Untitled

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2717, 11 March 1916, Page 5

Miramar Borough Council is to be asked to afford some measure of,relief in rates (until the war is over) by the Sports Protection League. A deputation from the sports body will wait on the council.

The announcement was recently made that the Bishop of Southwark had presented' the Rev. C.' C. Harper, formerly of St., Peter's, Wellington, to the rectory of Newington. The "Bristol Times" states that Newington is one of the richest benefices in the south of England, the net Stipend being about £1200 ft year, with I 'a lino residence. • The motor drivers' section of tho Christchurch Drivers' Union met tho employers at the Conciliation Council yesterday, when' it-was agreed, as thero was the prospect of a Dominion award, to refer the matter to the Arbitration £ourt'.—Press .Association; The Mount Cook Boys' Schoolhouse • 111 Taranaki Street is still olosed, to en-

able fumigating wcrk and ' a general overhaul to be carried outl. The men ' engaged in burning the old paint off •the outer wall; on the north side wero startled while at- lunch yesterday to notioe smoke coming . from that part of the building/ and immediately afterwards some flames wero observed. The workmen promptly tackled the fire, and in a short time, with the aid of somo water, the outbreak was suppressed. The brigade also rendered assistance. The damage doue is very small. It is supposed that a spark from one of the painter's lamps lodged in a crack in the wall. The building is very old and dry. ,

■ Recently the Auckland Hospital Board wrote to the Minister of Internal Affairs —•apropos of a.case in which it had faileifm tho Magistrate's Court to recover from a Wellington citizen part of the cost of his father's maintenance in the Costley Home—suggesting that an amendment should be made in the Destitute Persons Act to nieet the defect in the law -which was disclosed by the Court's judgment.' - The -Minister has replied that he will be prepared to give careful consideration ,to any suggested amendments which the, hoard may forward. At the same time, the Minister remarka that this question of widening the right of claim in regard to the maintenance, of _ relations has been repeatedly before him, as regards inmates of'both public hospitals and mental asylums., The solicitors to the board have been requested to draft an amendment of the Act to be forwarded to the Minister, and the letter was last night referred to the Finance Committee. ■-

- A letter received by the Auckland Hospital Board from Surgeon-Major Maguire, medical superintendent of the hospital, lately second in command of the Now Zealand General Hospital at l'ont de Koubbeh, Cairo, makes it clear now lie was able to cable that he had obtained leave to return to New Zealand so soon after he had written asking the board for extension of leave of absence. After tho evacuation of the Dardanelles by the British forces it was found that a large number of medical officers could be released from military duty. 'On becoming aware of this fact, Major Maguire asked that he might bo numbered amongst,tliem, and Lienten- , ant-General Sir Alexander _ Godley reluctantly agreed to allow liixri to return to New Zealand as soon as possible. In the meantime, Major Maguire has been Detailed to inaugurate a hospital of 200 beds in the canal defences zone, at Isaiailia. As soon as tlys institution is in running older, his immediate chief, Surgeon-Colonel Parkes, has promised to release;him. Major Maguire undertakes to inform the board by cable as soon as he knows definitely the date ofhis departure from Egypt. As no cable advice has been received since the date of the letter it is presumed that he is still engaged on military duty.

Sausages are hp. A large local firm specialising" in pork, sausage manufacture has raised the price'of these goods by Id. per lb. Certain Continental brands of cocoa, 'were raised _in tho wholesale price almost immediately alter the war. After a long run at the old pre-war prices a very popular English line has been raised by 2<}. per lb. The wholesale price of Nestle's condensed milk and milk and coffee and milk and 'cocoa havo all just been advanced in price.

• Eight little children who went, boatin" at Oriental Bay yesterday afteruoon have to 'thank a plucky twelve-year-old'boy, Arthur Radford, for their fescue. Radford; who is a boy scout, and a practised swimmer, was returning from Hoseneatii School yesterday afternoon, when he saw a flat-bottomed punt which was drifting out into the iiarbour with eight little children on board. Without hesitation, the youth stripped off his clothes and swam to the punt. There were no v oars in it, so he took the painter in his teeth, aud began to swim back, pulling the boat. and its heavy load after him. .When he was half-way to the shore two gentlemen came along, llhey found a boat, and with pieces of plank for paddles, had no difficulty in reaching the punt. It may appear incredible that a boy of twelve years of age should draw a heavily-loaded punt with his teeth, but the truth, of the statement is vouched for by several specta-, tors.■

• At a meeting of the Cliristchurch Presbytery on Wednesday, the Eev. R, H. Blair moved: "That the minimum fee for marriages be 225. 6d.' He said out of 31 marriages he celebrated recently 61 per cent, of'the marriago fees , received were under 225. 6d. He would like to see marriage fees abolished, but meanwhile the niiuimuni fee should be fixed. The Rev. J. Paterson opposed tho motion, mid said a minister should not be, dictated to on the jioint. A minister had to use his discretion. If a party drove up to St. Paul's in six motor-cars they • would bo expected to pay a larger feo than those with less moans. The other day ho explained to a 'man he was to marry that the feo Was a kind of gratuity to the minister. Tho man replied: "Well, if I got youi 'screw' I should not look for perks." (Laughter.) T'he moderator said ha doubted, if tho Presbytery, or even the Assembly, had the right to fix any fee. It was doubtful if there were any legal right to charge a fee. The Rev. J. Paterson said in Australia marriago feos were looked upon as gratuities aud wore not returned for income tax purposes. In New Zealand they were so returned. The motion was lost.

Councillor John Hutcheson has given notice that lie will move at the next meeting of the City Council: "That 110 remission of rent be made for tho use of tho Town Hall or Concert Chamber for tho raising of funds for patriotic purposes, unless the*'promoters undertake to pay to the Mayor's Patriotic Fund one-half of the gross takings of such entertainment." This follows on a discussion which took place at Thursday's meeting of the council, when it was pointed l out that many of tho patriots entertainments given in the Town .Hall had realised little or nothing, and that when only a proportion oT the net proceeds were given there was never any means of finding out what amount of money had been involved in expenses and fees.

A very old and highly respected resident of the Rutt Valley died at Wellington Hospital on Thursday evening, in the person of Mr. H. J. Fleet, of the Esplanade; Petone. The lato Mr. I'leet arrived at Wellington in the Duke of Edinburgh 43 years ago, and shortly afterwards established the firm of Fleet Bros., brickmakers, at Lower Hutt. Later, he moved to Mungaroa, and finally settled at Petone, remaining there up to tho time of his death. Deceased was a member of the Roso of the Valley Lodge of Oddfellows, and had been afflicted with a throat trouble since September last. There is a widow and a family of three sons and four daughters. Tho funeral takca place this afternoon.

Tile doer shooting season in Hawko's Bay will open on March 27, and close o.i May 1. It is notified in tliis week's Gazette that, under the War Regulations Act, tlio sale of tho following publications is prohibited: —Tho * 'International Socialist Review," "Tho Fatherland," "Issues and Events," newspapers or other periodical printed wholly or partly in the i'Gorman language, and publisliod or -purporting to be published in the CJnited States of America. /'"What is the membership p f your union?" asked the prosidoilt of the Arbitration Court, Mr. Justice Stringer, or Mr. G. Davis, secretary of tjio Auckland Drivers' Industrial Union of ers. Mr. Davis explained-that prior m the war the union had 970 members, and was regarded as one of tho besi organisations in tho city. There had been a -considerable reduction in ths membership, 400 drivers having gone to the war. The Defence Department had communicated with the union, and invited its co-operation 'in enlisting drivers. The Department 'was of opinion that colonial drivers wore rnoro suited for cross-countrv work at tho front than Englishmen. Another circumstance .was that many men left tho union owing to the' ruling wage, £2 Ss., prohibiting them from, getting married. The present membership of tho union was between 500 and 600.

Last October' the Lower Hutt residents sent away 700 Christmas parcels to the soldiers at the front,_ each parcel containing a letter. Owing to the evacuation of Gallipoli in December, these gifts did not reach the men until they had arrived back in Egypt in Janj nary. By the last mail a largo nuriibei of letters were recoived by school children and others expressing the gratitude of the men. In one case tho parcol must have been doubly welcome, as i it was the first the soldier had received he went out with the Main Body eighteen -months.before. Another man wrote: "If tho ladies who sent all the presents to tho soldiers could see how much they were appreciated, I am sure they would feel repaid." All those who so generously contributed towards these gifts will be glad to hear of their safe arrival.

Resultant upon the Shop Assistants Union's request that workers' tickets should be issued until 9 a.m. instead of 8 a.m., as at present, a -return has been prepared showing the cost of travel on our. tramways on a mileage basis. It will be seen that on a- cash payment basis: (without using the concession tickets), the cost is .89d. per mile, whilst the cost gradually - decreases until on a four-section worker's ticket the cost works out to ,43d. (less than id.) per mile, which is as low as anywhere probably in the world—certainly as low as anywhere in New Zealand. The following table will be found interesting to many patrons of the eer'vice: —Ordinary cash fares, average of .89d. per mile; two-seotion concession fares, ,67-cT.; three-section concession fares, ,66d.; four-section concession fares, ,55d.; two-s v ection workers' fares, •45d.; tihree-section workers' fares, ,4Gd.; four-section workers' fares, .43d'. Mr. Thomas Heslop Hill, of lledenham House, Andover, Hants, who died on October 1,9 last, left real and personal estate' of the gross value of £78,557. He desired that on liis tombstone should be written: —"Loved 1 , worked, prayed, played,. with the warm urgency of young blood, thanking God for all His gifts. Passed on (date).' By regulation under an emergency War Act, the export of wool from the Dominion without tho consent of the Minister of Customs is prohibited. Tins prohibition does not apply to the United Kingdom, but in respect to proposed exports to any nputral countries it is being rigidly enforced. It is 'stated that American buyers, anticipating an embargo, pursued tho very unusual course of buying wool on the sheep's backs before shearing. The quantity mentioned is 75,000 bales, which may or may not be an exaggeration. When the embargo was imposed, some of this wool was loaded, and some w,is at the ship's side at ports. This tho Americans wero allowed to take away, but since then tlio Minister (the Hon. A. M. Myers) has not allowed one fleece to go to America, or to any destination other than the United Kingdom. . ■

At the Suprome Court at Napier on. Mr. Justice Edwards made, somo drastic comments on the way in which accused persons were kept in gaol awaiting trial at the present Napier sessions. . "How long has this woman seen in gaol?" asked His Honour, in {he case of a woman, charged with abandoning a child. "Four months," said Mr. Dolan, who had been requested to act for her, "and," continued counsel, "the head gaoler informs mo that live male prisoners,' together with tho accused who could_ have been tried at the Decern tier sessions, have been -kept in prison Till now." "That Btate of fnings certainly needs attention," said His Honour, "and I shall see to it." The Judge ordered a conviction against accused in the present case and ordered her to come up for sentence whon called upon. ,' .