LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 151, 21 March 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The War Office announces that business correspondence between New Zealand and Czech o-Slova.kia, Jugo-Slavia, Bulgaria, and Turkey (including Turkey in Europe, Asia Minor, Armenia, Kurdistan, Mesopotamia, and Syria) will now bo accepted for transmission by mail. This relaxation relates to business correspondent:)) only, which will, of course, bo subject to censorship. . A hitch with the labourers unloading the American steamer Westland, at Queen's .Wharf, occurred yesterday, resulting in work for the day being suspended early in Che afternoon. The meu —about thirty of them—oll returning from their dinner, heard that one of the crew of the vessel had been taken to the Hospital suffering from influenza, and all of them at once refused to resume ■until the danger of infection had passed. Tho American ship Dunsyre, discharging case oil at the berth behind tho Westland, shortly after also stopped work, tho reason being that t'he presence of the infected ship was a menace to their health. Messrs. Dalgety and Co., agents for the Westland, informed a reporter that tho seaman admitted to tho Hospital was fo undergo an 'operation, An engineer of the.vessel had also gone to tho Hospital, where he would be detained for a fow days. Neither sase, it was stated, is influenza, or any disease akin to it. To satisfy tho workers the steamer was in. tho afternoon thoroughly fumigated, and a member of the executive of the Waterside Workers' Union had declared that tho Westland was a, clean ship. Work will be restarted at S a.m. to-dny, and it is presumed that the men onfiiifed by the Vacuum Oil Company to unload the Dunsyre viil do likewise. T'he Minister of Marino (tho Hon. T. M. Wilford) mentioned yesterday that the affairs of tho Greyniouth Harbour Board i(-ould bB discussed at a meeting of Cabinet on Monday next. Last week Mr. Wilford conferred with the members of the board and lie will submit certain proposals and suggestions to the Ministry. Last year Parliament decided by legislation that the Greyniouth Harbour Board should bo abolished, but the | board complained that its side of tho caso had not been heard and tho matter was held over. Of the 181 British wives of returned soldiers who arrived here yesterday by the White Star liner Athenic, 50 were bound to destinations within the Wellington district. Seen yesterday by a Dominion reporter Mr. F. W. liaybittle stated that the people who are rushing off to England, unless they positively have to, are very ill-advised. They cannot have any conception of the conditions that are prevailing, not only in London but all over England, of tho labour unrest, the extortionate prices of everything, the difficulty of getting accommodation, etc., all of which go to make a condition of tilings that will give the colonial visitor tho very worst idea of "deaT Old England." Mr. C. noldsworth, managing director of tho Union Steam Ship Company, returned to Dunedin this week after au absence of two years, during which time 110 was 011 tho company's business, mostly in the Old Country. Waited on by a "Star" reporter, Mr. Holdsworth said that the company were doing all that iras possible to be done in keeping theirfleet up to the highest point of efficiency, and, although particulars as to the proposals for buildiuj* cargo carriers cannot yet bo disclosed, since business affairs at tho shipyards are not normal, lie felt satisfied that the interests of the company, which are the interests of the public,'would bo well attended to without delay when things settled down. The Government has by regulation permitted tho holders of a trout fishing license to fish for salmon and trout u.p. till April SO, provided that no person s.iiall tifiie mora than six salmon in one day. Tho City Council has decided ou the recommendation of the lteservcs Committee that tlio comurehensivo report and recommendations of tho Director of Parks and .Hesorves, relating to the city gardens, recreation grounds, etc., recuntlv placed before the council shall be adopted 11s a general policy for future operations. Information regarding claims by British subjects in New Zealand to property or other interests in liussia may bo obtained from the Public Trustee. A nautical man who studied the bunting displayed in Christchurch on Tuesday told a reporter that lie was horrified to see flying over the City Council Chambers an old New Zealand ensign of n type that was called in and made illegal years ago. This ensign was tho one with the wliito disc 111 the corner, carrying the I'oifr stars of tho Southern Cross, and it was commonly remembered as tho "four oysters on the soup plate." Much interest in tho coming municipal elections is being evinced by sports bodies and steps are being taken to prepare a memorandum of their requirements for presentation to candidates for the Mayoralty and the City Council. Tho matter is being pushed forward by tho Now Zealand Sports Protection League, and amongst otW suggestions it is proposed that the sports bodies should ask for (lie formation of sports grounds at the Town Belt, near Pirio Street, UlO completion of grounds proposed in Central Park, aJid also a further addition to Anderson Park. A meeting is to bo hold at ail early date for tho purpose of drafting the views of the representatives of the various sporting institutions into concrete shape. The ('ifv Council has decided to grant a subsidy of .11300 to (lie Wellington Workers' Educational Association and a similar subsidy to the Wellington Free Kindergarten Assnciatioi.. The Permits and Passports Office has bee.ll one of Die busiest in Auckland during tho last week. From opening until closing' lime if lias been thronged with people awaiting the issue of passports and overseas passengers desirous of continuing their travels. This extra pressure of business,. the heaviest that has been experienced for a very long time past, is due to the recent arrival of an unusually large number of overseas vessels, several of which had very heavy passenger lists. There was a great demand for passages by the Manuka, which left on Tuesday for Sydney. I

The prohibition on tho import and export of unset diamonds- is revoked.

Regulations concerning the shipment and landing o( petroleum are gazetted. It is provided by tho new regulations that ou any vescsl arriving iu port with more than 2001) gallons of petroleum on board the muster must display -at the masthead n. red flag of not less than 2-1 inches square, and during the darkness hours a red light at the masthead when his vessel is anchored and on the gangway when the ship is berthed. On or before the arrival of tho ship in port the master is to inform the harbourmaster of tho quantity of petroleum on board, and how it is stowed. There are provisions also relating to (he stowage of the oil and as to the handling of it overside. One. of the rules is that no steam locomotive shall -approach a ship whilo oil is being loaded or discharged unless the locomotive is fitted with ail effective spark arrester. At yesterday's meeting of the War Funds Council, a report was received from the chairman of the Public Service War Fund Advisory Committee, convejing the following resolution:—"That flic Public Servico War Fi-ud be administered to provide teniyonry assistance for sick and wounded soldiers and their dependants, and for the dependants of deceased soldiers, such soldiers having been members of a Department that contributed to the fund; the assistance to be given as follows:—(1) In cases wiere pensions and other resources are not sufficient for needs; (2) in cases where special circumstances warrant assistance for educational or vocational purposes." At least one English wife of a returned soldier, who arrived by the Athenic, was proud of the district she hailed from. Shu descended the gangway, carrying a baby any mother would be proud of, and pinned to its clothes was a large card on which was printed the • word "Cocliney." The city engineer has prepared a report ou the present capabilities of the existing water supply system and the possibilities of expansion to meet further luiuirements of the city and such adjoining districts as may in future become incorporated with the city, or require an adequate water supnly from the city system. _ It was mentioned at last night's meeting of the council that the report had been sent to the printer in order that permanent copies might be available. The organiser of the New Zealand Town-Planning Conference and Exhibition has been informed that tho Wellington City Council will arrange for the Wellington exhibits, which wore forwarded to the Australian Town-Planning Conference in Brisbane, to be available for the New Zealand Exhibition in May noxt. Tho Finance Committee of the City Council has informed the District Repatriation Committee in reply to an inquiry as to works that will give employment to returned soldiers, that there are a number of works that have been projected to meet city requirements, and which, when put in hand, will provide employment for a.number of men, particularly general labourers and artisans. But any works that may he contemplated by tho council are subject to tho approval of the ratepayers for the necessary loan. Permission has been granted to the following associations by the City Council to conduct street collections-.—St. John Ambulance Association: One day in either October or November; Wellington Free Kindergarten Association: One day in May. * The By-laws Coinmitteo reported at last night's meetins of the City Council that it had received a deputation from tho Wellington District Fruiterers' Association urginsr that the licenses (.ranted to fruit hawkers to stand at certain places in the streets be cancelled, in view of tho alleged' competition against shopkeepers. The committee had informed the deputation that the question would be considered at the next meetinu. A Gisborne gentleman, says the "Herald," has received a letter from a rela--tive of an officer in an English regiment who underwent two years' captivity a.t the hands of the Huns. Ho writes: "I am just getting over the shock-of being a free man again. You can't think' what it is to siave Englishmen all round yo'i, instead of the loathsome Hun. You will hear much of (he bad treatment of prisoners of war, and remember nothing can be too strong to describe the horrors and miseries the men went through. Officers have not only petty annoyances to grouse about, but the men were starved and kicked and beaten, and put in'salt mines, and bayoneted nnd shot in a manner worthy of the dark aces, Thousands of British" soldiers died literally of starvation, and lie in unknown graves in the occupied parts of Belgium and France, and in East Prussia. I hope no Englishman will ever forget or forgive this. I hope never to see or speak to a Hun again as long as I live. Tt was no military oligarchy that did this—it was the Hun in the street." Mr. S. M. Stono will ibs a candidate for the Mayoralty of Miramar at next month's election, Mr. S. Geo. Nathan has definitely decided to become a candidate for tho City Council at the comiwr election.. The City Council has decided that the bicycle track along Clyde Quay shall be closed to cyclists in view of the danger to pedestrians. , r ,• The Reserves Coinmitteo of the Citv Council has completed arrangements with the Department of Internal, Affairs whereby.the committee will plant (solely with native trees and shrubs) and main, tain the Kelburn Observatory. Grounds in the Botanical Gardens for the sum of ,£75 per annum, the Internal Affairs Department being consulted onianv suggested alterations or improvements.