LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3196, 21 September 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A telegram from Auckland published in our Mining News on Tuesday last stated that "at a shareholders' meeting' Mr Veitcli, M.P., director of the Mount Greenland Gold Quartz Mining Company, reported concerning a rich crushing of stone from the mine, and also a 6 to the lino of reef and other matters. We are informed by tho secretary of the Mount Greenland Company, Ml'. 0. Hiorns, of Wanganui, that the registered office of the company is at Wanganui, and that no meeting of shareholders has been held there for some time, and that certainly bo meeting has in Auckland. Mr. Hiorns Btates that tho telegram has no foundation in fact.

The Naval authorities have advised the Defence Department, that the vessel contoying soldiers comprising returning draft No. 113 has teen diverted from Wellington to Auckland, and will reach the latter port oil Sunday , morning. Next-of-kin resident in the >Torth Island who hold railway warrants to Wellington may have theni amended, to Auckland on application to tho stationmaster at the railway station from which their journey commences, or to the Base Records Office, Wellington. Next-of-kin who reside in Wellington nnd who have not been supplied with railway warrants may obtain same on' application to Base Records Offioe.

Railway rovenuo for the period April 1 to August 18 shows a decrease in comparison with tho similar period'of last year. In tho North Island the fall is from 4!173,581 to .£167,985, and in tho South ■ Island from .£105,836 to .£101,621. Tho clficf decrease is in passengers. The Prime Minister was asked in tho House of Representatives if ho would have inquiries mado regarding tile recent incroases in the price of carbide m New Zealand. Mr. J. C. Thomson (Wallace) said there was a feeling in tho country that tho people were being exploited. Mr. Massey undertook to refer the matter to the Board of Trade.

The Postmaster-General has receired notiiication of tho establishment of an information bureau for prisoners of war as follows:—Norsk Etterlyeuingskontor for Krigofangor. Hanstceno gate 4, Christiana. Any correspondence dispatched to the bureau will ho freo of postage.

The weekly mooting of tlio Second Division League Executive was held last evening. lteports were recoivcd from various districts announcing tho formalion of oight new leagues during tho week. Tho secretary was authorised to write to tho Prime Minister expressing the hope that the proposals of tho league would now bo made tho iirst order of the day.

Tho following motion was passed by the Wellington Hospital Hoard yesterday:—"That the thanks of the board bo accorded to Messrs. J. Staples and Co., Ltd., for their generous gift of 30 tons of coal for tho use of the poor of the oity."

Yestorday aftornoon tho Hospital Committee recommended the Wellington Hospital Board to adopt tho suggestion of the medical superintendent as to obtaining the services of Miss Anderson, from London, to take charge of tho massago department of the hospital, and that inquiries be made as to whothor the board could obtain the services of a blind soldier (preferably a Now Zealander), as a masseur, it being understood that such training was being imparted in England. Tho board agreed with the recommendation, and subsequently it was reported that Miss Anderson had arrived en a hospital ship, and had taken up her duties.

At the Mayor's Room, Town Hall, on Wednesday, in tho presence of the widow, Mrs. Fitzgerald, the final operations of the 'Fitzgerald Relief Fund were coneluded. A deed of trust in tho names of the trustees was signed authorising the investment of <£750 with tho New Zealand Insurance Company, Lambton Quay, which will pay Mrs. Fitzgerald, for tho keep and benefit of tho ohildron, tho en m of £48 every six months for 9i years, end a final payment of-£2l. TJie interest has been worked out on a 4i per cent, basis, and the company, in consideration of it being a deserving case, make ro other charges on the fund except 1 per cent, at tho termination of tho trust. Messrs. and Swan, architects, who carried out the conorete wall construction, deducted £i 2s. from their fee as a donation. The residue of the fund has I'een handed to Mrs. Fitzgerald.

It is upon the rarest occasions that anyone gives land to the city in Wellington, and when suoh an untoward event does happen it creates a good deal of pleasurable surprise, as was the case last evening when the Property and Finance Committee reported: "Tliat an offer from a property-owner at the corner of Ghuznee Street and The Terrace_ to transfer, -without charae, a small piece, of his property, in order to relieve the dangerous corner, provided the council pay all legal charges, be accepted, and that tho donor ho tnanked for liis generous action. The .committee also recommend that the City Engineer he authorised to proceed with the necessary improvements to the roadway at this points.-" Several councillors eulogised tho generous donor for his public-spirited action, and on the suggestion of Councillor W. H. P. Barber his name was mentioned. It was Mr. Clenlent Watson (chairman of the Victoria College Council). Our roll of honour 'says the annual report of the Worser Bay Amateur Swimming and Life-Stu'ing Club) now totals 49, several additional members having gone to the fvont during the year. We regret to have to record the deaths while on active service of our patron. Mr. W. H. D. Bell, and .Messrs. H. C. Caiman, R. Pox, E. Galvin, H. May, J. Saion, C. Sylvester, and H. Wyatt, and we extend our sympathy to the relatives of tho deceased.

The .takings at the Masterton Patriotic Shop during the month of August amounted to .£164:2 13s. llil. . The ex. ponses of the shop were only J!10 6s. Jd. The Wellington Hospital' Board has reoeived a letter from the Hoioishonua County Council on tho subject of Horow'heuua's severance from the Wellington Board. Tht council assured/ the Hoard that once there is severauco no further Horow'nenua liability of any kind will rest on the board. The board considered the communication very satisfactory, and formally approved it. Some misapprehension appeal's to^ exist in the minds of certain of the public as to the powers of a military court-martial in regard to imprisonment ot offenders in a civil gaol. Section 02 of the Army Act provides -that military offenders who are sentenced to imprisonment may be imprisoned in a civil gaol for tho wliolo of the period of sentence, or partly m a civil gaol and partly i" * Men sentenced only to detention cannot be sent to a civil gaol. There is no military prison in New Zealand, but in another section of tho Array Act power is given to the Governor-General to proclaim any prison a military one. the sentence which may bo given by a couitmartia! must not exceed U-o years. Judgment was yesterday delivered by His Honour the Chief Justice upon an originating summons issued by ie Pairama and Tehina Pairama, of Pio Pio, against Edwin Henry Hardy, of To Kuiti, surveyor. Die question was whether the Natives were entitled to redeem' a charging order which had been issued by tho Native Land Court in favour of Hardy, to secure payment of his fee for surveying the Natives land. Tho Natives claimed that the order obtained by Hardy was a mortgage tho time for repayment of which had not expired. In the meantime, the Native Land Court had issued an order vesting in Hardy an area of 28 acres in fee simple, in satisfaction of the mortage moneys.- It was contended for tho {Natives that the Nativp Land Court had no iiirisdiction to vest the land in Hardy until after the power of sale had become exercisable. This could uot take place until five years after the registration of the charging order. The Chief Justice held that the Native Land Court lia<l no iiirisdiction to make the vesting order, and that the Natives were entitled to redeem the mortgage on payment of the amount due, .627 19s. 2d., with five years interest. At the hearing. Mr. E. V Bunny represented the plaintins, and Mr. T. Neave the defendant. On a question being asked by Councillor W. H. Bennett as to how they were getting on with the inewly-acquired quarry at Ngahauranga, the City Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) informed the City Council last evening that they were getting metal out of tho quarry fit tn© rate of 40 cubic yards a day, which was more than they were ablo to get irom that quarry (when it was privately owned), and anothor quarry besides, so that they were getting on very well indeed. He regretted that he was not able to give the council the cost of the metal per cnbio yard, as they had had a good deal of cleaning up to do, but he could say that they were effecting a considerable saving on what they had paid pTivate contractors. At the City Council last evening tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) referred vo tho question; of Saturday evening municipal entertainments. Something ought to bo done, he said, in connection with tho organ recitals, but Mr. Page had been far from well of late. Ho would probably be well enough next week to consult with about the recitals. He felt that tho council should mako responsible arrangements for extension of suitable recreation and hospitality to the soldiers in their midst, and that, apart from all other consideration, each and every Saturday night should bo ear-marked for that purpose. That would enable them to suitably welcome tho soldiers who were returning from time to timo in drafts, and also those who were in town. Ho proposed to connect with the idea to attach tho Mayoress and committees, who would do their best to hospitably receive, on behalf of the community, the men who hail made such sacrifices for them all. In connection with the big "Our Day' effort, tho City Council last evening gave tho free use of the Town Hall and Concert Chamber to tho War Ftiims Collecting Committee on October 18, IG, 17, and 2"). In connection with this concession, the Mayor asked for executive Powers, which were given him, and said that lie would in all probability ask for the services of members' of tho council in connection with the big patriotic effort to bo made.. A report on the scheme to -provide a farm in the Wairampa for sheU-shock soldiers will be made to (lie A\airarapa Patriotic Association next week. A serious accident befell Mr. n. ill. Sineeton, of Auckland, at Hotqnia last week Mr. Sineeton was pla.ving goit, and 'while making a drive s ippsd on a tuff of grass, sustaining a double tiactmro of the hones of the right leg just above the ankle. He was removed to a private hoardiiighouse, and attended bj Dr. A. S. Herbert. Mr. Smcclon will bo unable to rotuni to A.u.CKiand for <it least four weeks.

The City Council decided last night that tho rates on tho Scots Gttllego property be remittod, and a refund of tho amounts paid to date be authorised, as advised by the City Solicitor.

Amended regulations concerning travelling expenses of members of education boards were gazetted last oveniu« as follows"The travelling expenses which may b6 held to be reasonably incurred by a momber of a board, are:—(a) Fares by public conveyance by tho most direct route, (b) The expenses attaching to a member's use of his own horse or vehicle at a rate not exceeding 9d. a mile, reckoned one way only, together witlv stabling allowanco of ss. for each night that a horse has to be kept from home, (c) Tho cost of special conveyance required for making an official visit, where in the opinion of the board a public conveyance is not available t>r not efilctont. (d) When a member is obliged to absent himself from home for tho night, living expenses at tho Tate of 15s. per day of twenty-four hours, any portion of a day to be reckoned at the rate of one twenty-fourth of the full daily rate • for each hour of necessary absence.. The day shall bo deemed to commence «t the hour . nearest to tho ' time of departure from tho place of residence, (s) When a member leaves his place of residence and returns thereto the same day, actual and • reasonable living expenses for the period of recessary abstnee."

Councillor J. Castle drew-the attention of tho City Council last evening to the silting up of the lake in Central Park, and also of tho ornamental lako in the Botanical Gardens, and asked if it was not advisable to do something to remedy the matters, for if the silting went on it would probably cost a good deal of money to remove the gravel. The Mayor 6aid that ho had noticed the silting up of the lake in Central Park. Tho removal of the silt from the lako in the Gardens would not cost anything to speak' of. Councillor Frost (chairman of the Reserves Committee) stated that the matter had been before the committee, and it had been decided that tho lakes could bo cleared better at a later date when there was not so much water to cope with.

The Wellington Hospital Board resolved yesterday.—"That authority be granted lor tlie raising of a loan of ' <£33,000 for the roading, erecting, and equipping of the proposed new Fever Hospital tind alteration of the present Fever Hospital to make it suitable for a diphtheria ward. How to describe a building which is in course of transport from one site to another led to some little discussion at the Arbitration Court at Christchuroh. A certain point whioh, Mr. Flesher wished to make led to his reading a passage from a statute, referring to a "building in course of demolition or erection," and he held that a building in transport was both. It hod to be partly demolished before being placed on the lorry, he contended, and it was certainly about to be erected on another site. Mr. Alpers, on the other hand, submitted tliat sucli a building was not a. building at all, but was merely "a chattel on a cart.' f lt is being hauled along just as if it were a dog kennel or a piano case," he said. "In laot it is .nothing but a wooden box on a cart." Mr. Justice Stringer 6aid th'at the Court was quite at a loss to see how sucli a building was being demolished or erected. It was neither. 511'. Flesher could not prove his conten. tion by quoting any authorities, and Us point was not upheld.

The City Council decided last evening that, in view of the increasing, number of applications for the extension of drainage and water facilities to properties in the Highland Park Estate, the City Engineer be instructed to prepare, as soon as possible, a scheme for tne supply of water and drainage to this'district; also that an application for an extension of these services to serve a number of houses, be granted at an estimated cost f,of .£59.

The rector of the Otago Boy 6' High School reported to the meeting of the High ■ Schools' Board of Governors on Monday that particulars bad been.- obtained with regard to the number of High School boys intending to engage in country work during tho summer holidays, in accordance with the suggestion of the National Efficiency Board. The total number of such boys was 311. Of these 221 preferred to mako arrangements themselves or through friends, and 90 desired to liave situations found for them through the National Efficiency Board. It being remembered that the Efficiency Board's suggeslion does not apply to the younger boys, the response given to the request might bo consideid exceedingly satisfactory (says the Daily Times"). It was decided to folward the names of the boys desiring situations to the Efficiency BoaTd.

The miveiiing of a monument to the late Maori "King" Mahuta took place at Morrinsville, on the Aiickland-Rotorua line, on Wednesday. There was a large assemblage of Maoris aud Europeans— about 2000—tlie former largely predominating, including Sir James Carroll, the Hon. Dr. Pornare (member for-Western District), and Tau Henare (member for Northern District). Sir James Carroll gave greetings to the dead and the living, exhorting the living to unity in .all things affecting the Maori race, and urging tlicm not to follow after any "will-o'-the-wisp." He said that matters affecting botli races would be discussed the next day at the marae. The weli-kno>vn chief Rawhiti Te Whena recited the pedigree of Mahuta. Tlie monuinent is of beautiful design, a life-size statue of the chief, on a pedestal 10 feet high;.in his hand he holds a'taiha, the chief's weapon.-

There is an acute shortage of fat cattle in the Ashburton County at the present time, states the correspondent of the "Lyttelton Times," and butchers are experiencing . considerable difficulty in obtaining supplies. At the last sale at the Ashburton yards, only two.fat cows were submitted at auction, j and f hese realised tho substantial price of 12s. Gd. each. A few months ago the same class of cows could havo been purchased for about .£l2 a head.

The Dunedin correspondent of a Christchurch paper states . that Mr. J. B. Shanks, of Port Chalmers, has received a letter from llr. J. Dunlop, who was chief engineer on the armed cruiser Avenger when she was torpedoed. Special interest attaches to this vessel, t as she belonged to the Union Steam Ship Company, and a number of members of tho crew were New Zealanders. Mr. Dunlop writes: "The torpedo struck jis right at the after bulkhead in the engine-room, the . greaser on watch being killed outright, tho only one out of tho whole crew. Two of the engineers on watch got badly shaken and cut. They had to go to hospital. We were simply helpless in the engine-room, as the water filled that compartment in less than nve minutes. There was an inquiry into the loss, and the captain and officers of tho Avenger were complimented on keeping up the glorious traditions of the British Navy." Mr. Dunlop, whose family resides in Port Chalmers states that 'he may be coming back to INew Zealand soon, but for reasons, stated was uncertain of it at tho .time or writing. In view of tho serious scarcity of metals it is. interesting to learn irom the "British Trade Journal that the manufacture of' a brass canopy bedstead, at a cost of something like £M, was completed by Messrs. Peyton, Hoylanci, and Barber, of Birmingham, during May. Tho bedstead, which is for an Indian prince, is chiefly remarkable for the amount of brass which has been used m its construction and the richness of llie ornamentation.

A crowded audience at the Ghristchurch Opera. House last, night was addressed by the Row Howard Elliott, ami tlio following motion was carried:—"That this meeting of citizens of Christckurch, hold under the auspices of the Protestant Political Association, protests nguinst the injustice which has been dono to the public schools of the country by the .total exemption, till now, of the llarist Brothers from military service, while .the State school teachors have been required to render, and have rendered, up to 33 per cent. ! of their male stuff; and this meeting calls on the Government to end this vicious differentiation in favour ot sectarian-schools by at once placing a 311 per cent, requirement against the stans of Ronton Catholic schools; that this meeting further believes that the mere exemption from now on of all schools teachers, \as has been suggested in Parliament, will not meet the situation unless a sacrifice proportionate to tluit already made by public schools be first required from private schools." —Press Association. / .