LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3156, 7 August 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Minister of Defence has been advised by cablegram that tho second section of tho Twenty-eighth Reinforcement has reached a port of call and reports 'All well." Tho financial debate will bo commenced in the House of Representatives this evening. In ordinary times this debftto is oponod by tho Leader of tho Opposition, but there is now no official Opposition. It is expected that Mr. T. M. AVilford will pneak first. The Thirtieth Mounted Bifles and tho Thirty-fourth N.CO. Class Mounted Pifles will go on trek, leaving Feathcrston Camp at D a.m. to-day, and returning on Friday. A business man, writing to tho Wellington. Chamber of Commerce, has called attontion to tho fact that, owing lo the pronouncod shortage of timber at Homo, many linos of goods formerly packed in wooden cases were now boing baled. Among those lines were expensive printing papers. Formerly only common pajwr came to Now Zealand in bales, nnd the damage done by 'the use of dog-hooks was inconsiderable. Now. however, good quality paper was being baled, and tho writer considered that tho shipping companies and the Harbour Board should be instructed to seo that every possible enre was taken- with tho handling of such bales.. It was decided that tho shipping companies and 'the Harbour ■ Board lie communicated with on the subiect. In his charge to the Grand Jurv yesterday, tho Chief' Justice, Sir Robert Stout, observed that he was pleased to see by a report from the Probation Officcr at Auckland that out of tho prisoners licensed out or pnt on probation the "recoveries" Mere as Irish as 93 per cent. Some former prisoners had gone to the .front, and from tho reports it appeared that only ono had not turned out well.

AnJus Clyno Sutherland French ahd William Henry Hampton, trading as French and Hampton, builders, Wellington, woro yesterday adjudged bankrupt on creditors' petition. A meeting- of creditors in the estate will bo held on Tuesday next.

The Wellington' Chamber of Commerce has passed the war resolution sent out to different local bodies by tho Prime Minister.

A statement made in a recent issue of the "Otago Daily Times," to the effoct that the result of inquiries made, as to tlio 'anicmnt payable under the National Efficiency Board's scheme for com. pensation to those directly interested in tho liquor trado in tho event of national -prohibition being carried, showed that it would be between ,£4.000,000 and .£4,500,000, was brought under the notice of Mr. ,T. A. Frostick, tho Canterbury Commissioner on tho board. Asked if he could confirm tho statement, Mr. Frosticlc said that ho had little doubt that it was approximately correct. Arrangements have been made for Mr. Lawrence Birks. Assistant Government Electrical Engineer, to deliver a .lecture on the Lake Coleridge scheme, on August 15 and 16, under the auspices of the ellington City Council, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Industrial 4ssociation.

"aw- enterprise by the New South H ales Government has been foreshadowed by the Minister of Education. Replvlng to a deputation recently, lie said that in the matter of sweets consumed by school children lie intended to take no chances. He had made arrangements with firms to nut in automatic machines on condition that the sweets be supplied at wholesale prices, so that the retail profit would go towards tho benefit of the school. To ensure purity and wliolesomeness the sweets would be subjected to the keenest test that the Health Department could impose. He knew this would be hard upon some shopkeepers, but the in. teresta of tho children were paramount.' An unusual affair is reported from Central Otago. where a minister of the Gospel lias admitted killing another man's dog by cutting its throat (says tho Otago Times"). 'It appears that the dog was found by the minister interfering with his pug, and he caught the offending dog and out its throat. The owner was apprised of the circumstances, and found; to his 6orrow, that his dog had mot its death in such a manner. Tho minister did not deny his guilt when approached, but offered to pay for the dog. _ ( An interesting donation of books was made recently to the Auckland Publio Library by tho will of tho Into Mr. Walter R. Pountney., The books, which total about 300 volumes, deal with a wide variety of subjects, including science, philosophy, literature; and history. Mr. Tountney, who was born in came to Now Zealand in 1903, and was in business with his brother, tho late MiErnest Pountney, as indent agents. The two brothers went to the war, Mr iv R. Pountney with the Tenth, and Mr E Pountney with tho Thirteenth Reinforcements. Joth were killed whilst fighting on the Somino last year, within 'two or three weeks of each other.

At Thursday morning's' sitting of the buprcme Court, prisoners who have pleaded guilty and aro awaiting sentence will be dealt with.

_ There was a rustle of silk and satin i meeting of the council or the Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday morning, when the discussion turned on the newest Customs duties, /which deal sturdily with such luxurious sartorial materials. It was pointed out that 'whilst the duty on piec© silk and satin had been increased to 30 per cenr. manufactured articles of apparel made of the materials mentioned were to I>p admitted at-23 per cent., which was not conducive to the interests of tho industry locally. The dispnritv .is to be brought under the notico of the Commissioner of Customs.

A meeting of the Christmas Gift. Funds Cwiiinittec. presided over by Jlr." C. G. AYilson. was held last evening.' The sul>committce set up to furnish suggestions for tho_ raising of funds this year submitted its report, which recommended a direct appeal to tho public, the holding of an attractive sports gathering, and the making of street collections, sales of (lowers, surprise packets, etc. Sub-com-mittees were set up to carry out the suggestions. Messrs. Wilson, A. A. Marrvatt. and L. P. Watlcins wero appointed delegates to attend and report upon a meeting which is to be held to-night for the purposo of considering a combined effort T»y public bodics'to raise funds for patriotic work.

_ At the monthly meeting of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce the secretary (Jfr. H. D. Victory) reported, with regard to.the announcement of the time of closing overseas mails, as follows:— "As directed at the last council meeting T have interviewed tho Postal authorities and I have ascertained that the position is .ns follows:—As tho time of closing of mails for overseas is not now permitled lo be disclosed, the Post OPlce does not require late fee' postage to be affixed to lioslnl matter ii'idev n"y I am informed that 'late fee' postage i« often nut on letters by the public, and t]ie Jotters ulaccd in tho late feo' ro-.

ceptacle, but for overseas correspondence •this is not necessary. Tho practico of the Department is lo forward all Jotters posted within a reasonable time before tho sailing of the mail steamer— that is,within -the limit of time that is required to mako up tho mail." The plumbers' dispute was 1 mentioned before tho Wellington Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. W. 11. Ilugger) yesterday. II r. 11. Inkcrsell appeared as assessor for tho union, and Mr. William Judd as employers' assessor, l't was agreed that tho matter should bo referred to Auckland, whero a case for the whole Dominion will bo gone into. The Commissioner struck out tho names of Nelson employers, on tho ground that they had no dispute with the Wellington workers, and advised tho union to file a separate dispute with the Clerk of Awards, Nelson. The General Manager of Railways (Mr. E. H. Hiley) has written to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce slating that arrangements for the reservation of railway seats at the Central Booking Office) Willis Street, has been in operation for some'time past. The chamber now seeks to oxtend privileges to the public in regard 'to seats and sleeping berths, by allowing tho public to select their own seat or berth, instead of ticking fliem off numerically, as is believed to be now tho custom.

This morning the builders' and contractors' labourers' dispute is to l>e opened before tho Conciliation Commissioner. Tho workers aro asking for increased rates of pay and increased rates of overtime, and tho employers want the old award renewed.

Reference was made at tho meeting of tho council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday to the Registration of Business Names Hill, which had boon read a second timo in the House of Representatives. Briefly, it was stated, the Bill required firms or persons carrying on business under a business name not being tho true surname of. all th& partners to register. There is also a restriction on tho use of the word "British" as part of a business name. It was suggested that tho opportunity should bo taken to recommend the Attorney-General to provido that the Registrar of Business Names should not permit a firm to be registered with a name similar to that of a company registered under tho Companies Act.