LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 60, 4 December 1917, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

What the police describe t> rea J> jnjr up a pans has occupied the attention of Wellington members of the Force for some weeks. Generally the approach of Christmas sees made to clean -up the city a little. Yesterday several men wno lawful means of support .were before the Magistrate's Court, and all of«them were »nt away for terms of W ment The police state that it is no a ways easy to get cases against men fhi« tvne. They know enough to tako pains to prevent the police from often observing them together or 'With other men of .doubtful An, other precaution they take is to move nn at about the time at which they reckon the police will have stored up an awkward stock of infomat.on against them. Men of this type fre quent racecourses, play cardswithtbo idea of taking down the unwary, but do no work. They usually have plenty of money and dress very well. "Arc the police satisfied with regard yesterday's sitting rf Lgggf S°M.™ remarked that the police report made no reference to the. matter , and the police representative in Court a d that the question had been closely gone into recently, and the position had not altered since then. Shortly after sis o'clock eight men were arrested in krov StrMt on charges of being drunk and d« orderly, and were incarcerated at the Lambton Quay Police Station. An inquiry made at 10.30 p.m. showe<lthat the Mount Cook and Taranaki Street police made no arrests for drunkenness during the evening.

Failuro to support one s motlier is retarded by Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, -j.M-, as'a crime of some seriousness. A man who vo<> in arrears with a mainteoanee order made in favour of ms mother e:vme before Mr. M Carthy jefterday, and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard lahour. Another man who had failed to keep up payments which were to assist in the maintenance of a dependant was similarly sentenced.

The police report on the hotels in the Wellington district for tho December quarter is that all hut one have been "well conducted." Tho exception has been "fairly well conducted. Tn mentioning this at the sitting of the Licensing Committed yesterday Mr W. tx. Riddell said ho hoped that this high standard would continue. The Wellington Licensing Committee held its quarterly meeting yesterday. The licence of tho New Oecidcntel Hotel Was transferred from G. E. Abridge to J. C. Lamb and the licence of the New Zealander Hotel from F. H. Phillips to Adam J. Monro. A proposal was made in the Magistrate's Court yesterday that a young man who was deemed to bo idle and disorderly, bccause the police considered that he consorted with thieves, should be given a chance, so that he could take work at a certain military camp. "I should say that m camp they want honest men," Mr. M Carthy, SM , remarked. "This man is not honest. The best thing to do is to send him to gaol for three months (hard labour), and at the conclusion ot tlic sentence he must undergo three years' reformative treatment.

A half-draught horse, belonging to Mr. W. Fyfe, milk vondor, of Miramar, ami valued at from £16 to £20, wj.s kil'od by tramcar at about 1.0 HO on Saturday night. The horse, _ in company with another, was wauuering on the roaJ when it was evidently aMriicted by the long grass growing in tho eight or ten foot strip of land betflven ttiT> track one the wire fence mi the western side of the road. Had it remained there it would have been safe, hut. jiiss as tho car was about to pi ss it backed on to the track, was knocked down, and had a rent torn in its side. It died about ten minutes later. The motormau (of car 117) said that he did not see tho horse until too late to prevent the full impact of the car being received by tho horse. His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman yesterday heard argument upon an application' l>y the Karori Borough Council for an injunction to restrain the Wellington City Corporation from extending the Karori cemetery into land within the borough. The city recently acquired a piece of land adjacent to the existing cemetery, and the (question is whether the statutory prohibition against the establishment of a cemetery within a borough applies to the proposed extension. Mr. Brandon appeared for the Karori Borough Council, and Mr. O'Shea for tho Wellington Cit.v Council. His Honour reserved Ins judgment. The vital statistics recorded at Napier last month compared with the corresponding period of last year are as follow, the latter beintr shown in parentheses:— Births. 45 (42); deaths, 22 (21); marriages, 8 (12). Between 70 and 80 delegates havo notified their intention oF being present at tho conference to be held at Napier to-morrow in connection with tho Wail;aremoana lmlro-olectric scheme. Tho Minister of Public Works (the Hon. W. Fraser) and Mr. Parry (Government Electric Engineer) arrive to-day, and Sir Joseph Ward will arrive to-morrow. Getting ready for your holiday journey ? Soe our "week-end" rases from (is. fid. '''Attache" cases from ss. lid. <Olliei travelling requisites in abundance. Geo. Fowhls, L|d., Manners Street. —Advt-

Michael Driscoll, an unmarried waterside worker, aged 46, was on Sunday found lying dead on tho footpath at the corner of Harris Street and Jervois Quay about 5.10 a.m. Dr. Young, who was summoned when the discovery was reported to tho police, found tho bodv still warm. He was of opinion that death was due to an apoplectic fit. The hody was removed to the morgue, and an examination of it made. At an inquest held yesterday Mr. TV. 0. Riddell returned a verdict that Driscoll died as the result of an apoplectic fit. Tho annual conference of unions affiliated witli tho Waterside Workers' Federation will cornmencc m Dunedin to-moriw. The North Island de egates have already gone south. ins Wellington delegates are Messrs. J. U. Bruce, Currie, and Murphy. _ Mr. I/. Glover and Mr. J. Roberts as president and secretary of the lefleration respectively. Mr. G. j- ' al "" land, formerly secretary of the Wellington union, headed tho poll for the election of Auckland delpgates, and his co-delegate' is Mr. J. iSlington.

Over £15 was subscribed on tho Seatoun Bowling Club's green on Saturday aftprnoon for the Soldiers Christmas Gift Fund. Part of the money was given ty the ladies who conducted one of the bowlers' branch stalls in town on Friday.

Mr. H. E. Holland is to be nominated by the Wellington Social Democratic Party for the Wellington North seat at the coming election. In perfect weather the Gear Meat Company employees at Petone held their annual picnio yesterday. Usually tho picnic has been held at Day s Bay, but this year it was decided to hold tho gathering on tho local recreation grounds, which were thronged with a band of young and old holidaymakers. The Petone Municipal Band was in attendance; and games for tho children, sports, side-shows, etc., were held. The local motor ambulance fund will benefit by the proceeds, and as tho expenses were light, a good sum should be realised.