LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 157, 28 March 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An Order-iu-C'ouneil prohibiting the imnortation uf tungsten and its alloys ontl compounds, also tungstic acid, is gazetted. Exportation is similarly forbidden.

The Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board has made arrangements for the training of women in simple nursing at t.lie institution for a period of two weeks, so as to I'ender tliem more useful ill the event, of a recrudescence of influe.iza. Only twenty women can lie taken at a time, as there is no further accommodation available. Alreadv thcro have been six applications to undergo the training, and it is hoped Ibnl. when the instruction commences next week the full number will be available. It is proposed to continue the training of women in batches of twenty indefinitely.

Monday next is the last day auv perron ivill be permitted to enrol oil the municipal electors' roll for the current year.

The continued agitation of the housing question by public bodies led a Dominion representative to make inquiries yesterday into the prospects of early action by the Workers' Dwellings Board. Ail uliieer of the Labour Department stated that the high price of materials for building was still proving n bar to immediate action. In the meantime, however, the board was_ waking extensive investigations in the hope of opening up cheaper source;! of supply tlnm had hitherto been available, it was also obtaining reports on various blocks of laud that hod been offered as sites for dwellings. A gentleman who has long been interested ill the problem of providing homes for workers said to the reporter (hat the proposal of the Hon. A. M. Myers for the establishment of a Government purchases board might, if adopted, make possiblo the provision nt lower rales of the materials required.

On thanking delegates for reflecting him to the position of vice-president of the Wellington ltugby Union, Colonel- G. 1' C. Campbell mentioned at last night's annua! meeting of the union that it appeared to him that football to-day v/ns played with just tiio samo vim and enthusiasm as when he was a player years ngo. People said that the game had deteriorated, but he did not th:nk so. In watching a game nowadays he felt suro that it was played with tho samo spirit of determination and eagerness us in the days of the past.

Kegulations are gazetted imposing restrictions on the importation of cattle from Tasmania. The consent of (lie Minister mast iirst be obtained for the introduction of the animals, and on arrival I lie cattle have to undergo a quarantine of forty days. Jivery shipment of cattle must be accompanicd by a certificate that the animals have been in the State of Tasmania from birth, and that they have been free from disease, or from contact wit!; infected cattle, for a period of six months before shipment. At it euchre parly, and "social" held bv students of the Workers' Educational Association on Wednesday evening, Mr. M J. Rctirdon (chairman) had something to say about itlie critics of the association. Ho said that there seemed to be an impression, shared by many, that (lie Workers' Educational Association was designed to create soap-box orators or to enable working men to get into Government positions. It was quite difficult to convince certain opponents of the movement that there was such a thing as "learning for learning's sake." The promoters of the association's work hoped that the public would yet 111010 generally appreciate the real nim, viz., the raising of the standard of knowledge and learning among tho working classes. Mr. B. E. Murohy, M.A. B.C'om., also spoke. His address was .upon tile working man's need of becoming a student, and upon the advantages to be derived from such tuition as the association afforded.

The narrowness of some .streets in tha c-itv if at times rather strikingly demonstrated. li\ Manners Street yesterday a fair-sized wagon stood between the kerbins and the car lines on the southern side. Tho driver of tlu> first ear that came along cautiously attempted to get by, but gently bumped the wheel of the wngon, and had to draw up. The man in charge of tlio obstructing vehicle was summoned from business premises near nt hand, and he succeeded in adjusting I lie wagon so that the tvnm ivas enabled ti. skim past—with barely two inches to spare.

An outhouse and contents attached to the residence of Mr. A. Fellow, situated at No. 40 C-irafton Itoad, Roseneath, wore destroyed by tire at 3 o'clock yesterday morning. Tho five was caused by heat from the copper fire. The property is owned by Mr. William Swan, and the building was not insured.

It has recently been stated that a largo number of finxmill hands in the North Island are out of employment. The Inspector of Factories at l'almerston North has reported to the labour Department that while it is customary about this time of the year for tho owners to' close down the mills for a few weeks, some have this year closed their mills ft little earlier than usual. The millownera have, howe.ver, endeivoured to retain married men in employment, end have as far iifl poe'iible dismissed only single men. The married men who have been kept on have been engaged in such work as draining and the overhauling of machinery.

The attention oj the district repatriation officer was drawn to the resolutions passed by the War Relief Association regarding housing of soldiers. Mr. Batten stated that the .Hcpatriation Board was fully in sympathy with the object of (he resolution. At the first meeting of tho board in February this matter was brought up by Mr. M. J". IJeardon, and a committee wns set up, consisting of Messrs. T. S. Weston, 11. Mainland, M. J. Ittavdon, and 0. Kershaw. This committee prepared a full report, which vns forwarded to the Ministerial Board. Information is now being; prepared so that tho matter may be laid before Cabinet.

Mr. Georgo Piper, the chief steward on Loutd the Ajana, now at Auckland, .ivho lias been attached to the vessel ever since the commencement of the war, has seen continuous war service while engaged in the mercantile marine. Mr. I'iuer has taken part in the Turco-Grec-ian war. the Spanish-American war, the South African war, and i'he present great liuropean war. During tlio tiroo that ho has been engaged on vessels, only one life has been lost on any of them, and t.hnt was during the present trip ot the Aiana. He has been at sea for twenty-five years, and was in Manchester ;it tho timo of the commencement of hostilities. His vessel, the Ajana, was ill the canal at that time, and was immediately requisitioned by the Imperial Government, who dispatched her to Australia to lil't troops, lie states that he has carried during the war all classes and manner of men and things from New Zealawlcrs, Australians, South Africans. and Germans, lo ehickoi!6, which was a cargo 'lifted to feed the troops in hospital at Lemnos during the Dardanelles campaign.

In connection with the coming munictel! election llio Now Zealand Sports Protection League lias summoned a meeting of sports bodies to meet at Uio Chamber of Commerce this evening. The object of the meeting is to give an opportunity for the sports bodies to slnto their reoniremenls ns far as questions of city administration and advancement aro concerned, in order that a memorandum may be prepared for submission to candidates at the forthcoming election for Mayor and city councillors. Sfr. C. P. Skorrott will oooupy the chair.

A special meeting of tho Wellington Central Branch of the Labour Party was held at the Trades Ilall to consider nomiintions for school committees, it being decided to run a full ticket. The following were selected to represent Labour iri the election for To Aro committee:— Messrs. Griffiths, Hemiessy, Dwyer, Coulter, Haines, Hyland, Hart, Tanner, and Mrs. Lawlor.

A local native discovered off the Otakelio Sliore lust week what at first was taken to be a mine, states the Hawera "Star." Some local residents investigated, and found washed ashore a float which had been set adrift at Capo Farewell by the Marine Department to show the direction of the tides and currents for the purpose of locating floating mines, »me of which are still supposed to bo adrift. Tho float had a bottle attached containing papers asking for information as to wheu and where found. These have been forwarded to the proper quarters.

At a meeting of the Eastbourne Platepayers' Association, it was announced that the following have announced their intention to stand for the council:— Messrs. E. P. Pearce, 11. E. Manley, C. L. Green, H. Foley, and S. Fisher.. A telegram sent from London to Sir. Hughes, Prime Minister of Australia, and Mr. Massey, Prime Minister of New Zealand, who are now attending the Peace Conference in Paris, needs (says Rcuter) only one word of explanation— both Premiers have ihe same Christian name, William. The telegram reads:— "One hundred and fifty wounded Australian and New Zealand soldiers send their best respects to their beloved Williams from doVn under, and wish them every suciiiss in their endeavours to cut the comb of the other William, Jate of Potsdam.—(Signed) Turner, Chairman."

Lieulemmt-Colonel Bettington, 11.A.1'., the aviation expert who has been selected by the War Office .to advise on the defence aspects of aviation in New Zealand. and arrived in the Dominion last week, paid a visit to the Sockburn nero' drome on Tuesday. He was accompanied by the Hon. 11 • F. Wigram, chairman of tho Canterbury Aviation Co.. Colonel Chaffey, Officer Commanding the District, Linitenant-Colonel Siceman. 1.G.5., Director ol Military draining, and Major Brandon, the distinguished New Zealand aviator. Colone ltcltington will visit the seaplane school at Auckland. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr. H. Holland) stated, according to an exchange, that as Mr. 11. G. Ell, M.P., had given him a definite assurance Hint, he was not going to seek re-election lor Christchurch South, he was now considering; the question of offering himself as a candidate for the seat at the next general election. He had been requested by a largo number of friends to do so, and his final answer would .be given to a deputation which he had been informed was about to wait on him. "What impressed iis greatly on our v.av south was the genuine welcome that wo met with all along the line io lnvercargill," said Major I\. H. Hogg, N.Z.M.C.. in the south. .Major Hogg ims served over three years with the Medical Corps, and returned to New Zealand by the Athenic. "The nieu now have got past appreciating the 'Kule Britannia' business," he staled, "and it is the warm handshake mid smiling face of friends or even strung-, ers that makes them feel at home.' The niiiior and' his wife had rather an amusing experience at Oamaru. When the train was wailing at the station a lady went to tho carnage window, shook airs. Hogg warmly by the hand, j-lid expressed the hope that she would lie happy in New Z&tland. "I think I shall," replied "Mrs. Hogg, "because, you see. T was born and brought up in the Dominion." Evidently imported wives aro not anathematised in Oamaru.

It; was only on Saturday (writes (lie Alu'iira correspondent of iho Cliristchurch "Press") tlmt many people heard of a unique experience that hud befallen some Wninni folk some ten (lavs before, k happened oft the afternoon when the inlaw thunderstorm struck the. end of lifinks Peninsula. Some men were on the mountain' siJe. towards Bossu, when there came hurtling through the air above them what ouo described as "it lurid shell, about the size of an oild:um, with a kind of triangular fiery (nil behind it." This aerial visitant shot, above Mr. Hooker's voolshed, missed Mr. Dave Wright's House by, apparently. a few feet, and then disappeared from view into the bush below, whence rauie the sound of a tremendous concussion. Subsequent investigation showed that it had struck a sturdy manuka tree a mighty glancing blow, ploughed a furrow over it foot deep along a clay path, hit another tree, cannoned off on to a third, left another furrow lower down, ond then had gone over the edge of a low cliff into the sea. All the windows in Mr. Wright's house wore cracked or broken by the passing of the meteorite, which, by the way, left two fragments near the tree it first struck, These piece?, now in the possession of the Rev. A. H. Julius. Akaroa. will be forwarded to Mr. Robert Speight for examination. Captain I). C. Armstrong. M.C., who served in the New Zealand Expeditionavv Force for somo three years _ in Egypt and France, has been admitted into partnership in the firm of G. &. Hill and Co., land agents, Lambton Quay. Before going abroad Captain Armstrong was in the service of the liauk of New Zealand here.