LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2933, 20 November 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

!The postal authorities adviso that the s.s. Moeraki, which sailed from Sydnev at noon on November 16 for Wellington, is bringing Australian mails and English mails, via Suez, and is duo hero to-day. A confereiico of employers and workers in tho typographical industry was held in Wellington on Saturday, and while nothing has been made available for publication, it is stated that tho proceedings were satisfactory- Tho Dominion award expired on October 31, 1915, but continues in force until superceded by a new award or agreement. The workers had been taking steps to secure another Dominion award, and in the meanwhile the employers had filed district disputes. It was to solve this difficulty that the conference was held on the' suggestion of Mr. Justice Stringer. _ St. John's Presbyterian Church, Willis Street, celebrated its sixtythird anniversary yesterday. The Rev. R. E. Davies, M.A... of Knox Church, Dunedin, preached to large congregations at all three services. The Education Board announces that the second instalment of the war bonus to teachers will be payable at the board's offices' ou Saturday next. Payments will bo made into banks on Monday, November 27. The scale of payment will be £15 for married men, the terms to include, for bonus purposes, widows and widowers with children under fourteen years, and £7 10s. for all other teachers except juveniles under eighteen, who are to receive £3 only. Married women are to receive no bonus in the event of their husbands being employed by the Government or by the Education Board. If their husbands are not so employed they are to receive £7 10s. The question of forming a Returned Soldiers' Corps for active service abroad will be discussed at a meeting of the Wellington Returned Soldiers 1 Association this evening; The result of the Australian Referendum is the matter behind the suggestion of the returned men. Proceedings are being taken by the Labour Department against seven bootfinishers, who are alleged to have stayed away from their employment with Messrs. R. Hannah and Co. without giving the prescribed notice. The others, who subsequently returned to their work, have received a letter of warning. No ■ action will bo taken in regard to a statement said to have been made by an employer to the effect that he was liable to;be fined £50 by the Employers' Association if he employed the men. The Waterside Workers' Band visited the Hospital yesterday afternoon and played a programme of music, which resulted in the sum of £3 6s. Bd. being added to the Hospital Fund. Of all the rock paintings inspected by Dr. J. R. Elmore in New Zealand the best is in a cave near Pleasant Point, in the Timaru district. This painting is seventy-five feet long. A line about two iuches broad has been drawn on the wall of the cave, and on this line there arc many figures, all in black pigment. At one end, but not attached to the line, thero are several figures of birds. On the'lino itself thero are circles and other figures, and a fairly large number of fishtails, and, finally, the figures of men, apparently performing a haka. Dr. Elmore stated in Christchurch the other day that this painting easily takes first prize amongst rock paintings in New Zealand. Most of them are very crude, and are not nearly as good as tho spirited rock paintings of the pigmy tribes of Africa. Dr. Elmore has inspected nil the rock paintings recorded in New Zealand. All are in the South

Mr. A. "W. Croskery, secretary of the Wellington Softgoods Kmployees' Union, lias written to the Mayor asking that the City Council should extend fclio issue of workers' concession tickets to those who have to reach their places of employment at 0 a.m. Tim writer reminds the Mayor thai, this matter was placed before the council some, months ago, and from the replies received from members of the council his union was in hopes that something would be done in the matter to remove the existing anomaly. I-To hoped his request would receive "immediate mid favourable consideration." The letter will he placed before tlw next meeting of the Tramways Committee. Certain' Dominion 'population figures have been published in the Auckland "Star" as the result of that paper's correspondent's interview with the Hon. G. W. Russell. These, it is ascertained on inquiry in official circles, aro not based on tho census figures, but probably on the estimated population made cach quarter in iho Gazetto by the Government Statistician. It is not possible to obtain the population of the Dominion on tho current census yet, as there aro many more returns to be made up. The Minister's figures were I,tin,ooo and 50,000 mcu on service, in all 1,160,000 people. Captain E. T. Rupert Carlyon, of tho Sherwood Foresters, who is an old Wanganui College hoy, and whose mother resides in Napier, is a prisoner of war at the Kreigsgefanonari Husaren Kagame at Crefald, Germany. He has lost an eye and has suffered very severely from exposure. Beforo ho was captured he lay in a trench for 36 hours, while snow was falling all tho night, and contracted a severe inflammation of tho lungs. Tho pollution of the. harbour was complained of at a meeting of the Wellington and Petonc Yacht and Motor Boat Association last week. Particular. reference was made to the quantity of tar .substance which, it was stated, comes from a pipe uear the Clyde Quay Wharf, and floats along near the boat harbour and the baths. Attention was also drawn to the increasing amount of decaying vegetable, . straw, fruit, ashes, and dust which is being dumped into tho harbour, and which invariably finds its way to the boat shelter or Oriental Bay frontago. It was decided to communicate with the Harbour Board.

1 The census for Christchurch has been completed. It shows that the number oC males decreased, but that there was an improvement of 2273 in tho city area. The total for Greater Christchiirch and outside districts in 1911 was 80,103; this year the total has risen to 80.290. Lyfltelton shows a decrease from 4058 to 3768.—rress Association. A Rood deal of indignation is expressed in Masterton, states a Press Association telegram, a.t the fact that men who married previously to May, 1015, havo been put in tho ballot for the First Division. A local man who lias been married soveral years, and who has one child, oh Friday received notice to report within ten' days at camp, having been drawn in the ballot. There is great resentment at the possibility of married men with families being called up while so many single men without de-pendants are available in the district. A mooting of tho Melrose Hatepayers and Municipal Electors' Association was held at Rosson's Tearooms on Friday. Tho need was emphasised of a moro frequent clearance of the rubbish tins in the locality, and the secretary (Mr. Hooper) was instructed to write to tho city engineer with a view to having the matter attended to. Regarding tho request to have the freight delivory service, extended to Rosson's depot, the association was informed that the freight car would call for any goods too heavy to' bo carried by passenger cars, providing sufficient notice was given to Mr. Rosson, so as to enable this to be carried out satisfactorily. One stretch of thoroughfare in Hornsey Road > was brought under the notice of the association, and it was resolved to make an endeavour to have it improved. "Balgownie," the beautiful and pic-turesquely-situated residence of tho late Hon. John Duthie, M.L.C., at the Nai Nai (Lower Hutt) has been sold to Mr. W. H. George, of Kelburn (of the firm of George and Kersley), through the agency of Mi-. H. E. Lcighton. The property consists of an imposing residence situated on a commanding hillside, reached by a series of massive stone steps, decorated with statuary, beautiful flower and vegetable gardens and orchard, through which wanders the 6leepy Nai Nai stream,, bridged in several places. The property comprises 17} acres.