LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2203, 16 July 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The power given to local bodies to apply to the General Government for a guarantee for advances to be obtained by. loan on the London or local market is not being used, by the local bodies. According to a return presented to the House of.Representatives yesterdayj not' a single application for a guarantee was received by the Stato' Advances Office' during tho last financial year, and consequently no guarantees, wero given. A Pnknerston business man lias (says the "Manawatu Standard") just 10ceived what he rightly regards as- a curio. It is a memo from the Official Assignee in Wellington, enclosing a penny stamp as the dividend in an estate in winch the local resident is a creditor. Attached was a receipt and c. stamped envelope in which to return the receipt. The sending of the penny stamp cost the Official Assignee two- : pence—rono penny for tho envelope containing jthe remittance, and one. penny to return the receipt. Another local creditor in tho same estate received a dividend of 2d. '~-' ' Tho suggestion mado by Mr. F. Mander, M.P., that khaki uniforms for wear in tho summer be supplied to tho Police Force in the north is to be considered by the Department prior; to the coming, summer. The Prinie 'Minister _ stated in tho Houso of Representatives yesterday that tho Government did not propose this session to adopt Mr. Glover's suggestion, and introduce a Right to Work Bill. A well-known New Zealand 6hearer, Mr. D Darrell, in a letter relating' to tho conditions in the Argentine, says: "Tho shearing in tho Argentine commences about September, but it.is no place for a white man to shear, or, indeed, to do any other kind of manual labour: the half-breeds that do tho shearing hero receive what would be ir.'English money about a penny halfpenny per head, just about half what we would get'in Australia.' The conditions of living, .too, are very rough." , A.'. sugge_stiqn : was. recently made' to thei Govornnientrby Mr.' C. -A. Wilkin son, M.P., that there should be set up 'n New Zealand a Commercial Board for the Dominion on somewhat similar lines to the Boards of Inter-State Cornmeree in the United States and in Australia. Such a board, he said, might devise a system by which the people might bo protected from tlu risk of being unduly exploited by the operations of commercial and other monopolistic institutions. The Prime Mh'ister stated yesterday that inquiries would bo' madn regarding the operations of tho Australian Board, and tho matter would receive careful consideration. A suggestion, has been mado to the City Corporation officials that tho magnificent lot-of treo ferns, some of tbem with trunk* from twelve to fourteen feet'in length, that are being used for decorative purposes at the Town Hall on the occasion of tho raco ball and other social functions this, week, should not bo allowed to be thrown away or destroyed.' ' The suggestion' is that the foms should at once bo planted in 'one of the.gullies in Central Park. This is said to be tho correct time of the year for tho planting of such trees, and an excellent start could be made right away at a minimum' cost. '. \ An Ashburton deputation waited upon the-Minister of Education yostcrday with a view to getting.a Government -grant of £1500 and-authority to borrow up to £4000 for tho purpose of building a school hostel to be attached to the Ashburton High School. Mr. Allen, in reply, said that this question of hostels was coming before him almost every week. The wholo matter resolved itself into one of expenditure, - arid he could not give tliem a definite answer at present. Indeed, be was afraid it would be a difficult problem to faco. He would go into this application along with others that had come bofore him, and see if it were'possible to adopt a uniform principle in the' matter. In regard' to tho authority to borrow £'1000, he saw no "difficulty in the way, and 1 if they would'send in their application be would endeavour to secure tho necessary Order-in-Council. Yesterday morning the Wellington branch of the New : Zealand Railway Officers' Institute met and entertained the roturnihg North Island delegates who attendee! tho annual conference of railway officers held at Dunedin. Mr. Batten (chairman of the" branch) welcomed, tho visitors, and Mr. Casoy (Aucktand)j in returning thanks for tho welcome, emphasised the cordial relations now existing between tho management and tho officers. He also referred to tho.proposed regulations which were 1 being drafted for tho purpose of bringing- the railway officers into lino with the rest of tho Public Service,, and to the liberal number of promotions expected this year, more especially from the two lower grades—9 and 8. Messrs. Young (president! and Hutcbings (vicepresident) spoke briefly, and emphasised the good work done by the conference. Replying tea question in .the Houso yesterday, the Minister of Railways said that the petrol railway-Kiar now on trial lias not been in commission a sufficient length ol time to enable a definite opinion to bo formed as to its utility tor suburban lines in tho vicinity of tho larger towns of the Uomimon where Ilia traffic is heavy. A request has been mado to tho Government that this session a grant of £200 bo made to cut a drain outlet from the Epuni Hamlet to the back YVaiwetu Road drain. The Prime Minister promised yesterday that the matter ..would be considered when the Estimates were under'review. Tho Hon. R. M'Kenzie has given notice to ask tho Prime Minister in tho Houso of Representatives whether the Government have taken any steps during the recess to promote the manufacture of iron and steel as a State enterprise, or have they carried on any negotiations, and offered reasonable terms to private investors willing to erect the necessary works at Parapara- for tho manufacture of iron and steel on a largo scale, Mr. Louis Woodcock, of Kunotunu, is petitioning Parliament for a reward as tho discoverer of gold at Kuaotunu fn the year ISSU-90.

At a meeting of tlio .Brooklyn Municipal Association oil Tuesday night, it was resolved to write to the City Council urging the necessity for speeding up the work on the new road alongside tie tramway track Tho question of preserving the bird lifo of the Islands has received the consideration of the Hon. W. C F. Camcross. In the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon he asked whether tlio Government, when consolidating tho laws relating to the Cook Islands, as indicated in tlio Governor's Speech, would make legislative provision for tho protection ol native bird life 011 the Islands? He pointed out that tbe Resident Commissioner at Niue had reported that the ambition of every native was to become up to date by providing himself with a gun. With that ho wont after the native pigeons and other birds, and unless some restriction was placed on them, the bird lifo would bccomo extinct. They, had lost many of their ,Ne\f. Zealand birds through not protecting ' them iu time. The Hon. H. D. Bell said that the bird lifo in the Cook Islands ' was already protected by tho' Bird-lifo Ordinance. 'It appeared to be rather a matter for administration than legislation. ' _ : The Supreme Court case relating to the by-laws of the Riocairton Borough was continued in Wellington.yesterday. Argument was concludcd, and decision | reserved. The case.was an appeal by Constable M'Carthy against the decision of Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M.. of Christciiurch,- in dismissing tlio informations against four persons "for driving. 6tock to and from tho Addington saleyards, in alleged contravention of this Riccarton Borough by-laws.. The Magistrate held that the by-law was ultra': vires and unreasonable, and the contention of appellant was tliat that decision was erroneous in point of law. The Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) presided, and sitting with him were: Mr. Justice Deuniston, Mr. Justice Edwards, and Mr. Justice Cooper. Mr. S. G. Raymond, K.C., of Christcburch, with him Mr. F.. W. Johnston, of Christcburch, appeared for the appellant , (Constable M'Carthy), while Mr. C. P. Skerrett, K.C., Mr. George Harper, of Christcburch, and Mr. M. J. Qresson, oL Christciiurch, appeared for the respondents. At a representative meeting of Scotsmen iu Invercargill last night, a St. • Andrew's Scottish Society was unanimously formed.—Press Association. Since tlio purcha'so of tho Manawatu Railway lino by the Government it has been tho custom to run tho Napier express over tho western route,' via Palmorsten, instead of over the Mountain. Mr. Huntei', M.P., recently suggested to tho Minister of Railways that a combined Napier and Wanganui mail • train be run to Palmerston. Mr. Herrios replied yesterday that tho matter had received consideration on several occasions. 111 practice, however, it was found that 0110 train could not deal with the business, and both trains had been kept running. Mr. Hunter said that he was sorry the Ministerial answer was not a satisfactory one, and the suggestion was not likely to be adopted by the Department. Time and' again he had mentioned the unsatisfactory train se'r- i vice between Napier and Wellington. The train service meant a long and tiresome journey for those persons _ who were compelled to use it.' He believed if the experiment was tried out, it would prove a success. He hoped the Minister of Railways would attempt to get the Department to make somechange. Sir Robert Stout la6t night reiterated the hope previously at the' l Victoria College that the new profesEor of mathematics who is to oe ap- ' pointed will not be of the school of : ''abstract" mathematicians.; • "Practi- -• cal'f 'kdtliematicsV 'lie said; 'was what : •' was required here. It would be calam- ; itous to the college to get i maii of the "abstract" type.- -.- The collego's . record in mathematics iii the past had riot been satisfactory, lie said.., - - ' . Tlie Victoria College Council met last: evening. Mr. H.' H. Ostler presided, • and there were present also Sir Robert Stout, Hon. J. G. W. Aitken, Hon; A, T. Maginnity, Dr. Hector, Rev. W. Ar. Evans, Messrs. C. Watson, C. B. Morison, T. ; R. Fleming, W. Ferguson, W. H. Morton, and It. M'Callum, M.P. Estimates 'of income , and expenditure. for the year were The Fi- : nance Committee drew attention to tho • fact that the expenditure would probably exceed the, income by approximately . £700, and recommended that the , matter should be brought under the notice of the Minister of Education, with a.view to his increasing,the an-, liual grant to tho college. The recommendation was adopted. Replying to a question ill the House of Representatives yesterday, the Right Hon: W. F. Massey stated that the matter of granting to the settlers 111 the Kaitioko and adjoining blocks the. relief recommended by tho Wellington Land Board tlireo years ago had been' arranged, , aud was now ready to be, dealt with by tho Land Board and the Lauds Department. ■ . ' The Scenery Preservation Board are to be asked'to report.on the possibility of preserving intact a numbor of the conical volcanic hills in and around Auckland City. ; A number of these hills-are already scarred by scoria pits, ' and the pits are getting bigger and more unsightly. • Members of the Parliamentary Press, Gallery and the Hansard staff have subscribed £6 towards the fund being raised to erect a suitable memorial ho'adstone for the grave of tho Now Zealand poet, Thomas Bracken, and make proper provision for the care of the grave- ; which has been lamentably neglected and is now overgrown with weeds. Inaddition to the donations of 10s. each previously handed in to - the Dominion office by Messrs. Jas. B. Speed and Manton, we liavo since received, per Mr./ Speed, a donation of 10s. from Mr. J. H. Fairbairn, of the New Occidental Hotel.