Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 3593, 23 January 1923, Page 40

The Chief Justice is at present making arrangements for the hearing of the petitions which have been lodged in connection with the Eden, Waitomo, Western Maori, and Oamaru elections. In reply to a question put by a reporter on Friday, Sir Robert Stout said that the three North Island petitions would probably be heard by Mr Justice Hosking and Mr Justice Stringer and the Oamaru petition by Mr Justice Adams and himself. The members of the University Senate spent a very pleasant time on Friday as the guests of the Otago Women’s Club at an afternoon tea party. On behalf of the members of the club Mrs Lindo Ferguson extended a very hearty welcome to the visitors. A short programme of musical and other items was presented, a recitation being given by Mrs Wakefield Holmes, Miss Emily Foster and Miss rtule, and pianoforte solos by Mr Foster and Mr Morrell. During the year 1922 7075 cases of notifiable diseases were reported to the New Zealand health authorities (telegraphs our Wellington correspondent). The previous year’s total was 8285. No cases of beriberi, leprosy, or smallpox were reported last year, though in 1921 there were two cases of the first-named disease, two of the second, and one of the third. The following is a detailed comparison between the notifications of 1922 and 1921 (1921 figures being given in parentheses) :—Scarlet fever, 1449 (1845) ; diphtheria, 1984 (2611) ; enteric fever, 539 (441); tuberculosis, 1129 (1207); cerebrospinal meningitis, 42 (56); infantile paralysis, 98 (267) ; puerperal septicaemia, 262 (178); influenza (all forms), 216 (295); acute primary pneumonia, 946 (1029); erysipelas, 271 (228); hydatids, 36 (35); lockjaw, 22 (21); trachoma, 7 (12); ophthalmia neonatorum, 26 (34); lethargic encephalitis, 36 (21); anthrax, 2 (2); food poisoning, 4 (1) ; actinomycosis, 1 (2). Our Roxburgh correspondent advises that from Monday to Thursday of last week 201 tons of fruit were despatched from Beaumont. The weather, he reports, has not been too hot, and ripening has been gradual, growers so far being able to cope with it without the rash of past years. Our Alexandra correspondent states that 105 tons of fruit, comprising 6423 crates and cases, were despatched from the Alexandra railway station last week. He adds that unfortunately the price of peaches fell to a very low level on the Dunedin market, good dessert peaches being sold at the auction rooms for Is lOd to 4s per case of 201 b, or at the rate of to 2jd per lb. There was no doubt a temporary glut due to the quantities of Briggs’s Red May, an early and quickly ripening peach, coming on to the market in large quantities. It would be interesting, our correspondent says, to know whether the Dunedin public has received any advantage from the low market. We should say that the answer must be in tlie negative. The election petition by Mr W. T, Jennings regarding the election for the Waitomo seat, is a voluminous document, alleging many irregularities, relating to alleged breaches of “The Legislature Amendment Act, 1919,” and to the conduct of the poll and scrutiny and the magisterial recount. There is no charge made against Mr J. C. Rolleston, the successful candidate. Amongst allegations are that certain persons were refused the right to vote by declaration though entitled to do so, and a number of others whose names did not appear on the roll were wrongfully allowed to vote; and that due care was not exercised in counting the votes. It states that the magistrate should have disallowed 77 votes on the grounds that 70 declaratory votes were wrongly dealt with by the returning officer and his deputies. It is therefore asked that a scrutiny be ordered for the recovery of such vores. The petition concludes with an allegation that “the election was not conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Legislature Act, and that the said irregularities and breaches of the law materially affected the result. The petitioner prays that it may be determined that John Christopher Rolleston was not duly elected, and that the election was void.” A Christchurch Press Association message says that all shipping from the south has been delayed by strong northerly gales. The Storm took 22 hours to come from Timaru. Messrs G. Lawrence and Son have been successful in securing the contract for the erection of a large three-storey warehouse for Messrs W. Nees and Sons. The building is to be completed in 22 weeks, at a cost of £7OOO. A raid was conducted by Sergeant Murray and Constables Coppell and Watkins on Sunday morning on the premises of Peter George Peterson, 42 Fingal! street, South Dunedin. On being admitted the police surprised four men drinking beer, two from glasses cjd two from cups. They searched tfca place, and discovered 49 bottles of beer, which were sfomptly confiscated. It .wilt lie remembered that, Peterson was fined £9O some three months ago for sly grogselling.

When the members of the University Senate assembled *on Saturday afternoon, Sir Robert Sout gave notice of his intention to resign the position of Chancellor on Monday. Professor Scott expressed extreme regret at the fact that the Chancellor was giving up the position. In the meantime the machinery of the Senate should be kept in motion, and with that object in view he would give notice of motion that the registrar proceed with the election of Chancellor, and, secondly, that Professor J. Mac•millan Biown be elected Chancellor. The Hon. J. A. Hanan expressed the hope that Sir Robert Stout would reconsider his determination! to resign. The Chancellor said he had given the matter careful consideration, and he had come to the conclusion that in all the circumstances he should resign his position. Au Auckland Press Association message reports that in reply to a message from the Governor-General to the King conveying, on behalf of the Government and the people of New Zealand their loyal ana respectful congratulations to their Majesties on the engagement of the Duke of York, his Excellency has received a- telegram expressing their Majesties’ warm appreciation of the message. At the meeting of the University Senate on Saturday, Professor J. Macmillan Brown presented the report of the examiners for the Haydon prize. The examiners reported that they had come to the conclusion that neither cf the two essays sent in was of a standard high enough to justify the prize being awarded. Professor Brown intimated lhat the subject for next year’s essay would be: “The Pact as Affecting - the I uture of the British Communities in the Pacific.” The Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) has made final arrangements as to the judges who will hear the petitions which have been lodged in connection with the Eden, Waitomo, Western Maori, and Oamaru elections. The three North Island petitions will be heard at Auckland, Te Kuiti, anu New Plymouth respectively by Mr Justice Hosking and Mr Justice Stringer, and the Oamaru petition at Oamaru by the Chief Justice and Mr Justice Adams. One of the Mornington cable cars was pushed off the line in the vicinity of the Princess Theatre at- 12.12 p.m. on Saturday by a motor car, driven by Mrs Spence Clark. The tramcar was damaged, ana the motor car had its radiator crushed’ The motor car was able to be driven away, but an hour elapsed before the tram could be replaced on the rails. According to the particulars supplied to the police, Mrs Clark WaS the motor along Manse street on the correct side, and turned to her left to go up High street. When turning the corner she endeavoured to use the foot brake, but an attache case on the floor of The motor prevented her from doing so, and she struck the accelerator instead. The motor then shot ahead and collided with the front of the tram, which was coming down the hill. The front of the tram was forced over towards the Arcade, and the back swung round in the direction of the Princess Theatre. It was fortunate that the motor struck the tram w’here there were no passengers, as there were several on the back. A method of getting even with those business men who will persist in transacting their’ banking operations at the last possible moment of the banking day, and at the same time helping forward the Children s Ward Fund, has been adopted by the officers of the Blenheim branch of the Bank of New South Wales (says the Express). In an inconspicuous corner of the counter is a collecting box prominently labelled on the side “Children’s Ward.” It remains in its corner throughout the day, but any customer entering the bank after 2.30 p.m. finds it casually pushed towards him, when another quiet legend informs him that he is expected to pay a fine for banking late Neediess to say, most of the guilty ones part up cheerfully, and the box has a comfortably heavy feel about it. Through the locking of the steering gear a motor lorry carrying 17 picnickers to Punakaiki, Greymouth, fell 70ft down an embankment at Baty’s Creek, turning four somersaults in the process." Though scat tered over the hill in all directions the passengers miraculously escaped with ’comparatively minor injuries. The first somersault upset both seats and’ three of the passengers over the embankment. The driver, Herbert Leach, and another passenger, Mrs C. Fraser, were still imprisoned m the front seat, of the car and had to remain there for the next ’three somersaults. They managed to escape at the bottom of the embankment. Mrs Fraser sprained her ankle, and Leach sustained two deep cuts on the right cheek Considering the height of the hill and the manner in which the car fell, their escape with such mild consequences was miraculous None of those at the top of the hill was seriously injured, except Miss Freda Mundy, who sustained a fracture of the left collarbone and a sprain in the right wrist. The other members of the party escaped with bruises and shock.