LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3120, 26 June 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A. Tress Association messago from Sydney 6lates that wet and stormy weather prevails, interfering with telegraphic communication. Birthday races and other sports have been postponed. Where do Wellington's out-of-work men eomo from? Seventy-one men had to bo found work by the State Labour Bureau last .month, and they hailed from tho following places:—North Island, pis; South Island, twelve; Australia, four; Great Britain, forty-three; other countries, six. The cosmopolitanism of AVellington is rather well illustrated in tho list of Tecruiti who were enrolled at tho lown Hall on Saturday. Twenty-four moil enrolled, but only fivo of them were born, in tho city in which they enlisted. Commencing from jesterday, the afternoon tain for the Wairarapa will stop at Trentham. This is considered by the soldiers in, Trentham Camp to be a great boon, as in the past if they wished to use Hi in train the troops had to tramp from Ilerotaunga Ration over tho ballast on itlio railway track, very often carrying their kits with them. The down evening express from Woodville also stops at Trentham now when there aro passengers to set down. Tho revenue derived by the Post and Telegraph Department from postages during the twelve months ended March 31 last was .Cilin,lsß, as against JW.903 in the 1913-M year. The number of letters handled showed an increase, but tho expansion of the revenue was due chiefly to the war tax of id. on all articles posted except newspapers.

A ballot will be begun this morning by tho Government Statistician to provide recruits required for the 33rd Eeinforcements, mobilising in August. Ihe drjuv will bo a lavge one, and "will effect another substantial reduction m tho number of men remaining m the First Division. , A Bill dealing with tho subject ot venereal disease will be placed befdro Parliament at an early stage of the session. Tho Minister for Public Health (the Hon. G. W. Russell) stated yesterday that he had given a great deal of attention to a problem that was recognised to bo of pressing importance. The Bill that had been drafted dealt with the subject very thoroughly, and ho hoped that its provisions would be tht means of reducing- the dimensions of a very grave evil. So had been able to consult tho most recont legislation of Great Britain and of Victoria, where a very complete measure had been passed by the Legislature.

Chatting about incidents of- his trip, Sir Joseph Ward said yesterday (according to a Press Association telegram from Auckland) that coming across Canada lie stayed over at Calgary. Their car was taken off the train and another substituted, hut when the train rcached a distance of forty miles on it went over a bank owing to a washout in the Kocky Mountains, and the engine and carriago that took the placo of the one Sir Joseph Ward's party had travelled in was derailed and rolled down a'gully,' being damaged severely. A peculiar position has arisen ill the New Zealand labour market, for while there is, in the ordinary sense, a big shortage of workers, a fair number of men are out of work. Among those stillseeking employment are some agricultural workers. • One who is in touch with labour matters suggests that the oxplann. tion of the unusual position is that work is becoming scarce. Mr. W. H. Haftgor, of Wellington, Conciliation Commissioner, is visiting Reefton to hear certain coal-mining disputes. Tho infantry branch has never been the arm of the service that New Zealand recruits rushed, and last Saturday's enlistments at the Town Hall shows that there is little tendency to change. Of two dozen enlistments only there were for the infantry.

Messrs. Bird and .Tonsen, the contractors for the furnishing of the Soldiers" Club at Trentham, have presented tho club, through the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), with ,£l7 worth of appurtenances for the billiard tables. In tho course of a letter they explain that these articles would haxa been forwarded before, but they were awaiting the arrival here of a .shipment from England. ; During tho monthly period ended June 20, nineteen married and'fifty-two single men, with forty dependants, were sent to employment by tho State Labour Bureau in Wellington. Private -work was found for fifty-four and Government work for seventeen. Those assisted, include carponters, farm-hands, hotel workers, and general labourers. Work out of dooTs has been retarded by the bad weather. Several lads seeking' employment on 'farms aro still awaiting engagement.

i Tho judge of the essay competition promoted by the Navy League - (Mr. F. H. Bakewell) has made the following awards:—Girls: Claire Simeon, lj Kathleen Harvey, 2. Boys: Gillespie Edwards, 1; Joseph Huston, 2. The subject of the essay was "Tho British Navy During the Great War," and the judge mentions that the essay of Gillespie Edwards is of distinct literary merit. The competition was open to boys and girls of the Wellington city and suburbs primary schools under 13 years of age, and the prizes were donated by the Hon. Arthur M. Myers, Minister of Munitions.

At the Lower Hutt Borough Council meeting last evening, a letter, from Constables Holmes, the local constable, was read, pointing out that there was no bylaw relating to the rulo of the road. Owing to the absence of such restriction vehicles of all kinds were being driven and ridden round corners on the wrong side, and although no accident had occurred up to the present, the steady increase in vehicle traffic would greatly increase the risks.' It was decided to Tefer the matter to tho By-Laws Committee for consideration. A Masterton branch of the Second Division League was formed last night, and passed a resolution that the same week-end leave should be granted to men coming north as those going south. The weekly report of the Stato Labour Bureau shows that in Wellington last week twenty-three men applied for work, and that seventeen of them were placed. There are still a dozeniuen on the books for whom work is required. A conference at which about a dozen Y.M.C.A. field secretaries are expected to be present will open at the Soldiers Hostel, Boulcott Street, this morning. Mill W ICersley, chairman of the National Committee of the Y.M.C.A., will preside, and -problems of the field work of the association will be discussed. The Crippled Soldiers' Hostel Committee has benefited by the receipt of cheques for .£2 10s. each from: G. Hume, Tauonui, Featherston; A. B. Pearce, Kakautara, Featlierston; W. M. Kumraor, Rangiora, Te Wharrau; and B. J. Carman, Awatea, Masterton. . The service of dedicating tho staiuedg\ass window hi St. Mutthia's Church, Makara, to the memory of late Trooper .Toliu Howard Jervis, killed on Galtipoli, was performed on Saturday afternoon by the Biship of Wellington, assisted by tho Rev G. Y. Woodward, vicar l of the parish, and the Kev. A. L. Hansell, of Lower Hutt, in the pre-, sence .of a very large congregation.' Quito a number of visitors arrived from the city and Karori by motor-cars and drags. Tlioso present included His Worship the Mayor and Mrs. Luke, and Mr. If. A. 'Wright, member for the district. Sir James Allen wrote, regretting bis inatfflity to bo present owing to a prior engagement. There were also present .two returned soldier friends of the deceased trooper, who were close to him when he received the fatal wound. The Bishop gave an address, taking as his theme the subject of the window of St. George. He paid a high tribute to tho late Trooper .Tervis and thoso who had given their lives for tho causo of righteousness Tho window is tho work of Messrs. Smith and Smith, Ltd., Dunedin. After the ceremony tho visitors were entertained at afternoon tea in the hall by tho ladies of Makara.

A proposal that I lie Education Board should undertake I lie purchase of school requisites in wholesale quantities on behalf of tho school eoiiimittee.s was endorsed by the School Committees Association last evening. Members of the association said thero was 110 doubt tliat a very sonsible reduction in tho cost: of n6to-boolvs, drawing-books, etc., would be effected if tho board was in a position to place a big contract. Tho suggestion was made (hat the schcme should be extended to cover coal supplies and tho disinfecting of schools. Tho association decided that a deputation should bring the' maltor beforo tho Education Board.

"Tho Government has not been inactivo with regard to tho shipping merger proposals," said tho Hon. G. W. Russell yesterday. "I have said that already, and I cannot say more at tho present juncture. But I have no doubt that in duo course the public will learn what the Government has done in the matter/' A Press Association tolegram from Dunodih states that it is rumoured that the Hon. A. M. Myers is to take over tho control and distribution of coal throughout New Zealand from Monday next. The Rotorua Chamber of Commerce ljas been urging that prison labour should be employed on the construction of arterial roads. It lias received a let-, ter from the Minister in Charge of the | Prisons Department stating that the whole of the physically fit prisoners aro at present fully employed on useful reproductive works, and there is, at present, no surplus labour available for road-making or maintenance, or in facl: for any work outside the immediate activities of the Prisons Depnrtmeut. The Rotorua Chamber is not satisfied with this reply, and is asking kindred bodies to join in pressing the matter on I lie attention of the Government. Tho register of the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department contained 9070 names at tho end of last week. Of tlie total number of discharged soldiers, 7298 had been disposed of, 1080 were under action, and 092, including men returned by recent transport?,, were not ready for notion. Tho number of men .actually placed in employment by ; tho Department has been 1573. The names of 199 discharged soldiers are at pre-' sent on tho "employment wanted'" r&- ' gister; ' Tho following temporary appointments have beon approved by the Camp Commandant at Trentham2Bth N.Z. Engineers: Lce.-Corpl. W. F. Cameron, to be corporal; Spr. A. W. M. Rowe, to be corporal; Sprs. 11, C. Smith and 1!, D. Stewart, to be Wce-corporals. Q.M. Stores: Ptcs. B. G. Harwood, F. F. Fooi'd, W. A. Nicholson, D. L. Goldwater, a-nd T.,'B. Dunderdale, to bo <x>rporals. Army Service Corps: i FarrierDriver M. Murphy, to be farrier-cor-poral. A movement has been commenced (says the "English Ironmonger") for promoting tho emigration to Taranaki, in New Zealand, of persons acquainted with the iron manufacture. A process has been discovered by which the Taranaki lronsand, that lies in unlimited quantities on tho sea-shore, may bo turned to profitable use, and. the New Zealand Iron and Co. are preparing to erect smelting works. An association has been formed at Birmingham to offect for ironworkers cheap and comfortable passages and the formation of special settlements.

An echo of tlie voice of the parent raised at the annual meetings, of householders over a month ago occurs in the following circular 'issued, to school committees by the Wellington Education Board:—"Several committees have mentioned to the board the difficulty experienced by many parents in providing at the present time the stationery necessary for school use in place'of slates. In the circumstances, therefore, the board desires to intimate to committees that while, on the whole, paper is considered preferable for use in school, it does not in these present difficult war tunes wish to insist, indeed it never has insistod, on the exclusion of slates from the schoo s under its control, provided that at all times the slates are kept properly cleansed and that individual slates and pencils are used. Where pencils are interchangeable in a class the ends should be dipped into a suitable disinfecting solution. About two per cent, of any of the carbolic series of disinfectants would probably meet requirements. It is perhaps worth noting, too, that the habit ot biting pencil-ends and frames should be generally discouraged." The annual meeting of the Roseneath and Oriental Bay Municipal Association was held in. the Eoseneath Schoolroom last evening. A fair number of residents were present* and the annual Toport was read and adopted. The °®" cere were To-elected Mr. T.W. Ward, president; Mr R. W. Wateriioyse, vicepresident; Captain Davies, secretary and treasurer. Mr. F. W. Moore was elected a vice-president in place of Mr. H. Spear, resigned. It was decided -to reduce the committee to five members, and the following members, wero elected: Messrs. F. Cannon, F. Stott, 1. Watt, Van Borssum, and A. E. Turnbull. A vote of sympathy with-the widow and family of the late Mr W. P. Fitzgerald wflsS passed, and the president stated that the association had been instrumental in taking up subscriptions locally and authorised the treasurer to pay a sum of £45 to the trust-fund for the bereaved family.