LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 221, 6 June 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Duo report of the Defence Expenditure Commission has not yet ueen furnished to tho Government, but it is expected unit it wilt, bo completed and in tho hands -of His Excellency in tho course ot a day or two. Tho chairman of the commission, Sir Robert Anderson, hopes to bo able to leave for Australia by the iicxt steamer from Auckland, and 'if ho is to do this ho will havo to complete tho report very soon. The Actinf Postmaster-General, the Hon. W..D. S. MacDonnld, notifies that the British Government, commencing June a, has raised the letter post from tho United Kingdom to ]Jd. tho first ounce, with each additional ounce Id. Postage on letters addressed. to soldiers and sailors serving in all the Naval and Military Forces of tho Crown remains at Id. per ounce. Patriotic gatherings arc very .helpful in reinforcing tramway receipts. The takings on the city cars o» Monday last (King's Birthday) reached tho total of -£710. On tho eamo holiday last year the -receipts wero .£560. "It has been brought to notice," states a paragraph in District- Orders, "that it has become a, practice amongst certain omeore of tho Now Zealand Military I Forces to wear tho buttons of corps other than that to which they belong. Officers of tho New Zealand Staff Corps, Royal New Zealand Artillery, and New Zealand Biflo Brigade aro entitled to wear the special buttons laid down for these corps. Imperial officers on loan to the New Zealand Government wear tho buttons of tho corps or regiment to which they belong. All officers other than thoso included above should wear tho universal New Zealand button. Group commanders and officers commanding units will take tho necessary steps to bring this to tho notice of all concerned, and eneuro that these irregularities cease forthwith."

Tho question whether the importation of motor-enrs should be pronimlert was discussed l>y tho Auckland banners . Conference. The matter whs introduced by a remit from Hmitl.v West, which favoured this course because such importations are hampering production, firstly by occupying a large amouni: of tho limited shipping space now available, to tlio exclusion of materials vital to the maintenance.of food production, suclv a.s wire, manure, power, , oils, etc.; and secondly, by reducing the supply of benzine, the (shortage of which threatens to lie a ecrioiis handicap to those using inllkiiiEt machines, shearing machines, etc. Tiio remit did not meet with tho support of delegates, several of whom,,slated that motor-cars wero now essential to farmers. The proposal was rejected.

It is stated in District. Orders that officers and other ranks who aro absorbed into the Territorial Force after dischargo from tho Expeditionary Force, will discontinue wearing the'distinctive patches, or badges of the latter Force, and will wear the badges of their Territorial units. This order does not apply tp service badges, or tho distinctions authorised in G.O.

A "lance at some of tho gardens here makes it difficult to bolicve that we are actually into the first week of June (writes the Akaroa correspondent of a Christehurch paper). The roses, for Instance, are blooming as profusoly as if it were early summer. This week some wero picked that, for colour, shape, and fragrance, would have rivalled tho prizetakers in the early autumn show. Other indications of the mildness of the season nve to be seen in the premature budding of fruit trees, in odd clusters of tomatoes etill hanging on the siiimy side of a. close fence, and in the growth generally of what is commonly termed "garden stuff." i Delightful as the balmy, sunny days are, with a nip of frost occasionally at night, it must be admitted that a real old-fashioned, rigorous winter would be butter for the garden, the orchard, and the pasture lands. Blight and grubs and pests generally have had too many mild seasons wherein to multiply apace.

The question whether purchasers or lessees of land in Canterbury often find that the actual area ,is short of that which they have purchased or leased was briefly discussed during the hearing of a case in the Christchurch Supreme Court. One witness cited an instance in which tho lessee instead of having ■100 acrcs had only 373 acres, and liad paid vent on the larger acreage for soveral years. The witness expressed tho opinion that similar instances were not rare, and he did not concur with opposing counsel's suggestion that they were confined to cases where one of tho boundaries of the area was a. river. Tho instance ho cited, ho stated, was ono in which nono of the boundaries was a river.

A Press Association telegram from Dunedin states that tho body of John Mowbray Parker, who has been missiiii,' since May 10, was found in tho harbour yesterday.

A statement made b.y a, Wai hi resident in London, and published some months ago in a New Zealand paper, to the effect that parcels sent to the front arrived in :v more or less useless condition, line been contradicted by a New Zealander on active service. In denying the statement that calces and chocolates and chew-ing-gum were- received at the front in a mouldy condition, the soldier says:—"l cannot grumble myself. The only parcel I received in bad order was' one sent on a boat that was torpedoed! T have, however, seen one or two bad parcels, and I admit that chewing-gum is not much good when it arrives here. 1 have personally never seen or heard of any of our boys complaining about parcels arriving in bad condition. One of my mates, who has just seen the' paragraph, snys that tho writer is trying , to stop the New Zealand peoplo from sending parcels to troops."

Two women wore arrested in Wellington yesterday on charges of shop-lifting. They will bo brought before tho Court to-day. Rainproof Coats.—New delivery of "Vnlitors," Hie coat that stands up to tlio weather— £i Is., J)5. George Fowhls, Ltd., Manners Street.—Advt. .

A deputation from the technical School Hoard was to have waited upon he Minister of Education (Hon. ,1. A. 11 win n) to-day, with regard to tho proposed now school at Mount Cook, which is to taltu tho placo ot tho present inadequate scattered quarters. Instead, oho Minister, accompanied by the chairman of tht- board (Mr. George Frost) and some of tho members, visited (lie Jiyo buildings where the various classes ai'p accommodated at present, and the Minister now knows, as well as the board, what a parlous condition our Technical Collejro is in for accommodation. Some idea of the gigantic cost of the irar may bo gained from the following list of articles required for the journey by a troopship which left Now Zealand eomo timo ago:—Fresh meat, 200,0001b.; fish, 20,0001b.; milk,'soogal.; eggs, 10,000; bacon and ham, 80001b.; shin's bread, Bllcvt.; coffee, aOcwt.; cheese, 3nc\vt.; (lour, 1033cwt.; jam, 85cwt; syrup, tOcwt.; tea, 20cwt.; sugar, 350cwt.; peas and beans, llGcwt.; dried fruit, 'IGcwt.; butler, 8 tons. The list also conveys tho Impression that the food on present-day troopships should leavo little to cavil at.

The matter of taxation on incomes derived from investment in war loans was discussed at tho Fanners' Union Provincial Conference at Auckland. A remit was moved by Mr. J. Whitehead, Himtly West, to the effect tliat tho farmers protest against the i«me of war loan scrip on a, free of income tax basis. It was stated that tho .issue of scrip on this basis would result in wealthy bondholders evading their due share of the present and future heavy taxation, tho burden of which would thereby fall with increased severity upon those less able to boar it. It was further stated that the U per cent, "free of income tax" concession, with its further effect upon the graduated income tax, resulted in an actual rate of interest not less than Gi per cent., whifli was,a distinct injustice to holders of the '5 per cent, faxable issue. The mover said as the Government conscripted lifo it should conscript wealth. Instead, the Government offered an inducement to the wealthy man. who did not have to go to the war. Mr. Lvsnar, Gisborne, contended that tho exempting of war bonds from taxation was necessary at this, juncture. He further contended that if in the future there was any shortage owing to war bonds being free of income tax—which he did not admit-that shortage would mainly have to bo made up by the Ihrgo holders of war bonds in the shape of extra,_ taxation on their incomes and properties. Thcro was in tho last surplus of four and a half millions more than enough to pay interest and sinking fund on a war expenditure of about .£7.1.000,000. He strongly opposed the motion. The chairman said ho thought the remit was wrong. Those who were cumin? forward to supply the sinews of war should reap the little advantage which was i theirs under the present method of raising money. After further discussion the remit was rejected by 79 votes to 11.

Iho handsome Government buildings at the cornor of Cathedral S'quaro and Worcester -Street, Christchurch. nro .hreateiied with trouble. When the excavation work for (ho foundations was tegiin fiomo years ago there w;is discovered an extensive quicksand bed. To pvereome this difficulty, piles were sunk, and after man?'months of ivork thefoundations were considered sufficiently Klable to justify ,the erection, of the building. Intely (says an exchange) a penous crack has been discovered in the brick and stone' work, almost in the centre of lh.it part of the building'facing Worcester Street, which gives rise to (ho belief that, soino of the foundations nre pinking. Unjess prompt stops aro taken lo remedy this, matters may become ecri--0113.