LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 197, 9 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The examination of the Class B men drawn in the recent ballot is proceeding daily at tho Bucklo Stroot barracks. The mon are bein.? taken ,in alphabetical order, and yostordny reservists whose names begin, with the letter "C" wero being examined. The proportions of rejections among tho- B men is reported etill to Iμ high in Wellington. This experionco docs not apply to tho whole country. In Dmiedin, for example, 100 Class B men wore passed fit out of tho first 248 examined. This proportion of passes is regained as very good.-

The Socretary of the General Post Office has been, advised that legal time is advanced by ono hour in Spain from 15th April to October 8.

The possibility of the abandonment of the Terrace Gaol by the Juetico Department was mentioned by the Ministor of Justice (Hon. '1 , . M. Wilford) yesterday. It has been tho policy of the Department for some years .past to got prisoners away from the centres of population, and placo them in institutions surrounded by land where farming and treeplanting 'operations can bo conducted. Mr. Wilford said that he would continue this policy. But ho did nut Sk. a time for the compl-ite abandonment of tho Terrace Gaol. Tt hfis been assumed that tho site of this prison will be mndo available somo day for school purposes.

The Commissioner of Taxes draws attention of taxpayers to tho notification appearing in to-dny's issue that returns of income must bo furnished not Inter than June 1.

While trying to avoid a tramcar in Vivian Street yesterday afternoon, Edgar Sf'Farlane, aged 20 years, who resides at 17 Taft Street, Brooklyn, ran into a telephone pole and. suffered serious injuries.. When he was admitted to tho hospital ho was unconscious, and at a late hour last night his condition was unchanged.

Tho Court of Appeal will deliver judgment thin morning in the case of Meredith y. Freeburn, and on Friday judgments will be delivered in Dr. M'Kinnon's case, in the claim of tho Union S.S. Company for salvage, and in tho case of Hardy v. Piarama.

In Hie report on Ihe work of the "Wellington Technical College for the past year, the Director, Mr. W. S. la Trobii) states: "Of tho 1256 students ia associated classes 708 were males and M 8 females. These include students taken in woodwork and drawing at the Wellington Boys' Collep, 65; studonts in drawing and de>ign at tliv Wellington Girls' College, 237; students In drawing, blackboard illustration, etc., at tho Teachers' Training College, and probationer* and public school teachers, taken ior drawing, illustration; etc., 117."

! Referring to New Zealand flax ae a product which might be utilised for many purposes in Japan, the Hon. S. • siiimizu said that the price of flax absoI lutoly prohibited any Being purchased at i the pro-sent time for Japan. Besides thf> I high price ruling for New Zealand fibre Japan had to consider the Philippines, where she had built up a bin trade during the last ten years. In roturn Japan I imported hemp, sugar, and tobacco. ! Japan grew a sood deal of her own J tobacco, but not nearly onough for her requirements, so etocks had to be supplemented by large importations from the Philippines and America. New buildings are gradually making their appearance on the To Aro reclamation, between the disused railway station (now being converted into a Returned' Soldiers' Effects Department) and tho waterfront. The latest addition is a new office and factory building for Fletcher Bros. Tho firm has leased a block of laud on Cable Street, with a frontage of 92ft. and a depth of 125 ft., and hae placed thereon a solid brick building two stories in front, with a one-story workshop behind, and a store nt the side. The building activity appiircnt in the locality is Imving the effect of restoring animation to that part of the city. Tho Minister of Justice indicated yesterday that tho Justice Department may hand over tho Jit. Cook site to tho Education Department for use in connection with v.he now Wellington Technical College, in return for tho Burnunm Industrial Fchoc , property. This ecl-001, situated about twelve miles from Christchurch, ha») long been used for the reception of intractnblo boys. 11 hue substantia) buildiiißß and workshops, and is surrounded by a considerable area of land on which farming operations aro conducted by tho boys. The Burnham School is nt present being abandoned by Ihf "Brluoilion Department, tho, boys being transferred to the Otekniko School ami other institutions.

Sir. 11. N. Hardie, a well-known Mnrtinborough business man, lias been selected to represent tho branch in,that contro at the Second Division conference.

r Privato-advices recoived in Sydney state J that freights for general cargo by tramp Bteamors trading between Japan and Australia have been increased from 180s. to 2503. per ton. Aβ a result, Hays Hie "Sun," thoro worn many .advances in the wholesale markets iu Sydney on Jpril 17. Japanese cnrbldo rose ,£lO. Distributors asked for 82s. per 1001b. diiim, Japanese bluostono was J!5 dearer, at .£67 per ton, Japanese common sulphur was £1 higher, at £!A per ton. Japanese "safety" matches also roso in price by 3d. to 6s. 3d. n.id 6s. 4sd. per gross. Morchants refused to quote Japanese arsenio to arrive. Spot stocks were low, and quotations wore purely nominal for whito at 100s. and Ms. per cwt. for grey.

Next to the actual prosecution of tho war there is no question regarded as bo vitally important in England or Franco aa the encouragement ot tho birth-rate and tljo protection and succouring of infant life. Mr. Neville Mayinan, of Sydney, when speaking to a Dominion representative yesterday, said: "Do you know that the only peoplo who are assured of three good meals a day by tho French Government are women who aro onoionte, and their right to demand those meals is proof of pregnancy. No other proof is needed!" Sir. Mayman said that to enable this work to bo carried on a eeries of wSat aro called les 'bantines matornelles have been established throughout the country by a body entitled La Societe Maternelle, the heads of which aro Madame Michel, wifo of tho ex-Governor of Paris and Dr. Pinhard.

At the dairy managed by Mr. Maddock for tho executors of the Donald Estate, at South Feathorston, on Tuesday night a large mirting-shed was totally destroyed by fire. Only a few yeara back a large barn owned by the Donald Estate in the same district was similarly destroyed.

In tho interview with the Consul-Gen-eral for Japan, published yesterday, the statement was inado that Japan used five million pounds' worth of tops. This should have road five million pounds ih weight. The war material supplied to Ruesfti should have read 40 or 50 million pounds' worth, instead of 400 or 500 millions. The amount of sCeel Japan was getting this year from the Smted States should have read 300 thousand tons, instead of 200 millions.

(That the Borough of Onslow should be considered as a residential and not as a farming district was a point stressed at last night's meeting of the Onslow Borough Council. The matter cropped up as a result of an application by a local resident for permission to fence a roadbank in order that he might graze cattle. Councillor E. Hobbs stated that a considerable nuisance was caused through cattle being allowed to wander. Several councillors objected to the borough becoming other than a suburban area, and hold that the main objeot the council should have in view should be to beautify tho borough, and thus attraot residents. After brief discussion, the application was refused.

The subject of amalgamation of the Borough of Onslow with the City of Wellington was mentioned at last night's meeting of tho Onslow Borough Council. In answer to a question tho Mayor-(Mr. J. M. Dale) stated that a report on tho question would be ready for the council's consideration in about three weeks' time. The principal point at i6sne was that of water supply for the city. Jlr. W. H. Morton, city engineer, had gone into tho matter exhaustively, and hie report was about ready.

Some syelem of industrial banking, said Mr. Jenkinson at last night's meeting of the technological section of tho Wellington Philosophical Society, was most'urgently needed for industries in New Zealand. Ordinary bankers would advance money to importers on the eeourfly of goods under , transit, but would make no advance to industries in consideration of their contraots. The reason wns that banks had no technical advisers who could estimate the soundness of industrial propositions. Tho greatest difficulty of engineering industries was to h'nanoe the first few years' operations. Incidentally this was one of the main difficulties in tho way of profit-sharing as a solution of labour troubles.

"The voting powers of towns are always used to obtain luxuries for towns," said Mr. S. H. Jenkinson at last night's meeting of the •technological section of the Philosophical Society. Tim speaker said he did not hesitate to call tins robbing the country dwellers.

The Wellington Philosophical Society's technological section held a. meeting in the Dominion Museum last night, tho chairman being Mr. S. H. Jenkinson. In his inaugural address the chairman dealt with a wide range of subjects, including education, labour conditions, increase of production, and scientific research and management. An animated discussion took place, and the following members spoke:—Professor Easterfield, Dr. Thomson, and Messrs. P. G. Morgan, 1 , . W. I'urkott, and B. A. Androws.

Tho ChrLstclwrch firm of H. Berry and Co., salt and spice merchants, is about to establish itself in Wellington in a substantial way. It has purchasod a section in Dixon Street (on the comer of Howe's Lane), on which it is building large office and factory prcmisee. The hew buildings are belne erected in brick. Tho front one will consist of three stories and a basement, and the back building (the factory) will be two stories in height. The total depth is 140 ft. (whicn includes a 24ft. oartway between the two building's). The buildings, which were designed by Messrs. England Bros., of Christchurch, are being erected by Fletcher Broe, The contract prico is approximately .£9OOO.

In a paper read before the Modern Language Association, in London, recently, Al. Davray told a curious story of German effrontery that had prompt eorroboration from the audience he addressed. It wae to the effect that a distinguished French professor, M. Emile Boutroux, told him thai h<w in Berlin shortly before the war, German professors 6did to him, "Why aro you the dupes of the Entente Cordiale? England is an effete country. Come over to us." Ho (SI. Davray) told the etory to a dislincnißlied English (Wclesiastic, who said, "Why, the very same thing; happened to me when I was there about that time, only it was Prance that wyi tho eft'eto country, and England fltat was io coins over." At the close of the paper a gentleman in the company came to M. Davray to say that ho could corroborate from his own experience everrthin;» (ho English clerjryr.ian hud fnid.