NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10292, 29 May 1919, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Tuesday’s storm appears to have been more severe in' parts of the Hutt Valley than in tho city. There were several heavy showers of hail and at Petone. the 'ice we® piled up against exposed buildings to a height of upwards „of two feet.

Town-planning was mentioned at the Farmers’ Union Conference in Wellington, and it was resolved; —“That the conference accords its hearty, support to the passing of a Town-planning Act providing for town-planning in its widest sense, ' with'' provision for the laying out on modern lines of village settlements in rural districts.”

A proposal to establish land banks was rejected by the Farmers’ Union Conference during its session in the city. The proposal ran:—"ln view of the necessity for increased production the Government be. urged to establish land banks wherever close settlement exists in order- to. assist small farmers to bring their holdings into a higher state of cultivation."

"A small minority of our returned men,” stated a report to the War Relief Association yesterday, "still exhibit inability to settle down to civil life. This, of course, is only to he expected when one considers the physical and mental strain through which they have passed. ■ Nevertheless the problem of how best to help them is most difficult of solution'.’’'

On the subject of hydro-electricity the Wellington Provincial Farmers’ Conference passed the following resolution" That recognising the vital importance of an early supply of hydroelectrical power, the executive be asked to express satisfaction 'to the Minister that the work has been commenced and impress on him our anxiety that such 'work shall be vigorously pushed ahead.”

A correspondent writing frofli Lyall Ray urges that it would be very much better for town-planning enthusiasts on local bodies to do something more than merely make flowery speeches. He mentions that the Wellington civic authorities have permitted a number of houses in a certain locality to bo placed three or four feet below the level of the formed road. As the land in the locality ia practically level, he contends that this should never have been allowed, ns it must be very -unhealthy. A meeting of the executive council of the Wellington Competitions Society was held last evening, Mr F. G. Gray presiding. The final selection of musical and elocutionary test, items was adopted. It was decided to include in the programme senior classes m, the national dancing section, Burns song for both ladies and gentlemen, a recitation by a New Zealand author, also a competitive design for the programme cover. Tho General Manager of Railways wrote regretting that concessions could not be granted to competitors travelling to Wellington for th© competitions. Mr Harold Whittle was appointed official accompanist. Mr Mackenzie Forbes wrote accepting tho position of judge in the national dancing section. The organising committee reported having received a considerable number of trophies as special prizes and these will be allocated to the various classes.

The annual conference of the Public Service Association has been postponed till August 12th. Among tho reasons which influenced this decision (states tho “Public Service Journal”) are the facts that tho now salary list is not likely to appear until tho middle or towards the end of July, and the probability of a late session. Moreover, it will "give newly-elected section committees more time to study the matters to be discussed, and to instruct their delegates thereon. Tho conference will be quite the most important held hitherto by reason of the issues arising out of new conditions created by the war, and it is hoped that each section will ho able to secure as delegate tho services of tho men 1 .-' best qualified to represent it.

The Council of Education is to meet in Wellington on. June 24th.

The new disease, lethargic encephalitis, has been ordered to ho made a notifiable infectious disease, and the necessary action has been taken.

A Canterbury and Marlborough deputation is to wait upon the Minister for Public Works shortly to urge that the South Island Mam - Trunk railway should bo completed as early ns possible.

The Minister for Education stated yesterday that the proposal for the provision of hot lunches for children in country schools had been well taken up in a number of districts. At the las. meeting cf the Otago Education Board, the chairman said that in-one Dunedin school there were 80, children getting their lunch every day.

It is reported that two fast whaling launches have succeeded in ot i Torv Channel, Cook Strait, 179 cases of benzine and various odd pieces of cargo and wreckage that had washed round from the wreck of the Queen of the Sputli off Capo Campbell- The salt water had a deteriorating effecton ' the benzine. There is no sign ol the ill-fated vessel now from Cape Campbell.

The railway staffs of the- head and departmental offices are to hold_ a sendoff smoke concert in honour of Mr Jt. H. Hiley. late General Manager, tomorrow evening at xhe head office buildings. The Acting-Prime Minister has signified his intention of being present. as also will the Minister for Railways. The other members of the Cabinet have also been invited to attend. Mr R. W. MciVilly, recently appointed to succeed Mr Hiley, will preside.

The council of the _ Wellington Ac-clim'vfcisa-tion Society is making; a recmest to a keen sportsman of past Soars, and now resident in Loudon, to procure two stags and two hinds (calves) from the Vi arnham Com ■ herd, and arrange for their shipment to the Dominion if possible. Mr C. J. Lucas, the owner of the herd mentioned, has on previous occasions generously presented some deer to the society, and for many years calves bred in this strain have been liberated with the herds in various parts of the society’s district.

Sir James Allen, Acting-Prime Minister wlio lias been delayed by the break in the Lyttelton ferry service, is duo back in Wellington from the South Island this morning. • During his absence a good deal of business has accumulated, and a lengthy sitting of Cabinet is anticipated to-day. Amongst other matters, the question of the Locomotive Engine-drivers, Firemen, and Cleaners’ Association’s dispute, also that of the veto by the Minister for Railways of the Appeal Board’s decision in the Longton case, will come up for consideration.

Referring yesterday - 4-o'.a...statement by the secretary to the: Otago Education Board, that there were at present forty teachers’ residences belonging to the board which were unoccupied, the Hon J. A. Hanan, Minister for Education. said that, ha was not encouraging the erection \of teachers’ residences unless good reasons were shown to justify grants being made. He was obtaining a statement from the department showing the number of teachers’ residences unoccupied in all districts, and the reasons for non-occupation.--In- view el the possibility of residences becoming unoccupied, as appeared to be the case in Otago, not every application for a uit was approved, but careful inquiry was made in each case.

Progress in connection with tho re-cently-started “good roads” agitation was reported at this week’s meeting ot the Palmerston North Chamber or Commerce. The secretary (Mr- W, : McKenzie) reported that 136 replies had been received in response to tho’ chamber s circular, soliciting support in approaching tho Government in the matter and suggesting some measure of State control. In all, eighty-nine local bodies hhtl endorsed the recommendation, while the remaining forty-seven had either received it or deferred the matter for further consideration. A number of the replies coming * within the lastnamed category bad stated that the matter was being refeired to the Counties Association. It was resolved to send a remit to the conference of chambers of commerce convened by tho Wellington Central Chamber, and to draft a remit to the Counties Conference, embodying the gist tho replies received from local bodies.

The British Consul at Ekaterinburg has sent to the authorities in England details of an inquiry by the Siberian authorities into the Bolshevik atrocities in the Perm districts. The number of victims killed, it is stated, runs into'several thousands, most of whom wore shot, but some were drowned or killed by the sword. Tho murders were usually preceded by tortures and acts of cruelty, and the victims frequently were made to dig their own graves. The Bolsheviks vented violent hatred on tho Church and clergy, 46 priests, out of 300 in the Perm diocese were killed, and the monasteries at Bielogrod and Bielogorsk were pillaged. One of tho worst cases was that of a girl, nineteen years old, who in December, 1918, was accused of espionage, and was tortured by being slowly pierced thirteen times in the same wound by a bayonet. She was afterwards found by peasants still alive, and has sworn an affidavit; to these details. Sixty-six children were taken as hostages and mowed down by ma-chine-guns at Ekaterinburg iu tho beginning of July.

A fight for the British film market appears to be imminent (states ‘"a Loudon paper). The American sharo iu this, apparently, is not to be limited to the production and marketing ol films, but is to bo extended to the actual running of picture theatres on an elaborate scale, if plans which are said to have largo sums of money behind them - are carried into effect. The most ambitious scheme of the kind which is being talked of in Filmland is that of an organisation which proposes to run its own films in its own circuit of theatres. Mr Harry Aitken, a leading figure on the commercial side of film enterprise, has gone to England, and is said to bo surveying the ground preparatory to initiating picture production schemes in Groat Britain or on the Continent.Mr Sidney Olcott, who produced “From Manger to Cross,” is also in London, with the intention, it is understood, of producing films in England, and Mr Sheehan; president of the Fox -Film Company, is credited with similar intentions. At tho same time, British producers are making rapid progress, and vigorous and welldirected efforts are promised to place the genuinely native production at the front.

According to a- ‘wireless message received last evening from the E.M.S. Moana, the vessel win arrive in the stream at Wellington at 6 o’clock this evening from San Francisco via ports.

Owing to the Maori having got out of her usual running through delay at Wellington, she will not leave Lyttelton until this evening on the return run to this port.

A Press Association message from Dannevirko states that a light fall of snow was experienced there on Tuesday night, and the weather was bitterly cold. .

A sailor named William Green, belonging to Wellington, was taken ashore from the Manuka at Sydney at 10 a.in. last Friday with a high temperature. He was transferred to the quarantine station.

An elderly man, Neil McNeill, wh° was convicted by a jury of common assault at Hawera, was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment; at the Supremo Court at 14 anganui yesterday.

The Maori, which left Wellington at 10.25 o’clock on Tuesday night for Lyttelton, reached the southern port at 12.3-5 p.m. yesterday. The Mararoa, which sailed from Wellington at 8.15 p.m. on Tuesday, did- not reach Lyttelton until 2.45 p.m. yesterday/

A radio message from the troopship Pakelia, en route from London to W*Tlington, reported that at noon yesterday she was steaming against a southwesterly gale, and was then 540 miles from Wellington. The vessel is expected to arrive in the stream to-mor-row morning.

“We bred pheasants at Somes Island this year,” stated Mr L. O. H. Tripp at last night’s meeting of the Acclimatisation Society, ‘‘but, unfortunately, they were all poisoned. Whether it was by enemy action or not I cannot say, but if so. I suppose we ought to make a claim and Germany should pay an indemnity.” (Hear, hear,, and laughter.)

A sad fatality occurred yesterday afternoon when the infant son of Mr Michael H. McCabe, a waterside worker, residing at 12, Jacob’s place, lost his life by drowning in a small pond in Jacob’s place. It appears that the child, which was named David William McCabe, and aged two years and eleven months, fell through a fence into the pond. His mother found him floating in the water at 4.30 p.m., apparently dead. Dr Smytlie, - who responded to an urgent call, examined the body and pronounced life extinct. The remains were taken, to the morgue, and an inquest will be held.

At last night’s meeting of the • Acclimatisation Sooietv. a member declared that worm-fishing for trout, as carried out on the Hutt river at least, was “sheer murder.” There were nice little places cut out in the rushes, etc., fringing the river,, and,a man todk.his rod, his worms, tobacco, light refresh, ments, and a book out with him, baited his hook, and then lay down, smoked bis pipe, read Lis book, perhaps consumed some of the light refreshments, and had a sleep. Whenever the line sang, he knew that a fish was on, and got up and hauled it out. That, he maintained, was not sport, and the society should take steps to put an end to it.

A story; which if not truods at-least'- ■>-" ‘‘ben trovata” (well found), as Span, iards say, is told of the latest voyageof the Manuka from Sydney to Wellington. The captain, it is stated, got wind, as she left tho wharf, of a stopwork meeting being held by the crew ■ to decide whether they should sail or not, and lie at once got the engineers to put the engines full steam ahead, with the result that when the meeting was over and tthe • men’came ort-dech " to announce their decisioiry thojy iV'efo ~'~ informed that they were beyond the three-mile limit and that to - strike there would be tantamount to mutiny on the high seas. That ended the matter. v