LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1536, 4 September 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An important change in the administration of the officers' guarantee fund in the Public Service is proposed by the Public Trustee (Dr. Ntchett) in his annual report upon the operations of his Department. He states that the only officer in the Publio Trust Department who gave cause for complaint, in the year under review, was one at Christchurch who misappropriated money to tho extent of .£Bl2 16s. 2d. Of this ,£369 15s. 3d. was recovered, and the balance has been charged to profit and loss. A claim for the deficiency was made under Part 111 of the Civil Service Act, 1908 (officers' guarantee), but was disallowed on the teclinical ground that the moneys stolen were not moneys belonging to the 'Public Account. The Public Trustee agrees that this conclusion was correct, but adds that under the circumstances it is obviously unfair that officers in the Public Trust Office should be called upon to assist in making good defalcations in other Departments. The Public Trust Office, Dr. Fitchett suggests, should be exempted by Order in Council from contributing to tho guarantee fund.

Several mules have recentlv been purchased in Gisborne by the-Defence Department, and after going through the "gunnery school" they will be handed ovor to the Wellington Mountain Battery.

The new post office at Kaiwarra will bo officiary opened by tho PostmasterGeneral (the Hon. E. H. Ehodes) at 3.30 p.m. to-day.

Some years ago legislation was passed providing that preference should be given to Maori names in selecting a new designation for a district. Speaking in the Legislative Council early in the session, the Hon. J. Aiistey (Cantorbunry) said that Departments had exceeded the intention of the law by forcing Maori names on districts with long-established names, causing extreme confusion and irritation. When questioned on tho matter yesterday, the Postmaster-General (the Hon. E. H. Ehodes) said that he agreed that the- indiscriminate adoption of Mcori names was inadvisable, and he did not propose to authorise any changes unless they were approved by tho people of the districts concerned. Regarding the application of tho name Etako to the new wireless telegraph station in Wellington, Mr. Ehodes said the name was being used only while the temporary station on the General Post Office was in operation. When the new plant took over the work it would be called the Wellington station.

The telegraph office states that Brisbane advises that the radio-telegraph- station at Brisbane commenced commercial operations yesterday. Tho hours of working ,are continuous. I A definite rule regarding special holidays for' Government offices has been laid down by the Hon. H. D. Bell (Minister for Internal. Affairs). A request has been made by the Southland Hockey Association, through Mt. Hanan (Invercargill). for a holiday to-day for the Government offices in Invercargill for an interprovincial hockey match. "I am afraid tho request cannot be granted," Mr. Bell replied. "The rule in future is to be that such halfholidays will not be granted. The exceptions to the rule will be few." The Colonial Sugar Refining Compamy on Saturday announce (says tho Auckland "Herald") a reduction in the price of sugar of 10s. per ton on all grades except tablets. This reduction was stated by a gentleman interested in fhe trade to be duo to the gradual fall of prices in Europe and America. There was a shortage last season, which caused a substantial rise in the prices ruling there, but these have been gradually approaching normal eince, and a fall in the price hero is just about due. In Teply to an inquiry, Mr. George Hutchison, president of the Grocers , Association, stated that there would be a corresponding decrease in the retail (price of threepence on the bag and three-half-pence on tho half-bag, but that the decrease was too small to make any difference in the price per pound for email quantities:/

During the eleven years, from 1899 to the present year, the Lands Department has (according to a return presented to Parliament) expended .£5311 in subsidising tho Wangamii River steamer service. The annual amounts varied from ,£202 in 1900 to c£7oo, which has oeen paid annually for the last four years. In 1909 the sum of .£935 was paid, but this included part liability from the previous year.

The Hon. W. Fraser (Minister for Public Works) received a deputation yesterday from the Thames Deep Levels Board. It asked for a grant of <£200 for the completion of a tunnel, of which 90 feet will remain to be finished when existing contracts have been completed. The Minister promised that some assistance would be given, but did not name any specific sum.

The country pays .£l5O a year for the washing of towels used in Parliament Buildings, the rate paid being ninepenco per dozen. ITieso facts were brought to light in discussion upon the Estimates in tho House of Representatives yesterday.