LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2749, 18 April 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Postal authorities advise that the s.s. Riverina, which left Welling, ton on April 12, carrying Australian and English mails, via Suez, arrived at Sydney on the morning of April .16. ; The Twelfth Reinforcements will be' reviewed at .Trentham racecourse by His Excellency the Governor at 11 o'clock to-morrow morning.

The New Zealand Dental Service Corps has had its name changed, and will now. be known as the New Zealand Dental Corps.

During the financial year ended March 81, the people of Wellington paid the sura of £2196 in pay to tramway'employees who have ontered tho military 6ervice, and £213 for the same :object as concerns men in tho employ of the Electrio Light Department.

In the course of his speech at Feilding last evening the Prime Minister indicated that Parliament would in all probability be called upon to deal with the question of compulsory service during tho coming session, but he hoped that the response of the manhood of the Dominion would continue to be so satisfactory that it might not be necessary to bring compulsion actually into force. The all-important thing, however, was that the Allies should win the war and New Zealand would carry out her full duty in doin«; her share in tho national crisis through which the Empire was passing. ,

The following Defence rifle clubs In tho Wellington Military District havo been disbandedNeil Road Rifle Club, Nawa Riflo Club, Okato Rifle Club, and the Waipiro Rifle Club.

The secretary of the Shakespeare Tercentenary Festival, to be held in the Town Hall on May 3, 4, and 5, reports that, the prize for the best cover design for the souvenir' programme has been awarded to Mr. J. D. Watt, 151 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn. Mrs. J. A. Tripe acted as adjudioator of the twenty-six designs entered.

For the Qurai Carnival which is being held in connection with the soldiers' sports at Trentham iacecourso on Friday the following ladies . have been chosen as candidates by the units mentioned; —Engineers and 16th n.c.o.'s, Miss Kitty Doughty; 15th Reinforcements, Miss Dorothy Young, Upper Hutt; 12tli Reinforcenients, Mrs. Cummings, wife of the Commanding Officer of the Twelfth, Colonel Cummings; Now Zealand Medical Corps, Miss Gear, Lower Hutt. The decision will be given and the queen crowned on the grounds on Friday.

Representations were made by tlip Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce to the Railway Department that cheap 'railway fares should be granted on Fridays as woll as Saturdays. The reason given for the request was tlmt now that Friday is "late night," suburban people should get some concession now that shopping has to be done that night instead of on Saturday. Mr. E. H. Hiloy, General Manager of Railways, has replied ,that in the interests of the Department's .revenue ho cannot sec his way to comply with tho request.

The Public Trustee has, says our Napier correspondent, accepted the Napier Borough Council's olfer for a 'loani of £36,500, at 5J per cent.

A powerful engine seems to be of the first importance, to tile successful motor lorry, and this has certainly not been overlooked by tho Makers of the Petrol Motor liorTy now on show at tho Dominion Motor Wliicles, Ltd., Garage, 85 Courtenay Place. These machines are built to look after an overload of 50 per cent, on rough country roads, and on hills of 1 and 12 gradient. The chassis generally is powerfully built, aiul the Makers havo lie. glected flexibility. Intending Purohasora ehoulil not miss the opportunity of cxaminlwfl this excellent lorry now in istock.— Advfc

A few weeks back the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce com. munieated with the Postal Department, requesting that business people who have to make frequent use of the wharf telephones, should bo given a reduction on the charges. . A reply was receiv* ed at yesterday's meeting of the chainher that it had been found impossible to make the exception asked for in favour of business people. .As an outcome of the matter tho Wellington Cen. I ttal Chamber of Commerce is going to ask the authorities to place more slot telephones on the Wellington wharves.

Complaint was made at a meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday that much tim: 1 Was wasted in tho delivery of gooiU; on tho Wellington whar/os oil acuoulit of tho system of transhipment which lifts been adopted. Mr. 6.- M. Luke said that some steps should be taken to rectify tho matter. Ho explained that many local houses have been put to .much inconvenience by fclie 6wall coastal steamers being placed alongside tho Home beats at the principal export wharves at the other end of the town. 11l some cases local houses had had to wait for hours to get their goods, just because' there was no central transhipping wharf, and tho little steamers always went for transhipments first. Everybody else could wait. He gave an instance of a firm who had sent their carter down to a certain ship to get goods, and on account of transhipments being worked lie was unable to get his load for sixhours. All this waiting and delay meant i that extra charges had to be .paid.

Conscription was mentioned at yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Leigh Hunt was the principal speaker, and after ho had outlined his proposals, members decided that on account of tho small attendance the matter should be left over till next meeting. The following is the resolution which Mr. Hunt will movo at the next meeting of the Chamber:—"That this Chamber, believing as it does iii the existing universal muitary training for the' youth of the Dominion,, is prepared to heartily support the Government, sholild it deem de* .sirable to adopt national conscription, and urges the National Government to make the system equitable and complete by inserting a clause ill the National Service Bill, making it compulsory for every able-bodied man in the Dominion, who is not engaged in defence services, or over 50 years of age, to undergo military training by attending not less than 24 drills per year in some unit of tho National Reserve."

Following upon a letter from the chairman of the Recruiting Board, the l'etonc Borough Council la6t evening decided to appoint a canvassing committee consisting of the Mayor, and Councillors Anderson; Cox, and List.

The derived: by the City Council, from the sale of electrical energy for iwwer and trank lighting for the year ended March 31 ■ last, amounted to £12,763, an increase of £1125 on the previous year, whilst the expends tufa totalled £11,437, an increase, of £133, leaving a net surplus of £1300.

Lance-Corporal W. J. R. Hill, who was before he joined the Army a_ member of newspaper staffs in Wellington and Auckland, has, contrived to run some soi't of publication wherever this has bfion possible wliilo Borving with the forces. He was the editor-in-chief of "The Pull-Thro'," a little paper published in Samoa while the first garrison was there. Then he went to the front. On tho troopship he produced another paper. In Gallipoli he fought, was wounded, and invalided to England. He returned to the front, but was lately in a New Zealand convalescent home in Egypt. called "Aotea." In tliafc hospital lie cdiLod a very well produced little magazine, "Tho Aotean ( " liberally illustrated, copies of which have been sent to New Zealand.

Specimens of German goods purchased in. Wellington during the past week or so were exhibited by Mr. J. F. Atkins at yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce. They consisted of a packet of sweets, and to tho casual observer appeared to be tlio' production of an Allied nation's firm. Very cleverly concealed, however, was the one word "Berlin," written across each wrapper in which tho sweets were contained. It was resolved to place tho matter in the hands of the Government. Another member said that lie had seen, a pair of gloves "made in Germany" purchased in Cuba Street recently.

During the past 14 or 15 years only two meetings of the Jliramar Borough Council have lapsed for the want of a quorum being present. The Mayor (Mr. F. Townsend) said last evening, that it was a record to bo proud of- Last night's special meeting bad been called on account of no mooting taking place last week, and as the Easter holidays if'ere near at lia'nd he wanted the council to consider important matters affecting the borough before the vacation.

At tlio Petono Borough Council last evoning, on the motion of Councillor Cox, it was decided to request the Government to arrange for the payment'of separation allowances to wives of soldiers out of New Zealand; also, on the Mayor's motion, that tlie attention of the Minister of Defence be called to the extortionate prices charged "at the camp canteens, and urging that steps he taken to have cantoens placed under Government control.

The Rev. H. Van Staveren will move at Thursday's meeting of the Hospital Board: "That the board reconsider its decision, with regard to utilising the upper storj (ftt presont unused) of the Children's Hospital, and that they bo immediately fitted up as temporary wards." •

Referring at his meeting at Christchurch last evening to the National Cabinet, Sir Joseph Ward said it was impossible not to make mistakes, but there were Solomons here and there in every community ivho could tell overybody else what to do, National Governments, wherever they had been formel were working with one aim bnfoVe them throughout—the winning of the war.

Steamship companies' gains since tho war began were mentioned at yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce. The question arose through 1 a referring to tlie enormous profits which are being made by the Clan Steamship Line and the Moro Lint-,. The former company' liad declared a dividend and bonus this year equal to 30 per cent, compared with 1.015. 'I !io More Lino declared u

dividend of 25 per rent, as compared with 12} in 1915; The profits of fcliis particular company (£374,248) exceeded tho paid-up capital. It was mentioned that the "Statist" had estimated that the net gain of ship-owners last year was 575 per cent, higher than in 1913. That was after half tho surplus has been paid to tho Treasury. It was also pointed out that tho public of_ tho Dominion is being asked to meet increased freight amounting to TOO per cent, and over. After discussion, it was resolved to obtain a list of all shipping, companies, including those trading mi New Zenland, and endeavour to, find out what tlicy have earned and the dividends paid since tho war commenced. At the meeting of householders held at tho Island Bay School last evening, the following resolution was carried: "That this meeting of Island Bay residents asks Mr. R. A. Wright, member for tho district, to <ise "ill 'lie influence and power he can in the coining session of Parliament to get legislation passed making adequate and prompt monotar.v payment to all wounded soldiers and dependents of those who havo fallen (present legislation having proved inadequate and unsatisfactory), and that he will support a Bill for a taxation of all clasps of wealth that «;!J admit of stored payments being made without reference to the financial condition of any applicant.,'"