LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 2, 27 September 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Minister of Defencey has rcoeived information that tho second portion of tho 28th Reinforcements has reached its destination.

Tho Postmastor-Gcheral has received from London official confirmation of tho report that the importation of sugar into tho United Kingdom except under licenco is forbidden, and advice that tho Koyal Commission responsible for tho issiio of such licences is not prepared to mako an exception in favour of New Zealand to its rule of not issuing licences for' tho 'private importation of sugar from any place. Tho Post Office will, thorcforo, bo unable to accept parcels for tho United Kingdom containing sugar.

Tho Firo Brigade was yesterday afternoon summoned to extinguish an. outbreak of fire which had caught two motor-oars at a gnrago at No. 135 Abel Smith Street. Tho bln.7,e was put out beforo much damage was dono.

Some 200 returned soldiers arrived yesterday, and four, special tram cars were provided to take tho men and their nesit-of-lcin up town, and the officer in ohargo was notified of tho fact by telegram during the journey from Auckland, but only half a dozen men boarded tlio ears.

Tho Minister of Defence informed Mr. It. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) yesterday that the question of supplementing the payments mado by tho'imperial Government, to Now Zealanders engaged •in naval patrol work was receiving, consideration.

Tho Minister of Finance (Sir Joseph Ward), answering a question in tho House of Kepresentatives, said that married Civil Servants who had joined the Expeditionary Forco and wero now iu e;.mp would, on the basis of last year's payment, receive a moiety of tho bonus up to tho date their civil pay ceased. Married; Civil Servants received pay of rank when in camp,, with food, clothing, medical and dental attendance, etc. i-upara-tion allowance.3 to wife and children wero paid on account of married men when in camp.

In view of the fact that' thorn, is always a good deal of work to do at Christmas time for tho staff of tho Education Bpard, owing to the annual to ports of schools, that then como forward, it w;as decided by the board yesterday to divide the staff into two divisions for the pupposo of holidays, the first to commence thoir vacation on December 37, and tho rest on December 24.

A letter, of. thanks was received by the Education Board yesterday from Mr. C. Bary, secretary of the Headmasters' Association, for assistance given-, in relation to tho recent schools' concert. The chairman returned the compliment by moving a hearty vote of thanks to the headmasters for the splendid work they all did in connection with the concert. ■ . ,

The Local Bills Committee recommended to the House of Eepresentativos yesterday that the Manawatn County Loan and Empowering Bill be allowed to proceed, subject to ( , certain amendments made. The definition "tramway" has been altered to mean tho tramway from Himatangi to Piikenui, under the control of tho Manawatn County Council. Tho precedent consent of the Governor-General-in-Council is also required by tho Council before it may raise a special loan.

At vesterday's meetinl' of (he. Wellington Education Board Mr. A. W. Hogg raised objection to the proposal of the board to lease a school site in the Wansrahu Valley to tiie local County Council. Mr. Hogg spoke of tho richness of tho soil-and the possibility of an increase in fhe ponulation in Hint localr ity. He know that Inspector Stuckey had reported against the sito as unfavourable for a tchool site as .being damp and low-lying. Personally ho thought if tho site was not fit to be used for a school it should be quite unsuitable for a roadman's hut. Mr. Hogg's objection was to the general principle of parting with any of the school site, and in this cose tho farmers were against parting with the site. He, moved Hint the rennet of the County Council be not agreed to. The board adooted an amendment moved bv Mr. R. A. Wright, that if the County Council could nravide a site rs convenient for school nnirposes an exchange might bo arranged.

In reference to the petition of Douglas Donald Earles, of Wanganui, to the House of Representatives, asking that timo bo granted him in respect to certain promissory notes due to the Public Trustee as custodian of enemy property, the Public Petitions A to L Committeo reported to tho House yesterday that it was of opinion that the Public Trustee should bo requested to make further inquiries into the petitioner's financial position, and if in his opinion the petitioner could liquidate his liabilities if granted an extension of time, the Public Trustee should act accordingly, and that tho petition should, therefore, be referred (o the Government.

In effecting certain improvements lo tho school at Ngaio it was found flint the work bad cost, some .£2O more than had been anticipated. At the meeting of the Education Board it was_ decided, on the suggestion of the executive, that the committeo bo asked to obtain, a local contribution of .£lO towards (he additional amount.

lu connection with tho recent collection made by (ho Wellington schools for tho children who suffered by tho Gorman air raid on London, the secretary of the Wellington Education Board presented at yesterday's meeting a complete balancesheet. That showed that the total amount subscribed was X' 739 lis. 3d. Of that sum tho public schools (205 in number) subscribed .£535 3s. 4d.; private schools (20), &S 3s. 7d.; Sunday schools (11), .£22 4s. nd.; miscellaneous, JXA 19s. _7d. The total expenses' in connection with Hie raising of the fund were, 16s. On the motion of tho chairman it was decided that the balance (.£23 odd) should 1)0 remitted to the proper authorities in London. Tho Minister of Justice (the Hon. .T. A. llanan), in tho course of his reply to a question relative to the adequacy of punishment inflicted in cases -brougnt for adulteration of food, said that, generally speaking, ho viewed offences under tho Food and Drugs Act as of a serious nature, and considered ■ that substantial penalties should be imposed to pievent the person convicted from repeating the offence and to act as a deterrent to other members of the community.

Some months ago (he Teachers'' Institute requested the Education .Board to collect the subscriptions to the institute by deducting same from members' salaries. On that occasion the request was not acceded to. A similar request has again been made, but (he executive had no recommendation to mnlce to the board, and the matter was left at jliat.

The Attorney-General stated yesterday that the Government fould consider the desirability of ; ntroducing legislation next session for tho purpose of simplifying and making less expensive the method.of obtaining the appointment' of a guardian to the orphan children of a soldier "killed whilst on aotivo duty. V'

At the last meeting of the Eastbourne Borough Council a motion, was brought forward by the Ferry Board which should have the effect of increasing the popularity of tho bay as a place of residence for the "family man." .At present the price of an annual family ticket is £U, but if taken out half-yearly the cost is £K, and taken out quarterly JC2O. It was considered that the man who could not afford to pay out the sum of £U in one lump sum was thus considerably penalised, and the scheme proposed was that any bona-fide permanent resident who had been a continuous ticket-holder for a period of six months prior to his application should be allowed to take out an annual family ticket at cost of £Vi 10s., payable by four equal quarterly instalments of .S3 12s. Gd. The "family ticket" is largely growing in favour in Eastbourne, giving, as it does, unlimited travel to tho bolder and all the members of his family, and this latest proposal should tend' to further increase the popularity. Those who at present take out the single monthly ticket at .£l2 a year will, for the small additional sum of .£2 IDs., be enabled to avail themselves of this new concession, which will have the effect of neutralising tho. effect ot tho increase in theWdinary fares as far ns tho residents of Eastbourne aro concerned. After a lengthy discussion the proposal was carried unanimously.

'is from October 1 the office hours (o be obsorved by the Wellington Education Board will bo from 8.30 a.m. to 4.3(1 p.m„ instead of from (1 a.m. to 5 p.m., as at present. TbePrimo Minister; in reply to Mr. C. J. Talbot yesterday, stated that it is not intended to gazotto any further particulars regarding the purchase of, wheat until the Board of Trade lias visited the South Island and conforred with" all interested parties. The question whether all varieties of milling wheat will be paid for at the same rates will be decided after evidence, has been taken by the board, as will also tho question as to whether the permits to purchase' will hjs for the different varieties of wheat 'in proportion. The Government will not bo responsible for tho purchase of inny Tejected wheat which does not reach the* class of good milling' wheat in good merchantable order and condition. Until further information is available as to tho probable quantity of wheat likely to bo harvested no arrangements can be made regarding stores. Tho qnostion of taking immediate Btops to make arrangements in regard to tho growing of wheat for the 1918-19 season is.at present under the consideration of the Government.

Montessori anil kei: system of education wero roferred to at jestcrday'B meeting of tho Wellington Education Board, in tho courso of a letter to the board 'from Mr. .T. S. Tennant, Principal of the Wellington Teachers' Training College. lie wrote-to th.e board in regard to an nrticlo written by Mr. F. Pirani, which Tecently appeared iu The Dominion, pointing out tho notably good work that was being done under the system in Wangnnui. Mr. Tennant pointed out that the best ideas in tho Moutessori 6j3teni had been lauglit at the Training College for years past. The Hon. W. Fraser, Minister of Public Works, said yesterday that it was tho firm intention of tho Government, as soon as conditions became normal, to, utilise to tho fullest limit the wnterpowor of this Dominion for the purposes of generating electric cnorgy. The claims for consideration from; Southland and AVestern Otago would not bo overlooked. Carterton has,been abolished as a cen-. tro for scholarship examinations. At yesterday's meeting ol the Education Board a protest was received against its abolition as an examination centre Tho chairman (Hon. J. Or. W.,Aitken) said it was a matter for the Department and not for tho board. Mr. A. VVV Hogg said he did not know why they wished to interfere with the existing order of things. -He was content to leave it to the Department. . ' ; , ; It is expected that the Wellington cricketing season will bo opened on Saturday, October 13. "A great many New Zealand women are employed in the New Zealand Military Hospitals in England for other than nursing duties, but tho number is not actually known," said the Minister of Defonco yesterday. "It is believed that there are other women employed. It is not considered desirable to send any other women than army nurses abroad." The Public Petitions M to Z Committeo reported to the House of Kepresentatives yesterday on the petition of William Tulepuaki Pitt, of AVeilington, praying that a commission of inquiry be set up to inquire and report un the termination of his appointment in the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces. Tho committee were of opinion that the petition should be referred to the Govemmentfor favourable consideration, with a view to the setting up of a commission of inquiry to inquire into and report upon the procedure adopted in connection with the return of petitioner to New Zealand. Captain Pitt is president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association.

'J'he Education Board is to provide office accommodation for the probation officer and physical instructors, at an annual rent of .433. The .deails of .the arrangement have been left in the hands of the. secretary and chief inspector. '

When it became apparent that members of tho Second Division would almost certainly be required to go into camp, several'of the Dunedin''members of the earlier classes of the reserve ap-. jn-oached Major Greenhough, adjutant or the Otago Military Brigade, with a request that thev should be allowed lo train with the men at the Central Batterv. This request could not be acceded to," but arangements were promptly mado for a 'Second Division artillery training class, which was handed over to the sergeant instructors. In case these protracted absences from home should have given cause for .sceptical doubts, it was arranged,-with the consent of the adjutant of the brigade, to told a "Ladies' Day," and this took place on Saturday afternoon in the battery drill shed, where the "better of the trainees assembled, accompanied in some instances by children of tender vears. The onlookers were ranged round the walls, tho trainees occupying the centre. Here two sixteon-pounder field guns were placed, and flio men were put through n course, of drill bv Sergoant-Major .Smith and Sergeants Canlrell and Stewart, of B Battery. The manner in which this ivns oerfnrnwl left no doubt in (he minds or those who witnessed it that tho men had benefited materially from the instruction received.

When she arrives from Alasterton at midday on Saturday, Miss Ada Reeve will he met at the Lambton Station by tho Trentham Military Band and the Wellington Trumpet Band, and by a number of returned soldiers, wh6 will escort her to the Returned Soldiers' Club, thence to the Town Hall, where she will be received by the executive of the Paddy's Market Committee. At 7.30 on Saturday night a procession will be formed at the Midland Hotel, anil several bands and a large number of soldiers will march with Miss lleove to the Town Hall, where she is to help to raise funds for tho blind soldiers and sailors. Returned soldiers are coWTially invited to the reception to be tendered to Miss Reeve at the Returned Soldiers' Club on Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock.

The London "Daily Mail" of August 10 quotes the wholesale price of English potatoes at id. per lb.,' and Dutch potatoes from Jd. to Id. per lb., indicating that tho potato fa'mino at all events is at an end.

"The' money fpent on Ibis war up to the present would," said Mr..J. W. Poynton, S.M., speaking in Palmerston,-"ciit 100 Panama Canals, drain all the big swamp's and irrigate all the deserts on the globe. At .£IO,OOO a mile, it would make a million miles of railway, or one 40 times round the earth. This waste could not go on indefinitely, and universal bankruptcy was inevitable if it continued much longer." . . A chart that was exhibited in the Education Board room yesterday, and which gave rise to some qniet comment, reflected the effect of alcohol tn a typesetter. The chart took the form ot greon and red vertical stripes, the former representing, according to its height, the number of type set by a man in the full possession of life, wits, and the other showed the decreased setting power of the man who was subject to alcoholic indulgence. It was not set out ns to whether the alcoholic subject was specially "loaded" for the purposes of the lest. It. was explained by the chairman (Hon. J. G. W. Aitken) that the charts were temperance sheets and teachers guides, which had been forwarded by the Department for use in the larger schools. On the motion of Air. William Allan, who remarked that it was a reflection on the big schools that , they alone should be supplied, it was decided to apnroaoh the-Department for charts for all schools, laTge or 6mall.

A general meeting of the Philosophical Society was last evening .addressed by Professor H. Clark, of Victoria College, upon "Crystal Analysis by Afeans of X-rays." ,