CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19670, 12 December 1933, Page 7

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

ITEMS FROM THE CITY CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 11. Personal: Professor W. B. Benham, of the University of Otago, who is visiting Christchurch, is staying at the United Service Hotel. Mr H. Valentine, chief accountant of the New Zealand Railways, and vicepresident of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, was a visitor to Christchurch during the week-end. Mr W. P. Spencer will take his seat at the next meeting of the Canterbury College Board of Governors, representing the school committees. Nominations for the vacancy on the board caused by the death of Mr W. M. Hamilton closed on Saturday, and as the only nomination was that of Mr Spencer he was declared elected. Wage Cut Restored: At the monthly meeting of the Kaikoura County Council it was decided to restore the 10 per cent, cut to members of the office staff. Councillor Humm voted against the motion, contending that the time was not yet right for restoration. The chairman’s honorarium was fixed at £75. Bicycle Thief Gaoled: Before the Court since 1910 and in and out of gaol ever since—this was the description applied to Richard Carney, a blacksmith, forty-three years of age, of Sullivan Avenue, when he made another appearance in the Magistrate’s Court, before Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., this morning on two charges of stealing bicycles. Accused pleaded guilty. On a charge of stealing a bicycle valued at £2 on December 4, the property of persons unkown, Carney was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour. For stealing a bicycle valued at £4 on December 9, also the property of persons unknown, he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour to be followed by eighteen months’ reformative detention. Death in Seizure: An epileptic seizure caused the death by drowning yesterday morning of Mrs Nellie Allan, 56, a domestic, employed at the Y.M.C.A. At an inquest before Mr E. D. Mosley, Coroner, yesterday, it was said that Mrs Allan was having a bath at 6 a.m. She was subject to epilepsy, and was found dead lying in a bath of w T ater. A verdict of death by drowning, following a epileptic seizure, was returned. Comment on Matric. Papers: Although some comment has been made by the parents of those sitting that several papers in the matriculation examination have been unduly hard, a well-known Christchurch headmaster pointed out on Saturday that he himself always feared an easy paper marked “hard” more than a hard paper which probably would be marked with some lattitude. Most complaints have been made about the French and history papers. The headmaster pointed out that there were always complaints about the papers, but it must be remembered that the standard for entering a university college—the aim of the matriculation examination —was being raised. In any case, the time for making complaints was when the marks were known—in February. Until then one could not judge how the papers had been marked. First Wool Sale: The first Christchurch wool sale this season will be held in the Caledonian Hall on Tuesday, commencing at 9 a.m. The allocation made by the Wool Committee was 25,000 bales, and the catalogue contains offerings for this amount. Buyers have been busy valuing the wool in the local stores, and, in view of the higher level of pricerruling in the north, interest is being displayed in the first Christchurch sale, for the bulk of the wool will be of the finer qualities. No Agreement Reached: No agreement was reached In the Conciliation Council in the adjourned dispute between the Christchurch Shirt, White and Silk Workers and the employers, in which the employers sought a reduction of wages for learners and journeymen in the clothing trade. The employers' final wage proposals were that female learners should be paid 10/- a week for the first six months, rising by 2 6 every six months thereafter to 30'-. that journeywomen should be paid £2/0/6, and that male cutters should be paid £3/15/-. The employees counter-claimed for the terms of the present agreement—--15- a week for apprentices and improvers, rising by 2 6 every six months to £l/15/-; journeywomen £2,8 - a week; and male cutters £4 7 6 a week.

Echo of Tramway Election: Summonses have been served upon four supporters of the Labour Party to appear at the Magistrate’s Court on Friday to answer charges of interfer- | ing with electors during the taking of the poll for the Christchurch Tramway Board Election on November 30. It is alleged that the defendants interfered with persons on the day of the election by handing them printed tickets setting out the names of the Labour Party candidates. The prosecution will be conducted by the police under clause A of Section 44 of the Local Elections and Polls Act, 1925, which provides for the imposition of a fine not exceeding £2O on any person who “in any way interferes with an elector, either in the polling booth or while on his way thereto with the intention of influencing him or advising as to his vote.” Other persons may be charged after the hearing of the case on Friday. Distress Still Acute: Distress in the city still remains j acute, there having been no noticeable ‘ decrease in the number of cases for relief during the past week. Clothing is still the paramount need of most applicants, but it would seem, from the reports of the various depots, that men’s clothes are unobtainable. All depots are busy preparing for their Christmas missions, but few gifts have been received. At St. Martin's House of Help, 251 cases were assisted—a slight decrease. Of these the Rev. P. Revell (City Missioned reported that some were very trying ones. He was hard at work with his Christmas mission. Numbers at the Men’s Guest House ! had gone down, many men having left for work and to look for it. “We had fewer gifts of food this week. At Christmas we shall have to do something for the men here and for any of our old boys’ who may other- : wLs? have no Christmas dinner Gifts of meat. ham. eggs, cakes, fruit, socks, tobacco and cigarettes will be very i welcome.” Light Rain Brings Some Relief: From the farmers' point of view there was only one thing wrong with the rain during the week-end-there

wasn't enough of it. Light though it was. however, the fall will do considerable good, particularly in North Canterbury, which received a fair share of it. Lawns and gardens in the city have been freshened up also. What Is wanted in the country is at least a 24 hours' soaking downpour The hot weather of last week parched the ground and intensified the effects of the drought, and until Sunday's change in the weather the position was very serious. Pastures were drying out and crops were turning colour, and some relief was badly needed. The position in this respect is still serious, and unless there is a substantial (ail very shortly, fattening of stock is going to receive a drastic check The crops that did benefit more than anything else yesterday were the rape and turnips which have Just been planted. The rain will cause a good strike, and remove an anxiety that arose out of the failure of last year’s winter feed crops. According to the readings taken at the Christchurch Magnetic Observatory. there has been only one year during the last 30 in which there has been less rainfall. That was in 1915, when the fall for the year was 15.69. Land Agent Fined: On the grounds that a man has tc

I live. Arthur Francis Stacey, who was threatened in the Magistrate's Court to-day with having the land agent's licence, which he was granted only an hour previously cancelled for carrying on business without a licence, told the Magistrate, Mr E. D. Mosley that he would have to continue selling. Stacey was charged on two counts of carrying on business as a land agent without a licence, and pleaded guilty On one charge he was fined £lO and costs, and on the other ho was convicted and discharged. Chief-Detective W. H. Dunlop said the first charge arose out of the sale of a property at Sumner, and the second out of the sale of a property in Worcester Street. He was fified £5 on January 26 and £3 on June 20 for similar offences, and since the present charges were laid he had been granted a licence. "It is admitted he is a good salesman." said the Chief-Detective. "He had some difficulty in getting u licence, and his excuse was that he had to make a living somehow.” Stacey said it was not his fault he could not get a licence, and he could not top selling. He was paying his creditors 20 -in the pound, and the | more lie was fined the less they would