LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 71, 17 December 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At a quarter to one on Saturday morning tho Fire Brigade received a call to a small fruit shop in Eilis Street. Only slight damage was dono to tho premises. Tho occupant of the place was Herbert Flowers, r.nd the otvncr of it is Henry Sexton, of Constable Street. The building was insured in tho Queensland office.

A Special Goneral Ordor has been issued by Defence Headquarters laying down conditions under which visits may ba paid to prisoners in dotention barracks in tho military training camps. The Goneral Order provides for tho obtaining of a special permit for each visit and also for tho duration of same. Tim opening of tho long-looked-for Ractihi-Oliakuno railway has loon definitely fixed for December JB, and completo arrangements have been mado for tho function. Representatives of tho Wanganui local bodies, Rangitikoi, Waitotara, and "Wanganui County Councils, and places up the lino past Taumarunui, havo indicated that thoy will bo present, also sovoral members of Parliament. Tho first train will leave Ohakune for R-aetihi at 9 ami. on Tuesday, and will arrive at 9.45 a.m. A banquet will take placo at Raetihi on tho arrival of this train. Mr. King, a member of tho Hastings Borough Council, related to his fellowcouncillors on Thursday evening last that before his son went to tho front he wag presented with a wristlet watoh. Wien recently in action a shrapnel shell burst near him, and a piece of shrapnel struck tho watch and mangled it up completely without tho wearer sustaining even a scratch. Tho Salvation Army Band played selections in Wellington Hospital grounds yosterday, and a collection for tho Hospital funds realised £2 7s. 8(1. 'Tho Bishop of' "Wellington held a confirmation service at St. Mary's Church, Karori, yesterday, when thirtythreo candidates wero confirmed. The .Bishop took as his text tho 16th chapter of St. Luko, 10th verse, "Ho that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much, and be that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." "May I beg most earnestly tliafc greater thought'he given to the girl's future lifo work, and that she be not pushed haphazard into some respectable occupation, however unsuited slio may bo for it?" said Miss Butler, headmistress of the Auckland Girls' Grammar School, in her annual report. "So many girls who are utterly unfitted to teach, try to enter the teaching profossion—and not only do themselves a grave injustice, but also tho children who aro entrusted to them. To my mind it is all a part of tho discipline and training of a girl that she should bo taught to choose her future career in those fields whero she is most fitted to work, and whero in consequence her work will benefit the community most. It is time that wo cease taking a selfish outlook on life, each in our turn hunting for minimum work and maximum pay, and remember our duty to our State and our neighbour. We have paid a high price to learn tlie value of discipline, and if we mean to maintain our position as world lenders wc must remember our responsibilities, and study oommunitv interests, and our children must havo the best, and only the best, handed to them, and they must be taught that each his li>'s or her station in life, and tho work that they will do Wfc is the work for which they aro hesl fitted. There must he im wnstapie of material. P". mny T ask. that as nart of worn- patriotism yen will make U- vour 'business to Mild the n ; "he i'l life' into which vour daughter will best fit."

"From a conscientious person." These few words ivero contained on a small piece of paper received on Thursday in a registered letter by tho Dmiwlin manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company. The envelope also contained two £50 notes. The letter had been posted from n town not a hundred miles from Dunedin,

Discussing the quostion of equal pay at tho Arbitration Court proceedings in Cliristcliurcli, in tho hotel workers' case, tho Hon. J. Barr, who appeared for the Employees' Union, said that tbero was a tendoncy to roplaco men in hotel kitchens by women. That was all right in certain circumstances, but if women wcro called upon to carry out tho full duties of tho 111011 they replaced they should receive the sanio pay. The union, therefore, in cases whero this was shown to tako place, askod for equal pay for equal work.

An interesting point was decided in Sydney on Decembor 3 in an action heard 'before the Chief Justice (Sir William Cullon) and a jury of four, in which Arthur J. Mather sued tho Bank of New Zealand to recover tho sum of £100. Counsel for plaintiff said tho case was without precedent. Mather, I having received a crossed choquo fo r £100, forwarded it to the Bank of Australasia at Petersham, with instructions that it be.placed to Mrs. Mather's account. Subsequent inquiry elicited tho fact that tho cheque had not beon received by tho Bank of Australasia, but it had boon presented at tho defendant banlc and paid across tho counter. As tho cheque had been crossed by two somewhat light parallel lines running transversely across tho cheque, it was contended that tho defendant bank should not have cashed it. Tho defence was that tho chequo did not appear to have been orossed, and as it was duly endorsed it was paid as an open chequo without negligence on the part of tho bank. Tho jury returned a verdict for plaintiff for tho amount claimed.

Apropos of the unveiling ceremony of the monument to deceased soldiers at the Featberston Cemetery on Tuesday last, wo havo beon asked to lot tho relatives throughout New Zealand know that tho graves will bo well cared for by tho soldiers in camp and the Women's National Reserve. Tho last few hundred of the "Camp Record - tho book which is paying for tho monu-mentr-havo been reached, and those desiring to obtain one of these mteresting souvenirs of tho big camp in the Wairarapa are advised to apply at once to leading booksellers or by letter to the OfScor-m-charge. "Camp Record Fund, Featherston Camp. An agreement has been am**? ■* before the Conciliation Commssioncr (Mr. W. H. Hagg«o. whereby the existing award as between tho.Wellington Plasterers' Union and he employers shall remain in operation for Mother two years, or for six months from tho termination of the war Oho rate of wages under that awar for journeymen plasterers is is. $a. per hour, plus 2d. per hour war bonus: apprentices to receive alO per oent. increase on their wages as a war bonus. It was decided to leave tho definition of plasterers' work to be determined by tho Arbitration Court. Nowadays the horse is not the absolutely essential beast of burden he was to farm life in New Zealand. He is not so in Hawke's Bay, nt all eients where there are hundreds of wiles of good road traversing either flat or undulating country. Its place Ims to some extent boon taken by the motorcar, which is even more in evidence in the district than t is on the Canterbury Plains. It is not an uncommon sight to see a mob of sheep being driven slowly along tho road by ft fomer-motorist, assist by a couple of dogs, who quickly adapt themselves to orders from a car instead of the saddle. Tho big, powerful motor lorries also save a great deal of time m conveying tho wool in from nations that are served by a good road. At present tho cost of such haulage is dear, as benzine is being retailed at 4s. a gallon and 7s. 6d. for two gallons in Hastings, but with the price down to normal the motor lorry, pough,and even tho motor "stockman'; will soon become an established entity 111 Tiawke s Dav. "Tho New Zealander" is_ tho_ title of a little paper that is being issued in London for the edification of New Zealand troops in Franco or in camp in England, in tho hospitals, and convalescent homes. The paper, which is managed by Mr. I."W. K*ymond and edited by Mr. Guy H. Scholefield (formerly of Wellington), purports to give an epitome of New Zealand news to those who are abroad, and judging from the numbers which have reached New Zealand that object is being achieved in an exemplary manner. The news is well crystallised, and all po ints ct particular'interest to service men are dwelt upon. Dannevirke shopkeepers who suffered in the recent disastrous fire are scouring tho country in all directions for stock in order that they may restart business at as early a date as nossiblo. In some instances the, warehouses are unablo to supply owing to the exigencies of wartime, and the Dannevirke people have to bo content to buv a little hero and a little there from those in tho tradcOmtil the time supplies will bo more readily obtainable. A big effort is being made to push ahead with the rebuilding of that part of tho town which was destroyed. It is all within the brick area, and tho local brick-making company, which has recently changed hands, has been swamped with orders. At a meeting of the executive of tho Wellington Soft Goods Employees Union, a report was presented of the proceedings m connection with tho solt goods dispnto in Auckland. It was decided that a most emphatic protest bo made against tho action or iiio Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. .1. Harle Giles) in refusing tho union the right to call evidence under Section at) of tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The protest is to be forwarded to the Minister of Labour, loca members of Parliament, the Trades and Labour Council, and other industrial bodies, with a view to compelling tbo Commissioner to hear the evidence which tho union desires to have heard, as provided for by tho Act.