LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 196, 14 May 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

■ "It's much better to go about in a pnir of ragged trousers than a pair of stolen ones," remarked Mr. P. V..Frazer, S.M., at , tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, to a young man who admitted a charge of ■stealing a pair of trousers. At an informal meeting convened vesterday by tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Lul;e), members of the new City Council discussed the correspondence (published yesterday) that had passed between 'the Mayor and tho Actiug-Primo Minister (Sir James Allen), upon tho reception to bo tendered Mnjor-General Sir A. IT. Russell on his arrival in Wellington. Tho Press was not invited to bo present at tho meeting, but n- Dominion representative was informed afterwards that tho councillors considered tho Government to have unintentionally slighted the Mayor by taking away the opportunity for tl'ic holding of a civic reception. They thought, however, that in view of the dignity of the occasion, and tho deference duo to the Major-General, the Mayor should not decline to.bo present at the Government reception. After hearing tho opinion of his colleagues, Mr. Luke decided to accede to their request that he should attend with them. A report that the Public Works Department had informed tho Auckland office of tho Labour Department that it required no more men at present was referred yesterday to Mr. C. Lightfoot, officer in charco of tho local branch' of tho Labour Department (states a Press Association message). Mr. Lightfoot stated that his bureau was in tho habit of referring men who applied for employment to officers of the Public Works Department. About a week asio the bureau was notified by the. Public Works Department that it was full up, and did not' require nny more men for ':ho present.

A medical man, writing from the Old Country last mail, mentioned that one of tho greatest muddles that had happened since tho armistice was signed was that no real provision, had been made for the repatriation of nurses. Two hundred thousand nurses would soon be back from the ww 2ones, after doing o magnificent work on behalf of the nation, and yot no real effort had beon mado to make arrangements to find suitable positions for them. Assistance was being given to female munition workers, but there had been cases whore nurses who had even been decorated by tlio King wore quite unable to find suitnblo positions, and were much worse off than before the war started. No thought had evidently been given to tho repatriation of this most useful branch of the service. "From the proud position I was placed in—top of the poll—l tako it that it waa a mandate from the ratepayers that tho port should lio fitted up with a dock with the least possible .delay," remarked Mr. W. Cable, amidst laughter, at yesterday's mooting of the Wellington Harbour. Board. "I was unanimously placed at tho head of the poll without any exertion on my part. (Laughter.) If you want any clearer evidence regarding a dock, then I give it up." Mr. J. W. M'Ewan said lo happened to top the poll in his district, and if his memory served him rightly his majority was greater than that of Mr. Cable. But, in view of that fact, ho did not think he was bound to "hoist his flag" for a dock. (Laughter.) He was not sura that the people of Wellington and district wanted n dock, but if Mr. Cable could produce good reasons for tho construction of a dock ho would support him. The four Labour members of tho City Council refrained from utteudin? the special informal meeting of councillors, held in committee yesterday afternoon. It is uhderstood that they had two reasons for not being present. The first was that the notice calling tho meeting did not specify the business to be dealt with; the second, that the meeting was to be in committee. Apparently the Labour councillors thought that the proceedings should be open to the Press and the public.

Th'e Wellington Patent Slip Company, Ltd., and' S. Wood and Son last week met thoir employees (the members of the Wellington Shipwrights' Union) in order to confer with the latter upon their demand for increased wages. Mr. G. , W. Booth presided. The parties agreed that tho rate of waxes between 8 a,in. and 5 p.m. on ordhmrv working days, and between 8 a.m. and 12 noon on Saturday's, should bo L's. prr hour. They further agreed that all work performed beyond tho hours mentioned should bo connidered overtime, and should be paid for up till midnight at the rate of 2s. 10UI. per hour. The "double-time" rate was fixed at 3s. 9d. per hour. Tho first meetiiu of the vecenlly-olectod ■Wellington Hospital and Charitable- Aid Board will Iμ held this afternoon. The election of a chairman and committees wiiroe part of'the business. A wntorsidc ■ worker was arrested bv Constable. Cosgrove yesterday on a charge of stealing nine dozen handkerchiefs, valued at £i, from the cargo of the steamer Kemuora. Ho will appear at the Magistrate's Conrt to-day.

•sjaipn's pou.Tiija.i pin? S33.WJ .C,nn;|im 9i|} jo s.iaq«wm .io( sjua.vo o\ ooiw.wp.i mui iiaHimuiOD suo'ds oi]} \\)m .wjuoa 0} (In }as 'siiAi 'iioj\iai[tio}sui|;j iiiiuwjunji pin: '9ut!(j iiuqdio '[log; uiqdw,-) i» 'Hn\\ms -u'oo Mo.i'iutuuoo v ■'iunuii.iiJo.id s}.iods at]} jo a&imp hi asoqi 01 efliesotl aouu -;sifs'i! j[u a.un 6\ popi.wp aqj, •po'i.wrt uoiju.iqoieo ooue'd ai|) jo A'npuojj oi[| uo pjo'q oq ii i 'aiiiiuu.iijo.irt :q,iods sn\) JO 3.(l!l(S .Ut!]i[il(t 3lj) PSUOSJP O.) Il[2lU A'BpitOJf UO Sjf.HM.lßg: llO}n«Hl 0 AV "N 1 1, P[3q SUAI S.iaSMO UO3J.UKB jo' ~111)39111 y The staff of tiroup a (Wellington City and Suburbs) is making arrangements already for the nfxt group .rifle meetin?. Permission has been asked of Hoadquartters to hold the meeting on the lest Saturday in January for Ciuiets and the first Saturday in February for Territorials and members of rille clubs, at Tcntham in each case. A deputation representing the farmers at Wainui-o-mata waited upon the Hutt County Council yesterday suggesting that tho council should give its support to n proposal to put. a traffic tunnel through the hill to Wainui. It was pointed out that as tho City Council was preparing to construct a water-pipe tunnel, it would be a comparatively easy thing to mako the road tunnel at the same time. Were such a tunnel put through it would prove of great benefit to the farmers of the district, who were prepared to be specially rated, for the purpose. Councillor P. Cavanngh agreed wifli.the proposition, and thought a deputation should wait on the City Council to urge that the work be carried out. Before conferring witli the City Council, it was resolved to obtain an estimate of the cost of such n tunnel, and to ascertain what rate it would be necessary to impose to meet the expenditure.

The Mayor yesterday laid before a special informal meeting of the newlyelected city councillors a schedule of proposed committees. Hβ explained to a Dominion , representative that former councils had complained of not having sufficient time to consider the personnel of their committees. On this occasion he was attempting to_ removo that grievance by makinir his suggestion.? earlier than usual. The actual setting-up of committees will probably be an important item of the business to be transacted by tho council at its meeting to-day. It is understood that the Mayor favours ti reduction in the number of committees, and proposes to effect this by amalgamating some that are closely related. The Mayoral installaiion and tho first meeting of the City Council will be held at noon to-day. Reference was made to New Zealand's efforts iu connection with tho war by His Excellency the Governor-General ai the Orphans' Club first gathering of tho season at Auckland on Saturday evening. The Earl of Liverpool said it had fallen to his lot io bo in offico during a period in which tho most gigantic struggle tho world had ever known wns waged, ornl although the Allies hud been successful there wns still a great deal of work to be done. Their concern was the future, not only on behalf of tho Empire, but also as to their duty to those who had shed their blood for them. They must .bo very watchful. The .statesmen who Lad drawn up tho terms of peace were but human, and could not foresee the future, an! therefore it was tho nation's duty to see that the terms were not contravened. In addition to maintaining a largo Expeditionary Forco during tho war. continued His Excellency, New Zealand had done more, in proportion to its population, than any other British Dominion towards the support of patriotic funds. It had contributed to tho fund in support of tho dependants of British sailors overseas a total of ,£112,000, as against ,£119,000 by Australia; to tho Red Cross Fund it had donated, in cash and goods, approximately .£Bso,ooo—nil achievement to be proud.of. Tho value of the. action of the residents of the Dominion was borne out by BrigadlorGenernl G. S. .Richardson, wiio had stated that tho New Zealand soldier in England never wanted for poods or money.

Water from tho ICuirau hot lagoon has been pumped into the now baths at the King George V Hospital, Pukeroa Hill, Eotorua. The water in tlie pool was at a temperature of 120deg.,'and, very little heat was lost on the way. The overflow is conducted to a tank on tho top of the hill to get tho necessary pressure, and is taken back.. to tho baths to supply douches and, showers. Tho Hutt County. Council was informed yesterday that the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board levy for the year 1919-20 had been fixed at >£205 i 45.-Gd., nn increase of £{Qi Is, 4d. compared with tho previous year. Tho chairman, Councillor F. C. Cooper, 6aid he did not think any good would-'result from discussing the position: Upon his motion it was decided to let the correspondence on tho matter lie on tho table. In , the Supremo Court yesterday, before Hie Chief Justice (Sir liobort Stout), Reginald Joseph Devonshire, a clerk employed by the Bank of Australasia, Masterbn,. pleaded guilt) , to tho theft of 6overal sums of money, aggregating ,£7-15, tho property of the bank, and was remanded to Saturday for sentence. The Wellington Central Chamber of Commerco has arranged with Mr. B. M. Murphy, 31. A., 15.C0m., Lecturer, on Economics at the Victoria University, College, to give an address to-night on "How uest to increase- industrial production." Tiio question is ono •which.' tho chamber has made tho subject of much discussion. On previous occasions the discussion hits opened u» so many mutters of importance that it was deemed desirable, that an opportunity should be given to nil members of the public interested to hea,r Mr. .Murphy and to take part in the discuss'on which will follow the lecture. Members of tho New Zealand Society of Accountants, tho AVellington Accountaut Students' Society, the Wellington Industrial Association, the Workers' Educational Association classes, and the Wellington Social Reconstruction League have been specially invited to attend.

Tho proposed • instructional class for CimSi' non-commissioned officers, to bo instituted at the Wellington Barracks next month, wa's mentioned by the. Group Commander (Captain W. M. Bell) at a meeting of garrison officers on Monday night. Captain Bell extended an invitation to senior officers to visit the classes and see tho youths at work. He pointed out that "the- Cadets of to-day were the Territorials of the future, and that every assistance given to the Cadet unite was going to be reflected in tho future efficiency of tho Territorial Army. The selection of the New Zealand Rugby Leaguo team to tour Australia was to have- been made in Wellington yesterday. The selectors, however, will be present at the local matches on Saturday next, after which tho final selection will bo maiie.. Tho net profits of the one-night concert given on April 5 by the Wellington Bohemian-Clubs in aid of the lu turned Soldiers' Club Appeal Fund amounted to just on ,£3OO. At the low prices ctarged for admission this may be considered a recorif," nmf should be ileeniud satisfactory both to ttie Returned Soldiers' Clubhouse Society and to the committee of management rteponsiblii. for this splendid result. Many ot The leaduig business houses of Wellington contributed to this success by their soncroua jjvrchaso of tickets apart from amounts 'donated directly to tho appeal fund. The annual,conference o? the New Zealand Miners'" "Federation, which has been sitting ii> the Trades Hall, has passed a resolution demanding tho releaeo from prison of William Parker, the waterside worker who was recently gaoled for a breach of the War Regulations. Tho conferoneo lms also by tray of resolution extended "fraternal greetings to all Soviet governments," and has expressed the wish that they may have "nvery success in their efforts to establish \vorkiiig-cla6s government'." The proceedings of the conference are uot open to the Press.

The walnuts this year are a failure once more, says tho Akaroa correspondent of the Christchurch "Press." Tho effects of the blight that has Iwen so much in evidence for several years past in many places have been disastrous. ■ Well-grown trees, Hint would, under normal circumstances, have produced four or five sacks of healthy niils, nra, this season, scarcely worth "tlivnaliinsr. A grove of comparatively young trees, for instance, from which a tew vonrs n»o nearly sixty sucks of nuts wore taken, has now yielded barely seven. It is comforting, on the other hand, to hear of yields here and there that are considerably in excess of last year's. But these, it in feared, aro exceptional cases. Tho market price niliu", Is. per lb., will return a substantial profit to the few growers there concerned.

The Canterbury Returned Soldiers' Association will submit tho following remit for consideration ;it the annual conTcrenco of (ho New Zealand Association: "That the regulations governing the assisted passages of the wives of returned soldiers be extended in order to include tho liancees of soldiers as well."—Press Assn. According to Feiitherston camp orders No. 71,662 'rte.' J. \ r . Bnvlinspn, Details, Fcatherston M.C., found guilty of deserting His Majesty's service, and losing by neglect his clothing and regimental necessaries, has been sentenced by district court-martial to be imprisoned with hard labour for two jeare, nnd to bo put under stoppages of pay until be has made good the sum of Tβ. 6d., kit deficiencies. Lloyd's Wellington agents (Messrs. Dalgety and Co.) have sont a cablegram to the head office in London, informing them of the total loss of the wrecked steamer Queen of the South, 198 tons. Tenders lor the purchase of. the vessel (but not her cargo) as she now lies on the rocks off Cape Campbell will be received by Messrs. Levin and Co., Wellington, until noon on Friday nest. A Magisterial inquiry into tho cause of the stranding of the ship will be held at an early date. A soldier's opinion of the relative value of the various military decorations was expressed in Melbourne recently by the Stato Commandant (Brigadier - General Brand), who presented, at the Tivoli Theatre, on behalf of Mr. H. D. Mlntosh, M.L.C., governing director of the Tivoli Theatres, Ltd., gold life passes for all: the theatres on the Tivoli circuit to thrSe A r .G. wiuncrs-Captain W. Symons, Lieutenant Euthyen, and Sergeant Peeler. For a. while, said General Brand, the D.S.O. held its value as the reward of valour; but later in the war "people in the back areas" began to get them, and 50 per cent, of the decorations lost their Value. The Military Cross had a similar experience. (Laughter.) The two decorations which liad kept their worth throughout were, the V.C. and D.C.M. (Cheers.) They had all been won in close touch with the enemy. A D.C.M. was a second-class V.C, and i>s out of every 100 Military Medals were thirdclass V.C.'fi. (Cheers.) Captain S.vnions, V.C, in making a modest response to the ovation accorded him and to tho presentation, made a further reference to the subject; if every man who had won a V.C. had got it, he said, not all the boxes of all tho Tivoli theatres would hold them.

In urging that all railway men should be allowed at least one clear day'e holiday (in addition to Sundays) each year, for the purpose- of holding a picnic, the "New Zealand Locomotive Engineers' Journal" states: "If the railwaya ceased to rum for one day in the year, we feel euro that no hardship would be inflicted upon anybody. Almost every concern worthy of a name- ehuts down for one day in the year, upon which employees nre free to enjoy si holiday with their fellow-workers and, thoir wives and children. Wo feel euro , that if a vote of tho people of Wew Zealand were taken they would be unanimously in favour of their employees being given a day in the year upon which to hold a picnic beside the Sabbath day now 'toeing used for same, and it would also show conclusively thnt, although tho railways are State-owned, they .aro not State-con-trolled, and that the percentage of profit at tho end of the year is of more conpern to tho controllers than it would bo if tho railways were privately owned." At a meeting of the Wellington East branch of the Labour Party last night, the recent municipal elections were, discussed, and tho following resolution' was carried:—"That this meeting of the Wellington East branch of the Labour Party calls attention to the unsatisfactory etate of the roll at tho recent municipal elections, and suggests that in order to simplify electoral procedings, the same rolls, with tho necessary, boundary limitations, be used at both Parliamentary and municipal elections. If this cannot be arranged, and in order that the fewer number of citizens bo disfranchised, we suggest tho duty ofenrolment he undertaken by the council, officers to be appointed to canvass citizens systematically, ami see that those entitled are enroled.