LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 18, 16 October 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

"It seems extraordinary that rational bc-ings cannot work an agreement of this kind without hnir-splitting points abqut whether thero should be three-quarters of an hour or an hour for a meal," said Mr. Justice Stringer in the Arbitration Court yesterday, when it was stated to the Court that certain irritating difficulties had arisen on coastal vessels respecting rueal hours. At yesterday's Napier sitting of No. 2 Military Appeal Board two appeals-were dealt with, in which the appellants owere alleged lo be American citizens. Both appellants had, when putting themselves on Die electoral roll, sworn that they were natural-born British subjects. The chairman, Mr. J. W. I'oynton, character- < ised their behaviour as contemptible, especially so as they had availed themselves of all civic rights. On th»'application of Captain Bcale the matter was referred to the Attorney-General. Til the meantime, the appeal of one was allowed, while iho other was adjourned pending the production of a birth certificate.

During Inst week nineteen married and twenty-seven single men implied at the State Labour Bureau in Wellington for

employment, which, was found for tli' rteen married and eighteen single applicants. All the work was with private

employers. Among the applicants were nine farm "hands, four of whom were placed. Tiie stoppage of work at the Krunner Mine was mentioned again in the House of Representatives last night by Mr. I'. C. Webb (Grey), who said the. miners were still without a guarantee that back wages owing to them would bo paid'if they resumed. The Minister of Mines' (Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald) said that the matter did not concern the Government directly, since tho mftie was not a State mine. He had been in communication with tho local representative or the company, and he was assured that arrangements were beinj made lo settle ilio whole matter.

Mr. A. if. Retemeyer was yesterday appointed secretary of the Hawke's Bay A. and P. Society out of 99 applicants for tho post. For sixteen years Mr. Retemeyer' has held the position of assistant secretary. The State probate office has re-sealed the probate granted by the English High Court of Justice of the will of the late Mr. Thomas James West, kinoinatcgrapli proprietor, who died at Essex, England, on A'ovember HO last. Tho net value of the New South Wales estate is A' 26,180, of which ,£19,912 consists of 6liares in West's Ltd. and Olympia Ltd. The English estate is of the value of .£'35,797. The late Jlr. West was one of the first to tour New Zealand with pictures (and tho Brescians), and his success in this country is believed to have been the foundation of his fortune. The National Commitee of the Y.M.C.A. has received from Mr. W. C. Stephens the gift of two clarionets for the use of the men in camp at Trentham. The National Committee of the T.M.C.A. acknowledges the following contributions to its war funds:—Miramar Ladies' Golf Club Patriotic' Cake Room, £oQ~, citizeßß of Y/inton, ,£SO; Hutt Patrioti&'Guild. J5; Miss Peach, Brooklyn, jes-, Mr. C. E, Wells, Nelson, 42 os. Cd.,Miss E. Milligan and friends, .£2; Mis 3 Mowbray and Govan and Mrs. Kendoll, Palinerston North, ;G1 55,; Women Students' Hostel, Wellington, jCI 55.; Miss G. B. MacGregor, Carterton, .£1; Miss R. N. Dent, Blenheim, .21; Miss Gibson, Wellington, us.; Mrs. M. Scott, South Westiand, 45.: Mrs. Bamford, Mangaweka, 2s. 6d.

Replying to a question in the House of Representatives last night, the Minister of Education 6aid that the matter,of making a grant to the Workers' Educational Association would be considered by Cabinet when the Supplementary Estimates wero under review. Recently, said Mr. T. M. Wilford in his locture last evening, it was noticed that sabadilla seeds had been declared contraband. Mr. Wilford stated that it ■was sabadilla seeds that the first poison gas had been made from. 11l 1012-13 Germans had bought up the wholo of the sabadilla crops of Mexico and Venezuela. In gathering satadilla crops the labourers had to wear masks and protect their eye 3 and nostrils.

At Hornchurch hospital centre, where there are some 2000 New Zealand soldiers receiving treatment. Mr. H. T?awcott, of Duiiediii, is in charge of the Y.M.C.A. arts and crafts department. Classes for carpentry, -wood-carving, arid other branches of useful industry are in active session under Mr. Dawe, a London architect, and Mr. Tarratt, ail exstudent of South Kensington Eoyal College. This work commenced on June with only sis men, and by July 13 the number of men receiving instruction.' hod increased to IH. Colonel Tewsley lias made attendance at these c1a6303 compulsory, and it is loolced upon in much tho eamo manner as a> parade for massage and electrical treatment. The Pacific Board advises time of transmission is again normal.

A pleasant and most enthusiastic meeting took place at the Commercial Travellers' Club last evening, when a cheque for .£3220 was handed over to the- War Funds Collecting Committeo by Mr, E. A. Phelps, vice-president, as the net result of the recent successful surprise packet scheme. Mr. "\V. G. Duthio, who presided, referred in eulogistic terms to the work done by all concerned, and made special reference to the generous support a [folded by the merchants, warehousemen, and manufacturers throughout New Zealand, and pointed out that but for their generous donations of goods all the work would have been futile. The chairman also root the opportunity of presenting Captain llunro. of the Harbour Board, with a case of pipes as a small memento of the great assistance he Tendered to the cause. ° The action of shipping companies in passing on to consignees the Auckland Harbour improvement rate of 6d. a ton was the subject of a letter received by the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce from the Wellington Chamber. The communication stated that m those cases where cargo was shipped from Wellington to Auckland and freight wa& paid at the Wellington end, the shipping companies charged the Auckland Harbour improvement rate. Information was sought as to whether it was the practice of the shipping companies, where freight is payable at Auckland, to collect the amount of the improvement rate from consignees. It was presumed that the improvement rate in Auckland was, under the Harbour Board T>ylaws, pavable by ships, and was assessed on the quantity of inward cargo. That was the practice iu Wellington. The letter stated that it was evident that shipping companies "were determined to pass the amount of the rate on to shippers directly. The Auckland secretary was instructed to make inquiries as to the practice in Auckland, and to forward a reply to Wellington. The much-discussed question of the shooting of native game out of Maoris or half-castes came before the Auckland Acclimatisation Society at its last meeting, when a letter was received from the Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs stating that the Crown Law officers confirmed the statement contained in the Minister's letter of July 13 last, that the provisions of the Animals Protection Act are general in their terms, and apply to all persons whatsoever, consequently, a Maori or half-casto slfoots native piteous during the close season for native same he commits ail offence. Cullen, 1.5.0., honorary warden of the National Park, who was present at the meeting," said a case of alleged pigeon shooting out of season against some Maoris and a European would be heard at Taumarunui this week. It was wedded f.o forward a certified copy pt the 1 letter to the police at Taumarunui. A meeting of Jugoslavs which was fixed to be held at on Saturday for the purpose of considering the question of offering assistance to the uovcrnmenfc has been postponed until October 29.* The object of the postponement is to enable all Jugoslavs in New Zealand to become thoroughly acquainted bv circular with the proposition to bo pl'aeod before this and other meetings to be held in various country district#!. There will also be published full <uCuiil>* , of the resolution passed at the meeting held at Corfu on July 17 by tue .lugobluv and Serbian Clovernments.

Tlie report of the Geological Surrey Branch of the Mines Department wart laid oil the table of the House of Eepresentatives last night. Dealing with', coalfield surveys, the director states: — "With regard to tho To ICuiti district it may be'observed that tho geological evidence of a workable- coalfield being* present js scanty and disappointing. The' district, however, forms only a small part of a large area extending northward t.d> Drury and southward to Ohura, in which coal-bearing rocks occur here and there, but not continuously. In most cases ths possible coal seams are hidden by youpgsr rocks. Boring is therefore necessary if the hidden coal is to lie discovered, but I linve to stufe that only systematic*/ exploration on a large scale is iikelv la be of any use. At Huntly, in the Waikaw>, and Waitewlseua, in North Tara- ! I' 5 » whore workable coal is already 3 .^ aI, l c born holes need be' drilled, hut in tho intervening area it may be necessary to drill dozens of holes' before the presence or absence of workable ooai oan be definitely ascertained." A cuble message has Ixen received in Sydney Ji&ui Cardinal Gasparri, Papal Secretary of Slate, conveying a further report: on the work in connection with l the graves of Australians and New Zealanders at Gallipoli. The Cardinal states that Pope Benedict XV, who received a. gratifying report eomo months ago on. .the condition of the graves at Gafiipoli, also photographs of the military, cemeteries on the peninsula, has since done, his utmost, in response lo numerous requests, to get photographs and particulars of the graves of individual Australian? and New Zealanders. The- Apostolic Delegate at Constantinople has been most, active in the matter, and though every assistance was given by the TurkishGovernment, tho results so,far have Hitfortunately, .not been satisfactory. Thin--I=l due to the fact that tho names over some of the graves are now quit® ille-' gible. and that the fallen were sometimes buried in a common gra\'e. The representatives of the Holy See at Constantinople continues to take tho most patermil interest in the cemeteries, and, where information is available, it wi'ii be sent without delay io those who hare communicated with the Vatica-.

A suggestion ivas made recently by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce to the Department of Agriculture that a number of exhibits of produce from New Zealand should be forwarded to the High Commissioner for display in th® exhibition hall in the Commissioner's office in. London. The Department communicated, with Sir Thomas Mackenzie, who ia agreeable to the proposal, and at a recent meeting of tho Chamber of t Commerce a letter was received giving particulars of the space available and other information«on the subject. Sir Thomas Mackenzie stated that a 6eries of exhibits would be most attractive, and should' help materially in Rrom<>tinß trade and immigration. It was decided to defer further. action until the return of the president, Mr. It. Burns.

A serious shortage of medical supplies is reported by chemists in; the north. Hays an Auckland paper. This applies to chloroform and ether, most dra;s and serums, and anti-toxins, especially that for treating: diphtheria. Saline preparations "willi soon>l)6 almost unprocurable., and among other articles that are dlffi-. cult to obtain are aspirin tablets and j permanganate cf potash. The price of' the latter has advanced from under Is.per pound before the war to 245. per pound. Fairly large stocks of medical supplies, including anaesthetics, are held in Sydney, but the dislocation of shipping has seriously affected Nci" Zealand. There is no shortage of medical supplies at the Auckland Hospital, except methylated spirits and potassium drugs.