time in weighing 1 . The magistrate (Mr M'Carthy) hr>ld that the package was a sealed cue. an<4 came within the regulation. A iine of ,£5 was inflicted. Notice of appeal was given. The excellent record of service of the Birnie family, of Remuera. Auckland, was again referred to before the First Military Service Board on Friday, when George Gordon Birnie, traveller, appealed on tho ground that he was the last remaining son at home. He said that six brothers had gone to the front, and three of these had been killed. He was living with his parents, Major and Mrs Birnie. of Remuera. The chairman said tho family's record was one of which "appellant. should be proud. The board expressed sympathy with the family in their Joss, and adjourned the case indefinitely. Professor P. C. Trueblood, Professor cf Oratory in the University of Michigan, who is in 'Dunedin on a holiday, generously gavo three recitals in aid of tho Wounded Soldiers' Fund. His first recital was from the works of Mark Twain, and in his introductory remarks he placed the late Mr Clemens as in the front rank of American humorists, and spoke of him as a philosopher and dramatist. Flis second recital was from "Hamlet," and in proposing a vote of thanks Mr J. O. Stephens, who presided., said that he had never heard before . those wonderful lines, "To., bo or not to be," fo beautifully rendered. Two large areas of land have been acquired recently by the Government tor the settlement of returned soldiers. The first consists of three farms of a total area of 1516 acres, situated at Pakaraka. a few miles from Kawakawa (says tho New Zealand Herald). The survey has been completed, the area being divided into sections averaging from 80 to 100 acres. The Government will take possession at the end of February, and it is hoped that the land will bo ready for settlement shortly afterwards. The secoid property is situated about four miles from WeHsford. Tho area is 1600 acres, and the survey is now being' carried out. This land will be ready for settlement in March. The Hon. G. W. Russell -has declined to grant a subsidy to supplement the amount raised by subscription to procure a supply of radium for the Dunedin Hospital. Dr Valintine, the Inspector-general of Hospitals, had informed the Minister that very little could Be done which could not be effected by X-ray treatment. Dr Barnett, ohairman of the hon. medical staff, stated that the outstanding need for radium wasthat many inoperable cases of cancer, absolutely hopeless and most distressing under ordinary circumstances, have been definitely proved to be benefited, comforted, and, in a small proportion, absolutely cured by radium; and neither by X-ray nor by any other known method can equally satisfactory results be obtained. It was decided to again approach tho Minister. Tho condition of Lake Logan (originally Pelichct Bay) has for some time occupied attention, and at a public meeting, held in Dunedin on Tuesday night, 22nd inst.. the subject "was widely discussed. It was generally agreed that the lake in its present condition is a menace to public health, itvcntually the following motion, proposed bv the Hon. J. T. Paul and seconded by Mr J. Abernethy, was carried:—"(l) That, in view of the dangerously insanitary condition of Lake Logan, and the possibility of an epidemic of disease, this public meetin sr of citizens calls upon the Otago Harbour Board to take urgent steps to have tho Lake Logan area made permanently sanitary; (2) that a copy of the foregoing resolution be forwarded to tho Minister of ~" s Public Health, with a request for immediate action; (3) that the Vigilance Committee be asked to hold weekly meetings, and to take fuurther action in the name of this meeting until such time as the menace is permanently removed."