LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3011, 23 February 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Anzao Day this year falle upon tho same day as is sot aeidb by law for the polling for local elections. The Government has no power under tho law to postpone these elections, and the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. 6. W. Russell) stated yesterday that ib had been determined that Anzac Day ehould be celebrated, not on April 26, but on Monday, April 28, which is St. George's Day, and a bank holiday. The same conditions will be insisted upon for the celebration of the occasion as in last year—so sports are xo bo held on that day.

AH,Government offices will be closed on St. Patrick's Day, Maroh 17,

Mariners are informed by a notice in the Gazette thai certain lights have been extinguished in the British West Indies. Legation at Panama advises that veseels should not entor Carlisle Bay, Barbadoes, at night. The Gazette issued last night contains an official notification as to the statutory closing day ,for shops 'in boroughs, town districts, and counties where the local authorities have failed to select a day. The Minister of Labour has fixed the day previously observed in each case.

•■ "Most of the people in this room would react to the tuberculin test," said Dr. Truby King at the conference •of the Society for tho Health of Women and Children last evening. The troubles of the farmer in connection with tuberculous cowe had been under dismission, and the doctor argued that the eradication of disease among dairy stook was by no means a simple proposition. Cows very slightly affected with tuberculosis would react strongly, and the distribution of the disease was very wide. He urged the delegates to aim at "reduction" and not talk at present of "eradication," which seemed to be impossible. ;

Two Big motor buses, owned by the Wellington City Corporation, have been lying idle for somo time, and City Councillor W. T. Hildreth suggested at last evening's meeting of the council that the busses should Iβ given a. month's trial running between Kaiwarra and the Thorndon tram terminus. The Mayor said the suggestion would be considered He added that an idea had been discussed lately of altering the busess and using them to expeditiously handle the corporation coal.

An improvement at the somewhat begrimed Courtenay Place oasis is threatened. One of the committees of the City Council reported last evening that they had inspected the fence round l the

little resorvo, in company with the Crty Engineer, and they were of opinion that the present dilapidated picket fence should be removed and a concrete kerbing erected. "Such kerbing," said the committee, "should be erected on a new lino in order to give greater facilities to the publio at this important tramway junction, without appreciably reducing the planiation' space; tho whole plantation should be remodelled and made more open by removing the small shrubs and flowers, but leaving; the present large trees. The ground should be covered with turf, after making provision for certain small pathways."

Tlie city engineer is making very great improvements to the Hutt Ro.ad, and the surface-tarring has overcome tlio dust miisiinco, According to Councillor J. E. Fitzgerald at the City Council last evening.

. It affords us considerable pleasure giving the famous "Thinker" note-book free with even . Is. package "No-Rubbing" lianndry Help. Wellington grocers.— Advt.

\ou r old travelling bug just about done? View our week-end cases from. 6s. 6d.; Gladstones from 303. j Brief Base from Ws, 6d, Gco. Fowlds, Ltd,—Advt<

At tho meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board hold yesterday a letter was received from the Royal New Zealand Society for Health of Women and Children, stating that tho general conference (now sitting in Wellington) sent greetings to the Wellington Hospital Board. The society desired to express its great appreciation of the manner in which tho Hospital authorities have co-operated with the socioty, especially in regard to the care and after care of babies. Appreciation of the spirit of tho letter was expressed. Local flour and .grain merchants are in more or less of a quandary as to their position with regard to the action or the Government in fixing the prices of flour, wheat, bran, and'pollard. The price of wheat, for Sxample, has been fixed at 6s. 7d. per bushel, f.o.b. in the south, but merchants state that they cannot buy it for that, as southern suppliers are charging Id. per bushel brokerage, which makes the price 6s. Bd., to say nothing of a charge of 10d. for sacks. They have been instructed to fix their prices on the basis of shipment from Lyttelton, which practically prevents them from importing, say, from Timaru or Oamaru, as the difference in freight is considerable. For example, pollard per sack (ten to the ton) costs Is. Id. freight from Lyttelton, but 3s. 2d. from Oamaru. Our informant states that the position of an agent for southern firms is quite clear, but the merchant, who is a direct buyer, and, who after the purchase may do wh'at he pleases, does not appear to be taken into account. The conference of the New Zealand Industrial Corporations -at Auckland adopted Canterbury's remits advocatingofficial recognition of a Board of Industries, prompt action by the Government to safeguard aad develop the internal trade of the Dominion, that steps be taken to inquire regarding duty-free goods imported from countries other than our Allies, that representations be made to the Government that the country demands a more vigorous industrial policy, that trade with enemy countries 1)6 prohibited until the Empire and its Allies so decide, that the Government should render financial assistance to the establishment of new industries, and that a committee be appointed to confer with the Minister of Internal Affairs, and a scheme to be submitted to Parliament. —Press Association. A resolution was passed by the Advisory Board of the War Itelief Federation yesterday in favour of the Government subsidising the income of the dependants of single men joining tho motor-boaf patrol, so that the samo could be brought up to an equivalent of the income derived by dependants of soldiers serving wit!) the Expeditionary Force.

Tbeßoseneath Municipal Electors' Association is to be informed by tho City Counoil, in reply to their representations for the construction of an electric

lift from Oriental Bay to Hoseneath, that the council will consider tho proposal when tho adopted scheme for the Boulcotb Street lift has a satisfactory trial.

The quota from the Napier Group for the Twenty-seventh Reinforcements includes threo solicitors (volunteers), namely, Messrs. W. B. L. Williams

(Hastings), I. B. Logan (Napier), and 0. H. Croker (Hastings). Among the others are eighteen farm hands and

farmers, eleven clerks, six engineers, and numerous labourers, plumbers, and others, a jockey. , A request by the Wellington Biograph Operators' Union for the institution of an examination to test tKo "ntness of operators of biograph plants has been refused by the Wellington City Council. ■ ■ ; " '

"Wasting skill" was the term applied by a member of the War Relief Federation yesterday to the possibility of military service boards sending marine engineers into the trenches. Such men, he >said should be utilised in the motorboat patrol or kindred services.

At yesterday's session of the Plunkes Society's Conference, » remit from Hawera was brought forward urging that the attention of the Government bo drawn to the insufficiency and impurity of the milk supply in many parts of tho Dominion. Commenting upon this, the president, Mrs. Algar Williams, remarked: "You all heard , wnat ine Mayor, Mr. Luke, said in his opening address. .1 feel that something win be done about the matter in Wellington, at any rate." It was resolved that all remits on the subject be consolidated and sent on as a resolution to the Minister of Publio Health.

A Press Association message from Sydney states that forty-three wounded New Zealanders have arrived, there, including Captain It. S. Orbell, of Oamaru, who was awarded the Military Gross for rescuing wounded under heavy fire at El Romani (Egypt)..

Quite a number of ferns and plants havo been removed from the Day's Bay bush by visitors. Immediate proceedings are to be taken in all cases where the offenders are caught.

Mr. J. B. Smith, Grown. Lands Ranger, has been, appointed , a member of the Wangamii Workers' Dwellings Board. Mr. H. Lundins, Crown Lands Ranger, becomes a member of the Palmerston North Workers' Dwellings Board.

An amended scale of royalties payable by eawmillers to the Government for timber out on Crown, lands is published in this week's Gazette.

Regulations for deer shooting during the 1917 season are published in this week's Gazette. The season extends from April 2 to May 31 in the Wellington Acclimatisation District, and from April 2 to May 15 in the Wanganui Acclimatisation District.

Special orders were made by the Wellington City Counoil last evening altering the names of Princes Street and Regent Street, Wadestown, and substituting for the street comprising such streets the name of Margaret Street, also deolaring ■ Selwyn Terrace to be a publio street.

A sum of £100 ie to be placed' on next year's city estimates for the installation of twenty sanitary bubbledrinking fountains .in substitution of the sixteen existing fountains in the city, as recommended by the Publio Health Committee.

Owing to the enlistment of over 500 teachers, a shortage of fully-qualified teachers is being increasingly felt. With a view of retaining as long' as possible the services of the older teachers who might claim to be retired under the extended provisions of the Superannuation Act, i.e., before they reach the full retiring age or length of service, tho Teachers' Superannuation Board has decided that during the currency of the war it will not consider favourably any application for retirement under theso provisions, except in any case where it is clearly shown that it is in the interests of tho Education Service that the retirement should bo allowed.

It was observed at yesterday's meeting by the War Relief Federation that the New Zealand soldiers in Egypt had not been getting money sent for their comfort lately. The chairman stated that the High Commissioner had now forwarded some money.

The secretary of the Auckland Centro Now Zealand Swimming Association, Mr. W. B. Jorromo, has brought to Wellington a party of juvenile swimmers to compete in the Dominion Sohools' Championship, which will be held to-morrow. The members of the party, who are the winners and second place-getters in the Auckland Provincial Schools' Championship are: —H. Von Stunner, T. Kronfeld, Vida Subritzky, Florence Boviard.

"Does it cost a halfpenny to stop a tramcar and start it again f" ajsked Councillor W. T. Hildreth at last evening's meeting of the Wellington City Council. The Mayor said he believed it did cost about that amount.

Plunket nurses are to receive a war bonus of 10 per cent, on the salaries. The matter was discussed at the conference of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children last evening, and the delegates decided that the nurses were entitled to an increase in salary owing to the high cost of living.

A. clock, the body of whioh resembled a vl' 7? s eKc^d recently outside a city _ hotel. On the face of the dock, instead of the figures that would mark the hours were the letters of the name of the hotel. The By-laws Committee of the City Council wishes the clock removed on the ground that it is an advertisement for the hotel, and that, if it is allowed to remain, other people will desire to erect advertisements over footways. The licensee of the hotel waited on the City Council last evening, and in the course of his representations Mr. J. J. M'Grath, ™ S .P°™ /or him, said that about iIUO had already been expended on the clock. After discussing the matter, the council decided, on the motion of Councillor J. G. Fitzgerald, to refer the matter back to the committee. Councillor Fitzgerald said the clock was no more objectionable than the sign of three balls, hung outsido shops, than the wretched hoardings about the city, or the advertisements for women's corsets pasted up hero, there, and everywhere. , . .

The Reserves Committee of the City Council reported to the council last evening that they had received a, request from the Kvans Bay Swimming Club for further improvements to be effected to the public bathing sheds at Evans Bay. The application had been forwarded to the City Engineer for report, and the committee will submit their report to the next meeting of the council.

"I was very disappointed with the reply of the Minister that nothing can be done respecting the hydro-electric scheme till the war is over," said Councillor W.-T. Hildreth at the Wellington City Council last evening. "I cannot understand why the Government cannot issue notes auainst the work."

v Reference to the fact that the Government had recently provided for making allowances up to an extra £2 per week respecting men who were called up in the ballot was made'ljy the chairman of the Advisory Board of the War Relief Federation yesterday. He said the Government had not gone as far as tho board would like it to go.

The War Relief Federation considers that the postal charges on parcels to soldiers are too high, and intends to bring the matter before the Government.

Support from the Wellington City Council has been accorded the following resolution forwarded by the Mackenzie County Council:—"That the Government he asked to impose a Customs duty of not less than 10 per cent, ad valorem on motor tires, the money so collected to be refunded to local bodies., for the upkeep of roads, on the basis of capital value or such manner as the' Government may deem equitable."

-OJazette will he issued to-day containing the names of members of the First Division of the Expeditionary Force Reserve_drawn in the first three ballots who have not yet presented theniselves for medical examination and notifying them now to do so.