NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10273, 7 May 1919, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Secretary, General Post Office, has .been advised that legal time has been advanced one hour in Hungary from April loth to September 15th.

As no additional cases of influenza have occurred on vhe Manuka, the vessel -'is to 'berth" this 'evening to discharge *lier cargo from'Sydney. The Manuka is timed to' sail on the return trip to'Sydney "about next Saturday.

Action was taken'by William Glendinning, contractor, formerly of Wellington, but now residing at Masteiton, against Thomson, .Brown, and East, estate agents, of Wellington, in the Magistrate's Court, yesverday, before Mr F. V. Frazer,- S.M., to recover the sum of £lB 15s, being balance of a deposit of £sp paid to the defendants in connection with a. property sale. The defendants acted as agents for the plaintiff in regard to the disposal of a property on which a Mrs C. C. Bourke had paid a deposit of £SO. The sale fell through, and Mrs Bourke, being unable to procure the return of her deposit from the agents, succeeded m obtaining vhe sum from the plaintiff. Tho defendants claimed that they were sale ana retained the.•amount from the deposit, which sum was the subject of the proceedings. The plaintiff was nonsuueo, with costs. Mr A. W. Blair appeared for Glendinning and Mr 0. Beere for the defendants.

What the Australian quarantine barrage means to some of our boys getting home has been fully experienced bv .Lieutenant G. E. L. Alderton, R.N.V.R., of Auckland, who »s now gtronded in Melbourne. He ,left Malta for Alexandria in a destroyer, as no troopship was passing that way, got another lift in a destroyer down to Aden, and" there picked up an Admiralty tramp going to Albany. By way of incident, the ship struck a cyclone, and the bunkers were on fire for three days, with all hands turned to suppressing same. When he arrived at Albany tho «hip was quarantined. They sailed for Molbourno, but the ship was wirelessed to put. into Port Spencer. There ho had to leave the ship and take a motor-car to Adelaide. Again ho was quarantined, , and, after seven days' detention, left for Melbourne. There he booked passage for Wellington, but the ship abandoned the" trip, and he is again quarantined. Lieutenant Alderton was making for Auckland post haste to take up a partnership being ]§ppt open for him providing he returned at once.

Tho sale of a property at Khandallah was the cause of a civil action being taken hy Henry Charles Stoddart, general ngenfc, and Alexander McNeill Proctor, land agent, against Frederick William Bradshaw, in the Magistrate's Court, yesterday, before Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M. The defendant instructed the plaintiffs to find a purchaser for his property at Khandalla'h for. £950, the commission agreed upon being 5 per cent, on ".200 and 2fr per cent, on £750. A buyer was found, but the defendant declined to sell, on the ground that the sale was to bo acash transaction, and the prospective buyer—a returned soldier—was depending upon the b6ing financed by vho Land Board under the returned soldiers' repatriation scheme. Finding that sevon weeks would have to elapse before {he loan ~could be secured, and that it was not certain that the application would be granted, the defendant declined to sell. The commission claimed was £2B 15s, and Mr J. M. Dale, who appeared for tho defendant, submitted that as no sale had taken place and there was no contract to sell the plaintiff could not succeed. The magistrate said he was prepared to believo that tho defendants had been authorised to aot as agents for tho defendant,, but there was no contract to sell. All tho plaintiffs were authorised to do was to introduce a purchaser, and as a sale had not eventuated they wore not entitled to claim ,The evidence given by the plaintiffs and the defendant, said the , magistrate, was I quite honest, which \ was a pleasing change from many land agency cases that came before tho court, when it ■was difficult to know which side was lying tho most. Tho plaintiff would be nonsuited, with £2 2s costs. Mr H. TO. Evans appeared in support of the claim. '/

It is reported that the owner of a area of land near Taihupe intends to subdivide 16,000 acres and place eight returned soldiers on 2000 acres each, and will, hand over the areas fully stocked, v

Further argument in the shop assistants' dispute was heard before tno Conciliation Council yesterday, the Commissioner (Mr W. Newton) presiding.' Details in the demands made by the union were considered .an length, but no announcement ..was made public.

Complaint has been made by lootball players who were engaged in the matches on Athletic Park on Saturday that monye was taken from their clothes, which were hanging in the dressing sheds. At *jts meeting iast evening, the Rugby v \lnion executive decided to place a man at the players' gate in future. Only persons in possession of tickets will be allowed admittance.

The liner Kia Ora, en route from Home with return draft of troups No. 242, sent a wireless message yesterday stating that she will arrive at Lyttelton at noon to-day. A wireless mes 7 sage from the Northumberland, with return draft No. 248, en route from England, reports that the vessel will arrive at Wellington at midday to-mor-row. The Kia Ora has 979 soldiers on board and the Northumberland has 1330.

An indication of the great increase in trade between Canada and New Zealand, notwithstanding the war y is contained in the return's for the fiscal yeai ending March 31st, 1919, showing the year's total imports from Canada to have been £1,085,224, an increase of £207,071 over the previous year.' Tho exports from New Zealand were "well over £1,000,000. In 1910, when the Trade Commissioner's Office was first opened, New' Zealand's total imports from Canada amounted to £261,402.

Of fifty-eight students at the. Melbourne Pharmaceutical College, it is eaid half the number are girls. The Government Medical Officer, in his leport to the Fharmmaceutical Association, stated In regard to lady students: —"Pharmacy offers to them an ideal profession in life. Their knowledge and efficiency, their accuracy and neatness, were satisfactory in the extreme, and in many instances, more pax-ticu-larly in the latter, contrasted more than favourably with Fome of the mnlo candidates." Mr C. L. Butchers, Bee-' retavy of the Pharmaceutical Association, Etates that within thb.p&st few years over 100 ladies have been registered as chemists In Victoria.

Members of the Returned Soldiers' Association are invited-'to be present at the arrival of the northern express to-day at 1 p.m." to .welcome to General Richardson, wlfo is arriving, arid it is employers will assist as, far/, as. pSSiihla iu allowing tho men,to: attend. Nothing in the way of an official reception is to bo tendered, as the association intends arranging ii reception at its clubhouse when the General's movements are definitely ascertained. It is anticipated | that there will be a large gathering of returned men present. The association has received from the Mayor'an invitation for all returned men to attend the civic reception-, at,■■the ,Town Hall at '5 p.m., and - special accommodation is being provided for them.

A return has been prepared showing the quantities of hemp, tow, and strip-per-slips graded at the ports of tne Dominion during April. The total number of bales of hemp graded was 7395, compared with 16,114 tor the corresponding month last year, . a decrease of 8719 bales. For the twelve I months ended;, April 30th, 19.19, the number of bales-graded was 129,378, compared with 167,595 for the previous twelve months, a .decrease ot 35,2 n bales. During the month 1412 bales of tow wore dealt with, compared with 3426 for the corresponding month ot last year, a decrease of 2014 bales. For the twelve months ended April 30th, 1919, the number of bales graded was 19,539, compared with 3/,Uoi lor the previous twelve months, a decrease of 17,522 bales.- .

Reference to the part played by the chemists of the Dominion during the late epidemic was made by the president (Mr F; Castle> at the conference of the pharmaceutical Society last evening. •'Notwithstanding some measure of abuse," said Mr Castle, -tno chemists rendered good service, to the people. It was a nightmare to chemists, but they /answered the call splendidly, and in some eases tile}" i even took the places of doctors who were laid aside/' Mr Castle ;-aded that it was extremely desirable ttmt in epidemics certain mixtures should be standardised so that chemists could more expeditiously deal with the large number of prescriptions coming in. Something bad already been done, and he trusted that in future epidemics the chemists would not }>o p»acecr at a disadvantage.

The secretary of ( the Canterbury branch of the Farmers' Union, Mr C. Benjamin, has received the following letter from the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister in Charge of Imperial/ Supplies, with reference to a resolution carried by the union urging upon the Government the necessity for providing insulated tonnage to meet the needs of Canterbury: "I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter forwarding *a resolution at a recent meeting of your executive with reference to the necessity for providing insulated tonnage to meet the needs of your district. In reply, I hove to state that, within the last few days 'a considerable quantity' of space has been allocated to both Timaru and Lyttelton by the New Zealand Overseas Shipowners' Coniniiitee in May steamers, which, L trust, will have tho effect of eaßing the congestion which at present exists."

The work, of the Navy in connection with the surrender of the German fleet is referred to in a letter, dated February 18th, 1919, from Captain Gerald Wells, of H.M.S. Comus, received hj the Auckland branch of tho Navy iieaguo in acknowledgment of Christmas greetings forwarded to officers in the Navy. The writer says: "The British men-of-war, Comus, Danai,' Vesper, and the American man-of-war VV'ickes, are at this moment lying in Kiel harbour ieoing that the work of surrendering and rendering unfit for sevice of German men-of-war •is proceeding in accordance with the terms of the Armistice —a'Very evident proof of the victorious peace you hoped for on your Christmas card. . . No finer record exists—in the war than that of tho New Zealand forces, and we havo all been deeply impressed with their splendid physique and bearing. It makes one very proud to belong to the same Empire as such men."

Sine© Anril 28th the Christchurch repatriation office has found work to; 6" men, but the majority of the positions are only temporary. At present (states the "Press") there are about 140 names on the unemployment books, but some of the axen still on j the list have been place* in work ot » temporary nature.

In conversation with a Masterton "Age" representative recently, the Hon. A. M. Myers outlined a scheme for licensing reform which he thought 'might appeal to the ■people of the dominion. He was of the opinion that the hotels should be run more on the Continental lines than at present. The first consideration should be for more open bars, where men and women could assemble in the public gaze, and partake of light wines and beers. 'J-'iio sale of spirits should be restricted, and adulteration of liquors should be rigorously suppressed.

I The strike of the Green Island miners continues (states the Dunediu "Star"), and there are no indications of a settlement of the dispute. As a result lof the falling away of business following the strike, the Green Island Supply Coal 'Company has decided to dissolve partnership. Mr G-. G. Ogilvie, the present secretary, has been apl>ointed liquidator. Instead of the several proprietaries connected wltli the company, continuing to work in combination, each colliery will in future be controlled by its own particular proprietor or proprietors.

A woman's neglect of four-children-three girls and a boy—formed the basis of an application made to Mr J. E. Wilson, S.M., Auckland, for the ren.oval of the children to an industrial home. Evidence was given that the mother, whose husband had left her, was in the habit of going out at night with men and leaving the children alone. Oni one occasion she had received -some clothing from Sistef JDsther, and, instead of using it for. the chiittren, had sold it. The mother said she did not object to the application, and the children were committed as asked.

Dealing with the strong iieed for sufficient phosphates \in human diet, Dr. Thacker, on Saturday night., at a meeting in Christchurch, said that he considered, that the tremendous export of meat, lb utter, and cheese from New Zealand was depriving the Dominion's population of a portion of its necessary phosphatic foods. He thought the State should so control the primary products of the country that New Zealand citizens could geb them at the same prico as the exporters were charged. As ma inters were now, the producers received about 6d a. pound for food that cost the consumer here 9d or lOd, and the consumer, at Home anything from Is 6d to 2s. Tlicro was something wrong about such a system.

A suggestion was recently made to the Ministor for Defence by the Soldiers' Mothers' League that Main Bodv men returning from . active service' should receive a full outfit oi civilian clothes instead of the mutti allowance- of £5 ss, which the league considered inadequate. JMajor-Uener-al.gir Alfred Robin, Officer Commandling the New Zealand Forces, has replied, stating that the suggestion is not practicable. The soldier, he says, in addition to having one suit of uniform for ceremonial parades, is also in possession of boots and underclothing. As regards the question of war gratuities. Slain Body men and thoefl of the earlier Reinforcements will receive more than those of later embarkation.

A scientific fact wrapped up in homely language was presented to an, audience on Saturday night by lit Tbacker. M.P., when he spoke of the substance named by the medical lournals hormones' (states the ! "Lyttelton Times"). These hormones, no said, were manufactured in the body, and' immediately went into the blood. It was a scientific fact that the hormones told tho v rest of the system what might be" expected in the way of food. For instance, a man might smell steak and onions, and the hormones immediately signalled steak and onions to the stomach. II the wife brought out bread and cheese instead, the stomach would be disappointed. ■ The hormones were also connected with. Lao sensation known as a watering mouth.

American citizens do not intend to settle down calmlv to prohibition (says the London '-Dispatch" '•fc .February 16th). A number of the managers ot smart restaurants in Now York aro coniemplatmg tlio establishment ot "deep sen restaurants." They wish to charter great barges—lavishly fitted up and" lighted—to be anchored just outside of New York harbour. Plenty of small boats . will be available to carry customers out to these "deep sea restaurants," where wine and spirits may be served without infringement of the law. Wholesale wine and spirit dealers are selling great quantities of wine, , whisky, and liqueurs to private citizens, wjio, in order to store these purchases, are having their large cellars enlarged. A well-known and wealthy New Yorker visited his physician recently and underwent a strict examination. He then asked how many years of life he might expect to enjoy. Learning he could count on twenty to twenty-five years, barring unexpected developments, he began to buy wines and spirits to equip a cellar which would provide him for that length of time. ■

Some facts came to light in the'Anglican Cathedral in Christchurch on Sunday, when the announce---menfc was made that all the collections in the Cathedral on the Sunday after Peace is declared will be given towards a Victory. school in St. Matthew's par-' ish. It appears (states the "Sun") that during the darkest days of the war a bodv of people got together and determined to show their firm conviction that the Allies would win bv starting to collect funds for a Church of England d»y school, which was to be called a Victory school. At the same time they made up their minds to further the Emigre's cause by spending all the money collected on war loan certificates. They went wronjr. as far as the dute was concerned. Even the (most sanguine of them did not see an\end of the war before December *" 31st. 1919, and so l li<>y rjave themselves, up to that dat<to collect 2500 certificates. However, their work is accomplished, and that number of certificates i« in hand. After the signinsr of the Armistice thev sho-v----od some business abiKtv. for when the country no longer called upon them to buy certificates, they looked about amongst their ft-if-tid" and found those who were willing to leti them buy from them nt cost price certificates, some «f which were two and n-lialf years old. So the Government 4} per cent. w»s turned to 9 ner cent. Tt is; to th'"» Wirtorv school that the Cathedral offerings are to be given on Peace SunrtnT, and the cnngreTation was resierday asked to m»ke the day's, collections amount to £IOOO.

The Minister for Agriculture, stated yesterday that millers were how .entitled to receive the flour 'subsidy. Where they made a claim.-for--it an investigation was held, and a decision was given accordingly.

The Minister fo» Mines stated yesterday that Cabinet had practically agreed to proposals of his respecting the new mining policy, and- ho was having legislation prepared for submission to Parliament next session. He intended that the Dominion's mineral resources should be thoroughly tested. For this a measure of reorganisation and full staffing of the Mines Department would be necessary, eo that samples could be reported on more quickly than was at present possible.

"It has not yet been possible for as to arrange special classes for returned soldiers," says the director of the Wellington Technical College, "but several have attended the ordinary classes, • with satisfactory results in tone cases. I am convinced that, in most subjects, it would be better to arrange for separate classes for these men. At, the same time, the numbers coming forward in each subject at prer sent do not warrant the formation of special classes. In the •engineering workshops in the day classes, some of these men have done very good work; but the shop is at present overcrowded, both day and evening, with tools as well as with pupils, and it is impossible /to give the students the best conditions."

Just before 9 a.m. on Friday last (states an exchange), the residents of Rakaia were startled by a terrifie crash coming from the station yard. Investigation showed that:an acciden* had occurred in connection with a cial goods train- just arrived fromChristchurch. Shunting ' • operations' were being carried out, with a, view to putting on somo sixteen ' heavily, laden n-agons containing wheat and oats consigned south. The heavy goods train of some iforty wagons was sent backing on to an occupied siding, instead of cu-to a clear line. The train crashed into the string of sixteen, loaded wagons. The sacks of grain; were strewn plentifully "• about/ andsome of them were torn and otherwise, damaged. The driver and fireman received a bad shaking. , ' • ; .