LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 115, 8 February 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The libel action' Lieutenant Griersoil v. Dr. H. T. J. Thaeker, M.P., a claim for dCSOOO, has been fixed to commence at the Supreme Court oil Thursday next, February 13. Mr. T. Ncave is to appear for the plaintiff, and the defendant will bo represented by Sir ,Tohn Findlay. It is expected that the hearing will occupy a couplo of days. The B.M.S. Paloona, which will arrive at AVeUington on Tuesday next from San Francisco, is bringing 2485 bags of mail matter from the United Kingdom and America. Included in this there are 1372 bags of parcel matter.

Tho big transport Port Hacking, with 42 naval ratings belonging to Now. Zealand, arrived in the stream yesterday morning, anU will be berthed this morning, when the men will disembark and disperse to their homes. These men have been serving on H.M.S. Dorisj on the East India station and tho Persian Gulf, The men are all New Zealanders . who liavo been serving under iin arrangement between the New Zealand Government, and the British Admiralty,-and have returned to New Zealand t6 receive their discharges. The men are reported to lie in good health. As was the case last year there exists in Wellington quite an epidemic of sores among young children, that, whilst pot affecting the general health of those afflicted, aro not pleasant to see and aro difficult to heal. The outbreak- is not confined to any particular locality, but is fairly general throughout' tho city and suburbs. Tho sores should bo kept clean and a cooling ointment with disinfecting properties should be applied at suitable times. Consideration has been given by tho Trades and Labour Council to tho urgency of tho housing problem in Wellington, and a resolution lias been forwarded to the Government, suggesting that owing to the high jirice of building materials and'. the scarcity of dwellinghouses. workers' dwellings ehoul dbe constructed of timber , and other' materials contained in tho buildings at Trenthnm and Feat'herslon camps'.

At Thursday's meeting of the City Council it was decided to impose a penalty of 10 per cent, on all unpaid rates. This applies to tho rates for tne first six months of the current financial year, tho demands for which were issued in August last. The penalty cannot be imposed until a,lapse of six months and two weeks from the date of tho. issue of each demand which appears, on the rate paper. There is not n great deal of •money outstanding in -his way. Tho City Treasurer (Mr. C.-Collins)-has're-ported to the Mayor that rate moneys liave como to hand a little more promptly this year than for several years past. It was reported to the Lyttelton Harbour Board this week that "stop-work" meetings -of (ho Lyttelton Waterside Workers' Union were held in Coronation Hall, Lyttelton, on December 30 and January 6. such meetings being against the rules under which the use of the' hall was allowed to the committee of management. On the first of those two occasions the executive of tho union asked tho employers if the time were suitable. As there! wvrc- several vessels in port at; the time, and a great deal of work to be done, tho employers asked (ho union to defer tho meeting. However, the meeting was held at the original lime, and it lasted for about two and a half hours. In'the second case, in which the meeting, lasted for about iho same time, no intimation of the intention to hold, the meeting was given to the employers. The chairman of Ihe committee had urillen io tho union, pointing out. that the holding of these "stop-work" meetings was a breach ol ill!' eomlili'ms Under which Ihe hall was h"id. but he had not l-cceivcd a replv. The'board d'ri'lcd to refer the report lo Watersjders' Union, for an explanation. The 't'r.ulcs and Labour Council le.is noniiiwle'd Mr. If. I". C'nx as its delegate lo Ihe To--vm Claiming Conference, which opens in Wellington in May. iiiss C. W. Christie, national Icclurer I'm)' Ihe Theosophiral Society, will deliver an-address in tho society's hall, -Marion J-'trcet, 10-moriw evening at 7 o'clock,,i entitled "Kebirth the Answer.to the Eidii'e of-Life."-

is A request for the uso of a portion of a Anderson I'ark for the formation of ten,n "is courts has been refused by the City i Council, on the ground that owing to the absence of spaco there is- not room for the formation of such courts. When the Port Hacking, which arriv--8 ed at Wellington yesterday, berthed at Melbourne on January 28 ' a sensation 3- was caused when it became known that ic Major It. A.- It. Macplierson, oiheer in is charge of the troops on board, had been [C found dead in his cabin with a bullet wound -in his head, lie was a single 58 man, and enlisted in Tasmania in 191*1,; He was then 23 years- of age, and had at--11 laincd the rank of lieutenant. He was 1. wounded at Gallipoli, and olso in France. ,h .The finding of a military court which n inquired into the'circumstances was that Major Macpherson had inllicteil the . wounds.on himself while temporarily inn sane.- lie was very popular among the e soldiers on board. ■ c Mr. E. Sclnplo, 'M.F., wired Sir James IS Allen urging an investigation of tho l- flood losses at Stirling and Kaitangata with a view to compensation, and also for a report'by an engineer on the question of a possiblo prevention of a recurrence of the floods.—Press Assn. ' A narty of Earotongati soldiers from n Soiiies Island, were given a few hours! K leave in the city last evening, and atil: traded ; considerable attention by their e smart and" soldierlike appearance. The • brief visit to town was. much- enjoyed by the men; and opportunity will be given other parlies to -irclieve the mo--9 notony of their stay on tho island. Tho t- contingent includes several D.C.M. and •- military medallists, ami--, returns with a f fine record -■ of efficient service. It has ' been suggested that the citizens might \ bestir themselves to think up some en- " tertainment for . them while ■ they are f here. It'is understood that-some of theiiih will-bp granted Sunday leave. 1 The set of conditions "which the' City e Engineer reconimends should bo complied with in the use of patent' building blocks wilt bo forwarded to the Now Zea- '' land ' Instil iitc of Architects, which'body 1 will bo asked if it desires to express 'any 5 opinion on such recommendations. It falls to. the lot of very'' few 'couples Q' to bo "tin-kettled" after having ■'been - married for, a period.of two.and a half e years,' but tlius was tho distinction which - ■ r befcl'a'Eakaia pair; - The husband had ! just returned 'from-the front after being .absent for practically- the whole of his--6 married life. The' revellers were warm1' ly received. ■ ' '. ' ". ® . Early yestejday'morning a goods'train ■ S from; Mercer to Auckland shunted off S some wagons into tho Westfield Freezing J Company's siding, the train itself being in tho crossing-loop After tile 6hiinting was finished tho train resumed its journey.to Auckland, but fouled the wagons ' 'that had been placed in the siding. Tho impact: caused three of tho wagons to t be badly derailed. The wagons _ were - loaded with fat sheep, and about 25 were t killed. Tho sidings were blocked by tho - derailment, and a delay of about two hours to tho goods' train occurred. • The f cause of the accident 'was- a lurc'h in the _■ shunting.—Press Assii; .'| > . Advico has been received,at Base Records that No. 74,693 Pte,. Michael Joseph.' Counihan, an undischarged soldier, 3 died'at the Dunedin.'Hospital on, Febru- ! ary 2. Deceased was 30 years of. age . and i single, his next-of-kin being his father,- , Mr. John Counihan, North Eoad, Oam--5 atu. '■ i Tho police section of the Otngo branch I of the Public Service Association has deeided to ask tho Department for one day's 5 rest in seven, states a Press Association ! message. ! In the Dunedin Police Court, Arthur > Paiipe, licenseo of the Grand Hotel, was i charged .with permitting drunkenness on , the. premises. Evidence .was to the effect L that "a drunken''man' liad been ejected from tho hotel three times by a! bar--1 man, but came back unobserved, and lay 1 down on a seat, where lie was found by ■ the police and arrested.,. Tho Magistrate - §aid an important legal point was raised regarding tho licensee, who was on the , premises, but- was unaware of tho pres--1 enco of tho drunken man. He held that as the licenseo was on the premises there 1 was . no .delegation of authority to the . barman or the ibarmaid. and tho charge i was dismissed. As the man l.ad been ordered off tho premises ho could not see any permission of drunkenness on the premises by the'bai'man.—Press Assn. The Now Zealand Nntives' Association Band will play at Lyall Bay to-morrow (Sunday). Tivo interesting additions have been ' made to tho Old Colonists' Museum, , Auckland, through the instrumentality of, Mr. T, W. ley?. One is a largo iron ! pot-which.was formerly used on a wlialI ing vessel for trying-out oil. The pot ■ had been accepted by tho Maoris in the - early days of the settlement at Hokianga, in payment for 1000 acres of land. The second relic is a large cannon which in 1 1831' formed part of tho defences of the . \ fort established by Lieutenant Thomas M'Donnell,' 8.N., to protect the shipbuilding yard known as Deptford, at ! Foreke, which ho had purchased from Messrs. Eaino and Eamsay. The enrnon , was loaded and fired every New Tear's Day, up to recent years,, at the request of tho Natives who owned it. Upon the suggestion of Mr.. Leys, who had lvifj attention dirawn to the articles when visit- • ing Ilokianga last-year, negotiations were entered into for the transfer of the relics to the Old Colonists' Museum for safe custody, and through the efforts of Mr. Arthur' Potter, of ICohukohu; the Na- . tives of Utakura.and Horeke have now' donated the whaler's pot and cannon to the museum. Referring to the reported desire of tho Auckland branch of tho Eeturned Soldiers' 'Association to'enter the political field, Mr. D. J. B. Seymour, general secretarv for New Zealand, told a Christchurch "Sun" representative that such action was entirely opposed - to Hie constitution of the Ne\V Zealand E.S.A; "It is also entirely' opposed," added Mr. Seylnouir, "to the declared intentions of executive of the central body. It is not 1 clear from the Press Association message i just what action, is contemplated, ' but naturally such a -step would be liable to prejudice other associations in the eyes : of the public." Mr. Seymour said that ho had been, aware for some time past that a good deal of unrest had been > abroad among the returned soldici-a in -Auckland where the employment question ' was particularly acute,- In his opinion ; action of the kind reputed was uudoubt- ' edly an expression of impatience, at the ineptitude of tho authorities in dealing with repatriation. "At the same time," 1 continued Mr. Seymour, "1 am sure that ( tho resolution as telegraphed (represents tho feelings only of a small minority of j returned men, and I hope yet that it will be reversed at- a subsequent meet- j ing." In conclusion, ho pointed out that ( if the intention of the Auckland branch ] were carried .out itr would involve the j bmnph's disaffiliation fro;n the New i Zealand E.S.A. . The importance of examining water t mains for leaks was demonstrated .at a f meeting of tho Ono Tree Hill Eoad < Board. 'Che engineer .reported that ho had discovered a leak in tho water system.by. < means of a sounding apparatus recently '| procured for the purpose of testing tho j mains. - The water had been escaping at j the rate of one and a half million gal- ] lons per annum, which, at ono shilling ] per thousand gallons, meant a loss to the ( board of ,£75 ill tho year. c The question of-the reinstatement ot ' returned soldiers iii the position they had s occupied when they enlisted, or were 1 called up, was brought beforo the Hon. ■! G. W. Russell' recently by Mr. A. ]?. ' Glover, M.l'., and the latter has recciySd : 1 tho following reply from the Minister:— 11 "I am in receipt of your- letter of Janu- J ary 2S, forwarding a communication from Mr. B. Gordon, Auckland, in which ho '' .asks that legislation' be introduced, rank- ' ing it compulsory for employers to re- 11 engago every fit mau"who lias left his employment lo serve his' country, and'who lias returned fvom the front, and desires t» take u)) his old position. In reply. I may slate that I will hnvo pleasure in.bringing this mailer beforo Cabinet, and will lot you,know the result at a later date, fi At tile last meeting of the Greater '' Wellington Town, Planning Association, u it was decided to wrilo the City Council i< asking it to submit any proposals for the oreclinn of lodging-houses they may at ti any time contemplate to the association. } The association points out that tho sub- 11 mission of -questions' of such nature is " .'often referred, to other bodies by tho jtenerol government, and it is considered f'lut the City Council would bo setting up a- jireeedent- that would be of dis- m tini't advantage-.to the council itself and li' tu-tlio cominunity. ris a-whole...- is-

af At the. conference of New Zealand ii- hardware associations, held in Welling;y ton at the end of January, a resolution' ie was carried unanimously that all returnjr ing soldier hardwaremen would find their situations open for them, an,d that they would lie reinstated in their old positions, Jj or others more suitable. m The Petone branch of the St. John Ambulance Association will, weathen' peril! mitting, hold ft swimming carnival and !ii life-saving demonstration on the Petone ot beach this afternoon. Tho Lyall Day le Surf and Life Saving Club will provide •i; a finfr" programme, which will givo the t- pu'liliti an insight into its very effective is methods. Tho Petono Municipal Band e. will be in attendance during the afterli ;noon. Tho Picton and Nelson steamer llapouie rikit did not sail for those ports at-tho ll " appointed hour of noon yesterday, tho lc reason being that two firemen wore needed to complete her crew. In tho hope es that-tho ?hip would get away, the time 10 of departure was postponed • from hour ta to hour, until at 8.30 o'clock last night jo tho Union Company officials had to a'liie nounce to nearly 200 passengers on board a tho vessel that she would not sail before 10 o'clock this morning. A careful search failed' to find the two men required-for S 1 the ship, and the sailing bad to be posti. poned. A better condition of affaire, it j r is hoped, will prevail to-day, and that ie the Mapourika. will sail this morning. Most of (he passengers stopped oil tho w ' sliip' last night. On Wednesday's trip j. the Mapourika was delayed,-for the same ,o number of firemen;-who were eventually id found, and she put to sea two hours, a bite. ,s A Labour Tally, tho first, meeting of it Hie national campaign of the New Zea!l" land Labour. Parly in the Wellington district, will be held, in tho.lving's.. I Theatre 'ii' to-morrow night (Sunday, February 9) at .8 'o'clock. Mr. A. Parlane, secretary :y of the Drivers' Union, and president of I- Labour Representation Committee, ig will preside. The speakers will be Mr. * H. li. Holland, J!:P. for Grey, and Mr. iy P. Praser, M.P. for Wellington Central y Among the questions to bo dealt with by the speakers ih their reviews of Labour's •policy in international)-'--national,'--and local politic.-i, will probably be till' Russian (iiiii German revolutions; Peace ! Conference, the industrial unrest in Eng- ! land and New Zealand (particularly- : tho " drivers' and railway engine drivers' dis--j! putes), the recent epidemic, and the pro- ' vision made for widows and orphans left by the epidemic, housing, repatriation, and 'other matters o£ urgent'importance.