LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 79, 28 December 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It is stated in Wellington Hint it is unlikely that there, will bo anything ;iew to report in connection with the snips Moeraki and Manuka, delated at Sydney until after the holidays. "'

The perennial yroblem as to how many drinlcs a man can consume before he is drunk cropped up in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. "I had a little brandy and port wine," replied a defendant to the inquiry as to whether ho was intoxicated on Thursday. "Yes," remarked Mr. Frazer, "but were you drunk?" "Oh, no," answered the n,an confidently, "1 was not what you call 'drunk.'" "Very well," observed Mr. Frazer, "we hail better go through the catechism, as he says he was not drunk." A policeman gave evidence that the man was' brought into a police station in a drunken condition. The witness said he was satisfied that the man was under the influence of liquor, so much so aa to be declared "drunk." "Aro you satisfied now Jhat you were drunk?" asked Mr. Frazer of the accused after the policeman had left the box. "I had only about five nips of brandy and 'port wine," stated the accused. "Well that is enough for anybody," said Mr. Frazer. "Fined 55., or twenty-four hours." The accused then left the box satisfied that he must have been drunk.

At the close of the service on Christmas morning the elders and of Knox Church, Lower Hutt, waited upon their minister, tho Kov. Jamea M'C'aw, and on behalf of church members and friends Mr. AVilliamson, session clerk, presented him with a cheque for

MO as n mark of appreciation of Win work of Mr. ami Mrs. M'Caw and tho affection and regard in which they are both held by tlio community. Mr" and Mrs. M'Caw intend going for u holiday during tho month of January.* As the result of a collision between a poods , train and n v«n at Geelong two returned soldiers and a boy were killed. —Press Assn.

Tho following official wireless message has been received at Sydney by tho American Consul-General, Mr. Britlain: "Now York.—Chemical engineering laboratories at Columbia University announce a perfected new drying process by which meal: and lish can be kept indefinitely, and then restored to their former stale, of freshness l>y the. implication of water." It is believed that this will increase the world's meat shippint; capacity more than twelve limes, making refrigerators unnecessary. A boy named .lack Lanvood, seven years of age, who lives *it 4 itigesf.ro Street, was picked up in nil unconscious condition in Oriental Hay yesterday afternoon. Tie was admitted to the Children's Hospital at 5 p.m., and was found to be suffering from concussion. Tlio police authorities knew nothing about the accident, and it was not known at the Hospital how the child came by his injury. Wriiy- to a Wellington friend. Mr. TTukl/j. Ward, a director of J. ('. Williamson, Lid., Siiys:—"You havejiad a lerriblii timo in New Zealand. At'prcsent we art! making a great buttle to keen it out. of this country—if they .succeed it will he a great achievement. II; will be a lunj; time licioiv we roallv know if they have been successful. If it breaks through Hiere is only one thing lo do, that is. to he real citizenand close m> every place in which crowd congest. I know, for my own part. ' will be the tirsl if noces-ary lo sugijo'-' tliis being done. 1 think the war has him , ' us much. Philosophy and decency of r Icntioii regarding others is the lesso , 1 am sure, many of us have learn" nnd all businesses should ronn;>iisr> (!' : and cheerfully lose, if they can save ' ■ person being infected with this Ir-rr! 1 disease."

The Wellington South Influenza Convalescent Home, Rintmil Street, will, lie dosed on Monday. CVrristmas Day in the institution was marked by a joyful dinner for both patients and staff. The dininghnll and tables were prettily decorated, and an excellent meal was provided. The thanks of the patients an , tendered to Lady Liverpool for flowers; Mr. Luke (on behalf of the llpidcmic lielief Fundi, .Siflj Captain Gentry, A.S.C., providing tin , dimiur; Dr. I'cHiins, cigarettes; Miss Gibbons, Lyall Bay, flowers; Jfr. (.'lirfajio, (lowers; Niirso Russell, entertainment in the evening. Lust night a Y.'VY.O.A. concert party gavo a. bright entertainment in tho hospital. Private Dalaghcr, who was accorded a welcome home at- (.'rovdon (says the Malanra "Ensign"), is sonn-tliing "out of the common run of "our ••eliirnetl boys." In fact, it is doubtful if any other private of his age Tias gone to the front from New Zealand, or any of the overseas dominions. He does not look his ycai'-i, and his tough, wiry frame withstood all the hardships of trench life successfully. He wa.s born at Bergen, Norway, ft> years ago, but when a lad removed lo Scotland, settling down at tho town of Stevenson in Ayrshire. Eventually he migrated to, Australia and came over to .\'e»- Zealand some 'Iα years ago. A student of history, his knowledge of the true inwardn?ss of the German inena.ee impelled him lo enlist, and he proceeded to the front with the Fourteenth Reinforcements. 'His real age coming to light on shipboard, he was olVci-ed a job at the base in ''Blighty, but he managed to get into the firingline, and there he remained until recently returned home against his will as "over age."

A driver named Norman Olsen, who resides in !) Epuiii Street, was riding a horse in South Makara yesterday afternoon, when the. animal stumbled and fell. Olson was thrown oft', and in its struggles to stand up the horse trod upon the left, side of his face, inflicting serious injuries. Tho services of a motorcar were obtained, ;nid tho man was brought into the Hospital, where ho was ndinitt'ciT at 8.30 p.m. in an unconscious condition.

With a view to the introduction of the new army system of. physical training into tho secondary schools, a special class of instruction attended by secondary school masters will bo held at Trentham Camp next month. The. class, which will be conducted by Captain A. W. Brocks, ivl.C, Chief Instructor in Physical Training and Bayonet Fighting in tho Expeditionary Forces training camps, will lie attended By 32 masters and officers of secondary schools, of whom no fewer than U will be from the Auckland Grammar School. The instruction will commence on January 8, and extend over three weeks, being similar to that which was imparted to the later reinforcement drafts before they left New Zealand. It is intended also to devote a good deal of time to the recreational side by the formation of games, etc., which develop agility as well as the sporting instinct, and at the same time make the training attractive and physically beneficial. Tho object in instructing the secondary school masters is in order that they may bo able to teach (lie secondary school cadets who, it is desired, shall devote more t'ine to physical training than hitherto.

Notification that a, refund of extra war risk premiums will bo made- to every soldier returning from active service. ha'a been made by the Auckland branch of a well-known insurance company (says the "Herald"')- This company imposed an extra premium of MO per cent, annually on the policies of soldiers on nctive service taken out. during the war. The refund will not be retrospective as regjrds claims already paid, nor will any reluml be made where the Government lias paid the premiums. No notification of any similar refund has been made by other companies although all war-loading ceased on November 11, with the signing of the armistice. The extra premium imposed by other companies was from AT) to Jt7 10s. In the majority of cases no additional premiums have been chained on policies taken out before the war. Ji'ho malinger of tho Auckland branch of another company mentioned that his company li-.ul paid out .C'.oOO.CGO on the lives of sol'liors, having received only £100,000 in premiums. ■■>

Complaint concerning the- scarcity of New Zealand news in the wireless "mesHages received on troopship No. 193, which arrived at Auckland on Tuesday, was made by those on boaid the' vessel. When tlie transport was nt Panama the fact that influenza was raging in iv'ew Zealand was learned, but the only wireless mc-sages received from New Zealand up to Friday of last week were two linglish cable items, which the ship had received from another source a day earlier, and one concerning the weather from the Dominion Meteorologist. It was suggested by those on board transport No. 19!) that much of tho men's anxiety concerning the epidemic could have been relieved by information by wireless, while a budget of general news would have been welcomed.

Detective-Sergeant Andrews yesterday arrested a seaman belonging to' an overseas steamer on a char™ of having been implicated in the theft by some wharf labourers at Auckland of a number of coats, valued at £i'Z. The accused will be brought before the Jfagistrate's Court to-duy.

A fox terrier, which was aroused from slumber in the Magistrate's Court at Auckland one morning recently, showed his enmity at being disturbed by barking ferociously. A case was being heard at the time, <incl the untoward noise somewhat unsottled proceedings. The "Star" says the incident recalls a Court interlude which took place in Dublin, when the Right Hon. John P. Curran, K.C., was conducting a defence before a famous Judge. The two were invariably at loggerheads, so that sarcasm and caustic remarks woro sometimes exchanged- On this occasion, when Curran was addressing the jury, His Lordship interrupted by a significant reference to an outside noise—tho crowing of a rooster. When His Lordship was summing up, the clearly heard braying of a donkey was observed. "What is that noise?" said His Lordship. "Merely tho echo of the Court, Your Lordship," replied Mr', f.'urran. At another time His Lordshii. to stroke his pet, a Newfoundland dog, and Mr. Curran,- who was addressing the Court, resented this indifference on the part of the Judge. When he stopped His Lordship looked up, and told counsel to proceed. "I am sorry; I thought Your Lordships woro consulting," said Mr. Ciirran. who continued his address.

i Though all on board the Australia remained perfectly calm when the Commonwealth battle-cruiser collided with tho New Zealand in the North Sea on April 1-1, IMG, the incident was a thrilling one, and was followed by intense disappointment on board the Australia, which was in dock for some weeks afterwards and was thus prevented from taking part in tho Jutland Battle on May 31, 1910. Some of the circumstances of the occurrence are graphically described by Mr. Robert M'Carroll. of Unklewh (states the Melbourne "Herald"), who was an able seamiin on the. Australia at the time of tlio collision. "Wo were steaming at eighteen knots in the North Sp.a, and the nnticcboord Siiiil that wo wpro going to make a raid on C'uxhavon," ho says. "We bad joined the Fir>l Battle-cruiser Squadron, when a thick fog came up. About 1.30 or B p.m. 1 was having <i wash, when I lie ship shook from head to stern. I thought wo had struck a mine. T rushed lo the afterdeck, and heard somebody say. 'We've (Mil: her in two.' I (hen thought that we had run down a destroyer, and on looking over i lie side to see what had happened 1' noticed that we had a big list to port. The quartermaster piped, 'Close watertight doors,' and wo all ran to the coltision stations immediately. The .carpenters worked for their lives. Within lour minutes of (lit" tirst smack, which the Australia got on the bow, the New Zealand camo out of the fug again, slill .steaming nl about eighteen knots and heading straight for us. She struck the. Australia again, 1 his lime in flu- slnrbnard waist, boring it hole three feet in width by iibout fi'o feel or -.ix feet in length, and raiT.viim liwny our jiel-boums. Wo turned around, ami under utir imhi i".to:iiii ih-kI." for I,liip:'m'.>. Kerry. Xcxl morning I Ir.ul ii plimiw nl' tiie damage done. Tim boys' nxws dock was bent up as high us the table.", ■ml v.ipes iind lii Mrs inw brekfii. T!.o Vdiuiral's day cabin w;i* all splinters, lie side nl' rhe bow inis smashed lo a ■nilp, the ram was broken ami (he hawse "ipt's were bumped mil. The men look il quietly. We arrived in the l'irth of "tol'h on the Siuuliiy at J p.m., and al a.m. on Monday we went into dock al W.vcabtle."