DOMINION'S PART.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1916, Page 8

DOMINION'S PART.

METHODIST CHAPLAINS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, February 2fi. The Methodist Conference adopted the committee's recommendations for liberal treatment of chaplains at the front and the maintenance of their work in the circuits affected. FINE FOR DISLOYALTY. Auckland, Feb. 20. A man named Charles Flowerday was fined £25, in default two months' imprisonment, for making' a statement at a boardinghonse dinner-table indicating disloyalty. The evidence showed that when a woman at the table remarked that she had a brother in camp Flowerday expressed the hope that all the British would pet shot. He said he would rather., figlit for the Germans any day than for the British, because of the dirty tricks the British had played. I It seems something had been said to defendant about why he hadn't enlisted, which caused him to be irritable, but there w:i= evMenoe that he had several i (iire |.rev'"vi-i> expressed similar sentiments av.il that his general {trudge seemed to be connect rd with the AVailu strike. The Magistrate stated that at a time like this sentiment- calculated to provoke antagonism nnd set class against class must be discountenanced. If defendant's remarks had been made in a public place, he would have been sent to,«aol. EARLY CLOSING QUESTION. Christchurch, February 21!. », A deputation of licensed victuallers waited on the Hon. James Allen to-day and protested against the action of a certain portion of the community in making use of the war in order to advance the claims of prohibition nnd tc penalise hotelkeepers. The Minister said a deputation from the other side would wait on him nnd ask for I) o'clock closing. It was a very difficult problem, ajid it was impossible for an individual Minister to deal with it. It was a subject for the Gov : ernment. Certain regulations, such as no liquor on troop trains, had already been imposed. It was a question for the Government whether further war regulations would be imposed i:j this direction. In the meantime he asked the licensed victuallers to help the authorities by protecting both recruits and soldiers from their own weaknesses. If a strong feeling had grown up in the community and it continues to grow, and a licensing poll.was held, he did not what would happen. He asked the licensed victuallers to act in their own interests as well as in the interests of young men who joined the forces.