The proceedings were taken with a view to compelling him to contribute to the support of some young brothers who were inmates of a home, and it came out in evidence that the father was a man of drunken habits. Mr Kenrick said it was very hard on a young man who had been fighting for his country, had been wounded, and was still suffering from the effects of his wounds to such an extent that he was unable to work, to be confronted on his return with a proceeding of this kind, and he would want to know why the father had not been prosecuted. For a man to spend his money in drink and expect the country to maintain his family was not good enough. He hoped that the police would see that a prohibition order was made against him, and that action was also taken against him for the maintenance of his children. He refused to make an order in the present proceedings.
• There were the elements of a brisk little skirmish in one of the railway goods sheds in Christchurch recently (says the Sun). Two Germans, one of whom is well known in Christchurch, were betraying a keen interest in a small case that had arrived from Wellington, consigned to one of them through a carrying company. The case was about to be opened up for the purpose of ascertaining whether the contents of it had been damaged, and the keen interest which the Germans showed in the proceedings caused a number of other men to gather round. It was found to contain a very skilfully-made model of the German raider Emden, fitted with electric batteries and wires, so that it could be illuminated at night, and it boldly bore the German eagle and the Emden’s name. Lying on top of it was a sheet of foolscap, on which there was some writing, but one of the Germans hastily crushed it into his pocket before anyone else could read it. The upper works of the model had been damaged in transit, and one of the Germans voiced his sorrow at this.
"It would be a good job if the model were broken like the Emden was after the Sydney caught her," was the prompt remark of one of the bystanders. The other men gathered round hoped that the German would make a rejoinder that would give them an excuse for "starting something" and forcibly expressing their disapproval of such indiscreet flaunting of German arrogance. But apparently a glance at the faces round him convinced the German that discretion was the better part of valour, and he refrained from replying. So the incident passed off without trouble. Later, in answering official inquiries, one of the Germans stated that the model had been made by an interned alien on Somes Island, from whom he had purchased it for a few pounds. There is reason to believe that the same German tried, not long ago, to send some goods out of the dominion, but his scheme was nipped in the bud.
• Shortly before the Supreme Court opened on Tuesday, at Invercargill, close on 100 girls, pupils of the Southland High School, marched into the building and were accommodated with seats. This is not the first occasion on which the courthouse has been invaded by a troupe of bright young girls in search of education in civics, a subject that is now given an important place in secondary school work. — ODT, 5.12.1916.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
