LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2909, 23 October 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Manuka, which sailed from Sydney at noon on Thursday last for Wellington, carrying Australian mails only, is due here to-day.

Some little commotion was caused in Cuba Street at about 11 a.m. on Saturday by the corkscrewing progress of a baker's cart through that crowded thoroughfare: When Constable Shields arrived on the scene, ho found two men struggling on top of the cart, one evidently trying to wrest the reins from the other, who was scarcely in a. condition to be in charge of a horso and cart. Tho driver was arrested on a charge of being drunk 1 whilst in charge of a horso and cart and will appear bofore the Court this morning.

Tho annual exhibition of tho New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts will remain open to-day and to-morrow, and will then close. The exhibition has been a most successful one as regards the attendance of the public and tho interest taken, in the show. The exhibition is open without charge to-day only to those purchasing art union tickets at the door, and the art union, is to be drawn at nine o'clock this evening. The Recruiting Board at its last meeting decided to fix the period of wearable life of arm badges a„s six months. On request (states a District Order) badges are to be renewed at the expiration of six months from the date of issue. These renewals are to be free of cost to the men entitlted to wear them, but will be made subject to the return of the worn-out badges. This decision is the outcome of tno amended regulations, which 11 prohibit the wearing on the arm of any badge other than the official badge, and has been come to in order.to meet the objection that has been raised to the appearance of tho arm badgo after it has been worn for some time.

"That this conference is of opinion the Board of Trade, New Zealand, as constituted, is not representative of. the commerce and industries of the- Dominion. That the board should be reconstituted and have powers to extend the internal trade of the Dominion, and also to establish other markets than those possessed by the Dominions at the present time."—Remit' from the Wellington Central Chamber, of Commerce to the Conference of Chambers to be held here nest month.

Referring to the War Regulations of July 31 last, as to the"arrest of soldiers for dobt or maintenance under the Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Act or the Destitute Persons Act, it must be understood (states a District Order) that the Dofence Department cannot act as a medium for collecting dobts; creditors'will bo expected to satisfy their claims out of the soldier's estate, and not from their pay or by the arrest of their persons. The consent of a military authority to the arrest of a soldier required by the War Regulations will only bo granted for very weighty reasons, and cases must be submitted to District Headquarters. Military authority can discharge soldiers under arrest for debt or maintenance.

The Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of Internal Affairs (states a Press Association telegram from Christchurch), is considering the advispbility of making additional provision for tuberculosis patients in the Dominion.'as a result of the large number of soldiers who return suffering from consumption. He intends suggesting that the Government take absolute control of the Otaki Sanatorium. Probably it will be found necessary to establish another sanatorium in this district for Canterbury, Nelson, and Marlborough.

"That inUhe opinion of this chamber it is desirable that the Empire adopt a distinctive trade mark for all goods manufactured within the Empire, to be accompanied by the words "Made' in ." (A lion rampant, surrounded by cubs, is the suggested'device). This is the text of a remit from the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, to be submitted to the Conference of Chambers of Commerce to be held in Wellington on No-' vember 22 and 2-3.

The'Westport Coal Company has recently erected a substantial brick building oil tho newly-reclaimed land at the foot of Taranaki Street, was decided to re-model tbe retail branch of its business in Wellington. At present the company has a central office and three branches in different.parts of tho City, but the intention now is to give up the branches and concentrate tho whole of tbe retail business in Lower Taranaki Street. In pursuance of that idea, tho company has secured a lease of about half an acre of land, surrounding tho block on which the new building has been erected. This provides plenty of yard space, a large reinforced concrete shed (120 ft. by 50ft.) for storing coal (now in course of erection)," and a huge 10-ton Avery weighbridge, adapted to take motor-wagons 16ft. in length. This is one of tho longest weighbridges in the country. This concentration has been mado possible by tho fact that most of the Citv delivery of coal is now being done by motor traction, and, w'hat is perhaps more important, the vard is within a hundred yards of the berth where tho West Coast steamers discharge their coal for Wellington Citv.