LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 264, 4 August 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The criminal session of the Supremo Court will commence this morning. His Honour Mr. Justice Stringer will hear the cases.

Captain W. Maiming and Captain F. Black havo been appointed nautical assessors in connection with the inquiry into the Kowhai mishap, to bo opened this morning.

A servico to commemorate members of tho congregation of St. Paul's Church who fell in the great war was held last evening. The Rev. A. M. Johnson preached from tho following text: "Bo of good courage, and let us play the man fur our people, fo.r tho cities of our God, and the Lord (Jo what seemeth Him good." Mr. Johnson read a list of (lie names of tho fallen, who numbered fifty-five in all. Tho Bishop of Wellington was present, and road tho lesson. Tho sorrico closed with the rendering upon tho organ of Chopin's "Funeral March."

During the course of an address Mj T. R. Fleming (Chief Inspector of Schools in Otago), in referring to the kincmn, said it was a thing which could bo mado of great educational value. But could it be said that flia kincma aa we had it was of great value? True, the films wero censored, and soino of tho pictures wero good, but ninny of them tended to arouse excitement fur the moment, without any consideration of tho future effects, especially on young children. In his opinion the Stato would bo, quito justified in exercising a more rigid censorship and in making something niore than immorality the test of exclusion.— "Otago Daily Times." .House agents in Ashburton stato that at tho present time thero is not a uiiijjia houso to let in the borough, and upwards if a dozen tenants who aro in occupation' of houses have received notice to quit, aa they hsivo been sold. Uis stated that ono tenant lias sent his wife and family to Christchurch to live, ho himself going into board and lodgings. Another tenant has decided to send his wifo and family to tho North Island, while he will go into lodgings in Ashburton.

"Thero are a number of things wrong with this congregation," remarked Mr. E. S. Black, at the annual Meeting of tho Roslyn Presbyterian Church, Dunedin. "The firs; thing .is smug complacency. We are too well off and selfsatisfied." Ho went oil to ask that tho ladies of the congregation at their afternoon teas should give up gossiping about their neighbours aud start talking about. ■tho church. He hoped his remarks' would "get under |he s'tin," for he had' heard of things said about himself that liad astonished liiin. Mr. Mack somewhat took the edge off Irs critical remarks, however, by explaining that ho was merely anxious to waken the meeting up a little. "I hope I am not boring you," he said, "but I want you to talk about me when you go home, and have something ,tu talk about."—"Otago Daily Times."

Thefts from boardinghousDs,, usually servants' rooms, have been frequent in Eotorua recently (says tho correspondent of tho "New Zealand Herald"). A low days ago an alleged thief was caught by the proprietor of a boardiughouse, Mr. Tapper, his son, a returned suldior, and Sergeant-Major I'nnos Jones, a boarder. A trap was set in the servants' room by placing marked coins on a table. Mr. Tapper watched outside the room and tho others Loncealed themselves within tho room. During dinner time, when tho thefts were usually committed, someono eutered the room and took tho money. Tho light was suddenly turned on, and revealed a young Maori, who was overpowered and searched. Two gold rings were discovered, ono •reported to have been stolen from a bodroom in another lodging-house, and the other having been taken frem a house at Ohinemutu, Tho man was handed over to the police.

A Press Association telegram from Timaru states that tho Mackenzie County Council has commenced planting a Peaco Avenue on the Marine Road. Three miles have been done. Tho trees aro two chains apart, and fenced, the cost being defrayed by donations for tho purpose.

Tho exooutivo of tho Returned Soldiers' Association, which interviewed Ministers on Saturday, stated that it had prepared a scheme of land settlement for soldiers. It wished to place' this scheme before Mr. Massny on his return to Wellington, and hoped to arrange a deputation for that purpose. Sir James Allen said ho could undertake that tho Prime Minister would receive the deputation at a convenient opportunity.

Chief Inspector Fleming, in to examinations during tho course of an address, said that one oC tho worst evils of our educational system was Hie British system of examinations, a system wlrch as a tost of attainment was incompetent, and ono which crippled tho initiative of tho teacher. Examinations, ho proceeded to say, were necessary at certain intervals in order to tost progress, but an examination by pen and paper alone ivai at best an unsatisfactory test of attainment, even in language, and was positively absurd in science. It was, however, pleasing' lo nolo that tho authorities were fully alive to this f|iiestio:i, and that serious stops were being taken to clfect a remedy— "Olago Daily Times."

An unofficinl reason for tho delay in the issuo of the Allied war ribbon to soldiers who have served overseas is given in an Australian paper. It is slated that because of a leakage from tho War Office several firms made millions of yards of tho general service ribbon, aiid began to soil at a price altogether abovo value. The warrant will not bo signed until othor linns get supplies, and then competition, now absent, will rcduee tho selling prico. Eventually the official issue will bo mado gratis.

J he treasurer of (lie New Zealand Nurses' Memorial Fund has received a cheque for iIOOO froiu_ the Cbristchurch 'framed Nurses'' Association, this handsome sum beiirg the proceeds of a garden fete and other collections in that city (says an exchange). The capital of the Nurses' Memorial Fund has now reached the satisfactory amount of over ,£7OGO, and there is every prospect that the capital fund which this bene'icient association is aiming at—viz., ,110,000, will in time be reached. A pension was recently granted l|> one deserving case in the North Island, and it is understood that several applications for pensions will shortly come before tho committee.

The Durie Hill elevator was officially opened by the Mayor on Saturday afternoon, says a Press Association telegram from W'angnnui. This work is the biggest of tho kind in the Southern Hemisphere, and was begun shortly after the outbreak of war, and has been carried on steadily ever since. The tunnel, which is 700 feet long, commonces just across tho road from the town bridge, and an electric elevator then carries passengers 21Gft., when they ernergo at the flagstaff, a point known to tourists the world over, and generally recognised as affording one of the finest sights in the world. The elevator is tho result of the enterprise of Brigadier-General A. E. Wilson and Mr. W. J. Poison, who also are establishing a garden suburb on tho hill a few yards from tho elovator station.

Trial marriages aro to he tho thing of the future, according to Mrs. Lucy van Tynan, an American suffragist, writer, and lecturer, who is now in London. "I do not mean," said Mrs. van Tynan, in an interview, "that people will actually livo together, hut they will get to'deani ono another's habits and peculiarities as nearlv as possible before they aro actually married. An ideal arrangement, in my mind, would bo for engaged couples to livo under one roof for at least'two months before they were married. Then marriage would hold in store less unpleasant and fewer surprises. At a boardinghouse, for instance, one soon learns the habits and temperaments of one's fellows. There are very many unhappy marriages in the United States and in England, and I am firmly convinced that the main reason of this is that tho young people do not tako tho trouble to find out each other's true characters before the wedding day.

A State Department for tho marketing of fish, conducted as a business concern, is recommended in tho report of tho Roval Commission on tho fisheries of Victoria (says the "Australasian"). The Commission states that from the food point of view tho fisheries industry is a great public asset, which is not being properly utilised. In tho opinion of the. Commission the city council's fish market should bo taken over by the State,-together with all the cool storage chambers,, and tho cooling chambers at fish-producing centres should be purchased. Refrigerating chambers should bo erected at other fishing centres. A board, with equal representation for tho Government and the fishermen, should ho established, with au independent chairman, to fix annually tho wholesale prico of fish. Thj commission further lecommends that a trawler be purchased. 6rejtimj that a suitable steel trawler could be built at an approximate cost of .fiIG.OOO. Eotail shops should bo opened bv the State, says the roport, while inland towns should be given a regular State supply. Municipalities willing to undertake the distribution of fish should bo allowed to do so.

Tho (railway restrictions have now affected more seriously than ever the operations of the Milburn Lime and Cement Company (says the "Otago Times"). Tho works at Pelichet Bay wero closed down tho other day. As showing tho importance of tho industry it need only be stated that the Milburn Company supplies dl tho cement required in tho whole of Otago Southland, and also ships large quantities to ether part's of tho Dominion. Tho works at Pelichet Bay employed fifty-three' hands, and forty-four .'neii were put off, Thirtyseven of the men are married, and their dependants total ninety-three. Tho restrictions prevent the company froii; obtaining tho raw material required for tho manufacture of cement. Tho company puts out iii'Oiu 1500 to 1700 tons of anient per month, and as it is carrying .stocks, which will last only ono month, tho plight of builders at tho end of that time can easily 'bo imagined unless tho testrictions are Tcmovcd. A fortnight ago the company had to close down its Dunback lime works on account of the railway restrictions. The acting-man-asrer of the company (Mr. W. W. Mackcvsey) anticipated what was going to happen, and tout his hands at the Pelichet Bay works that they had better endeavour to seciao some temporary employment to tide them over till tho works could bo restarted. It is very regrettable to state, however, that the men are having the greatest difficulty in securing other employment.

The past year has becu one of gvcar, development and progress for tho Auckland Y.W.C.A., which has doubled its membership since last year (says the "N.Z. Herald"). The total number now stands at 2425. The senior department includes 901 members and tho girls' department 000. Regular mombers num ber 407 and sustaining members 157. An analysis of religious denominations, given at the annual meeting, showed that in the senior department two-thirds of the gir»!s were church members, the majority being Anglicans. Presbyterians ranked second and Methodists next, while practically every other denomination was represented. One-fifth of the girls lived in boarding-houses and 30 different occupations were represented among them,' thoso of saleswomen and stenographers outnumbering the others.

"It is my opinion that the returned soldier is falling away in the public estimation," said Mr. P. H. Watts, of Hamilton, at a meeting of the Auckland Rcturned Soldiers' Association, "aud I think one of the reasons for this is that lie is not concerning himself with anybody's interests but his own." The public, the speaker continued, wore recognising that the soldiers were restricting their action to themselves, and for that reason the soldiers wero not receiving tho support that they should. It was lime they gave up taking things from the public. (Hear, hoar.) If they did this they made themselves outsiders. Tho Speaker then vent on to quote from a report of tho Anglican Synod, in which it was stated that the returned ■ soldiers woro receiving too full a shairo for existing immorality, and that they should not be made tho scapegoat for sins that wero common to civilians. (Applause.) "I do not understand that the way you understand it," ho said. "No man would have dared to say outright that immorality had beeu brought into tho country by tho returned soldiers, but there are people who would say it by innuendo in such a way that it'is hardly possible to defend it." It was putting tho soldiers in a class by themselves, and they must not tolerate it. Referring again to tho acceptance of gifts from tho public, he said they were alienating themselves as long as they did this. "You are in groat danger of losing your birthright. The returned soldiers are tho vigorous men of this country, and if they are not to govern this country, who is? If you do not take tho opportunity now you cannot 1)0 quite certain that you will ever get the opportunity again." (Applause.) Ho urged them not to got into tho habit ot accepting things from the, public, but to. assort thomsclves, and claim tho position they had'rightly won.

A healthy absence of tho kind of raco prcjudico that is such an ugly problem in many parts of the world was shown at tho'meeting of tho Executive Commit too of the Returned Soldiers' Association on Tuesday night (says tho "Otago Daily Times"). Tho committee had before it for opinion and advice a motion emanating from tho Pn'lmerston North Returned Soldiers" Association, "That tho Maoris be encouraged to form an association and to be affiliated with tho New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association." Tho chairman (Mr. J. 11. Moir) said ho thought they ought to support tho Maoris throughout. They had worked very well on liul'lipoli, and ho understood that they worked equally well in .France. Anything tliev could do to encourage and support tho Maoris should bi»done. Mr. Calvert disigreed with tho proposal, on tho ground that it would have tho effect of excluding .Maoris from tho-whito associations. It would tend to division in their ranks, and ho thought the present method of working which gavo Maoris the same rights as their pakeha brothers showed the true sofdicrly spirit. On the motion of Mr. M'Nish, it was resolved: "That, as Maoris are entitled to tho samo privileges as other members of the N.7..E.F., they be encouraged to join tho locail association nearest to their homes."

A 6equol to tbo demonstration made outside a shop at the corner of Queen and Shortlana Streets on July 4, in consequence of the exhibition of the photograph of von Luckner, was the prosecution, at the Auckland Police Court, of the exhibitor of the picture, 11. W. Smith, for a breach of the'city by-laws by causing a crowd to assemble and obstruct tbo traffic on the footpath. _ It was stated by the police that tbo exhibition of the photo resulted in a number of-people collecting and demanding the removal of the picture, while others gathered about to watch the lomoiistratbn, and the traffic was held up for a time. Defendant stated that ho had put the picture in tho window to advertise the 6ale of the smaller photos of tho Gorman naval commander who had escaped from Motnihi, and when ho found that the exhibition of the photo was resented, he removed it. Other photos of the Game personage had been displayed previously without exception beiog taken, and he had no reason to anticipate auy suehaction as had been taken on this occasion. Tho justices, Messrs. A. P. Friend and P. J.'n. Ellisdon, decided that there was no intention on defendant's nart lo cause the crowd to collect, and thev dismissed the information—Auckland "Star."

The vicinity of St. John's O'.ub in Glasgow Street, Wangamu, was tho sceno of a daring case of highway robbery accompanied with violenco on Wednesday evening, shortly before 8 p.m., the victim being a lady who is engaged 'in business in Guyton 'Street (says the Wangamu "Chronicle"). It i - 3 her custom to carp homo each evening the day's takings in a handbag, and evidently the thief was aware of this fact. As is her usual custom, she turned into Glasgow Street fro*. Victoria Avenue, bur had not gone far jivhpii a man seized her forcibly, wrenched the bag out of her grasp, and rushed off. The lady was too upset to givo any alarm, but slio proceeded to a houso in the vicinity and related what had occurred. A small amount of money was in_the bag, but it so happened that on this- particular occasion she did not have the day's takings with her. Usually the vicinity of th® robber? is fairly well lighted, hut owing to the coal shortage, Glasgow Street and other suburban streets are now in complete darkness at night.