LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2646, 17 December 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Public Service Commissioner has increased the scale of salaries 1 , payable to female shorthand: writers and typists in the Service. The scale is now as follows:—Junior, £66 per year, rising by annual increments of £12 to £90; second grade, £96, rising to £120; first grade, £132, riswg to £156. Lohg service p&y at the rate of £10 per year is payaulis after 15 years' service. The test for juniors is 80 words per minute, and for the senior grades 110 words per minute. A candidate passing the senior test joins at the second grade rate, £96 per yeir. A girl appointed as a junior may rise to second grade on passing tho higher efficient test.-

A Press Association message received from !Dunedin last evening Btates that the price of flour has been advanced 10s. per ton, and is now quoted at £13 10s. per ton. Reference to the fine roll of honour which stands to the credit of Wellington College was made at the colleges annual prize-giving yesterday. The headmaster (Mr. J. P. Firth) said that lie was endeavouring to get a photograph of every ex-college man who had joined the ranks. Already he had got nearly, 200 out of tho 839. The photographs aro to be hung in panels on the walls of the old school. The Governor, who attended to present the prizes, said tliat he hoped something would be done to commemorate tli© JiciiiißS of thos9 ©x~ « llogians who had fajlon. Their names should be recorded in letters of gold and handed down to tho younger generations.

The Defence Minister has been.advised ty cablegram that tlie. Maori Reinforco'Ments hav9 not yet left Egypt.

Regulations are being prepared to give effect 1« the Government's proposals for tlie granting of railway and other concessions to returned soldiers. The Prime Minister stated yesterday that the regulations would be in operation in ample time to allow returned soldiers to enjoy the concessions before Christmas.

Tho number if persons arriving in New Zealand in tlie mouth of November was 2531) and the departures 1558. The figures for November of last year were: Arrivals 3739, departures 1184. Tho Groytown Hospital matron is appealing for donations (in kind) towards Christinas cheer for soldior and othor patients in tlie hospital. For flexibility, springing, silonco, power, and beautifully even torque, it is impossible to beat the eight-cylinder King. This car may be inspected at tho garage of The Dominion Motor Vehicles,- Ltd., 65 Courtenay Place, or 41-46 Tory Street. If you cannot call personally, write or 'phono for a demonstration or catalogues, which will willingly be sent you free of gogt,—Adf.t,

By proclamation published in the Gazette last night, the date April 1, 1916, is fixed for the coming into operation of the Cook Islands Act.

Inquests will be held by the City Coroner to-morrow morning into the ci> cumstauces connected with the deaths of Mrs. J. A. Mitchell, of Invercargill, and Herbert Henry Hobday, of Island Bay. Both deaths occurred at the Hospital on Wednesday.

The following tenders were accepted by the Wellington Education Board at its meeting on Wednesday Cross Creek School and residence, repairs and painting, C. Skipage and Sons: Roseneath, repairs antl painting, W. J. Monkhouse; Brooklyn, ropairs mid painting, W. J. Monkhouse; To Maru (Upper Hutt), residence painting, P. WilkieTo Horo, additions, J. M'Chesney; Carrington, teacher's residence, E. A. King; Featherston, extra windows, etc., A. R. Wallis; Clyde Our.y Infants', alterations and additions, F. Johnston.

Two complaints in regard to the difficulties attending the dispatch of wireless messages to New Zealand from steamers travelling between the Dominion and Australia nave been received by the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce at.,its meeting held during the week. It was pointed out that although the regulations were supposed to be the same for New Zealand and Australia, tie interpretation placed upon them by the two 'countries was altogether different, and the Australian end accepted messages from ship's passengers without any further restrictions than.the captain's censorship. One of the writers, a business man in Auckland, stated that he had one message which it was very important should reach his Auckland office, and when nearly half way between Sydney and Auckland the message was accepted, sent by wireless to Sydney, and then transmitted as an ordinary cable message to New Zealand at a cost of 9Jd. per word instead of being wirelessed direct. It seemed somewhat extraordinary that, while it was safe to send messages to Australia' it should not be equally so for residents in New Zealand to send messages to their own country. The secretary of the chamber, Mr. A. J. Denniston, stated that copies of the letters had been forwarded to tho secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, Wellington, asking for an explanation. It was decided that the reply be. awaited, and that if it he not satisfactory a letter be sent to the Postmaster-General asking why the discrimination is made between the two countries.

The war. its lighter side, even in the firing line/* A soldier correspondent of the "Military Mail" tells of an incident that happened not long since. "I was returning from a deserted, village near ," he writes, "when I satf leisurely strolling down the road a man absolutely naked. You can judge my astonishment. When we met, after greetings, he told me that he had become separated from his regiment, accidentally walked into an enemy trench, and there had been stripped of all his clothing and put under guard. In the night he had managed to overpower the guard and make his escape, trusting to get some clothing on "his way back. I gave him my waterproof, and, after begging a smoke, he coolly continued his journey. I have since had my waterproof returned with a letter of thanks from the sender, a Canadian officer."

The Court of Appeal sitting, which had been fixed for Saturday next, has been adjourned until February 1, 1916.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have had a 801 l of Honour prepared of those members of their staff who have volunteered for the front. The number of the New Zealand staff who have been accepted for service abroad is 75 to date, of whom four have been killed, ten wounded, and one "missing." The roll is an excellent piece of work by Messrs. Whit-combe and Tombs, Limited, and will form quite a suitable souvenir, of the memorable occasion which called forth the patriotism of these men who have risked their lives for' King and Empire. It should be mentioned that the company has been from the outset paying half salary to members of the staff who have enlisted.

Some little time ago'the Imperial Service Medal, a decoration given to lower grade officers i» the Civil Service of the Dominions, was given to Miss Sarah Brock, of Wellington, formerly on the staff of the Post Office. The fact of a woman receiving such a distinction, and for the first time in Australasia, was deemed worthy vof remark by the Victorian Lady Teachers' Association. This body has written to the PostmasterGeneral (Sir Joseph Ward) covering the following resolution passed at a recent meeting"That the Victorian Lady Teachers' Association desires to express its appreciation of the action of the Wellington 'Postal Department in conferring the Imperial Service Order on Miss Sarah Brock, in recognition of thirty-five years' meritorious service in thoir Department."

The secretary of the Hawke's Bay Club has written to the Minister for Internal Affairs stating that, on behalf of the club, he has handed to Mr. P. S. M'Lean, solicitor, Napier, the sum of £234 lis., under arrangements with Mr. M'Lean to remit the sum to Mr. R. D. D. M'Lean, of Maraekakaho, Hawke's Bay, who is at present in London, to distribute tho amount as Christmas Rifts among the men ■of H.M.S. New Zealand.

Mr. A. W. Hogg, when speaking at the Wellington Education Board's meeting on Wednesday, said that the Council of Education had "made a fearful and wonderful hash of the education districts." In his opinion the two Islands should have been kept separate, as there was no community of interest between Wellington and Marlborough. Sir Walter Buchanan ivas strongly of Mr. Hogg's opinion. It was a thousand pities, he said, that tho South Island should have its education controlled from this side of Cook Strait. 3fr. C. M. Luke did not see why a strip of water should be regarded as an_ insuperable division between two portions of New Zealand. Mr. Hogg replied that they had a species of school there (in Marlborough) that is not found in any other part of New Zealand, and should have it to themselves.

Excursion tickets commence this week. Therefore, we would respectfully remind you of our fine stock of travelling requisites at moderate prices. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street—Advt.

The Prime Minister stated yesterday that tho new recruiting scliemo had been under consideration of Cabinet that morning, but the details would not be ready for publication for some days. ■ The long vacation of the Supremo Court conunenceslon Monday, December 20, and extends until January 31 next. Tho holidays extend from December 24 to January 8, both days inclusive. During vacation the office will be open daily between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. except on Saturdays,: when it will close at noon. A oase' of a well-earned reward for perseverance has just come undor our notice (says the Auckland "Star"). A younj; Aucklander, formerly connected with the artillery at Fort Caiitley, Devonport, lvas anxious to "do his bit" at the front,- could not at the time take advantage nf the permission for those members vi{b wished to do so to volunteer for front. Subsequently, when he was aßle to go his applica- '• tion was turned down, as the permit had been withdrawn. With some others he went to Sydney, but shortly after landing ho had to go to the hospital to undergo an operation for appendicitis, and.from there he, went for a time to a convalescent home. After getting fairly well again he went to pass the dootor for enlistment, but was turned clown as unfit. After waiting a week or two he went again, and was turned ilownxthe second time. Determined to est through, if possible, he went the third time' and passed, when he was sent into camp next day. About a week after he sat with. 75 others for examination for the position of quarter-master-sergeant of his company, and came out successful. . The opinion of an. Auckland schoolmaster of 84 jjearsV experience on the matter of the abolition from the primi ary schools of the Dominion of the junior 'o'adet system was given the other, day. He said that during recent years a great deal of legislation had been introduced having for its. object the betterment of children's education in the schools. He was sorry to think, howsver, that during the last two years the Legislature should have thought fit to take a retrograde step by abolishing the junior cadets from the primary sohools. Everv headmaster and every teacher knew that the system' had revolutionised discipline in the schools. During tho years the system had been in vogue truancy had been sTowli disappearing, but since the cadets had been disestablished the practice of truancy among boys was creeping in again. He expressed the hope that all those old boys who possessed the franchise would exercise their privilege towards scouring the re-establishment of the junior cadet, system.