LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1814, 29 July 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An English and American mail via Vancouver will, tho postal authorities advise, arrive at Wellington by the Main Trunk express on Wednesday afternoon. No word has yet been received by the Minister for Defence of the dispatch of the gift aeroplane from England. The latest information on the subject is that tlie machine is being submitted to further tests. The establishment of an Army Service Corps in connection with tho Dominion Defence Forces will be taken in hand shortly. Four lion-commissioned officers are being imported from England to act as instructors in this branch of the service and the Minister for Defence (the Hon. Jas. Allen) stated yesterday that'if these officers had not already left tho Old Country they were about to do so. The sixth annual conference of the Now Zealand Uarlxmra Associations will commence at Wellington to-morrow. Amongst the remits is one from Wellington, asking the conference to affirm the principle that all Government goods passing over wharves should pay dues, and that Government I coal hulks and other Government, vessels 1 engaged in commercial trading shall pay harbour dues. Wellington also proposes that the Government ha asked to omit from future mail contracts the special clause exempting steamships carrying mails from payment oi harbour dues. Last evening a woman was arrested by Detectives Andrews and Lewis, 011 a charge of having committed bigamy. The charge will be preferred against her at the Court this morning. The Letterpress Printers' Union has decided to confer with kindred bodies, with a view to the formation of a combined deputation to the Minister for Labour, to place before him certain grievances said to be common to the printing trade. The executive of the Typographical Federation has adopted a suggestion of tho board of tho Wellington Typographical Union to the effect that "all alleged breaches should be reported to the federation in the first instance, who, in turn, would report the matter to the Labour Department in tho different centres, with tho request that the Department confer in every instance with the local secretary before making inquiries or taking action for enforcement. The object of this is said to bo to secure uniformity in argument, administration, and action in tho talcing of cases for breaches of tho Dominion award. The half-yearly report of the Wellington Union says, on this subject, that it is not anticipated that this proceduro will causo any unreasonable delay. All early silting of Hie civil side of tho Magistrate's Court is arranged for to-day. There is a heavy voimue of business pending, and some time at the commencement of tho day will bn occupied in the delivery o£ eight judgments,

Commenting on the fact that there had beon no claims by members tor unemployment allowance during tho'term, tho 'halfyearly report of the Wellington Typographical Union states that although some members were unfortunate enough to qualify for tho allowance, they did not apply for it, and therefore merited tho commendation of tho union. Tho report continues:—"While on the subject ot unemployment, it is necessary to draw members' notice to an evil that has been committed on more than one occasion recently. Instances havo been known where a member, in constant employment, Las for some reason or another sought and secured permanent work from another employer, with tho result that another member has immediately received notice of dismissal. No unionist ought to seek and -accept a position if it means tho discharge of a fellow-workor, and if this sort of tiling became general, it would mean that tho man who displaced another would, most likely, in turn suffer discharge himself. Now attention has been drawn to this matter it is sincerely hoped that another instance of tho abovo will not occur again."

Thb monthly meeting of the Ministers' Association ulag held yesiierday after-, noon. Tho Itev. W. Douglas, of Kilbirnie, notified his intention of leaving tho city, and tondercd his resignation. Several very appreciative speeches wero made regarding Mr. Douglas and his work. A motion was unanimously passed congratulating the executive committee of the Rugby Football Union on the attitude they had adopted towards Sunday football. Tho Kev. Vallauco Cook was a guest at tho meeting, and in reply to the president's welcome, ■ displayed a bright spirit of optimism conccrning the condition of the churches in England. Preliminary arrangements for the election of an Anglican Bishop of Auckland wero mado by tho Standing Committee of the Auckland diocese on Thursday. It was decided that a special sitting of Synod should 1 be ; held on August 20 to make the election. A special meeting of the Standing Committee will bo held on August 18 to receive communications with regard to nominations. The procedure will Ire similar to that followed in 1911 in connection with the election of Dr. Crossley. Tho Lower Hutt Borough Council on a Tecent date made arrangement's to time motor-cars and motor-cycles over a given piece of road, and the result was that a number of drivers wero found to bo exceeding the speed-limit set down in tho borough. Those who exceeded a speed of 21 miles an hour through tho borough will bo prosecuted. Sidney Cropland, the Quaker lad from tho Newcastle district. New South Wales, who was sentenced to be imprisoned at tho Victoria Barracks, Sydney, for 53 days for refusing to obey the compulsory military training law, was'releaaid last week after 20 days' confinement.

The suggestion by Mr. Watt, Piwnicr of Victoria, that Australia should' follow tlio example of Caiuida, aiid speak through one authority on the question of immigration, is cordially approved by the Federal Government. "I welcome/ 1 said the Prime Minister (Mr. Cook) in Melbourne last week, "tho idea of co-operation which is contained in Mr. Watt's statement. The desire of this Government -will bo to help tho States in every possible way in regard to-that very important matter. Tho final form of co-operation can, of course, lie determined only by consultation; tho idea, however, is the right one." Mr. Cook added that negotiations were in progress.

A young man named Henry G. Manisty admitted in the Police Court at Auckland on Friday that lio had contracted certain debts when he had no reasonable expectations of bsiug able to pay tho same, 'l'he official assigneo (llr. W. S. Fisher), for whom Mr. Selwyn Mays appeared, said that tho accused was adjudged bankrupt in March, 1911. Manisty was a land agent at Opotiki. Ho became hopelessly involved in his finances, but without tolling his crodifcors went on borrowing money and getting more and more involved. Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., said that people, could not be allowed to gamble with money not their own. Although lio was loath to send a youmg man to gaol, there was no alternative in cases of this kind. The acoused was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, without hard labour. Eeferring to tho railways question at the annual meeting of the Auckland branch of tho Women's Political Reform League on Friday, Mr. E. A. James, general secretary of tho New Zealand Political lieform League, stated that there was good -reason to believe that when the double express sen-ice on tho North Mand Main Trunk lino was started, on October 1, the second express would not be taken off again, and there would bo two exprosses each way all the year round. Tho' third-class British cruiser Pyramus, which arrived at Auckland from Noumea on Monday of last week, was on Saturday still flying a yellow flag at the foremast, which indicates that the vessel is strictly isolated from the shore. During tho week no communication whatevor was allowed with tho warship, tho ship's lettons and papers being put on board from a launch. Five New Zealanders, who were formerly seamen 011 11.M.5. Now Zealand, were taken on board on Thursday night, but otherwise the quarantine was rigidly observed. .