LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 74, 20 December 1917, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Speaking at a dinner tendered to Mr. Massey on Thursday night last, tlm Mayor of Thames (Mr. 11, Lowe) said tuc people of his district did not think they had had any Prime Minister who had shown tlio same courago and ability in trying circumstances as Mr. Maesoy had done. He had as head of tho National Cabinet proved himself tho right man in tho right place, and ninetenths of tho peoplo were with him. Tho remarks wore loudly applauded. The Maori, which left Wellington far Lyttelton last night, carried every passenger /dlowed by the Customs regulations, and left some disappointed peoplo on the wharf. Practically all tho berths had been booked before the nnd of Just week. The passengers included 350 soldiers on leave, for whom accommodation bad Ceou reserved by tlm Defence Department-. To-night a special steamer will take soldTers for tile South. A small outbreak of fire occurred yesterday in tho mattress factory of David M'Crao, Ltd., in Farisli Strtjit-. A small quantity of bedding had become ignited, but was quickly extinguished with the assistance of the Vire .Brigade. The damage done was slight. Kecently tho Minister for Finance sent to the schools supplies of a special form for the use of children who Tvisjied to assist in providing money for war purposes. The forms have sixteen spaces, each intended to bo occupied by a shilling stamp. The child saves enough to buy a shilling stamp, places it in ono of the spaces and continues tho process until the form is idled. Then the Post 0/fice will exchange the completed form for a £1 War Certificate. It was announced at tho annual gathering in connection with the Slaranui School yesterday that the children had taken up no fewer than 128 of these forms. If other scnools do as well, tho children will make a substantial addition to the funds required for tho prosecution of Kew Zealand'n share of the war. 'Speaking at the last meeting- of the Athletic Park Fund Committee, Dr. M'Evedy remarked that the tendency of football clubs to play for a win was much greater than it should be. This very often led to rough play, and he thought clubs should take steps to stamp out this class of play. Thero should, he urged, be an effort to develop tho internal and social department of tho clubs. At a meeting of protest about tho lack of railway facilities between Christchurch and Lyttelton, a plaintive protest was made by one speaker that the Canterbury members of Parliament did not pull together in connection with movements for the advancement of Canterbury. This was vigorously, denied by a Canterbury member of Parliament who was present. "We do not neglect Canterbury interests," he exclaimed, "and wo do hang together." "You deserve to, if you don't assist us," remarked a dry humorist, sotto voce.

The frequency with which accidents occur on Wellington wharves has been the subject of a conference between the Hon. T. M. Wilford as Minister of Marine and representatives of the Wellington Harbour Board and representatives of. the shipping interests. Tho waterside workers were not represented at the conference, hut- it was mentioned at the meeting of the Harbour Board last evening that it was understood that the men desired to meet the Minister later. It was stated to the board that the statements that in Wellington wharf accidents had increased in number of late wcro not justified. In the last ten. years four employees of tho board had met yith fatal accidents on the wharf. The clinirman of the board said that the Minister proposed asking for similar conferences in other chief ports. His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman yesterday delivered judgment upon an application by tho Karori Borough Council for an injunction to restrain tho Wellington City Council from extending the cemetery at Karori. The present cemetery at Karori was established when the land it occupied was in a connty and not within the borough. Tho Municipal Corporations Act prohibits the establishment of a cemetery within a borough, and tho question for the Court to decide was whether the proposed extension of the cemetery came within the _ prohibition. Mr. J. O'Shea (City Solicitor) had asked His Honour to draw a distinction between "establishing a cemetery" and extending an existing cemetery. His Honour however, said that the only way in which ' : to make land available for nso as a cemetery was to dedicate it under Section 52 of the Cemeteries Act,_ and so to dedicate it was to "establish a cemotery" within the meaning of the Act. An injunction was granted, and the Karori Council was awarded ton guineas costs. In an Otago paper recently there was a statement to the effect that a slump in the timber trade was imminent, many yards being overstocked, _ and there being no life in the building trade, and the writer expressed the opinion that somo of the mills might have to close down. The "Otago Daily Times" instituted inquiries, and as a result of questions put to men who know what is doing in the governing firms directly contradicts the statement. The big firms are not overstocked; prices are not likely to drop— they are firm, and visible movement being in tho direction of an upward tendency; and the best-informed merchants know of no mill worth calling a mill that is likely to shut down. "It has become a recognised practice of the central authorities in recent years," says the "Wairarapa Ago" in an editorial article, "to supersedo .education hoards in almost all their functions. We even heard recently of a Minister of the Crown entering an overcrowded city school and endeavouring to regroup its classes on a basis cf not more than ninety or fewer than sixty pupils per teacher. If a grant of any sort is wanted, a duplicate agitation has to be carried on, first with tho board, which is or may profess itself impotent, and last with the < Department, which is always penurious. The question, therefore., _ now arises whether tho representative principle, in other words the board member, is worth preserving. He is put in position (not power) by a couple of hundred committeemen, who, nine times out ol ten, have annually elected themselves to office for at least a quinquennium." At tho sitting of the Arbitration Court in Christehurch, the Hon. J. Bavr, in conducting the caso for the hotel employees, pointed out to tho Court that legislation had been specially passed to enable the Court to grant holidays for employees in certain trades if tho Court thought it practicable. Mr. Justico Stringer remarked that ho thought the Legislature in this ease had merely shuffled off its responsibility on to the shoulders of the Court, apparently being afraid to make a definite pronouncement on the subjeet itself. After a pause Mr. Bnrr said: "I regret that I have to agree with Your Honour!" Ho wont on to say that this seemed to bo one of the eases where the legislators had again followed the line of least resistance —that godsend to politicians. Tho dates of tho Wellington-Canter-bury cricket match, which is to ho played in Christehurch, have been altered from January 1, 2, and 3 to December 31, January 1 and 2.

As the result of a large quantity of cement being rushed on to tho market through tlio effect of a big company having gone into liquidation thorp is considerable price-cutting at the present time. It is stated that ccnient may bo purchased to-day cheaper than it could (jefore the war started. The usual Christmas festivities will bo observed at tlio Wellington Hospital tliis year. There will be ;i big Christmas trco for all the inmates, not forgetting the little ones in the Children's Hospital, and tlio fare will be as much out of the way of the ordinary dietary scale as medical discretion will permit. Any donations in money or kind for tlio Ciiristmas junketing among the sick and" suffering will be thankfully acknowledged by tlio secretary of tho board (Mr. S. Robinson). The balance-sheet of tho War Funds Collecting Committee, showing tbo results to date of the committee's efforts, was adopted at a meeting of members yesterday afternoon. There was a credit balance of £'2637 10s. lid. rcmairi'ng after the payment of expenses that amounted to no more than 3i per cent, of tho total sum collected. The fund remains open till tlio end of the month, and during the next week or two additions to it are expected. Tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke, C.M.G.) presided over the meeting, and commended tlio workers very highly for their efforts. It was decided to thank by letter the Trenthani. Band and the naval nion who assisted in tho principal appeal that was made 011 St. Georgo's Day. The Commandant at Trentham Camp acknowledges with thanks receipt of the following gifts:—To tlio Military Hospital, Trenthani—From Soldiers' Comforts Guild, Wellington, case of oranges; from Salvation Army, Wellington, cake, fruit, soap, and toilet vinegar; from Miss Peterkin, Lower Hutt. flowers. To Convalescent Homo (Izard's)—From Church of England Institute, croquet set and playing cards; from Y.M.C.A., cigarettes ami cards. j The Wellington Harbour Board's new cheeso store is now in use. The chairman of the board stated last evening that tho two old stores wero full of cheese (containing about 50,000 tons), and that thore wero about 8000 tons in tho new store. Tho machinery was working well, and 110 believed that the efforts of the engineer in various directions wero meeting with success. Visitors wero expressing themselves as gratified with the caro the board was taking of the products of the country! 111 the Magistrate's Court vesterdav before Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., the Inspector of Factories (Mr. G. H. Lightfoot) applied under tho War Legislation Amendment Act to have tho capital value of a house in Cockburn Street, Kilbirnie, fixed. The Jwuse in question is owned by J. J. Boyd, jnr., and at the outbreak of the war was let at 15s. per week. On the houso being re-let recently to another tenant tlie rental was fixed at 18s. 6d. Tlio Government valuation of the property prior to the war was £395, and the valuation since tho war was fixed at , £534. Several witnesses wero called I on behalf of tho owner, and '.heir estimates of tho present value of the property were between £650 and £680. The Magistrate, after reviewing the evidence and quoting the clauses of tho Act bearing on the subject, fixed tho capital value of the property at £060, which would have the effect of 1 educing the. rental by one shilling per week. Mr. T. Neave appeared to oppose the application. It was reported to the Wellington Harbour Board last evening by tho chairman of the board that the triennial investigation of the board's uiperanmiation fuud for the period ended December 31, 1916, had been completed by the Government Insurance Actuary, who reportedl that the fund was in a thoroughly sound financial condition. Mr. G. T. 1 Booth, giving evidence at tho Arbitration Court in Christchurch in the engineering dispute, stated that materials represented about one-third of'the sale price of implements. The cost of iron and steel bars and sheets had increased 10 to 12-5 per cent., pig-iron had advanced 100 to 150 per cent., copper 100 per cent., and bolts and nuts 150 per cent. Tin liad gone up 50 per cent., and coal 40 per eenr. Other materials had risen correspondingly. Increases in implements were as follow: —Ploughs, 30 to 60 per cent.: disc harrows, S3. 1-3 per cent.; grass strippers, 50 per cent.; rollers. 10 per cent.; windmills, 100 per cent. ; brass pumps, 50 per cent. Tho heaviest advance had occurred quite recently. In regard to reduction of output of implements. tho <ffect of tho war began to bo felt in 1915, and sales had declined as follows in January of this year by comparison with January, 1915:—Ploughs, 55 per cent-; disc harrows, 26 per cent.; rollers, So per cent.; windmills, 15 per cent. ■ A splendid record of military service in tlio case of a Central Otago family was disclosed at the, sitting of the Otago Military Service Board at Alexandra. William Eeid, a farmer of Queensberry, in appealing for tn extension nf time to dispose of his property, stated that ont of nine brothers, six had already seen service, while another had been passed as fit. Ho himself would bo the eighth to don khaki. This statement drew forth expressions of frank admiration from the board, which treated the appellant sympathetically, and, 011 the suggestion of Captain Freo, an adjournment was granted till March to enable the reservist to make satisfactory arrangements regarding tho disposal of his property. Tho chairman stated that if tho farm had not been sold by then tho board would give further consideration to tho case.

"It has been suggested in connection with out visit to England that wa, tho Finance Minister and myself, niado promises to tho Homo Government that, nro somewhat difficult, to fulfil," said tho Primo Minister at Ngatou, "but I do not think that is the easo. What wo promised was that New Zealand would do its full share in regard to tho war, and that promise lias been, and is being, honoured to tho very lottor. So far as reinforcements and supplies aro concerned. 110 one can even hint that we have failed in the slightest; to-day wo are not a single man behind in the reinforcements promised to the Imperial Government. (Applause.) Tho Imperial Government, recognising what New Zealand has done, has notified us. without any pressure 011 our part, that for the future our reinforcements will bo very considerably reduced. That has been done as a recognition of tho splendid position that New Zealand has taken up right 111 rough.',' Advico has been received that Gunner I. Weston, No. .'12,820 (son of Mrs. E. Weston, of the Wellington Gas Company's stall'), was erroneously reported as a deserter. The secretary ot tne Defence Department, Melbourne, lias, we aro informed, written to Mrs. \>es" ton expressing regret in connection with tho mis-statement.

During .the very limited limo at Ms disDusiil when in England. Mr. rranu Moaflowwoft made opportunities to visit the New Zealand hospitals at, nl-ton-on-Tlmmes, Horneliuroll. Ucltorfl, iirocUenluirst, and the great cling Uaini). He fomut many liovs. that tie Unrnv, aiul many whoso people lie knew, nml 'found it interesting to talk to tliom about tlioir cxpcrienow at the front and in hospital. During these visits lio promised to _write to tho paronts or next-of-kin oT nearly a hundred liovs, tolling tliom of the conditions tindor whicli lie met tho hoyi) ftti'l iiow lliey were faring. For this littlo net of grneo ho found the boys inoßt upprcointlvu.