TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 21096, 30 May 1930, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Another protest against what has been called "the new despotism” was made by Lord Justice Scrutton in delivering a judgment of the Court of Appeal quashing an order issued by the Ministry o£ Health. There had been a gradual increase since 1890 of the powers given to Ministers by Parliament to make orders which should have eliect as if enacted by Parliament, he said. In the Housing Act of 1909 these sections reached their highest level, and it was apparently intended in that Act to prevent any question of an order being ultra vires being raised, however flagrantly it might violate the delegated powers. He declined to hold that the Minister had power to deprive a citizen of property without compensation, without complying with the conditions laid down by Parliament. "As a matter of constitutional importance, 1 hope members of Parliament and Ministers and Parliamentary draftsmen will consider whether this form of legislation is really satisfactory,” he added. "Parliamentary draftsmen are in the habit of inserting this kind of ‘Star Chamber’ clause, partly on instructions by the Minister, partly by habit. Members of Parliament may not trouble to consider what the section to which they are giving legislative authority really means, but may simply follow the lead of the Minister or the Government whip. But 1 cannot think it desirable, when Parliament gives authority to affect the property and persons of the individual if certain conditions are complied with, that the Minister should violate these conditions and make an ultra vires order contrary to the law of the land.”

A farewell survey of conditions in the Irish Free State was made by Mr G. W. Russell (A.E.) in. the last issue of the Irish Statesman, which, he has edited for the last seven years. In the course of it he wrote: —:“We cannot be certain of the stability of the Treaty settlement while there is a party, powerful numerically, which desires to reopen the question. But we have the conviction that the country has steadily grown in its acceptance of the Treaty, and that the speeches in opposition are much more passionate than the mood out of which they are born. There was another section of our people—those who once were known as Southern Unionists—who had always been in the editor’s mind. He desired to make this group, which had many fine qualities, contented citizens in the new order, and to help to create an atmosphere in which they would not feel themselves existing in the midst of a hostile majority, as they did before the Free State was started. We" believe this has come about, and the majority of those who were once known as Southern Unionists recognize that they have been treated with fairness. They are blending into the New Irish nation, and their children will be indistinguishable in sentiment from the children of those whose forefathers were Irish nationalists. This is a great gain.”

“We think now it would be impossible to stampede the country by any kind of fierce rhetoric, even the rhetoric of a fine natural orator,” Mr Russell continued. “Listeners would cheer the oration as a work of art, but all the while the listeners would be asking about the speech what was solid in it, was that eloquence associated with a possible policy? We have passed away from our passionate selves, and are coming slowly to our intellectual selves. We will not be altogether safe until a new generation better educated than the present comes from the primary, secondary and technical schools and the universities to manhood and brings better-equipped brains to bear upon the problems of their country. But self-government has definitely promoted the political and economic education of Irish people. One of the best consequences now is that there is very little hatred of our neighbours. In fact, a reasoned friendliness is replacing the traditional sense that the Sassenach was the enemy. There are few Irish farmers who do not realize that their market is across the channel, that the poverty of that market means their poverty, and its prosperity has reactions here. With the fact staring them in the face, and with the situation no longer complicated by the struggle for self-government, it would be unnatural if a reasoned friendliness did not replace the old antagonism.”

The Dominion Meteorologist last night issued the following information: A depression which crossed the Dominion last night has intensified to the east of the Dominion. Pressure is falling over Australia and the westerly type of weather is likely to persist for another tw'b or three days. Winds varying between south and west, strong to gale force but later decreasing. Seas in New Zealand waters heavy south of Castlepoint and north of Cape Egmont. Elsewhere rough. Strong south-west to westerly winds and rough seas in the eastern Tasman. Weather improving temporarily on the west coast of the' South Island, otherwise cold and squally with heavy showers at times. Hail in places and show on the high country; later improving also in eastern districts.

"Toll charges in New Zealand compare more than favourably with those of any other country in the British Empire,” said Mr J. M. McLean, chief postmaster, at a meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce this week. “There is really only one country that can compare- at all with New Zealand, and that is Australia.”

A Taranaki girl of about 12 years came prepared for eventualities when the British footballers arrived at the Moa dairy factory on a visit of inspection last Thursday week. She was provided with an autograph book, the only one in evidence, and at her request the visitors readily obliged, The fame of the visitors’ golf and plus-fours has spread, and it was interesting to notice that the girl singled out first those wearing plusfours. Afterwards she decided on the identity of the others, and successfully approached them for their signatures.

The tides have been very high during the last two days. On Wednesday the sea was right up to the end of the new road at Oreti Beach, while the Waihopai river was so full that it overflowed a portion of River road. '

"Very shortlj’ you will be able to talk to Invercargill over the telephone with the same facility as you can talk to Dunedin,” said Mr J. M. McLean, chief postmaster, at a meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce this week.

John Alexander Wilson was 'yesterday found guilty in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth of assaulting a girl aged 10 and communicating a certain disease to her. Wilson was found not guilty on the charge of carnal knowledge. He will be sentenced on Saturday.—Press Association message.

The goods traffic on the railways in Southland still continues to be heavy, and the local traffic manager is being kept very busy getting waggons to supply the demand. It is anticipated that the traffic in live stock will continue until a late period this season, probably until July.

A statutory first offender, was arrested at Gore on Wednesday evening by Senior-Ser-geant Packer and charged yesterday morning with drunkenness. As the accused had spent a night in the lock-up he was convicted and discharged. Mr A. Martin was on the bench.

Reference to the recent deer conference was made by the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle) in Wellington this week. “All the reports are to hand,” he said, “and we are hoping that, as a result of the deliberations of the conference, something very substantial will be done to cope with the menace.” No doubt, he added, assistance would have to be given to the acclimatization societies.

Included in the by-laws of the Auckland Education Board, which are now undergoing revision, will be a regulation enjoining teachers to carry out regular fire-drill instruction in schools. The need for this was explained by the senior inspector (Mr J. Robertson) at a recent meeting of the board. He said children should know exactly what to do in case of emergency, and should be made fully aware of the desirability of clearing a building quickly.

New Zealand butter is not unknown in China, even among the Chinese, according to Mr N. -A. Vilonbaki, who arrived at Auckland recently by the Maunganui. Mr Vilonbaki has been in business in China for some years. A recent development in the. spread of Western ideas was the presence of bread, butter, and cheese on the menus at Chinese dinner parties, he said. The consumption of butter and cheese was growing in consequence. New Zealand butter was not as 'easy to get as Australian, as it -was generally imported to China through Vancouver. Before long a direct shipping service between New Zealand and China would have to come.

"The problem is so colossal that the setting up of tin-pot boards to deal with it seems almost as absurd as it is useless,” remarked Mr C. K. Wilson (Waitomo) at a rural counties conference at Hamilton, when speaking with reference to a proposal to establish boards for the eradication of noxious weeds. Unoccupied Native and Crown lands were, he said, the greatest breeding grounds for noxious weeds, and it would be futile to set up boards for their eradication while the Government remained the biggest offender. The problem was one for a national effort, and the best they could then hope for was to keep weeds under control. Nothing was done in the matter.

Reunions of returned soldiers are becoming increasingly popular as the years pass by. The men who served in the war find in them a return of the wonderful fellowship of the trenches which will always remain with them as an outstanding experience of their lives. A. reunion which has established itself as a permanent event is that of the 2nd Brigade N.Z. Field Artillery which this year will hold its 4th annual reunion in Wellington on June 7. Lieut.Colonel N. S. Falla, C.M.G., D. 5.0., will preside. Each year the attendance at this- reunion has increased, and it is expected that this year 200 gunners from all over New Zealand will be present. Mr G. H. Boag, 26 Palliser road, Roseneath, Wellington, is the hon. secretary.

The one-day grand carnival organized by the Southland lady hockey players will be opened at 10 o’clock this morning in the vestibule of the Popular Picture Palace, Dee street. A considerable amount of spade work has been carried out by the lady players in order to load the stalls with tempting gifts, and it is confidently expected that their enterprise will be most fruitful. The carnival is being staged with the object of fostering ladies’ hockey in Southland, and it is hoped that a generous measure of support will be accorded the venture by the general public. For the entertainment of both young and old, there will be well-loaded stalls, including a jumble stall, while various novel sideshows are sure to draw the crowd.

Last evening in St. John’s Hall, a meeting was held of those interested in the formation of a branch of the Student Christian Movement in Invercargill. The Rev. J. A. Lush acted as chairman in the interim. Mr Ramsay Howie, travelling secretary of the movement in New Zealand, briefly explained the aims and activities of the World Student Christian Federation as represented by the student movement in New Zealand. It was decided to form a branch locally, which would include ex-students and others interested. Miss Shallcrass was appointed secretary and tentative suggestions were made for the offices of chairman and members of the committee. A meeting will be held later when the nominations for offices will be confirmed.

A married man named Frederick William Windleburn, aged 37, a labourer, living at Halcombe, has been missing from his home in Wanganui (says the Dominion), and the police have reason to believe that he was the man seen to jump from the town bridge early on Friday morning last. He left home on Saturday, May 17, to visit Inglewood to interview a land agent there and negotiate for a farm. On the same evening he rang up his wife from Inglewood, but she could not understand what he was saying over the telephone. He left Inglewood on the Tuesday and was supposed to-, have gone to Wanganui and stayed at one of the hotels. On Friday morning at 1 o’clock he was talking to Constable Nairn on the railway station, and said that he intended to return to Halcombe by the 6.25 train, but he did not carry out his intention.. An overcoat found on the bridge has been identified by Mrs Windleburn as her husband's property.

Judgment by default in favour of the plaintiffs was given in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday by M.r E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the following-civil, cases:—County of Southland (Mr 11. J. Macalister) v. Arthur G. Bell, of Sydney for £1 4/- and costs (£4 19/-) ; Alexander Gray (Mr Gordon Reed) v. A. T. Drain, Awarua Plains for £5 11/4 and costs (£1 12/6) ; Wilson, Fraser and Tapper (Mr R. Stout) v. A. McMullan, Hokatika, for £l3 2/- and costs (£2 14/-); W. George and Company (Mr R. Stout) v. Harold Kissell for £5 2/and costs (£1 10/6) ; A. Russell & Co. Ltd (Mr Broughton) v. H. E. T. Jenkins, Wairio, for £33 8/1 and costs (£4 3/6); Southland News Co. Ltd. (Mr Pryde) v. H. Hoare, Ohai, for costs (£1 5/-),; same v. Thomas Dent, Longwood, for £7 17/9 and costs (£1 10/6) ; C. W. Patton (Mr R. Stout) v. A. Sammonds for £1 2/6 and costs (8/-) ; McNeil and Clark (Mr R. Stout) v. Jack McEwing, Taramoa, for £5 and costs (£1 5/6); M. A'. Hodges (Mr J. C. Prain) v. Horace Burrows, Gore, for £l6 12/- and costs (£2 14/r)Holloway Bros. (Mr R. Stout) v. R. costs (£1 1/-); J. Potts (Mr A. F, Hogg) v. J. Wakely, Patoka, for £lO and costs (£1 12/6). ' . - - .•

The second prize open to pupils of Standard 11. and awarded for hemmed ornamental tea towel at the Southland Winter Show wa^t gained by Eleanor Miller, not Maisie Thomas.

Pleading guilty to three charges of indecent assault on adult males, Norman McLeod Martin (aged 33), formerly headmaster of a country school, was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, says a Gisborne Press Association message.

For the first time in a long period a soup kitchen, organized by the Salvation Army, was opened yesterday in Dunedin to feed the unemployed and their dependents., Up ‘to 1 o’clock one hundred persons had been served. —-Press Association message.

"There is to-day throughout the whole of the British Empire a lack of fine speakers,” remarked the judge of elocution (Mr Clement May) at the Wellington competitions, "There are many otherwise able men who cannot express themselves,” he added. "When one goes into the House of Commons to-day one wonders at the absence of those men of former times, those splendid orators who could drive their arguments home. Where are they now? Is all this artificial speech and ‘canned’ music spoiling them ? Very often a man misses success in vocation because he cannot speak.” <

In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., made orders in favour of the judgment creditors in the following judgment summons cases: —Patrick Swanson (Messrs Watson and Haggitt) v. F. D. Meredith, Fortrose, for £4 18/- forthwith in default four days’ imprisonment; Cleetus Blackie (Mr J. M. Imlay) v. James Clark for £2l forthwith in default 14 days’ imprisonment; Margaret Smith (Mr R. Stout) v. Theodore Wilkinson, Niagara, for £7 3/5 forthwith in default 7 days’ imprisonment; F. J. Logan (Mr R. Stout) v. Thomas Thomson for £1 19/4 forthwith in default two days’ imprisonment; J. M. Grieve and Company (Mr R. Stout) v. William Andrews, Ohai, for £26 14/9 forthwith in default 21 days’ imprisonment; Para Rubber Co. Ltd. (Mr R. Stout) v. James Campbell Waipahi, for £3 1/- forthwith in default three days’ imprisonment; Isaac Copeland (Mr B. W. Hewat) v. Jack Robinson, Otautau, for £6 3/4 forthwith in default six days’ imprisonment; W. J. Thompson (Mr J. Tait) v. H. D. Yeatman for £8 11/6 forthwith, in default seven days’ imprisonment; William Bell (Mr R. Stout) v. Frank Blackie for £l7 4/- in default 14 days’ imprisonment, warrant to be suspended so long as judgment debtor pays £3 per month.

A reminder. —St. Andrew’s Scottish Society in Smith’s Hall to-night. Lantern lecture by Rev. R. D. McEwan and musical programme.— (Advt.)

Honey aids digestion and is relished by all. Linclsay and Co., Tay and Dee streets, have good supplies of new season’s honey—51b, tins 3/6, 101 b tins 6/6, bulk honey 8d lb; also in 41b, 11b and 21b packages.—Advt.

It pays to shop at Chas. Lewis's sale. Quality goods at reduced prices, right in the middle of winter. Wend your way to the Grand Corner Sale. Great stock-taking rcduc tions.— (Ad vt.)

Don’t miss these: A stand of Children’s Coats at half marked price for this week only, 16in to 36in, at ■ Miss Noble’s, The Baby Shop, Dee street. —Advt.

“Four properties:—Wholesomeness, flavour, purity, quality. Thomson’s Waters.”— (Advt.)

Ladies’ all Wool Vests, no sleeves, 4/11, Ladies’ Roslyn Vests, short sleeves, 5/0. For lower prices and better quality shop at Wicks’ Hose and Vest Shop, Dee street.— (Advt.)

There is not the slightest doubt that Musquash is the most serviceable, hardwearing and good-looking Coat that can be bought to-day at a price that has never before been offered to the ladies of New Zealand. Just imagine a beautiful northern Musquash Coat, full length, guaranteed for five years against any flaws whatever, for £45, made to your size, with fit and workmanship of the best. Procurable only at THE MUTUAL FUR CO., Tay street.— Advt. IT’S WINTER-TIME! Get Your HOT WATER BAGS now, from STEWART’S PHARMACY. All Bags are fresh, And Every Bag Guaranteed. —Advt. According to a questionnaire put to Taranaki school children, the most popular stories in Standard 6 were Coral Island, Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Dog Crusoe and Ivanhoe. Any of these fascinating yarns are obtainable from the N.Z. Book Depot, Esk street, Invercargill, at 2/6 each, 2/10 posted.—Advt. During the Sale of Silks at the Exhibition customers who buy 3 yards, of silk get a Welcome Dressmaking Aid free. Seldom can you get anything to assist you in frockmaking without paying for it, but the firm of Thomson and Beattie’s, Ltd., give you Free a Butterick Paper Pattern complete with a Deltor, which shows you very clearly how to lay out, cut, put together, fit and finish your garment in real dressmaker style. Attend this sensational Silk Sale to-day and select your pattern from our range of over 3,000 styles.— (Advt.) . . . Hyndman’s Annual Sale . . . Is Now On . . . Winter time is reading time! . . . . . . Take home a parcel to-day . . . .... All Book Prices Reduced .... . . . Fiction and General Literature . . . Children's Books Our Special 1/- stand daily replenished with Book Bargains.—Advt. BUY ONLY A 1930 Hot Water Bottle. Modern manufacturing processes have greatly increased the quality in Hot Water Bags without any increase in price. BROWN, The Chemist has just received another large supply of 1930 bags. They are easy and safe to fill, reinforced seam, improved valve. Guaranteed steamproof, the modern Free of Risk Bag takes the shivers from the sheets and makes you sorry to leave them. See them at BROWN’S PHARMACY, Geo. H. Brown, Chemist, 125 Dee Street.—Advt.