LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho attention of country readers directed to the scries of questions appearing on I'ago 25 of this issuo (tho first pago of Section II), under the heading, "Iho Needs of Your Neighbourhood." Tho replies sent in will be given publicity in The Dominion, and country residents will thus l)o provided with an exceptional opportunity of obtaining wide publicity for the needs ol their respective districts. \Vhilo it is necessary that tho replies should bo signed, Iho names of tho writers will not ba published unless so desired,

On, being asked by a Dominion representative last evening whether a public inquiry would bi; held into Die rccent railway collision at New Lynn, near Auckland, tho Hon, W. n. Herrics (Minister for Railways) stated that as soon as Mr. Stone, who had been seriously injured, was out of danger (and ho hoped that would bo soon), lio was quite wilting that a public inquiry should 1)0 held by a magistrate appointed for iho purpose. Tho Minister added that this would not, of oourso, Interfere with the Departmental inquiry, which was in accordance with law and must bo proceeded with, Tho postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Maheno, which, sailed from Sydney for Auckland on Juno 11, has on board an Australian mail; also an English mail, via Suez. Tho Wellington portion is duo per Main Trunk express on Monday. Tho fi.ro which occurred at tho house of Mr, G. N. Baggett, Assistant Public Librarian, in Cui'ulins Street, happened in a peculiar way. A grandchild, who was staying at tlio house, had been presented duriug tho day with a doll, and on tho arrival homo of Miss Baggett, tho little ono securcd a candlo to find tho doll, and show it to her aunt. She found tho doll, came out of tho room, closing tho door behind hor, and with great glco cv hibited her new treasure. Jlheu tlio family all sat down to tea, -fand the meal was in full progress, when suddonly thcro was a loud sound of crackling flames, and smoke issued from under tho door. When tho door was pushed open, tho room was well alight. Mrs. Baggett, remembering that tliero was somo money, amounting to several pounds, in an annexe to tho room on- fire, rushed in and secured it, not, however, without having one of her arms rather badly burned. It seems that the child had left the lighted candlo on tho floor, anil that it had caught the vallanco hanging to a wardrobe.

""You have four times been previously ccnvictod in tlio last six months," said the Clerk. of the Magistrate's Court vesterday morning in wading out n charge of insobriety to a lively-tempered woman. "I've already paid for that, retorted tho woman, "and I don't fee why you should throw it up to me again." "Is tho defendant prohibited?" asked, tho. magistrate (Mr. AV. G. Eiddell). The'answer was "No," but beforo the answer was dolivercdi tho woman shouted heatedly: "You will take no prohibition order out against me, for I will break it." With this she stamped out of the box with a fierce energy and an air which indicated that she thought eha had rather neatly bluffed the Court. "Prohibition order to issue," quietly observed tho magistrate. Pew peoplo who visited the markets yesterday afternoon could oomplain of not being ablo to buy plants and trees at a reasonable price, Three firms were engaged selling tho products ot_ nurseries, and as buyers were extremely limited, tho prices were very low. In some cases really lino healthy young 1 trees wero sold as low as a penny and twopence each; rose trees (classified and tagged) only brought prices from 4d. to Cd. each; and such plants aa rhododendrons and daphnes only realised a few penco each.

Mr. G. G. Smith (Marino Superintendent) and Mr. W. A. Eraser (Lighthouse expert) will pay a visit to-day to the site of tho projected lighthouso at karori liock. Necessary material lias been collected on tho adjoining mainland, and preparations have been, made t<> i start work on tho rock itself. It is anticipated, however, that tho progress of the work will be greatly impeded by bad weather during the winter months. . Dunedin, usually referred to chiefly by Dunedinites ns tho "solid" city of tho Dominion beyond all others, is fcelinff something- in. the nature of a pinch-just now, to judge from tho Labour Department's "Journal's" 'official report. Hub states:—"Trade generally has off during tho period. Particularly .is this so in tho cuso of oarpentering and joinery painting ant} plastering.. Tho number o! journeymen at present out of employment in connection with these lines is _in excess of that of. any previous period, for Bomo years past, and at the present timq thero are no indications of an immediate improvement. . It is held by those lit. a position to judge that' tho present stato of tho building trado is duo to the tightness of the money market causing the rates of interest to rise. If, however* money bccomes easier thero is no doubt but that trado will again recovcr. "There is at Johnsonvillo a band of young men emerging from youthhood to manhood, who, apparently, do not know how to All in time of an evening, and amuse themselves by throwing stones at people's houstn in order to provoke tho occupants to cliaso them," remarked Po-lico-Inspector Hondrey 111 tho Magistrate q Court yesterday when two young men from the suburb referred to appeared on charges of having thrown missiles at; buildings. It transpired that in one in. stance a window in a private, residence had been broken, and that in another a missile had crashed through a window: into the parisli hall and landed at a, plftco where cadets hud beeu {irilliiiK previously.' The inspector stated that the • '•rung men hod frankly admitted thoro felly, had expressed regret, and had offered to umke. restitution. Accordingly® tlw Court dealt with them leniently. ; The Public Works Department has been 1 , takiug on somo additional men on variour, road and railway works in different parti j of the Dominion during the past fev i weeks, but applications for work, the Hon.-, W. Fraser told a reporter yesterday, liavfi nowhere been very numerous. Certainly* i ho added, there was no extraordinary do* m<u)d for,employment. 11ns might w attributed in part to the fact that many local bodies had considerable sums in hand in the shape of grants for expondi. ture on road and other works. Referring to tho condition of the marltet for unskilled labour 'in We lmgton, tho "Labour Journal," published yestorday. says:—"During tho period just emu ed, especially at tho beginning of tlio month, applications for employment have considerably increased. Thero has been very little demand for this class of lal> our in tho city, but a fair demand in the country existed for men used to bush, felling and road work. There has been a fair number of callers, such as cooks, hotel hands, warehouse employees, etc* who aro not used to manual labour kind, and who are difficult to please. A private meeting, of creditors in the bankrupt estate of John and M. Ferguson, lately carrying on business as drapers at Petone, under tho name of Valentine and Co., was held in the office of tho Official Assignee yesterday.

It is oipectod that tho by-election for tho Grey seat will take place about a month noneo. Under ordinary circttmstaitws it would bo the duty of tho Speaker to issue'a warrant to tho Clerk (U tho Writs directing .him to issuo a writ to supply tho vacancy. Thoro being no Speaker, it becomes tho duty of the Gowu'nor to formally notify tho.vacancy in tho Gazette, nj aj preliminary to tho issuing of tho writ. The returning officer is required to givo at least ton days' public notice of the day of polling, and tlio writ 13 wturimblo within 28 (lays, Tho Grey electorate is probably tho only one in New Zealand that tho Reform Party has novtvr contested, Tho members of tho party was apparently quito satisfied with the Into Sir Arthur Guinness as Speaker, and left hiui undisturbed so fains they were concerned. No oilicial information is yet obtainable as to who will bo tlio Government candidate at the forthcoming by-oleetion, but it is understood that tho Reform Party will put forward a candidate, and that they consider that they havo good prospects of winning the seat.

Growers of spring flowers at the Hutt are beginning to realiso that there is money in growing (or forcing) early blooms, just as thore is in being first on the market with tomatoes and new potatoes, Last week it was announced that a. now record had beon established, vfhen jonquils wero cold at Is. fid. per dozen Btnlks. At yesterday's, sales this record was easily beaten, when prices wont as high as Is. lid. per dozen for yeliow, and Is. lOd. for white jonquils. There were between 3(J and 40 dozen Bold, and though most of them wore grown under glass, it is said that a proportion wero grown in the open.

A deputation of insurance underwriters waited upon tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) yesterday afternoon, to place before him their, views on the offer made to the council to covcr the corporation insurances at a reduction of 10 per cent, on the present premiums, with the removal of the average clause, and other warrants now imposed. This offer has already been considered by tho Finance Committee of the City Council, who recommended that it should be accepted. On Thursday night the recommendation was referred back to the committee, to allow the deputation to placo their viewa before tho Mayor. Yesterday's conference was in private, and nothing was disclosed to tho press. ■ A prescssional «ddres3 will be delivered on Juno 25 by Mr. G. ,R. Sykes, M.P., telegraphs our Masterton correspondent. American plan of travelling school libraries is working out excellently in Wellington. The scholars of • tho upper standards of tho Clyde Quay School have now enjoyed the privilege of a steady Bupply of bright, appropriate literature, which is enthusiastically welcomed by the children, who aro not under tho necessity of having the usual class of' children's story book as literary recreation, and by the teachers, who find that the class of books that tho children are now reading (a percentage of which are selected by tho teachers thomselves) aro found to bo helpful in furthering the scholars in their ordinary school Btudles. The Clyde Quay and Berhainpore Schools have been supplied already. Now the privilege is to be extended to tho RoseneatH and Northland Schools, and another yot ' to he decided upon by the Libraries Committee. Tho construction of the Otira tunnel is still being carried on by the Public Works Department on the day-labour, system. The specifications which are required as a preliminary to calling tenders for the completion of the work lave not yet been got ready, and may not be available for some timo. Ono feature of tho present position, the Minister for Public Works remarked to a reporter yesterday, is that tho Department" is obtaining a; quantity of (lata, which will be a valuable guide when it comcs to determining'whether a tender should lie accepted or not. The work has been carried on under th,o present arrangement of daylabour ■undet the direct supervision of the Department for nearly six months, and for tho preceding six months operations were continued by the late contractors on behalf of the Government. The Publio Works 'Department is therefore in possession of full information as to cost and other details of the work dtiring a period of twelve months. The Minister is unable to say,- 1 meantime; 'when tenders are likely ■ to be called for the completion . of tlio tunnel.

Statements which have been published to. the offect: thai tho payment of,wages to. somo 'men !cnfjaged on the' Lake Colerjdgo hydro-electrical works lias been unduly delayed, were characterised by tho Hon. W. Eraser (Minister for Public Works) as "simple nonsense," when they were mentioned to him yesterday. Most of tho men at Lake Coleridge are employed by tho Government as day-labour-ers. A few men are employed on minor works by contractors. Mr. Fraser stated that the Government employees at Lake Coleridge, as in other parts of the Dominion, were paid 'regularly every four weeks. If the men wanted to bo paid at more frequent intervals probably it could not be done, because tho rulo that wages should bo paid every four weeks was in force over the whole Dominion. Cooperative labourers were paid in the snme way, at four-weekly intervals, Be knew of no case in which delay in the payment of wages had ocourred. General statements to the contrary were of no value at all. Particular instances should be given, and not vague, general statements. All that ho could do where such' statemontg were made was to furnish a general denial.