LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 74, 21 December 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Harly-in the Now Ye;fr military service . boards will be foininlly gazetted mil. Some practically finished by November 30, ami I lie olliors Ijv UoupuilkuV.' From those datos all travelling <ilI'uwgiiK'cs or other piiymoiils In members censed. All files of the boards havo been' transferred lo the Defence Department.

Writing from Aiticrirn to lla<rbc)itt Boa i<l officials, the iMigiii.'cr (Mr. .Ja*. Marehbanks) said thai nwiii}; In war conditions lie lind some little difficulty in gaining access to certain plaocs which it would have been of advantage lo him lo see, hilt once he overcame. Hie ulliciiil barriers ho was treated with (he utmost coiiiii'Psy and consideration. Mr. Maichbanks cabled one word (o Wellington from New York on Armis'.icc Day. It was, "Ifurrah!'' The crew r of • I he Union Company's steamer J'alcena will 10-day be. paid oil and the vessel will be laid up indefinitely. for just on two weeks ;i full cretv, except for eight lirenien, has been standing l>y waiting for the engagement of these sloliwwio that the ship would be ready lo lake up her running during Hie holidays. The chances of signing on the men are now becoming more remote each day, so the company Ims luid In pay the crew oil'. The. train arrangements for Hip Christmas holidays ".re advertised in this issue.

Prices of fruit in Wellington hnvo probably never beeA higher at Christmas liuie than they arc at present. Tho loilowing lire" some of the prices iaken from (hi! cards in the window of u Chin- , c.-u fruiterer's shop in the city yesterday. Apples, Is. peril).; strawberries, 2s. mid 2s. lid. box; nliims, lid. Hi.; pears, 8(1. II)'; black currants, Ifld. Ib.; lomalocs, Is. lid. per Ib.; small green peaches, Sd. Ib. The chief reason fur the abnormally high prices named is tho wretched weather which has beeii generally experienced during the last, three or four months, which has Ihrown (ho growth back. To add to the shortage no fruit (citrous.fruits mostly) has been received from Australia for six or seven weeks past owiiig to the dislocation of the intercolonial steamer'services.

A portrait in oils of Sir John Denniston, painted by Jlr. \V. A. Bowing, of Wellington, was unveiled at the Surname Court,"C'hristeliiirch, on Tuesday afternoon. There was a large attendance of members of Ihe legal profession and friends of Sir John and Lady Denniston, holh of whom were present. .Jlr. S. (I. Hiiymond, X.C., prior, lo (he unveiling ceremony--which was.performed by Mrs. Itiiymonil—referred lo I he-part played by tho Supreme Court in the life of the Dominion, and. paid a high- tribute to the manner in which Sir John Dennislon had carried out. bis judicial duties. It was, he said, fitting and proper Ihaf his portrait: should hang,on the walls of t lie building which h«<l been the scene of his activities for so many years. Sir John Denniston, in his response, said he could conceive of nothing more agreeable or acceptable as a recognition of. his public services than the form the presentation had taken. His life in (he Judiciary had been very strenuous din , ; ing a period of about-36 years.- and in consequence he had been unable to give the time to oulside affairs that he would havo wished. Outside the gift, he could only hope for fame in the liny reports. Ho was glad to know that in ihe ordinary course of events his memory would be'kept green on the walls of Ihe building in which he had spent a great part of liia life.

Two houses—one in Te Aro and the other in Thorndoii—are being brought under the notice of Ihe Public. Ueallh Department by the City Council wilh flie ireconimendntion tlu.t they should bo condemned.

The dependants nf masters and officers of the mercantile marine who died as a result of this influenza epidemic are not. lo bi! forgotten by the Jlerclmnl (.iuiid The secretin- (Coptain >'. A. Macimloe) states that the guild has voted a sum of money to the widow of each man.

.At the City Council meeting on Thiir.v ilnv it was mentioned that one subscriber to "the Public Library hail requested Hint the time the library had tan closed by reason of the epidemic should be appended to the term he had subscribed' for. '"Well, what do you think of that?" .said one councillor. "The subscription, is ss. a. ycii'i , . "What does the time olf amount to? FivppMicc—oh,'give him back his iivopence!" - A charge of having deserter from the Expeditionary • Force was preferred against J). •'■ Uarlier and U., butchers, before Mr. V. V. Irawr, h.M.; at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. 'It appeared that ,a jnan nam.-d Uavid Smith had obtained employment' iiom I'liu linn in response to an advertisement, but that afterwards ho was arrested for desertion from tlio Army. Mr V \V Blair, who appeared for (lie defendant firm, stated that the' defence was that Barber ami Co., were not aware Unit' Smith wo.s a deserter. One ol the employee* gave evidence to the ellect lliiit Smith told him he was rejected from camp on account of Kidney trouble. Other evidence was tendered that it c-'imo as a great sunrise to the firm to hear lliat'tlic man was "wanted" by the lnlitorv authorities His Worshiped lie was satisfied with the firm's explanation, and he dismissed the information. Captain R A. Mncincta (secretory of the Merchant Service Guild) is to go to Uunedin early in .Taiuiary to-confer-witli the officials of the. Union Conrpnny m rciird to the agreement between i he. two parlies. The guild is asking torvery big increases, and points out that, (ill'lioiigli large increases have been grantod to seamen and other seafarers, r.lio musters and officers have received very little consideration. Messrs. C. W. Batten, IT. Batten, D. G. Munrn, and Mr. J. Lol'lus will accompany Mr. J). A. llisßie on his .yacht "White' Heather," which will visit the Sonnets for the •. Christmas vacation.

The path of the S.P.C.A. evidently not strewn with roses (says the Chrislchurch "Press"). A. case was henrd at the Magistrate's Court in which a man was charged with ill-treating a cnlf The inspector in his evidence said that the defendant's wife had waxed extremely indignant when he approached licr regarding the calf's condition, and offered great opposition when he attempted fn feed it. She armed herself with an old muzzle-loading gun and a lumber of bricks and opened an ofleiisive while the feeding process was going on. '.She I'mlheV expressed her intention of "bashing" the inspector, and con : eluded by saying: "1 am just getting over the influenza, anil 1. hope you catch ilf roiir me." Her fusillade of missiles and words, however, resulted in no casualties. ' ' ' ''' "

■ His, 'Honour Air.. .Tiistiee Hoskinp; has "iron" his decision in the pafeiit case ]?,. Coley v. .!. 1?. G. Roberts. Al thcbearing early in the nionlh lilaiiitiff sought lo recover half proceeds from an electrical invention, of which defendant was the registered patentee, but which was alleged to have been the original invention of plain till , . Bis Honour returned a. decision in favour of defendant, dismissin.' the action with costs on tho lowest scale Mr. M. .Myers appeared for dofamliini- Kobcrts; while tl.e plaintiff was i (.•presented by Mr, 7. Levi. The London bank, clerks have a union now. They call it inc. Bank Officers' Guild, and" have taken, an office, in. the city as headquarters. Cine of the officials of the union informed'nil English paper thai the bant clerks are not Bolsheviks,■ neither do they threaten anybody; they ore only detenuineil to bring the bank-.-ing profession' into-linc with the hniver--siil advance, in wages. The executive ;o£ the new uniou is going to circularise thebilllks with i\ proposal'for an entirely new scale of salaries for the duration of Ihe Hill- a lid after- There has been a. jMish to join the union, and in some ol (he largest banks 05 per cent, of the stalls have become members.. .In committee on Thursday evening the Citv Council decided not lo proceed with the settiii" back of the fluke, of IhliiiVxireli H«tel to the. nW alignmentMi: AViUis Street until after the referendum of \pril next is taken. The reason .for (his further delay in (he. prosecution of Ibis work is that tho result of the referendum may change the- purpose for which the hotel may >_ required. Assuming National .Prohibition were carried, it would be folly at, this stage tor, the council tore-ereel a new hotel iront, when I he owners four months hence may wish to have the same converted into shops. Under the circumstances theis. tny of proceedings was considered justifiable bv the council.' " "

•-H a meeting of the Canterbury f.oIce Boiird of Governors. hold on We.d-, iiesdav an inlerrsling communication was read from Mr. L. A. Bailor. Director .of I|,c Department of llesearch in lerre?trial Magnetism at. the Carnegie Institute of Washington, U.S.A. (state* the "I,yrtelton Times") The communication was addressed to .Uγ. C. Coleridge I'iirr. Profi'ssor of Physics, ■ Canterbury College, ami was an- invitation to-him to aeccpl. ■in important temporary a»|lbiiilmrnt at a-nuignelie obsorvalury whi.'li is lieiiiß ,recteil in Western Australia a Wathoroo about 120 mile.s. from Perth. Mr. liiiiior stated that Mr./W. P. 'Wnllis. one of the Department's most experienced observer-; who had also been trained as an architect, was in charge of the ercr-l-ion of the observatory buildings wh'on would ho fiompl<>t»(l i» time to instal Hip nia"iietie instriinients early in 191!). At (he close of Mr. Wiillis's work he ivoiilri rcliirn. Mr. 'Hanoi , went on to pay: "It Im-- occurred to me (hat your valued and experienced services may be available for Hie inshlliilinu «f iht« nli-wnrory inflriinieiiU and inauguration of the work in, terre<trinl mapnelisiii, atmospheric elecIrieily and earth currents. A< it is probaiile 'Hint the work would lake abnur a vear to complete, could you induce your (■cillcpe autluiritios to gran! you a year's fiirloiK'h. provided all cxnenscs are borne bv the Department of Terrestrial Maijnetisni?" In an aeeompanying leller to the Collegelioanl of Governors,. Dr. Van slaletl that e.of iderat.ions -of n privale ('•lniraeter eompellcd him reluctantly to decline the-invitation. . . .

Al Hid l«st nionllily mceling nf Hio li'ealherston County Cuu'ieil a resolution was ii u<l it iinon.-Jy carried giving sup. purt lo the si rung protest; jnndi! by the Wairanipa , I'afrmlir. .Association as lo Ilio location nf venereal disease cases in I lie I'Y'alhcistoii Military L'nmp.

A curious story was related lo a represenlative of (In; Clu'islchui'ch "'[.'i'cs.s "* by a member uf the parly of epidemic iTlii'f .workers who . visited the. Helwyn lulls on .Monday. Soma disliincc from Jjincolu College,' Ik; slated, the occupants of oilo of Iheca'rs 'noticed a boy lying on Ihe side of the road, and apparently mnvi'll. Tliey slopped to examine him, ;ilid" while they wore doing so » second Mi , i-iiiiie up {Did also flopped. The boy, who ivris-about 10 or M years of age, , iCf'is 'IniHc'iS jwrtl booties, ami appeared to lie dazed.' It whs suriniMid that .lic'might 'bo suli'eriii'jf from eiinslroke. From n note which was found on him .from the. police (■(iiislal)lo id Lincoln, and from ivliiit could'be elicited from. the. child himself it. transpired thai. Jte.-wsis mi in. liiiite of ii. , receiving home, but boarded out ivilli a. resident, of I'robbleloii. According to the boy's, .story I lie occupants of (lie house were uw;iy. on Sunday night, and he was left by himself, when . a "swns™i?r'' came, along and demanded tea. issuing n- threat to kill him if lie did not comply with t,ho demand*. The boy became frightened and ran awny, evenlually linding his way lo the Lincoln police station, where he told his story lo the constable, who' gave him an explanatory note iind sent him honie again'. Jle had bsen without a meal from Sunday night till within tlic vicinity of 1 p.m. on .Monday, when lie was I'ntiiiul. ' The reporter was told (liaHhe boy w/is taken to the house al which he had resided, bul Ihe. occupants, were found-to be still awny, and tho little wanderer was finally deposited at the Prelibleloii store.

The General Assembly Library will .be closed from December 24 until January 3. A number of vi'.-sels whose histories have been forgotten owing to their age and through their being employed in a trade for. which they were not originally built have been brought to public notice during the war period. ' Such n craft is the jeaiiette, a little American brigantjn'e- now at Auckland, states the "Herald." As she lies _' them under repair one would not imagine that a terrible tragedy.of the Arctic was connected with her about T< years ago. An expedition was-tilled out in America'to circumnavigate the globe by way of the Arctic Sea, starting from the Rehring Sen. For this purpo-e. the .leanette was fitted tip as an auxiliary vessel, with large rooms, electric light, and every necessary equipment for a long voyage. The expedition successfully navigated the ice region until entering the sea north of Siberia. Here the vessel was frozen in and lifted bodily on top of the ice. with no chance of release. As fuel'and food ran short, the'members nf the expedition attempted to make their way through Siberia to civilisation. The intense cold and lack of provisions and comforts, -however, proved too much for the explorers, and only four of'the" ship's company reached \l'el;rograd. The Jeanettolay deserreil nn tho ice'lor about 1 three years until she was found by an expedition sent "to search for-survivors of the illfated party. The Jeanelte vas'extneated from' "the ice and' 'afterwards converted into a whaler.' About five years ago she was acquired by ii. trading company for work in thi! , .Pacific. -

•A rase of an unusual character was heard by Mr. F. -V:• l-'razcr, -S.M,. at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when a man. named F., C. Evans , was charged with having made a fal.se representation under tlio Win , Herniations., inspector Marsitck. said that.the defendant registered in the resorre as being , married, with three children, and consequently he Has posted to Class 1). Ho had returned a card to the-Government Statistician on .Inly 23, stating that his classification os a Class D .reservist was correct. On September 3D, however, he wrote to the Government Statistician, stating that as one of the. children had died in l'JKi he should'have been placed in Class .(.'..'"Mr. P.. ■<■ O'fiegaii, who appeared for Evans, stated that in 1910 defendant had filled in a national regishvition card, stating that he had a baby /called "Lucy." At thattime,. however, the child intended to be known by lliiit name had not. been horn, but when il did enter into the world it/transpired that it was'a boy, so the parents had it christened "Trevor." The. child died in July, lfllfi, but it was owing to pure inadvertence that .'defendant' had failed to infoini the Government. Statistician of the fiicl. Evans was ineligible for 'military service, as he was' blind in' the left eye, and whs ruptured 'as the result of a horse falling upon hini during the Boer War, in addition to which he suffered from a dislocated knee. There was no intention oil Die man's part to evade military service, <is he knew that he would not be accepted. llis Worship' said Evans had committed o technical offence, and'had nothing to gain ■by doing so. Still, the. making of false st'nfemenls 'to'tlio Government• Statisticinn was looked upon ;is a serious offence, and ho would have, (o inflict more Hum a mere nominal penalty. Evans was fined c£H, with 7s. cost's.

Mr.. L. Hippeau, of. Auckland, ViceConsul for France in New Zealand, has, according to. a.' .Press Association telegram, informed the Hon. G. W. Russell Hint lie has sent to the president of the. Home for Blind. Soldiers, .France, a remittance for.-iWOO-15s. BiL, being, the net proceeds, from the. art exhibitions held recently'- in Wellington, I'hristchnrch, and,.Dnnedin. ... •.•'■■.■

The,.only successful war prophecy has been credited lo the l>e.\v Walter "Wynri, an-..Jiiißiis'r clergyman,- who'gave the exuet date of thofall of.Jerusalem three •years before it. happened.' He aljo pvcdicted early tliis-year that oil or before •October 3-Id October 10, 'lIIIS,' Germany would- experience either ■ the. :irf'e|iarable defeat of her armies; or famine/ or an internal revolution, or a yearning for an armistice. ■ r- . • ■■ .. ■ :

A' well-dressed Maori ivent into a gunsinilh's shop in Queen Street'the other morning 'lVitJi tho .inte'nlion (if piirohasing- ii sliot-guii and some ammunition, 'says the Auckland ."Ktar." Much to his surprise he was informed that Maoris were uo( allowed to purchnsc giins unless they had ' a , ' signed ' authority to .do so from <i. Justice of the Peace, ajicl a recommendation from -somcoiiß responsible that they were fit and proper persons..to be allowed to carry.a gun,. Inquiries elicited the fact that; the Act under which thie is necessary was brought into operation during the' Maori War, ami has "not since been repealed.' .At that timo if. is conceivable that this provision was very necessary, but to-day it appeara to be little-shprt- of an absurdity,, particularly in view, of ■ tho fact, lh.it absolutely.iio trace , is-kept-.of the gun after tlio formality has been complied with and the purchase, completed. It Ciir. bo Irnded and swapped a dozen times .without anyone .being any the' wiser. Tho thing is evidently ;i' farce, and is-oiio of the matters that might receive, the attention of an wwgetie legislator. . ..--...

' -That (he high cast of living nfl'eets (he ministry, in common witii 01-lipv sections -of thu community, 'was 'indicated' by .a ■■discussion of th'e 'Methodist 'Synod ' in. D'linedin on Wednesday, when , ' the home mission grants to the circuits' nml' honie liiission ulaliuns wero umlev considerntion: Instructions we-re recently given I'roinconference-to the circuits and home mission stations to lake steps, Vhere possible, to secure a minimum stipend for married ministers of at least' £'M a year, and for married home missionaries of at lea's I <,l'l<i<l. in which purpose (he Home .Mission Committee was willing In aid with a. pound for pmi.ml S r.-inl. A" toy ]'epresent:iliye l<i the synod said IhatsoW of Hie i:ircu.its were .under the impression Hint home mi:-sioii contributions which were understood to be devoled to help, ■ing strugjiling Iwck-bfoel; causes, were often applied to assisting city 'circuits .where the need was not so apparent. The churches were desirous that their ministers should ' receive adequate stipends, but they wanted to be quite clear whe-rc the money raised for home mission iniA'pospj went.- A minislcr said lit , ' thought if. Hie circuits understood Ilinl part of (he object of these hohie mission •d'.i'iil.* was to 'enable eilv circuits (ns well, as oilier?) to .pi'.v their ministers adetiunte stinomN. flic home mission fund would commend itself to Ihem more Ihan ever. Another minister "-"id on ,£2OO a ypiir it was extremely ilißicnlt to mnke ends nieel', and in IVol it would bo impossible niiless a man had saved something previously. .'Slippers.—A' .sijlendid idea .JVu , Clirisl.nvns nvesenls; Sue our Black,'7s. lUI. lo l.«; B'l.; Tim, Us. fid.' In I!),-, (id. .Cfco. Towlds, Ltd.;-'Manners'Street.—Advt'.

-The. Wellington -Stock Exchange closed yesterday lor the Oliristmos'and New .'Year holidays. Business will bo resumed on Monday, January (i.

Considerable attention was ntlracted by a swarm of bees, which made their appearance in Burnett Street, Asltbiirloii, mi Monday, and for a time almost took i'hiirgi! of (lie. thoroughfare. The presence of the intruders was responsible foi much annoyance to pedestrians, and in .some instances considerable ariiuseniem to bystanders. More than one member of ("he fair .-ex walked innocently into (he danger zone and was obliged to beat ji hasty retreat. The honey-gatherers look up u'temporary abode under the verandah opposite the "Guardian' oftice, but subsequently sought their hives. . The Wellington Land Board on Thursday dealt with « application* for Iho purchase of-private In mis for forms, and also dwellings,..under Section 2 pi the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, 1917.

There were six, discharges -from convalescent homes in the twenty-four hours ended at! noun yesterday. The Seamen e Insliiulv. with vacant Jteds, was the oniv lemporary hospital reniiiinin" open. From it one patient was discharged, lie number of vacant beds in the convalescent homes at noon yeslcrday was as under.—Oriental Bay, 13; Wellington South, 15. ' ; ■

At the extreme age of 106 years, Mr. William Smith, who came out to Sydney in 18113, died in tho Old Colonists' Home, North Filzroy, recently. . Mr. Smith was born in Devonshire in 181 L ,, and came to Australia when 21 years of age as botanist with an expedition sent out in the ship Kattlesnake, commanded by Captain Hobsoii, to explore the country west of Port Jackson. Up stated that."Smith s real nauifi was John Uoberts. and that he was related to the bite Lord Uoberts.It was generally suspected that a Chinese storekeeper' who died recently at Kahotu had a hoard of money oil the premises, and accordingly close watch ivas kept on the premises after his death until such time as it.was possible to have a search among his belongings, (says au exchange). This search, it is reported, resulted in the sum .of .£2BO being discovered in deceased's bedroom behind a, box. The money, which comprised fivepound and pound notes,,. sovereigns '(.15). silver and copper, was all neatly and methodically arranged, each denomination being carefully placed in separate envelopes.' '.. , '

A'special meeting of the--Wellington Drivta , -.' Union will lie lield in- 1 he. Trades Hall, 1215 Vivian Street, on Sunday'at 2.30 p.m.