LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1943, 29 December 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There will bp. no. English or Australian mail arriving bv tiro Main Trunk express this afternoon. There will, however, be a mail via Brindisi .and an Australian mail from the s.s. Biverina which, according to a wireless message, is duo to arrive here at 9 o'clock this morning. '

Amongst his Christmas correspondence the Hon. W. I<\ Massey found the following paragraph in a letter containing'tho usual seasonable good wishes: "Whilft reading Victor Hugo's great work 'Les Miserables,' I irns struck with the following passage which very aptly fits the industrial situation: 'If we are to believe certain oracles of crafty political views, a littlti revolt is desirable from tlio point of view of power, system ; revolt strengthens those Governments which it does not overthrow. 'It puts the army to the test; it consecrates the bourgeois; it draws out the muscles of the' policej-iti-'denwllfctratcs'tlio foreo of the social framework. It is ail exercise in gymnastics; it is almost hygiene. Power is in better health alter a revolt, as a mail is after a good rubbing down.'"

Work on tho wharves on Saturday was reported to bo fairly busy. About 700 men found employment, and not many of these were ex-strikers. A considerable number of men who were looking for work could not be given engagemerits. Tho Harbour Board employed about 200 hands.

A large quantity of dried fruits is being brought to Wellington by tho Rivttiim which is duo in port from Sydnev to-day. Tliese fruits, which arc frcni Mediterranean ports, ex the steamers Worms, Goslar, oud Tasmania, have been long delayed in' Sydney owing to strike troubles. Only a small part of New Zealand consignments readied the Dominion before Christmas.

On the run up from Lyttclton to Wellington on Saturday morning; the ferry steamer Maori encountered a heavy fog with the result that- slie did not make port till S.lO a.m. —oyer an hour lata. Consequent?? -slio failed to make tho connection with tho New Plv> mouth oxpress.

The Central Fire Brigade were Called out at 10.45 o'clock on Saturday liinrht to a iirc in a hoardinghouse at 143 Willis Street, occupied by Mrs. Annie Walls. The fire was caused bv a boarder smoking in bed. Only slight damage was done to the ifcdroom wall and bed. There were no insurances on the contents.

On Christmas Day the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society did not forget tho female prisoners in the Terrace Cinol. By the permission of the Hon. A. L. Hordmau tho women woro eiitortamed. Signer and Madame VadaLi played the mandoline and banjo, Mr. Scanlon gave gramaphorie selections, and Mrs. Ksuio and Miss I.ulu Arnold gave recitations. Cake and fruit were handed round to the prisoners, who repeatedly returned thanks to all those who bad not forgotten thorn.

Mr. S. Borebam, who has just returned from a tour among the sheaws, states, says tho "Otago D.'iily ''iiiw.t," that as a body the ahearers in the South Island have the greatest confidence in the executive of the Shearers' Association. Nowhere, he savs, weve they prepared to take action in support of tho recent strike, and the more, therefore, did they appreeiatfc tho nc-Sion of the executive in not calling the shearers out. The shearers, through tho Arbitration Court, have reaped the benefits of n peaceful mode foment, the wages having been raised from tos. to £1, and this, the members feel, warrants them in being saiiVSod with the present instrument ,it their disposal for getting a fair remuneration for their labour. "With regard to tho Social Democratic Party, Mr. Borcham continued, tho shearers have everything to expect from that movement as against the strike method. Speaking of the agricultural labourers, Mr. Boreliani said thov were crying ont for organisation and for information with regard to the attitude of organised labour.

Detectives Cameron and Rawle on Saturday arrested a fireman off the Mnritai, named. W. W. Green, on a charge of stealing a bicyolo valued at £5, the.property of a Mr.' C. Thompson. On the same day Detective Demusey arrcstc-d a. man on a charge of theft of some carpenter's tools, the property of W. Phillips. UotJi men will appear befol'o tlio Court this morning.

The tournament of the Neiv Zealand "University Colleges will bo held r.t Christchureh next Raster, when contests will ho held in debating, athletics, tennis, and boxing. This tournament is the most important function of the University year, being the only occasion when the students from Victoria College, Auckland University, Otago University, and Canterbury College moot- together. Mr. Justice Dennislou. B«v. Tho.mii« Tr.it, M.A.. B.r>.. and Mr'. 0. T. Booth have consented to act'as judges at the debate, and have selected tho following subject for the purpose: -"That- • Democracy as typified in the •Labour Movement/is'*•'Detrimental to National.Character.-" . . . . . .

;'While-all-Wellington was rejoicing at Christinas,' the, wives and children of the; prisoners 'were not forgotten. Orders were; given to thntn to get wood ami"'coals,, groceries, or meat, and a little money was given to each family b.v - the. Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society. ■

lii more than one. quarter the lesson (might by the late: strike has l»cel» instructive, It has, a reporter was informed, been found that the Arbitration worker takes about half the time to do certain work that was taken by old hands. This was not noticeable so much during tire first week, as the men were not used to tlie work, but as soon, as they got into the knack of shifting and stacking cargo it at once becaino apparent that the old waterside worker did not strain himself to any extent. Master carters, who were compelled to drive their own vehicles during the long hold-up, have also come to the conclusion that tlie old drivers, with exceptions of course, had their own idea as: to .what was a fair day's work.

Tlir? Sale, of Food and Drugs Act, which came,;into force on April 1 lost, h. as far as most. manufacturers ars cf-neerned, now in operation throughout tho Dominion. It will be reincmbfred that, though the Act is in force tho machinery for the enforcement of its provisions eaiinot- yet be exerted to its fullest power. Some latitude was allowed to trades in respect of existing stocks-in-trado under conditions set out in Sub-section S of Section 27, which says: "Notwithstanding ai'iytl.iißg contained in any regulation made under this authority of this section, it shall bo lawful for any person at arly time within twelve months after tho date of tlio gazetting of such rcgulatiin) to' Sell any food or drug, tho sale of which is otherwise lawful, if he proves that at the said date sMeh food 6r drug was Part- of tho existing stock in trade in New Zealand of any person carrying on business there, and that silica the said datn no Act- has been done whereby the said food or drug fails to conform to the requirements of tho said regulations. For the purposes of this subsection any goods purchased before the said date for importation into New Zealand slmll be deemed to be of the pur-chaser's stock-in-trade in Ncii' Zealand." The sum of this is that manufacturers still have three months' time in which to clear out stocks which are fin-bidden under tiro Act. Thereafter a strict supervision af manufactured foods and drinks will be made.

The inmates of Porirua Mental Hospital were not forgotten during tho Christmas celebrations. Tlie walls were decorated with _ evergreens, flowers, etc., and a capital Christmas slimier was provided. Music .and singing of carols cheered up the big building, the doctors and Mr. linrncs and Miss Oail-v-ic, tire chief attendants, doing all they could possibly do to make tho inmates happy. Mr.'K. Arnold, official visitor to tho Hospital, visited the institution during the morning.