LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 73, 20 December 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ten cases of diphtheria were reported to the health inspectors of Wellington during the month ended December 10. The bow of the Union Company's steamer Mapourika struck No. (i, Queen's Whuvf, as she was leaving for i'ieton lanil Kelson yesterday. The impact cut into the wharf and smashed the stringer out of its position. The ship was not damaged. This ycivr the Minister of Education will have the privilege of distributing the sum of £3000 among the public libraries of the Dominion. This vote, which used regularly to appear in the Estimates, has been omitted from the Estimates during the past few years. Owing io the strain put on the finances of the country in 1910 by the war there was no I voto for libraries in that year. In the next, year (he amount was .£3500, instead of the usual .JMfIDO, which had been tho regular amount prior to the war. This year the'amount 0f..£3000 was placed on the -Supplementary Estimates, and the notices regarding the distribution of the grant will V>o gazetted shortly. In due course the various public libraries will be supplied with application forms and with the Gazette notices. The new scale of iasi fares adopted by the City Council, and published some weeks ago. was confirmed at last evening's meeting of the council.. Councillor W. If. P. Barber- said that it was tiie intention of the committee to have the fares printed on card and exhibited in I hotels 'and other pulhliu places, so that everyone would know what they had to pay when they engaged a taxi. The Defence Department jives a complete denial (o tho allegation of Mr. 11. Holland regarding tho Crampton case, that papers containing admission? by Lieutenant Crampton before the courtmartial at Samoa had not been submitted to the Magistrate conducting the inquiry. The statement of the Department is that every scrap of paper regarding Lieutenant Crampton had been before Ma\ Hewitt, S.M., when he was making the inquiry. Shortly after 5 .o'clock yesterday the Fire Brigade received a call to an outbreak of fire in the Public Works Store. Sydney Street. The fire was caused through some burning shavings from the destructor catching alight and travelling up the walls. Slight damage was done to the building and contents. The Finance Committee of the City Council reported last evening that it had considered the request of the Labour Representation Committee that tho council adopt the proportional system of votin" at the next municipal, Harbour Board, and Hospital Board elections, and recommended that the council adhere to its present system of conducting these elections, and that the Labour Representation Committee) be informed accordingly. Provision for th payment of overtime in tho Public Service during the months of November and December is made in an amending regulation gazetted this week. In'cases where the Commissioner is satisfied that owing to special- circumstances officers have 'been required to perform extra duty, overtime is to be paid at rates ranging from Is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per hour, according to salary. -The time worked in any one day by officers of the professional and clerical divisions in accordance with this provision and in excess of seven hours will be reckoned as overtime. The arrangement applies to temporary employees. The City Council decided last evening that the officers be instructed to take tho necessary steps to compel the owners of certain private ways between Jessie Street and Vivian Street to have such ways authorised by tho council, and to secure the proper cleansing and sanitary condition thereof, failing which that the owners be prosecuted: The chairman of the-Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board (Mr. H. Baldwin) reported to the board yesterday that the medical superintendent and himself had waited on tho Minister sinco Che' last meeting to endeavour to ascertain how soon the Victoria Hospital would be evncuated-,by the soldiers. The Minister said ho could give no definite time, for if they vacated the Victoria Hospital it would entail a lot of expense in setting up another surgical hospital for tho treatment uf soldiers. With so many soldiers coining hack he could not sav 'how long they would require the hospital. The Rev. Dr. Elliott aslted if it was hampering the old people at all. The chairman said that they had received applications for admission which thov could not entertain owing to tho ward being in the hands of the military authorities. The Rev. H. van Slaveren said that in this matter ho thought the board should stand by the Minister. Tho ■ chairman said they had only sought for information, Tho matter was left at , that. The City Council decided last evening ' that, picture theatre proprietors who wish, ed to open their theatres on Christmas : Day will have to submit their programmes i: to the Town Clerk for censorship. ■ Useful present for Christmas—See our i Zephyr, Mercerised Twill, Prints or c Tobralco Shirts. Well made, neat pat- ( terns, is. 6d. to 17s. 6d. Geo. Fowlds, i Ltd.—Advt. «

As a warning to others the City Council decided last evening to take proceedings against a person for engaging in the business of milk-vending without the necessary license. • The Wellington Land Board sat in committee for a good portion' of yesterday, and was also engaged in interviewing intending soldier settlers. The ordinary business of the board will he dealt . with 10-dny. The official weather summary states that October proved an extremely wet month over the North Island and m the north-west portion of (he .South. Elsewhere the total rainfall was below the average. High winds and stormy weather < were frequently experienced, and, on account of the low temperatures, especially during the nights, the grovVHi in vi-gela. , tion was deficient in most parts of the ' Dominion. Atmospheric disturbances were ' numerous during the latter half of the ■ month. The most intense were two wes- ! terly areas of low pressure, one irulins . between the 13th and 29th, and the other . between the 25th and 30th. On the 23rd and 2-lth a cyclone pas.ied in the. north, and on the latter date a cold south-east sale was responsible for some serious. Fosses of shorn sheep in the East Const districts of the North Island. Although changeable, some fine days and mild conditions were experienced during the first fortnight. On September 5 the City Council refus- \ ed lo grant consent to a p\au of sub-1 1 division of uroperty situate at Town ' Acre 914 Adelaide "Road. The applicant - appealed against such decision to the chief survjvor, in terms of the Wellmg- \ ton City Empowering Act, 1917. The ' chief surveyor's decision has been received, and on two out of three points the apueal has been sustained. Ihis is the first decision on an appeal under tho new legislation, and it is of considerable importance to the council. At the monthlv meeting of the Hospl. tal and Charitable Aid Board yesterday, when the usual seasonal compliments J were passing the Kev. H. van Sfaveren , made reference to the notably good work which had been performed by tho chairman (Mr. H. Baldwin) during the recent epidemic. Right through the stressful time Mr. Baldwin had not spared himself. Mr. van Staveren moved that the board express its sincere appreciation of the valuable services rendered by Mr. Baldwin, a motion which was carried by acclamation. Mr. Baldwin said it had been a strenuous time, but he had been blessed with health and strength. As one had gone down he had managed to find someone to take his nlace. and right ■ \ thxougVi no wheel in the Hospital machinery had stopped. He moved that the - heartv thanks of the board be conveyed . to the medical and office staffs for the splendid war in which they had stuck to their work in the circumstance?. Mr. B. G. H- Burn, in seconding (he motion, referred to the work of the nurses as absolutely heroic. The epidemic had taught the community the real value, of nurses, especially trained nurses. The one -which, had been secured for his dis- ' '■ trict (ftarori), wlm had been Uameil m • the Wellington Hospital, proved to be ' "a little brick." The motion was car- . ried. The City Council lias accepted the fender of Smith and Smith to paint the milk station in Dixon Street. The price is £294 10s. It was stated at yesterday's meeting of the Hospital Board that letters of thanks I had been sent to Drs. Muir, Tyffe, and Adams for the great services thev hadrendered during the epidemic. Thanks had also been conveyed to Mr. de Castro I for the services he rendered In driving: the motor ambulance. At last evening's meeting the City Council granted tho sum of .£o to the Sailors' Friend Society, and .£IOO to the Wellington Free Kindergarten, by way of II subsidy. ;' It was reported at yesterday's meeting ' c of tho Wellington Hospital Board that ])r. Robertson, .the radiologist, was now i devoting his time to the services of the ; board. A rather curious point was raised by i Mr. C. Atkinson at the annual meeting of the council of the New Zoaland Amateur Swimming Association in Christ:church this week. He said that in the list of distances for which the council granted records there were distances such as 100 metres, which were never swum in A'ow Zealand. Yet the first person who swam such a distance in New Zealand, no matter what the time, would be entitled to hold the record for NewZealand for that distance. In this way a mero learner might hold a record. It was decided to set up a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs. B. O'Neill, A. ,11. Brunsdon, and C. Atkinson, to review the distances for the, amateur records a 6 granted by tho association. In tho Supreme Court yesterday His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) entered judgment for plaintiff for .£304 1s. 7d. in the case of Rod and Co., , butchers, Wellington, v. the City Council- The claim was for a refund of moneys due to the butchers in the workling of the city abattoirs. The amount awarded was arrived at by consent, and the question of costs was reserved. Mr. T. Young appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. J. O'Shea for the city corporation. . The next meeting of the. City Council will bo held on January 24. The opinion of the Solicitor-General on the question of the payout of wages of employees affected by the compulsory closing of certain businesses during the epidemic has been obtained by the officer in charge of the Auckland office of the Labour Department. The Solicitor-Gene-ral states that tho.compulsory closing of businesses did not remove in any way the obligation of employer to employee, with regard to wages. However, if the- employee had been guilty of misconduct, or his or her engagement had been terminated according to' the custom of the particular trade, or according to the provisions of the award or industrial agreement relative thereto, the employee would not. be entitled to any salary. In the. case of workers engaged by the day or hour, the closing of thp business would be in itself sufficient ntfico of termination of employment. An act of heroism, as the result of which a boy named Colin Crowther met his death at Tauno, is to be brought to tho notice of thb Royal Humane Society. The evidence at tho inquest showed that Crowther had attempted to save another hoy who had fallen into the Waikato River. The coroner and jury added a rider to the verdict that the attention of the society be drawn to the action of deceased. For the past three years Messrs. Sidney Kirkcaldie and J. L. Morrison (I. and R. Morloy) have rendered valuable assistance to the Munitions and Supplies Department as voluntary advisers in connection with the purchase of all soft goods for the military forces. In view of the fact that hostilities have now ceased, their services are no longer necessary, and the Hon. Arthur Myers, Minister in charge, took tho opportunity yesterday of expressing his deep appreciation of the splendid services rendered by them, at the same time handing them an illuminated address signed by himself, which reads as follows .—"On behalf of the Government, I desire to express my appreciation of the valuable services that you have rendered to the Dominion in connection with the Munitions and Supplies Department of New Zealand since I took control in August,, 1915. Our soldiors have been supplied with equipment second to none, owing to my having been able to obtain the benefit of your professional knowledge and experi- , enco; and it will always ho a source of gratification to you to remember that ' you gave, your services gratuitously to the country during tho war period., thus j helping in no unimportant rannnor in tho \ aggregate effort made by New Zealand lo play a full -mirt in this righteous war, now victoriously concluded." ! I All last evening's meeting of the City j Council a suggestion that Old Custom- , houso Street be changed to Old Customs j Street was rejected on the recommenda- i tion of the Finance and Property Com- . mittee. i A decree nisi was granted by His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir , Robert Stout) in the divorce case in which Wilfred Goodman Talbot petitioned for the dissolution of his marriage with Annie Talbot on tho grounds of misconduct, j Charles Oakley Clark being named as corespondent. Mr. M. Myers, who appeared for tho petitioner, stated that tno corespondent had been recently divorced by i his wife ou the ground of misconduct i with the respondent in tho present case, ' and the petition of Mr. Talbot was based I on tho same set of oircumstances, Mr. ] G. Watson appeared for the respondent i and Mr. L'B. Edwards for tho co-respond- I ent. There was no defence. j

A young man named Thomas James Belsham, 21 years of age, who plead,ed guilty in the Magistrate's Court on Wednesday to personation, in that ho voted in the name of his father atythe Wellington Central election, came up for sentence in the Supreme Court yesterday morning. His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) was on the bench, and the prisoner was represented Ijv Mr. H. ¥. O'Leary. Belsham spent 265 days on active service in Franco, where he was wounded, and practically crippled for life. Mr. O'Leary stated that on the day of the election the. mother of the lad was very ill and unable to record her vote,' and she sent her son to see if be could vote for her. At the booth he was told that ho could not so vote, and apparently he got an inspiration to get a vote in some way, and so voted in the name of his father. The offence was only a single one, and ' was not intended to influence the election ; it was unpremeditated, for he went to the booth in quite an open way to see if he could vote for his mother. He asked His Honour to take into consideration the nreviotis good character of the prisoner -and his service to the Empire, ' and grant him probation. Very strict inquiries had been made by the police, and it was ascertained that although Belsham had had some drink on the day of the election he was not given to drinking. His Honour said that he did not intend to send the prisoner to gaol, but remarked that he bad apparently | taken liquor on the day ot the election. He hoped the lad was not one of those weak persons who, accordine to some newspaper correspondents, could not live without Honor. His Honour fined the prisoner X's and allowed him one month in which (o find the money. At yesterday's meeting.of the Wellington Industrial Association the chairman made reference to the death of Mr. David Robertson, who was long a respected member of the association, and was for some time the association's sole representative on the Technical School Board. Members paid their tribute to the deceased gentleman by standing in silence for a few moments. Remission of rates on the Theosophical Hall in Marion Street was granted ,by the City Council last evening. For the convenience of returning soldiers and their dependants arrangements have been made for the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board's office to Temain open during the Christmas holidays except on December 25, 20, and 27, and January 1 and 2. A special staff has been detailed to attend to all inquiries, land soldiers and their dependants who may i be in Wellington during the holidays will ' no doubt appreciate this arrangement. At a special meeting of the Dominion Council of tho British and Foreign Bible Society hold yesterday, Mr. G- A. Troupe presiding, it was resolved to secure a suitable site for a Bible House in Wellington for the operations of the society in "Jfew Zealand. Hitherto the work of the society has been carried on under restricted conditions. Every State in i Australia has its Bible House located in Us ciuntal city. New Zealand has carried on 'its operations, from the front room of the agent's residence. An appeal is being made to secure funds for the establishment of a Bible House in New [ Zealand, and the nsrojits. the Revs. F. H. Spencer and H. T. Thompson, are authorised by, the council to collect funds for this object.