LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 161, 2 April 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The now railway station for Wellington is ono of the public works to be undertaken as .soon as possible now thiil; the war is over. The Minister of Railways said yesterday that the llrut question lo bo settled before the enterprise could be embarked upon concerned tliii rcclu ination to be made. The General Manager of Railways had recommended a. smaller reclamation .scheme, but the Harbour Board wanted the binge jscheme. Tho rniestion was at present under consideration by the board, which had delayed the matter until the return of Mr. Marchbanks. Mr. Hemes said that until (ho reclamation matter was decided the station plans could not bo finally lixed. It L understood that the Wellington Automobile Association is lo approach the Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) asking him to open the road iliroiisJi the Defence Reserve at Minimal- North, as •me means of celebrating; Peace Day. This splendid motor road, which follows the harbour on Ihe flat round .Scorching Bav, Ivan Hay, Miihanga .Hay, and Shelly Hay, is an essential section of an ideal 'run round." The president of the Hoard of Trade (the Hon. \V. D. S. Aim-Donald) expe.ns to have from the board the full report being prepared on the production and distribution of coal in New Zealand. Jius report the Ministc* considers will be a standard work on the coal question. ih9 board presented an interim report on the subject earlier in the inquiry, awl it seemed from that report, says the Minister, that there could be no reduction in the price of coal to the consumer unless there were improvements iu shipping, screening, and distribution.

Advice lias been 1 received from the Air Ministry bv Sir Jamas Allen that four aeroplanes are coming out to New Zealand. Tho machines are of the types known as Bristol Fighters and D.U.I. There will be two of each type, lour mechanics to set tin tho machines and make them ready for flying aro also comiuh' to New Zealand shortly. Representatives of the frewing companies are to meet the delegates of tiie Freezing Works Employees' twlerntion in Wellington to-day to discuss wages. •J'Jis workers wish to have a Dominion agreement or award. They were granted 5 per cent, advance all round last year, and the acceptance, of this ofter was made conditional upon a conference being held this year with a view to framing a Dominion award.

In si communication to a Dunedin firm under date February 11, one of the leading whisky firms in Scotland states inter alia-. "We mav mention that no export of whisky is taking plate from this to any countrv, as the dock labourers iefuse to handle this article. They maintain that, as they are not getting sufbcient whisky at Home, they do not see whv it should be exported, and this condition of affairs may last for some time, as the Liquor Controller does :ot seem to be at all anxious to increase the present allowance for consumption in the Home market. The deckel's' action IS part and narcel of the unrest menu iw in this country, as regards labour and working hours."

A Press Association telegram from Christchurch states that Mr. E. G. Howard has been selected as tho_ Laboui Party's candidate for the Christchurch South seat «t the general election. The position of the four players who were suspended by the Rugby Union last year for failing to appear before the Management Committee to explain he position with regard to the much-dis-cussed Auckland-Wi'llinston match, was considered at last night's meeting of the Executive Committee of the union. It was pointed out that the players m question would remain under suspension until such time as they appeared before Win committee. The : Auckland District Repatriation Board is working at high pressure, a Press Association message states. A large number of applications are being received for advances to enable returned soldiers to start in business. Numerous grants have been made to enable experienced men to acquire existing businesses, such as groceries, etc., but not many have been granted for the purpose of allowing men to start new businesses. "L have got JEIO 7s. Gd.. to draw for the fortnight," said a conductor on om> of the Wellington cars the other night. The information was intended for a couple of friends, who did not seem to b* at all impressed. "I have earned more than that in a week on the wharves, said one of them. "I have drawn £\i for a week down there," said the other. The conductor mentioned that Ins wage* for the fortnight included a substantial amount of overtime. A Press Association message from Invcrcargill states that the Uefenco Department has informed the Southland War Funds Association that arrangaments have now been made to inform soldiers who married in Britain of Iho date of arrival in the Dominion oi their wives. The Mavor of Wangauui has received a letter from a Wangauui resident now serving in the military l'ohcb «t Samoa, in which the writer says: "I would.be obliged if you would forward me a copy of the municipal by-laws and general rules wl'.ieh obtain in the government ot the town of Wangauui. They would be very useful here in tlic near future, ns 1 understand a move is to be made m too direction oi going m for the formation of a borough." Some comment on the New Zealand policy of training soldiers in Now Zealand is made in a private letter received lately by Sir James Allen from an JUpeiia'l officer of high rank. "I am .aire voi are quite right," the correspondent mites "m regarding the considerable timo you have given your troops in camp in Now Zealand before sending them out as all helping, towards good discipline, and it must, I know, bo a source ot real satisfaction to you to reaUse now extremely favourably the discipline mid behaviour of New Zealand troops las been commented on. This has been the ca«e not only in France, but m England and on board ship. I am sure you are right in saying that such training benents the men physically, mentally, and morallv and consequently must bo of tremendous benefit to the whole country later, when the greater part ot its manhood will have been through the mill. x_n the same letter the officer commends bir James Allen for the excellence of the administration of the military effort ot New Zealand in the war.

>V number of residents and business people m Molesworth Street waited on tlm Minister of Justice (.tho Hou. J.. Id. Wilibrd) yesterday to make some representations to him about tho keeping ot order in that street. The deputation v,as introduced by Mr. 11. Hanlon. He icfcrrcd to tho remarks made recently t>y tho Magistrate (Mr. ftazer) about drunkenness in the street. He did not rtisscnl from the Magistrate's view, but ratlicr admitted that there had been instances of drunkenness there. The members of the deputation felt that the street had not lately been sufficiently policed, and this hud "tho effect of permitting a license which otherwise would not have appeared, lie stressed the need also for a. public convenience in tho street, llio Minister said Unit the constable who had been stationed in Tinakori Road lately ha-l been promoted to tho rank of sti'Kciiiir. and he had left Hie station. But a constable would be placed there .within the next. week. Mr. Wilford said that he had some personal knowledge of the locality, and he admitted that there had been too much drunkenness, but no thought the placing of a constable in the neighbourhood would have the eltect of stopping most of it. As to (lie request for a public convenience, ho referred the deputation to tho Mayor and the Oily Council, reminding them that an election was coming soon, and that the timo w.15 opportune for making a ilomaml of IhH kind.

A soldier with the New Zealand troops stationed in tlenuar.y, in tho course of a letter, tiiivs: "Wo arc having quite a lot of fun one way and another. 1 went lo Bonn a few days ago. ;ind strolled through the university grounds and along tho riverside, ft is very pretty out there.. \Vo go into Cologne frequently to tho Opera House. Of course we do not understand what is said or sung, but the music is beautiful. At Bonn some Canadians shot the spike off the helmet on Frederick Ill's statue, the nose off his face, and the sword from his hand. In fact, they have now put a guard over what is left of his statu©.'

"It is oiilv when you come to tlm Bankruptcy 'Court that you lind whether books nre kept," said the Christehureli Official Assignee at 11 meeting ol creditors. "J guarantee that in nine out oi ten small retail businesses in this town no proper books are kept."

Tho Greymoulh Patriotic Association has passed llio following resolution:--"That llie Minister be telegraphed to, requesting Hint the condition preventing soldiers using tho privilege pass during Easier or any other holiday be witli-•<ir«v,-n, nml if, as the railway authorities assert, there is insufficient accommodation for the soldiers in addition o the general public, the soldiers should have preference."—Press Aesn.

The allium! statutory meetings of contributors to the Wellington Ladies Christian Asocial ion, the Home for Aged Needy, ami the Convalescent Home, wero held 'yesterday afternoon. The following iruslees were plocted:-Ladi::s' Christian Association, the Hon. J. G. W. Allien, M.L.C. (ehairiuan), Hcv. J. Patterson, and Mcsdames A. Anderson anil Mmr; Convalescent Home, LMesdanies Moorhouse (chairman), A. Pcarce, A. .Martin, and Mr. W. Nathan; Homo for Aged fxeedy, Mr. W. Allan (chairman), Mr. W. •!• Helyer and Mesdamos Boxhall and 11. P. Ghapinan.

The Coroner, Mr. W. G. Itiddell, S.M., held an inquest yesterday touching the death of a Kve-months-old child named Willie liijney, which was found dead at the registered home of Mrs. Starr, Muritai, on Sunday morning. Evidence was given by Dr. W. Kington l'yffe, who made a post-mortem examination 6f Hie body of the child, that all the organs were congested. Ha could find nothing indicating the cause of death, which might have been due In suffocation. Kliaa Jane Starr, wife of Baruobus Starr, keeper of the registered infants' home, stated that the child was very restless At night. Last week she took it to Dr. Clay for treatment: Three weeks ago sho' wrote to the child's mother requesting her to take tin* infant back. On Saturday night the child slept for five licurs, which was the longest it had reposed since sho had had it. She did not strap the child into (lie bed, and heard no sound from it during the night, which was somewhat unusual. The Coroner said tho evidence showed that Mrs. Starr was a capable person to manage an infants' home. Evidoiitly the deceased was not very healthy. The child apparently died from suffocation caused by pulling the bedclothes over its head. A. verdict of "accidental suffocation" was returned.

Mrs. M'Vicar will again be a candidate for the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Hoard at the end cf tho month.

A Patea scheme for a war memorial n.chides the formation of a new road lrom the sea coait to the town, the ereciion of an obelisk and a memorial gateway, and the formation of a 1 children's playground, the total estimated cost being .£ISOO.

Councillor J. Castle will move at tomorrow's meeting of the City Council;"That in future no animals which die in the Wellington Zoo shall bo buried within the limits of the Zoo, as such a procedure is not in the interests of the public health, and is in contravention of the city by-tew which prohibits the. burial of animals within the precincts of. the city." As the days are'now beginning to draw in, the time of meeting for the Wellington City Council has been altered from 8 p.m.'to 7.30 p.m. The winter timetable will commence to-morrow evening. It is an offence against the city bylaws to water a garuen by means of a hose without having a meter to register the amount of water used. At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Thomas Walter Stace, of Kelburn, was prosecuted for having watered a garden with a hose without passing the water through a meter, and with having left the hose unattended. Mr. J. O'Shea, City Solicitor, said the case was rather a bad one. The water required for Kelburn had to be electrically pumped up to the district. The cost of pumping was 9d. per 1000 »allons, and if people used water without i passing it through a meter they were putting the city to that amount of expense. .In no part of Wellington were, the public' allowed to water their gardens without having meters, and the offence was all the more 'serious in districts to which the water had to be pumped. Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., imposed a fine of £2 on each information. "You were a deserter from the Army, were you not?" was a question asked of a defendant during the hearing of a case at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. "No, sir," was tho reply. "I was absent without leave." "Well, that's something very similar, isn't it?" queried the presiding Magistrate, Mr. EiddeJl. The defendant came to the conclusion that it was. The subject of complaints made by men who havo lost limbs during the war, which was mentioned on Saturday, has created considerable interest both among (he returned soldiers and the public generally. A meeting of limbless men convened, by tho Eeturned Soldiers' Association will be held on Thursday evening, at 7.30, when a frill discussion will take place. A notification of the meeting appears in our advertising columns.

Three boys nt Perth (W.A.)' were playing at trench-tunnelling, when the tunnel collapsed and smothered them—Press Assn.

It has been found that soldiers who have recently landed appreciate moro than anything else the hospitality provided at the Returned Soldiers' Club en Lambtoit Quay. Here they meet old comrades, and many make it their homo while awaiting steamer or train to take them to their final destination. It is therefore not only men belonging to the Wellington district who are entertained, but returned soldiers who left for tho front from all parts of,the Dominion. Funds are urgently required to provide adequate hospitality at tho .club, ind the ladies of Wellington are malum; a street appeal on Friday next. It w hoped that citizens will make a liberal response and so assist in the welcoma horn 1 ; to the soldiers.