NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10607, 4 June 1920, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

A remand until to-day was- granted at the Police Court yesterday in the enso of Sydney Partridge, charged with having obtained board and lodging from Airs D. H. Newberry by false prgtneccs. Bail was allowed m the sum of £25.

Householders will bo interested in the news that the steamer Kaiapoi is duo at Wellington to-morrow from Greymo-ii'tih and Westport* with a load of coal mainly for domestic purposes. The consignees include the Westport Coal Co. and the. State Coal Department.

Father Bernard Vaughan, speaking on divorce in London recently, said ho remembered a funeral in America when the five mourners bad each in tarn been the deceased’s wife. Lately they wore told of a wedding -where the four bridesmaids were divorced girls.

Housing difficulties are not unknown, it appears, on the other side of tho Atlantic, judging by tho following ao vortisomcnt_ which lias just reached me (says a. writer in the “Daily News”) from Los Angeles, California: “Wanted to rent, 4 or 5-roomcd house, moderate rent. If children objected to, will drown ours.’ 1

A woman, whose husband had deserted her, told tho Willesdcn magistrate that she heard he was tho manager of a provision shop, and was given permission to go and see if she could identify him. The man boro tho same name as her husband, and was his exact double, except that he had one brown eye, and one blue, whereas her husband had two brown eyes.

The Prisons Department’s scaffold, which Fas been stored in Lyttelton Gaol since the last execution there, has been shipped for Wellington, en route for Auckland, in view of tho, approaching execution of Dennis Gunn," who was sentenced to death on Friday last. Tho structure is composed of a surprisingly large amount of timber and fittings, there being no fewer than 12 large packing-cases, as well as several dozen pieces of heavier timber.

The Wellington British Israel Association • received the following reply to a message of welcome sent through tha Minister for Internal Affairs to H.R.H; tho Prince of .Wales: “I am desired by the Prince of Wales to express through you to tho members of tho Wellington branch of the British Israel Association His Royal Highness’s thanks for the message of welcome, which they have addressed to him on the occasion of his first visit to New Zealand.— Yours faithfully, Godfrey Thomas, private secretary.”

A .Maori youth at Wnihi who posed as a “humorist’ will probably stand in the prisoners dock charged with a somewhat serious offence. It appears that he scoured some gunpowder, which he placed on a piece of paper, and then set fire to the paper and told two wondering companions! to l watch it go off. He then decamped. The boys remained close to. the gunpowder, which subsequently exploded right in their faces. The youth then returned and advised the boys to go to -the beach and wash their faces in salt water, which they did with, disastrous results.

Tyo 80, a Chinese, <agod 56, has died' at Darwin, after five years’ isolation as a leper. There axe still five lepers at the station, all Chinese except tho officer in charge, who is a half-east© aboriginal, and is also suffering from leprosy. Two years ago Tye Bo took a sheet of iron off his hut. Ho fashioned this into a boat and rowed four miles to tho mainland, but the black trackers soon tracked him down. The officer in charge also escaped on one occasion in a roughlymade boat.

Tlie Wanganui police are making inquiries regarding tbe welfare of a young man of a romantic turn of mind, who recently visited that town and represented himself to be a lieutenant from the Renown (says the ‘‘Herald”). His mission was reported to be that of rounding un deserters from tho ship in which ho alleged that he had been very successful. His sudden departure after a few days’ sojourn has caused some of his newlymade acquaintances, including the proprietor of a local boardinghouse, to institute inquiries regarding his present address.

John Henry Saunders and Janies Stanley, both of whom had been convicted of bigamy at the Central Criminal Court in London, receiving twelve months and eighteen months’ hard labour respectively, asked the Court of Criminal Appeal to set aside their sentences and to impose strokes with tho •‘cat’’ instead. Air Justice Darling said that tho law did not allow strokes with tho cat o’ nine tails to bo given for bigamy, and consequently the court could not consider tho applications. If the law had allowed them to substitute tho “cat” for a term of imprisonment, they might have considered tho applications with a disposition to oblige the prisoners.

A grave English historian of the next century may, I think, sum up the presentrelations between Britain and America >n one phrase (says a writer in the London “Daily Express”). “A friendship,” ho will write, “that on our side, was proof against malicious misrepresentations. _ A friendship that, on our side survived even their bacon and their whisky.” I do not propose that all American whisky is had. I have read a Kentucky senator’s sneoeh when the Pure Pood Law was pending. He showed the House how some of the whiskies of the day were made, and hold up a concoction which he 5 had prepared before their eyes. ‘This,’ ho said simply and finelv, ‘‘will make a howling dervish out of a monk, and make a rabbit spit in a bulldog’s face/ ”

A request from North. Auckland dairy factory delegates and managers for ‘financial assistance to enable factories to employ instructors has been, replied tot by the Atinister for Agriculture (tho'Hon. AV. D. S. MacDonald.) The Minister points out in tho first place that in cases where such officers are employed by the factories the department' already subsidises the work by paying the salaries of the officers in excess of £250 per annum, which .amounts to a fairly largo contribution. “It is regretted that tho department,” continues the statement, “while fully in sympathy with tho desire of the factories to have such instructors devoting their time largely to tho work of improving tho milk supply, cannot at present sec its way to grant financial assistance in the direction indicated.”

In view of the educational test imposed upon Asiatics arrivin'* m New Zealand, it seems singular (says the Auckland ‘‘Star”), that in a statement submitted at the Magistrate’s Court a Hindu’s defence rested to some extent upon his assertion that he could neither read nor write English.

A now servants’ tax has been decreed for Paris. For a tutor cf governess the tax is £-1 a year, for a maid-servant £1 12s, and for a manservant £3 4s. Invalids employing male nurses are exempt. The tax is doubled for servants of Allied nationality, trebled for neutrals, and quintupled for subjects of France's war enemies.

The Swiftsuro, a new motor launch, arrived at Kaikoura recently from Pictou to engage in whaling operations. The launch is constructed on the- “V” bottom principle, and has engines of 45 horse-power, which develop a speed of 18 knots. She is fitted with the latest harpoon gun, an apparatus for lifting whales and a searchlight.

Three hundred pounds per head was demanded by a shipping company from the Queensland Government during the recent shipping strike for the proposed transportation of three lepers from Cairns to Brisbane. The Government accepted the offer, although considering it too high. It is, however, cheaper than continuing the present arrangements at Cairns.

Many land sales have taken place in the Whakatano district during the past six weeks, writes the correspondent of the ‘‘New Zealand Herald,<’ the sales in the aggregate amounting to something 1 over £500,000. The rush for land is attributed to excessive prices asked in the Taranaki, Wairarapa, and Hawke’s Bay districts. Many Gisborne farmers are turning their attention to the district, where droughts are practically unknown.

“Every ‘school hoard in the hig towns Of tile Old Country,’’ said Dr. (Noil McDougall, in the course of a lecture on “Radium and its Uses,” given at Auckland, ‘‘has its own Xray plant for ’curing head ringworm in' school children. The children are put under a, five-day treatment, one portion of the scalp being treated on each occasion, and each sitting lasts about six minutes. The diseased hairs are thus caused to fall out, and with them the ringworm fungus.”

An interesting matrimonial case is reported from Zurich, where the law affords unusual facilities (says the “Observer”). It concerns a young couple named Lornsner. Thev were both aged 20 when they were divorced within a year, fell in love again, and marriage followed, with another divorce after fourteen months. Once more they wore remanded, and divorce was pronounced a third time at Zurich recently. It must be a wearing life, the paper continues, and the chief danger seems to be that they will get married absent-mindedly some day out of duo time, and so commit bigamy with pnc another.

"When the paper shortage causes the newspaper to suspend publication, Srhat are we going to do —about lighting the fire; for something to lino the shelves in the jam cupboard; for another excuse at breakfast when one is too grouchy to converse with tho wife; in the summer for a fly-swatter; about a substitute wrapper for little Johnny’s school lunch; for a screen to conceal oneself behind, when a lady enters a crowded tram car and rather pointedly stands in front of the seat one is occupying; about something to put under lather's feet, when he will insist on taking those afternoon naps on the best bedspread; for something to read?—“Life."’

The dancing craze is increasing all over France'. In Paris beauty specialists and doctors are concerned at what they describe as the “tired, tango face.’’. Many young women in the Frencil capital lead busy lives all day of one kind or another, and then spend half the night at balls or dancing clubs. For weeks they cut their sleep to a dangerous minimum, and the effects become visible in faces, sallow and wrinkled under the rouge and powder. Eye trouble is a frequent result. of this burning the candle at both ends, but seldom will the young women accept the remedy offered t© them, which is to give up dancing and have plenty of sleep, and rise early.

A strange thing happened recently in Wellington. N.S.W., when a young man named L. Nicholson, who is both deaf and dumb, heard sounds for the first time in his life. One of the attractions at a show was an Avro aeroplane, which made many trips skywards with local passengers, and amongst those was. the young man in question. While in the air ho w>s greatly surprised and pleased to find that bo could hoar quit© plainly, and thought ho had gained his hearing for good, but on reaching tho earth onco more ho was deaf again. Nevertheless, ' though disappointed at the turn of events on reaching tho ground, ho is in hopes that ho will eventually regain hi® hearing if not his speech as well.

A man who in his earlier life belonged to a. hand of brigands, and achieved fame not only by the numerous murders he committed but by hia escape from the extreme penalty of the law through the failure of the guillotine, . has just celebrated his centenary in a home for the aged in Home. He is known as Antonia Ventura. In 1862 he was condemned to death by Pope Pius IX., and was taken on to the scaffold. He was placed in position, and the executioner pulled the cord releasing the cutter. The latter, however, suddenly stopped on reaching the man’s neck, which was only slightly cut, and the advocate stopped the executioner, explaining that the law permitted only one attempt to bo made to execute the same individual. Ventura remained in prison for 50 years, and was released eight years ago.

heeds has adopted as a slogan tho war-cry of the Maoris of New Zealand, beginning “Komato, Komate,” and ending with the grand climax, “Ako, ako. alee.” Tho cry was introduced at the university many years ago by someone who had mot the New Zealand Mounted Rifles during the South African War. Its origin mav probably bo traced to 'the time of the Maori War, when, at tho siege of tho strongly fortified Gate Pa. the Maori leader returned to tho British officer, in charge of tho besieging troops tho proud message, concluding with tho words, “Kn whawhai tonu, ake, ake.i ako.” '‘Wo shall fight on for ever and’ over and ever.” Tho most historic occasion on which the war-cry has been ever given was at Suvln Bay in the. great war. when tho Maori battalion made its historic attack and settled tho oft-debated question whether tho, finest of the coloured races can fight as well with the rifle and bayonet as with the old greenstone club.

An honorarium of £26 was voted Mr R. J. I 4 ’. Aldrich by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association yesterday for his services as treasurer. •

Of the tobacco consumed in England, seventy-seven per cent, is made into cigarettes, twenty per , cent, is smoked in pipes, and three per cent, in cigars.

A further sign of the trend of the times in regard to the formation of industrial associations is the suggested formation of a union to protect the interests of life insurance agents. It is understood that a meeting will shortly be held with a view of taking steps in this direction.

A plan is reported for chartering a steamer of 10,000 tons, remodelling it into a suitable show place for Japanese products, and sending it 'round the world. At each foreign port at which the ship stops, representative citizens will be invited on board and made more familiar with Japanese merchandise.

The New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association considers the principle of successful repatriation does not mean putting a man into the position ho occupied before enlisting, but putting him into the place to which lie is most suited, and of greatest benefit to his country after his service.

The New Zealand’ Returned Soldiers’ Association has resolved to request the Government that the regulations for the protection of soldiers’ businesses administered during the war by the Efficiency Board be revived for the protection of businesses established with the assistance of the Repatriation Department, and that the Repatriation Department be charged with the administration of such regulations. ■

ff'he following resolution was passed at the mdhthly meeting of _ the Auckland Headmasters’ Association: “That this association regrets that the New Zealand Education Institute at its recent conference in "Wellington did not express the opinion that Aut-k----land teachers were justified in the action which they took in the interests of the teachers of the Dominion in connection with departmental interference with the grading of teachers.’’

“That the association ask the Government and Parliament for a pledge that land settlement and repatriation benefits generally shall not 'he rendered inoperative until such time as every soldier lias had ample opportunity 10 train himself or to otherwise arrange his affairs in order to allow him to take full advantage of the said benefits,” was a resolution adopted yesterday' at the conference of delegates of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association.

“The hunger for" all classes of land is still unsatisfied,” said Mr J. G. Hardman, president of the Canterbury of Commerce, “and at present there is no sign of any fell m values. Statistics recently issued bv the Government show" that the total value of land in the Dominion increased between IDIO and 1919 by £l6/,000,000. By far the .largest part of the increase is accounted for in the North Island, only £46,000,000 being assigned to the South Island.

“While it is natural and proper for producers to demand a free market in anticipation of high prices, conditions in Britain have to bo considered.’ - was the dictum of Mr J. G- Harkness, secretary to the National Dairy Association, discussing the butter producers’ demand for a free market. _ The Imperial Government.” ho continued, “is confronted with problems unparalleled in the history of civilisation. It has to consider what is best for the Empire, and this perhaps might include the limiting of prices for a further period.”

The arrival in New Zealand of people in indigent circumstances has been the subject of more than one condemnatory resolution by public bodies during the last few weeks, and yet another added its quota to the popular disapproval yesterday. This was the Now Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, which resolved that the policy of permitting and encouraging the immigration of ex-imperial soldiers’ widows with young families or any other persons who ore likely to become a. charge on tho tax-payers of the Dominion or upon the patriotic societies’ funds, is strongly objected to, . .

The interesting fact that the warship Chatham, which has recently been offered by the Admiralty to tne New Zealand Government for tho Dominion’s navy, was the vessel from which Sir William Birdwood supervised tho evacuation of Gallipoli, was mentioned by the General in the course of his remarks at the civic reception at tho Town Hail last night. General liirdwood s&id that he hud spent in tho Chatham three of the most anxious nights of his life during the evacua. tion operations. In order to make the thorough preparations necessary for tho successful embarkation of tho troops, lie had to travel from one part of the coast to another. His anxiety was far greater two months later, however, when he hud to evacuate tho troops from Capo Helles.