LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 204, 17 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Minister of Defence hns reeoived iidvico that tho Thirty-fifth Reinforcements have arrived safely at their destination. Tho suggestion of tho cily ,notor inspector that licensed taxicabs using publie stands 6homld bo required to be fitted with tho liconsed number on the ieftliand bottom corner of tho -viiid scroon, with tho scalo of fares on tho reverse fiiilo of tho card, has been adopted by the Wellington Cily Council. Tho exportation of oils of every description from the Dominion is prohibited, save with tho consont of the Minister of Customs. Tho Woliiugton locality which has tho high-sounding title of Jam-tin Gully is said to bo alive with rata. Tho statement was mado at tho City Council meeting hist evoning. Councillor-W. 11. I'. Harbor expressed tho opinion that the. liosition might become serious if the' rata were allowed lo oprcad about Hho oity (

A new public servico regulation provides that the permnnont head of a Department "may, on satisfactory evidence that tiho lenvo is necessary on account of sickness or ill health, grant to any person temporarily employed leave of absence on full pay for n period not exceeding one week: Provided that any temporary employee, whoso services have been retained in tho Public Service for more than ono year continuously, may be granted sick lcavo for such porioil and on such conditions as the Commissioner may determine."

The total births in tho four metropolitan areas of New Zealand in April amounted to 761, as against 053 in March, an incrouse of lU. Tho deaths in April wero 297, nu increase of 35 as compared with tho previous month. Of tho total deaths, males contributed 144, females 153. Forty-three of tho deaths were of children under five years of age, being 5.G!) per cent, of the whole number. Thirty-four of these were under one year of age.

A returned soldier who reached his homo iu Wellington yesterday wn» culled to tho door a couple of hours later to receive a telegram. Ho oponed it and fouud that it was u message ho had 6ont from lirockonliurst, England, early last month, informing his relatives that ho wns ablo to leave for Now Zealand. Tho cublegrnm had beon nearly nix weeks making its way from Drockenhurst to Now Zealand, and (ho soldier would have saved timo its well as monoy if ho had brought it with him instead of entrusting it to tho telegraph service. Tho message, marked "Urgent," wns produced nt tho meeting of tho Eoturned Soldiers' Association last night.

Tho tram-conductor stepped slowly up to {ho Military Service Board and epoko in a low, qmot voice. No one could lien.T what l\o was saying. "Just speak nearly as loudly a.s you do when yon nro asking for 'tickets," said the chairman of the board. Then everyone heard him.

A. proposal that tho Government should provulo "n plnco where overy returnod soldier can livo froo of clmrgo for six montlis after his rotum under military discipline" was placed boforo tho secretary of the Returned Soldiors' Association Inst night Tho mover, who failed to find a seconder, said that the men wcro not fill to enter civilian lifo when tlioy canto back. They ought to bo given a chance to find their foot again in New Zealand before they recoived llicir discharged.

ltecontly tenders were invited by tho Labour Department for tho building of six homes for workers on tho Maranui Flat, Ivilbirnie. After Cabinet- had authorised tho expenditure, a contractor whoso tender had been approved asked for an increaeo of about JEliO on each house over tho amount that ho had quoted in Mnroh last (about a 10 pel cent, increase). Ho stated' that this request was duo wholly to tho too in cost of materials, and that his profit would bo tho snme as it would have been on the original basis, if materials hnd been nvailablo nt tho prices in lliis estimates. Tho Department declined tho request. Negotiations aro now in progress with anothor builder.

Up to the present the city reserves have been run by various heads. Lost night the City Council decided to appoint a goneral chief of reserves (to bo called Director of Parks and Reserves). Applications for the position will be called and tho salary to be offered is JC-100 a year.

Advico has been received in ChrlstchuTch that tho Comptroller of Shipping in London has increased the rates of passage money in all classes for the United Kingdom as follows:—First class increased by £4(1; second class increased by JMO; third class increased bv .£11). "Tho milk report is a long time coming," said tho chairman of the Special Milk Committee (Councillor C. B. Norwood) at tho City Council meeting last evening. "I mention this just to assure tho counoil that it is receiving tho close attention of the committee."

Mr. Thomas Wilkin, of Auckland, has been appointed manager-caretaker of tho Wellington municipal abattoir.

In answer to a question asked'By Coun. cillor Wright at the last meeting of the City Council with respect to the Kilbirnie cars, tho Tramways Manager has reported on the matter as follows:—"In reporting on the question raised by Councillor Wright as to the possibility of running the Ivilbirnie cars through to the City Boundary, I beg to state there is not sufficient traffic beyond the Onepu Eoad junction to warrant this at present, but it is realised that with the increasing number of houses on the city side of the boundary the time is coming when the' mattor of a heavier service will require to be considered."

A distinct cose ot hardship appears to havo beou indicted on a seaman serving on a New Zealand hospital ship (says, the "Otago Daily Times"). This seaman had his leg torn off just below tho knee, through it being caught in a wiw haw6or, when tho vessel was at Alexandria in 1910. He was tukeu to England and placed in hospital in July of that year,- and sailed lor New Zoalaud in November, 1917, arriving here on January 1, 1918. Despite repeated applications l>y himself and the Dunedin branch of tho New Zealand Seamen's Union, tho sailor has not so far been ebio to obtain a sum of J3lO 125., back pay at the time the accident occurred. It is stated that tho money was sent from Now Zealand to tho High Commissioner in London, but that it was nevor paid over, una now tho authorities at this end decline to liquidate tho dobt until they havo ascertained what has become of tho <£10 12s. 6ent to England. From tho middle of 1916 to tho presont is- a rather long stretch, and tho sailor is naturally becoming anxious. A claim for compensation for tho loss of tho leg is being prosecuted by Mr. A. C. Hnnlon on behalf of the injured man. Tho Day's Bay Ratepayers' Association is to bo informed by tho City Council that there iB no money availablo at tho present time for effecting Improvements to tho two small reserves adjoining tho Croydon School, Day's Bay.

Tho Wellington branch of tho Now Zealand Plumbers luid Gasflttors' Union, which recently dcpuUitlonisod' tho City Council, is to bo informed that in futuro applications for tho appointment of sanitary inspcolors will do advertised in tho public Press.

Tho question of tike nmalgamation of tho Borough of Onslow with the' city of Wellington was Taisod by Counoillor C. B. Norwood at the City Council last evening. Councillor Norwood 6uid that it scorned that the question was standing ovor rather indefinitely.' Tho Mayor said that anything he could do to bring ftbout tho amalgamation with Wellington of Onslow mid also of Mirumar and Karori would bo gladly dono. The discussion that ovomng on trhmwny matters was an "object lesson" of the need for amalgamation.

Tho last fortnight's report of tho corporation's milk inspector is to tho effect that 159 inspections had neon mado, that 153 complied with Sho Act, and that tho otlior od.o showed deficiency in 6olids, and that the milk contained 15 per co'nt. of added water.

Tho difficulties of tho Postal oflioials iu regard to maintaining a stall' still remain acute, as men j"0 constantly leaving for camp. in tho courso of conversation Mr. J. C. Williamson, Chief Postmaster, .Auckland, mentioned that in tho last ballot alono 25 men had been called up from tho Auckland Postal district, thirtoon of this number being from tho city eliico. The shortage of mon was now boing felt in tho country branches also, and girls wcro boing taken on wherever possible, cither to reloaso a boy lor work in town, or in casts whero no boy was available In all such cases the appointment of girls was proving entirely satisfactory. A certain mensuro of reliof, said Mr. AVillianison, had recently liccn afforded by tho Postal Department having sanctioned tho cngagemont of oxtra lads in country branches, w that when a vacancy aroso in town, or whoro tho nood wos urgont iu another country district, senior qualified lads could (bo transferred without detriment to their own offices.

Tho Earori Borough Council is to bo invited by tho Wellington City Council to appoint a sub-committee to meet a similur cominittco from tho City Council to promoto joint legislation dealing with tho question of tho oxtenaion of tho Karon Cemetery. In mentioning tho matter at tho City Council last evening, the Mayor said that he hud no doubt (hut Inter nn tho City Council would have to considor tho question of providing a. new cemetery in addition to that no.i(s used.

Tho By-laws Commiltco reported to tho City Council last evening that thoy had had before thorn n taxicab driver reported for colliding with a boy in Upper Willis Street recently. Tho boy had his leg broken as a result of tho collision, and tho committee recommended that tlio driver bo severely cautioned for the occurrence. Tho council agreed to tho recommendation.

"Wo have heard your evidence, and now we have settled with yon," said tho Minister of Alnriuo (Mr. f. M. Wilford) as a witness was handed a paper at the Commission of Inquiry into waterfront acoidouts at Auckland. "Yes," said the Witness, as ho glanced at the papor, "but it is an Irishman's rquare-up. I stand to Joso 14s. Bd.'to-day, find I am allowod only 10s." "Let me see, you have been in tho witness-lwx twentyseven minutes. That is good pay, isn't it?" But the witness was not pacified, Ho pointed out that ho had had to cngngo a man to take his place, and would lose tho fourteen and oightpenco. He was told that 10s. was all ho could be allowed, and oven captains uf the shipping companies would get no more. "Don't' class mo with them," finished oft' witness ns ho made his exit. "Thoy gel: a ilxod salary, and 1 am only paid " but tho remainder cf tho 6enteneo was lost as ho turned hopelessly away.

Another instanco of a British woman who had become, an alien by marriage having failed to register >imlur tho Aliens Registration Act came before Mr. F. V. Frnsor, S.M., in Auckland. It was a case of (in Irishwoman, irom Dublin, who had married an Austrian. Her huslxind was interned, but she- did not register under tlio Act until she recently saw that another woman in himilar caso had boon prosecuted. For not having registered within tho prescribed time tho defomlanl, was convicted mill discharged.

A sub-committee, consisting of tho Mayor uiul Councillors Atkinson and Luekic, has been appointed by tho council to act with tho City Solicitor in framing reasons for tho council's protest against ttlio Hospital levy for 1918lfl. On tho suggestion of tho Mayor tho council last evening decided that its levy on; tlio ratepayers should bo tot tho same ralo an lust year's levy. Tho Mayor said this would enablo tho corporation officers to get tho ralo notices out as soon as possible.

At tho Oily Council last evening tho Mayor referred to tho financial position of I lie city tramways. He said that, notwithstanding that tho position was sound, tho expenditure was increasing at a, rato greater than tho revenue. For tho four weeks ondeil. April 28 tho revenue was JllOOlf greater than tho rovemio for tho corresponding period of last year, but tho working espouses' increased by .£1939. It had been a matter of great concorn to tho authorities to incot tho requirements of the public and at tho snrao time avoid that tremendous overstrain which might bring about a serious breakage. It was impossible to get aiiy further machinery and impossible to put on any moro cars. Howovor, tho results achieved in this wartime wero very good indeed.