NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3419, 26 September 1919, Page 28

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The Waikohu County -valuations have increased from £2,600,000 to £5,600,000. There has been a very poor demand in (Jhristchurch lor bonds and certificates in the Victory War Loan. The Auckland Savings Bank has subscribed £iOO,OOO to the Victory Loan, making its total war loan subscription £050,000. . , . Light earthquake shocks were felt in Auckland and in various parts of the province bt 5.35 p.m., and at midnight on the 12th inst. An agreement was arrived at before the Conciliation Council in the dispute between the Duncdin Biscuit and Confectionery Manufacturing Employees' Union v. the employers. Lyttelton Gaol as a general prison will bo closed within two months. Some of the prisoners will be removed to the x-ap-uua Jfriaon Farm, and the others to tho Auckland Gaol. In replying w> a resident's suggestion to hold a State art union for house building, Mr Massey says he is interested .in the suggestion, and has referred it to the Workers' Dwellings Board. The Waimate Development League have decided to push on with the Waimate war memorial, owing to those interested in the South Canterbury war memorial overrunning the district for donations. Tho Fcildmg Presbytery did not accept the proposal for union with the Methodists and Congrogationabst-s. The voting was: For union, 39 members, 23 adherents; against union, 58 members, 34 adherents. In the Court at Wellington Leonard Bussell was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, and Harry Spooner to one month, on charges of sly grog-selling. A charge against Mrs Annie Toomer was dismissed., The Couit of Arbitration has filed its award in the Christchureh shop assistants' dispute. The award is similar in terms to the award made for the Wellington industrial district, with sqrne slight alterations. At a meeting of the Otago Manufacturers' Association on the 23rd it was resolved to nostoone holding the proposed industrial exhibition until 1921, _ and a committee was set up to obtain financial guarantees. . Mr D. R. M'C'urdie, city engineer, has submitted to the Works Committee of the Dunedin City Council a preliminary report on the drainage of Anderson's Bay district. The estimated cost of the work is between £60,000 and £60,000.' In tho Court at Christchureh two men were fined £2, and costs, for playing a game of chance at Ricoarton last month. The evidence of the police showed that the accused, with two others, were playing " two-up " on the road late at night _ John Ross pleaded guilty in the Christchurch Court to two charges of betting on licensed premises. The offences were committed during- Grand National week. He was fined £25, in default one- month on each charge, the sentences to be cumulative. ,' . ; _ . Robert Fergusson, of Piopio, was fined £SO and costs for sly grog-selling. He recently escaped a judgment summons for £1 8s on tho plea of poverty, but found £l3 15s for rum. The Magistrate (Mr Burton) commented very severely on his action. , i t Damage to the extent of some hundreds of pounds was caused by fire on the 19th in Auckland, in a store occupied by Messrs Richards and Upton, importers, containins oil and other inflammable material. The insurances are held by the South British Company. A poll authorising the Gore Borough Council to borrow £12.000 for altering and extending the municipal electric lighting system was carried bv 282 votes to 22. The alterations will provide for linking up with the Southland hydro-electric scheme if it is considered desirable. The action of the Wellington soldiers in asking £l5O for two years' service as a gratuity has not been discussed by tho Auckland Association. So far as the latter is concerned the decision of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association conference still holds pood. As the outcome of the disorder at Parliament Buildings yesterday, a returned soldier named Frederick Harrv Williams charged in the Wellington Court on the 11th with having broken a window in front of the building. He was fined £5 and ordered to pay £2. the value of the window. Mr R. H. Turton has presented Mr E. C. Collins (superintendent of the Tourist Department's Reserve, Lake district) with four acorns brought by. him from Gallipoli— Taylor's Hollow, near Suvla Bay. It is proposed to germinate the acorns, and, if successful, plant the oaks in commemoration of <he landing. At tho Supreme Court the appeal of J. Mitchell, licensee of a Palmerston N. hotel, against his conviction for exposing liquor for sale was upheld. Mr Justice Hosking held that there was no. evidence that the licensee's wife*- had authority to be in the bar for the purpose of selling liquor. The appeal against the conviction was allowed. The back-fire of the donkey engine driving the dynamo ignited the benzine in the engine room of the small steamer Kiritona at Gisborne. The electrical fittings were burnt out. but no structural damage was done. The engineer (Mr Blundell) was severely burned about the hands and arm s !. At the Palmerston North Court a young man named Leslie Robert Broughton pleaded guiltv to a ohai-ge of making a false deceleration to the registrar of births, deaths, and marriages bv falsely stating, when registering the birth of a child..that he was married to the child's mother. Ho was committed to the Supremo Court for sentence.

The eleventh annual meeting of the Wyndhani Tennis Club was held on the 16th inst., Dr Baird in the chnir. The report and balance shoot were duly read and adopted. Nine new members were duly proposed and elected. In view of her prominent past interest in the club, Mrs Percy Tnstone, now of Christchurch, was elected a lifp member.

The Gazette notifies that the following local bodies have been authorised to rai.so by loan the sums stated: —Huncahunea Tiramnpe Board. £4800; Woolston Borough Council, £300: East Tarnaki Road Board. £1600: Whakatane Borousrh Council, £10.000: "Whangnmarino Road Board. £700; "vVhnr.?papa Boad Bon,rd. £SOOO. The Wairarapa local bodies asked the Prime Minister and the M ; n|*ter of Public Works for Oovernmont assistance in rehuildin.g bridges and repairing the rond over the Bimutaka. Sir W. Fras«r said he had dealt very generously with the road in the Estimates. Thej'' would find

that ample provision had been mado for as much work as could be done in a year.

Mrs J. M'Donald, who is leaving Wyndham, has presented an invalid chair to the Soldiers' Convalescent Homo, Invercargill. A meeting was held in the Gore High School during the week in connection with starting classes for wool-classers under the Southland Education Board. Mr J. M'Ore gor outlined the course of study it was proposed to follow to a goodly attendance, who promptly formed themselves into a class, which is open to enrol members. J. O'Donnell was arrested on the 20th 50 miles north of Te Awamutu on the way to Rotorua. It is alleged that he went to a house at Matiere on the night of September 14 and attempted a serious assault on a woman, and while she went for assistance attempted a similar assault on her daughter. The accused was employed on the Stratford Main Trunk railway construction between Ohahukura and Matiere.

At a meeting of dairymen held at the Addington Saleyards the following motion was carried unanimously, to be forwarded to the Mln'ster of Education and the Minister of Internal Affairs: —" That this_ meeting of dairymen is strongly of the opinion that legislat:on is necessary to proh bit the employing of child labour on milk carts and other similar employments necessitating their rising at unduly early hours until they have finished their education at the State schools."

In connection with the sum of £SOO subscribed by the people of Christchureh and invested locally for gunnery prizes for _t n(? men of 11.M.5. New Zealand word has hist been received from the Hich Commissioner that this fund has been augmented by the transfer from H.M.S. ZeaTandia of £SOO collected in ISC6. The combined net income from these two funds is £45 14s, and there has now been added to, it an accumulation of £l*6 19s. wh'ch has been invested in 5 per cent. National War Bonds The post office at Aria was entered by burg'ars on the night of the 17th, and £33 9s was stolen, £2l 4s of which belonged to the postmistress. Several registered letters •were stolen, one including endorsed cheques for £126 Bs. An opossum rug and two shawls stolen from a Maori were found in a whare behind the post office. Two strangers were searched by Sergeant Matthews, but no trace of the money was found. An entrance was obtained by breakin ir the catch of a window. The money was in a cashbox, but not in the safe.

The Canadian five-masted schooner Laurel Whalsn, which was laid up at Auckland for over six months for repairs to her auxiliary machinery, arrived at Papeete ori August 26 from Auckland in distress Considerable damage was sustained to her sails, the cylinders were broken, and the oil fuel ran' short, while the captain was laid up with a broken v ankle. As the result of a survey, it was decided that the vessel required new pumps and new cylin ders from New Zealand, and new canvas, which will involve a" further delay of two months.

An illuminated address was presented to Mr C. C. Nicholas by the residents of Orepuki, and an order to Mrs Nicholas, on the occasion of their leaving the district after a residence of 19 years. The address referred appreciatively to the works undertaken bv Mr Nicholas for the benefit of the district, and in more restricted spheres of the work of the Presbyterian Church, Oddfellows, and Freemasons, and a host of simple ■ cts of kindness and courtesy. It concluded by wishing Mr Nicholas success and prosoer'ty for the future and health and happiness for Mrs Nicholas, the family, and himself.

At a meeting of the executive of the North Canterbury Farmers' Union, the proposal that a commission from New Zealand, in company with Dr Reakes, should go to England to investigate the distribution of dominion meat, was unanimously approved, and the president (Mr David Jones) was congratulated on his appointment to the comnrssion. The necessity of having more agricultural experts stationed in Canterbury was considered. It was mentioned that a Chair of Agriculture was necessary at the university, and it was decided to write to the Board of Governors, of the Canterbury College and to the Government on the matter.