LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2210, 24 July 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Shortly after 10 a.m. yesterday the fire brigade received a call. to . Goldie's Brae, where some gorse was found to be alight. Tho fire was extinguished without any trouble. A special announcement by the New Zealand Moderate League, sotting forth tho platform of tho league, appears in our issue of to-day.

A potition, signed by Rosctta Bauno, president of tho Auckland Women's. Civic League, and 2166 others, praying that, in the event 'of a Council of Education being set up as proposed, thero should bo some women members on tlio council, was presented to Parliament yesterday by Mr. A. M. Myers, member for Auckland East. The.Bill, as introduced, provides for representation by women on tho Council of Education.. A Icfituro on "Leading Principles of Educational Reform" will bo delivered by Professor J. J. , Eindlay, M.A., Ph.D l ., Professor of Education at tho Victoria Manchester, and a member of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, in the Concert Chamber, Town Hall, 'Wellington, on Thursday, July 30.

Messrs. Tolley and Son's tender for transformers was last night accepted by tho City Council. Other tenders accepted wore: Additions to abattoir, Ernest Clarke; woodblocks, Millar's West Australian Hardwoods Company; pipe connections lighting station, W. Cable. The matter of the lease of Day's Bay Pavilion was referred to the Reserves Committee, '

A petition was presented to Parliament yesterday by Mr. J. V. Brown, the member for Napier, from nino'membors of the Hawko's Bay Club, Napier, protesting against the proposal contained in the Industrial Conciliation, and Arbitration Amendment Bill to . bring club servants under tho provisions of the award relating to hotel servants.

While the annual conference of the New Zealand. Farmers' Union is being held in Wellington, the Farmers' and Settlors' Association of 'New South Wales is meeting in Sydney. Mr. G. W. Leadloy remarked at yesterday's sitting of the N'ew Zealand body that tho New South Wales organisation, which was a powerful body, had just attained its majority, and he thought that tho following cablegram should bo sent across to them: "New Zealand Farmers' Union in conference extends friendly greetings to New South Wales kindred gathering oh its twenty-first anniversary." Tlio suggestion was adopted. ,

A deputation representing Wairoa local bodies.waited upon the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. W. Fraser) yesterday, and amongst other matters urged the pressing on with the East Coast railway by commencing work from Wairoa. In ; reply, the Minister said that .there was the question of harbour improvement to be considered. If they could get the material into the Wairoa Harbour he would consider the matter He would visit the district nest year and would go into the question. Tho deputation als'o waited on the: Prime Minister with a request that permission should be granted the local bodies Ixj ■ harness for electric power the Te Keinga Falls, near Gisborne, pending the completion of the Waikaremoana scheme. Mr. .Massey thought there would be no difficulties in the'way of this, but stipulated that he'should first get a report on, the Waikaremoana scheme, to see that the tiyo did not clash.

At delegate: with an Irish name announced towards the end of' a long discussion at tho Farmers' Union Conference yesterday .that he was going "to add some remarks so r as'to' Shorten the debate;" : yx . ...'

The Now Zealand Farmers' Union decided at its conference yesterday '' to, claim a right to; elect a representative on the Board of Agriculture, and expressed the opinion that the dairying industry should be more fully 'represented 011 the Board. •

The Farmers' Union 1 Conference resolved yesterday to take steps to liavo, the law dealing with public hospitals so amended that all persons can claim admission by right to the public hospitals during time of illness, and so "remove the stigma of receiving charity even when they pay the fees charged by the board.",

A special meeting of the Legislation Gomnutteo of tho City Council is to be held oii Tuesday evening next to consider the Motor Bill. In the meantime the committee is obtaining reports from the Oity Engineer and Motor Expert as to what they consider the most satisfactory basis upon which a motor tax should be bised, and on tlio Bill generally. The, City Solicitor has ap- ; proached the Minister in charge of the bill to arrange that Councillor Hislop nnd the City Solicitor appear, before tie Parliamentary Committee as the' representatives of tho council, for the purpose' of submitting the council's news. 1

An application from a property-oilier at Kainui Road, Hataitai, for permission to erect a motor shed on tho road reservation in front ofliis property was recently received by the Outlying Districts Committee of the City' Council, and the committee last night referred the application to the council for - a direction as to policy.' : Councillor J. E._ Fitzgerald, chairman of the committee,. recommended that tlio council lay down the policy that no buildings bo allowed to bo erected oh road rcser- ; rations. The recommendation was agreed to. 1 , The Island.. Bay Electors' Association is to bo informed that the City Council cannot see its way to form the footpath of tho road from Duppa Street to Dee Street (Island Bay), at tho present time., In answer to a question by Councillor R. A. Wright, as to why the work could j:ot be carried out, Councillor J. E. Fitzgerald (chairman of the Outlying Districts Committee) read tho report ,of tlio. City Engineer oil the subject. Tho. Engineer recognised the importance of tho work, bui it was not absolutely necessary at the, preseut time, when there wore other more important works requiring urgent attention.

The Hon. R. H. Rhodes, Minister in charge _of the Tourist and Health Resorts, interviewed regarding the statement of Dr. R. M'Nab that the New Zealand Government offices in Sydney had lately been removed to what he considered were not such suitable offices as the previous ones, said that while tho old offices were 110 doubt very suitable, tho Bank of Now Zealand having bought tho building, required the use of it at once, and it was necessary- to obtain other quarters. Tho Govor.ll- - had arranged for a suito of rooms iii tho new building being erected by tho Union Steam Ship Company, which were eminently suitable for \its requirements. These rooms being at the cornor of George and Grosvenor Streets, were right in the heart of the traffio,' and. 110 thought would fully meet tho requirements of' the Government. Tho wiipanc.v of the' present ivomiso-s wns, only a temporary arrangement, and pending the completion of tho Union Steam Ship Company's building. To show that the business of the Tourist Department had not been detrimentally affectcd bv tlw present temporary alteration, lie said that since tlio present offices were opened, there had been a- continual stream of viators to 1 them, and no complaint had been made regarding tho unsuitable situation. Ho also mentioned that at present the Department was effecting a saving in rent of £350 per annum. One thousand young trees and shrubs were distributed to the various schools in Wellington City and to private persons for planting in Wellington on Arbor Day. So reported the Reserves Committee, at a meeting of the City Council last night,

At yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, Mr. B. 11. Gardener, representative for Horowlienua County, made a protest against the establishment of a dental branch at the General Hospital on the grounds that his district had to "pay their whack" thouch they received none of the benefits. He thought that in view of tho way tho contributions were piling up that the sooner the Horowhenua ■ cut itself off from tho Hospital Board tile better. Every other contributing body was receiving the full benefit of tho various branches that were being established in connection with the Hospital.

Steep footpaths are apt to become slippery when' neivly asphalted, and Councillor L, M'Kenzio ■ suggested to the Mayor last night that in one or two places where such footpaths had been recently asphalted, the surface might be improved by the application of the pick. There had been one or two'minor accidents on such footpaths, ho stated. Thb Mayor promised to bring the matter under the notice of the City Engineer's Depart-' ment.

Tho revenue collected at the New Zealand Post and.Telegraph Offices during tho quarter ending June' 30, totalled £368,335. In the same period of last year £343,538 was collected.

Between April 1 and June 20 67,960 persons were carried on the New Zealand railways, an increase of 4191 over the traffic for the same period in 1913.

.The Government is to be asked by.the Now Zeahnd Farmers' Union, which is now in conference in Wellington, to continue the system of immigrating farm labourers and domcstics.

An arrangement is being entered into betweeiv the Tramway Board and the Post Offico authorities for the carriage of mails between the suburban post offices and the General Post Office, at a charge of 3d. per bag. The City Council last night gave the Tramway. Board/ the necessary authority to come to an agreement on the matter.

_The question of suoorannualiion for City Council employees was onco more raised by Counoillor E. Fletcher last uight by way. of a , complaint as to the delay in affording the oouncil an opportunity of discussing the subject. , The Mayor stated that tho matter would come before the council at any' timo now. ,

A.motor cyole for tho use of the overhead equipment'branch.l of &e Tramways Department is to bfe purchased by the Tramways Board of Management. Tho renewed request of the Hataitai Municipal Electors Association that tho word 'Hataitai 1 ' be placed on. cars proceeding to this locality was considered by the City Council last night,' and it was decided that the request be not acceded to. Councillor It. A. Wright wanted to know what the difficulty was. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) replied that the question had been carefully considered, and it had been found impracticable to'carry out the suggestion. He pointed out that the principal difficulty lay in- tho fact that Hataitai was, not a terminus.

The subject of. local government was bonsidercd at the conference of tho New , Zealand Farmers' Union yesterday. The ■ gathering resolved that all local bodies should be classified, so that those with the largest amount of non-rateable land and uninetalled roads should receive a greater subsidy on their rates than those with less Crown lands; ■ ; ,

"When will we get a report from the City Engineer as to the linking up of the Wallace Street tramway?" ask- ' ed Councillor J. Godber at last night's meeting of the City Council. The Mayor (Mr. .T. P.. Luke) undertook t<... have''tlio''matter' df'Vthe rSpoirfput itf 1 2 '! hand immediately. ' •'

Tho Minister of Internal Affaire is to be written to by the City Council drawing' liis attention to the remit moved by the council, and adopted by tile last Municipal Conference, 011 the subject of the amendment to ■ tho Valuation of Land Act as to valuation and rates. The council intends to emphasise the awkward position in which it is placed, and to ask that the Government give effect to the remit. ■

"I object to asking for a subsidy for medical men to look after cattle'when the working men in tho towns do not got a subsidy for doctors to look after their wives," said Mr. W. B. Matheson at the Farmers' Union Conference yesterday when it was proposed that a system of subsidised veterinary surgeon clubs should be provided for by tha Government. The proposal was defeated.

Tho charge mado last year to tlia City Council District Fund for tram-,, way track lighting amounted to £2900. 4s; 4d., this charge- being : assessed at' the rate of 3Jd. per unit supplied. The Tramways Board of Management consider this price a reasonable one, and: have been unable, , in vieiv of other concessions in lighting charges, to recom-. mend any reduction at present. '

Electricity is supplied for power purfrom both thb city tramway and, the lighting station, the supply from the tramways station being direct. cur«i rent and that from the lighting station alternating current. The 6cale of charges is tho same for either supply. A report Mibmittcd to tho City Council last night stilted that there are at present 323 consumers connected to the D.C. supply, and 231t0 the A.G. supply and m consequence of the charge being based on a rather high scale thero has been very 'little development in this class of business. A reduction.' varying from 16 to 30 per,cent on tho present charges is to be made and will give 4 ho following concessions To D.C. power supply consumers,' '£146;. to D.C. corporation supply, £327 ;. to A.C. power supply consumers, £1036.

Councillor L. M'Kenzio was assured b > tho Mayor last night that the out* lying portions of 'the city are to get -a "fair deal" this year in the matter ofexpenditure oil roads. .