LOCAL AND OENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1395, 22 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND OENERAL.

The postal authorities adviso that the p.p. Malieno, which lt-ft Sydney at neon on -March SO. tor Auckland, has on board an Australian mail, also an English mail, via .Suez. The Wellington portion is due to arrive here by Jlain Trunk train on Holiday nex-t.

Tho Auckland oyster season will open on May 1, and there are good prospects for a plentiful supply, though the. Department will probably curtail the period, as was done last year. The beds at Eaiißitoto and Waiheke are in excellent order.

The Mayors and chairmen of chambers of commerce in provincial centres throughout New Zealand have boon invited to be present aI. Iho laying; of the founda-tion-stone of the Parliamentary Buildings on Saturday afternoon next.

A deputation from the Nelson Harbour Board will wait on the Hon. J. A. Millar, -Minister for Railways, this morning, to bring before him the urgent need of increasing the depth cf water along a portion of the wharf to accommodate ocean liner?. The chairman of the board (Mr. (j. Maemahon), Mr. W. T.ock i'a member), and Pilot Collins, will forin the deputation, and they will be introduced by Mr. H. Atmore; JI.P.

At the Irish National Foresters' breakfast at Syilns.v recently, Archbishop Kelly had a quiet little tilt at members of tho building trade. He said: "I have heard people say that if tho cardinal had been alive our now school building would have keen completed long ago. Now, what is the trouble? First, it was the carpenters, then the plasterers, and next somebody else. My message to the unions is that tho progress of work if. too slow for a funeral, and we will never get the building finished'unless the unions sen that contracts are carried out in fair time."

On Tuesday evening selections were played on the set of handbells Irang in the Anglican Cathedral lower (says a Christchurch exchange). The bells were originally u fine peal, but neglect has robbed thorn of a lot of their charm, the metal having boon changed by weathering, with liio result that most of tho bells are now out of tune. The Huddcrs(ield Hellringers during thoir recent tour inspected (hu bells with a view to giving a public demonstration of handbell penling, but owing to the state of the bells they decided not to give an exhibition.

The tender of Messrs. Stevenson and Cook, of l'ort Chalmers, has been accepted for making four iron buoys for tho Marine Department. The contract price is .fill!). Other tenders received were:— John M'Gregor and Co., Dunedin, JEISO; Vulcan Foundry, Napier, .£1GO; Oardnor and Co. (Limited), Port Chalmers, .£lO9 10s.; J. J. Niven and Co. (Limited), Napier, ,01.74; K. .1. Ruddick, Addiugton, .£197 Gs.; S. Luke and Co. (Limited), Wellington, JM9S 10s.; Cossens and Black (Limited), Dunedin, .£248 65.; W. Cable and Co. (Limited), Wellington, .£250; Anderson's (Limited), Ghristchurch, .£257.

The city solicitor lias advised tho City Council that the Chief Justice has asked that tho case Wellington City Corporation y. the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board in respect of rates churned by tho council on the Ohiro lienevolent Homo be argued before the Full Court. It will be. remembered that his Honour decided this case agniiist the Corporation some little time ago, but as he afterwards discovered that he had made an incorrect assumption of fact, he has decided to have, tho case reheard. The course recommended by tho Chief Justice would save the council the cost of an appeal. The council has agreed.

When the Wellington bakers industrial dispute was called upon in tho Arbitration Court yesterday, Sir. Wilson, secretary of tho New Zealand Federated Operative Bakers' Union, asked the Court, instead of taking the operatives' demands separately in each district, to appoint a centro in which to hear evidence, with a view to making a Dominion award. Messrs. W. A. Kellow and H. F. Allen, who represented tho master bakers, concurred in this proposal, but it was opposed by Messrs. A. Collins and Cooper, representing the Wellington operative bakers. The Court decided to hear the cases in each district separately, but to defer making an award until evidence had been taken in the whole of the districts.

The Wellington master bakers aro resisting a demand by their employees for an increase of wages. When the case was before tho Arbitration Court yesterday, Jl'r. H. F. Allen, representing tho onfplorers, said that it was about time that this cry about increased cost of living was challenged by employers. Ho had in his possession a statement of relative costs, which could be substantiated, and which showed that such articles as jam, tea, currants, Kindles, beef, flour, and bread woro considerably cheaper now than they were thirty-four years ago. Cost of living was practically 75 per cent, higher here in Wellington thirty-four years ago than it was now, and wnges then wore lower. Mr. Allen remarked that cost of living was, to an extent, at any rate, what a man or woman chose to make it. Ho considered that if the workers did not devote so much of their revenue to picture shows and other forms of entertainment anil luxury, less would be heard about the cost of living.

Limitation of apprentices is a feature of the. Wellington operative bakers' demands now before the Arbitration Court. Resisting; this particular demand on behalf of tho employers yesterday, Jlr. H. V. Allen remarked that the master bakers opposed it on what might be called national grounds. The high wages paid for unskilled labour were causing a shortage, in the supply of skilled workers. People npimrcntly preferred at -present to let their boys go out. aud earn a liigher wage as'labourers limn they would get if they served an apprenticeship to a trade. It was a bad thing for the country that such a practice should obtain. The more skilled workers there were the better, nnd it was surely bciter for a hoy that he should sprve an apprenticeship and become proficient in a skilled trade, than that ho should remain a labourer all his life.

Owing to the accidental firing of a kinematngraph film in Sliortt's Theatre last evening, tho entertainment had to be closed down at an hour earlier than usual. The lire was confined to the niacliini, box, ,ind tltp audience was in no way disturbed by the occurrence. Hcyond the destruction of one film, little damage was done. Tho entertainment will bo given ns usual tn-ilny.

A notification appears in this week's Gazette to rhe ell'cofc lli.it. no paslal packet shall lie accepted for express delivery by special messenger tho cubic contents of which exceed 811! inches, or if it measure more than 21 indie's in any direction, or weigh more than 31b.

An echo of the recent tramway strike was heard at the meeting of the City Council last night, wlicn the Finance Committee recommended that "The w-qm\-v of the Uuikthl Labourers' Union tor llic payment of wat'os to certain f.viial laluiir.- , !'-: win) wore oft" work ilurinj Iho ti-i\!inv:iv ln> not aciicdi-J to.' . The vi'eoii'.iucndiilio:! irai iuk'titcd without di;eus:>iuu-

A sum of X2OOO is to be placed on tho corporation estimates for the next financial .vein , for the formation of the Jvilbirnio Kecreation Hcservo.

Success has not, so far, attended the Miramar Borough Council iii its efforts to obtain special through cars from the Government Station. Un the recommendation of tho Tramways Committee, the City Council last evening decided that tho proposal of the Miramar Borough Council that certain bsruilgli cars be run as special "through" cars, the borough paying the car mileage from the Government Station, and taking the receipts, could not be agreed to.

Permission has been granted by the City Council for the Church of England Post Mission Committee to me tin; Concert Hall (or half nn Iwur cwh day between 1 and L> p.m. en April 1, 2, :i, and •!, for mission services. A l'co of 10s. pel Oα) will bo charged.

A biinilay service is to be maintained on Good Iriday, double fares to bo charged, and special cars will be run to connect with (.rains, etc., the fares on such special curs to be (id.

A deputation of Auckland business men loeently waited upon Mr. A. M. Myers, M.l'., complaining about the difficulty experienced in posting letters at tho iato icl'.er-box on tho Main Trunk train, and Air. Myers promised to inquire into tho matter. The member for City East lias received intimation from the Chief Postmaster that arrangements have been made to have the late Mlcr-box at tho railway station cleared daily, except Sulnrduvs, at !).5 p.m.—five minu'.es before the departure of the train—and that notice wilt bo placed over the box to this effect for public iiilormation.

I'hp final meetings of the eighteenth annual convention of the Wellington Provincial Christian Endeavouv Union wero held yesterday, and were largely attended. Sunrise meetings were held at ii.3o o'clock yesterday morning, and a consecration service was held at 7.-J5 p.m. in the Webb Street Primitive Methodist Church. The Kev. W. H. Hiiiton delivered an address on the subject: "lie at Your liest." The spraker was listened to attentively throughout.

A remit from the Christchurch City Ccuncil was received by the Miramar borough Council last evening, seeking the latter's co-operation in regard to a resolution, "That the Municipal Corporation Act bo amended with a view to extending ths period for which a councillor is elected to three years, and that all other borough councils be asked to assist in the matter." It was decided that the council could not support the proposal on account of its decision to bring forward a remit at the next Municipal Conference, favouring the retirement of a portion of the councillors eacli year. The same remit came U-fore Hie meeting of the Onslow Borough Council last evening, and received the endorsement of that body.

At last night's meeting of the Miramar Borough Council, Mr. J. Brodio, the Mayor, announced that it was not his intention to seek re-election as Mayor at the forthcoming election.