NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10615, 14 June 1920, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

The Prime Minister was advised by telegraph on Saturday that ho lias won the second prize in tho Auckland Art Society’s Art Union.

General support, it is is being given to tho efforts of local bodies to induce the) Government to admit leather into this country free of duty, with a view to reducing the high cost of footwear.

Tho chairman of the Auckland committee which has in hand the raising of moneys for the fund to succour tho starving children in the stricken areas of Europe, has, received a reply from the Minister for Internal Affairs to an inquiry as to the scope of the committee’s activities. The Minister’s reply grants permission to collect funds with certain restrictions. ■

The Waikato Hospital Board has set up a committee to inspect sites and report on a proposition to start a farm toi supply the needs of the hospital, it was stated that the board was paying at the present time about £IUO per month for and £l5O a month for milk. Several members were of the opinion, that a big saving would bo effected by the board running its own farm.

As a sequel to the recent proceedings at Wanganui before the Ciiief Justice, in which Mr G. V. Pearce, exM.P. for Patea, figured so prominently. Mr M. Myers applied to and obtained from Mr Justice Edwards an order prohibiting the removal from the jurisdic-. tion of the court of the youngest daughter of tho defendant, tho custody of whom tho Chief Justice had ordered to be, given to the mother.

The -new Foxton State School will bo formally opened to-morrow afternoon. by the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister for Education. Tho Hon. Mr Parr will arrive at Tokomarjt by tho morning train, and will be met by Mr E'. Newman, M.P-. for the district, and after an inspection of the Tokomaru School he will b$ motored to Foxton, whore ho will be entertained at lunch by the Mayor.

Last Thursday was the nineteenth anniversary of the landing of the present King and Queen, then the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, in New Zealand. The Duke and Duchcea spent seventeen days in New Zealand, the centres visited being Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. The Royal visitors loft the Dominion on tho evening of Juno 2"tb, Lyttelton being the port of departure.

A daring robbery took place at Johnson and Cooper’s auction mart at Rotorua. A clerk named Moor left' the office between 13 noon and 1 p.m. to visit a fruit tent around the corner. When he came back after three minutes had elapsed, a cash box containing about £BO in- cash and £4O in cheques had disappeared from the safe, which wasl left open. There is no: due to tho robbery. Mr Johnson was away, in the country on business, and Mr Cooper was in Auckland.

Mr J. R. Stanscll, well known “down the lino,” and Mr R. Pbiip, of Wellington, have a scheme on hand to make Tahunn beach, Nelson, a fashionable watering-place (says the Palmerston “Times”). They have purchased Mr F. H. Richmond’s run, and they are going to cut it up into seaside residences and lay down bowling greens, tennis and croquet courts, and other joy-making accessories. They also contemplate establishing what tho Nelson paper describes as a “hcalthorium,” which is a new one on ,us, but sounds enticing.

An unusual incident occurred in the Hamilton Supreme Court when the jury was being empanelled. When handed the Bible, a juryman said ho objected to swear, and when Mr Justice Cooper asked why, he said : “Because tho AVord of God forbids me.” The judge said tho juryman could make an affirmation. The man replied that the Bible told him not to swear, “neither by earth nor by heaven.” Thereupon His Honour said tho man was not fit to be a juryman, and excused him from service. It is said the juror, with a suggestive wink to tho Crown Prosecutor, hurried from tho court.

Special attention is directed to the fact that tho third annual festival of tho Wellington Competitions Society will be held in the Opera, House, commencing on September Slat next. An attractive programme of some 100 classes in vocal and instrumental music, recitations, character, recitals, national and fancy dancing has been arranged, tho leading features being a choir contest and a contest for male voice choir. Tho societv are also offering a prize'of £5 5s for the most suitable design for their programme cover. Arrangements have been made whereby competitors may travel at holiday cxnrsion rates. The svllabtis and book of words are now obtainable at ammusio warehouse, or will be posted direct on application to the secretary.

Yesterday afternoon the < Salvation Army Band played at the Public Hospital grounds before a large crowd. The sum of £6 os was collected.

The heavy rain of last week caused several slips of earth from the hillside to take place between Kaiwarra and Pc tone, but traffic was not affected.

The Hamilton Borough Council has decided to raise a loan of £2OOO towards the cost of a library at 1* rankton, and a further £2OOO for extensions to the present Hamilton library.

A man and a woman who were married a week ago made their appearance in the Magistrate’s Court on Saturday to answer charges of drunkenness. They were first offenders. ■ and were each fined a small amount.

Advice has been received at To Kuiti from the Minister for Education that a grant of £834-3 has been approved for much-needed additions to the infant department of the To Kuiti School.

A difficulty has been experienced in keeping the mouth of the Wairarapa lake open on account of the shingle and »nd piling up. Councillor A. Matthews, of the.Eeathcrston Council, stated the mouth of the lake had been a source of trouble lor some time.

A “New Zealand Times” reporter was on Saturday informed by a Wellington firm that the demand for tallow at the auction sales in London had dropped, and a cable had been received that few sales were made. Values were, however, unchanged.

“Brother Orphans, the next item lies in the hands of the Department for Internal Affaire." (Laughter.)— His Excellency the Governor-General, announcing tho supper adjournment at the Orphans’ Club entertainment on Saturday evening.

suppose this is a penalty for being polite,” remarked Mr V. G. Day, S.M., at tho .Magistrate's Cburt at Cliriatch .ch on Friday, when a man was charged that he had persisted in remaining standing upon the roof of a double-decker tramcar after being requested by tho conductor not to do so. Tho defendant explained that lie had stood up to give his seat to a lady. Cnder the circumstances the magistrate said he would not inflict a fine, but would convict the defendant and order him to pay costs.

Mr John K. Hornblow, Foxtou, writes as follows:—“The writer of tho article in reference to tho Otaki hospital, which appeared in Saturday’s ‘Times.’ credits me with saying that I had had a conversation with Dr Valintino ro converting the institution into a maternity hospital. I never made such a statement, nor have I discussed the Otaki hospital with Dr Valintine. In conversation with Mr W‘. H. Field, M.P., and another Manawatu Board member, X suggested that the department might, he approached to convert the institution into a St. Helens hospital for tho training of district nurses.”

Since tho visit of so many New Zealanders to the Holy Land during the war there has been a marked revival of interest. in the Anglo-Isracl question, and steps arc being taken in Now Zealand to form branches of the British-lurael World Federation, the object of which is to bind in one federation all the different societies in the world. Letters recently received frpm Mr Herbert Garrison, the secretarygeneral, give particulars of the world congress it is proposed to hold next month with a big.gathering in the Albert Hall. Delegates from all over the world have been invited to tho congress.

In connection with tenement cases it was mentioned that the duty now cast upon the magistrates was to decide upon which side the hardshixi lay. One Auckland solicitor, as he walked ' into court with the owner and tenant side by side, remarked: “I am sorry for both of you, because you are such decent chaps.’ 1 One owner had bought anothei* house rather than turn out an old tenant, then found he could not got possession of the newly-purchased house.' A lady said she had tried to get a. two-rcQined fish shop that was empty, but' was too late. Had she secured it a family of six were going to crowd into it. A working man said he had nine children, and found he would not he let into an empty house if he found one. Mr Poynton, the magistrate, thereupon dryly remarked; “No! Children,’ I suppose, are not wanted now/’