LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 134, 2 March 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have received advice from Sydney that the s.s. Maheno sailed at 4 p.m. on February 28 for Auckland. She carries 698 bags of mails from the United Kingdom and Australia. The s.s. Malaita sailed from Newcastle on February 26 for Wanganui. She carries twenty-one bags of mail.

For some 'time past the Reserves Committee of the City Council has beeq. contemplating taking measures for the more effective utilisation of the southwest corner of the Basin Reserve, which some years ago was a tennis lawn, and at sports gatherings a pitch for the side-shows. It is now proposed to do away with its shabby appearance, decorate its banks, and convert tlhe area into a children’s playground on the lines of Myers Park in Auckland. Tins park contains very complete apparatus for the amusement of thu children, including sand-heaps, and a wading pool. A report on the subject will be presented to the council to-morrow evening. The announcement made by the Minister of Industries and Commerce that as from April 1 next the remission of duty on imported cement would be cancelled was discussed at a meeting of the I’almerstcn North Chamber of Commerce. Several members pointed out that the difference between the prices of imported and local cement.now was only about 2s. per ton. Large quantities of cement had been arranged for by indent merchants which would not reach the Dominion until after April. If the Minister’s proposal was carried out it would mean that instead of getting cheaper cement 'buyers would pay more for the imported article than they would for the local product. The following motion was carried and ordered to be sent to Minister of Industries and Commerce: "That this chamber protests against the, duty on cement without previous notice, thus interfering with contracts and indents already entered into and in course of delivery. This chamber considers that contracts entered into previous to tin Minister’s notice should not be subject tt> duty."

This morning an opportunity will be taken by members of the legal profession in Wellington to say farewelj to His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman, who is retiring from the Bench. The ceremony will take place in the Supreme Court at 10.30. Mr. C. P. Skerrett, K.C., president of the Now Zealand Law Society, will speak on behalf of the legal profession generally, and the president of the Wellington District Law Society (Mr. 11. F. O’Leary) will speak on behalf of the profession in Wellington. To-morrow reference will be made in the Court to the services of the late Sir James Prendergast, formerly Chief Justice of New Zealand, whose death occurred this week. Sir Francis Bell, Attorney-General, will address the Bench, and Mr. C. P. Skerrett will speak on behalf of the Bar. An official report of the trial of Dennis Gunn for the murder of Augustus IS. Braithwaite,' postmaster at Ponsonby, Auckland, on March 15, 1920, has been issued by the Department of Justice for use 'by members of the police force and others as a text book on finger-piint evidence. The report has been prepared under the supervision of Mr. Justice Chapman, the Judge who heard the case. Denis Gunn, who was eventually hanged for the murder, was arrested on fingerprint evidence and was convicted largely on the same evidence. ' The case was one of peculiar interest to all those who are connected with the detection of crime. Enlarged photographs of the finger-prints that led to Gunn’s arrest and conviction, and of the man’s finger-prints as taken by the police, accompany the report. The Department of (Industries and Commerce has received advice, through the High Commissioner that the twentysecond annual chemists’ exhibition will be held on June 20 to 24 at the Central Hall, Westminster, London, S.W., at which will be made the largest display of drugs, medicines, druggists’ sundries, toilet articles, and chemists’ wares generally ever shown undei’ one roof in any part of the world. The exhibition will be attended by merchants, manufacturers. and chemists from all parts of the Empire, and any interested trader visiting the Old Country can obtain admission on presentation of his business curd.

Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., yesterday received a 141 b. salmon taken in the Waitaki River, indicating that these fine fish have thoroughly established themselves in the south.

As a sequel to a New Year disturbance at Te Araroa sixteen Natives were charged with having, at Waipiro Bay, assembled for an unlawful purpose, but the in. formations were dismissed. Two others, charged with assault, causing bodily harm to a policeman, were committed for trial. Another Native was charged with hitting a Native girl on the head with a beer bottle, and was remanded, the police stating that it was a serious case.—Press Assn.

In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Mr R. T. Bailey, of the Labour Department, sought to recover a penalty from Gates Ltd. (Mr. A. M. Salek) for an alleged breach of an award, in dismissing an employee, J. H. Harris, without notice. A doctor's certificate was produced io show that, at 6.4 a p.m. on the day in question Harris showed no signs of’intoxication. The manager and assistant manager stated, however, that Harris was «o drunk that in dispensing drinks to customers he converted ;he place into a bathroom. After hearing the evidence the Magistrate (Mr. .1. S. Evans) dismissed the application. i

At 'Monday night’s meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council, Councillor W G. Moldrum moved, pursuant to notice” “That tho town clerk’s services be. dispensed with, and that, in terms of the agreement entered into, he bo given three months’ notice of the. termination of his appointment, such notice to date fmm March 2, 1921. ’ Councillor A. I seconded the motion, the conncil then wen 1 into committee, and upon resuming at 10.45 p.m. the Mayor (M ’”’ p; P Ryshworth) reported that the motion bad been carried on a division. The vo'im- was a.s follows:—For: Councillors lldbl.w, '.Vest, Mcldrum. Colton, Mitchell, and Hardy. Against: The Mayor, Councillors Guineas, MacaskiU, and Knight.

Mr. T. C. M’Lennnn, <ne of the delegates to the recently-concluded triennial conference of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, addressed a large meeting of the Otago branch on Sunday, and a resolution was unanimously carried expressing entire approval of the action of the conference in accepting the terms agreed upon 'by the Wages Boards and unabated confidence in the executive.—Press Assn.

Mr. J. H. Burn, J.P., of Petone, who has stated his intention to retiro from the well-known firm of engineers hearing his name, is leaving for England at the end of the present month. It is understood that the business will in future be carried on by Messrs. J. and T. Burn.

Several of the senior classes of the city State schools were given the opportunity yesterday morning of viewing the film on British industries, Which has been brought out to New Zealand by Captain J. S. Drysdale to reawaken interest in the manufacturing activities of the Old Country. The children who visited the King’s Theatre evinced the liveliest interest in the . picture, and came away with their knowledge of British industry in action in better perspective than when they entered the theatre.

The youth Alonzo Albert Hewison, who was charged in the Magistrate’s Court on Monday with masquerading as a naval officer, and remanded until yesterday, duly came before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. Chief-Detective Ward said that the young man, after his release in July last, wandered about the country. He had the uniform made in Te Aroha, and for it he paid. £27. Mr. Hunt convicted and ordered Hewison to come up for sentence when called upon within twelve months. He warned him to get away from the city within forty-eight hours, and to strip the uniform of the gold lace and brass buttons.

The current number of the "New Zea laud Theatre and Motion Picture” is alive with interest for those concerned in music, the drama, and moving pictures. The new monthly journal is ♦brightly written, and the number to hand has a page of cartoons by Tom Glover: "Murders, the Movies, and the Minister.” A heart-to-heart story of the struggle for vocal fame in London, art told by Amy Evane and Fraser-Gange, a literary sketch, entitled "Dream Voices,” by Harcus Plimmer; a "movie" story, "The Green Girl,” excellently brief, funny, caustic yarns, criticism, and four pages of sepia illustrations, including a new one of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, and an art supplement of Paulino' Frederick. Readers are directed to the Film Star competition that is being promoted by this journal. which is now on sale at every booksellers and news agents in New Zealand.