LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2640, 10 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

To meet the altered conditions consequent on the alteration of the postage rate, the Post and Telegraph Department has installed in the vestibule of the General Post Office building a stamp-vending machine, at which the public can obtain a halfpenny stamp, this machine is in addition to the ordinary. machines vending ' one penny stamps; and it is worthy of notice that the inventor of the vending-machine has adjusted the machine to take halfpennies The public are particularly warned against placing pennies in the machine. It will act only if a halfpenny is placed therein./ The War Pensions bill which 'Now Zealand has incurred to date is £16,667 per year. Pensions have been granted t y of a total annual ,valuo or £-049, making the average rate per man ~57; to ( wives and children 84 pensions have been granted, of an annual value of £7078, making the average yearly payment £84', and to other dependents 234 pensions have been granted of a value of £7040, making tho annual average rate £30. The total number of pensions granted to all classes of claimants is 3(52, and the a wage rate of pension is £46. Only 29' claims are on hand which have not been considered by the Board. Others are of course adjourned for inquiry. The sth ; B«giment. Band asked, tho City last evoning to give its permission to tlie band's giving a series of Sunday performances at Williams Park Day's Bay. Tho reserves committee recommended the council not to grant the request, and the chairman explained thattlie Teason was that the council had to spend much money in cleaning the lawns, etc., after big gatherings. The only body to benefit by ilie Crowds was the Eastbourne Br rough Council, who" would not meet tho City Council fairy. Councillor J. Godber said that ho •hoped that one day soon tho City Corporation would control the boats , running to Day's Bay, and then these difficulties ; would not arise. The boats, also, would be great improvements on the present vessels. Councillor R, A. \\ right remarked that Williams Park - a pront deal of mouey. The 1 Mayor: 'Yes; £11,000." 1

Information lias been received by tho Minister of Defence as to the facilities afforded sick and. wounded soldiers in Egypt and Malta for sending cablegrams to their people in New Zealand, lhe Officer Commanding the Now Zealand Base at Cairo telegraphs that sick and wounded in hospital can send cablegrams by drawing on. tho paymaster for i j ac ' ;ua ' cost of the cablegram, to be deducted from the pay. Cablegrams are sent by the paymaster, by the Army chaplain at the General Base Depot or in_tlie case>.of Sew Zealand Military Hospitals, by. mbdical officers. The General Officer Commanding at 'Malta telegraphs', that men at his base may send cablegrams without payment, marked receiver to pay, or by having tlie amount, for payment by the sender, entered against the man in his paybook. J

The Ammunition Column 0 f the National Reserve will parade at the Town Hall tins evening, and the "Last Post" will be sounded at 8.15 sharp in honour of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart, r High School Old Boys and friends Of. the late lieutenant-colonel, who has died recently at the front, are invited to attend. A telegram from Darinevirke on Saturday, with reference to a fire iu the' Cafe w i 1? 8 t " ere ' represented that Mr. \\ estlake, of Pahiatua, was the owner of the., building. This the Press Association is informed was wrong. There was no intention to,suggest that' Mr. Westlake had anything to do with'the fire, but as the mention of his name may have, given 'that impression,, the Association desires to . make the position clear and to express its regret that the message should have appeared in' a form calculated to cause annoyance to Mr. ,Westlake. . ' The Eoyal Choral Society is extending an invitation to soldiers able to obtain leave to attend the performance of "The Messiah" at the Town Hall on Tuesday next. Tickets have been sent out to. the camp by the secretary (Mr. W. E. Caldow) for distribution.

Of tho 23,400 bales of wool to be submitted for sale in Wellington to-day the value of at least five bales is to he credited to patriotic funds.- It is almost unnecessary to mention that this wool comes from .the Wairarapa—from two' gentlemen whose contributions to the patriotic funds have been only typical of tho warm generosity of other woolgrowers in (hat district. Mr. W. H. Booth, of the Carrington Station, has donated three bales of first-class Southdown wool, and Mr. A. P. Whatman, of Abbotsford Station, has contributed two bales of fine fleece wool. This wool is being submitted _ for sale through the agency of the Wairqrapa Farmers' Cooperative Association, and will ho sold by Mr. Walter Hill in the Concert Chamber at 9 a.m. to-day. It is anticipated that in view of the cause to bo served that there will be spirited bidding for these five bales.

The Reserves Committee reported to the City Council last/ evening that it had been waited-upon by a deputation representing tlio Wellington Zoological Society, the South Wellington Progressive Society and the Newtown School Committee, who asked that the council should arrange to havo the Newtown Museum opened to the public on almost nil days of tho year and tliat tho institution should bo' made more of an educational factor than it is at present. The committee recommended that the bodies should be informed that it regretted that the request could not bo acceded to at present, owing to there being no funds available for the purpose.

Tho Mayor, remarked at the City Oountiil last that the latest monthly tramttay returns (already published) reflected great credit on the tramway management. He thought that "Wellington had every reason to he proud of its tramway undertaking, wliieh would bo still better when the extra cars now building were put on the roacl. v

The dog tax in the city was fixed by the City Council last evening at 10s. por year.

Christmas is fast drawing near. The women folk should inspect our stock of nicely-finished silk handkerchiefs, with initials, at 2s. ,6d; and 3s. 6d. Geo. Fowlda, £M„ Manners Streot,—Advt,

The Defenco Minister has received advice from .Lieut.-Colonel Rhodes in Egypt as to how money and goods should bo sent to New Zealand sick and wounded. All goods and money should bo 6ont care of the officer New Zealand Baso Depot, Cairo, who is chairman of the Central Committee, which attends to distribution of comforts to our sick and wounded. People in New Zealand are asked, however, not to send goods or money direct to this address themselves, through the post or otherwise. Money should be sent through the Under-Secretary, Department of In- 1 ' ternal Affairs, Wellington, and 1 goods should be addressed to Captain Bilton, Defence Stoves, *K Shed, Wellington. Upwards of 1000 tons of cheese to fill ; tho order of tho Imperial authorities for New Zealand cheese has either been' shipped or is in< store awaiting shipment. • In all 284 tons have been forwarded, and 760 tons are in store here. Tho • Prime Minister stated yesterday that arrangements are being made to forward 3000 tons this month,. and on account of frozen meat not coning forward ns early as was expected, special arrangements are being made to forward 7(X)0 crates of, cheese by the Star of India this month. One" of tho committees of the Wellington City Council was waited on recently by a deputation from the Wellington Navals' Boating Society, who urged that the council should remit a portion of tho rates due on their club-. house at Jervois Quay, in view of the fact that many members are on''active service and on duty at the forts. The committee recommended to the council, that, subject to the City Solicitor's' opinion upholding such a course, the general rate should be remitted, upon, similar conditions to those stipulated, in the case of other sports bodies who have received similar treatment. The • council adopted the recommendation last evening. \ The Wellington Trades and Labour Council is to be informed by the Wellington City Council, in answer to its, ' request that the closed days observed at the public libraries be further re? duced, that the- council is anxious to give the new system a further trial, and that the matter will bo again investigated after the system has been, in operation for one year. ) ■ The preliminary plans for the erection. of a picture theatre at the comer of Manner? and Lombard Streets were approved by the City Council last even-

Sergeant R. A. Savage, of the Otago Battalion, who went to Gallipoli with the Main Body, writes from St. George's . Hospital, Malta, to express the flianka of himself and other 6ick and, wounded soldiers there for. tho New Zealand newspapers supplied by Wellington people: As men from all parts of the Dominion are to bo found in the hospitals, any newspapers, city or country, are welcome, 'as they contain remembrances of home and friends, and serve to help the invalids to pass away many a weary hour. Sergeant Savage hails from Petone, and at the time of writing (October 11) expected soon to be back in the firing line. He suggested that kindly disposed peoplo misnt forward bundles of papers to Gallipoli for the benefit of the men there during their brief respite from work in the trenches. Under the Shops and Offices •' Act, shopkeepers are permitted, to employ their assistants up to 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Hitli-

erto 'the general practice has been to rogard.tliis late work as part of the ordinary hours of the assistant', for which overtime payment had not to be made. This year tho secretary of the Grocers' Assistants' Union (Mr. J. M'Kenzie) submitted to the Labour Department that; overtime should be 'paid. ' The Department has replied to the effect that if the employers observe the Friday evenings preceding Christmas and New Year as long nights, they may employ

their assistants until 11 p.m. without payment of overtime provided that not more than eleven hours are worked by auy assistant on each day. ;

The Bank of New Zealand applied to'

the City Council last evening for an inspection of the bank's fire appliances every six months by'a qualified .officer of the City Fir© Brigade. The council decided that a nominal charge should be made on principle, and granted the request : subject to one guinea being paid.

The Wellington Harbour Board Is to be' informed uy the City. Council that the council will' charge for water' supplied to transports at the reduced charged jfor men-of-war, and that the 1 question of the charge for shipping generally will be considered at the commencement of the next financial year.

The regulation prohibiting the import or export of unset diamonds has been revoked, ' but the following 0011'clitiona are imposed on. the traffio in these gems: —1. Unset diamonds shall not be imported or exported otherwise than through the registered -post.' 2. Unset diamonds shall not, unless with ; ,the special consent of the Minister,.bo imported from or exported to any othor countries -than the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth of Australia. 3. No unset diamonds i shall be exported from New Zealand unless application in writing is made to the Collector:at least . three days prior to the intended date of dolivery of the parcel containing such diamonds at the. post office.

Tho estimated population of the four chief .cities .of the Dominion at the end of November was as follows: -Greater Auckland, 117,793; Greater Wellington, 74,811; Greater Christchurclr, 87,756; Greater Dunedin, 69,158. •

Tho much-needed bathing shed on tho Petone foreshore, which is now receiving the finishing touches, will probably be opened-next week, _ The structure is built of asbestos, and is divided into two compartmeuts, one for ladies and ono for gentlemen, and ar.e well protected from tlie weather. In 'the centre of the building is a sand floor for sun baths. Shower baths and ether conveniences are also provided. There is also a small shop in the building, where soft drinks, etc., can bp sold.

The latest eight-cylinder motor eneines represent the nearest approach to the even vuuning of turbine engines, and ' ono cannot understand the beautifully sweet action of the. latest 8-cyl. cars until one-has actually ridden in one.- The Dominion Motor Vehicles would be pleased to 6hnw intending customers the latest 8-cyl. King cars, a shipment of which . has just arrived.—Advt.