LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160732, 19 August 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A verdict of not guilty on all counts was returned in the cases against Albert Edward Magon, Charles Magon, and Frederick Magon, who were tried before Mr Justice Salmond at the Supreme Court at Now Plymouth on charges of arson and defrauding an insurance com pany. The trial occupied the best part of two days. His Honor, in summing- up, regarded the Crown’s case as a weak one. In the Supreme Court at Christchurch William Shaw, a bankrupt, formerly in business in Christchurch as a rubber merchant, was found guilty on two charges under the Bankruptcy Act. Sentence was deferred until to-day. The jury found that he made payments out of the regular course of his business, not being for the ordinary expenses of himself and his family, and that “by rash and hazardous speculation did bring about his bankruptcy.”

The newly-elected chairman of the Wanganui Education Board introduced an innovation at the meeting last evening when he announced that it had not been the custom in the past for members of the Board to smoko at meetings, but if non-smoking members had no objection, he proposed to allow the froo use of the fragrant weed. The announcement was received with general approbation, in which the members of the Press fully concurred. The case against Albert James Wilfrid Carpentier, of Wanganui, charged with indecently assaulting two little girls, concluded before Air Justice Chapman and a jury at Palmerston North yesterday. There was a change of venue from Wanganui to Palmerston, as the jury at the two previous trials disagreed. After a retirement of over four hours the jury again disagreed. The Judge ordered a fresh trial for next sessions, with an intimation that ho would report on the case to the Minister of Justice, who could decide whether the ease should bo pursued further.

The age at which probationers should enter hospitals to commerce their training was discussed at to-day’s meeting of the Hospital Board, when a proposal was made, in view of the shortage of probationers, that the age limit should bo reduced to IS. Mrs Corny ns strongly objected to such a proposal, bolding that a girl at 18 was not sufficiently strong to carry out the heavy duties whicn would fall to her lot. The chairman and other members considered that a girl at 18 or 19 would be as strong as she ever would be. Mr Svenson said that the main objection to reducing the entrance ago was that a probationer would have to stay longer before sitting for her examinations. Mr Fletcher, discussing the shortage of probationers, said that when nursing was considered a glorious and fashionable occupation there were plenty of applicants, but girls could now get better money elsewhere and more liberty, and while these conditions obtained "hero would not be many probationers coming forward. It was decided to write to the Health Department asking for a reduction of the age to 18, also the reduction of the age. for sitting for the exams, from 23 to 21.

There has been of late in an epidemic of thefts of overcoats hats. They have disappeared by tho score from porches of churches :jr,i vestibules of hotels and boarding-houses.

"A Victim,” writing to the Post, quotes as “an instance of gross profiteering” the increase in the price of postcards to lid. 11c states that .Mr Massey has said the cost of production has gone upG2.(pcr rent, over pre-war prices, “yet the Government is charging us 200 pel! cent, over pre-war prices for carrying postcards.” The Wanganui Agricultural Associa-

tion drew a blank when it applied to the Education Board last evening for a special prize for school exhibits at the Show. a. member of the Board remarking that the application was reversing matters, and it was customary to apply to the fanners for donations for educational prizes. A jury of four at the Supreme Court ail Timaru awarded the full amount of the claim (.£213) for damages for personal injuries to Marguerite Fairbum Miller, of Christchurch, against the Railway Department. Plaintiff was knocked down by a luggage trolley on the Timaru station platform on December 30, and her arm was broken. She had sined been unable to pursue her calling. Counsel for the Crown gave notice of application for a new trial, as the verdict wa A against the weight of evidence.

A, letter was received at the Education Board meeting last evening from the Education Department asking that returns of remodelling and erecting of proposed new buildings should bo sent in. It was explained that great difficulty was being experienced in getting I tenders accepted, and' often estimates had to he revised and increases made to get the work carried out, and tin's had a tendency to inllate the cost of building. In future works could only be undertaken in the order of their urgency. The secretary reported that the returns asked for had alreadv been sent in.

An unusual occurrence in New Zealand is stated to leave been observed in a westerly direction from the Mt, Eden district on (Saturday morning last. A resident of Mt. Eden, in describing tho phenomenon ;ays that the contour of the hills near Waimauku, which Ijo far beyond and below the level of the Waiiakcre Ranges, was plainly visible above these ranges, at an apparent distance of tea or hi teen miles. Such phenomena aro frequently observed in Australia, but only cn rare occasions in this Dominion.

The membership of industrial union! of workers in Now Zealand totals 82,653, distributed among 38b) unions. In ilia Wellington industrial district there ajo 84 unions, with a membership of 20,371. In the northern (Auckland) district there arc 98 unions, embracing 22,932 workers. The figures for Canterbury are G4 and 12,425 respectively, and for Otago and Soxithland 88 and 13,3(13. There aro in the Dominion 30 associations of workers, with 198 unions affiliated to them. Awards and agreements actually in force on March 31 totalled 530.

The acuteness of the newspaper situation in the Homeland is reflected in the statement that sirce ihe war tlici coat of paper Iras risen fivefold, whilo printing'charges to-day approach a ris* of 200 per cent. This has necessitated a large increase in the price of many popular papers, Tho price of the Nation and of the Spectator has gone up from (id to Od, while other weekly have been increased from 6d to Is. Tlmj price of the Times has risen from Id to 3d, and of the Times Literary Supplement frrm id to (id. The Manchester Guardian has increased from Id to 2d, and this example has been fol- /■'' lowed by a number of other daily papers.

A. sequel to tho tragedy at Alokau, in tlio Whangarei district, in which Pinjiiri, otherwise Douglas Phillips, met hii death as the result of gunshot wounds in the head, was a charge of manslaughter heard at Auckland yesterday in th* Supremo Court against Wircmu Pita. The accused was originally charged with murder, hut this was thrown out by the Grand Jury. The deceased met his death on May .'soth, after drinking with the accused and others in his own house. Evidence was given on the lines of that given in the lower Court. .Vo evidence was called for the defence, and after a retirement of rather more than half an hour the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and the accused was discharged.

A letter was read at the Education Board mooting last evening stating that owing to the scarcity of teachers the Board should use discretion whether to retire women teachers at 55 years and male teachers at 05, and those teachers who were capable of carrying on should be retained. Air Mclntyre said the Education Department was losing part of its brains. He considered it was most unfair to younger men who had the qualifications to bo kept out of promotion because of teachers who had reached tha retiring stage being kept in office. To retire a teacher at 65 years of age, especially if he had had long service, was no hardship. The remarks were endorsed by Air Fraser, and the Department’s letter wms received.

Tho following letter from a correspondent «t the Liverpool Mercury is of interest: —‘l am willing to risk mv reputation as a public man if the worst case of smallpox cannot be effectually cured in three clays, simply by cream of tartar This is ihe sure and neverfailing remedy: One ounce of cream of tartar dissolved in a jnnt of boiling water, to bo drunk when cold at short -v intervals. It can be taken at any time, and is a preventive as well as a curative. It is known to have cured in a hundred thousand cases without a. failure. I have myself restored hundreds by this means. It never leaves a. mark, never ca.us.-K blindness, and always prevents tedious lingering. If people would only try it and report all euros to you, you would require many columns if you gave them publicity.” When correspondence was read from the Borough Council at the Education Board meeting last evening regarding the rent of the Eastown Hall for school purposes, Mr H. Mclntyre said he could not congratulate the Wanganui Borough Council on its efforts to assist education in Wanganui. This was the Council that under a flimsy pretext dodged pay mont of a subsidy to the Technical College, and also collared an acre of ground at Queen’s Park School. Mr Fraser remarked that there was probably some excuse for the Council, as it had to pay for repairs to a tramway gas engine, and hence tho economy. • Air Laws said the sooner the Board could vacate tho Easttown Hall the better, as it was totally unsuitable for school purposes, and he would not suggest that the Board should pay for the erection of conveniences at tho Hall in order that senior claves could bo removed there. In view of the fact that the additions to the school would be ready by February, the Board decided to rescind its resolution regarding the erection of conveniences.