NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10272, 6 May 1919, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

To-day is the ninth anniversary of the accession of King George to the throne.

Yesterday afternoon the members of J. C. Williamson Comio Opera Company went to Trentlntm camp and entertained the patients in the Y.M.C.A. Hut. Later the secretary of tho Y.M.C.A. (Mr Elliott) entertained the visitors to afternoon tea.

A strongly-built man named Khristian Henry Jensen was charged before Air F. V. Frazer, S.M., yesterday with assaulting one George Bnssan so as to do him actual bodily harm. Acting(Su b-Inspector Emerson said the accused was only arroste'd on Sunday afternoon and the police wore not prepared to go on with tho case just then. Jensen had struck Bassan a blow ou the taco, breaking his nose. A remand was granted till Wednesday, bail being allowed in a sum of £SO.

Some idea of how prejudicially affected Sydney was by the “flu” trouble may bo gained from perusal of the statistics of Easter holiday traffic. Thus at Easter, 1018, the railways carried 229,042 persons and earned £5384 on Easter Monday; this year only 141.535 were carried, and £2483 received. Every rout© (except the southshowed a falling-off of about 50 per cent. The tramways' told the same talc. Tho number of passengers carried from *Good .Friday to Easter Monday (inclusive) was 3,584,406, against 5,666,534 in 1918, while the -revenue showed a falling-off from £46,568 to -t'30,365. Thus over two million loss passengers wore carried, and tho earnings were £16,000 loss. Last year the passengers carried numbered 1;,041,187; this year only 500,000.

The first annual conference of the Now Zealand Pharmaceutical Society will commence at the Chamber of Commerce this evening. Among the remits to ho submitted are the following:—That a warranty be given by all wholesale druggists as to tho conformity of their supplies and preparations to the New Zealand Pure .Foods and Drugs Act. That tho executive of tho New Zealand Pharmaceutical Society shall do all in their power to have tho Pharmaceutical Society New Zealand suitably represented on all boards, such as those appointed under the Social Hygiene Act, Public Health Act, etc. j this being nt vital interest to pharmacy in. general. I bat the Chemists’ Defence Association (lncorp.) bo so Jinked up with the activities of the Division of the Pharmaceutical Society formed throughout New Zealand that members of tl)o Divisions become automatically members of tho defence association, involv- • ing one fixed annual subscription. That should prohibition become established at any future date, prescriptions from medical practitioners calling lor intoxicating liquors be not supplied by chemists, but by tho police, or some c$W Government department.

All notices by the Attorney-General under the War Regulations declaring certain companies, firms and persons to bo enemies, have now been revoked.

An elderly woman, Mrs James, tell off a tram last evening and suffered a severe shock and bruises. She was admitted to the ’Hospital at /.30 p.m.

A Press Association message from Dunedin states that the police have been advised from Mlddleraarch that James Contts, aged GO, who hay been missing since 'Thursday, has been found dead ill a gully near his home, with his throat cut and a razor in his hand.

A twharf labourer named Harry Freedman, aged -48 years, married, residing at 10, College street , whilo working at the King's wharf about 0 o’clock last night, had ids right foot injured through timber falling on it. He was admitted to the Hospital 'for treatment.

News has been, received of tho death of tho Rev. Rollo R. St. John Hovell, priest in charge of the English Church at Rhodesia, South Africa. The deceased priest, who was the youngest son of the lato Dean of Wainpu, lost his life in an at tempt to save several boys who were bathing in the Umpoli x’iver.

Over a hundred bolts have been fitted into tho hull of the damaged steamer Bessa by J. J. Niven and Go. Wherever there have been any doubtful rivets they have been rmovd. The placing of cement to cover the damaged places was commenced yesterday. Practically all the leaks in the vessel's hull have now been stopped. Thu Bessa will be ready to sail for Sydney about nest Friday.

A resident of Vivian street writes:— “Tile City Council is not collecting tho house refuse once a week as it should. It is nearly a fortnight since it was last taken away, and it was left more than u fortnight before that. Could you find tiro© and space to draw attention to so important amatter, especially with the danger of influenza breaking out again ? It is useless spending money on disinfectants if there are scores of refuse tins stinking m the neighbourhood. Hoping tbit you will wake the council up.”

The following communication has been received from the superintendent of workers’ dwellings by the secretary of the Mastcrton Progressive League in answer to a request that the 'Workers’ dwellings Act be amended: —“I have to state that the question of amending the Act in the direction of increasing the maximum earnings of an applicant for a worker’s dwelling from £l7o is to come up for consideration when the legislation for the next session is being prepared. It has been recognised for some time that many de serving workers are debarred by the present limit (from mating applications for dwellings.”

In the Supreme Court at Christchurch yesterday (states a Press Association message), Mr Justice Herdman granted an injunction against G. If. Stockdalo, second-hand dealer, restricting him selling second-hand Edison phonograph records below tho listed price. Thomas A. Edison, Ltd. (the plaintiff company!, had written to the defendant forbidding him to sell below tho listed price, according to the conditions printed on the boxes, but the defendant continued to make sales at a lower price, and expressed his determination not to stop. His Honour held that the plaintiffs had the right to impose conditions of sale, and referred to a decision of the Privy Council in.the case of the National Phonograph Company of Australia v. Meuck, in support of the judgment.

Yesterday the returning officer (Mr James Ames) and his staff commenced the recourtt of votes cast at the recent municipal elections. As the task is heavy it will be some days before tho final announcement can be made, and it Is not in tho least 'likely that the swearing-in ceremony will take place tomorrow. This brings about a somewhat peculiar position. Strictly speaking, tho old council no longer exists, and as the new body_ cannot he sworn in until tho recount is completed 'Wellington is really left without a council. Tho Act apparently makes no provision for such a contingency, as has arisen, although it is thought in some quarters that the intention is that until the now council is declared elected tho old body retains office. However, tho strict wording of the Act is being adhered to in the case of Wellington, at all events.

Private C. A. Norris, son of Mr B. W. Norris, of Eltham, who arrived homo a few days ago, was for nine months a prisoner of war in Germany. For the first few months he and other prisoners were kept immediately behind'the German linos, and were in constant danger from British guns and airmen. On one occasion a bomb from an airman fired an ammunition dump quite near to where they were working, and the prisoners were ordered to clear away the debris, from which he and others were gassed. They were then removed to Munstevlaager, where employment was found them on road-making and farm work, the latter being more congenial to colonials. The registered prisoners were fairly well treated, and their food was supplemented from ■ Home, the High Commissioner’s Office forwarding parcels regularly. Many of the prisoners, particularly British Tommies, were not registered, and many died of starvation through insufficient food. On their return to England nothing but kindness was showered on them. Sir Thomas Mackenzie particularly looked after their interests.