NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3338, 6 March 1918, Page 25

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The response to the Y.M.C.A. appeal for spare chess .sets for ,men on the transports l has been most generous. In several cases ; the sets must have been in use many years, | the parting with which no doubt caused the donors a certain amount of regret,,, i The Compensation Court awarded the I Auckland University' College £17,022 for | land, buildings, and incidental outlay in i fitting uo temporary premises, as against i £20,289 claimed. The action arose over ; the Auckland City Council taking the proi perty for a new city outlet. ! The Otago Cricket Association has agreed to play a Canterbury representative team at Easter. * Tho Southland Association suggested a match between Otago and Southland on March 23, but 'as sports for the Y.M.C.A. funds have been arranged for that day it was decided to suggest March 15 and lo as the dates.i His Majesty's Trade Commissioner in i New Zealand (Mr R, W. Dalton) has re- ! ceived instructions from the Imperial Goi vernment to proceed to tho Pacific Islands 1 for the purpose of making investigation into their present commercial position and . future trade prospects. Ho expects to leavo for Suva early in April. i ■ At a representative meeting of all classes it was decided to form' a South Canterbury Development League similar to those of Otago and Southland to endeavour to further tho prosperity of the district and | 'co-operate with other South Island leagues I to assist in the progress of the South | Island, branch railways, electric power in- : dustries, soldier settlements, and closer I settlement being among the items men- '. tioned as possible means of progress, j The question of selling tobacco and cigar- ' ettes by restaurant keepers, fruiterers, and I others after 8 p.m. was involved in an im- ! portant reserved judgment delivered by Mr ! S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., in the Wellington Court on the 28th, in a case in which the Inspector of La-bo'ur proceeded against a shopkeeper on twe informations under " The Shops and Offices Act, 1908." Both informations were dismissed, and his Worship concluded by saying that tho legislation re--lating to the closing of shops and offices seemed to have fallen into a, ehaotic condii tion and required restating in simpler form. [ At the present time, instead of being a | guide it was a pitfall, and instead of being ! simple it was complex. Its correct inter- | pretation was difficult and almost past | finding out. __ i An Agreement was arrived 1 at before the Conciliation Council W the djspute initiated by tho Otago ami Southland Range Workers' Union, the ofrtr of the employers being accepted—namely, Is sid' per hour for the higher class of workers, and Is 4d for tho others, with a war bonus of lid per hour. | The weekly wages for boys range from 10s i to 355. An agreement was also arrived at 1 in the matter of the claim of the Rope and . Twine Spinners' Union and Donagfiy and Co. The wages agreed on were:—Head ropemaker, Is 6£d per hour-; first assistant, Is 3£d: leading hand, Is 3d; general hands, • Is 2d; female wages, an increase of 2s 6d per week. No agreement was arrived at in the dispute between the Duncdin Gardeners' Union and 18 employers cited, and the questions of the hours of work and wages of workmen and apprentices were referred to the *w titration Court. I At the Dunedin Police Court on tho 27th nit., a man named Alfred M'Farlano was charged with being an incorrigible rogue. The 'evidence showed that accused was a returned .soldier in receipt of a pension. He had been convicted as a rogue and vagabond in June, 1914, but Mr H. A. Young, S.M., said he did not think that when a man had been away at the front for two or three years his previous reputation should bo held up against him. The persons with whom he habitually Associated were men j with whom he had served at the front. Ho ! dismissed the charge. The police also ! charged M'Farlane and .Martin Joyce with 1 being found at night en premises without lawful excuse. M'Barlane said he had gone ; to the premises, in which there was a teaI room, to get a meal. Joyce, who had been '' back only five days, was the man who had ' carried him out of the trenches in the j Somme battle. This charge was also disI missfd, as also was a similar charge ! asrairi'st David Livingstone. The cases were ! the sequel of an attempt on the part of the I police to clear up a place in Tennyson j street, a married woman named -Jessie Har- ! vey being charged with keeping a house of I ill-fame. The charge against her was dismissed, Tho place had been frequented by M Parlano and Livingstone, among others. Tho evidence showed that when the hus-

band was at home the woman Harvey led a respectable life.