LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 306, 14 September 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Whpji one of the detachments for the Forty-sixth Reinforcements was being mobilised this week a recruit appeared whoso name did Jiot appear ou tile official list. The man insisted thai be had been summoned to parade, and that lie expected to go into camp with the rest. He was disposed to bo resentful over the '/act that his name had not been called when the roll was being checked. After a- re-examination of the list the man. was referred to the group headquarters for inquiry, and it was fouivl tliero that he had been sunimniied* not to entpn. camp, but to uuderi'o n't'tli'S'l i'xai;]imi,t.ion. Tho reservist had been anticipating events by at least tluve months;. Information thnt lias reached New Zealand through oflicia\ dwiMiels shows that the military authorities in the United Stal.es have not thought it necessary to place barriers in tlip way of enlistment.of men.of Gorman • pareiit.ago, Tens .of-thousands t'f young Americans whose parents were, horn in Germany', and very many men who wpi'b' born in Germany, have been tiiken into the American Army. They arc reported to .. be. fighting .against ■.Prussian militarism as determinedly as the boys of pure American blood. Some months ago an American •: regiment composed largely . of GermaiiAmericans crossed '.bayonets with one 'nf the' Kaiser's crack regiments .on tho' "Vest front, and beat it decisively. In connection with the preservation from fire of the Day's Bay Imslt, Wilton's and other scenic reserves owned by the city, the Greater Wellington Town-Planning Association has'written to His Worship the Mayor recommending that Mr. D. E. Hutchins, 1.F.5., who is at present in Wellington, should be asked to give expert advice. ' ' • Speaking at a lodge function st Onehunga 'on Wednesday evening, Sir Frederick Lang remarked that the time was coming when the Government would liavb to make provision for tho rendering of financial assistance, to parents, especially to those with largo families. The statement was warmly applauded. "Licensees will have to realise'that breaches of tho law respecting the salo of liquor after hours are more serious now than they used to be, because the Restriction of the Sale of Liquor Act is now a war measure. .This class ,of case docs not come within the category of licensing cases, as it is really a breach of war. legislation." These roinnrks were made by Mr. F. V. Frazcr, S.M., 'at the Magistrate's Court yesterday in a case in which Phillip Lucas Firth, licensee of the Cambridge Hotel, was charged with having supplied liquor to two persons alter tho ordinary hours of closing. Mr. Albei't Wylie, who appeared for the defendant, stated that Firth was one of the best liotelkeepers in Wellington, and he had supplied the liquor more out of kindness than with any idea of miikuip; a profit out of the. transaction. His Worship said he could not impose merely a nominal penalty, and bo inflicted a line of £5, with 7s. costs. In a communication to the Auckland Industrial Union the National Efficiency Board states that in various parts of the country it had heard criticisms which indicated a general feeling that non-essential goods wero being given shipping space in preference to poods more essential to tlio well-being of the country. Inquiries had been widely ninde, Hint the experience of tho board so far bad been that though the complaint was widespread no proof of a definite nature could be obtained. It was reported ni yesterday's meeting of the Makara County Council that out of tho £4600 of rates due If or last year only £30 was now out-stand-; ing. The suggestion that banana-growing in Now Zealand might be made a profitable occupation was recently made by a correspondent of the Auckland Industrial, Association, and the matter was referred.to Mr. T. W. Kirkj director of the Government Horticultural Department. Mr. .Kirk has replied statin;; thnt lie,does not think banana culture could ever bo a success in New '/.in land. Certain plants of the banana family had long been grown in the Dominion, but no one hud yet produced a bunch of really good fruit. The banana was a tropical plant, and required a hot and moist climate nnd a" total absence of frost. Mr. James Begg (Efficiency Hoard Commissioner for the Otago Military District) has issued n circular stating that owing to a shortage oft' tonnage there is at present a considerable congestion of tlio Dominion's products in tlip various stores and freezing works. Although it is understood, ho says, thnt the prospects area little brighter than they were, in this respect, it seems improbable that anything like normal shipping li-cilitirs will be nvail-nblo-for #01110. time. This being i tlio rase, it would hi\ prudent to anticipate that the freezing worlds will not bo itblo to accuinniudnto tlicir usual aiiitinn.t of meat next season, and the! board thinks that farmers interested would bo well advised h> inaku preparations for the carrying over of a considerable, quaiiititv of stock next winter. H is naturally, impossible accurately to forecast tlio position so if si r ahead, but tho board, considers it would bo wisp for farmers to arrange, for additional winter feed in'good time.../. ..'■'.

"This is the first time in my'life that I have been in a Court," remarked a defendant in a ease at the Magistrate's Court yesterday.'• "Oil, well, 1 suppose most people came here at some time or other," suggested Mr. F. V. Frazer,' S.M., amid laughter. A charge of having been found on the Groiul Hotel promises during hours wlion they were required to he closer! was .preferred against a young man named Uichard Mayloek at tho 'Magistrate's Court yesterday. Stanley John Tomlin, an employee at tho hotel, was accused of having served Haylock with liquor, ami the licensee, Charles Albert Schauer, was charged with having sold the liquor. ■ Haylock ■entered a plea of guilty. Evidence was given that on tho evening of Sunday, September 1, two police > officers visited tho hotel, and went into n room, where they saw Haylock consuming a glass of heer. He had his liat and coat ok, and when the police entered attempted to get away. On behalf of Toralin, it.was sinter) that lie did not ask Haylock :iny questions, a.-; he. thought he was ■i guest at tho hotel. Mr. T. Ncave, who appeared .for' Tonilin and Schauer, pleaded that there was no intention oi> t!io part of those-defendants to break tlii! law. Mr. F.. V. Frazer, S.M., who heard the case, said that it would bii almost impossible to administer .the law properly by dismissiig all cases' where there was uo deliberate intention to commit, an offer.ee. The Act specially made a general ({trite apart from, sny qupstion of intention. - The result was that even in the most exceptional circumstances the Court must enter n conviction, Tho system of Mmirlyim:; Ji6nrcl?rs with liquor after hours, 'pormissiblo, was ono wl'ii'li :.i> avnnue for all sorts of Jircsclms of the Act. Licensees, were not linuiul to sell liquor to lotl'jors .litter Iruivr. hut. if they did so they took the risk of unauthorised persons boinc; mipyiliod. They should tnkp care thai'nr. cpp liiit.lioarilers was si-iTcd with limwr.' Se'iauer was <:r----dered to pay 9s. costs, .wlTomlii: 7'. This light penalty.' r<Rid Mr. Frr.-r v:oiilrl ho n MilTvient indication timt l:e was satisfied of the honesty of the'? defence, and tliat, hn believed there v.a? no particular inie.itioi! on the part of the" Iteisec to commit, ,•>, breach of tlw law. Hayloek was h'jwd £2. with costs 7s. An appeal on religious grounds was made bpxnre the First" Auckland Military Servico Board on Wednesday by Thomas Mulholland, carpenter and' joiner, of Dcvonpoft. Appellant, who would not', take the customary oath, said that the "Word of God','laid down that if was wrong to kill. Hβ -Uaiki] God, be said, and his motto, ,: Fw God, honour the King," made it impossible for him to take human life. "AY hat is your religion?" asked the chai>-m:i;i. "1 belong to the body of Christ," was the answer. "Yes, 1 know—but what religion? , '—-"A company known .is the Brethren." • Appellant said he had Metn ;> the Brethren for 20 years. He was 37 years old. His,caHim:-up would hi? a- hardship, as he had certain business affairs to arrange. J'he boaid ■ordered appellant to enter camn on February 6. Appellant then said'thst he desired stristly non-combatant w.-vk —be would not, even carry ammunition to the guns. The chairman: "We. will recommend non-combatant work, but we cannot say that you will not have to carry ammunition to the guns. You will' have to take the consequences of refusal." -Leaving'the witness-box, appellant said: "That'l am quite prepared to do." ■ '• '. ' ''Under' the ne\y motor' regulations motor-cars'must have.registration numbers fixed'at both ends-,:not merely at therear, as. formerly," said Mr. F. V. Fr.vzer, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, in a case in wliich a man named Rupert D. Morrison was charg-.' ed with having failed to have a regis-" tratioii. number on-the front of his car, and with having .'left the. car standing without sufficient lights. ' His .Worship said he would not deal hardly with the defendant as tho new regulations did not appear to be very well knowii, On the.charge, of failing to have a registration number on the front of the car defendant was ordered to pay 7s costs, and on the other chargo he was ■fined 10s., with 7.5. costß;\ ••.. The, suggestion that the Government should apply compulsion for the delivery of bread, milk, etc., on the block system was recently made by-an Auckland baker in-a letter' to the Acting■Priine Minister. reply, Sir James Allen states that this question appears to bo more a matter for municipal than general governnient control. "Something in this direction," adds the Miu-. ister, "has already been attempted by the city corporations iu Christchurw and Wellington. The experiments in these towns will be watched with interest, and if the arrangement proves successful it will no doubt be extended to other localities." The chief objection raised bv the soft goods firms.against'their employees being granted an award is that the'majority of the workers in the trado aru opposed to it, states tho Auckland "Herald." When this question was raised at a Conciliation Council which' considered the dispute on Wednesday, the commissioner, Mr. T. Harlo- Giles, said that if awards were only granted when a majority'of the employees in a trade joined the union no further awards would ever be granted in New Zealand. It was absolutely, impossible, he said, for a uew union to obtain a majority membership until an award was made. "" A very large number of industrial disputes have been dealt with during the year through the association's officers, says the annual report of the Auckland Provincial Employers' Association. The principal feature in these disputes had been the contiuual demand for increased wages to meet tho over-increasing cost of living. In the of lower-paid workers it was \maoubtedly necessary that wages should be increased, but to equally increase- all wages merely added a like amount to tho cost of production, and consequent-' ly to the cost of living. Employers, therefore,, were constantly faced pith the problem of how to increase tho wages of workers without" simultaneously depreciating the purchasing power of the sovereign. Under present conditions there seemed to be no solution of the problem, a only the temporary expedient of continually raising wages was being resorted to by the Government, Conciliation Councils, and Arbitration Court.' Probably it would not be until after the war,, and when conditions have again become normal, that anything near n, just proportion could he arrived at. At present sections of the wage-earners who were iu a position to force matters were demanding and ■ getting, increases proportionately lnvaer than their fellow-workers in other "industries, ignoring the fact iliat those fellow-workers must bear a large portion of the increase. On the other band, the whole of the wage-' earners wero demanding that the public, through the employers, should pay them more for their services. As tho public was largely composed of the wage-carncra themselves, they were individually iu no better position than they were before the increase took place., , An employers' assessor at the Conciliation Council at C-hristcliurch. on Thursday morning characterised a certain union as "dangerous," and referred to the danger of a unionist in charge of important machinery being called out on strike, and thus paralysing an essential industry. Tiio Commissioner, Mr. W. IT. Haggar, ,said be thought that trouble was more 'likely to be caused by irresponsible classes of men than, by unions. For oxample, some unions wished to withdraw fro mthp Arbitration Court, to enable ■ them to start strikes. If they were , registered bodies they inourred penalties for and this natural* i.ly tended to make them inor'e' careful.

-Before Mr. Fγ V. Frazer, S.M V atthe Magistrate's Court yesterday,. JiYnest James Sculls was charged with having carried on business as a land agent without'possessing ;i license to do so. Mr. A. Howie, who appeared for the informant, stated that defendant occupied a room adjacent to the '■jfice of Mr. William Lingard, a land I'gent, and .had carried out a good deal of business in connection with sales. Maud Monteith, informant in the prosecution, said she called at Mr. Lingard's office ono day in reference to the sale of a business. She was referred to Scells, who gavo her particulars of .several businesses which were for disposal. Witness was under the impression that defendant was a fully authorised laud agent. For the defence, Mr. J. M. Dale said that Scells was working for ■Lingard. The arrangement between them was that Lingard supplied the office, and did all the advertising, Scells being .simply his clerk. He did not .work all the time, but received a share of any commissions on business that was put through as a resiijt of his efforts. Evidence to this effect was given by Scells, who stated that ho did not pay any rent, and did not receive any fixed salary. His Worship said that in order to prove biscaso. .Mr. Howie must, show that defendant carried on an independent business, but put through .transactions in Mr. Lingard's name. There was no. evidence •to that effect, so the information must be dismissed. In a case in which it. E. I'ratley, a confectioner, applied to the Second M'litary Service Board, at Christchurch, on Wednesday, asking for an extension of time beyond March to enalile> him to close up his business, it was stated on behalf of the appellant that if the appeal was dismissed, lh<: case would be one for protection under the new regulations regarding '-'he breaking up of small businesses. The chairman (Mr. 11. W. Bishop) said that the regulations would© meet a constantly iwmring situation that was the cause of 'ranch embarrassment to tiir. board. It was .in .excellent attempt to meet tlio smashing up of small businesses, from which tilt- profits went I inirt other pockets, and sometimes-into I the pockets of aliens. Mr. Lloyd George had referred to the same, thing lwntly, giving 'instances where men. ! had been sent-to the front and the I n'holn of the profits went into the poeikets of aliens. Thp chairman' said that he wlfs rpiito in sympathy with the attempt on the part of the Government to deal with a. serious problem, which was hampering the work - , of the board. Ho felt great difficulty >in sending men to the front and breaking up their businesses. In a discussion as to whether the appellant was likely to be sent to the front it that he. was aged forty-one and was classed A. Appellant's' couivsel ! said that the, man was ordered into camp for March,, but he wished to preserve his rights under the new regulations. The chairman said that ho would not be prejudiced if the appeal was dismissed, and the board could grant a rehearing at any time. The case was finally adjourned for a mouth for medical re-examination. The influence of locality in connection .with cerebro-spinal meningitis infection is discussed by Lieutenant-Colonel R. H. Makgill, Assistant-Director of Medical Services (Sanitary), if. his report for 1917 on the sanitation of the training camps. -'It wns shown in Inst year's- report that at various' periods tliii epidemic was prevalent among men from one'district, although they might belong to separate units. To extent, the same feature was noticeable, in iho earlier part ov this year, when.of the first six cases five came from the. Otago-Southland district. Thereafter it became more generally distributed. During the year five came from Auckland province,'six from Olago-Southlsmd, or.v from Canterbury, and one from Nehou. Nonv came from Wellington or Hawke's Bay districts. Regarding the prevalence among men frpm.Qtago and -Southland, sonje evidence was obtained, as. to'.the. ' influence of travelling, since' in three cases the disease developed n few days after the .men had arrived at tlfeir homes while on; leave. The close'association together of a number d'f meu in railway carriages must .give, more than at any other time an opportunity for the carrier to distribute infection, while those constilntionr.liy susceptible might readily ho made more receptive by the development of catarrhal conditions which are so apt to he contracted in railway journeys and more especially, doubtless, among men ac-' ciistomed in camp to an open-air life and freedom from ill-ventilated conditions." '■ '■ • The twelfth annual Piunket Medal contest will hs held this eveuinft by the Victoria College Debating Society. The judges will be tho Hon. J. A.. Hannan and Dr. Gibb and Mr. J. Rigg.' The competitors and their subjects.are as iindor:—Mr. A. B. Croker, "Lord Roberts;" Mr. M. A. Egbert,' "Damien of'Moliikai;" Mr.' K. Wliiteliouse, "David Livingstone;" Mi. C. G. Kirk, "Captain Scott;" Mr. W. A. Sheet, "Sir Eric Geddes;" Mi\ ?. MartinSmith, "Lord Haldane;" Mr. -AY. E. Leicester, "Richelieu." Each competitor will speaji for not more than twelve minutes. "It is not customary for your committee to mention' in its annual report any special club performances during the season, but it considers, that the performance of the veteran, C. G. Wilson, in making a record number of runs for the season, viz., 762, and the bowling performances of AV. S.. Brice and J. N. Crawford, referred'to later, are of such exceptional merit as to demand some_ special reference," is n passage which occurs in the report of the Wellington Cricket Association for the season, 1917-18. ''"Mr. Wilson on all occasions gave an exhibition of batting which was alike a cause otf admiration by his friends and a source of inspiration _to young players, most of them his junior by. very 'many summers. All bowlers seemed to him to be the same bowler, and uoi:,e .more so than those whoso bowling performances are , now specially mentioned. Mr. W. S; Brice, of the Club, was successful in club games in taking a record number of ~wickets—92 during the stiihon; and Mr. J. N: Crawford, the well-iijwn international, representing thp Trentham Camp Cricket Club, 'q3t£ passed the previous record in obtaining over 89. These two players obtained oi'cr one hundred wickets apiece durii:g tile season for club and representative games—both very fine performances for a season's cricket which is played on Saturdays only." Two local firms, Messrs. C. M. Banks, Ltd., and Messrs. Watkins, Tyer, and 'J.'olan,' Ltd., were prosecuted before Mr. i' , . V. Frazer, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, on informations of having employed boys under 1G years of ago without boing in possession of certificates of fitness. On behalf of Messrs. C. M. Banks, Ltd., it was stated that the breach of the Factories Aot was merely an oversight, the impression being that U was tho ago for which a certificate was required. Mr. (i. (J. G. Watson, who represented Messrs. /Watkins, Tyer, and Tolaii, stated that the section of tho Ac't under which tho informations were laid was not very well known to factory managers. His Worship said possibly that was the case, but there was s particularly good reason for the provision. In places where there was a good deal of machinery in motion it was dangerous to employ boys unless they' wero well grown and well fitted to carry out their duties. In 'each case a fine of £1, with 7s: costs, was imposed.

Bo loyal, dear Housewives, lo nil grocers who strive in every sensible way to increase. Hie sales of "GOLDEN RULE" Soap, "GOLDEN RULE" Candles. "KEEP SMILING" ( Sandeoa'i), and "NO RUBBING" Laundry Help. ' "So say all of U6" Wellington Merchants.— Advt. ■ •

: Tho Provincial Executive of thai Auckland Fanners' Union lias (says al Press Association telegram) passed al resolution urging the purchase by the Government of a Hup of ocean-going ships for the purpose of the inoro expeditious transport of the Dominion's produce and for prevention of exploitation of producers in regard to shipping freight. The inadequacy of the provision made by the Defence Department for comfort of soldier patients at King George. V Hospital, Rotorua, was,commented upon by Mr. C. Rhodes at ai meeting of the executive of the Auckland Patriotic Association on Wednesday. Those men who could not go ouß to the institutes in the town, said Mr.: Rhodes, had "nothing hut a baiii of a.' place" to sit in. Until two or three weeks ago it had not even a window in it. The executive resolved to asld tlio llotonia Patriotic Committee to ri'« port on the question of recreation room! accommodation, and other facilities afa the hospital, also to ascertain from oilier .patriotic executives what was .be* ing done in their districts for the comfort of.the soldiers. At the annual pilgrimage to the grave of the Australian N poet Adam Lindsay Gordon at the Brighton. Cemetery (Melbourne) on' September 1, addresses were delivered by representa-" lives of the Australian Literary Society, the Australian Natives' Association, the. Early' Pioneers' Association, and the Gordon Memorial Committee-j Recitals from the poet's works contributed by Mr. Edmund Duggan. and Mr. Howlett Ross. A case in which the attitude of thai younger brother.of an appellant in refusing to do farm work was described l as showing lack of :i sense of duty, came before the First Auckland Military Service Board a few days.ago.. A! young man asked for exemption on the ground that he was: essential, on his parents' farm. His younger . brother liad refused to work on a farm. The younger brother, aged 18, gavo evidence that ho was employed in a butter factory. He had never done farm work, first because he had weak wrists; secondly, because ho did not like it. ■ Questioned 'by ■ Major Conlan, the lad said he would refuse to go on a farm.The chairman of the board and Mr. Anderson said tboy considered that appellant should he retained,, and granted sine:die oxenintibn.- Mr. Pine recorded his dissent, addingHhat the boy should doliis duty to his country by returning home, and thus allowing his brother to go to tbo front. '■ ■