LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2440, 20 April 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Postal authorities advise that the s.s. Uliinaroa, .which is due from Sydney to-day, is bringing Australian mails only. The Bristol ' Piano Company, Ltd., placed on board the Knight Templar on Saturday a very nice piano for tho use of th-3 troops. The Hospital authorities have received a gift of cases of fruit for the Children's Mosi.iinl, forwarded bv tho Rev. J. Vospor, from the harvest thanksgiving at St. Thomas's Church, Motucka. The Victoria College District Court of Convocation last evening appointed Professor Hunter, Mr. T. R. Fleming, and Mr. 0. Watson to draft b set of election Testations for submission to the Victoria College Council. "The Court- should do -something for the College," said Professor Liu tor at last nights meeting of tho Victoria College District Court of Convocation. "There are* lots ot things e'Ccurt can do," he continued, "actually for the college itself—for example, beautifying 1 the bm'.ding. I think it wil' ba a disgrace if things remain as they ere." Other members of the Court agreed with Prcfessor Hunter.

The protest of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce against increased steamer freight rates ns ■ embodied in their resolution, on the subject to which sonio publicity was given at the time, was considered by tho Wellington Central Chamber of. Commerce yesterday. Members generally agreed tli't the resolution should bo supported, ir spite of what had been' said and written to the contrary, but adopted Mr. Leigh Hunt's suggestion that the matter was one of sufficient importance to bo considered at a special coiifereiico of Chamber of Commerce derogates who might mpet in 'Wellington for the purpose." A motion that the protest be endorsed, and that a suggestion be made to the Auckland Chamber regarding a proposed conference was carried.

During the period of its existence, the Wellington Committeo of the Poor of Great .Britain, Ireland, and • Belgium Helief Fund have, in addition to the cash I'igurcs quoted at yesterday's wind-ing-up meeting, forwarded to England goods to the approximate value of £l.o,0()0. These consisted of 127 cases and 6 sacks of clothing, .19 bales uf blankets, 10 boxes of butter, 31 cases of cheese, 3803 carcasses of mutton.and lamb, and 122 quarters of beef.

A scheme, the object of which is to create a fund to enable the Chamber to assist in bringing and defending legal actions, to obtain legal opinions on matters of general commercial interest for the guidance of subscribers to the fund, to assist in bringing back to the Dominion absconding debtors of members of the Chamber who are subscribers to the fund, was before the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday. Tho author of the project is Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, and yesterday a committee of the Chamber reported favourably on Mr. Hunt's schoine. 'l'lie idea is that business men, who must for this purpsoe be members of the Chamber, shall make themselves severally liable under premium notes of £u, to be called up at tne rate of £1 jy every year, or at shorter intervals as necessity arises, under no circumstances is subscription to the fund to be obligatory upon members, nor is the Chamber as a body to incur liability. Tlie report of the committee was adopted.

'As you can't get away to the war, you should take the K. of K. pledge " advised His Worship at the Magistrate s Court yesterday to Charles Harvcy? charged with drunkenness and re- - sistmg Constable Bremian. Harvey had woofully pleaded that he was a cripple. "It is not drink; it is my legß that give me trouble," said accused. "Only for them I would be away fighting the fat-headed Germans." Tlie Magistrate convicted and discharged accused on each charge, Harvey agreeing to remedy matters by having a prohibition order taken out against him. "And then there's 4s. witness's expenses for the girl who bought said the police in a case at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when a, small shopkeeper was . charged with selling sweets on a Sunday. "No, no," said the Magistrate decisively, "no expenses for her; she's just as bad as the woman who sold her the lollies." At a special meeting of the Greater Wellington Municipal and Town Planning Association held yesterday the following resolution was passed:—"This association expresses its disapproval of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board's proposed purchase of a dairy'farm, as the executive considers that the whole question of a pure milk supply for tha City,, as well as its public institutions) requires attention; and is strongly of tho opinion that the only _ effective method of dealing with this vital question is by more thorough official control of tho suppliers and distributors." The Labour.Department reports that' for the week ending April 17 there were eighty-three applicants for employment, of whom fifty were placed, seventeen in Government employment and thirty-three in private work, leaving a total of thirty-four for whom work is still required. The Department has in addition about forty nan.es of men oil their books who registered during previous weeks. There is a call for' carpenters and painters at Nelson, and for bushfoilers at . 12s. per day at Greymouth, but the latter must be. experienced men. In addition there is a demand for youths for farm work. Members of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce are reminded, by advertisement that the annual meeting of members will be held at the Chamber to-day. The meeting will he preceded by the usual luncheon at 1 o'clock. Colonel Logan-reports as follows oil the-health of the troops in Samoa:— Health of troops good. Headquarters, Captain J. G. Eoache, colitis. Infantry Battalion, Private Biincehall, emphysema; Private W. A. Finch, bronchitis. All doing well. The St. Paul's Boy Scouts were in evidence on the King's Wharf on Saturday'last, having volunteered their services to the Defence Department. The. troop was on duty, under the charge of Scoutmaster .Godfrey, from 9 in thd morning until tlie end of tlie afternoon, and 42 out of the 50 lads in tlie troop were employed during the day in Tunning messages, taking telegrams andparcels to the troops, -etc.. •