LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 144, 13 March 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It was announced by the Minister of Public Health (the Hon. G. W. Russell) to a gathering of residents of Miramar last' evening that the Government proposed issuing to all epidemic workers certificates in recognition of their services.

There was talk of a strike on the part of the membsrs of the Canterbury District Repatriation Board last night, owing lo tho attitude of the. Director of Repatriation in questioning a, proposed appointment by the board (states a Press Association message from Christchurch). Eventually the board decided to take matters into its own hands and make the appointment. It was stated that the Canterbury Board could not deal effectively with tho large number of applicants for work, etc., unless a much larger staff was employed. The following resolution was finally carried: "That tho Employment Committee be empowered to consult the district repatriation officer and employ a staff, and then notify the head office in Wellington of the same and ask them to confirm the appointments." 4

During the conrsß of his speech to a gathering of residents of Miraniar last evening the Minister of Public Health (the Hon. Cr. W. Russell) said that there was a lot of hard common sense in tho old idea of our grandmothers that an annual spring cleaning was essential- He referred to the clean-up that had taken place 111 New Plymouth beforo tlie epidemic broke out, and he wished that every town had adopted a similar line of action. The .residents of New Plymouth, were lequested 011 a certain day some months ago to gather together all their unwanted accumulations without considerationof what those accumulations were. Forty tons of rubbish were thus gathered and carted to tho destructor in one day, and the result was a cleaner and. healthier town. The Health Department would shortly issue a circular to all public bodies of Now Zealand asking that similar "clean-ups" should he organised.

Addressing the Onslow Borough Council last evening, the Mayor of Wellington, Mr. .T. P. Luke, said that he would not hesitate to ask tire ratepayers of Wellington for their sanction to a considerable loan to relieve the congested areas and to make provision for the proper housing of the people. The mat-' ter was one that must be dealt with, and tho finance for carrying out improvements must be arranged.

In a spooch at Lawrence on Saturday Sir James Allen referred to the report that ho would not again seek Parliamentary honours. Ho said: ''It has been stated that I am not coming* back to you again, but you must not believe newspaper reports. When I am not coming back to you I Trill come and tell you so first myself."

After discussing the question of scientific and industrial lesoarch, the Board of Science and Art adopted tho following resolution:—"That this meeting urges upon the Government that the tnno has come when the establishment of a board to superintend and organise scientific research, and the advancement of industrial efficiency should be no longer delayed; that the scheme adopted bv tho Efficiency Board, being the well-consid-ered. opinion of the scientific bodies of New Zealand, has the foremost claim to the attention of the Government; and that ponding the establishment of such a board, a joint committee, of the New Zealand Institute and the Science and Art Board be authorised to undertaTio a preliminary investigation into the following matters: (a) Industrial problems requiring scientific research; (b) facilities'for research in New Zealand laboratories; (c) number and status of scientific men available for research work; (d) register of research work in progress; (e) existing facilities for the training of research students; (f) existing facilities for technical education and training of artisans; (g) existing facilities for tho training of agricultural students."

,At the annual meeting of the Wellington Storemen's Union, held on Tuesday eveninc, the following officers were electtedPresident. Mr. W. Dyson; vicepresident, Mr. W.. James: treasurer. Mr. H. Painter; secretary, Mr. A. E. Mont.pithj trustees, Messrs. Larsen and Ewing; executive, Messrs. Wilson. Dixon. Devonport, Duncan, O'Connell, and Sweeney.

It is probable that the Wellington painters "will shortly ask the Court of Arbitration to amend their award by increasing their wages so as to enable them to meet the increased cost of living. A meeting to consider the matter will bo held by the Painters' Union on Monday evening. Speaking at the inauguration of the C.T.A. victory effort yesterday afternoon, the Hon. G. W. Russell said that nearly, one-half of the cheese imported into Great Britain came from this little country, and ho believed that New Zealand was destined to be some day the dairy farm of tlie British Empire.

At tlie Petono Police Court yesterday morning, 'bpforo Messrs. A. Coles and E. Jones, J.P.'s, .Tames M'Donald was charged with the theft from the Central Hotel of ,£l7 worth of clothing, tho property of George Webb. Accuscd pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

A fireman, who is a member of the crow of the overseas vessel Matatua.was last evening arrested on two charges of assault "causing bodily harm," and one charge of resisting arrest. Defective Torrance yesterday arrested a man on n charge of stealing a portmanteau and contents from the Tramways Lost Property Office. Both of the accused will appear before the Court this morning.

Tho delegate to tho conference of the Master Plumbers' Federation of New Zealand visited Muritai on Saturday and were entertained there by Mr. ,Tudd. They have arm aged to play a bowling'match against a team representing the master painters and builders on the Wellington green this afternoon. Tho plumbors will be represented by four rinks, as follow: T. Ba!linger' (s.), Burk, Fisher, and Jackson; A. Ramsay (s.), Remington, R. Rainsav, and Jackson; Colvillo (s.), Anchor, Mack, and 11. Ballinger; Douglas (s.), Sneddon, Scott, and Martin. Tho delegates are to meet at a smoke concort to-morrow evening.

Members of the Onslow Borough Council last evening lamented tho fact that certain ssats on the bridle track leading to Khandallah had disappeared without warning. Some councillors evidently entertained a suspicion that the seats had not voluntarily quitted their posts, and that the assistance of the police might bo worth obtaining to elucidate the mystery. It was agreed that the force should be called upou if the seats did not return.

A Dunedin merchandise house has received tho following communication from a. Sydney firm:—"We have been waiting for some weeks to obtain shipping space to forward your order of November 25 last. Owing to the demand for freight the companies are giving preference to direct consignments. If, therefore, you can arrange to take delivery in Wellington we shall have no difficulty in getting your requirements forwarded." To further emphasise the disadvantage Dunedin importers are working under, tho manager of the same firm' states, says the "Otago Daily Times," that on Saturday he received advice by mail from his Melbourne agents that they wore lucky enough to secure space ■ for Dunedin goods on the Argyllshire, which was sailing to Auckland. The Dumedin firm will now have tho privilege of paying the additional cost for transhipping these goods from Auckland to Dunedin. Tho remarkable circumstance about this last-named incident, said the manager of the firm, is that the Kaiapoi was loading at Melbourne for Dunedin direct at the timo the advisory letter was written by tho Melbourne agents, and that another steamer was duo to load for Dunedin a few days later. The merchant remarked, in conclusion, that ho could not believe the Melbourne house would have sent the goods the roundabout way it had if the fact that steamers were due to rail to Dunedin direct had been sufficiently made known. .

Interviowed in Christchurch while he was on-his way from Dunedin (o Wellington, Sir James Allen stated' that no site for a training camp in the South Island, under the proposed new Territorial system, has been decided upon yet. Burnham had not been found to be satisfactory, the principal reason for this being that it has no place suitable for a firing range. •

The subject of school picture shows was considered at a recent meeting of Auckland headmasters. It was decided to recommend the Board of Education to arrange for Sims dealing with' the British Empire, its people, and industries, for Standard VI, 'travel pictures of Europo and the British Isles for Standard V, and pictures dealing with Australia and New Zealand life and industries for Standard IV.

The Mayor of Onslow (Mr. ,T. M. Dale) was last evening the recipient of a novel present-to wit, the Mayoral chair of tho borough. The suggestion for the gift came from Councillor Hobbs, who had 110 difficulty in pereuading his fellow-coun-cillors that Mr. Dale was well enlitl°d to such a memento for tho services he had rendered in his office. Tho Mavor accepted the chair with pleasure, observing that he would "sit tight upon it," and risk being informed that he was not legally entitled to take it.

It was stated at the meeting of the Mount Albert Borough Council (states tho Auckland "Star") that a waterdiviner had visited tho present pumping grduuds and had located a stream of water estimated to provide SOffl) gallons per hour at a depth of less than 50ft. Tho council decided to call tenders for tho tapping of the new stream. Tl)o main supply streaiii for the borough was reported to be giving 12,000 gallons only, which was insufficient to meet local requirements.

If a bush fire destroyed effectively everything in its track the tragedv that has befallen many settlers in the Cippsland and Cape Ohray regions from time to tune would have been less serious says the Melbourne "Age." Unfortunately, however, it frequently happens that a great bu&h fire, 1 ushing across virgin country, causes millions of young seeds lying buried in the ground to spring into activity, and tho old burnt forest is quickly replaced by a young forest whoso density is appalling. Instances are recorded of soldier settlors returning to their Gippslanc) lioKliiijis front nctivo service abroad, to find the effects of the clearing work of years obliterated by an enormous- growth of young tree life, 30 to 40 feet high, the mushroom-like co-op of bush fires. In much of the Beech Forest area, however, it is stated, this experience is likely to ho less trying, in view of tho fact tlwt tho areas have suffered a succession of bush fires, which liavo had the effect of germinating and destroying in turn much of the latent forest life in the soil. Provided, therefore, that the Government follow the recent disastrous fires with prompt assistance to the settlers, it is more than likely, it is stated, that ninny of the younger settlers, lrho have taken to tho sawmills of recent years, will return to their semiabandoned holdings with renewed liopi and in the certainty of reaping a rich harvest, from the Inst clean-out by fires. Mr. S. Hurst Seager, lion, organising director of the Town Planning Conference to be held here in May, left Wellington yesterday 011 a lecturing tour of tho North Island. His itinerary includes Masterton, Hastings, Napier, Gisborne Eotorua, .Cambridge, Auckland, New Ply. mouth, Hawera, AVanganui, and Palmer- > ston North, qt all of which he will speak on "What Town Planning Means for the Dominion." Afterwards, Mr. Hurst Seager will tour the South Island centres Commencing in Picton during the second week in April, liq will .visit Nelson, Blenheim, Westport, and Greymonth, and then the various centres on the east coast, The samo lecture is to he delivered in Wellington on a date yet to bs fixed.