LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Auckland police recently made a raid on a "two-up school" at Devonport, and on Wednesday twelve culprits were fined £5 and costs. Twelve others were not convicted, the police failing to prove that these defendants actually took part in the game.

The danger of eating tutu berries was brought home to a Pahiatua family. Two children were affected, but an emetic was quickly admiuistered, and tHus, no doubt, fatal consequences were averted. The children have now recovered from the effects of their experience.

Air. W, S. Percy, the well-known New I Zealand comedian, who was a member of Pollard's Lilliputian Opera Company, made a brilliant debut in London early last month in' a new musical farce at the Qriterion, "Oh! Don't, Dolly!" The press notices were unusually flattering. The Times' critic said, "The one bright spot was Mr. W. S. Percy. He is a comedian new to London, hailing, one may guess from various indications las® nitrht, from Australia, and he might well have been overwhelmed by his reception. At times strangely like Mr. Barry, at others like the late Mark Sheridan, he adds .a personality of his own which will stand him in good stead."

A raid on an alleged "two-up" school at the freezing works across the Whakatane river (Bay of Plenty) was made by Detective J. Cooney, Constables T. J. Cummings, E. H. Greenslade, and Keepa recently. Operations began on the eastern side of the men's quarters or barracks. Two of the raiding party debouched at each end of the barracks, but a stampede had already commenced. Three men ran headlong into Curamings, and the others scattered across the barbwire fencing through the standing maize into the swamp and elsewhere. The gathering was estimated at about 50 persons, and included Maoris. It is understood that the police took several immes and also secured the money abandoned.

An endeavor to remove any mistaken iilnis concerning the part the light for Antwerp played in the war was made remit I v 011 his return to Wellington by Brigadier-General G. S. Richardson, who was attached to the > T aval Briw.de sent to Hie city in 1914. The action of the British authorities in sending a force to Antwerp, he said, had delayed the fall by four days, thus giving time for Lord French's armv to cross the Channel and enabling the Belgians to retire and effect a in ru-tinn with the other forces further south. Had the stand not been made the Germans would have been in Calais in 1!)14. A certain great politician had been adversely criticised for ordering the stand to be made, but there could be no doubt that it had saved Calais. Personally, that was good enough for him. Tn August, 1914, the Belgian Government and the National Bank transferred to the Bank of England gold to the value of 300,f100,000f. (£12,000,000) and cyite securities to the value of 700,000,OOOf. (£28,000,000), or a total amount of 1,000,000,000f.. ( £40,000.000). This treasure recently was brought from London and returned to Belgium. Three vessels were needed to transport it. The gold and securities were' contained in "AO cases and 750 bags. Prom Antwerp the securities were taken to Brussels, where they were received on Sunday afternoon by the bank officials under the protection of a guard of soldiers. The gold was deposited in the bank at Antwerp, as the bank at Brussels is sufficiently occupied in holding 6,000,000,000 marks which have been withdrawn from circulation.

An unusual defence was raised in the Auckland Police Court recently, when three taxi-drivers were charged with bavin* left their motors on a stand without attendance, thereby breaking the bylaw. which provides that the driver of a cab must not, while his vehicle is standing for hire, be distant more than 10 feet from it. Mr, A. E. Skelton, for the defendants, submitted that a taxi-cab was not a cab within the meaning of the by-law, and if it were, he argued that the hv-law was unreasonable. It might be reasonable for a horse-drawn vehicle, but it was unreasonable as applied to a mechanically-propelled one. He pointed out'further that on each taxi-stand there was a telephone for the convenience of clients, and each time a driver went to the box he infringed the law relating to the If)-feet radius. It was ultimately agreed to adjourn the case for legal argument.

During the discussion at the New Plymouth Ratepayers' Association meeting on Friday one of the speakers did not conceal his feelings at the apathy of the burgesses. In the adjoining room there was a large attendance to consider the formation of a trotting club, and this served as a peg on which to hang an attack, or a safety valve to ease his nent-un feelings. The irate one stated that there was no difficulty in securing an attendance for a Bports meeting. The desire to see the black horse with the long mane beat the grey horse with the short tail, or to find out the horse that could cover a given distance half a second sooner than an opponent, appeared to be the concern of most. The public were anxious to improve the breed of the trotter or the galloper, but could not be bothered to assist in any movenpr>(, that might improve the town. The chairman reminded the speaker that his "itnoch had no bearing on the motion before the meeting, but that did not affeH his lamentation.

Why shiver with cold these frosty ri'flits, when you can snuggle into one of these soft and cosy Eiderdown Quilts offered eo cheaply by The Big Store, on page four, They are lighter and warmer than blanketß and about half the price Think it over!

A meeting will be held to-night in the Soldiers' Club room to consider the formation of a branch of the New Zealand Moderate League, which is now preparing to organise a campaign in favor of State ownership of the liquor trade. The convenors of the meeting are Messrs J. Clarke and J. McLeod and Mr, E. A. Armstrong, Dominion secretary of the League will be in attendance to explain the League's policy.

The cold nights will soon be here' Get a ''Unique" Stopper Hot Water Bottle. The well-vulcanised seams nevet tear ov leak This fine British Bottle will give mßiiv years service, but wake sura of brand toixijz on naolc ot

Particulars arc advertised on page 8 of the Farmers' Co-operative Society's stock sale at Opunnke yards to-day. At Matiaia the Waimate Patriotic Society have resolved to set up a war memorial. Mr. McPliillips said £IOOO to £ISOO would be necessary, and a canvass of the district is to he made for the purpose. Mr, McKay said it would he an everlasting shame to the district if £ISOO was not raised.

The Central Fire Brigade received a call about 10.30 on Saturday night to a Are in Young Street, at a house which was said to be occupied by a Mrs. Sault, whose husband is away on active service. There seemed to be no one in the house at the time the Are occurred, and only meagre information as to the contents, etc., could be furnished. The Jilace was badly gutted, but the brigade soon got the outbreak under control after their iirrival.

At the Central School on Friday afternoon Maxwell Gray was presented with the Dux gold medal, which he had won for 1918. Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., chairman of the School Committee, made the presentation, and referred to the honor achieved by the recipient, and hoped it would be the forerunner of a successful career. Gray replied very suitably, specially thanking Mr. Mcllroy for helping him. The medal was donated by Mr. H. Dempsey, late headmaster of the Central School.

Commissioner and Mrs. Hodder, who are in charge of the Salvation Army work in New Zealand, visited New Plymouth for the week-end, and conducted meetings in the Army Hall yesterday. There were large congregations at all the services. In the afternoon Commissioner Hodder save a very interesting lecture entitled '%roken Earthenware," in the course of which he graphically described the work of reclamation carried on by the Army among men and women living lives of drunkenness and shame, many of the cases referred to being those which had come under tho personal notice of the speaker himself. Brigadier Toomer also took part in the meeting. A large number of people visited the wharf yesterday to view the liner Orissa, which arrived early in the morning from Wellington with a cargo of Newcastle coal and to take away to Persia the refinery plant of the Taranaki Petroleum Company, purchased by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. The vessel, which belongs to the British India Company, which before the war had a total tonnage of three-quarters of a million, arrived off tho Breakwater late on Saturday night, and berthed at 7.20 next morning. The visitors were greatly interested in the vessel, and particularly in its crew of coolies and the Vickers 4in. anti-submarine gun at the stern. Captain Atkins very kindly let all aboard, and facilitated their inspection in many little ways, consideration which was much appreciated- The vessel is likely to be here for the whole of the week.

The need for a "half-way house" between the gaol and the mental hospital was again emphasised by Mr. J. E. Wilaon, S.M., in the Auckland Police Court recently, In imposing a sentence of six months' imprisonment on a woma.n who had been found habitually consorting with undesirable characters, Mr. Wilson said: "It is difficult to deal with these eases. There ought to be some home for the public." Later, in considering the punishment of a confirmed offender, the magistrate remarked: "This man is a menace to society. As yet there is no nlace to put him. We have an island for those who give way to drink"; wc ought to have another for such persons as "these. For their own sake it is not safe to laave them at large." A term of six months' imprisonment was imposed on the offender.

Tn consequence of some remarks in tlie Auckland papers recently regarding an alleged influx of Hindus into this country the Minister of Internal Affairs has had prepared a statement showing the numbers of these people in the country. At the census in October, 101(1, the Hindu population was 1-65, or, including halfcastes, 181. Five of the Hindis and !) of the half-castes were females. Followin c are the returns of the arrivals and departures since the taking of the census In lfllfi (two months), arrivals 27 males, departures 15 males; in 1017, arrivals SO males and -2 females, departures 12 males; 1918, arrivals 134 males and 4 females, departures If) males; l(lli) (three months), arrivals 80 males and 1 female, departure 1 male. The Hindu population of the Dominion, making no allowance for births and deaths, was, on March 31 of this year, 4<5G, or, including halfcastes, 47-2, a very considerable increase on the figures shown by the 1916 census.

In the course of an address in Wellington on "Lessons from the War" on Sunday night, Sir Robert Stout said that labor disputes should be settled by both sides agreeing to leave the decision to an industrial tribunal. The needs of labor must also be recognised. These, needs had been summarised a« (1) a living wage; (2) healthy working conditions, prevention of over-fatigue, and care of the lives and health of the workers; (3) continuous employment; (41 encouraging and maintaining the belf-respect of the workmen; (o) encouraging loyalty to industrial, needs; (6) collective bargaining should be fully recognised; (7) a happy home-lite foi the worker should be the aim of the employers; (8) true idealism of life should be encouraged so that work could be looked upon as social service; (9) the mental development of the worker should be attended to by adult education by proper amusements, and by encouraging an interest in social life. The dominance of truth must be recognised, care for the race must be promoted, and inefficiency must be reduced if the race were to endure. In conclusion, Sir Robert Stout quoted the report of a recent English Commission emphasising the need for action, following the enlarged vision of social duty gained during the war.