LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The police arrested a man early last evening on a charge of drunkenness and , using obscene language in St. Aubyn St. .He will appear before the magistrate this morning. The Egmont County Council's annual ! contribution to the Taranaki Hospital j Hoard amounts to £1407 14s. This is j oased on the levy of Is (id in the £IOO ' on the total valuation of the country, which at present is £1,87*1,892. | Acting on a warrant from New Plymouth, the Auckland police have arrested l« : ' vln named A. Warner, on a charge of , ■ .>/!!. of a tmai of about .1M!), the property of the M:;:'.'.uy-ljums Co. Accused bvsw rcinar.i'cd Id appear at i-.V.y l>ly. -iioutii on May 21. IVr Chronic Chest Complaints, i ' t'v'ooua' Ureat Peppermint Cure, 1/0, 2/0

"Where were you standing at the time," was a question put to a Maori witness at the Supreme Court yesterday, and the reply was "By the missus.'' "And where was the missus?" Stand* |ing by me." (Laughter.) And a different course was taken to elicit the information desired.

At the annual meeting of the Wellington Town-planning Association, a resolution was passed expressing the opinion that New Zealand should be represented at the town-planning conference to be held in Brisbane in August, and that the Government should be asked for a subsidy towards the expense.—Press Association.

Tiie Trade Commissioner forwarded returns showing that (>679 motor ears and 2814 motor cycles were registered in the Dominion during 1017. Of these 482 ears and 195 motor cycles were registered in Taranaki. The majority of the cars (4122 and 1094 cycles) were imported from America, while 1970 cars came from Canada; 415 cars and 1668 cycles from the United Kingdom; 104 ears from France; 14 cars from Italy; and 20 motor cycles from Belgium.

There are some sneak thieves in the Egmoiit County, who, apparently, have no consideration for the safety of the •lives of their fellows. A short time ago lamps set up to warn travellers of road repairs near Opunake were stolen, and on Friday night three lamps were stolen from the Otaki bridge, and one from the Waitotoroa bridge, near I'ungarehu. The matter has been placed in the hands of the police. A most amusing incident was related by Colonel McDopald in giving evidence before the Defence Commission at Wellington. A month after the Manganui murderer, Bennie, was executed, the Director of Recruiting were much exercised as to what had become of him as" a reservists. It stook much, correspondence before it was officially decided that the man could ho finally filed as really "deceased." It was reported yesterday that a burglary had taken place at Awakino. From what could be ascertained, it appeared that the general store kept by Mr. W. J. R. Avery, had been broken into during Monday night or early on Tuesday morning, and a sum of money stolen. It is believed that more than one person has been concerned in the affair, as the Bafe was removed some distance from the premises and blown open. A sum of between £7O and £BO is said to have been removed from the safe. The matter has been reported to the police. In the photoplays which George Walsh makes for William Fox, he always enacts the role of an energetic young man who lets no obstacle, however enormous, get the better of him. This, George said while he was working in his latest production, "The Book Agent," showing io-night at Everybody's. He considers his moral duty to humanity to do. The ability (or inability) of a native to judge a period of time was tested in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. A native witness had said once that he had been standing at a certain place for five minutes, he then said it was ten minutes. In order to test the ability of the native, counsel started him at the word "go" and asked him to call out when he considered five minutes had elapsed. The court waited in suspense and silence, but was much amused when the witness called out "five" when exactly thirty seconds bad passed.

"He doesn't count. He's the schoolmaster!" Professor Hunter stated in an address at Palmerston North recently, when referring to the status of schoolmasters, that the status of a class or profession can be gauged in many way 3. In those social functions that are supposed to exemplify the status of a prominent place? In eases of public ceremonies was he the man whom our societies delighted to honour? Was he called to the Upper House to consider matters of State? To asik the question promoted nothing but a contemptuous silence or the smile of derision. "Ho doesn't count," said the Professor. "He's the schoolmaster."

"No greater mischief is done at the present time than that which arises from the apparently general feeling that woTk is a thing to be avoided," said Dr. Marshall, headmaster of the Wanganui College, at a prize-giving ceremony at the Diocesan High School for girls, at Auckland. "I believe this is the cause of all the industrial unrest we have at the present time. This is a period when the future of our nation is at stake, when the energies and industries of everyone in the community are required in a greater and more exacting degree than in the past. It is for everyone to gird himself for the struggle which will come in the near future in the race for industrial efficiency. It seems that an individual can do a very small amount to promote great national interests, but the nation is made up of individuals, and unless the individual performs his duty, and does his work honestly, then the nation must fail in the great struggle which lies before it." At last night's meeting of the New Plymouth Patriotic Committee the chairman (Mr. C. H. Burgess) explained that in consideration of the feelings of the men, and on account of the little interest shown by the general public at the farewells to men going into camp, he had decided to discontinue public addresses to the men at the station, and to content himself with speaking to them at the patriotic rooms while they partook of the cup of tea that was always supplied to them. He said that if the general public showed more interest in the matter at any future time, a change could easily be made again. The committee fully endorsed the Mayor's decision. Jt was suggested that an attempt should be made to make more of the arrival home of men returning from the front, and it was stated that the Returned Soldiers' Association had decided to go to the station in a body when any men were expected, and give thsm a cheer. The disinclination of men for public ceremonies on their arrival, and the apparent unseemliness of trying to publicly address the men, who were naturally most anxious to get away with their relatives, were urged as difficulties in the way of anything in the shape of a public reception. The Mayor said that sometimes it was with the utmost difficulty that he was able to get in touch with the men at the station merely to give them a cordial hand-shake.

The Melbourne Limited's gaberdine trench coats and tweed fur-trimmed coats ior ladies are having a brisk sale. These goods are extremely fashionable, and at the priceß quoted are well within the reach of everybody. Prices: Trench coats, '!O,/(i, 50/0 and 70/6. Fur-trimmed coats 79/0.

Aiiee Bradappears for the last time r.i flic Kmpire to-night as "The Maid of Pehr;i!:it' iWorld-film drama). Commencing to-morrow, Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Payne make a welcome re-appeo'

The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. T. Harle. Giles) arrived in Hew Plymouth yesterday for the purpose of presiding at the sittings of the Conciliation Council. The disputes to lx> heard are those of the Tarunalu furniture trades employees (to-day), the Taranaki restaurant employees (May 17), and the Tarnliaki hotel employees (May 20). Counter proposals have been filed in the furniture and restaurant disputes, but not as yet in the hotel dispute. The Commissioner may possibly go to Hawera or Stratford in connection with the two latter disputes.

It is announced by the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. T. Harle Giles) that the Auckland tramway dispute is practically settled, the company having agreed to a further conference under the chairmanship of the Hon. Geo, Fowlds, to whom a casting vote is now given. The company ask that an industrial agreement be immediately drawn up for two years, after decision on the contentious questions has been given by the chairman.

A college girl who gets three years' imprisonment as the result of a s.ife quarrel is the heroine of the Vitagra'ih picturisation of E. W Chamber's famous novel, Ann's Bridge," undoi- the picture title of "The Fettered Woman, showing to-morrow night at Everybody's.

It was mentioned at the New Plymouth Patriotic Committee meeting last evening that rather than undergo the ordeal of a public reception at the railway station, one returned trooper arranged for a motor-car to meet him at Lepperton, and he was motored direct to his home. It was shown by the Mayor, who,presided, that the returned men as a rule were averse to formal public receptions, and pleased to disappear from the station as soon as possible with their relatives or friends.

"A row on the street is an unlawful assembly. If that sort of thing is permitted in a civilised community, there is an end to law and order." Thus the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) during the hearing of the charges at the Supreme Court yesterday against 18 natives for taking part in an unlawful assembly. His Honor added that a lawful assembly became an unlawful assembly if three or more people, met in a public place, created a disturbance, and it became a riot if the proceedings became tumultuous.

The vice-president of the New Plymouth sub-centre of the British Red Cross Society (Mrs. I. D. Crooke) has forwarded the following letter to Mrs. Hugh Baily: "At a meeting of the society held this afternoon (May 'l3) it was resolved that a very hearty vote of thanks should be sent to the land and insurance agents and accountants for their generous help in stocking and running the Red Cross Mart for one Saturday. Will you, as organiser of the above effort, accept the grateful thanks and appreciation of the society and convey the same to all those who helped to make the day such a success."

The empanelling of a jury for the case against Noho Te Whiti and 17 other natives, on charges in connection with the recent rioting at Rahotu, which was commenced in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday, took a considerable time. Counsel for the defence claimed the right to the usual six challenges on behalf of each of the 18 prisoners, making a total of 108 possible challenges. Although the number did not reach the full total possible, a great number of jurors were confronted with the peremptory "Stand down!" and the process of getting a jury into the box occupied about an hour. A party of Eltham motorists had a very narrow escape from serious accident when returning from Hawera on Monday evening. When the car was negotiating a curve in the road just this side of Te Roti the electric lights suddenly went out. Mr. H. H. Blake immediately stopped the car, and the party descended to rectify the trouble. Mr. Whiteford, on getting out, fell some feet over a bank, and on a light being procured it was found that the car had pulled up on the very edge of a bank, over which one of the wheels was suspended. Had the car proceeded another few feet the result might easily have proved disastrous. Mr. Whiteford was the only member of the party hurt. When the car was stopped so suddenly he was thrown forward against the windscreen, hitting hia head, and was shaken from his fall over the bank. The night was dark And foggy, and Mr. Blake was driving very steadily, or the consequences of the mishap might have proved mueh more serious.—Argus There will be sewing all day on Thursday next at the Patriotic Rooms, to prepare for "Soldiers' Day," June 1. This day has been chosen as many ladies engaged in business may wish to come and help. Scraps of material will be very acceptable.