Second Edition. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 67, 10 July 1914, Page 6

Second Edition. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Important business is to be dealt witli at the meeting ol the executive of the A. and i». Association this eVellV

Considering tlie unpromising weather Inst night there was a good attendance at the social held m • the Foresters Hall under the auspices of the Scottish Society. Songs were rendered bv Misses Sangster, Rising ami Irvine, ‘and Messrs T. Reader, Davis and Blackstock. In addition Jo the solos they contributed Misses and Rising gave a duet. -Miss Huge . cohtributfcd a number of.violin solos All the items were highly appreciated and encores were the order ol the evening. After all excellent; siippei laid beeri partaken of the evening was wotlnd up with dancing,'Mr J. lam acting as M.C.

\t to-dav’s sitting of the conlerence convened by the Federation ol Lahw in Wellington, a motion was passto protesting against any proposal to submit the question of Bible-iii-Schqols to a referendum, as it regards religious beliefs as a subject outside tin control of any majority It was decided that Mr A. Rosser (Auckland), and Mr H. Hunter (Christchurch) should represent the conference on the deputation to the Premier from the national Schools Defence .Reague upon the Bible-in-schools t question. 'ne following were appointed to form a deputation td aSk the Minister of .instice for the release ot the prisoners: Messrs H. Rosser (Auckland), I). Coleman (Gisborne), J. Donnelly (Hawke’s Rav), D. Moriaity (AVolhrigton), J. Townsend (MaHbdrmigh), -i. Dowgray (West Coast). H. Hunter (Canter bnrv), W. McAllen (Otago), and J. McAlsweiler (Southland).— P.A.

A large deputation of delegates front the Plunket Society Conference; waited ou the Prime Minister at Wellington to-day. Replying, Mr Massey said the Government .would endeavour to relieve Dr. Truby King from his duties at Seaelitf/ for a portion of the year to enable him to devote move time to the work of the Plunket Society. He promised to consider an increased grant to the Karitane Hospital, Dunedin, when framing the Supplementary Estimates. He agreed on the necessity for a pure milk supply. In . Auckland the animals, dairies, water supply, and dairying utensils wore regularly inspected. He wished he could say the same tor other centres. The Hon. Rhodes said lie was.always in favor of coiitrolllhg the milk s4pply in towns. The Hon. Alloa sind the women connected with the movement were a great national asset to the Dominion-—P-A.

In the libel action, Fairbaim v. ,the Otago Daily Times, thirteen is-

sues were submitted, to the jury. In counsel’s address, Mr McGregor urgy ed that plaintiff was guilty of impropriety in going on the Commission, and brought the libel on himself by delaying an explanation in

answer to the letters in the paper, (states the Press Association) Sir John Findlay said the editor had admitted that he conld not -justify the

charges in the leading article, but counsel repeated the charges in the case. The conduct of the case showed the motive to be bitterness,, and he insisted waT lighting the Merchants’ Association and not the newspaper. He added that the editorial was the result of party politics. Mr Justice Sim, in summing up, said it was clear that the editorial charged the Commissioners with dishonest suppressiop, and the evidence showed this not to he true. The inclusion of Jamieson’s supplementary statement would have been'improper. The presence of Fairhairn on the Commission was not improper even though he had heeli attacking the Merchants’ Association. After an hour and 40 minutes, the jury returned a unanimous verdict for the plaintiff on all points for £BSO damages. • • 1

To-day, in Wellington, members of tli'd Anglican Synod interviewed the JhaPtiicl' r regarding the Bibje-ih-Schools referendum; The deputation ex-jtfesfl-ed the hope that‘the-Bill would go through all its stages during the present session. They'Were not asking niettl belief 1 of Pariiiuient to express any opinion upon the •merits- or demerits of the system of religious instruction. They merely asked for machinery by which the true will of the electors might lie taken. Mr Massey, in reply, said the Bill had been placed in the Hon. Allen’s hands and would he submitted to the House in the next few days. It was pot intended to he a party question. There were differences ;of opinion on the part of members in regard to the Bill and the proposal. “Personally,” added Mr Massey, “I don’t pretend to ho a bit better than the average citizen, but I have long

teen of opinion that it was a great pity that the representatives of the Christian sects were not able to join in arranging a scheme by which the rising generation in the schools might have Bible knowledge imparted without the sectarian element being introduced. 1 am sorry to say that wo have not reached that stage yet. Tii all probability,’' he concluded,-,“tfyo Bill will be proceeded With next week, and • there will be no attempt to mix up the proposal politics.” -I’.A.