NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3522, 13 September 1921, Page 25

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Alexander Ranger alias Alex. Aitcheson, charged with incest at Herbert, was remanded to Oamaru, bail self in £3OO and one surety of £3OO, being allowed. The Dunedin i'ivsbvfery - - cd Uo call of the Roslyn Presbyterian Church to the Rev. E lqu. 1. which is to be sent on to the Wairara-pa Presbytery. In a case against an old-age pensioner of making a false declaration, the Registrar of Pensions said that cases of this kind were occurring all over the country, and the department was resolved that it must be checked. Applicants for certificates must make a true statement of their position. The magistrate, in recording a conviction, said that he would not hesitate to impose imprisonment- in similar cases in future. A 17-year-old schoolboy admitted in the Auckland Court a theft, the seriousness of which lay in the possible consequences. 011 live separate occasions lie removed four wet cell batteries on a railway signal post. They were the new Parnell tunnel batteries, which operated as a check to the signal showing the position of lights invisible to the signalman. Accused used the batteries in experiments at home. He was admitted to probation for a year. The quarterly meeting of the City Licensing Committee was held on the sth. Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., was chairman, and there were also present Messrs J. Carroll, F. Hilhker, G. Ritchie, and W. King.—The Chairman said that the police report showed that tile conduct of the hotels throughout the district during the past quarter had been satisfactory. The following tiansfera were granted:—Andrew Pringle to Joseph Carter (Empire Hotel), John Frederick Hammerly to John Hope (Metropolitan Hotel), and David Young to William Quirk (Excelsior Hotel). Mr 11. E. Holland, M.P., delivered a lecture in Dunedin last week on the Irish question, in which he took a bird’s-eye view of the historical events which had led up to the present position. He was not a Roman Catholic, ho said, and he denied that tiic Irish movement was a religious movement. He condemned the actions of the British Government in Ireland. He ccnddered the best solution of the presentposition would be to let the whole of Ireland vote on the different forms of go ,‘>l i:mom proposed for Ireland in the order of preference, and let the majority rule. The statistics presented to the Dunedin Presbytery last- week show that , there has been a steady advance. In the Sunday Schools there was an increase of 254 scholars and 72 teachers. There were 654 teachers in the Sunday Schools, 500 being women and 145 men. There were increases in the (Bible Classes. Attendance at prayer meetings wore increasing, and the number of young communicants was 60 per cent, higher than the previous year, but there was an increase of only 73 in the total membership. The stipends of ministers an I assistants had been increased. The total revenue was £9OOO ahead of that of 1919. An unusual and rather amusing case occupied the attention of the SAT. at the Dunedin Police Court last week, when Daniel Andrews was charged with assault ing J. \V. Murdoch while the latter was endeavouring to collect rent alleged to be overdue. There was a 'cross action in which Murdoch was alleged to be the aggressor. It was alleged that Murdoch, the landlord, offered to fight, his tennant, Andrews, for a year’s rent. After listening to the evidence, the magistrate said that the parries were equally ready to resort to blows at the start, but both seemed glad to break it off', and neither attempted to get tn the other .side of the fence that was he!veen them. He considered thorn equally to blame. Each was fined 20s, and ordered to pay liis own costs.