A case was heard at the Wellington Magistrate's Court before Mr D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., which formed a sequel to an anti-conscription meeting held at the Alexandra Hall in Abel Smith street on the evening of Sunday, June 4.
The defendants were Messrs Patrick Webb, M.P., and Harry Holland, and Miss Adela Pankhurst, and the charges were that they did certain acts in Abel Smith street, in consequence of which other people were induced to congregate so as to impede traffic.
After hearing evidence, his Worship stated that there was no doubt a technical breach of the by-law had been caused. The speakers had not been informed by the police that they were creating a breach.
He thought a nominal fine would meet the case. As Miss Pankhurst was a stranger to New Zealand, he would convict and discharge her. The defendants Webb and Holland would each be fined 5s and costs (7s).
•We have been asked to say that the secretary of the Returned Soldiers' Association will be pleased to hear from any employers having vacancies which might be filled by returned soldiers.
A report issued recently by the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department stated that there were more unemployed discharged soldiers in Dunedin than anywhere else in New Zealand, and the Returned Soldiers' Association is now endeavouring to find employment for those out of work.
Particulars of any vacancies notified will be available at the Anzac Club to all those seeking employment, and this will, it is hoped, be the means of placing a large number of men.
•Few people have any idea of the extent of the inroads of scarlet fever in Christchurch, (says the Press). For the four months ending May 31 there were no fewer than 481 cases of this disease in the whole health district.
This includes Westland, but the great majority of the cases were in Christchurch. There was an increase of 32 in the number of cases in April this year as compared with April of 1915, and the statistics were 94 in May, 1915 and 173 in May of this year, according to a statement made by Dr Chesson, of the Health Department.
•The united intercessory service, held in Trinity Church last night, led the Rev. Rutherford Waddell to make an interesting reference to the subject of union among the non-episcopal churches.
They would, no doubt, have noticed, he said, that the Presbyterian Church of Canada had resolved to go on into union with the Congregational and Methodist Churches there. Those who read British papers would know that a similar movement was being inaugurated in England among the Free Churches. That was hopeful.
We here had no right to throw stones at our brethren at Home for lack of union. "We ought to have had more sense here,'' the speaker declared.
"We ought to have been united years ago. The longer it is postponed, the more difficult it becomes. I had hopes that I might have seen it in my lifetime, and I have not quite lost that hope yet.''
He went on to say that it was one step towards the desired union to have representatives of all the non-episcopal churches in the city gathered in such a meeting.
•A rather unusual claim for expenses was made by a complainant in the Juvenile Court yesterday. When asked if he claimed expenses, he said he wished to be paid for the loss of two music lessons as the results of injuries received to his head through a shot from an air gun fired by another boy.
The Magistrate (Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M.) allowed him expenses to the extent of 10s 6d.
- ODT, 22.6.1916.
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