LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 51, 24 November 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A block of lnnd fronting Queen Street, in Auckland, has been sold at a littlo over <£GDO uer foot. The total purchase nrice was ,£33,500. Queen Street land is probably the most valuable in theDominion.

The. proprietors of tho I'oyal Picture Theatre, at Poxton, were lined .CIO on Friday last for showing without a license, contrary to the Municipal Corporations Act.

While in command of the island schooner Choisenl, Captain P. M. Land was washed overboard shortly after leavintr Suva on November 11 for a trip to an outlying island. Deceased was well known to many in Australia antf New Zealand as the captain of the Motnsa, which for years has run between Fiji nnd TVallis Island. The Motusa had recentlv been laid up, and tho fatal voyage was Captain Land's secontf trip in the schooner. He had traded about the croun for twenty years.

At the Pox ton Stipendiary Magistrate's Court on Friday, before Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., TV. P. Free was fined JJIO and costs for selling milk below the standard.

A very short sitting of tho Magistrate's Court was held on Saturday morning—as a matter of fact tho sitting occupied exactly CO seconds. For insobriety one first offender was fined 10s., tho amount of his bail; Charles TV. Higginbotham, with ono previous conviction, was fined 10s., in tho alternative -1-S hours' imprisonment, and John F. TVorster, with three previous convictions, was fined 10s., in default soven days' imprisonment, and, at his own request, a prohibition order was issued against him to be in forco for twelve months. Mr. E. Page, 8.M., was on the 'bench.

At a recent meeting of the Miramar Borough Council a r complaint was received that the harriers were creating a nuisance by scattering pieces of newspaper all over tho place, in such largo pieces that were liable to frighten Horses and other animals. Councillor E. ,T. Barnett, in deprecating this ma-nnor of increasing tho circulation of the papers, moved that the Harriers' Club be written to and asked to uso confetti instead of newspapers for their paporehases. The sugegstion wae not takon seriously.

On Saturday morning, the action brought by Alice Violet Fore-man in the Divorce Court for the dissolution of her marriago with Edward Alfred Foreman, at present serving a sentenco of six years' imprisonment for burglary, on the grounds of desertion and misconduct was concluded. The case was heard by His Honour Jl'r. Justice Ilcwking and a jury of Yi. After a retirement of about half-an.-hour tho jury returned a decision in favour of the petitioner, and Jlis Honour granted a decree nisi, to bq mado absolute in three months. The petitioner was granted tho interim custody of the child, who is at present in St. Mary's Homo, K-arori. The child is not to bo removed out of tho Dominion without the order of tho Court. Mr. O. C. Mazenfiarb appeared for tho petitioner, who was granted her costs.

Air. E. Wellwood Joyce, who is leaving for London shortly to assume the position of second in eomuianri of the British Imperial Antarctic Expedition, went down to tho Barrier with the first Shnckleton Expedition in chargo of thu dogs and supplies. His knowledge and instinct in the management of dogs—on which the lives of a party may depend— was shown in the course of his narrative, of the last tragic journey of 1800 miles over the ice in laying out tho caches of food in anticipation of Shacklelon's transcontinental journey (via the South Pole), which was never made. When that expedition returned to New Zealand three of the :logs were presented to the- Zoo at Newlown, viz., Osman, Bitchie. and Towser. Of these, Osman has died. Towser is an old dog, but Hitchie. who was looked over by Mr. Jovoe Inst week, was pronounced to bo in irood eonditoin, and 'ho explorer has iisketf uermission of the City Council \o be allowed to take him down to the Antarctic next vcar with the Cope Expedition, which permission has been granted.

Yesterday morning a. largo congregation gathered in St. Mary's Church, ICarori, when the Bishop of Wellington, Dr. Sprott, dedicated a memorial window to the glory of God in nwmory of the Into Mr. H. Caldwell. The subject of the window is the Good Shepherd, and was mndo by Messrs. Smith and Smith (Dunedin). The Bishop took as hie text Psalm 23, verses 1(o 4. His Lordship began by referring to the good work of the lalo Mr. Caldwell. This w«s ihe second ocasion on which ho had come to unveil a memorial to a faithful servant of the Church. He mentioned that the window had not been merely presented by the relatives, but by the friends of the lale Mr. Caldwell and by Members of tho parish. This spoko of unity and friendship amongst, tho members of tho parish, and he expressed the hope that this friendship would be also shown in other parishes. Tho memorial window stands on the south shlo of tho church. Suitable hymns and psalms wore sung during the service.

A keen Palmerston North gardener has had a peculiar and painful experience, lie was sorting out his seeds and came upon an assortment: of primulas. Those lie rubbml thoroughly with liii hands, and, becoming hot in the exertion, wiped his forehead with his palm. That evenin? his hands and head swelled to abnormal proportions, and ho suffered violent pain. A doctor who was called in at once diagnosed primulas (is tho cause, nnd blood poisoning as the trouble. Tho result was thai: the gardener spent several days in bed.

Conflicting by-laws in connection with pillion riding wero disclosed when a, case was called at the Magistrate's Court, Cliristchurch, on Friday. Sub-Inspector Mullany stated that a side-chnir was attached to tho motor-cycle, an extra passenger being carried behind on the seat of tho machine. Tho Magistrate, Mr. V. G. Day. said that on a previous occasion a similar charge had been dismissed when it was held that, pillion Tiding was not an offence providing a. side-chair was attached to tho motor-cycle. Tho siibinspector said that according to the seclion under which the present charge was laid, it wns an offence to carry a passenger, exeent on i<. side-chair. The Magistrate: "If Ihe by-law is unreasonable it is not an oll'eiice." Mr. T\ W. Johnston stated that tho subject was at present being considered by tho By-laws Committee- of tho City Council. Tho case was adjourned for two months.

An attempt.to create a cycling: record between the Christchurch Post Office nnd Governor's I]ny and 'back was made on Friday morning by George V. Goodall, a well-known local cyclist. Goodall set out nt C a.m., Afr. A. S. Pearson acting as timekeeper. The time for the journey, a distance of about 16 mile;;, was 1 hour 20 minutes. The over-night vain, made the rond over the hills very heavy, nnd tho rider was confident that with good conditions the time could be reduced considerably.

With the loss of tho coastal steamer Tainui still vividly fresh in the mind'' of everyone throughout tho Dominion; the least to be expected in future handlings of benzine eniT" is some form of official supervision. Hut even tho tragedy of the Tainui does not seem to have tniijlit tlio le?fon expected (says (lie Grcymouth "Evening Star"). Tho Wainien arrived at Greymoiith recently with a cargo of benzine, and during; the uuloadini,' from the vessel to the trucks several cases wore found to be leaking. The work proceeded without any apnarent concern, in spile of the fact Hint under one truck <•. m'owinir mml of benzine wiii noliceabl". All that was rcnuirrd In brinij about a conflagration wns the careless droppiiig of a match, or tho spark from a passing engine falling on to the wjiarf.

Intending visitors to Day's Bay will he pleased to know that a "shelter" shed is at jiri'seiil in eoinvsi! of construction on the wharf. When completed it. will bo a spacious building, :uid will bo «|ipreeiated by both resident-; and visitors.

Tho secretary (if the lVtone District High School is desirous Unit the names of all young men educated in Mono who .served with the Forces be sent lo him so that Iho holl of honour may bo completed as soon as possible.

Tho consignments uf American motorcars impelled intii the JJominiun seem to grow larger with each vessel Unit reaches port. On Thursday the l.uitriiu arrived aI; Auckland from is'i.-i. l'ork with about JiOU motor-ears for iV.v Zealand. Of this number 71 cars, including five motor lorries, are for Auckland. She has brought <ilso •-'« motor-cycles and several cases of tyre* and motor-car repair parts for this port, in addition to these heavy consignments fur tho Dominion the vessel is also carrying 300 cars of various makes for Australia.

A decision to form a. Now Zealand Soldiers' Association for all men who wore tho King's uniform in tho great war, but did not le;-.vo New Zealand, was reached at Auckland on Thursday. The opinion was expressed that tho extension of the gratuity to voluntary workers was a/sUity in the right direction, and that it should be further extended to cover all homo service men. Letters were read from home service men at Kotorua, Hamilton, Cambridge, and elsewhere expressing sympathy with tho movement, and agreeing lo back up any action taken lj.y Auckland, and also promising monetary assistance if required. A committee- was appointed to draft object* and rules.

Tho Mayor of Petono (Mr. J. TV. M'Bwan) acknowledges the receipt of ,£C 3s. 7iil. for tho Memorial Pund, this sum having been .realised from the exhibition of tho whale recently caught at ketone.

Tho suggestion that private boxes nt the General Post Office are unsafe in consequenco of thieves "evidently (having skeleton or duplicate keys" is refuted by tho Postal Department. Tho Postal ofhcials slate in connection with i.he recent theft of cheques representing .£l!700_ and postal notes worth lifts, from ono private box that tho boy lost the kay, and had possibly left it in i.ho lode. As soon as the loss of the key was reported, tho Postal officials changed the lock, the theft, however, had occurred in the meantime—in tho interval between the loss of fclic key and Oho pulling on of the new lock. The Posfal officials state that the lock used is tho Chubb lock, and in no caso hns it found another key which would fit a Chubb lock, though thousands have been tided. The safety of tho lock also is evidenced by the fact that since it was introduwd there liave been jio complaints from privato box-holders as to tho \iso of duplicate or skeleton keys.

The Land Purchase Board has acquired from Mr. George RuMierford the Waitohi Peaks estate at J[edl>ur.v, North Canterbury, for soldier settlement. The property comprises 0000 acres of pastoral land, and the work of subdivision'will lie put in hand nfc once.

Wellington College Old Boys are reviving their annual "Old Boys' Day" on Monday week, December 1, St. Andrew's Day. The function will bo held on tlio College grounds. There will be cricket, tennis, swimming, shooting, and running matches between old find present boys. Many prominent old hoys will bo taking part', including Sergeant Wilson,' holder of the English 120 yards championship, who recently returned from the front. The attention of old boys is called to an advertisement! in our columns.