LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 177, 16 April 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Minister of Defence stated yesterday that members of the foreign service branch of tho Expeditionary Force would reueivo the full rate of separation allowance wherever tlioy wore employed. Some of these men are oiuployed in Mew Zealand. Tho case cf the home 6eryico men employed in New Zealand was still under consideration.

Complaint has been made that wen with one eye only have been nccopt«d for active service. Referring to this matter yesterday, tho Minister of Defence said that on July, I'JIG, the Imperial authorities had issued instructions that a nan with a sound right eyo was eligible for service even if he had lost the left eye. Men with slight hernia were also-accept-ed. Later this instruction had been an. celled, but in the meantime some men with disabilities of the kind specified had been allowed to go forward, some of the one-eyed men nad served in the firing line.

Tho Minister of Education slated in the House of Representatives last night that ho proposed to submit proposals to Cabinet with a view of meeting the present shortage of teachers, and of inducing young people to enter the service.

A very largo, subscriber to the War Loan is the A.M.P. Society, lvnich bas contributed .£500,000.

"Sir Joseph Ward acknowledged in the House of Representatives last night the good work of the commercial travellers of Wellington in collecting moneys for tho War Loan. They had collected .£170,000, which was more than they had collected for the preceding loan, ,£lll,OOO. He wished, he said, to express the thanks of the Government and of Parliament for these efforts. Tho "tank" effort by tho travellers; it may bo added, resulted in a sum of .£33,000 being added to the loan.

In tho House of Eepresen to lives, Mr. Massey said he had practically completed arrangements with the Colonial Sugar Company for the supply of sugar for Now Zealand up to June-next 4 as nearly as possible the present price. It was mentioned by Mr. C. B. Norwood, fit last evening/3 meeting of the Wellington Industrial Association that there were large areas of pinus insignus about Wellington which might be made good use of. He suggested that investigation should bo made to seo what could be done in the way of cutting out arena for packing boxes and firewood. He mentioned that it. might be wise to cut out some of tho pine groves on the city roserves.

' The Wellington branch of the. AmalgaI mated Society of Railway Servants at its monthly meeting passed «i resolution calling upon the Government to protect I the people, particularly tbe wording I class, from any further exploitation at .the hands of monopolists, aDd to deal with the e.cet of living problem in a straightforward manner before calling upon the workers of the Dominion to make greater sacrifices. The branch also passed a resolution protesting against "the distinction drawn by the Military. Service Board between Private P. 0, Webb and Mr. Laidlaw, end ethers who have been exempted from foing to the war on account of commercial interests. ' Recommendations relative to the municipal motor-bus service were tabled at last night's mfcting of the Petone Eqroueh Council bv a committee comprising the Mayor (Mr J W. M'Ewnn) and Councillors Cox and lowlands. The committee recommended that on Sundays and holidays the fare to Wellington be increased to Is. single and Is. (;d. Teturn; that the single fare from Lower Hutt to Wellington and vice versa .be increased to Is.; that conductors be dispensed with on Sundays; and that, the time-table be ctrictlr adhered to unless it. is varied by 'the fffiw. The recommendations were adopted. An engine-driver named .Tames Boyle mot with a pninful accident y<stetd"y. An engine passed over three of his nngere Ho was taken to the Hospital, whore it was found necessary to amputate the three fingers. _ Sir Joseph Ward mentioned in the ! House of Representatives last night that j he intended to have placed in all the I post offices a poster showing what articles not permitted to be cent in parcels for soldiers. This information would simplify matters for the relatives and friends of the men at the front. Sir James Allen read in the House of Representatives yesterday ft 'otter he had received from Mr. T. H. Lwry, covering a donation of .£IOOO to the Rotorua Soldiers' Hostel, this being ?rom the profits of the racing of Mr. Lowry s waro Uescrt Gold in Australia. Beforo the Now Zoalnnd Drivers' Conferenoa adjourned a resolution was passed protesting against the cotton of the Government in prolonging Parliament for another year. ■ • Tho'Miramar Borough Counsil invested another i≥2ooo in War Loan, bonds yesterday afternoon, tho turn being, an nmount drawn from the money standing to the credit of the Sinking Fund Commissioners. This iuvestment brings tho amount tho council has invested in War loan bonds up to .£4OOO. Ratepayers of Miramar Borough will be pkassd to learn that the rates for tho current period have been reduced by Jd in the .£. This fortunate and rare occurrence has been brought about ]>y the fact that the whole of the £12,000 tramways loan is now m hand, and it is no longer necessary to strike a rate for its redemption. Tho sum of M lCs. has reached the Catholic Field Service Fund, through Bis Grace Archbishop O'Shea, from the Anglican Military Affairs Committee, being proportion of .£SO sent to that body by the Huutervillo Lady Liverpool I'und and Red Cross League for the chaplains at. tho front. Replying to a question in the House of Representatives yesterday, tho Hou. J. A. Hanim, Minister in charge or the friendly societies, »aid tliut tho Department had hod difficulty in getting the material for making the ueual quinqueunial valuations, now two years overdue. He hoped to have tho returns complete, probably next week, and then it would be possible to give attention to tho matter. A statement regarding certain exempted reservists who3c cases have been discussed widely was made in the House of Representatives yesterday by tiio Minister of Defanco. Sir James Alleu said that the case of Mr. Tole, of Auckland, w.as under reconsideration. Mr. lole was willing-to serve, and his appeal had beeu made purely on grounds ot hardship. Tho case of Mr. Laidlaw had been I decided on its merits. The Minister read the decision of the Military Service Board showing that the exemption Ji&d been granted ou grounds of public interest and undue Hardship.

A cublegrani from New York last evening stated thftt tho United States War Department had removed tho statue of Frederick the Great (.oi Germany) from the War College.'

During tho year ended March 31 the Wellington tramways carried 33,0815,477 passengers, an increaso of 1>80.309 on the provious year Tho number of car miles run on all lines was 2,977,617, -19,540 less than during the previous year. Tho total revenue per car mile was 17.59 d., and the working expenses per car mile amounted to 12 56d. On top of that 0.50 d. special charges, and 3.59 d. capital charges were added, bringing the total cost per car mile up to 16.G5d., leaving the cai mile profit COM.

At the deputation to the Tramways Committee of tho City Council by the Miramar Borough Council yesterday, Councillor W. H. Green asked if the city could not provide closed-in cars for the Seatoun service during tho winter jnonthe. Most of tho care used were open (combination), and very draughty and cold in bnd weather. The Mayor said that what Councillor Green asked was a matter for the Tramways Manager to conRider At present there was a shortngo of cars, and they had lo do the best they could.

The following liivve been nominated for election to the Kosenoath School Com-mittee-.-Messrs. E. Low. P. W. Bullock, H N Morrison, H. U. van Borssum, VV. ,T 'Ga'udin, H. A. '.mos, H. E. Holloway, \. W. O. Travers, A. D. Bayfield, V. W. Bear, H. W. Tolan. Aa there are eleven nominations for a committee of nine members, an okctjon will bo held next vreek,

The next dispute to'come before i.he Wellington Conciliation Commissioner will ho that of the furniture trades in tho northern districts of the. South IBland. .Mr. Newton will sit to hour it in Blenheim on April %, in Nelson on April 27, and in Greymoutli on May 2.

A woman, on filtering tho witness-box at tlis Magistrate's Court yesterday to give evidence, started oIF by addressing Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M!, «b 'Tour Majesty." The Magistrate quickly retorted, "I am not His Majesty," and set tho woman right.

Thirty-five labourers applied to the Stale Labou; , Bureau in Wellington last week for work, . n<l twenty-eight oi them were placed. I'our farm labourers applied and two were placed, and ono engineer who sought employment had it found for him. At !he end of the week there w.ere nine men on the books—seveit labourers and two farm hands.

A lad, 17 years of age, named James Millar, described as an articled seaman, appeared in the Magistrate's Court jeatcrday,'before Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., on n charge of deserting from his shin. As the vesfl had left there was no longer any need of his services, and he was remanded to Saturday to see if work could be found for him.

A uiuu who appealed to the Military Service Board yesleiaay for i-xeiuuiion eaid that lie was helping a siatur in England whoso Jiusbanu liua bewi killed in tho war. His sister had a ciiild to keep, and w.as in poor hualth. "But she receives a pension," remarked cdo of'the members of the board. "Bow much is it?" "Twaleu and bii per week" was tho answer.

The question of accidents on waterfronts, which has beec a subject ol' frequent discussion during Liie past few years, is to be investigated. Tho Minister of Marino (Hon. T. Ai. Wiiiord) staled last ovening that Cabinet has authorised the appointment of two representatives of the Waterside Workers' Union and two representatives of the shipping companies and harbour boards to sit with the Minister of Marine, and take evidence at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttellon, Port Chalmers, and the Bluff, and to. report to Cabinet. The Minister will fiit as chairman of Ihe body, which will not be a Royal Commission. It is probable that the first sitting will be held in Auckland on April 29.