LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16032, 24 January 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In our report on Thursday evening - of tlie half-yearly meeting of Pyramid Lodge, 1.6.0. F., the name of the treasurer was erroneously stated as Bro. D. S. James. Bro. J. S. Jones was the member elected to that position. Orders have been received by Defence Headquarters for the 'Wellington Military District to the effect that there will be no Territorial camp for the year ending May 30, 1920. It is unlikely therefore that any camps will be held this year with the exception of voluntary camps for officers and n.c.o.’s.

The Rotorua authorities have deemed it necessary to augment the water in the Rachael and other papular hot springs a diminution of the supply having been manifested, occasioned it is thought, by the continued dry weather and the increased demand. The supplementary supply is to be obtained from a spring near Spoutt bath, Whakarcwarewa, a preliminary survey showing a fall of 60 feet.

At the Dundin Police Court to-day Richard Hampden, McLennan was charged with wilfully setting fire to a substance likely to set the Grand Hotel on fire. It was stated in evidence that accused threw some matches > among the mattresses in the cellar. The manager of the hotel said similar fires had occurred on his premises on three occasions. The accused, who pleaded not guilty, was committed for trial. Startling facts of the operations of gangs of thieves, who are living _on women who are adepts in shoplifting, were related last week in the Brisbane Police Court in a case in which a young woman was charged with shoplifting. Visiting a certain house in Spring Hill, the police found a large amount of drapery, lengths of dress and blouse matei'ial, and wearing apparel. Defendant, when questioned, admitted the theft of the articles. She said she was in the hands of a-t least three different gangs of the worst type of men in the city, for whom she stole. They discovered that she was particularly adept at this class of stealing, and she handed over to them everything she stole. Defendant was lined £5 or two months, and warned against any further repetition of the offence.

Tlie Government of New Zealand has now 2400 would-be immigrants awaiting passages from Great Britain. Most of these have been nominated by relatives in the Dominion, and all arrangements, including the payment of passages, have been made to bring them out. They are mostly country people, and they include a proportion of domestic servants. “1 believe that they will he a. particularly good lot,” said the Prime Minister (tbq. Bight Hon. W. P. Massey) to a Christchurch Suu representative last week. “Now that the soldiers are all either back or on their way back, the Government is concentrating on providing transport for those civilian war workers who went Home from this country. There are about 3000 of these. When they are back, immigration proper will recommence.”

"What are the uses of the guinea pig? In the genera] scheme of mundane things it plays no very essential part, but still the insignificant little animal has its uses, the principal of which is in connection with medical research work. Recently, it was announced (says the Melbourne Age) that a sample of milk was injected into a guinea pig and it contracted tuberculosis. Before the experiment was completed—presumably before the guinea- pig received further injections of germ-laden fluid and was killed, inquiries were made by the Victorian State Department of Agriculture. The herd from which the milk had been taken was examined, and one of the cows was destroyed because it was affected with the disease in the udder. But for the experiment with the guinea pig, suspicion regarding the cow may not have been aroused until the milk bad spread tuberculosis amongst consumers.

A correspondent writes to the Wairarapa Ago;—A large crowd of people visited Castlepoint on Sunday, among them being a party from the Tinui district. The lary members of the party made things lively for the men for a while. The fun commenced owing to one of the men pushing one of the girls into the sea. The girls organised and seized the unfortunate male aud carried him fully dressed into the sea, and very effectively ducked him. The girls, being well pleased with their rucoess, seized every man of the party they could catch and carried them, lacking and struggling, into three or four feet of water, where they, -without regard for clothes and jewellery, unceremoniously dumped them. For a while the girls had complete charge of the beach. The men, having beat a hasty retreat, cgjild be seen peering anxiously out of their “funk” holes,, but sooner or later they were dug out, and made to take their gruelling^

There were two Sundays in February, in 188 U. There will be five next month, and the next occasion will be in 1948. At the Assembly Hall on Wednesday the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., offered on behalf of the trustees in the estate of the late J. D. McGregor, 3G acres of land at Wostniere. Bidding started at £IOO and quickly ran up to £lO7, at which figure it was knocked down to Mr A. R. Richardson. . Last week the Mayor wrote the Prime Minister inviting the Prince of Wales to visit Wanganui, and suggesting that if His Royal Highness were in New Zealand in May a suitable time for the visit, would he during the race meeting, admittedly one of the Dominion’s most attractive sport gatherings. The Prime Minister has" replied stating that the visit will be arranged if possible. A company, to he known as the Bay of Plenty Timber Company, has just keen formed with the object of operating in an extensive area of bush country between Pongakawa and Lake Rotoiti. The hush is estimated to contain 00,000,000 feet of riinu. A tramway, ten miles long, will he, constructed, from the Pongakawa railway .station to Lake Rotoiti. It is hoped to have the sawmill working in about three inonilxs. The clause in (lie Housing Act which gives a Magistrate power 1o refuse an order for possession of a bouse in case of hardship may itself, on occasions, impose considerable hardship (says the Wairarapa Age). An instance has occurred in Masterton. .Some years ago a married man, living in the country, purchased a tenement in town, hoping to eventually make it his home. He paid off Hie greater portion of the purchase money in instalments, and recently decided to come to town to live. He served notice on the tenant to quit, but as the occupier has a family of live children, and he himself is without children, he is unable to gain possession. Meanwhile he is buffeted about from pillar to post, and has to pay a good deal more than the rent ol his house for rooms. He naturally feels that he has a grievance, as he is a bona-fide owner, and not a profiteer. The Feilding Star has been waxing eloquent upon tiio sins of omission and commission of Wanganui’s public authorities. It complains of the Sargcant Gallery being dosed on Anniversary Day, and then proceeds thusly:—“Another matter that Wanganui folks should take notice of has to do with the use of the broad and narrow highway. Many motor cars and motor bicycles were met coming out in the morning and returning in the evening, yet not one was heard to sound a warning in turning the sharp coiners on the King’s Highway. And some of these speedy travellers actually took the middle of the- road in turn»g_ the bends, making a dose shave of it on one occasion. Most of those who _ took such a had turn added insult to injury by looking dreadfully offended on finding that there was actually another car on the road and just round the corner! The very wisest and safest rule and habit of the road is to always have it in mind that there really might _ bo some other fellow on the road and just round the corner.” Can a,'person bo tried twice for the same offence? asks the Post, which proceeds to say: The answer, according to British law, is no. In the Supreme Court of New Zealand, however, a man may bo proceeded against in. the criminal Court, say, for assault, and at the same time the person assaulted may claim damages in the civil Court. This same provision does not apply to the lower Court., as in the Justices of the Peace Act a clause provides that where criminal proceedings have been taken “by or on behalf of” the aggrieved party and the penalty paid no civil prooccdinge can be taken. The point wan raised by Mr P. Jackson, who acted for tho defendant in a civil claim for damages made at Upper Hutt the other day in itlie case of (J. Phillips v. H. R. Brewer. At the last sitting of the Court; at Upper Hutt Brewer was proceeded against by tho police for assaulting Phillips and was lined £5 and costs, half the line to bo paid to Phillips. The lino was duly paid, but Phillips considered that ho had suffered considerable damage and instructed his solicitor, Mr O. Mazcngarb, to sue for £2B iOe damages in the civil Court. Mr E. Page, S.M., suggested that as ho had given judgment in the criminal case perhaps Mr Jackson might prefer that another Magistrate should hear the case, but Air Jackson said lie relied entirely <m the legal defence that under the clause already meartioned his client bo proceeded against. To this -Mr Maze ngarb replied that the previous criminal proceedings were preferred by the police and not “by or on behalf of” Phillips. The Magistrate intimated that ho would reserve decision on the point raised, and before delivering judgment would endeavour to get evidence from ex-Coiistable Gumming, who was at Upper Hutt at the time of tho assault, on the point as to who instigated tho proceedings. A correspondent writes to the Hawkca Bay Herald as follows:—It is strange the odd corners of the world where you unexpectedly hapjxen upon fateful documents of history. Two hundred and twenty-eight years ago on 12tb February, 1692, an order was issued with the, sanction of King William, for tire mas* sacre of the clan Macdonald in their native valley of Glencoe. The order is at present in the possession of a gentleman residing in Auckland, and it under offer to the British Government —the identical manuscript that Captain Campbell received instructing him to carry out the execrable deedThough the ink has faded, the writing is still perfectly legible. It roads as follows: —“You are hereby ordered to fall upon the Rebells, tho McDonalds at Glenco, and putt all to the sword under seventy. You are to have a special care that tho old fox and his son cs doe upon no account escape you a hands. You arc to secure all tho avenues, that no man escape. Tia you arc to putt in execution© alt fyve of the clock precisely; and by that time or vorio shortly after it. I’ll strive to be ait you with a stronger party; ii I doc not come to you atti fyve you are not to tarry for me, butlj to fall on. This is by the King’s special! command, for the good and safety of the pountry, that these miscreants bo cutt of root and branch. Seo that this be putt in execution® without fend or favour, else you may expect to bo dealt with as one not true to King nor Government, nor a. man fitt to carry Commissions ithe King’® service. Expecting you will not faill in the fullfilling hereof, as you love your sclfc, I subscribe these with my hand at Balicholis. Feb. 13, 1693. 80. Duneanson (Major), ffor thcr Matics service. To Capt. Robert Campbell, at Glenlyon.”—See Fan; and Goodall’s History of England with introduction by Henry, Lord Brougham. b

Dresses in Paris revues have become so scanty that the Prefect of Police has sent inspectors to music halls to report what they see. The result has been startling. In nearly every case the police code of permissahle undress was found ignored. The prefect has now issued a circular to music-hall managers refusing to accept excuses in future, and threatening with au icy. cold cell any actress who displays in her stage dress a predelicition for chiliness. Traffic on the railways is very heavy just now repors the Wellington railway authorities, and the position has been particularly accentuated by the Anniversary Race Meeting. All the trains during^the last few days from Auckland, New Plymouth, and Napier have been exceptionally larsre size, and the racing traffic has far exceeded the numbers handled before the war. Although the Christmas and New Tear holidays are practically at an end, the number of people travelling is beyond anticipations, while the inter-island traffic has assumed proportions which have never hitherto been readied. Comment is also made on the number of people who now travel first-class as compared with previous years. This applies particularly to the races, though the experience is not confined by any means to that section of the public. Says the Wairarapa Age:—There seems to be a general impression among tne local bodies of the Wairarapa that there is little hope of this district secnnng anything like an adequate supply of electric energy from the Maungahao hydro-electric scheme. This view was emphasised at a representative meeting held at Carterton, when it was decided to forward a petition to the Governor-General for the constitution of a board, as provided for under the Act, to develop a local scheme. It was also decided to appoint an engineer to at once furnish another comprehensive report on the source from which power is available. The meeting was enthusiastic and was influenced by the worthy desire to provide the Wairarapa with a means of developing its latent resources, and of keeping abreast with more favoured districts. Producers of hides are dissatisfied with the prices ruling at present, and a conference with the Premier will be held next Tuesday. Under the existing system there is an embargo on the export of good hides, under which the New Zealand tanners have the right to buy at a certain fixed price all the hides that they require, for the rest may be exported. It is asserted that the tanners take the best of the hides at the controlled price, and the inferior and damaged hides arc expoited, bringing a higher price than is allowed in New Zealand for the best hides. The producers say that they are being exploited for the benefit of the tanners, and that the public are not getting the benefit of the requisition at all. Seme of the producers, it is reported, have resorted to damaging hides in order to be sure that the tanners will not take them, the result being that the hides bneg more when exported damaged than they would bring if sold to the New Zealand tanners in whole condition. With, perhaps, much concern, travellers on the New Zealand Railways lately have (say- the Hawke’s Bay Herald) noticed the determined creeping in of the tipping “evil.” It is suggested that if it continues it will soon be as common a practice as in England. On the larger stations nowadays porters are quick to serve passengers and in some instances guards have been found to be very attentive. And, of course, the usual tip is expected and paid. It seems that the introduction of the system of reserving seats has been responsible for tipping being started. Passengers who have reserved seats usually require assistance in finding their carriage. This assistance need not be sought. In fact, travellers do not have time to look for a porter, because the latter takes charge of the luggage, and starts off for the train before the passengers realise they are on the station. The public is not to blame altogether for starting the tipping, for in most cases the hand of the porter is ready before the hand of the passenger can be withdrawn from his hip pocket. It seems to have come into vogue by mutual understanding Readers will remember the reference in the cables some two or three months ago to the New York printers’ strike. How Playthings, a trade toy journal, overcame the difficulty is explained m the following paragraph from the October issue:—“ This issue of Playthings has been published under almost unsurmountable difficulties. Briefly, the facts are these. On the first of October practically every printing establishment in New York shut down, owing mainly to an internal fight among the members of the different trade unions connected with the printing trade. The pressmen and feeders were expelled from their international Union, the compositors went on ‘vacations’ which were unauthorised and against the instructions of the officers of their unions, but similarly unanimous and simultaneous; all printing of books and periodicals ceased. Back of the whole struggle was the demand for a forty-four hour week instead of forty-eight hours, a flat increase of 14 dollars a week for everybody without regard to the previous scale of wages, and numerous restrictions as to shop rules and management. As an examination of this issue will show, various means have been used to produce the perodical. The typewriter has to a great extent taken the place of the compositor. Matter which was set up prior to the declaration of the strike lias been made use of. The artist with his pen and ink has rendered efficient service in making up the advertising. Those reading pages which have been written on the typewriter were reproduced by photo-engraving process, and while to a certain extent they are a little less legible khan regular type still there are as many words' on a’page. and they will serve as an example of what can be done under sties- of circumstances.