LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 132, 21 February 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

!'Do you believe in free education from tho kindergarten to tho university?" was a question nslted of Mr. Jjiilte last, evening at Tinakori Road. "Haven't I taken off my coat again and again to' show that," replied Mr. Luke, amidst applause Ho then recounted the attitude he had taken as ono of the College Governors to secure accommodation in tho Girls' College to all winners of free places.

Base liecords Office advises that 194,200 C. Campbell, of tho Imperial Forces, has been officially reported as having been admitted to the Canadian General Hospital, Lo Treport, on January 21, wounded in the right leg and right hand. Tho next-of-kin, as advised by the War Offico, is stated as Nellie Campbell, Taumarumii, but telegrams so addressed have been undelivered. Anyone knowing tho whereabouts of the next-of-kin is aeked to communicate with Base Records Office as early as possible.

Mr. Justice Edwards considers that people who considered grand juries unnecessary mako a great mistake. The work of grand juries, ho said, had been a credit to the administration of justice in this country, and tho grand juries should be retained, as the course of justice might not always continue as.it ha'd.dono. Such things had happened in other countries, and might happen here. No ono wished thnt a person should be sent to trial by a jury on the certificate of a paid officer of the Crown. That was not desired. Corruption had occurred in certain countries in this way, but in this country it was the wish to kepp the administration as free as possible-. Therefore, ho did not think the grand juries were wasting time in enrrjing out their present duties, as _ some people 6eemetl to think. Tho juries were undertakinu; enrtain honourable functions, which should ho reprded as a privilege and not a hardship.

"Do you believe in the propaganda of the Protestant Political Association ?" was a question handed up to Mr. J. P. Luke at his meeting last evening. "I'm Mayor of the city," replied Mr. Luke, "and do not propose to split the people up on religious matters. (Loud applause.) It is for every man to believe or not, as he pleases. All I am sure of is that there ia a great Providence watching over us all."

"I have been gaining strength day by day in this election," declared Mr. Brandon at his meeting last night. "You must have been very poor when you started," declared an unfriendly voice in tho audience. And there was much laughter.

I The City Librarian (Mr. Herbert Baillie) is saddened, by the knowledge that all frequenters of the reference rooms in the Central Library are not striotly honest. During the past day or two the work of "'stock-taking" has been in progress, and. already he has quite a little list of books which have mysteriously vanished from their accustomed niches in the shelves. These absent-minded devotees of literature show a commendably catholio taste. It is not perhaps surprising that C. J. Dennis's "The Sentimental Bloke" and Kobert Service's "Songs of a Sourdough" should have appealed to the cupidity of some readers, but it v:as rather surprising to 6ee on the li't of missing books the poems of Shelley, Fiber's "Hymns," and soma political pamphlets of no great moment. The public is gently reminded that whilst the reference department of tho City Library is designed for all to gain knowledge of a literary character, the theft of books is a sorinus misdemeanout in law.

The carnage of children in sparselynettled districts to the nearest school has been recoognised by the State as a liability, and under uomo conditions grants are made for the conveyance of children to school. It is considered better policy to carry children a distance rather than to set up numbers of small schools at near distances in those thinly-settled areas. One of tho conditions is that while allowance may bo made lor the carriage of children in a wheeled vehicle, no allow.anco may be made for carriage on horseback. In the farthost out backbites there are often no roads for wheeled traffic, and the only means of travel is by liorsoback. Tho parents of children iu these districts have to maintain their own horses without assistance. In tho Sounds district many children have to bo caiTud to school by motor-launch. Recently the Wellington Education Board made representations to the Department suggesting that it would be only justice to givo aid in respect of children going to Bchool on horseback or by motor-launch. Tho difficulty is one of finance. Tho cost of tbe concessions may be considerable, but it.is urged on the other hand that the granting of thorn would obviate the necessity for erection of many little schools.

The children of the schools in the Wellington district subscribed during last year considerable sums of money for the relief of distress in England. A. letter was received at tho Education Hoard meeting yesterday from the High Commissioner acknowledging amounts of £700, and giving some account of the channels through which they had been distributed Sir Thomas Mackenzie wrote:—"l shall be glad if you will tender to the children attending tho schools in your district the grateful thanks and appreciation of the child sufferers who have been assisted through their generosity, and, at the same time, please add my personal thanks for their kind thoughtfulness."

Bernard O'Connell, assistant engineer for the Western Electric Compar.y, who was among those arrested by tho police oil February 13 and charged with being without lawful excuse in a common gaming-house, the charge being subsequently withdrawn, made a statement on oath in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. S. .E. M'.Oarthy, that he visited failing's shop for tho purpose of obtaining a ferrule for his walking-slick and had never previously been in the shop.

The -nilitary guard on tho wharf periodically has considerable trouble with the crews of overseas vessels, especially with tho firomen, who seom to resent any disciplinary measures; furthermore when their vessels are tied up at tho wharf they appear to develop strong social sentiments and desire to visit ono another. Yesterday in ihe Magistrate's Court Timothy Stone, a fireman, aged 22. was charred uivyr the War Herniations with obstructing Sergeant-Major Charles Vandcrluys. n.c.o. in charge of thn military guard on the wharf, ■ while in the execution of his duty, and ho was further charged under tho Polico Offences Act -with assaulting tho sergeant-major. Tl'»\ defendant Irod four pints of beer, ar.d was under the influence of liquor anrl very rowdv. Hβ was convicted find sent to prison for three months.

During yesterday morning's session I of tho conference of civil engineers, j Mr. R. W. Holmes, Engineer-in-Chief to tho Public Works Department, exhibited some specimens of papa rock j which had been tried in harbour con- j struction works at Wairoa, Hawke's j Bay, but which had been rendered use- ] less by the ravages of a little animal— j not a teredo, but of the sca-lioe tribe. ] "Do you approve of Mnrist Brothers I being liablo for military service?", was i a question asked of Mr. Luke last! evening. "'That is a matter which lias benn dealt with," said Mr. Luke. • "Parliament has relegated such maM ten, to the military appeal boards, and it is for those boards to work out their own destinies with right and justice as their guides."

"We will never achieve any real good until tho Government seriously takes up the question of town-planning," said Mr. J. P. Luke at his meeting last evening. "Tho Wellington City Council had gone as far as to get power to say thai, whenever n man wished to cut up a block of land he inuat suomit tho plan to tho council mid obtain its approval. That did not jio very far towards town-planning, but it enabled them to say how many houses should be erected on that area. Tho idea had appealed to the Minister oMntornal Affairs, who was circularising local bodies at tho present time on the subject. Mr. Luko said that 'Wellington should be a metropolitan area, owing to the advantages aocru; ing in respect to drainage, water, light,' and transit, which could bo hotter made by a large municipality than by a nvtiltipiicny of small bodies. He believed that after the war they should take in such places as Knrori, Miramftr, Ngaio, Kkandallnh, and even Petoiifl and the Lower Hutt, feeling sure that it would be a sound, progressive move, as it wouid unquestionably be a splendid thing for the outlying districts.

A 191b. quinnat salmon was caught during the week-end on tho Kelp Bank, eight milos due east of Oamaru. The fish was caught on a cod line at a depth of about nvo fathoms. The bait used was a piece of barracouta.

i "Do you know," said a well-known indent agent particularly interested in Manchester goods, "that I have seen during the past week drapers soiling calico sheeting at 9J[d. per yard, which would to-day cost 2s. 3d. a yard to land here?" .The agent in question added that his cabled advicee of late had been a series of shocks. Only a few days ago ho had secured a large order for flannelettes on the laet prices quoted, which was 93d. a yard. Ho cabled Home for confirmation of the order, and was surprised to learn that the price had advanced >to Iβ. a yard. Ho prophesies that if the war goes on, there will be no woollen goods at all obtainable from England at this time next year. All the olothes for the American troops were to be mado in England instead of America, in order to save time, and avoid the risk of vessels carrying transhipped wool cargoes to the United States being/sunk by enemy activity. This would give the woollen manufacturers an immense amount of work, and they consequently would, he argued, not be able to turn out much stuff for the export trade. At a meeting of the Wellington Plasterers' Industrial Union, held on Monday, the following resolution was carried: "That this union most emphatically protests against tho action of the Mayor (Mr. J. I'. Luke, C.M.G.) in recommending to the Government that the State mine supply the Wellington Gas Company with more coal, which would he to the detriment of the private consumer, who cannot get his wants supplied by the State Mine Depot, as at the present he cannot get more than two hundredweight at a time, although the mine was supposed to bo mainly for the general public's benefit.. We view with distaste the Mayor's appeal for a wealthy company, as it is a very bad precedent." The inferior quality of the household ooal, as supplied at present, was also commented upon, it being that there is too much slack coal in it.