LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 109, 1 February 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Atlvice lias been received by Hie 'Department; that Keturniiig. Draft 209, consisting'of 150 men from Egypt, lias been delayed in Australia. This contingent was returning by the Nestor, and. it was expected to'arrive at Sydney on January 27. Tlio advice received is that the ship luis boon quarantined at Melbourne until to-day. It is proposed 'to send .tliese men,on to New Zealand by the Marnart during next week,' but this is uncertain, as the Maniari may also be quarantined on arrival at .Melbourne. Consequently' further advice must be awaited before the time of arrival of the draft in New Zealand can bo announced. The hotels will be c'osed to-doy on account of the arrival of iroops. 1 There was only one bankruptcy in the city of 'Wellinglon during January. Advice lias been received bv Huso l?e----corrts Office that 21,717 "V. Middlelon, a discharged soldier, died at Christ«h»reh Ho'nital on' January 29.' His nextof-kin is Mrs. A,. Middletou, 22 Clarence Bond, Bridlington, Yorkshire,, lvugland (mother). .Deceased's father. Mr. Hugh .Fuller, resides at Sciidon, Marlborough. Among the flotsam and jetsam rushing down tlio raging flood-waters of the Molyneux "River in the vicinity of the traffic, bridge at'Balclutlia on "Wednesday' was plainly visible by sightseers on the bridge a portion of a tree trunk on which over 20 rabbits were. e. owded (says the "Otago Daily-Tillies"). Following closcly in" their wake, but close to the shore, was a draught horse which strenuously but unsuccessfully endeavoured to effect a landing, and was e.uickly swept awav in the torrent. One cause of the shortage of coal supplies throughout New Zealand is the. stoppage of all coal shipments from Newcastle, on which the gas companies used to depend at one' time. A local reason is shortage of skilled labour. Many of the men working on the West. Coast coalmines kept going until the Christmas holidays, but since then a fairly large ■number have not. returned to the mines at all, and are not expected to do so. '• During the lust day or two the Mayor (Mr. J." P. Luke) has 1 cen endeavouring to get in touch with Ihe managers of the local district committees that were'actively engaged in coping with the recent epidemic of influenza. He lias. However, not been successful in many cases owing to so many people being away on holiday, and to ensure'that all will- bo ready for service again should a rei-rudeseuee of the malady occur lie li-.is (ailed n mcetin<; of members of the committee* to be held in the Council* Chamber on Monday morning nt 11.30 o'clock. "That, owing to the increase in teachers' salaries'rendered--necessary by the rise in the cost of living the Government, bo asked to increase the grant payable to secondary school; nthorities on account of free places; and that the Government, having intimated its intention of making additional provision for salaries of teach-, ovs in primary schools, it be urged that the same consideration be shown to the teachers in secondary schools." The above communication was- received from tlie committee of tlio Napi«r High School bv the governors of the Wellington col-" lege*, and'received their cordial endorsement. . • The' Customs duties collected during last mouth at'tlio port ■of Wellington amounted to JCl2o.'tfis lis. Si!. Beer duties totalled ,£2-tto 12s. Sd. ••Mr.' I ; . G- Dunn was appointed the South Canterbury' lioturned Soldiers' As-, soeiation nominee' on the' .TimwUv.Hc-. patriatipn Coipmtftee, " ' '"' .'

The socretaryof the Union | yesterday informed a Dominion' representative that-oil Thursday, lie hail in-| quiries front' .twenty-seven men desiring I employment, lint was unable to place any I of them. "Tie stated that a few of the I men were returned t-oldiers, others were men who had had to. leave positions to make way for soldiers, and Ihe «remninder wore unclassified. The staff of tho Wellington City Corporation held its annual picnic ill an unsatisfactory blend of .sunshine,- and' -rain at Day's Bay yesterday. The weather was showery in the morning,' hut there were, intervals of simshinc'during the afternoon, which were made the most of. When the rain came, on the picnickers sought sanctuary "in 'the pavilion', iind made the most of. the time by playing games a.nd indulging in dancing, . The •Major.(Mr."J.,l\ Luke),'and Town Clerk (Mr, J. U. Palmer) visited, the Bay at | midday, hut-the attendance of members' i of the council was not-.so good as usual ' owing to the uncertainty of the weather. : Increases in the salaries of the stall ! of the'' Girls' College' were discussed ill ! committee by the .College Governors yes- j tordjy morning. [ As a small appreciation of. the-great' ■work done ,by the men, who have served on the mine-sweepers and by the naval ratings, (he Navy League lias'arranged to entertain the men in port at lunch on Monday. After lunch (here will be a sports gathering for the men at Kelburn. Members of the league and friends are cordially' invited to )>e present at the sports, which will commence'at 2.30 p.m. The Industries ■ Committee 'of the House of' "Representatives ■ will sit in the Joint Committee Eoo'm, Old Parliamentary Buildings, on February 6 and following days,-to hear evidence as to how existing industries in the Dominion copld be stimulated or new industries promoted. Any person* desirous of being heard is invited to com.utunieafe. with (lie,secretary to the committee (Mr. A. E. Briggs). ' .V. It had been hoped by the members of the Hepatization Board that it would have been possible to set up the local comriiittees under the repatriation scheme at the, en<l. of this week, but many'of the bodies and societies who .have been asked to submit names of members whom they consider suitable for appointment '-to these committees have' neglected to. do so. The names were 6ent forward front most of the organisations in the cities, where the district-boards nre to lie established, but in the secondary towns, where there will be local committees only, the response to the request made by the Central Board has been disappointing. It ,js possible that the Central Board may have to go on with the formation of these committees without the aid o.f the nominations which thev have asked, . Mr. Evan Parry,- Chief Electrical .Engineer to. the Public AVorks-.Department, who is soon io leave the service of the New Zealand Government, has been visiting Central Otngo and Southland, examining sources of {water power for the generation of electricity. Later he will visit' North Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, and the West Coast' for the same purpose, and one of his last '-tasks as an engineer in >this country will be the preparation of the outline ef 'a scheme for the supply of hydro-electric power to cover the whole of the South Island. . 'At yesterday's' meeting' of the College , Governors ' the chairman (Mr. W. X Ward) announced .that during the' holiday period.hoodlums broke.into Wellington College observatory, took away a lot of things which'could be of no earthly use. to them, and destroyed others.". The damage had to lie repitii-ed, particularly that to the roof—the marauders entered the observatory through the roof—and lie had received a tender to do the repairs necessary for\fci6 10s. 6d. On the proposal of; the chairman the tender'was accented. ' ■ \ While (ho Board of, Trade was in Nelson last, week it received a largo deputation of fruitgrowers with reference to the price of fruit, cases and the increase in the cost of timber for fruit: cases and generally. The board was able to inform the orcliardists that a reduction iiad been made in the price of white pine, and provided more red pine could ba used for cases, a further reduction in-., tho iirice of cases could be. looked .for. Another deputation, also of growers, interviewed the. board mi. tho price of fruit.' It was asked that fhe lioard slioiild'.considei- proposals as V 'ensuring fair priccs from fruit, in view "of the'-shortage-of ■ I lie crop generally." It was suggested (hat the price of fruit throughout'fhe Dominion sltould befaed in the interests of both grower and consumer. It was. indicated nt the meeting that the ma-' jority of-the growers in, the Nelson district would be finite satisfied with a return .of Id. per ,Ib. for their fruit at the orchard. The board requested that a .meeting of representative growers in the Nelson district should be held to discuss proposals and formulate a scheme that the board could submit In the Government. If such a scheme were endorsed by the growers themselves, then tiie board would go into the matter oil the spot some time next month. ' ' Referring to the regradiiig of Civil Servants, "The Public .'Service Journal"' says':—"Although a. large number: of., the' general. division, officers.,.have been regraded .lately, there - still remain-several groups whose claims, for consideration are undoubted,- .whose necessities are • insistent,- and whose .economic position- in these times of .high priccs is not to' be envied. Wo refer:more particularly to messengers, nightwatchnien, chaimtieii, and charwomen, These officers'may fear that-iti the controversy cn the-'clerical scale their cases may have been overlooked. ■•but- they .may accept an assurance that' tho association is watchingtheir interest.-* arid that the Qomntis-v "sion'er, views with, a'sympathetic mind"' and will not fail to deal justly by. I hem." ' » ;R.ome..fairly. eausli; criticism was directed, against the-Pensions' Board' at .the meet'v.g of' the Keturned-'Soldiers' Association on Wednesday (states.tlje "Otago Daily.. Times'-'). A ■•.■member .stated that after .being on active service for throo years he had spent six months in hospi- . tal with gas'poisoning, and oil obtaining his. discharge he had been granted a sion. ■He -received r.otico reconfly that this liad ljeen stopped, although lliorfe' was no improvement in his health, and he .wished ; to .know ;.if the association' could take any action in the matter. In reply, the. chairman -(Dr.' Harrison)' said the pensions scheme was a'.very complicated one. and-gave a good deal of trouble. .The committee received a,great many letters from soldiers upon this 6iiltject, all of them cases in which the {tension 'granted . had been interfered;.- -with. The wlioie question seemed to lie in .prewar disability and the i.onseq.nent action of the Defence Department in lioU.olding. itself responsible for these, conditions. As. 'far as ho could see, if a man were passed as'.fit. by the Department and contracted disease the. trouble was either directly due to service conditions or very much.aggravated by those conditions,.and that being so .the Department should accent the responsibility. ' He thought the. wholo. scheme stood in "great need cf re-' vision, and the .nrescnt policy of .the board also needed' some, .drastic reconstruction. If .'any. man whose, pension itad : been . stopped forwarded particulars, to the..committee of., the association it' would send tlie matter on to the.Pensions Board with a reeo.iiincndafinn. that- the case should lie. reviewed.' In all instances of the- kind the tensions .were,' reviewed, and that was all thev could do. in the matter. No. one, had -at y ndr"ss at all. The decision rested with the Pensions Board, aud it, was all a. ji'.ntter of tli'e opinion, of one-doctor 'against that of another. ... As the. Wellington Technical Collesre is to reopen next week", it will be incumbent upon tho Technical Education Board to appoint .a-successor':.to-Mr;: W; S. La Trobe. who. has ..been.-appointed Government Director for Technical Education'in ■New. Zealand. . The members..', of 1 the Technical Board have protested ill vain to the Department about being deprived of Mr. La Trobo's services nt -the. eotn-. lneneeniont of a-new year, and it is now practically assured that the school will, jiave to get nlong for a time without any director.. .Applications for .the. position of director have been .called,''and already several" have been .received, aiid the sifting of tiiese will pi'obably occupy the attention of the board ,'.t its next meeting. Mr. La Trobe will, take up. his new duties as Dominion Director, as from Monday next." " . , Solections will be played by the Patriotic Society's Bniidatthoßotamcal Gar-.-tVns'at: a p.m : .-to-iiigrrow,:.. .• -' ' '

The following local candidates passed tlie examinations, for the registration of midwives:—Ninety per cent, of marks or over, Mary E. Watson, Mollie A. lwllljher, Emily .1. Avery. Eva W. Jones (all. from Wellington St. Helens)'; 7.V per'cent, or over (trainees of ft. Helens), Marv Jenkins, Mary P. Flood, Nina A. Had' field; Alexandra Home, Margaret L M'Donald, Louise Peed, Ellen Collings; Solvation Army Maternity Home, Agatlm Baltersby; other passes—St. Helens. Wei - liiigton, Lucy M.. Davidson. Nellie Knight ley; Alexandra Home, Eupliemia \v ■ Doull, Ada S. M'Culloch. ...Mention was made at yesterday s meetin'g of the College Governors of the proposed closing up of the lower end of Brook Street foff -Murpliy Street) in conneotion with a. scheme of grounds .extension that is beinir brought about \ntli the sanction of the Education Department.; by the College Governors wording in -with" the Wellington Education Board. The proposal will go far towards making a very considerable improvement for all time in that, valuable block of Thorndon occupied bv the formal School and Girls' College. Details were discusscd in committee. -The proposed closing of-the end of Brook Street will affect no one, as the Education Hoard's property is on-the one.side and-the college grounds on .the other, and the street only-forms an entrance to both from Murphy Mvoet. Some little time aso 4 Labour Epidemic Committee waited on the Ministers of Health , and Education, and the committee holds that (lie Ministers made certain promises regarding children whose parents had been lost during the epidemic. The committee met last night to ascertain what progress was being made in the matter. Afterwards it was reported to tho Press that the committee could only ascertain that whatever assistance had been given had come through the Hospital and Charitable Aid Hoard. The spirit of the- promise, by the Ministers, it was' eoiitended, was :thnt only temporary relief would be given from that source, and that permanent relief would be given through the Education Department', bo that any suggestion of charity would be avoided. The committee decided to go further into the matter. to see how far the complaints were justified. ! The thoroughness with which the campaign against flies is carried on at Pultfrroii Hill., Ttolorua, is one of the features that- strikes the visitor to King George. V Hospital (states the "New Zealand Herald"*. War is waged on flies; both within the hospital and without. In the garden-spaces round the institution are placed ingenious traps for the ensnareliient of the a'gerossivc blue-bottle, which is' also capturcd wholesale by mean? of .metal troughs, filled with poisonous li(|iiids, attached to the lower ends of the window-sashes. and again by seductive contrivances placed on the lids' of all rubbish bins. For the common housefly there are pendant rods in all the princimil divisions of the'hospital, smeared with "tanglefoot" mixtures, which account for the little pests by, thousands daily. Not content with its dp«Hi?t f nn • ia the hospital and offices, the authorities are pursuing tho fly in its breeding-nlac's, notably about some of the hotels in the t:vy.n. The anti-fly campaign is conducted by a small stall exclusively employed for the purpose, under the direction of a non-commissioned officer, popularly known as. "the fly-sor*easit." ' ' At the Universily of Otago arrangements have been made for a course of instruction in anthropology, which will include lectures in physical, cultural, nnd geological anthropology, to be delivered by the professors of human anatomy, of moral philosophy, and or geology respectively. To complete the course a lecturer oil ethnology was required, and this need has recently beeii met by the appointment of.Mr. H. D. 'Skinner to the position. It. is understood that the anthropological course will be started this vear. •