LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 113, 6 February 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

To-morrow morning, at 10 o'clock, His Honour Sir Bassett Edwards will hold a sitting for the purpose of settling the civil list of cases for hearing at the next sitting.

At a public meeting in Christchurch last evening, states a Press Association telegram, it was decided to hold an industrial exhibition' this year, and a committee was set up to make preliminary arrangements.

The new agreement between the Union Steam Ship Company and the Merchant Service Guild will lie ratified in the Arbitration Court at Wellington. The agreement extends over a period of three years.

One of the biggest land transactions handled in the Wairarapa for some time past was completed yesterday (states iiiir Masterton correspondent), when Mr. A. P. Whatman's Abbotsford estate, about eight miles from Masterton, and comprising 2005 acres, was sold to Mr. H. T. Hume, of Lansdowne, Masterton.

Amendments have been made in the regulations governing the taking of the votes of the soldiers of the ExpeditionaryFarce in the coming special licensing poll on April 10., It is now provided that two scrutineers must be appointed, whenever it is practicable to do so, at each polling place in the United Kingdom, but that no scrutineers shall be appointed to any polling places except in the United Kingdom and in New Zealand. There will be no scrutineers in Egypt, and no scrutineers for the voting that will have to be done on shipboard.

"Can you account for land in the North Island increasing in value so much more than South Island land?" was a question put to a Masterton farmer by an "Age" representative. "Yes," was the prompt reply, "the South Island farmers have come north and taught the northerners how to farm."

In the Supreme Court at New Plymouth, before Mr. Justice Chapman, the jury disagreed in the case of Albert Charles Ogilvie, charged on three counts with cattle-stealing. Samuel Edward lloyle, a Harbour Board employee, was acquitted on a charge of stealing sail canvas from the wharf—Press Assn.

A general brightening up of labour conditions in Auckland is reported to have taken place since the holidays, and there is little indication of ' unemployment in any particular, trade. The carpentering trade was one of those which suffered most severely during the war. but inquiries mado indicate that there is not any widespread unemployment among carpenters at the present time. Neither does there appear to be any acute shortage of labour for farms, the release of larßO numbers of men from camp having undoubtedly relieved the position in this respect. Comparatively few men aire offering for general labour, . and the jobs where they are most wgently wanted am thoso which the men are least inclined to undertake. There is a strong disinclination to work in Auckland's out-nf-the-way places, and the important public works now going forward are consequently being retarded by shortage of labour. ' ■

Forty-one sharks pulled ashore on one hook was the' cntoli of a fisherman on the Marine Parade, Napier, recently. The real catch was a tiger shark,; which, on being opened, was found to contain 40 veiling sharks, averaging about l2in.

At the Supreme Court, Auckland, yesterday. Albert Morine, charged with manslaughter at Naike, having gouged out the eyes of an infant child, was found to be'insane, and was committed to an asylum.—Press

The charge of assault nhd causing actual bodilv barm Dreferred a.eamst Michael O'Brien, in ,the Supreme Court, partly heard on Tuesday, and adjourned until yesterday morning, had to be further adjourned until this morning, owing to tho fact that a certain witness recmired by the accused was not present, the police not having, been able to communicafo with him.

At a meeting of the Hawera Returned Soldiers' Association a land bureau department was formed, to assist returned men to settle on the land. A land agent's license has been granted the association.— Press Assn.

Letters received yesterday by the Riverina state that the Moeraki on arrival in Sydney from Wellington was quarantined for seven davs. thoush she was a "clean ship." In Sydney all the theatres were closed, and' the people were wearing masks. The traffic behveenthe States had been stopped; in the West they ordered tho passengers (from the Eastern States): to leave the express at Kalgoorlie, and placed them in quarantine for seven days. On account of a shortage of firemen, only three of tho Moeraki's boilers were used, and the passage was a slow one. The weather across was delightful.

it the Christehtirch Supreme Court last week nrobftte was granted by His Honour Mr. Justice Herdman in the wills of the late Dr. Diamond and the late Ueutonant-Colonet (Dr.) T. 0. Guthrie. Dr. Diamond's estate was valued at ,ji;7200 and lieutenant-Colonel Guthrie's at .£15,000.

Malarial fever played- havoc with the Now Zealand troops in Palestine, according to a returned soldier, who states (says the Wairarapa "Age") that a division of twelve hundred men was reduced to two hundred in a very short time, by mala-' ria fever, and of those smitten about one hundred and fifty died.

Members of the council of the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce relieved tho strain of, consideration of business problems at a recent meeting by recounting their experiences with the long-distance telephone. Most members had something to say, about delays in getting connections with outside towns, and frequent cutting-off when connection was once established. One member topped the score by remarking that he had asked for Patea and succeeded after a two-hours' wait in getting Wellington. The speakers looked upon tbe matter quite philosophically, and remarked it was no use saying anything, as it was a matter whioh time alone would remedy. It was generally agreed that it was not always the fault of the local exchange, and one reason might be an overtaxed line.

The catering arrangements in connection with the forthcoming hui at Gisborne, when the draft of Maori troops arrive, will be on a large scale. It is estimated that, on military allowance, 37501b. of meat will be required daily, together with 2000 loaves of bread, 1201b. tea. 9001b. sugar, 1001b. salt, and 30001b. vegetables. Seating will 1m provided under cover for five hundred at one sitting—for the troops and Maori visitors —whilst it is also intended to erect a luncheon and tearoom for European visitors. '

A visitor in the basement premises of Messrs. Harrison and Gash, coaohbuilders, at the Newmarket end of Khyber Pass, Auckland, had a surprise and n miraculous escape on Tuesday. The firm stock benzine, and the visitor, being of an inquiring turn of mind, peeked about a 400-gallon iron tank that had been used to contain benzine, but had been empty for several months. It had been out of use so long that nobody could possibly have been suspicion's of harm when tho visitor dropped a lighted match into it to see how it was made inside. He was j.ust about to bend over the cylinder when it exploded, and-its top was blown past his head and through Hie floor of the garage above, doing no damage except to the flooring and frightening nobody more than the visitor himself.

At a meeting of the Christchurch committee of the Belgian Relief Fund the secretary reported that after paying ■MOOO to tho Belgium Orphans' Fund there was a sum of .£3470 lis. *ld. in hand, to which about *6UO would be added in interest. It was decided to close the fund and transmit tho amount through the Minister to London.—Press Assn.

Concerning the cancellation of an appointment as Inspector of Fish in the city of Auckland, Mr. J. F. Dickson wiote to the Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of Public Health, asking why that was done. The letter further declared that from the point of view of the general public the position now is that bad fish can be sold, as there is no inspector to decide whether fish sold in the city is fit for human consumption or not. The appointment of an inspector of fish was a principle that had been strenuously fought for by the fishermen, and the position was now destroyed without even tho fishermen being given an opportunity of giving (heir views in the matter. Surely the public interests should also be conserved, as it was as essential that the public should receive good fish as that it should receive' pure milk and good meat, To this letter the Minister has replied, saying that the Auckland fish inspector was really an officer of the Auckland City Council, but in order to give him the necessary powers, he wTis appointed a fish inspector under tho Sale of Food and Drugs Act. The City Council had. decided- to change its method of inspection, and would not require his services in the future. Therefore, at the request of the council, and on tho recommendation of the district health officer, Auckland, the appointment under the. Sale of Food and Drugs Act was cancelled.

At Ihe Hamilton Police Court yesterday Frederick Edwin Abbott, a drover, was charged with stealing two head of cattle at Botokauri, the property of Patrick O'firien, farmer, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trialPress Assn.

Matters arc quiet at present, reports the officer in charge of the men's employment bureau in Glmznec Street. For the past week or so, less employment has been offering there than for any previous week in the past twelve months. The demands for -work are- not ■ very 'heavy, but they are on the increase.

A common juror who failed to answer to his name when the jury was empanelled at the Supreme Court on Monday morning attended yesterday, and satisfactorily accounted for his absence. The fine of 40s. which had been imposed was remitted. <

During the Tecent flood the Ashtmrtcm River opened a fresh outlet at the mouth, and is now running into the sea just below the fisliintf huts. Members d the Acclimatisation Society have added to'the protective works, which.will keep the river from further encroaching on the land round the huts. Picnic parties are new able to reach the sea without walking some distance to get round what was formerly a big lagoon.

A nroT»=«l has been made, by Mr. H. (i. Ell, M.P., that the shipping difficulty between New Zealand and Australia should be dealt with by the Governments of the two countries combining to run three or four large, fast steamer* across Ihe T:\sman Sea. The services, he says, would bo mutually advantageous in regard to the interchange of goodsaud produce, and v;ould nut this Dominion into closer touch wit.li the Australian nopulation, in that way encouraging a large tourist traffic.

Notificalion has just been received from the Education Department that at the examination of the City and Guilds of London Institute, held in 1917. Miss Neiee Todhunter, a nupil of the Christchurch Technical High School, was awarded a bronze medal for rookerv, while Miss Janet Shaw, a student in the home science department, was awarded a eilver medal. This is the first occasion on which such distinctions hove been won in Christclvurch. The Education Department has been informed by the histitvte that the bronze medal cannot h° supplied at present owing to the difficulty in obtaining tho necessary copper.

The death of Mr. C. M. Hill, the aviator, who was killed in Christchurch on Saturday by his machine collapsing, recalls (says a southern contemporary) that of 'Mr. Lorraine, who some rears ago lost hia life outside Godley Head by his balloon being carried out to sea while he was giving a public exhibition, witnessed, like that or. Saturday, by great crowds in the city. He tried to desce-H by means of a. parachue. which would not work. The ascent was witnessed by his wife, and the body was nover recovered.

A Christchurcli resident who invested in one. of the many pineanples which at, present grace the various fruiterers! window? made the unpleasant discovery o» unwranping his purchase at 'dome that he 'had been carrying about -vith him a, vicious-looking scorpion about an inch in length, which had apparently conic from overseas in a shipment of fruit, and escaped detection by "lying low" in the cluster of leaves at the top of the pine. Needless to say the unwelcome intruder did not long survive its discovery.

Trouble over disturbances created by nmnll boys at the King George Theatre. Lower Hutt, led to an : action in the local Magistrate's Court yesterday, when the manager of the treatre, H. Rowell, was proceeded against on a claim' for i! 10 damages for a slap on the face which, it was alleged, be had administered to a vouth named Hector Slater. The evidence went to show that considerable annoyance bad heen caused tn the defendant by the behaviour of the small boys, but that on this particular occasion in question, it was alleged, the complainant had suffered for the sins of others. Tho Magistrate, Mr. Frazer, remarked that H<well had evidently acted on the impulse of the moment, but he had no rightto strike tho boy. If the boy were causing a disturbance he could be.' ordered out of the theatre. The boy's feelings had evidently been -hurt more than lits face, and his judgment would be for .£5, and Court costs amounting to £2 6s. lOd.

At a meeting of the Eastbourne Emergency Hospital Committee, at which Mr. Archibald Walker presided, and there were present Ma-. P. Levi (Mayor), Messrs. Renner, Sanson, Robertson, Reeve, and Hartridge, tbe following motion, proposed by Mr. Hartridge and seconded by Mr. Sanson, was carried unanimously:—"ln view of the announcement made by,the Hon. Minister of Public Health emphasising the desirability of maintaining the status of existing organisations, in case of a possible recurrence of the epidemic, it is resolved that the present committee remains effective, and pledges itself to make similar efforts, and do all it possibly can to carry on an energetic campaign should any epidemic break out again."