LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 212, 2 June 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho nominal roll of details returning to New Zealand bv the Arawa is as follows: -Pto. W. H. Clark (next-of-kin, Mrs. M. Clark (England); Sapper H. R, Hnwkes (Mrs. E. A. Hawkes, Onehunga); A.S. J. M'Gownn (T. Tilsen, Otaria, Martinborough); S.S. G. Marsh (D. G. Marsh, St. Al'bans, Christchiirch); A.S. T. R. ■Roberts (Mrs. Roberts, Christchureh); Pte. T. Woollcy (J. J. Woolley, Kukuhia, Hamilton). The vessel is also bringing six other ranks.

A rather sharp shock of earthquako was felt in the city at 2.55 o'clock yesterday morning;.

A 6oaman on tho steamer Oanomis was removed to tine Christchureh. Hospital yesterday suffering from influenza (says a Press 'Association message- from Christchurch). Other members of the vessel's crow arc being kept ashore until their quarters have beenjliorouglily fumigated.

The high price of woollen goods in New Zealand was attributed by a dolegate at tho Auckland provincial conferonco of the Farmers' Union to "tho fact that the New Zealand woollen mills oould sell their output for export at fabulous prices." Tho Under-Secretary of Industries and Commerce stated yesterday that this explanation was not correct. Tho high prico of raw wool vns duo to tho export value, and the local fnctoriea bad to pay this price. But woollen goods, except in very exceptional cases, were not being exported from the Dominion at all. Tho factories had been uuablo to keop paco with tho demand within the Dominion and they had no surplus for export. The polling yesterday for the vacant seat on the Christchurch City Council rreulled m follows:—Edgar F. Stead (Citizens' Association), 745; C. Bonn (Lab' our), 304; K. Jloppy, 83.—Press Assn.

Darby's Buildings, Queen Street, Auckland, n modem block on an allotment with .13} feet frontage to Queen Street and Fort Street Lane, has iust been wild for the sum of £15,01)0. The block has a dopth of nearly 200 feet. It to situated a few doors nbovo Customs Street. After deducting the valuo of the building the price works out at übotit MM a foot.

That valuable pioce of unoccupied land with frontages to Lainbton Quay, I'c*. therston Street, and Grey Street, immediately to the north cf (he Union Bank of Australia, has been purchased by the bank from Mr. P. J. Griffin (\riio acquired it from the Rhodes Estate somo live or six years ago). Tho land has a frontage of 45ft. to Lamhton Quay by n depth of nbont 60ft., and has been enclosed by advertising hoardings for somo years past. The purchase price is ,421,000, which works out at .£SOO a foot, equal to 0£380,C00 per acre. Tho sale was negotiated by Messrs. George Nathan and Co. The section is to bo utilised for tho extension of tho bank's premises in tho future. Tho conference of the' Now Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association yesterday passed a remit from Wellington that in all appointments to tho Now Zealand Staff Corps commissioned officers of tho N.Z.Ei.F. should have equal opportunities, and members of the pre-war permanent 6tnff should not bo prejudiced. Mr. W. Perrv stated that seme members of tho formanent Staff had been promoted to commissioned rank in tho field, and since their return to New Zealand they had been compelled to revert te their n.c.o. rank. That was not fair. At the meeting of the Wellington branch of the Navy league hold yesterday it was suggested that four prizes should bo oiMotted to the Wellington Competitions this vear. for tho reciting of "Admirals AH.'' Tho suggestion came from Mr 9. Bradney Williams. The idea was to give two prizes of £1 nnd two of 10s., tho competition to be open only to members of the Navr League. Tho executive, approved tho idea. Mr. Justice Salmond yesterday remitted tho .-£2 fino that ho had imposed on Howard Henry Newton for failnro to attend .fov tho jury service. Tho juror satisfactorily accounted for his nonappearance on the previous day. Tho Turnbull Library In Bowen Street, the building and collection of historical works left to the people of New Zealand by tho late Mr. A. H. Turnbull. has been in existence as a Government institution now for some little time, but it has never yet been officially opened. It is intended that an official opening ceremony shall bo held on tho afternoon of tho Monday following the opening of Parliament fo( next session. The Karori Progress Association at a meeting held last evening adopted a set of rules and elected the following officers.—President, Mr. J, Caughlcy; vice* presidents, Messrs. A. Mackenzie and L. G. Porter; secretary and treasurer. Mr. W, Skegg; committee, Messrs. I. Sykes, J. Mills, S. T. Jeffery, W. T. Hildreth, and P. Martin. Tho association decided to meet tho Outlying Districts Committee of the City Council when that committee visits Karori on Thursday. Spokes-

men were appointed to advocate the provision of o, shorter tram routes, water, drainago, and gns sorvices, a public hall, and a new pleasure ground. An inquest into tho ciroumstnnces causing the death of AVilliam Coombs, who was killed through a' collision with a motor-lorry in Jervois Quay on Monday afternoon, will.be held "by Mr. W. Gr. Biddell, S.M., at 9.30 a.m. on Friday.

At last night' 6 annual meeting of the New Zealand Football Association, Mr. H. J. Buck asked if the council had any control over tho nomenclature of teams coming under its jurisdiction. He said that -!<e did not object to names such ns tho Hovers, but in Wellington there wero several teams called tho Stop-outs. Those kind of names were undesirable. It was decided to write to affiliated associations drawing their attention to the matter.

New Zealand institutions bavo benefited largely by tbo will of tho late Mrs. Lrniise D'Este Oliver, a sister of tho lato Lord Courtney, of Pemvithi states a writer in the "British-Australasian." Tho sum of ,£2OOO goes to tho Dunedin Hospital, a like amount to the Otngo University, and .£2OO to the Dunedin Hospital Guild. Mrs. Oliver was tho second wife of tho Hon. Bichnrd Oliver, JLL:C, of New Zealand, also of a Cornish family. He was a member of the executive in tho Whitaker Government of 1882, and Postmaster-General in 1881. Mrs. Oliver lived in England for many years before her death.

Tho fact that last year an averago of only 20.1 per cent, of the total claims for fees was collected by hospital boards throughout tho Dominion was adversely commented on by the Minister of Public Health (the Hon. C. J. Parr) in addressing the conference of hospital boards yesterday. This small percentage, ho 6aid, was not a matter for congratulation. Seme boards were more diligent than others in collecting patients' accounts. Sonio secured 16 per cent., others 17, 20, nnd 25 per cent., while one board collected 11 per cent., and another only 5 per cent. Others ap;ain collected 38 and 40 per cent. To his mind 20 per cent, wan not the truo measuro of the nbility of hospital patients to pay for their treatment. The whole quostion should be overhauled.

An interesting point was touched upon by tho Inspector-General of Hospitals (Dr. T. H. A. Valintiue) in tho course of his address to the Hospital Boards' Con. ferenco yesterday. He drew attention to the accommodation of patients who were able to pay full fees for medical and nursing attendance. As matters wtro now, especially in the country districts, tho better-to-do patient was badly circumstanced, as he was not able to cecuro treatment in the local public hospital, but had perforco to go to a private hospital, where the advantages werb not to be compared with those available in a public hospital. Dr. Valintine said he was particularly interested in a remit from tho North Canterbury Board in connection with a recommendation on this subject made by the committee set up to consider the question of a State medical service <it the recent meeting of the British Medical Association in Dunodin, to the effect that special wards should bo erected for patients who could pay full fees for medical nnd nursing attendance. Ho considered that hospital accommodation of tho very best should bo available for air classes of the community, and those who were ablo to pay should be mado to pay the full feo for tho benefits they received from the institutions.

"The suggestion that there should be some measure of superannuation for nurses meets with my hearty approval and support," remarked tho Minister of Public Health (Hon. C. J. "Parr) before tho conference of hospital boards yesterday. Ho added that he could see some practical difficulties in the way of establishing such a system, but those were not insurmountable. One difficulty wa3 that, many nurses were in a public hospital to-day and a private institution tomorrow. Something should bo done, however, for "these splendid women," many of whom "in tho autumn of their days had a pretty lmvd Mme."

During a discussion at the conference of tho New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, Mr. T.. Long (To Aroha) stated that he would nevor rest content with tho statement off any Cabinet Minister that .£19,000,000 had been spent on repatriating returned soldiers. The monev had to bo borrowed, and thcro was a tangible asset for every penny of it.

John TiHev, who was knocked down on Monday afternoon by the motor lorry that killed William Coombs, was last, night reported by the Hospital authorities to bo feeling fairly comfortable Tilley received injuries to his hips and right leg. Exception was taken by delegates at yesterday's conference of the A'ew Zenland Returned Soldiers' Association to the handling of files by women at Baso Hccbrds. The following remit from tho Wellington branch was carried: "That this association instructs tho Dominion Kicoutive to inquire into tho handling of flies at Baso llecords, and if it is louml that the files are handled'by somen at any time, this association take stroll"- action to have tho practice stopped." A further remit from Wellington regarding files was passed as follows :-"That tho Wellington, Association views with gravo apprehension the rumoura that nro gaining' ground that ;tho files of cx-fidldiora nro open to tho polico, and rccuiests the Government to realhrm publicly Unit these hies are absolutely inviolate. " Mr. B. J. I. Aldneh Mid a member of tho Wellington Association had stated at a recent meeting that ho personally had handed over hundreds of files lo the police or investigation llio praclico was roprohonsible, and should be stopped. A protest nsaiiwt the action of Magisinte.s in ordering undesirable characters Ir, Kivo tho cities, and go to country 'districts, was embodied in a remit adopted by the Auckland Farmers Con-, ierencc, just concluded, 'lhe ronut pointed out that such characters are a uei'ace to country settlers and should bo oommittcd for reformative Uat-, a-ent/-"Star."

Tho conference, of secondary 6cliool teadiors which has been called by the Minister of Education, ami over which ho will preside, luis been altered to June •i. It will probably last for two days. Tho delegates of tho Now Zealand Secondary Schools' Assistants' Association have- boon instructed 'by the executive to meet in Wellington on June 3, when tho lion, secretary, Mr. I<\ Martyn ltenner, will lay beforo them for discussion two alternative schemes of reconstruction which will cover tile classification of secondary teachers and the remuneration of those teachers commensurate with classification.

The Magistrate at Christchurch (Mr. is. E. ll'Carthy), in a reserved judgment, held that tho premises or place where a conditional licensee is authorised to sell liquor at the occasion of n gathering nro licensed premises within the meaning of the Licensing Act. The case arose out of a prohibited person being found on a licensed booth at the Addington Trotting Ground, and the police asked the Magistrate for a ruling.—Press Association.

Tho coiifcronco of tho N.Z.K.S.A. last night carried a resolution demanding that retrospection of all allowances and pay bo made to soldiers of all ranks, in order to' bring about a uniform standard for the whole war period.

The method followed by the Government of Now Zealand in dealing with conscientious objectors was discussed at the monthly "stop work" meeting of tho Wellington Waterside- Workers' Union yesterday. It was decided to recommend to the Alliance of Labour that some ioint action should lw taken to stop their "still being rounded up and sent to gaol."

Tho difficulty of collecting rates levied in respect to Native-owned lands was emphasised at the Hospital Doard Conference yesterday. A northern delegate stated that ho knew of a easo where no rates had ever been collected from a cer--(ain property (fiOOO acres in area) which annually produced 200 bales cf wool, it had 'been farmed for 20 years, and in all these years it had never contributed one penny towards tho hospital board or any other local hotly.

A New Zealander. who arrived by the louic, was one of 'the guests of honour at a bullfight in a town in Portugal quite lately. He Bays that in all,his travels he never saw such a combination of cleverness and cruelty as was eracted in tho .arena that day. The si perl) courage of the men and the cruel torture of the animals' surpassed anything he had ever seen. After the bullbaiting had finished, tho party wero asked to take part in a military tournament that required tho most, skilful horsemanship, feats of daring being performed that are unknown, in other countries, being quite unnecessary to mako a cavalryman. The Portuguese.are tho most expert horsemen ho has ever seen; they glory in raking the most foolhardy risks. Tho man who takes riskß that ar? almost uncanny and comes off, successfully is looked upon as a national hero, and is acclaimed everywhere. ,

The Wairau Licensing Committee yesterday carried a resolution that tho Minister Tie asked to have section 7G of tho Licensing Act amended by omitting tho words "six r6oms" and substituting tho words "number of rooms necessary for tho accommodation of the travelling public, having regard to tho requirements of tho. district, such number to be specified by the Licensing Committee for tho district"; also that licensing committees should be given the power lo supervise leases given to licensees of hotels in order-that Wiev might see that the rentals paid ond the conditions imposed are fair and reasonable.—Press Assn.

The largest meeting nf Orangemen held in Wnnganui for several years passed the following resolution tat night, .ays a Press Association telegram:—"That whereas meetings are l»in? hold in various parts of the Dominion to assist enemies of the Empire to secure self-determination for Ireland contrary to the will of tho loval and law-abidiug of His Majesty's subjects in that part of the Empire, this meeting of Orangemen in Wanganni calls upon the Government to suppress such meetings and to prevent money collected for the purpose leaving this Dominion." A copy of this resolution is to be sent to the Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs.

In bis presidential address at the annua! assembly of the National Council of the Evangelical Free Churches at Leicester, the Kev. Dr. Meyer said that the whole world seemed possessed with tho craving for gain. The soaring prices, endless strikes for higher pay, the profiteering vampire suckink the national blood, and the extravagance of the new rich were all symptomatic of the recrudescence of materialism. They were staggered by crimes of violence, duo probably to the abnormal excitement of tho war. Careful statistics, indicative.of the persistent limitation of family life, suggested race degeneration. The. brutalities of tho Ting, the immodesty of fashion, the sensuousness of the dance, the substitution of spiritualism for religion, the craze for amusement, the ostentatious extravagance of tho profiteer, must givo all thoughtful people cause for anxioty. I Crowded theatres and pictnro shows' stimufated the apnetite for the startling and tho sensational, and the craving often degenerated into a restless search for fresh excitement to titillate an exhausted and glutted appetite. , It was not thfl Church's business to vie with tho daftcing master of the dancing academy. "In one way or another," Dr. Meyer continued, "man is always a fighting animal. Of late we have',had unpleasant explosions of this spirit :n dograding prize fights, more politely phrased boxing contests, which are patronised bv so-called ladie? bent on. emulating the wives nnd daughters of tho Roman nobility, who crowded tho Colosseum in the darkest days of tho empire. We must call the nation back to God. The Test day is threatened, tho churches are depicted, spiritism is ousting spirituality.'the thin veneor of theism is replacing Christianity, the basis of morals is utilitarianism, and the nst preponderance of our people hnvo less religion than tho Hindu or the Kaffir." '