LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3184, 7 September 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A story has been published by a Christchurch newspaper to the effect that the liquor trade has made a pr-oposal to sell out to the Government at a price of between five and six millions sterling. This report was brought to Mr. Massey's attention yesterday, but his reply was that no such offer to sell had been made to the Government, nor had Cabinet been approached in any way regarding any proposal of the sort.

The Gazette notifies that every persou carrying on business as a fanner, grain merchant, or gi'ain miller, or any other person holding stocks of wheat, flour, or oats, shall on request, within such time or times as he may to required by the Statistician so to do, furnish particulars as to stocks of wheat, Hour, and oats held, by him on a date or dates to be specified by the Statistician. The regulations apply to all managers qnd others who may for the time being be in charge of any farm, warehouse, or mill in the owner's absence.

Information placed before Parliament yesterday shows that there are 270 Germans interned on Somes Island, the cost pev heal per day being 3s. Bd. Seventy Germans axe employed on useful work.

The Defence Department advises that the soldiers comprising draft No. 108, who were due to arrive in Wellington this month, have been diverted to Auolcland. The next-of-kin of the returning soldiers who desire to havo their railway warrants altered or new warrants issued should communicate immediately with the Base Records Offico, Wellington, or with the etationmastor at the railway station from which their journey commences, i

A committee of experts is being appointed to inquire into the mattor of false fire alarms received from an antomatic fire alarm in a certain Government Department. Mr. H. Tate, superintendent of the City Fire Brigade, will represent the City Council on the committee.

Tiio cost of maintenance of prisoners of war from April 1, 191G, to March 31, ]!)17, is as follows:—Somes Island, .517,981 i Jlotuihi, .£9130; Devonport, ,£1297. Tho daily average number of prisoners is: Somes Island, 269 (second class); Jlotnihi, 24 first class and 2J second class; Devonport, 1G second class.

In regard to tho war taxation of tho property of sports bodies that do not exis? for profit, the Minister of Finance has made it known that tho provision which governed half-rales and which only operated to that extent on properties valued at ,£33,0!)0 or over, has been eliminated. This means that all sports bodies not out for gain will only havo to pay half tho ordinary land lax.

The Mayor remarked at tho City Council meeting last evening that in .Wellington the tramway charges had not been increased during tho war. Wellington had had a very wet winter, and that fact had not added to the revenue of tho tramways, but it wne hoped to moro than catch up the leeway in.\tho coming (iummor.

A question was asked in the. House of Representatives yesterday regarding a firo in a big steamer recently at Auckland. Mr. l'oolo asked tho Minister of Marino whether - a Magisterial inquiry would be held. The Hon. G. W. Kussoll said that this steamer arrived on August U with a fire in her bunker coal. Investigation ehowed that the firo must have originated I>y spontaneous combustion in coal shipped either in the United Kingdom or America, and tbo evidence pointed so clearly to the cause of tho iiro that it was not deemed necessary to hold an inquiry.

Tho City Council has agreed to issue freo tickets for tho Newlovrn Library to returned soldiers in the Victoria Hospital while they leniain as cot cases.

Dr. Thacker renewed his complaint in the House of Representatives yesterday against tho taking of unfit men inu> camp, only to break them down there. Hβ mentioned the case of a man now in hospital at Featherston. Ho had examined this man. himself, he said, and the men was not fit to go into camp. Dr. Thacker wished to ask "■ question of tho Minister of Defence, but Sir Jamos Allen was not at tho moment in tho House. Ho therefore asked the Prime Minister to see that tho practice of forcing unfit men into camp would bo stopped. Mr. Massey promised to reter the matter to the Minister, of Defence, saying that he was sure it would be inquired into fully. "Can the Finance Minister givo tis nnv indication as to when the bonus win be paid to Civil Servants?"-Tlns question was addressed to tlie Finance Jimlater in the House of Eepresontahves yesterday by Mr. l>. C. Webb. Sir Joseph Ward said that tho bonus would bo voted on tho Supplementary Estimates, and would be paid soon after the end ol the session. ■

It w.as decided by tho Wellington City Council last evening that a request ol the Highland Land I.eaguo (London) for tho deviation of the balance oi the Belgian Belief Fund in London in the hands of tho High Commissioner to tho reliet of distress in the Highlands and Island of Scotland, should bo referred to the Belgian Uelief Fund Committee.

"Tho enormous demands made by tho American Government and the Allies on. the cotton, crop for munition purposes is seriously affecting the cotton industries of Lancashire," says Mr. J. M. tonnaughton, the representative of a big Manchester cotton firm now in ■Wellington. The demand innde upon the available supply was great before America came into the war, but with ho entrance of that nation, cotton, ho said, was likely to be Tory short, and that would most likely mean a rise in cotton piece goods all over tho world. Mr. Connaughtoh has since his arrival in Wellington received a cablegram from ni» principals advising him to 'withdraw voiles" which means that ho can no longer accept any orders for voiles one of the finest and most dressy fabrics made from cotton. This will bo sad news for the ladies, though the restriction is not likely to afreet W«l' n^ n until next year, and what will Happen next year concerning many things is in tho lap of the gods. A notice appears in tho Gazette convening a meeting of representatives of fire, insurance companies for the purpose of considering alterations "J the rules for the election of members of fire boards by insurance companies under the l'iro Brigades Act, 1908. Tho meeting will ba held at Wellington on Thursday, October 18.

"That tho City Engineer's report on the advisability of immediately installing mechanical appliances for storing and stacking «oal and conveying same to the furnaces in both tho elect™ Uglit--111? and power stations, with a view , to efteotin? economies in, and obviating tne difficulties of the present system, is a resolution made by the.City Council last evening on tho motion of Councillor J. 0. Shorland. Councillor G. Frost moved at the City Council last evening: "That the Karon Borough Council be given three months notice of tho termination of their existing tramway agreement and arrangements thereunder with the City Council; and that tho City Engineer be instructed to draft the terms of a fresh agreement, for submission to the Tramways Committee. The motion v:as lost by a narrow margin.

Mr.'Glover made,further reference in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon to the case of tho mother of four soldiers in. whose house tbo bailiffs had been put. Mr. Glover said ho ought probably to have gone to the Minister of Defence or telegraphed to the Auckland Patriotic Society before making the mattor public. He admitted that Mr. Hannan hod been persecuted and prosecuted, probably ' wrongfully.. "If I have done wrong," Mr. Glover added, "I can only say, like a penitent child, that I will not do it again. I hope honourable members are quite satisfied with my explanation." (Hear, hear.) ,

The adjourned inquiry concerning the collision which • occurred between <-he tug Terawhiti and the small steamer Invercargill in Wellington Harbour on August 7 was yesterday resumed before Mr. S. E. , M'Carthy, S.M., Captain ]?. Black, and Captain G. Lambert. Mr. V. R. Meredith represented the Maritie Department, Mr. T. S. AVeston the Wellington Harbour Board, •.Mγ. M. Myeis tho mister of the Invercargill, Mr. T. It. AVilford the master of the Terawhiti and ihe Union Company. It was stated that in the collision the Invercargill had suffered .£4OO worth, of damages. After further evidence had been takan the Court reserved its' decision.

During the past month record use vas made by the public of tho Central and Newtown libraries. At the Central Library 10,43G books were issued to adults and 1136 to children, compared with 91d6. and 821 during August, 1916. At Newtown the issues to adults and children totalled GilC3, as compared with 5G92 last year. Tho aggregate issues were therefore 18,535 this year compared with 15,659 last year. At the Central Library tho cumber of new subscribers and renewals was 31)5, subscriptions amounting to ,£4G 13s. 9d. (.1)37 19s. last year),'and at Newtown 203 subscribers, with, subscriptions amounting to .£2l 17s. Gd. (JSI7 last year). Of tho now or renewal subscriptions 99 were from children, 43 of whom joined the" main library and 5G Newtown. The total amount in fees for the month was £68 11s. 3d., compared with .£55 ISs. !)d. last year.

Tho A to L Public Petitions Committee has considered the petitions of a number of Maori war veterans, who ask that pensioners should be allowed to draw their pensions in any part of tho Empire, and that Maori war pensioners should bo permitted to draw tho oldage ponsion. Tho committee referred the petitions to tho Government with a recommendation for "immediate and favourablo consideration."

Kogulations mmlo with Tespect to the constitution of hospital and charitable aid boards and the election of representatives of contributory local authorities thereon aro published in tho Gazetts.

Tho work of relaunching the barque from tho Patent Slip yesterday morning went on without a hitch, many hundreds watching tho big ship ae she glided smoothly to the water.

War trophies continue to arrive in Wellington. Among tho latest aro a German infantry cap and a Prussian Guards helmet bndgo, the latter bearing tho letters "F.R." ' (Fredericus Bex) nnd "Mitt Gotfc fur Koenig and Vaterliuhl" (With God for King and Fatherland). Tlicso wore forwarded by Private ■T. W. O'Noill, of Otago Ist Infantry Battalion, who hue been at tho front for throe yours. Ho was wounded at Gallipoli, but recovered and, was pent to Franco. At the timo of writing ho was well and anxious to remain and "soo tho thing through." His father resides in Aro Street, Wellington. Tho trophies, which are from tlio Soimno, are on view in tho window of Messrs. J. and M. liennan, Lambton Quay.

A conference between representative. , ! of tho Auckland Tobacconists' Association and tho Licensed Vicluallm'fi Ims decided that tho hours for selling cigarettes in hotels and Iho pncoi charged shall bo identical with thoso observed by tho tobacconists. The recent advance of a penny a liaekot in tho cheaper grades of cigarettes and the proportionate increases in the higher Krmlo lines will thus opnrnte throughout all Iho hotels in Iho city liconsing district.

Evidence that veterans at tho front will wolcomo tlio furlough which has been arranged for them is contained in a letter written to a Christchurch citizen by one of them. "I don't mind a battle," lie says, "but oiio has nothing to look forward to if ono does get through 6cathloss. Ono lias only to get Tcady for another fight. Why don't they ..send eouie men to relieve us, and giyo 113 old hands a spell? Do they expect us to g» on for ever? Sometimes I think my old comrades who fell at Gallipoli were lucky, as their cxperienco of this hell was short, though glorious."

Visiting Wellington at the present time is Mr. J. M. Connaughton, tho representativo of one of the big cotton, goods manufacturing firms of Manchester, England. This is his first trip to this part of the world, and ho was surprised to find such fine modern cilies and up-to-date people in. this fiar-ilung corner of tho Empire. He says that England is experiencing queer tin~.es In respect to food, arid how tho poor manage to subsist is one of tho "Aonders that he could not explain. In tho course of a letter from his wife, somo itlca of the prices of commodities is given. Mrs. Connaughton quoted lamb ut 23. a pound on three days of the week; beef at 2s. 9d. per lb.; butler at 2s. W.; haricot beans, formerly lid. per lb., now Is. Id.; jam, Is. Od. 21b. pot. Sbo wrote: —"We had Australian apples and Australian butter to-day. All the apples are Sd. or 9d. per lb., and scarce at that. 1 have had nine potatoes in three months. Tho bacon at Is. 10d. per lb. is vile. I wash it with water before attempting to cook it. Pigs tae being fed largely on fish, and it gives the bacon a peculiar taste." In place of sugar, Mrs. Connaughton was using a kfiicl of syrup, made by pouring hot water on a few date. Watercress, usually very cheap, was being sold at oil. per lb.