NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9793, 17 October 1917, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Another novel idea, sprung from the fertile imagination of the Commeroial Travellers’ Club, is to be pressed into the service of the patriotic cause on Thursday, when the large-hearted public of Wellington will bo asked to subscribe funds for the lied Cross. A decorated lorry will be driven through the streets, on which trill stand a large pair of scales. On one side will be seated a returned soldier, and the public will be asked to supply com of the realm in sufficient bulk to make the returned hero “kick the beam." Gentle persuaders of the fair sex, armed with bags, will wile the coin out of the pockets of citizens, which will then be placed in tlho scale opposite to that occupied by the soldier, in the hope that the last shilling or thereabout will weigh him down. The commercial travellers, with that faith which has enabuod them to move mountains, expect to perform the feat more than once. It will be a case of ‘‘pay up” and “weigh down."

The annual meeting of the Wellington district branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects was held at the registered office of the institute, f'eathorston street, last week. There was a good attendance of members. Tlio report and balance-sheet were adopted. The election of office-bearers for the ensuing year resulted as follows: —On airman, Mr C. A. Lawrence; vice-chair-man, Mr J. H. McKay; committee, Messrs Crichton, J. S. Swan, Kean, Dawson, Feilding, Gray-l T oung, and Haughton; district treasurer, Mr H. T. Johns; hon. auditor, Mr W. beauchamp Platts; district secretary, Mr Francis H. Swan.

The member for Grey Lynn (Mr J ■ Payne) asked the Defence Minister in the House of .Representatives yesterday : (1) Whether it is a fact that members of the Cl Company at the Featherston Camp are denied all leave, even local leave; and, if so, why is it that these men, who are simply the victims of circumstances, in that their physical condition does not permit °* their being passed for active service at once, are not allowed the same privileges as their more fortunate fellowsoldiers whoso health has enabled them to be included in reinforcements? (*) Why doea the Defence Department penalise these unfortunate unfit men in this fashion?

“A number of these soldier farmers would be entirely satisfied except for the patriotic societies who are backing them up,” said Sir Francis Bell in the Legislative Council yesterday in speaking on the question of settling returned soldiers on the land. “That is incorrect,’ ' said the Hon. J. T. Paul, hir Francis said that from the resolutions passed by patriotic societies it vould appear so. For instance, one resolution that all soldiers should bo placed on land situated near the railways was nonsense. Seme of the resolutions were carried with the object of saving the money of the societies. It was absolutely incorrect to say that the Government was not doing the best it possibly could for the soldiers.

According to a statement made to the House of Representatives yesterday arternoon by the Hon. G. W. Bussell (Minister for Public Health), on October Ist there were in the public institutions of Sew Zealand 140 returned soldiers and 603 out-patients, malting a total of treatment. Ho understood that 100 more were on. the water, and the Government would have to face. the question of providing the necessary additional accommodation. Ho added that tnere wore a large number of cases of consumption, chiefly due, in ail probability, to strain. Hr Hindmarsh : “They don’t send them back in time.” The Minister; “I cannot criticise that part of the administration.

The charge against Maitland Anderson, a dairy farmer, of selling milk containing 60 parts of dirt per million was-dealt with by Mr S. 12- McCarthy, S.M , yesterday. The magistrate hold that’ where the proof was that the general practice of the defendant was to eliminate adulteration by dirt, and whore the defendant delivered his milk to a carrier who occasionally mixed defendant’s milk with that of other suppliers, the onus rested on the prosecution to negative all reasonable possibility of the mixing of milks after delivery to tho’carried and before the milk was purchased for analysis. that onus, the magistrate considered, had not been discharged, and the information consequently was dismissed.

The chairman of the 'Wellington branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, Mr John S. Barton, FRA F.IA.N-Z., will deliver an address’on “Accounting in Relation to Municipal and State Trading, at the meeting hall of the society, Accountants’ Chambers, Johnston street, tomorrow evening. Mr Barton will den. with the application to State and Municipal trading ventures of those accounts and records which experience has shown to be desirable when sumlar ventures have been conducted by private owners. The speaker will touch on Wellington’s milk enterprise, and also on the recent report of the Public Service Commissioner on the matter of' public accounts. This address is the first of a series in which members of the Society of Accountants hope to perform a public service by arousing a spirit of interest in nublic matters and pointing out a path of civic duty for business men. All interested are invited to attend,.

Sir John Findlay, M.P. for Hawke's liay, presenud to Parliament yesterday a petition bearing some 7000 signatures, praying for more rigorous supervision of persons and firms being enemy aliens.

A request that the Government will at once set up a Commission to inquire into all Defence expenditure, with a view of curtailing any unnecessary outlay, was made in the House of Representatives yesterday by Dr A. ixNewman.

At tho Magistrate's Court, Tau marunni, yesterday (reports the Press Association) Louis Meads, of Raotilu, was fined £ls and costs for shooting native pigeons out of season in tibo Tongariro National Park. Two halfoastee, for similar offences, were fined £lO and £5 respectively.

It is announced that the new War Regulations concerning the employment of aliens in working cargo on tho 'Wellington waterfront will come into operation next Monday. Thenceforth aliens or naturalised subjects ot any race will not bo employed unless they' have written licenses to he so.

A case came before Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday in whioh the inspector of awards sued the Wellington Meat Export Co., Ltd., for failing to pay overtime rates for Sunday work by three firemen. Mr R. T. Bailey appeared for the Labour Department and Mr M. Myers for the defendant company. Judgment was reserved.

Dr Thacker, M.P. for Christchurch East, asked the Defence Minister in the House of Representatives yesterday whether there had been any British subjects interned on Somes Island for any length of time by mistake. He had been asked by two men, ho said, to stand by their case. Sir James Allen: “Not to my knowledge. If the non. member will put the question on the Order Paper, I will got it answered for him.”

Mr P. C. Webb, M.P. for Grey, stated in the House yesterday that he wished to correct a wrong impression that had got abroad. His reference the day before to a coal company not having paid its men’s wages had been attributed to the North Brunner Uoal Coitpany. That was not correct. The Old Brunner Mine was now worked by the Tyneside Coal Company. Bo far as he remembered, the North Brunner Coal Company had. always paid its men promptly Judgment was delivered yesterday by Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., in the case in which Joseph Cave, tailor, claimed from Bruce Howe, tailor and mercer, £4O 3s 6d on a dishonoured cheque. The defendant counter-claimed for £65 10s for false representations in connection with tho disposal pf certain premises. While the plaintiff obtained judgment, a decision was also given for the defendant on the counterclaim. Mr Myers appeared for tho plaintiff and Mr Jackson for the defendant.

In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, W. Galloway* clerk, sought to recover from Cole, orump, and Cundy, milk vendors, an amount of £4 6s 8d as wages in lieu of notice. The defendants counter-claimed for £5 3s 6d, alleged to have been received by plaintiff on their behalf, and also tor £-, tho value of goods delivered to the plaintiff. Judgment was given for tho plaintiff for tho amount claimed, less £2 paid into court. Mr H. F. O’Leary appeared for the plaintiff and Mr L Rothenberg for the defendants.

At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Mr S. £. McCarthy, 0.M., Patrick Sinnot, on a charge of drunkenness, was fined £3, in default rourtqo-> days’ imprisonment. James Monaghan, charged with being found helplessly drunk on Customnouse quay, was remanded until the 23rd inst.' Martin Johansen, a middle-aged man, for an act of indecency in Kniggo’s avenue, was fined £5, in default a month’s imprisonment. Ruby Broughton and Phyllis Mills, charged with unruly behaviour while inmates of the Salvation Army Reformatory, were sentenced to three months* imprisonment.

Further argument was heard in the Appeal Court yesterday in the case of William Bowley despondent) v. Booth and Co., Ltd., (appellants). The Bench was occupied by the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), Mr Justice Denniston, Mr Justice Cooper, and Mr Justice Chapman. The case was one in which Mr Justice Hosking had deohned to rule that the compensation duo to the plaintiff was to be limited by the terms of-the Workers' Compensation Act in connection with a tramway accident on a sawmilling area. The court reserved judgment. Messrs Neavo and Ward appeared for the defendant appellants, and Mr O’Regan for the plaintiff respondent.

Two firms of manufacturing jewellers —C. M. Bay and W. H. Morris and Co.—were proceeded against in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of having allowed females to perform saw-pieroing work on other than base metals. Mr H. F. O Leary appeared for the defence and explained that the operatives concerned were more happily and easily employed m piercing the superior than the base metals. The work they were engaged in was of a purely mechanical character from which the superior mole naturally held aloof. Nevertheless the magistrate on the Bench (Mr S. LMcCarthy, S.M.) deemed it his duty in obedience to a duly-obtained award, tc fine each of the defendant firms £l.

A “Gazette Extraordinary,” issued on Monday, proclaims the requisition of next season’s wool clip for purposes of the war. W T ool owners must deliver their wool to a Government woolbroker at certain ports specified: Wool bales must bo properly branded, and the wool will be classified and valued by two expert valuers, one or whom will be appointed by the Government, and the other will be employed by the Government wool-broker bolding the goods. Should the owner be dissatisfied with the adjudication, he may lodge an appeal, on payment of a fee, which shall be decided by a Government-appointed umpire. Wool will be priced according to the average prices of January, 1914, with an addition of 50 per cent. Any consignment may be rejected without appeal. Shpe wool produced at freezing works, and any other quality which may be specified in future, U not subject to requisitions If any wool owner fails or refuses to deliver wool in accordance with regulations, the wool will be subject to seizure, and may be disposed of as the authorities think fit.

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