NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3399, 7 May 1919, Page 37

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The Hutt Licensing Committee declined to grant conditional license for the races at Tientham. Robert Brassel, who was "charged with selling liquor without a license, was fined £lO at Wellington, In the Ohristchurch Court > Frank Needham was fined £ls, Charles Boon £lO, and Stacey F. Hawker £5 on charges of selling lignt-weight bread. Dome 45 Jugo-Siavs are about to be repatriated. Apparently they are to be sent away with the Germans, who are to bd returned to their own country. It is stated in connection with the cen« tenary of the Independent Order of Odd* fellows "that the membership now total* 1,094,090 males and 77,895 females, witli fundsv totalling £14.601,531. Charles Edward Bolton, who escaped from the Auokland Gaol on April 21. was recaptured at Ngata, near Thames, by a warder and a constable, who had tracked him 50 miles along the coast. The Court of Appeal, on the motion of Mr H. Von Haast, on behalf of the New Zealand Law Society, made an order strife ing Herbert Alexander MacDonald off tha roll. The application was unopposed. Tha usual Icosts (£ls 15s) were allowed. From information disclosed to tho Auckv land Board it is expected that substaar tial relief from overcrowding,,- in school* will be provided by departmental undertakings, which will involve an expenditure of from £70,000 to £BO,OOO on new buildings. At Napier the lighter Agnes Martin. laifen tvitn 150 casks of tallow, collided! with the liner Kaikoura, toppled on hot side, and almost disappeared. 'She wa* towed to the wharf. A number of tha tallow casks broke loose, but 70 were recovered. *>

A fire of motor spirits and oik occurred at the rear of the Vacuum Oil Company's promises at Port Ahuriri on the 29th, tha estimated damage being about £4OO. Prompt action and excellent work by the brigada saved a bond containing 30,000 eases, of oils from destruction. A feature of the school committee elections was the return of the complete Labour ticket in Auckland City. 'x'he Labour men ousted all but one of the old committee. There was a general demand at the householders' meetings, for extended, and better school accommodation. » f-i There is a great scarcity «of houses in Dunedin. as there has been very few- dwell* ing-houses erected since the war commenced. The price of material is so high that there is no inducement to build. Houses of every description find ready purchasers at high figures, and many tenants have of late found that their house* have been sold, and that they have to vacate almost at once.

A young man from the, country who attempted to commit suicide while depressed as the result of_ an unsuccessful love affair was convicted by Mr Widdowson, S.M., at Dunedin and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon within two years, to be under the supervision in the meantime of Mr dimming. The accused assured the bench that he now realised the foolishness of -his aot. A full settlement was reached on the 3rd at the conference between employers and clothing trade workers. The hoars of work were reduced from 45 to 44 per week. Journeywoman's wages were increased to £l 15s per week, and journeymen's to £3 13« 4d and £3 17s. Increases were also granted to apprentices. The agreement is to be* made into an award to cover the who*» dominion, and is to come into operation on May 12. _ • A meeting called by the Mayor of Milton carried a resolution expressing sympathy with the movement to form a South Otago Hospital distinct, and take steps to cooperate with the movement. The meeting was not a largo one, and some present refrained from voting. Borne strong statements were made by Mr North. He said the country districts were not receiving commensurate value from the Dunedin Board for u the amount of levies thereto. Gross extravagance and wasteful expenditure were being incurred, and the country representation was not sufficiently strong to combat these evils: The Otago Hospital and Gbaritable Aid .Board levies had been doubled within the past three years, and another increase of £7OOO was notifled for the incoming year, making an estimated expenditure of £IOO,OOO. The country districts were not getting value For this costly expenditure. He denounced the secondary hospital at Wakari. He considered the site would get rid of consumptives, but not -by .curing them.