LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 271, 5 August 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The civil police have arrested two>Dalmatians named Ivan Garmnz and Tony Kesara, employed on public works at Tutukaka, Whangaroi, as enemy aliens, and handed them over lo the military authorities for internment.—Press J pen. A French delegation,, fully accredited !>y the French Government, is nt. present in the United States doing valuable, work in explaining to tho American people the extent lo which France has suffered by the war, tho truth about deportations from tho northern districts of invaded French territory, and bringing the light of fact to bear upon tho barbarism which has been practised by the enemy, abuse of tho Red Cross, and (he persecution and crucifixion of French' prisoners who declined to givo any information which might lead Mo the destruction of their compatriots. This delegation is to visit Australia after it has toured the United States and Canada, and will take in New Zealand en route. It is anticipated that it will be in Wellington About the beginning or middle of 'September. • "Military life is very unsettling, e penally to the amateur, and, as in previous wars, great difficulty will lie experienced in getting many of the men returning to settle down," states the Defence Commission. "It therefore seems unkind in tho returned soldiers' best interests to pamper them, and, thereby loosen tho fibre of some, and transform gallant, efficient' fellows into dependants. Tho kindest thing would seem to be to Toturn all possible, without delay, into the walks of life they previously followed. Too much so-called kindness and consideration simply prolong, and ultimately make permanent, their restlessness. Some men, encouraged by the adulation accorded thorn on their return from the war by an appreciative public, come to think that, having been at the front, the country should keen them and .their families for the rest of' their lives. This erroneous idea should be corrected, and the sooner such an impression is removed the better for the soldier and the community.'' The Board of Inquiry appointed to investigate the cscapo of prisoners from Somes Island consists of Lienienant-Col-onel M. M. Gardner (president), Lieuten-ant-Colonel A. F. Roberts, Major D. B, Menzios, and Captain Baldwin. The inquiry is not open to the Tress. A short sitting of the Magistrate's Court was held on Saturday morning, Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., presiding. Edward James Wilson was charged that on February 27 last, at Hamilton, he attempted to steal from Frederick Cooper the sum of Accused was remanded to appear at Hamilton on August 8. For drunkenness Charles Kemp was fined .£2, in default seven days' imprisonment. popular cry is to put returned soldiers on farms," remarks the Defence Commission, "but, before putting men on the land, their fitness for that work should be thoroughly tested. Present agricultural' schools dould be used and, if necessary,' others established to first train or test soldiers, as disaster is invited by putting unsuitable men on the land. Even after twelve months nt an agricultural college many men would not acquire sufficient knowledge, but less than that period would suffice to show whether a man lias aptitude and persistence enough to succeed. Of course, all' men who have been trained on the land should be encouraged to return to it. The whole matter calls 'for careful niul expert thought, combined with infinite patience. Land acquired at ruling prices arid stocked with cattle at current market rates will present a sufficiently difficult proposition to the beginner, even experienced." A pai'lv of members of the Wellington Savaw Club is to pay a week-end visit to Chratchuroh this week in order to pay their fraternal respects to the Christchurrh Savage Club. The party will leave Wellington by "Friday afternoon's steamer, provide the ment at the club on Snlurday evening, and arrive back in Wellington on Tuesday morning. Portion of a ship's lifeboat, bearing the letters "mmera" on it, has been found on the beach at Kakaramea. near Patea. It is :n all probability rmrt of .the lifeboat that smashed when being launched from the Wimmera. The bicycle thief hhs become a nuisance in Christchurch, but in view of recent occurrences it appears that a still moro daring law-breaker of the same ilk is abroad. On emerging from the Canterbury Club on Thursday night Mr. Hugh Ensor discovered that his car, which ho had left standing outside, had disappeared. It was driven into Hereford Street from Rolleston Avenue at about 10.S0 o'nlnck the same night!, and, while it was travelling at about fivo miles per hour, two men jumped out and dodged away over private property, leaving the kerbing to stop tho ear. A somewhat similar occurrence look place on Monday evening, when Mr. G. L. Stead's ear was taken from oateido tho Or-ern House, and subsequently found not: far off. between midnight and 1 a.m., with indications of having travelled some considerable distance. The proprietors of the Taratn coal mine, actuated by a desire to encotirago constant work and a consequent increase of output, are now [laying an additional bonus of 5 per cent, to wages men and 2J per cent, to contract and piece-work-ers on pre-war rates to all workers who attend and .work full available time during any fortnight, says the "Otago Daily Times." Tho first payment of this bonus was mado at Taratu on Friday (pay day), and was readily accepted.

" „, A n ro )ro,cc out in tno premises of tho Wesllanil limber Company, closo to tho j corner of Victoria Street and Railway Avenue,, Lower Hutt, ou Friday. The a * lire brigade was immediately called up. - and eilorls made to'siivo the machine s shop, in which tho fire was centred, but r the building and its contents were prnc--3 hcally destroyed, tho brigadosmen being . handicapped by tho low pressure of i water avilablo. The manager states that ' it is impossible to estimate the loss at ' present, but the damage to the machini ery is considerable, besides which large | stocks of dressed timber were in tho t building at tho time. The .insurances nro held in Grtymouth, tho firm's headquarters, and particulars are not yet s known. > Tho Bluff "Press" states that Captain I Rodenque, of the Rita/ while dredging ; on tho oyster beds in Foveaux Strait, noticed in tho vicinity that the water , was ""boiling" at one particular spot as ; if there was something moored there. ' Nothing was visiblo on the surface, but ' the unusual occurrence continued as long • as the Rita remained within sight. Roi ing mindful of the warnings of the Mar- , ine Department regarding mines, the [ Rita did not approach nearer than 40ft, and was unable to -account for the disturbance. The matter lias been reported i to tho Marine Department, and it is un- . derstood Hint on inspection will be made, i John William Walker, farmer, of Weli lington, lias filed a petition in bank- . ruptcy. The first" meeting of creditors ' will be held on August 14, at 11 a.m. Reserved judgment was given by Mr. ' W. G. Riddell, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court ou Saturday in the ease in which ; tho licensee of the •Wellington Hotel, . Martin Ryan, was charged with pcrmit- , ting drunkenness on tho premises and with selling liquor to a drunken man. Tho wife of the licensee, Mary Ryan, was also charged with having supplied a drunken man with liquor, and decision was,given in her ease as well. The information against the licensee of permitling drunkenness was dismissed. With regard to the information against the licensee of selling liquor, and that against Mrs. Ryan of supplying, His Worship said there was an absolute prohibition against selling liquor to an intoxicated person. An ihtoxicatcd person had entered tho bar. although Mrs. Ryan was not aware of the. fact that ho was drunk. It was well known that drunken persons could pull themselves together for such a period of lime as to be able to give an order, and the person serving them, if not very observant, might be mistaken as to their actual condition. Ho proposed to find that Mrs. Ryan had fieon mistaken, but that she had committed an' offence in supplying a drunken man. The licenseo must also be convicted of selling. The defendants, however, had been in the hotel for eighteen years, anil had never been convicted of a breach of the licensing laws, and that fact would havo to be taken into consideration in fixing the amount nf the penalty. On tho information of supplying, Mrs. Ryan was fined £!i. with 7s. costs, and on the charge of selling, the licensee, Martin Ryan, was ordered to pay court costs, 7s. Mr. ,T. ,T. M'Grnth represented Hie defendants at tho hearing. At tho annual meeting of the Christchurch Second Division ; Mguo Jnst. week, the league reaffirmed its decision to support the demand for two guineas a week, clear for tho wife of a soldier. Tim league also demanded an alteration in the compulsory allotment required by llio Financial Assistance Boarf from 3s. (id. to 3s. per day, and immediate, consideration of an adequate repatriation schemo nnd a conservation of small businesses scheme. It was further recommended that the National Executive should demand that tho Financial Assistance Board should insure all soldiers whose pre-war earnings were ,£3OO per annum or less for tho sum of .6300. "War, Loans, Banks, and Banking,'' was tho subject of an address given by Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P., at the Alexandra flail last night. Tho speaker criticised tho current methods of raising monoy for war purposes, and claimed that certain interests had not contributed in proportion to their ability. Ho also dealt at length with banking business, and contended that for the benefit of tho working class an alteration in the financial system of tho world was necessary. Mr. Holland was accorded a vote .-of thanks for his address. As showing how small the world is, a woll-known tradesman of Chriatchurch brought' into tho "Star" Office last week a ten-shilling Bank of Now Zealand note, which had written on the reverse side, "Changed in London, 25/7/17-3/2783." Tho tradesman,, on receiving the note, which had been handed to him in connection with the payment, of an account, recognised the handwriting of his soldier son. who was probably on sick leave in London at the time, and his regimental number. Tt is undoubtedly a coincidence that the bank note, after being recirculated in tho Dominion, should have, got. into the hands of the boy's father in the ordinary course of business. • Frost fish are unusually numerous at the northern trawling grounds at present, nnd the trawler Baroona, which returned to Auckland.on Thursday morning, brought in 31. Tho variety known in New Zealand as tho frost fish is properly the scabbard fish, and is more commonly found in the colder waters around the South Island. It is often caught by the trawlers working outside Otago Heads, and is 'sometimes found stranded on the beaches, where they come into the shallow water to bask in tho sun and are left by tho tide. The more common variety is the tomcod, which abounds on tho Now England coast of America, being known as tho frost fish, because it is abundant in the autumn, when the frosts commence. It is a good eating fish, the flesh being delicate and tasty. Little difficulty has been experienced in Dunedin in fixing reduced rentals of hotels as a result of the curtailment of hours consequent upon 6 o'clock closing. About six or eight applications have been made by licensees for a reduction of rent, and in every case* except two tho parties have come to terms without tho necessity of reference to arbitration. Tn the two cases which are still unsettled negotiations aro now proceeding. The average reduction that has been allowed -is one-third of the rental, which on the figures that landlords and tenants had beforo them in February or March seemed to bo a reasonable reduction. Some landlords havo left it to the tenant to fix a reasonable rent, subject to variation later at the tenant's request. In at least a couple of cases the landlords exorcised the" right conferred upon them by the Act of resuming possession on refunding to the tenant a proportionate part of (he goodwill originally paid for tho lease. Messrs. Baldwin and Rayward, patent attorneys, of 215-217 Lambton Quay, toi port that recently they acted as agents in filing the following applications for Wtars patent of New Zealand: G. K. Alderton. Auckland, treaiing carbonaceous substances; J. M'Larin, Auckland, leg grip; L. Sessarego. Carnarvon, scouring wool; H. Cousins, Perth, fecu trough; Rowat and Gordon, Auckland, adjustable chair backs; Dibb and Roberts, Kensington, dumping wool; Chilling Co., Ltd., London, food preservative; Vacuum Oil Co., Ltd., Melbourne, heat exchange; M. B. Lloyd, Menominee, weaving machine; W. B. Lloyd, Menominee, reed articles; K. N. Brown, San Francisco, electric heater; ,T. Schaub, Newark, artificial fuel. Tho "Inventors' Guide" can be obtained on application, post v frce.