LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19245, 24 February 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The majority of potato crops in the South Island appear to be satisfactory, although blight, has made its appearance in AVainiatc, and North Canterbury. This has had a tendency to firm prices. Leslie Sargeant, aged 14, was admitted to the Public Hospital last evening suffering from bruises and shock as the result of being thrown from a horse in Delhi Avenue, Arainoho, early last evening. The Daily Mail's Paris correspondent ’ states that experts are secretly testing new aeroplanes at Villa Coublay. Armed sentries are guarding them. They are all metal monoplanes, with huge engines. and it is rumoured that they will be capable of flying 230 miles an hour. Other expeditions besides Fawcett’s are operating on the South American continent. A despatch from Lima says that two ancient cities, one of Inca and the second of pre-Inea origin have been discovered in the mountains near Cureo, including stone buildings and a temple on the mountain. It is expected that there will he over a hundred visiting athletes in Wanganui this week to participate in the New Zealand Amateur Championships, to be held on Cook’s Gardens on Friday and Saturday next. In addition to New Zealand's provincial cracks, Australia is to be represented by a team of five. The big championship gathering should do much tn revive public interest in amateur athletics. It. is estimated, says the Standard, that between 10,000 and 12,000 cases of apples, and 1000 eases of pears were blown off in the Greytown commercial orchards by the gale on Wednesday. In one orchard alone, the loss was approximately 7000 cases. Most of the orehardists had commenced last week picking the mature fruit, for export and a Government grader was in the district to supervise the grading and packing. The infantile paralysis epidemic is still having its effect upon the railways, but. it is expected that the passenger traffic will improve with the approach of the Easter holidays. Live stock continues to be transferred from point to point in large numbers, but. this class of traffic is beginning to ease up. Coal and timber are moving in large quantities, and a railway official reported yesterday that work in this connection was abnormal at the present time. The long arm of coincidence and good fortune reached a long way in Napier recently, when a watch was found after it had lain for three years in the Jong grass in Onepoto gully (says -the Telegraph). The owner, Mr Fred Welch, had long ago given up his timepiece for lost, but a workman cleaning the roadside channels the other day unearthed it with his shovel, read the name inside, and returned it to its owner. It was in good condition, and a twist of the winding stem set it ticking merrily. A dog tax collector received a surprise iu the suburbs of Auckland recently. In the course of his rounds he inquired of two children, aged three and live years, if they kept any dogs, they replied that they had two. The collector knocked at the door, but was informed by the children’s mother that no dogs were kept. “But your children said they had two,” he protested. The entry of the youngsters at the moment clutching two brightly-hued wooden dogs iu their arms and tear- ; fully asking that, their treasures be not taken away, explained the situation. There is to be a world-wide competition among architects for the best plans for a conference hall al Geneva in connection with the League of Nations. The hall must be of sufficient size to seat at least 65 delegations. This competition will be open to New Zealand architects, and the jury has at. its disposal 100,000 Swiss francs to be divided among the architects submitting the best plans. The New Zealand Government will receive 20 free copies of the specifications and other copies I will be obtainable from Geneva. The copies will be sent out so that they will arrive in the various countries on approximately the same date. The effects upon trade of the appearance of infantile paralysis in the city’ have been varied, says a Christchurch paper. In some lines little or no effect can be noticed, while in others a very noticeable drop in sales is reported. The line which has been affected most by the epidemic is the boot trade. AVheu asked if trade had slackened off owing to the outbreak the manager of one of the largest retail establishments replied “Undoubtedly.” He said that as a rule this time of the year sees the boot shops rushed all day, but at present stock is moving and nothing more. The end of January and the beginning of February usually see a rush owing to the re opening of the schools. With the schools closed, however, any old boots are made to do for children, and in many eases none arc worn at all.

Charles Gullery, for a breach >| his prohibition order, was fined £3 or one week’s gaol at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister of Lands, who went on from AA’anganui yesterday, will to-day attend a meeting of the Tongariro National Park Board, to be held at the Park. Wo understand that the vexed question of the hostel site and the “evergreen” problem as to “the heather,” will be principal subjects for consideration. “But his father is in the band!” A mother who had a boy of about ten years at the crowded railway station at Christchurch, thought that was sufficient excuse for disobeying the edict, of the District Health Officer. There was a large crowd at the station to see the Woolston Band away, anil a representative of The Press saw a numb-’r of children there who were obviously under the age of sixteen. A Wanganui merchant who has just returned from a visit to the South Island, stated to a “Chronicle” representative yesterday, that crops between Oamaru and Ashburton had been attacked by rust, and, as a conscqenec, the yield was much below expectations. Some crops, he said, have been so poor that they have not been worth thrashing, and farmers have had to burn them. He concluded by remarking that the crops in Southland were exceptionally good, and the quality was all that could be desired. “Crimes are committed to-dav not by criminals alone, but by foolish young people who have not sufficient strength of character to stand up to their difficulties,” said Mr. E. C. Cutten to members of the Auckland Rotary Club. “They take the line of the leost resistance, ami find themselves in Court. Our Borstal Institutions, and even our gaols, have in them many foolish young people such as these. That means that far too great a proportion of our young folk are coming to grief. They behave excellently while at school i under control, and have learned there what is right, but what they have learned is not built upon a solid foundation of understanding that the ‘fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.’ I An additional attraction at the Sargeant Gallery at the present time is provided by the collection of about one hundred photographic studies supplied by the Camera Circle, exhibits having come from Auckland, Wellington, Timaru, Invercargill, Dunedin, Christchurch and Wairarapa. The views., which are circulated in rotation amongst the clubs comprising the Circle, arc varied and highly interesting. but probably the most picturesque are those depicting pastoral scenes am] nature studies. The photography is excellent, and in itself makes an interesting study. The Wanganui Photographic. Society, who arranged the exhibit. are to be congratulate'! on securing the fine collection of photographs from all quarters of the Dominion for exhibition in the Gallery. The feat of winning all matches in the course of a foreign tour of Rugby football, as performed by the 1924 All Bracks, is not unprecedented. In 1891 AV. E. Maitlagan’s British team won all its matches in a tour of South Africa, and in 1913 the New Zealand team won all matches in a tour of California, while the 1884. 1903 and 19J4 New Zealand teams won all their matches iu Australia. But only one Rugby team, the 1905 All Blacks, has ever scored 1000 points in a season. Their British record of wins has been beaten by the 1924 All Blacks, but the latter team is still 19 points short of scoring its thousand points for all the games, and the matter of reaching the thousand depends on whether or not the team will play a game in California prior to embarking for home at Sau Francisco on Wednesday next. The siren of the fire engine never fails to excite the curiosity of a crowd of people in search of sensation, no matter what the time or kind of night. Some youths of Wanganui have been playing upon this fact during the past few days, ami, as a consequence, have been annoying residents in various quarters of the city. The young bloods —about a dozen in number —are in the habit of racing down a street on their cycles, some of which arc unlighted, with the siren levers applied. The, noise that is , created resembles that made by the fire engine, and it is no wonder that, the citizens have been deluded and tempted to leave their beds in search, of the “blaze.” The youths on Sunday evening were frequenting the Avenue, Wilson and Dublin Streets, and it is desirable that the authorities take steps to abate the nuisance. While waterside workers were busily removing the cargo from all the holds of an oversea steamer that left here a few days ago (states the Dunedin correspondent of the Lyttelton Times) an interesting incident, occurred. An engineer chased two refractory firemen down the ship’s gangway and he waved a revolver menacingly in the chase. The watersiders were amused, one of them calling out to his mates, “stand by, boys, the picture show is a-c.oming. ” This seemed to incense the engineer, | and the “shooter” flashed more ominously. “Shoot ’em up, bo.” shouted a youthful watersider. who was evidently a reader of popular fiction. The watersiders were not impressed. but they were practical. They called the captain and told him that work had ceased until the engineer was disarmed. Compensation for accidents did not inclue “movie” stunts. The captain acted with the traditional promptitude of the British seaman! disarmament took place, and the discharging went on. People who are quite deaf cannot enjoy wireless at. the present time, but science is making such rapid strides that it. seems likely that this difficulty will soon be overcome, and that those who are permanently deaf may. after practise, be able to receive wireless messages by tasting them with the ton- ' gue ! At least, that is what a number of scientists arc aiming at just now. These scientists employ an ordinary wireless receiver containing three valves, and in place of the usual headphones or loud-speaker they have two suitably-shaped pieces of silver or copper, which arc separated from each other by means of a strip of ebonite. These are placed in the mouth of a deaf person, so that they rest comfortably over the tongue. A spark transmitting apparatus was used, and each dot or dash sent out by wireless excited a strong metallic taste in the mouth of the deaf person. This is easily understandable, because, instead of the received signals being made to actuate a pair of headphones ot a loud-speaker, they were passed on to the insulated ■ silver plates in the mouth of the deaf person, and each impulse of current made its presence known by means of G characteristic taste.

Amundsen has definitely decided to commence a flight to the North Pole from Spitzbergen at the end of June, using two hydroplanes built in Italy, each carrying three men. Replying to the deputation which waited' upon the Refrigerated Tonnage Committee in London on 1-ebruary 4, the committee state that after careful consideration they regret their inability to reduce freight. A crowded tramcar at Corrcgidor (Philippines; derailed am 1 overturned. Colonel llerrir.g, .uaj’or Hunter. Lieut. Haydon and three soldiers were killed, and three women seriously injured. A number of others were slightly injured. The attendances at the Sarjeant Gallery have been well maintained this month, an average of about 50 p<lpln visiting it each day. Visitors to the races have spent many enjoyable hours in the institution, and are loud in their praise of the beautiful paintings. The Messcnd Iron and Steel Works, Lancashire, are secretly constructing Europe's largest steel mill. It will ho 500 feet long and it will cost £1,000,000, with an output of 5000 lons weekly, which is expected to rchabiliate British supremacy in steel production. The rateable capital value of Auckland City Ims been estimated at £33,565, 310 for the purpose of the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board levy for the 1925—6 period. This information was furnished to the City Council last evening by the Auckland office of the Valuation Department. Charged under the by-laws with allowing their cars to stand unattended over a period of fifteen minutes, Imlay Saunders, Frank Searle, Mr. D. Woollams, William Dwyer and 11. Christie were each fined 10s with Court costs 7s at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning. Mr J. 8. Burton, S.M., was on the bench. I In asking for witness' expenses in a small licensing case at the Magistrate's Court, yesterday, Senior-Sergeant Lopdell met with immediate opposition from defendant's counsel, Mr Cohen. Counsel said that if His Worship (Mr J. S. Barton) granted the prosecution’s request, the matter of witnesses’ expenses in such cases would become a local industry—au observance that caused laughter throughout the court. Mr Cohen’s point was upheld however. Referring to the Apprentices Act, •Judge Frazer in the Arbitration Court, at Christchurch yesterday morning said: “I repeat what I said in Auckland. This Act does not authorise the Court to make a general order applic able to all apprenticeships which have been in force At least two years. It can only deal with future apprenticeships. The Court must interpret the Act as passed by Parliament, not in accordance with what the farmers intended. ’ ’ When a. member of the legal profession was charged at the Court yesterday with leaving his car standing in the city area for more than the regulation fifteen minutes, a letter was read, which intimated that the offender had been delayed by a client. Inspector Fear pointed out that the car had been observed in the one place for an hour and ' three-quarters. “I am afraid that if i he was kept, with a client that long, the , fine won’t bo very oppressive,'' re- | marked the Magistrate as he imposed a j penalty of 10s and costs. Complaints have been laid concerning a gang of youths, whose ages range upwards of sixteen years, who fre- I quent almost nightly the river bank in I the vicinity of Dublin Street bridge. , It is reported that they have a pen- j chant for annoying promcnaders, and using most objectionable language. Residents of the locality, it is stated, have endeavoured to put a stop to this behaviour, but the lads never fail to return to their appointed meeting place. In fact, they seem to delight in incurring the wrath of all and sundry. Aromatic vinegar, better known as “toilet vinegar,’’ was once known as the “Vinegar of the four thieves.” The name arose during the great plague at Marseilles, when four thieves, who seemed to bear a charmed existence' from the dangers of pestilence, were ! (tried on a charge of plundering the, dead. The judge, who was anxious to know what had rendered the men “plague-proof,” offered them their lives if they divulged the .rcrtteCy Needless to write, the thieves told the secret of their aromatic vinegar, which became very popular from the notion I that it destroyed infection. An extract from a judgment given by the late Bir J olin Salmond may be of interest to motor ear drivers. The extract was quoted by Air J. S. Barton, ' B.AL, at the Magistrate’s Court yester- , day, in entering a conviction only . against a motorist who was prosecuted | by the Railway Department; “He who disregards as needless any .precaution which the Legislature has authoritatively declared to be reasonable and necessary, will do so at his peril, and if he meets with an accident, in consequence. he must bear it for himself. It may be true that the statutory obligation imposed on the drivers of motors to stop at Railway crossings, and not to approach them at more than 10 miles an hour, is habitually disregarded, but it remains a legal obligation none the less. lie, who breaks it, docs so at his own risk. If, as is usually the case, no evil ensues, well and good; but if, by ill-fortune, an accident does happen, the sufferer must attribute it to his own conduct and not to the negligence of the Railway servants.” Herbert Stephen Pearson, appeared before Air J. S. Barton at the Alagistrate’s Court yesterday morning, charged with the theft of £3. The offence, according to the police, was committed at Hunterville as far back as 1916. The money was given to defendant by a woman employee of a hotel, for him to forward to a soldier in Trcntham camp. The money was not sent, but was appropriated by defendant. Pearson ] pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant Lopdell informed the Court that, prior to this lapse, nothing was known against the defendant, except a charge of drunkenness. Pearson had done considerable service at the front and had returned to the Dominion much impaired in health. He also had been the victim of considerable domestic trouble. Defendant at the time of his arrest was I out on probation in consequence of a I charge of theft originating at Hamilton. His Worship extended defendant’s . probation to two years, and made an i lorder for the restitution of the amount J featured in the present charge, to be carried out within throe weeks.

“Do you call your horse, Royal Abbey, by any other name?” asked a lawyer of a plaintiff in a civil case in the Magistrate’s Court at (Tin st ch-arch. “Oh! no —that is, yes; but only when I speak to him! ’ “(that do yo u ca him?” “Call him? Oh, I call him Jackie!” Mr T. S. Barton, S.M., presiding at the sitting of the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, fined Jane Horne £5 with, costs for supplying liquor during prohibited hours. It transpired that the defendant was the mother-in-law of the licensee of the Federal Hotel and had acording to her counsel (Mr L. Cohen'’ supplied a certain person with a bottle of boor purely out of an impulse of (kindness. The licensee had nothing t/> do with the matter. His Worship observed that it was hard to inflict a far on the kindness of a mother-in-law, hut. the law’ was the law, and a peualtv must bo imposed. Described as a menace to health Ry Mr Goo. Fear, City Inspector, an order was made by Mr .T. S. Barton, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, fnr the demolition of n shack in London Street measuring 4ft. 6in. by 4fl. sin. and 6ft. in height. Air Fear, in supporting the application, stated that the dwelling was situated on freehold land .and occupied by the owner. The shack possessed no sanitary conveniences whatever while the water suppiv was obtained from a bath in the open. The premises, according to Mr Fear, boasted anything but cleanliness, while the occupier had threatened to shoot any municipal representative who ventured near the property. The Bench, however, ordered that the premises bo demolished within 21 days. At a largely attended meeting of Wanganui timber workers last evening the following resolution was carried: “That this mooting of timber workers from Wanganui City mills, after duo consideration, condemn the attitude of the Wellington City Timber Workers’ Union in still trying to have workers outside a 25 mile raid.us of Wellington made members of their union. I Further, that wo approve of the work | being done by the secretary of the Xew Zealand Timber Workers’ FoderaI tion (Mr F. Turley), assisted by Mr T«. (Mover, of the Alliance of Labour, and |we cal lon the Arbitration Court to I recognise the North Wellington Tim- | ber Workers’ Union and prevent any award being made by any union covcr- [ ing men outside a radius of 25 miles (from Wellington, except the North Wellington Timber Workers’ Union, of which we arc all loyal members.’’