LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2798, 16 June 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Prime Minister, speaking in 'tlie House of Representatives yesterday, acknowledged two contributions receiv-ed by him to the fund being raised for the benefit of widows and orphans of men of His Majesty's Navy ivlio have lost their lives. Mr. Massey read a letter from Mr. A. M. Myers stating that ho had directed J;is firm to make a contribution of .£IOOO, and the cheque would bo forwarded in' duo course. The announcement was received with applause. The other cheque was for ,£2O from Mr. Charles Robinson, manager of Bellamy's. A request that tiie post office and money order office at Peatlierston should be opened in tho evening for the transaction of soldiers' business was made to the Postmaster-General yesterday by Mr. J. C. Talbot, ,who stated that the regular hours—B.3o to s—did5 —did not enable tho men to transact all their business. Sir Joseph Ward promised to inquire into the position and see what could be done. Regarding the playing of golf on the city reserves oii Sunday, tlie .-Reserves Committee reported, to tlie City Council last evening that golfing on Sunday was prohibited oil by-law. The Mayor said that lie was of opinion that thero was no use quibbling about what was a game. Onco golf was permitted, football and cricket must be permitted. Councillor J. Puller: "Or surfing on the beach." Tho committee's view was affirmed by a majority. 'l'lio friends of Sergt. E. J. Carev (a well-known Wellington Labour secretary, now with the Forces) will be highly amused at an incident which occurred in tho legislative Council yesterday. The Hon. li. Mooro praised tho attitude of Sergt. Carey, who said he was going to the war, had two sons and a nephew there, and if lio had six more would liko to see them all at the front. "What!" ejaculated the Hon. J. T. Paul, "he has not a son in the world; only nil adopted dnugliter." ' "The time is coming, and is not far distant, when. New. Zealand will not grow enough wheat to supply its own requirements, and will lmvo to import it," said tlio Hon. It. Moore in the Legislative Council yesterday. Mr. Moore said also 'that not half last year's quantity of wheat would be sown in New Zealand this year. Tho Commercial Travellers' Association yesterday paid into tho public account UlO sum of. £27, to bo cabled to Chap-lain-Captain M'Donald, to provide comforts for our wounded soldiers at the base hospital. The amount was subscribed by the members, and arrangements have been made to cable the amount to Capt. M'Donald. A meeting of the Trades and Labour Council was held last night, tho president (Mr. M. J. Eeardon) in th& chair. Amongst the reports received was one prepared by. a special committee set up to deal with recent decisions of the Arbitration Court. The report is not yet complete, but so far as it goes, it sots out that while tho Court rebently made a recommendation fixing the minimum wago for labourers at Is. 2d. an hour, with ten per cent, bonus to meet the Tiso' in the cost of living, it has' since gone back on its own recommendation by awarding casual labourers in the timber industry Is. 2Jd. an hour, without the ten per cent., and this in Wellington, tho most expensive , city of tho Dominion. Last evening the Tramways Committee reported to the City Council that the committee had given consideration to Councillor L. M'Kenzie's suggestion that ill future the Lighting Department should bear tho cost of installation from tho street to private premises, irrespective of ..distance. • They recommended that, in cases wliere.the main was in the street, the distance bo increased from 10 feet to 60. feet from tho .street boundary. Cqiincillors generally disagreed with the recommendation. . | Tho Minister of Defence was urged in the House, yesterday by Mr. AV. H. IPielil to introduce legislation to provide that soldiers not yet 21 years of age should be doomed to be of . age for the purpose of'executing a power of attorney. He mentioned the case if a young man of his acquaintance now in camp, who would be 21 years of age in November, and who would on that date inherit the sum of ,£2OOO. Unless , this maivcould execute a power of attorney he could not have this money invested. The Defence Minister said that the question was ndt a simple The. advice the Government had received did- not justify the introduction of legislation to provide that a lad of from 20 to 21 years should be given the right to execute a power of attorney. His own opinion, however, was that the matter required further consideration, and he would consult witll the Attorney-General about it..' At a meeting of the Petone Recruiting Committee, held last evening, the Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) presiding, it was intimate that out of 100 . cards forwarded to eligible men only lli responses had ■ been received. It was decided to make a further appeal to the remainder, and also ,to send out another 100 cards. The City Council decided last evening that the sum of .£IOOO be placed on this year's estimates for a commencement to be made with the construction of the proposed road to Yogeltown, and such money be spent, if satisfactory arrangements can be made, with the property owners for the necessary land required for the road. Concern for the comfort of members of Parliament was shown yesterday by Mr. Jolin Payne. "Seeing that the Ministers," he said, "had a special carriage and. sleeping accommodation when they travelled, could the Railway Department supply members who desired to visit Auckland at week-ends with free sleepers?" The Minister of Railways, tho Hon. W. H. Herries, gave a diplomatic answer. "This is a' question/' lie said, "which should rightly come under the Legislative Department; for it concerns the travelling expenses of members. If it is granted tho Railway Department will supply the accommodation and charge the Legislative Department." An inquiry as to whether the police force would receive a war bonus oh the same lines ns other Departments was made in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. J. Vigor Brown. , The I'rimo Minister requested that the question be put on the Order Paper. He did not thiuk the question had been definitely decided up to the present. Th» Tramway Committee reported hi the City Council last evening that they had considered Councillor J. Piiller's suggostion that the age limit of children travelling free on tho trams be increased fiom ihreo years to five years, and reconim«Tf'e<l that the proposal be not given eflect.to at the present juncture. The' counail agreed with the committee's view. The chairman of the Patriotic Society (Mr. T. M. Wilford) has been advised by the Minister of Customs (tho Hon. A. M. Myers) that the band instruments for the Wellington Patriotic Society will lie admitted to New Zealand free of duty. The Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company, of Akron, U.S.A., has become the largest and most successful tyre company in the world, solely by its policy of making only the highest class of tyres. Seventy per cent, of the new Motor-cars now imported into this country, especially tho better class cars, are fitted with Goodyear. Tyres. Motorists •should make euro that they buy the ! genuine Goodyear Tyre. Particulars and price lists can be obtained from Tlie Dominion Motor Vehicles, Limited, G5 Courtenay Place, Wellington, Controlling Agonts for Wellington, Gisborne, Bawke's Bay, Marlborough, and Nel- j son.—Advt.

The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) has ten advised by the French Consular Agent in Wellington (Mr. James Macintosh) that there are 75 Franco-Tahitian recruits on board the Mortna, due from Papeete to-day, who are en route to Noumea, where they are to undergo a course ol' training before being sent on to Prance to engago in the big struggle. As the time of the steamer's arrival is uncertain no definite programme for the entertainment of the men can be arranged, but as soon as it is known when they will arrive, His Worship will make arrangements to entertain them on tho same lines as has .been adopted when other contingents from tho same islands have passed through Wellington. In response to an urgent appeal for funds in aid of the two and a half million children of Belgium who are destitute, , tho Minister of Education (Hon. J. A'. Ha nan) has approved of the observance of July 10 as Children's Day, in which Now Zealand will join with tho education authorites throughout the Empire in assisting a laudable object. Education boards are being circularised on the subject. A deputation of Wellington jewellers and watchmakers will wait upon the Mayor (Mr. J. I'. Luke) this morning to discuss matters connected with tho trade, antl in particular tho rights of those persons who are selling jewellers' stock-in-trade by auction, up till a certain hour, and after other jewellers close; sell over tho counter. There is a feeling among the trade that they are being placed at a disadvantage through certain methods of trading which they do not consider to be legitimate, and they seek to interest the Mayor and council authorities in ameliorating existing conuilnons. In connection with the City Council's decision to divert all traffic otlier than tramway traffic to the northern side of the plantation at the eastern end of Courtenay Place, it is suggested by some of the shopkeepers in that vicinity that' the north-easterly corner of the 'plantation might bo rounded off, so as to give a little freer scope to tho traffic wheeling into Courtnnny Place from Cambridge Terrace. In some cases the opinion is held that it is only a matter of tiino when the fenced-in plantation will have to be removed altogether to make provision for the increasing traffic of Courtenay Place, leaving only an "island" shelter shed, luggago room, and conveniences. Prom the council's decision it is gathered that tiie City Engineer's scli?mo rearranging tho whole of the street, at that important junction has been shelved until "the clouds roll'by." The deficiency in a quorum was cleverly overcomo at the Rose and Carnation Club's meeting last evening. It requires 15 members to constitute a quorum, and at tho appointed hour of the meeting there were only a dozen present'. The inevitable wait produced no result, and just as those in attendance were alxhit to leave, the chairman (Mr. J. B. Harcourt) suggested electing tliTeo members of the Press, who were present, honorary members of the club. This suggestion was promptly acted upon, withi the consent of the pressmen, and the business of tho meeting proceeded. Colonel G. W. S. Patterson, _ Officer Comanmding the Auckland District, has been appointed an officer with' power 10 convene general or district courts-mar-tial for the trial, under the Defence Act. of any persons subject to military law as are for the time being under or within tlio territorial limits of his command. A notice in the Gazette states that .Tune 1 to October 31 in every year shall be a close season for carp in the Rotorua acclimatisation district. A return presented to Parliament by the -Minister of Customs (the Hon. A. M. Myers) shows that during tho three months ended April 30, 85cwt. of raw sugar and 10,761)cwt. of refined sugar was exported from the Domiuion, making a total of 10,851cwt. Some argument occurred at the City Council last evoning over the following committee recommendation: "That a sum of .£SO be spent upon the construction of a small croquet court for ladies in tho enclosed portion of thfe Town' Belt at Mein Street, Newtown." Councillors and Fitzgerald objected to the proposal, but it was carried by nino votes to four. Last evening the Wellington City Council passed the following, resolution:— "That this council places on record its deep.sense of the irreparable, loss sustained by'the Empire by the tragic and untimely death of tho late Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener, by the sinking of H.M.S Hampshire, while conveying him to Russia on an important national mission; and also its,appreciation of his upright, manly life, his unparalleled powers of organisation and administration, and nbove all his 'unequalled military genius wliicli, • in addition to his many successes in the field, enabled him, at a time of direst stress, in the prosecution of Great Britain's part with her Allies in the great European war to successfully undertake and complete the colossal task of raising, equipping,' training, and convoying to,the front within a limited period tho largest army known in the history of the Empire; that the foregoing be conveyed to the relatives of the deceased Earl, together with the council's and citizens' deepest sympathy with them in their bereavement." . It is necessary, under tho War Funds Act, that every person collecting money in tho streets for any purpose whatsoever must be provided with a permit signed by either tho Mayor or Police Inspector. Most of the Navy Day collectors were so provided, but in one or two instances, when tho permits ran short, ladies went about their duties without them. Determined on seeing the law obeyed, the . police were active yesterday in soliciting a view of collectors' permits. As luck would have it, they found one lady not provided with an official slip, and sho was, there and then, marched off to the Police Station, and detained there until elie was bailed .out by Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., who happened to bo in Court. Before she left the station, however, she made every officer purchase a badge, thus making a good profit for the fund out of the incident. , . At the meeting of tho AlI-for-Empiro League last night, it was stated that one lady had collected .£lO iu shilling subscriptions, representing a membership of 200. Tho league is having 50,000 gum labels printed with a picture representing the effects of the blood-and-iron policy, and the following exhortation: "Whenever you seo the words, 'Made in Germany,' remember what Germany made in 191-1. Buy British goods! Join the All-for-Empire League." Writing to a friend in Christchurch under date April 20, Sir Thomas Mackenzie, High Commissioner for New Zealand, states that he is now persuaded that many letters which he lias sent to people in the Dominion have been lost, probably through the action of submarines. He therefore requests those who have not received prompt acknowledgments to their communications to write again, so that dupticales of his replies may be sent. The High .Commissioner trusts this explanation will bo acceptable to those who~ may have been inconvenienced tby reason of not hearing from him.