LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 267, 7 August 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The <lato of tho arrival of the bnttlecruiser New Zealand is still uncertain. Tho Acting Prime Minister (Sir .Tames Allen) staled yesterday that Lord ,lellicoe did not wish to leave Australia until ho hod met Mr. Hughes, who is now on his way hack from tho Peace Conference. A poll of ratepayers in Blenheim yesterday (according to a Press Association telegram) voted in Invour of a loan of .6110,01)0 for a gravitation water supply and drainage scheme. The voting was Mil to 206. Notice is given by tho Chief Librarian of the General Assembly Library (Mr. Charles Wilson) that recess privileges will ceaso as from Saturday next. AH ■b00k.6 inust 1m returned, before that date.

In tho Supremo Court late yesterday afternoon Laurence John Maloney was placed in tho dock to answer a charge of breaking and entering the Baptist Church in L'intoul Street with intent to commit a crime. Maloney is at present serving a sentence of two years' imprisonment with hard labour "for 'breaking and entering, and an additional term of six months' imprisonment for breaking lawful custody. It was while- ho was at largo that he got into the church. The caretaker of tho church, William Tomlin, said that ho knew the accused, who had previously been in his employ under the niuno of Murphy. Shortly before 8 a.m. on July 17 witness went to- tho church to clean, and whilst polishing a. window pano he accidentally pushed it in. Ho went round (o the side door with the intention of going into the church and removing the broken glass, when to his great surprise, as the door swung open ho saw Maloney standing in the doorway. When asked what he was doing in tho church, Maloney promptly answered that ho had attended a mission 1 sorvice, and as promptly bolted and jumped on to a passing tramear. It was ascertained from another witness that nothing was taken. His Honour Mr. Jus-tico Stringer, who heard the case, without calling upon Mr. T. C. Hislop, who appeared for the accused, directed the jury to return a verdict of not guiltv, His Honour remarking that tho mail was charged with breaking and entering with intent, which was a serious offence. "Ho did nothing of the kind," said His ■Honour. "Ho broke nothing and stole nothing. Ho may have been a devout worshipper accidentally locked in, and when the doors of the church were open in the morning he walked out." The jury returned a verdict of not guilty as directed.

A taxi-cab and an express came into collision shortly after 0.15 last night in Willis Street, just above Ghuznee Street. Iho express was driven by Samuel Anderson Short, of Hoiloway jioad, and the taxi was driven by William Mangeh. No one was hurt, but the two vehicles suffered considerable damage. Both shafts of the express- were broken, and the un-der-carriage also received sovero damage. The steering-gear and the splashboards of the taxi were considerably knocked about, while one of the wheels was also damaged.

The Mayor (Mr j. P. Luke) is in receipt of a letter from Mr. B. Burn (Mayor of Knrori) setting out in definite terms the conditions on which the Kn-T-jri borough is prepared to amalgamate with the city. What these terms are has not yet beer, divulged, but the matter will probably be considered carefully in committee, and brought before tho council at the meeting a fortnight hence.

On the ev,o of Ms marriage, Mr. L. A. Ludlow was tendered a' complimentary social by his fellow - employees of tho Scoullnr Co., Ltd. During the evening Mr. Menzies, tho nlanager, presented the guest with a silver entree dish, and in doing so spoke of the high esteem in which Mr. Ludlow was held by all members of the stall'.

Tho fortnightly meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took placo last evening, the president, Mr. 1. Meadowcroft, in tho chair. The inspector's report dealt with one horse destroyed, four with sores, one lame, two in poor condition, one reshoeing, one cow with a ibad foot. Subscriptions reived amounted to ,£5 14s. (id., including £1 Is. Dr. Ilardwick Smith, £1 Mr. E. Page, S.M.

Fifty soldiers who luv've lost both legs drove in'procession to attend the funeral of Colonel G. H. B. Coats, C.8.. a. survivor of tho march from Kabul to Kandahar, who had devoted tho last four yenrs of his life to tho welfare of limbless men at the Pavilion Hospital, Brighton, England. Behind marched ,100 men who have lost one arm. Tho path in the cemetery to tho gravo was lined by some 200 men with crutches who had lost one leg. A largo number of nurfes completed the moving . spectacle. Tho saluto over the gravo was fired by Canadians. Colonel Coals had the regard of every man in tho hospital, for which ho acted as president of recreations.

A German U-boat officer detained in the Tower of London on suspicion of having sunk hospital ships has been identified as Commander Keiscrwetter. He was one of the "dog-foxes" of the German submai'ino sorvicej that is, ono of tho boldest and most cruel officers, lie was in command of one of the U-boats interned in Spain which have been surrendered to France, and was on his way back to Germany with, as he claims, a si;fe-conduct from the French authorities. He was arrested at Falmouth.

A Press Association message from Waimate states that Thomas Lister, millowner, of Otaio, was fined .£5 for failing to supply, at the raiuost of tho Government Statistician, full particulars as to the quantities, classes', aud varieties of wheat thrashed by him. Under tho Census and Statistics Act, 1910, the maximum fino is ,£2O.

A meeting of the Hokitika Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening resolved to urge the Government to appoint a Commission, to iuclude representatives of banks, financial institutions, mining companies, and miners' unions, to recommend what way and to what extent the price of gold should Iw assisted (states a Press Association message). It was also Tesolved' that the recommendation mado by tho Board of Trade respecting tho control of production and distribution of coal has tho approval of die Chamber.

Tho main roll of the amended Wcstland Electoral District is now printed. It includes the town of Greymmtth, and contains 7931 names. Tho roll used at the licensing poll contained 58-14 names. —Pross Assai.

The youth Bert Aiding, who, with William Fenton, was found guilty in tho Supre;)ie' Court on Tuesday of being a rogue and a vagabond, and whom tho iurv recommended to mercy on account r -i his youth, was admitted to probation for a period of two years under special conditions by His Honour Mr. Justice Stringer in the Supreme Court yesterday morning. '

Tt is the intention of the Wellington "itv Council to mako provision for tlia Hush of tho milking season by instituting iv freezing plant in their Rahui factory at Otaki, from which district a good proportion of the city's milk supply is now derived. It is considered that in the summer time the provision of 6uch a v'.aut will be necessary, not only for tho coolin-* of the milk. ]>ut for "the safe keeping of milk products,'

The New- York home of . ex-Senator Clark, tho Copper King, is undoubtedly the most remarkable house in the world. Covering something like. 17,000 square feet of ground, tho orectiou cost over .».'2 0110,000. In the basement is a huge ftwiming bath lined with the finest Carrara glass, the floor being marble. The remainder of .the basemont is occupied bv an electrical plant, which heals the house and supplies it with 10,000 electric lights Thorn are in addition thirty bathrooms—about one to 'every bedroom. Tho pictures, rugs, tapestries, and priceless art treasures arc. unrivalled; but what makes it ui.iquo among tho many private palaces of American millionaires is the solid bronze in the windows, doors, balustrades, and finishings.

Michael Purcell, who pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Ccurt, Napier,;on July '22 to a charge of theft froiii a. dwelling, was yesterday sentenced to twelve mouths' imprisonment by His Honour .Mr. Justice Stringer. Purcell had several previous convictions for drunkenness and other offences ami was sentenced in IM7 to three months' imprisonment for being an idlo and disorderly neison.

Parents of children in private boarding schools situated at some distance from ll'oir homes have boon notified by the principals that the railways will not earn- (lie children homo at holiday time. This has caused something like consternation in somo homes in the Wellington '(.'•strict, as, naturally, both parents and children look forward with pleasure to such intervals in the course of tho childrci'.'s education. • In the case 'of Wellington children attending Hnwko's Hay schools, some parents are arranging to Ret their children home per motor, and others are looking to the M'okoin. to pick them un at Napier. In some eases arrangements will probably he mado for the boarding establishments to be kept Roiitg during the term holidays in order to meet the unusuai circumstances which f.rc influencing the Govevumcnt's railway policy.

The rains which have fallen uniformly (ivor the whole of the AVollington district during the past month hnvo been exactly oi' the variety which tho fanner appreciates. There is nothing so welcome to the wan on tho land at this season of the rear as stoadv, soaking rain devoid of violence. It is to these conditions that y>"o aro indebted for tho very appreciable improvement in the city milk supply. The milk is now coming in freely, and within another, fortnight, or three weeks the supply promises to be such Hint no one will need to worry any more so far as the current year is concerned.

Tho lion, treasurers of H.M.S. New Zealand Entertainment Ifuud acknowledge tho receipt of the undermentioned amounts: Previously acknowledged, .£9lB 7s. 6d.;' Associated Banks, .£SO;. J. D'uthic and Co., £2i; Shaw, ftavill. and Albion Co., ,010 10s.; Bank of New Zealand, JJIO 10s.; E. J. Hyams, Ltd., .£3 35.; V. Kiddiford, £h 55.; Dunlop Rubber Coi, £.b 55.; Sliarland 'and Co., Ltd.. £5 55.; C. 11. Young, ci.it; Magnus, Sanderson, and Co. .£5; D. A. Ewc'ii. £a; W. M. Hannay, £1 25.; 11. M. Gardnei. £1 Is.; D. Kobertson, £[-. T. K Corkiil. £\; total. .£1053 Bs. Gd. *

A deputation representing the AVcstport Harbour Board waited upon members of Cabinet yesterday to discuss tho financial position of the board. Tho Ministers present were Sir James Allen and tile Hon. AV. H. Herries, .the Hon. A. M. livers, the Hon. T. M. AVilford, the Hon. G. AV. Bussoll. and the Hon. AV. D. S AlacDonald. The deputation, which was introduced by Mr. Colvin, M.P., consisted of Messrs. AV. T. Sley and AV. H. M'lntyrc. The deputation made a full statement regarding the falling revenue of tho board and tho need for Government assistance. .The Government was interested already as tho guarantor of a loan of £200,000 'raised by the hoard. It was a matter of importance to the wholo country, moreover, that Westport should be kept open as a coal port. The deputation asked particularly for the repeal of section 109 of the Finance Act, 1915. under which tho board, which received a share of ordinary railway revenue, is denied a share of tho extra revenuo raised by means of war increases. Sir •lames Allen congratulated the deputation on the manner in which it had presented the board's case, and staled thai, the questionsi.raised would be considered by Cabinet as soon as possible.

The body of a mim vas found in tho Parliamentary grounds yesterday morning. Medical aid was immediately summoned, and after life had been pronounced extinct the body was removed to tho Morgue. It has been identified as that of George M'Kinty, ft wharf labourer, residing at No 202 Sydney Street West. Deceased, who '65 years of age, was last seen on Tuesday afternoon, and it is thought that whilst going through Parliament grounds lis might have slipped ami fallen with fatal results. An inquest wili lv held to-day.