LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1809, 23 July 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Hon. A. L. ITerdinaii let fall a frank admission wlion the Police Force Rill was being considered in the llouse of Representatives last evening. An Opposition member asked whether a police ouiocT against whom some offence Juid been alleged would bo permitted to employ a lawyer. The Minister replied in Hie liega-' jive, and added: "If you draw lawyers into this sort of tiling it will bs neverending." A special meeting of the 'Wellington Fire Brigade Union was held last evening to consider the alternative nrupoKils tentatively submitted by the Fire Hrigiule Committee of the City Council, to coyer conditions of employment in the brigade for the next three y<xus. After lengthy discussion, it is understood the brigade decided to accept the committee's alternative proposals provided that a two-year term was agreed to. The main difference between tlie proposals of the union and the alternative proposals of the City Council's Fire Brigade Committee was the question of leave. The union lias given way considerably 011 this point, in the hope that when the new station is built at Newtown the position may be further reviewed. An extraordinary state of things is said to have grown up 011 Australian Federal works in the Defence Department, anil, probably, in other Departments. It was a common practice, a recent deputation of unemployed informed the Minister, for certain men to enter applications in several different names, with a view to obtaining au advantage over others. If they became successful through the ballot they would sell' their individual chances of employment for 10s. or £1 to one of the unsuccessful candidates. Senator Millen promised to have a searching investigation instituted, and if lio found the allegations substantiated, to at once put a stop to this remarkable condition of affairs.

A supplement to tile Gazette was issued yesterday containing a register of the names of those who have be on licen>n<l under the Laud Agojits Act, 1912. Included in the busings to bo transacted at the next meeting of the City Council will ho the passing of a resolution striking the rates for the. year. Councillor E. Tvegear has given notice that he will move at 10-morrow evening's meeting of the City fJouncil: —"Thnt the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, be amended to provide for tlio licensing of private motor-cars by b,v-lnw." A meeting of the lCitrqri Borough Council was held last evening, the following being present:—The Mayor (Mr. (~ Cathie), and Councillors Bum, Bradnock, Davies, Hamilton, Lower, Henderson, Skegg, and Cimino. Most of the business was purely formal. The traffic superintendent of the City Council wrote stating that arrangements were being mndo to replace the two penny tickets on the Gardens-Johnston Street line by a single punch ticket. A young Maori woman was arrested by Defective Abbott yesterday on a charge of having obtained money under false pretences. Boots, overcoats, and such-like articles of wearing apparel and tlio ownership thereof are to lorm the basi9 of a charge against a young Maori who was arrested last evening by Detective-Sergeant llawle and Detective Cameron.

There was again an echo of the Waihi strike in the House of .Representatives 'last evening. During the debate on the Polico Offences Amendment Bill, Mr. Payne (Grey Lynn) said that ho had seen a jjhotogi'aph of two men fighting at Waihi and seven policemen, looking on without interfering. A nik'inber: "Who won?" (Laughter.) Mr. l'ayne was evidently nonplussed by this unexpected request for information, and his reply was inaudible. The member for Grey Lynn next stated that it was alleged that a man at Waihi was struck in the face by a policeman as he was escaping from a crowd ami running down a side- street. Several members: "Prove it." Mr. Payne: "Face an inquiry; I challenge youi to face it!" Proceeding, he said that if this Bill were now law the police would have to arrest Mr. Michel. Voiccs: "No electioneering!" JJr. Payne said that he was not electioneerifig. Mr. Michel, he said, was trying to intimidate the workers of Gii?y by telling them that the State coal mine and the Otira tunnel were likely to be stopped if he were not elected.

Seatoun is to be provided with a post office in the near future. Tlio Postal Department has secured the lease of a private house in Brandon Street, which is to be altered to suit the requirements of the office. Mr. G. M. Thomson, member for Dunedin North, is seeking information from the Minister for Customs on tha following points:—(l) Whether the mauila envelopes used by the. Government Departments are made of imported or New Zealand-made paper ? (2) Whether these envelopes are made in New Zealand or elsewhere? (3) If not made of New Zealand paper and in the Dominion, will the Minister consider the advisability of patronising local industry? Sir Walter Buchanan gave notice in the House of Representatives yesterday' that he would ask the Government whether they would take the necessary steps to enable various important local bodies in the North Island to recover tho large amount of rates due on Native land. In doing so, he stated that out of a sum of <£27,489 levied and due on Native land during the last five years in fourteen counties only ,£3686 were recovered, or equal to 11 per cent. Tho appointment of Mr.. Royd Garlick as Director of 'Physical Education has been frequently criticised by Opposition members in the House of Representatives lately. Yesterday, Mr. G. W. Russell gave notice of his intention to ask the Minister for Education whether ho is awaro that Mr. Royd Garlick, who has for a considerable period held an appointment at .£6OO per year under the Government, is still advertising himself in the Wellington tramcars "for physical culturo and the curing of deformities" at an address in Wellington; and, if so, is this being done with tho approval of tho Minister ?"