NEW ZEALAND NEWS. CBY TELEGRAPH-PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 287, 28 August 1908, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND NEWS. CBY TELEGRAPH-PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION, VIEWS OP RETAIL TRADERS. □unedin, August 27. At a meeting of the retail section rf the Employers' Association to-day- it wss unanimously decided to ask tho .Government to take immediate stops to havo Section 5 of and Offices Act Amendment Act, 1907, repealed for the following reasons (1) That the present system whereby shopkeepers havo the option of closing their promises on Saturday afternoons or the statutory half-holiday as fixed by local authority has worked for many years without friction and is fair to all parties including the general public. (2) That under Section 5 of Amendment Act, 1907, steps are now being taken in four centres to have all shops closed on Saturdays from one o'clock. If tho movement is successful, all shops in large towns will ba closed on Saturday afternoons,_ and shops in surrounding districts will remain open. This condition of things 1 would prove very detrimental to interests of traders in town who have invested a great amount of capital in retail business, and would prove a great inconvenience to the general public. . (3) That if any alteration is to be made in closing of shops it should be universal. This meeting therefore urges that tho Government should either make the Saturday halfholiday compulsory for the, whole Dominion, or repeal Section 5 of the Amendment Act altogether.^ Tho retail section of the Otago Employers' Association has decided to observe Empire Day as a holiday in place of the Prince pf Wales's birthday. This assures in future the general observance of Empire Day. June 3 will now bo removed from the list of holidays. •/.

SNOW IN OTAGO. HEAVY LOSSES OP SHEEP. . n m- „ Dunedin, August 27. A "Daily Times" reporter who-visited Central Otago states that the snow is-still lying deep, the thaw having been very slow. Sheepowners have had a very trying time, and the losses of stock are certain to be heavy, as large numbers of sheep are still buried. The actual losses will not be known until mustering takes place. Hawkdun and Kyeburn stations will probably! suffer the. greatest losses, the percentage on . these stations . being. estimated at 50. Even in cases where sheep have been rescued from "the snowdrifta many, have died from cold and hunger, and the trouble was increased owing to there boing so little country free from snow on which to feed them.. Further losses will probably occur when the survivors get to young spring grass. Another result will be that the lambifig will be seriously interfered with, and further the quality of the wool will no doubt .suffer, the result being that the clip will not fetch as good a price as, usual. It is understood tha.t tho losses on Blackstone Hill are also heavy. This is the first year the settlers there have farmed their lands,' and their losses must prove a sorious handicap to them. It is stated that they are circulating a petition asking the Government to grant them remission of one year's rent. .

SCHOONER'S PROTRACTED PASSAGE. Nelson, • August 27. The schooner Maroro, thirty-eight days out from Newcastle to Wanganui,- with a cargo of 350 tons-of ooal, took shelter in Blind Bay'last night. She met strong easterly winds almost throughout. They occasionally veered •to fair, but' blew so hard , that the vessel • was unable to make headway, being hove-to" in" fair and contrary winds , alike. Some days the vessel drifted between thirty and forty miles out of her course. Big seas were often encountered, but'though she was \ often awash no damage was done.' 'For the past three or .four days the Maroro has been hovering about 'Cook Strait, awaiting a fair wind to make Wanganui, but 'the winds continued contrary, hence 6he ran into' Blind Bay. A south-easterly'is now. blowing, and . will bo taken advantage of. She did not sight a single. vessel across the .Tasmau Sea during the whole thirty-eight days' passage. SCULLING CHAMPIONSHIP. Wanganui, August 27. The final. deposit -of- £100 on behalf ol Arnst has been received by the stakeholdei in connection with the sculling championship and £500 a-sida.

ACTION FOR' DAMAGES. ; Pahlatua, August 27. The District Court was engaged the greater part of yesterday hearing an action for damages for alleged , false imprisonment brougnt by Frank Leslie Fulcher against William Holden, in which plaintiff claimcd £50. Defendant had caused the, arrest of plaintiff in June last on a charge of stealing three sheep, and the case came before the magistrate it was dismissed after hearing tho evidence of informant only. In the present' action, Mr. Pownall, for' plaintiff, after examining several witnesses, applied for leave to amend the statement i of claim to make the cause of action malicious prosecution, but the application was refused. After further evidence, Mr. Cooper, for defendant, applied for a nonsuit on the ground that the issue of the warrant being the act of a judicial officer in the exercise of his judicial function defendant. was .not liable. The nonsuit was granted with costs.'

LABOUR, AND THE ARBITRATION COURT. . Auckland) August 27. At a meeting. of tho Employers' Associa- ! tion held on Wednesday last the aggressive attitude of some of the labour organisations against Mr. Justice Sim, the president of tho Court of Arbitration, was discussed, and the following resolution was unanimously adopted"That tho action of various labour organisations in the Dominion in appealing to tho Government to remove Mr. Justice Sim from his position as president, of tho Court of Arbitration is,_ wo consider, utterly unworthy ,of those making the request, and if conceded- ..would at once destroy that feeling of security which all law-abiding citizens have in appealing to our superior courts, because of tho universally recognised independence of-our judges." .. .

Tho second night of tho dramatic entertainment organised, by Miss Hardingo-Maltby took place in the Sydney Street -Hall on Thursday evening. A larger audience was present than' the night before, and thoroughly enjoyed the. programme presented to them, consisting of the two vary bright one-act -comedies of the previous evening, "A Show of Hands" ana "Kitty Clive," as well as an entirely fresh pieco entitled "Tho Duchess of Bayswater." The latter was a play for six people,-and was admirably acted, evoking much amusement. Mr. Eric Lyon, who took the part of the valetudinarian; Sir Jeremy Joles, was very clever in his representation, tho tottering weakness being very cleverly. carried out. Miss B. Miles enacted tho difficult rolo of tho commercial Duchess with dignity and business-like acumen. Miss Rita Simpson had a part as Kathleen, Sir Jeremy's daughter, that mado less demands upon her powers of acting than some she has already 'taken, but it was carried out with her usual charm and grace of manner.' Never was thore a duko who had less of ducal repose and more of "push" than tho Duko of Bayswater, as acted by Mr. Ellico 'Mills. His part was exceedingly well carried ■ out, as was that of Mr. Vivian llliind, who, as Mr. Caryl Stubbs, of Stubbs's.Tinned Meats, finally won tho /hand of Kathleen. Mr. Walter Corham, as Jenkyns, though appearing for a very short time only on tTie stage, made a very capable and discreet nian-servant. During tho last, interval Mr. Blow, a pupil of Mr. Leo. Buckeridgo, sang "The Slave," and, being encored, responded with "Tho Littlo Irish Girl." His singing was greatly appreciated by those present. Tho orchestra of tho Girls' Realm Guild, under tho direction of Miss Eileen 'Ward, played before the performance and during tho intervals, adding to tho enjoyment of the evening.