LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3051, 12 April 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho coal trouble was discussed at length by Cabinet yesterday, but another meeting is to be hold to-day to deal with tho matter. In the meantime no announcement of the Government's probable action to meet the situation can bo made.. The rain which fell on Tuesday night and yesterday morning was ■unfortunately not sufficient to remove altogether tho danger threatening tho city of a water famine. Tho fall at Wainui up till 9 o'clock yesterday morning was only one inch. At Karori an inch and a half was registered. The Morton Dam is filling up gradually, but the water had fallen so low in the reservoir that a small rise in the water level does not mean a very great increase in volume. Fortunately the indications are for more rain. Burglars paid a visit on Tuesday night to the premises of Mr. Nathan Phillips, second-hand dealer, Taranaki Strcot. Mr. Phillips lives over his shop, but he did. not hear the noise made by the burglars,' who, with the aid of a diamond, cut a hole in tho plate-glass shop window, and- removed a number of gold rings and bracelets. A man was arrested yesterday by Sergeant Willcox, and will appear in Court to-day to answer the charge. About 5.40 p.m. yesterday a car bound for Newtown ran off the rails in rounding Stewart Dawson's corner, at the foot of Willis Street. Before the car could be replaced, traffic was delayed for over twenty, minutes, and the public saw the unusual spectacle of six cars in Customliouse Quay and nine in Lambton Quay standing olose and unable to proceed. •Mr. J. P. Luke, on behalf of the Now Zealand Ironmasters' Association, has cabled to the British Empire Producers, London, agreeing to a memorial to the Imperial War Cabinet advocating preferential trade- within tho Empire. . ' Nationalisation of the liquor industry was favoured by the conference of timber workers yesterday, and it was decided to urge the idea upon the Gov- 1 ernmont. An impression prevails among some people who have been taking a keen interest in the anti-German crusade in this country that it is possible for Germans or other aliens to vote at local elections. They are not entitled toivote under the ordinary residential qualification by which most electors chum the franchise, out it has been suggested quite wrongly that they may vote under the ratepayers' qualification if they happen to hold landed property. It is true that it is expressly provided that no alien may obtain tho franchise under the residential qualification; hut tho statute, in enacting this specifically, merely stated the existing law of all British countries, which is that no alien may under any circumstances vote at any election. An alien may acquire property, bnt he.holds even this right by a specific enactment of the Legislature. Nothing but a similar specific enactment could give him the right to vote, and even in peace, times a proposal by the New. Zealand Legislature to confer such an important right on a person not a British subject would- almost certainly have been rejected by the Imperial Government,through which the assent of His Majesty the King is exercised.

The Government is to be urged by a deputation from the Timber Workers Conference to establish a State farm for grain growing, a State flourmill, and State bakeries. Steady l'ain set in at Napier yesterday,- afternoon, and there is .every indication of a wet spell, states our special correspondent. • The revenue from tho Napier tramways for Easter Week exceeded that of the corresponding period of 1916 by £54. Increased fares, rather than the number of passengers, account for the greater;revenue. ' - Cargo pilfering has assumed serious proportions at main ports (says the "Oamaru Mail"), and scarcely a week passes but some Oamaru merchant is so robbed, usually in such a cunning manner that the Railway Department and the carriers are completely deceived by the appearance, of the rifled case. The manager of the United Friendly Societies' dispensary (Mr. Bain), on opening a case of saccharine tablets last week, found a box valued at £1 missing, and Messrs. Calder Bros., are endeavouring to obtain satisfaction for a theft of boots .whioh runs well over £20 in value. The latter firm assured a reporter that hardly a consignment reached them intact. Nearly every tradesman in Oamaru has at some time been the victim of pilferers, and as the cases are usually SSftly repaired so as to conceal traces of the broaohing, they generally are accepted in good faith and a clear receipt given for them. •

John Dome, who escaped from tho .Terrace Gaol en March 17, and was subsequently recaptured by Constable Greggari, of Levin, on the Hokio boach, appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to escaping from prison, and also to the theft of a number of. articles, including a shot gun and a revolver from a dwellinghouse, and a 'wharo: Ho was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. •

The jury list' for 1917 was revised and formally confirmed by Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., in the Magistrate's' Court yesterday morning. There were no objectors present.

Apropos of a letter stating that owing to the state of the trade Timaru was unable to be represented at the Timber Workers' Conference yesterday, Mr. E. Phelan, chairman, said that of all Now Zealand industries he believed the timber industry bad been hardest ■hit by the war. The ultimate prospects were, however, very bright, as England and the Continent were practically denuded of timber. Referring to the numbers in which the timber workers had gone to the front,- he said that from his own (the Auckland) Union 700 members, not counting bushmen,-'had gone.

The heavy downpour on Tuesday night resulted in a, washout at the approaches to the temporary bridge structure at the head of Ngahauranga Gorge, making the road impassable to all traffic. The old wooden bridge has been dismantled for tho purpose of erecting a concrete structure. This should have been well on the way towards completion, but delay in delivering supplies of material lias practically necessitated stoppace of work for nearly a fortnight. The Makara County Council is making every effort to reopen the road for traffic, but this will take some time owing to the largo quantity of loose material that has fallen, into the new works. It is hoped to have tho defect repaired by Friday at the latest.

A case of some interest was brought before- the Lowor Hutt Court yesterday by C. Aldous, who prosecuted the Hutt Borough Council for what he called unnecessarily disfiguring the district. Sir. O. Beere, who appeared for plaintiff, said that he wished to draw public attention to the matter. After describing the method adopted by the council in cutting plaintiff's hed£e on the ground that it overshadowed BrunswickBead, Mr. Beore said: "The Huti Valley'is Wellington's only garden, and it would ho well thut the- public should know the manner in which the Hutt Borough Council realises its trust, what scanty regard it pays to those of its ratepayers who endeavour to beautify their'homes, and what little interest it has in protecting the beauties of the borough."" .

Mr. J. P. Luke has been nominated for the city Mayoralty, his nominees being the Hon. J. G. ,W. Aitken and Mr. M. Murdoch. , The National Efficiency Board will sit in Masterton on Friday next to take evidence in the inquiry which the board is making as to- whother amusements and sports (including races and picture shows) and agricultural shows should be continued, restricted, or abolished during the war period. A resident of Inglewood has received a letter from his sister, who resides in Sweden, stating that there is a considerable shortage of food there, and tickets are being issued for bread, etc. The allowance of suaar is a kilo (about2£lb.) a month. Among the returned soldiers who have just arrived from the front was Bombardier Charles Murray, who holds the ten-mile running championship of New Zealand. He left with the Main Body and was on Gallipoli for eleven months. He has been invalided, back from France. . ■■. At the invitation of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., a- large number of returned soldiers will witness to-morrow night's performance of "Soven Keys to Baldpate." Tickets may be obtained by applying to the manager of the ( Returned Soldiers' Club. H. S. Alpe, a. well-known Christchurch pedestrian, on Thursday attempted and succeeded in lowering the record for the distance, 54 miles, between Ashburton and ' Christchurch (says the "Press"). Alpe undertook the feat in aid of the Returned Soldiers' Association's Soldiers', Day appeal for funds, which have been augmented to the extent of £60 as a result. The previous record for the walk was llhr. llmiri.; Alpe's time on Thursday was lOhr. fjlnvin.,.. or 20 minutes lower than the previous record. ■ '•■•• Mr. W. H. Haggcr, Conciliation Commissioner,' left for Napier yesterday to preside over a- sitting ofa Conciliation Council there to investigate a dispute in the carpentering trade. Mr. Gordon Hughan, .of Carterton, who has been a borough councillor, at Carterton for some years past, has accceded to the request of a number of ratepayers to become a candidate for the Mayoralty of the borough. ' It is thought likely that he will be returned) unopposed.', Mr. J. T. M. Hornsby, M.P., the retiring Mayor, is not seeking re-election. At yesterday's sitting of the Timber Workers' Conference, the .president stated that the Taranaki' delegate had been barred from taking part in the conference, because "ho was not prepared to state in writing that the union foe represented was anxious to become a party to the federation.

The GovornmoEt is to be waited on to-day by a deputation of timber workers, and one cf the resolutions the deputation will .convey is: "That the Government be urged to prohibit the entry of coloured labour into NewZealand." ' A newly-formed Burgesses' Association has vainly endeavoured to obtain a candidate for the Mayoralty of Napier, ■ and there are no indications that any candidate other than the present Mayor (Mr. J. V. Brown) will be in the field, says our special correspondent. Ou the other hand, a strong attempt is Being made toj introduce new blood into the Borough Council, and many of the present viewing this move,as an indication of noconfidence, have declined to' again allow themselves to be nominated. The Timber Workers' Federation decided yesterday to urge the Government to "procure State colliers, as soon as practicable, for the purpose of transporting coal from the State mines." The Mayor ' (Mr. J. P. Luke) has made arrangements for the holding of a united religious service in the large Town Hall on tho afternoon of April 23, which, is to be celebrated as Anzao Day. Among those ministers who will participate in the service will bo the' llev. Dr. Gibb (Presbyterian), and the Rev. A. M. Johnson (Anglican). The City Council is to entertain the returned soliders on the night of April 25, which is really Anzao Day, in the Concert Chamber, the large hall being unobtainable on that day, owing to the local elections,' for which the hall is the principal polling place of the city. A number of soldiers returned from the front arrived at Auckland on Tuesday, and the major portion of the southern contingent, consisting of 22 men for Canterbury, 25 for Otago, and 43 for 'Wellington, arrived by the afternoon express yesterday. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) met the men on arrival at Thorndon station, and on behalf of the citizens welcomed them back to New Zealand. Afterwards, accompanied by Mr.' J. I. Fox, of the Returned Soldiers' Club, Mr. Luko went with the- men to the club, where they were suitably entertained. The soldiers and their friends were _ convoyed'from the station into the city in two special tramcars, which the Mayor had arranged to have ready waiting for this purpose. ' The difficulty and inconvenience of arranging for a number, of motorcars increases, and for the first time yesterday the plan of using trams was tried. M proved a very convenient arrangement, and its convenience was appreciated by the soldiers, and the relatives who were at tho station to meet them. Miss -Beatrice Holloway, the leading lady of J. C. Williamson's Company playing at the present time at the Opera House, has presented to the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Club a large Union Jack, which will be signed by all the returned soldiers in the Wellington district. Tho flag, in the courso of a few days, will bo on view at Messrs. Kirkcaldio and Stains' establishment. On Wednesday, April 18, Mr. Greig and members of his farcical comedy company, will give an. afternoon at the Opera House, to which the public are cordially invited. The programme will consist of musical items by the artists of the company, and Mr. Greig and Miss Beatrice Holloway will be honorary auctioneers to sell the autographed Union Jack,- and also scats and boxes for the arranged Anzac Night gathering. Afternoon tea will be provided. The proceeds are in aid of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' institutions.