LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 238, 2 July 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wellington has long been recognised as productivo of the best "gates" for big Hugby football fixtures in tho Dominion. This was borne out at last night's meeting of tho Management Committee of tho Now Zealand Union, when the treasurer (Mr. T. H. Jones) , reported that despite unfavourable weather the receipts on account of the North v. South Island inatoh totalled i£sGi ss. lid., comprising cash at turnstiles ,£509 Is. lid. reserved tickets iESS is. The oxpenses amounted to .£26 145., leaving a net gate of ,£537 lis. lid. Of this sum the Wellington Ru|(by Union received 25 p®r cent., totalling ,£l3l the New Zealand Union retaining tho balance. The problem of the Japanese in the Pacific was mentioned by Dr. Scholefiold during his lecture in tho Town Hall Concert' Chamber last night. Until tho war. ho said, Japan had not stepped out into the Pacific at all. She had the Island of Formosa, which was entirely an Asiutio islahd, and most people were lioping that When . the Russian power in Asia broke down so completely, 'Japan would find an outlet there; but, by the terms of the Peace Treaty, Japan had been given control of islands near tho Equator. Of courso, the Pcaco Treaty prevented Japan—or Now Zealand ; or Australia, for that matter—from fortifying any of tho islands. That might look; like security, but the fact remained that tho Japanese frontier had been brought down to tho Equator, and tho frontier of New Zealand now extended up to tho Equator, , .

of returned soldiers havo been lielii in nil parts of the Dominion this week to discuss the curtailment of benefits under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act. In <mch instance resolutions similar'to that passed 'by tho Wellington branch of the Returned. Soldiers' Association 011 Wednesday night have fawn adopted.

The receipt of tho sum of' £5 from tho Prisons Department by war of "conscience money is acknowledged in tho Gazette by tho Acting-Secrgtary to tho Treasury (Mr. J. J. Bsson).

By a notice in the current Gazette Salisbury Terrace, Wellington, has been exempted from the provisions of section 117 of the Public Works Act, 1908.

Bishops in communion with the Church of England will be present from all partu of tho world, at tho sixth Lambeth Conference, which opens on Saturday with a reception in .Canterbury Cathedral. Tho conference will meet at Lambeth Palace, under the presidency of the Archbishop of Canterbury, from July 5 to 10. when, in accordance with precedent, it will adjourn wliilo tho conferonco oommitfees deliberate upon tho subjects referred to them. Tho confnrenco will reassemble on July 26, and will meet daily until the conclusion of tho session on August 7. Among the subjects sot down for discussion by tho conference are the relation to, and reunion with, other churches; the Christian faith in relation to spiritualism. Christian science, and theosophy; problems of-mar-riage and sexual morality; Christianity and international relations, especially tho of Nations; tho opportunity and duty of t.ho Ch'drch in regard to industrial and isocial problems. A question interesting in tow of tho world-wide efforts being made by women to obtain equal privileges with men, is the position of women in the councils and ministrations of the Church, which will b© discussed by the conference.

Military officials, who some timo ago urged the creation by Australia of a permanent air force infinitely bigger than the country can afford, conveniently overlooked _ tho possibilities of utilising citizen airmen for . whatever work might be necessary (states tho "Age"). Obviously the establishment of a great permanent force of airmen and meclhnics is impossible and unnecessary. And recant experience has shown that citizen airmen could very ably carry on such work as might bo desired at an infinitely cheaper cost to the country. During the recent visit of. tho Prince of Wales to Australia, tho public lmd the opportunity of seeing a large number |of machines in the nir at the same time. There were no mishaps. Yet pomo of the pilots wlw flow wtro formor air force officfrs, who had returned to their civilian tasks, and had no! iboen in nn aeroplane for eigntoen months. They volunteered to fly for the Prince when called upon, and all that was found necessary was to giva them each one 'trial flight on a dual-oontro) machine withi a permanent pilot. Thai flight accomplished, they at once picked up again their old skill, and "took to the air" by themselves like ducks take to water. A very littlo more practice and they would prolmbl.v linvo been able to indulge in hair-raising "stunts." As it wns, they formed on imposing nerial escort for the Royal visitor. Once a man becomes an export pilot ho does not for' get the art of flying, given the opportunity for occasional practice, and in the course of such practice flights It!* could, of course, carry r.ut nctual reconnaissance or photographic work to "keep his hand in" for war.

Tn tho Magistrate's Court at New Plymouth, Patrick Joseph Flanagan, bookipnker. pleaded guilty to twelvo charges of making beta in public places aud on licensed premises. Ho was Sued J320 for each offence.—Press Assn.

A coronial inquiry into the circumstances of the death of-an infant child, whose body was found lying itoioug some blackberry bushes at Johnsonville, was opened by Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., yesterday atcrnoon. Evidenco was given by Dr. Hector that tho body had lieen exposed for some days, and that death was duo to strangulation caused by a piece of string having been placed round the child's neck. The inquiiy was adjourned to onablo further inquiries to be made. An exciting chase took place a few days ago, when a prisoner named Tti Taaka escaped from a gang at Waikeria. Stealing a horse and bridle, he rode far into Putaruru ranges, miles from any human habitation (states the Taumarunui correspondent of tho Auckland "Star"). A posse, under Constable P. Doyle, Te Awanmtu, set out (.n horseback after the fugitive. They spent nill Saturday in the Kawa flat near Otorohanan, but saw no sign of the prisoner. On Sunday Consta'ble Doyle and a Maori guido set out ou a perilous trek aerosß the Hangiatea ranges to see if Te Taaka lind crossed the Maungoronga River. The.y rode all morning, having to undress and swim rivers ilocded by heavy rains. When they were practically exhausted from heavy going, at the summit of the ranges the Maori lad saw- tracks of Taalca's horse. A fast chase resulted in his being captured as lie was jnst about to swim, the river naked. When caught Taaka made but littl'e resistance. Tic was reconveyed to the prison.

In addressing the annunl meeting at Hamilton of suppliers of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd., Sir. A. j. Sinclair, assistant-manager, submitted figures which 'he said showed that the butter suppliers had a hard row. to hoe at tho price now being received for their produce. One typical instance was of a man who was a practical farmer, milking fifty-four cows ou IGO acres, a portion of which was in scrub. The Government valuation was .£OIOO, and there wns a mortgage, of .£3OOO. The only chargo this farmer debited against his farm for hinis&f was (i per cent, on his equity. He kept his accounts accurately, and the following was a summary which lie prepared' on Jhe assumption that he would * receive about Is. Bd. a pound for his butter-fat. Tho receipts Vere: Butter-fat. iK9i, calves and pigs <£230, total .£924. The expenditure was: Bates and insurance .£45, interest on mortgage iill7, 0 per cent, on equity .8180, feed and foodstuffs .£9l, one mail's wages .£IOO, repairs and maintenance .£23, freights and cartage ,£32, manures, sacks, etc., .C9l, horseshoeing and sundries ,£2l, total ,£B2O. That meant that the fanner was left with ,£9B to pay for the services of himself, his wife nnd three children, all helping in the mif.king. The man worked from daylight to dark, and his wife hnd broken down through overwork. Ho was enabled to make both, ends meet only by tho fact that he bought his farm ten years ago when the price was rnpch below tho present Government valuation. The Land Board was engaged in committee yesterday. dealing with soldiers' applications for land, etc. . The ordinary busine® will be dealt with to-day. Great prosperity has descended on the' British commercial traveller, s;iys an English paper. Never has ho mado so much- money as .ho is earning to-day. Men who were receiving only J.'2 to JM a week before the war are now revelling in the joys of a four-figuro income! One of the secrets of tho "commercial's" prosperity is that to-dav he has the field practically to himself. Before the war the country was overrun by foreign'travellers, the German the most conspicuous among them. To-day' the German has little to sell, and; in most 1 markets tho only serious competitor the Englishman has to nieet is the American.

Although the Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone of the Federal capital at Canberra last week, the ceremony is not expected to lead to any great impetus in the construction of tho bush capital (says the "Age"). There is not thq money to spare at present for tho purpose, notwithstanding the fond hopes of the coterie of New South Wales Federal politicians who continually dream of the day when the seat of tho Commonwealth Government will bo removed from Victoria to New South Wales. The authorities havo been at some i'ains to make clear that the ceremony performed by the Prince of Wales concerns the laying of tho first stone of the '"capital," and not the foundation stone of the capital. TUe capital is to be the site of the Federal Parliamentary _ Buildings at Canberra. The foundation stone of tho capital wo® laid some time ago, during Mr, King O'Malley's occupancy of the position of Minister for External Affairs. Few of tlioso -who attended that ceremony will ever forget it. The day was so frcezingly cold that a stay of an hour or Bo at Canberra proved more thnn sufficient for the pafty of politicians andpressmen, and everyone was glad to see tho last of the Federal Capital site.

"I don't know what is coming over things," said a ' well known* contractor yesterday when questioned about the new regulations concerning building material. "One week wo arc told that 110 buildings aro to be erected that are non-essential 1 ., but we are not told what is an essential building, and next thero are more regulations. To • a business man hard pressed for room an office building is essentia'.; to a man who.uses motor-cars and trucks in his business, and is pushed for shelter, a, motor garago may 'be highly essential. Some people may consider a church non-essential, but the .'religious people c-f the district might easilyf consider it an essential structure 'according to tho Act.' Now. on top of that comes the news that all buiCding material is to bo 'administered' by the Board of Trade, and that permits will havo to be obtained'when bricks and timlier are required. I tell you these regulations are all wrong, and if persisted in'wilf. prolong the chaotic condition that exists. It will take timo to explain what material is required for and to get tho permit, and timo means money. Tt is another way of increasing the' cost _cf building, and tho public should know it. If the Government would ,only leave such things to straighten themselves out by the law of supply and' demand it would be better for everyone."

111 tho Magistrate's Court nt Timaru, Raymond Wilkes, for having soid liquor at Pareora without being licensed to do bo, was fined jCIS, and costs.—Press A6sn.

Eighty-five shillings is tho fare tlint a young Auckland man eventually had to pay for a ride in a tramcar, though ho got off rather lightly, all things considered (says iho "Star," in a report of Police Court proceedings). He was riding on the platform of a car on May 5 last, and according to the evidenco he had assured tho conductor that,llo had a ticket, and had afterwards failed to exhibit it when an inspector called. Ho was found guilty of attempting to evade payment, and was fined ,£l, which together with heavy expenses in the 'shape of lost timo accruing "to both the conductor and the inspector, who were called as witnesses and court charges, forced him to pay a nice little sum for travelling expanses.

"Leave the Dalmatians out of this question for the present," said. Mr. R. H. Nicholls, of Whangaroi, at the Resumed Soldiers' Conference in Auckland, when discussing tho Asiatic problem. Owing to the shortage of Inborn- about 50 per cc-nt. of the men engaged on the Grow 1 Northern' railway construction works were Dalmatians, and they were doing wonderfully well. Theso men were called Austrians, but he knew they were not, iio.l one man lost several brothers during the war because they refused to fight en tho side of Austria.—"Now Zealand Unpaid." ■ ' ...

The late Mr. David Fleming, oMVaverloy—a. lifo member of tho Wellington Society for the Prevention of Craeltv to Animals—bequeathed to that body a i<trm of 433 acres, known as Waitavanui, at Momohakl, stipulating, amongst other things, that the income from tho lease of the property, which at present amounts to ,£l7O per annum, should be rpplicd to paymont of tho society's inspector or inspectors. Tho committee of the society fit its last meeting, docidcd to accept tho bequest with tho conditions set out in tho will. Tho value of tho is nearly *£7000. . The society 1 ' 1 will, with the assistance of subscriptions and donations from tho goncm! public, bo now ei'ablbd to extend tho scopo uf its usefulness, and al'.ow tho various schools in tho Wellington province being visited occasionally by the society's inspector, thus helping on tlio formation of junior leagues of the S.P.C.A., ft project which has already'been approved of by tho highest educational authorities and others, and which no doubt will do a vast amount of good in tho better treatment of animals in tho country.

The meeting of the Wellington branch of tho New Zealand Educational Institute, which has been announced to be held on Monday nest, at the board room of the Wellington Education Board, has been postponed until Tuesday ' ovening, ut 8 p.m. The object of the meeting 19 to oonsider a proposal to creot a cenotaph in enduring material in ijioraory of (he Wellington men who fell in the Great War.

In the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before Mr. E. Page, R.M., a tailor named John Robert Haggio admitted that he had failed to comply with a maintenance order made against him in Oamaru. Ho slated that he tame to Wellington recently, and for the Joet three weeks had worked at his trade. Ilis average earning was X 3 ss. per week. He was doing piecework, and the wages varied with the amount of work offering. The Magistrate ordered him to jwy 355. per week', the' amount of the order, but aada no order as to the arrears, which total'-cd .£ll. '