LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2334, 16 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

'Advice hae been receieed in Wellington that the Imperial war risks have been reduced fo 1} guineas, and that the general rate of the insurance companies is now. as follow: —Outward and Homeward by Suez and the Cape, 1} per cent.; via Singapore and Java, 1 per cent.; via tho Horn, Magellan, and i'anaina, 3 per cent.; sailing vessels, 4 per cent, i'acitic ports: America and Canada, 2 per cent.; Islands (including I'iji), 1 per cent.; Africa, India, Singapore, and the Eastj 1£ per cent. "Is anything boing done to facilitate exchange with Samoa?" is the text cf u cable message received by'the Wellington Chamber of Commerce from the Sydney Chamber yesterday. Mr. C. Jones, the president of the local 'chamber, .-replied:—"-Yes, matter engaging serious attention our Government.' According to a Press Association telegram, the voting- on the licensing question at lnvercargill after the recount is:—Restoration, 3G86; No-License, 3855; National Continuance, 3656; National Prohibition, 3898. Messrs. P. H. Hickey, J. Reid, and Parry waited on the Wellington Wharf Labourers, who were meeting last evening, regarding the £100 which the Wharf Labourers' Union voted to the Huntly Rolief Fund. Mr. Hickey said that in Huntly there was a Mrs. Brown, widow of a miner, and that this woman and her yonug family were' in straitened circumstances, and likely to lose the home which Mr. Brown had been buying, before his death. Mr. Brown had not met his death in the Huntly mine, but they considered that circumstances warranted his family being helped along with.the families of those who had perished in the disaster. However, _ it_ would bo difficult to arrange this in respect of the money (£2000) which had been collected in a general way > by the Wellington collectors. Therefore, the deputation suggested that, the Wellington Wharf Labourers should give permission for tho money they donated to be used for the relief of Mrs. Brown and family. After considering the proposition, the union resolved: "That this meeting'is of opinion that, the committee administering the funds should take into consideration Mrs. Brown's case, and would like it to act immediately, and that any action taken by the committee to help Mrs. Brown will be approved by: tbis : union."

Consequent upon the retirement of Mr. W. Scott, the Labour Department is inviting nominations for the position of employers' representative on the Arbitration Court. Nominations close on January 11. . The ownership of the much-corroded American single-barrelled sporting rifle found in tho Hutt Kiver just above the Silverstream railway bridge on Sunday by Mr. D. Neilson, lias not J-et been determined. On inquiry into the drowning of Mr. Kitchen four and a half years ago at Silverstream it was found in the police records that the deceased's gun was found at the time and returned t<l his relations. Tlio gun, which was made at the Harris-Rdchardson Arms Company is now to be seen at Mr. W. H. Tisdall's shop on' Lambton Quay. Its condition points to the fact that it must have been in the water a long time. A correspondent, "D.5.H.," has forwarded a protest against a pre-election pamphlet issued in the Liberal interest, m which little shortcomings and tricks of speech and manner of certain Reform candidates were held up to ridicule. Good taste and right feeling, our correspondent adds, _ would diotate that these minor failings should be left altogether in tho baokgrouhd, as they have nothing to do with a man's honesty of purpose, conscientiousness, and ability to fill a public office. The pamphlet was so monstrously one-sided and so fulsome as to disoount itself among intelligent people, but "D.H.S." wishes on general principles to make an emphatic protest against the lampooning of a candidate's trifling personal peculiarities. Such methods of electioneering are, he considers, thoroughly discreditable to tho party that stoops to use them. Fines for two broaches of awards were imposed by Mr. W. G. 'Eiddell, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. In the first case, Inspector' ,'Mostyn claimed to recover £2 from Eobert King, a hairdresser, Who. failed to join the union within the specified time. Dofendant has since complied lrifch tie request, and a- nominal lino only of 10s. was imposed. J. C. Gardner, butcher, Kaiwarra, wan fined £2 for employing an assistant at less than the award rate of wages.

Tho chairman of tho Board of Control of the New Zealand Sports Protection League—Mr.' C. 1?. Skerrett, K.C.—-states that the interests committed to the care of the league were quietly but effectively watched during the recent general election. It was at the outset decided that in view of the international conflict now going on, that the election should be contested with the minimum of internal strife. The board, therefore, submitted questione to all the candidates, and in almost overy case, replies were obtained either by a statement from the publio platform or by communication with the league's office. The answers wore generally of 0, favourable character, bui in one or two electorates the league quietly used Its influence against a declared opponent. The result of the contest hna shown that a very largo proportion of the successful candidates aro willing to maintain the'rights of the people. to tho free enjoyment of all legitimate enorts, and to oppose any curtailment of the statutory privileges in connect tion therewith. The majority of the members also favour the principle that all recreation grounds not ; ueed for private gain should be exempted from local, rates.

_ At a meeting of the Central Executive of the New Zealand Moderate League held yesterday afternoon it was decided to notify the various branches that a special committee meeting would be held immediately the holiday season iviis over, for tho purpose of preparing revisions of the Licensing Act ana other proposals for placing before Parliament. Any suggestions forthcoming from members of tho league would be welcomed. The Dominion secretary reported that'the membership was increasing in all tho branches.

Messrs. h'irkcaUlio and Stains, Ltd., .beg to announce that Ithey will remain open till . 0 p.m. as usual to-day. Special at tractions are being mode in Toyland for [he children, all of whom arc cordially invited by Santa Claus to visit him in lu* Treasure Siptto*—Adrt,

Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P. for Suburbs,! has conseuted to.present the dux prizes! ond attendance certificates at the Island! Bay State School on Thursday next at' , 2 p.m. Ho will also present two prizes : donated by Mr. W. H. D. 8011, the late; member, ono each to the best girl! and boy sport. As the "6ports" are , to be selected by their school-mates, it', should prove an interesting ceremony. The Minister of Public Works (the : Hon. W.' Frasor) has telegraphed to the Department's district engineer ask-J----ing him to furnish a report as soon asl possible about the damage done by thai Hoods at Groymoutli and Karamea. On Tuesday morning a dwelling all. Tnuherenikuu, owned and occupied by Mr. C. Nix, together with the contents,! was totally destroyed by fire. j Flower Saturday at Oamani for the Christmas Gift Fund realised £115, says a Press Association telegram. It is popularly supposed that if 3 Minister of the Crown is defeated at the polls ]io automatically ceases to be 1 a Minister. This is not so. Hβ re*' niains a Minister until his resignation is accepted by the Governor.- 1 In the case of Mr. Fisher, he will probably retain his position as Minister for a. little time yet. In actual fact, it" would be highly inconvenient, and it would cause serious dislocation of business were any Minister to give up his portfolios at once. Pre-' cedents for Ministers retaining , office! after their defeat at the polls aro well' established in both New Zealand and in England. The Hon. T, Thompson. a : member of the Seddon Ministry, held office for thirty-sis days after his do j feat at the polls. The Hon. R. M'Nab held office as Minister of Lands in the 1 Ward; Government for fifteen days after: his defeat by Mr. G. J. Anderson in! 1908. and he carried on the business of! his Departments until the'day of his! resignation. There 13 110 definite limit , imposed by the law upon the time for' which a Minister may hold office after, he has been defeated at the polls: He remains a Minister- and a member of the Executive during the pleasure of His Excellency the Governor. > The Portuguese Government 'iaa' no-" tilled the local Telegraph Office that' under Article B of the 'Telegraphic Convention Regulations, all traffic between Fayal (Azores, Islands) ard North" f America, via the Gorman Atlantic Com- . pany's cables, has been suspended for an indefinite period. One of the chief objects of tho Dunedin municipal baths was to teacfi the youth of that city to. swim, and the re', suits, it is stated, have been highly! satisfactory. The baths have been open' for only about nine months, but in that time between 700 and 800 boys of the) fourth standard of the city and subur- ; ban schools .have learned to swim. The! boys have completed the course of 201

half-hour weekly lessons prescribed b.vl the _ Education Department, the baths having been used for this purpose every' morning except Saturdays and' Sundays, j between the hours of nine and twelve. ■ Mr. A. A". Paape, who went to West-i land as the Reform candidate little 1 more than a week before polling day,! has, says an exchange, earned the title' on the West Coast of "the hurry-up! candidate." In nine days he totalled 1164 miles, and addressed 26 meetings. His - perseverence irae marked by 2325' votes being recorded in his favour, or within 700 of tho total of his opponent, Mr. "Tom" Scddou. ; ' .

Those whoso memories carry themy baok to the celebrated case or "Amy, Book," who married another woman at the Nuggets, will be interested to leam that a few days ago, so it is reported, "Amy" was married in Tawnnki. She married a man on this occasion. < There are prospects of another rise in the price or bread in the near future.' At the present price of flour, £14 10s. per ton in Wellington, the master ■ bakers state that there is no margin of profit, and tno position is further accentuated by tie.fact that some bakers . ,not safeguarded 'by contracts cannot obtain flour, at the price fixed by theFood Commission (£l3 10s. per ton in" the Bouth). Some of the big bakery, concerns are safeguarded by existing contracts or arrangements, but, the small baker in Wellington is living from l hand to mouth as far as flour supplies , are- concerned. From Chrietenurch conies a report in a letter from a miller that tho fixed price for wheat (ss. 3d. per bushel) is being circumvented by. certain holders of wheat, who are charg-' ing between 4s. and ss. for the sack,' .which contains 3 1-3 bushels, whicn; only servos to strengthen the report of l some local bakers that they are unable to purchase flour at the fixed price. ' The effect of the philosophy of Nietzsche upon the life and purpose of' the German people was referred to by: bishop Averill on Sunday night. It ; wa6 claimed for Nietzsche, said the, preacher, that he had cleared away the accumulated rubbish of 12 centuries, ( and redeemed Germany from the great error of the race in. the fifth century, namely, embracing Christianity. In place of the religion of Jesus Christ,' upon which all true European civilisd-i tion had been built, Germany was creating its own religion, instead of taking; it from Palestine. And this of "culture" was to emancipate the' world! Ideals which sought to degrade, the world must bo overthrown. That was the highest responsibility of the British Empire. "Go on believing that God has 6tilFa mission for this Empire, of ours to carry out," added the bishop, "but do believe that that mission can only be carried out if the Empiro ie worthy of it and alive to its ereafc trust and its world-wide responsibility." .

In consequence of representations' i made by the High Commissioner to the President of the Board of Trade, tha War risk insuranco rate las been re-', duced to 31b. ' 6d. per cent, from December 11. Tho General Manager of tho State Fire Insurauco advises that his, office is therefore prepared to effect' insurances at this reduced rate. A very enjoyable social was bold in St. Luke's Sunday Schoolroom last night to present the usual yearly prizes; and to welcome tho now vicar, tho A. W. H. Compton. Mr. Dudding made a well-chosen speech in welcoming Rev. | Compton, who made a suitable reply. Music was provided by Misses Armstrong and Keedwell, and songs by Misses Udy. Skcet, Hot. Compton, and Messrs. S. King and Opia. ■

Some 100,000 letters and parcels are, daily dispatched to the British, troops at the front. All communications addressed to troops in Franco are handed; over to tho Army Post Office, which dißpatebes and delivers thorn. This takes somo sis days.