LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 7, 4 October 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

I'ho House of Representatives will meet at 7.30 p.m. -10-day. The discussion ot iUiuistora' answers to questions and local bills is likely to be the business' of the evening. Jlany members of tlio Houso are out of town for tho week-end.

The Postal authorities advise that from to-day, tlia inland postage on registered magazines is to be; Each copy not exceeding eight ounces, twopence; every additional eu;ht ounces, or traction thereof, ono penny.

Interruption by, a section of tho audience during tho performance of an item at tha. Competitions on Saturday evening led to prompt and drastic action by the elocutionary judge (Air. Stanley Warwiefcj. Tho section being taken was tlio Now Zealand ladies' test recital, and Miss Alexa Elton' was in the middle of tnc eel piece when the interruption occurred. Air, Warwick mug tho bell, stopped the competitor, and, speaking trom the judge's stand in tlio centre of the dress circle, doprecated the action nf the lection of the audience concerned. "This kind of thiiifi is disgraceful," said Mr. Warwick. "Twice now lias it occurred, and I'm iheartily (tick nnd tired of it. The audience should at leost consider tho performers aud give thorn a chance. I shall stop tho performance of an item at anv time this kind of business continues." Tho bell was then rung for tlio performer to proceed, aud on Miss Elton fell tho unenviable task of starting her recitation, a difficult piece, anew.

An inquest was held on Saturday by Mr. P. if. Hunt, S.M., into tlio ,cause of death of David M'air, an able seaman, 49 years of age and unmarried, _ who was found dead in bed at the Solvation Army Workmen's Home, Buckle Street, on Thursday morning. Dr. C, M. Hector, who made a post-mortem examination, expressed the opinion that death was due to pneumonia, and the Coroner found accordingly.

In tho course of his story of the flight from England to Australia, Sir Keith Smith states that tho VickersVimy machine succeeded in arriving at liaugoon a hour before Foulet on his little Caudron, though tho latter had thirty daya start of them in leaving France. The arrival of two aeroplanes in one day in a. city that had never previously seen a 'plane created enormous excitement, particularly among the natives. Some hundreds of them waited up for twenty-four hours previously in order not to miss, the first sight of this newest wonder, and the day of the arrival was observed as a public holiday, which the entire populatiou spent on the racecourse viewing tho two machines. Sir Keith Smith paid ft generous compliment to Poulet and his mechanic Benoist for getting so far in their little machine, Poulet was attempting the flight to Australia, not as a. competitor for the .£IO,OOO prize (for ho was not qualified to goiu it, being other than an Australian born), but purely as a 6porting aviator bent on conquering the world with his wings.

Miss Amy Evans and Mr. Eraser Gange have U'cn engaged by the Wellington Choral Union to sing the leading roles iu Coleridge Taylor's Hiawatha" at the Town Hall next month.

Guilty of .attempting to set fire to tho Otaki Maori Boys' College, a halfcaste youth named Samuel Gilman appeared beforo Sir Robert Stout (Chief Justice) in tho Supremo Court on Saturday to receive his sentence. Evidonco had shown that Gilman, incensed at having received a thrashing for an offence against the school rules, attempted arson by pouring kerosene on timber in tho school lumberroom and lighting the stack. Ho had, since his conviction, 'been kept at Wercroa Training Farm, and according to the superintendent had been a well-behaved boy. The Chief Justice said ho would not pass sentence provided Gilman behaved himself at the training farm.' If he was refractory be would bo brought before tho Court for sentence.

Tho following prisoners will como up for sentence iu the Supreme Court today Willinm Porji (Feilding), arson; John Whychreest Quayle (Napier), theft, throe charges; Edward Bonnar Collins (Hamilton), breaking,.entering, and theft: James Alexander Will (Palmerston North), thpft; liobert Biirgess, alias alias Wiles (Wellington), theft.

There nro some hundreds c{ young people employed in the various Government offices in Wellington to whom tho problem of obtaining a lodging of any kind presonts very real difficulties, rho Post and Telegraph Department has recognised this difficulty for some time, and tho Postmaster-General (Hon. J. h. Coates), in consultation with his administrative officers, has decided upon an attempt at coping with it. By advertisement in another column the .lost-mnster-General requests heads of - private households who could accommodate one or more selected junior officers of oither sex' to communicate with the Department's welfare officer, care the Chief Inspector, General Post Office. The Department, in common with other brunches' of the Public Service, is continually selecting tho brightest and most promising of its junior officers 1 from other parts of the Dominion for transfer to this city.

Stephen Sapsford, a butcher, of middlo aye, died in the Taihapo lookup during Friday night (states a Press Association message). Ho had been iu for some days, and, developing' a peculiar demeanour, was taken care of by tho police. He leaves a widow and two children.

During the course of the Poneke-Pe-tono Rugby football match nt tho Athletic Park on Saturday afternoon, Captain Russell, D.F.C., appeared over the ground iu Messrs. Walsh Bros.' Avro aeroplane' and performed a number of aerial manoeuvres, much to the satisfaction of the lareo crowd present. The clever way in which the airman piloted the machine won for 'him & great deal of admiration.

Many returned soldiers, _ particularly troopers of the 'Mounted Rifles, will remenibor Mr. W. G. Bradley, whose homo in Cairo was thrown open to men of nil units quartered in Egypt. Mr. Bradley is visiting Wellington for the purpose of giving a numlrer of talks on vital matters of the day. On account of the magnificent services renderod by him to the troops during the Egyptian campaign, ho has loon described by many returned men as tho ""soldiers' friend." Ho is an attractive speaker with a magnetic personality.

Tiro visitors from Wellington, apparently suWortere of Bolshevism, attendijd the'fiawera Workers' Educational Association class on Friday nifrlit (pays a ?r»s Association message). The seneral impression of the class ig that the visitors were trying to off-set or destroy the teachings of tho lectuTOr in economics. One epeakor stated that a quantity of literature from Russia had arrived in Wellington, "but probably had not reached Hawera. The lecturer, tho Rev. Mr. Castle, of Eltham, replied to tho visitors'" remarks effectively. There is also in the district a Labour extromist_endftavourinß to organise tho cheesenklters into a union, but lie is tneetinß with muoh opposition.

Speaking at the civic reception accorded him on Saturday, Sir Keith Smith singled out for special praise the Dutch Governor-General of Java, who he said was a true sportsman and keen 1 on encouraging aviation in every way. When ho heard of tho proposed flight to Australia, and that the route would touch Java, bo at once set out on. a steamer to select landing pl.ws. Ho selected no fewer than slit, and put hundreds of coolies on to clear and level them. They arrived at Timor in tho afternoon of December 0, and were then informed that tho work of making the landing place had only been completed at noon that day. It was touch and go, but the Dutch people had kept their word. They had made the feat possible. Messrs. Parer and M'lntosb, who cot through n few weeks ago, could nover have managed to do so without tho aid afforded by tho Dutch authorities at Java.

"You cannot keep a child for 7s. per week," remarked Mr. A. M. Mowleni, S.M., at tho Auckland Magistrate's Court recently, whon tho question of the amount to be paid for tlio nmintonanco of a child in a receiving home was under discussion. Tho prosecuting subinspector replied that tho Government, was ut present paying lis. to 158, per week to board out children.

A substantial reduction in the wholesale pric« of starch has been notified to the Auckland branch of tho -Board of Trade. The reduction amounts to approximately 2Jd. a lb. on n 51b. package, and 3d. 011 a lib. package. The represontative of tho Board of Trado 6tated that tho retail prices should show a corresponding decrease.

In tho course «f his reply to the toa3t of "Ships and Shipping Interests" ut tho complimentary social tendered to Mr. It. Duncan (tho new Secretary of Marine), Mr. B. W. .Millicr, of the Marine Department, said that tho Shipping and Seamen's Act of 1903, which was fathered by Sir William Hall-Jones, then Minister 'of Marine, was regarded .is a model Act, and copies wero requested by several Governments, many of whom modelled their own Acts after it. That Act had been amended again and again and now some of the clauses could b» interpreted in many different ways.

"The miner in the Okl Country is the best off of all the workers," said Mr. J. 13. Garnett, the newly-appointed agricultural instructor to the Chjristchurch Technical College, in the course of a recent Press interview. "He earns his .£7 or .£3 a week quite easily. He has little or no appearance to keep up. Ho receives his coal at much reduced, rates, and he lives in a cottage which is usually provided very chcaply by the collicry company. Altogether, he has little to complain of."

, Owing to a difficulty that occurred in regard to the council dealing with tho licenso of. a driver of a private motorcar when his efficiency was questioned, tho Auckland City Council has passed a now by-law providing that no person shall drive >.ny private motor-car or iliotor-cycle in the city unless he shall havo previously satisfied the traffic inspector of his ability, and has applied for and obtained a certificate to that effect.

There was lesfi than tjie average rainfall for September recorded last month in Wellington, the total being 3.fio inches. Though this was tho case, the month was very cold and wSntry, due in the main to the amount of southerly wind, which lias been a remarkable feature of tho winter just.past. Even the "oldest inhabitant" cannot remember a winter when the wind has come from the soutli so persistently. Thero were 1361 hours of sunshine recorded, some 25 hours below the average. Frosts were plentiful, the most severe being on the morning of September 2, when 21.7 degrees were registered, which meant over 10 degrees of frost. The temperature of the earth, has begun to rise, and residents may confidently look for spring conditions during the present month. Tho barometrical readings were slightly higher than the average. The highest reading was 30.395 on September G, and the minimum 29.447 011 September 22.