LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2984, 23 January 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Hon. J. Allffii, Minister of Defence, has telegraphed to tho general manager of the Christchurch Tramway Board (says a southern paper), stating that tho register of the First Division, but not of the Second Division, of the Expeditionary Force Resevvo is almost completed, and copies for exhibition at tho post offices in and around Christchurch would be sent south and would then he available to the public. The inquiry was made by tho tramway authorities with the view of checking the register with the board's list of its omployees and of ascertaining to what extent tho board's staff is likely to bo affected by early future ballots. Opportunity will be taken also to ascertain if all the board's cligiblo employees have onrolled. Iα Tile Dominion of Saturday last the Commissioner of Taxes reminded income tax-payers that their taxes wore duo and payable on tho following Monday (Anniversary Day, January 22). It is pointed out, however, that although the tax was duo yesterday, tho surtax imposed on overdue payments does not take effect till February 12 next. This information _is plainly stated on tho notices which wore sent out to the tax-payers. Last week large sharks ■wore very plentiful in tho hay, and worked havoc among tho trawlers' nets (says the "HawWs Bay Herald"). In some instances tho trawling crews replaced tho nets by hand lines, and hundreds of sohnapper were caught. Each man had three lines, and the fish were hauled up two at a time continuously. Ono fisherman's record was over two hundred in one day. At present by the western pier at the entrance to tho Inner Harbour small sharks can. ho seen making their way up tho channel by tho scoro. A prisoner innocently "gavo himself away" last week at the Police Court, Hamilton. He was arraigned on a charge of stealing a- document, and after tho evidenco had been heard he asked to be "dealt with summarily. His Worship seemed disposed to'treat, the application favourably, when, prisoner spoiled his chances by stating that "he had run away from gaol onco, but would not do so again." Hβ was promptly committed for trial without any further argument.

The flotsam and jetsam from tho wreck of the Tongariro, near Portland Island, lias come aehoro in. large quanties on the East Coast as far round an Opotiki, states a Gisborne exchange. During his recent visit to the coast, Mr. \V. ID. Goffe collected a large number of interesting relics and articles that had been strewn along the beaches. His object in doing so was to exhibit the articles at some function, indicating wliero thoy were found, so as to show tho trend of tho ocean currents. Another thing to be- noted on the coast at present, Mr. GofEc roports, is .%■ phenomenal death rate amongst penguins, and this is considered to bo attributable to some poisonous matter which lias escaped from the Tongariro wreck, and which is scattered about the beach in large quantities. Dead penguins were to be soon on tho beaches between Tolago Bay and Hicks Bav. In Australia, at tho present time there aro approximately 2000 members of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters out of work (states tho "Argus"). Many of tho idle men aro m Melbourne .Not a, few of them havo been idle for several months, and nearly every afternoon at tho Melbourne Trades Hall several hundred answer tho unemployment roll. Each man makes it ovidont that hois eager to hear from the union official of :i vacant position. Apparently, however, tho union is nob over-anxious to allow those men under its control to securo work when it is offered. Recently the Homo Affairs Department asked the Townsville hranoh of Jlio union to supply four carpenters, who 'would be 'given a. free passage, and paid £1 a day to construct sheds for a wireloss depot at Saniarai_ ji' small island in the Pacific. Tho union' promptly declined tho offer, without, it is stated, oven consulting any of its members who were idle. After consideration tho union maguanimously agreed to allow four carpenters to accept tho proffered work, providing that thoy wore paid 255. a day, given a arst-class roturn passago from Australia to Samarai, together with an allowanco of 255. a, day v/bUo -travelling both ways, which tho union declared would bo equivalent to payment for eight hours a day. The decision of tho Townsvillo branch of the union was conveyed to the branches in the various States, and each acquiesced in the suggested terms. The rates and allowances demanded, bowover, were considered so exorbitant tijat the application for Austrab'an carpenters for Saraarai was withdrawn to enable the Homo 'Affairs Department to reconsider tho conditions under which tho buildings may bo constructed. A remarkable oscapo from a serious motor accident ocourred at Sumner (says tho Christchurch "Press"). Mr. R. H. Eossiter -was driving bis car back to Christchurch with a party of ladios,' and as he was turning out of Naylor Street, aud passing a tram, a boy -jumped out fiom tho footpath directly in front of the motor-car. Mr. Rossiter instantly applied the brakes, but an accident was inevitable. Tho boy fell down in front of the car, which passed right over him. Mr. Rossiter immediately went to , tho assistance of the youngster, who was still lying in the roadway, but found that apart from a few scratches he bad escaped injury. Tho boy admitted that be was tp blame for the mishap, and after shaking himself and making sure ibat no bones were broken he promptly started for his home. One of the measures undertaken by the Federal Director-General of Recruiting (Senator Mackinnon) is the "combing out" of eligible men in the employ of the Defence Department. Senator Mackinnon has asked for a return giving the names, ages, and occupations of all the Defence Department's employees. Ho will peruse this list, and .will adviso the Minister of Defence' (Senator Pearce) what action be considers should ho taken in the interests both of returned soldiers and of the recruiting campaign. Particular attention will be paid to the staffs at offices where returned soldiers and their relatives congregate. Both the soldiers and their friends naturally object to strong, healthy men eligible for active service being employed in comfortable , positions' in Departments created on account of tho war. Tho Director-General is looking at the position as a recruiting difficulty, and ho has urged tbat the information he desires should be given to him at the earliest opportunity. So far as be is concerned, ,tho mattor is being treated as ono of urgency. Asked if lio proposed to take similar action in regard to other Government Departments, Mr. Mackinnon stated that lie did not. The Defence Department was a. /war Department. Many of its sections wore brought into being because of the presence of Australian units at the front, and returned soldiers bad a right to demand that no eligible.man who could possibly be done without should bo employed there. Tilts police are advised (stales a Press Association lolugram from Christchnrch) that tho well-known Glacier Hotel at Bealey was destroyed, by, fire oa Suiiday, nighi.

The Hawke's Bay, War Relief Association recommended its Finance Cornmittco to grant £300 to the Salvation Army towards the £7000 which that body is raising for its war work. Details of the amended financial agreement between the Commonwealth and tho States, which was arrived at Uio Premiers' Conference, were made available in Melbourne last week. Under the original agreement entered into last year all tho States excepting New South AVales undertook to refrain from borrowing on the London market conditionally \ipon the Commonwealth raising £7,450,000 for them in London, and tho right being reserved to them to raise up to £4,332,000 by loaus in Australia. TJnder tho agreement as amended tho States are to receive a total of £9,732,000, instead of £11,782,000, tho sum to be raised in London being £5,400,000, and in Australia £4,332,000. This lastmentioned sum wcaild have been lower by £500,000 had it not been for recent floods in. Queensland and Tasmania. The two States concerned are to be allowed a maximum sum of £500,000 to provide for flood damage. A Press Association message from Gore states that what is said to be the Hessian fly is attacking local wheat crops. Tho pest has not been actually identified yet; if it is the Hessian, it is its first appearance in tho district. The latest time —and labour —saving device for busy bank depositors has been evolved by a Boston (Massachusetts) banking institution, and is called tho "multiple bank cheque." Its chief uso is to mako it possible for a depositor to pay all bis'monthly bills by drawing ono cheque on. or about tho first of tho month. The now cheque, is precisely like tho old style one, except that its size is much increased to give room at the bottom for •roiting a list of firms, with tho sum set opposite each, ono which the drawer desires to pay. These are added tip, and the cheque for the total, payablo at the bank, is duly filled out and signed. The hank deposits the sums named to the credit of those payees who aredepositors, and romits to the others.