LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 201, 20 May 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The North Island quota of the soldiers who arrived at Lyttelton in the Carpentaria will arrive at Wellington by tlie ferry steamer from Lyttelton this morning.

A London cable message published on Saturday stated that the peaco celebrations would bo held on August 3, 1, and 5, if peaco was signed. The Aeting-Primo Minister stated yesterday that he had received no official advicc of such a proposal.

Delay in payment to returned soldiers was alleged at a meeting of the Dunedin Patriotic Association yesterday, complaint being made that tho Patriotic Association had to undertake the support of men iu many cases while they were prevented from making grants against the_ men's pay accounts. Tho meeting decided'to write to the Minister ■of Defenco urging that the men be paid regularly in order to avoid' the inconveliienco caused by the delay in receipt by them of payments due.—l'ress Assn.

A proposal that the Christchurch City Council should go into the coalmining business by running its own mine on tlio West Coast and buying steamships to transport the coal was made yesterday to the Mayor (Dr. Thaekor) by Mr. W. J. Courtier and Ah'. AVlieeler,'who are interested in the coal project at Fore's Creek, half-way between Clreymouth and Westport (says a Press Association telegrain from Christchurch). Dr. Thacker stated that tho deputation informed him there was a harbour available capable ot accommodating ships drawing up to 20ft. of water, and the coal, samples of which they showed, was 6itnated half a mile away at a low deration. Dr. Thacker will submit the proposition to the Citv Council at next Monday's meeting,

Coal is still difficult to obtain in Wellington. Mo orders are being taken at the State depot in Cuba Street, and it is not known when the receipt of new business will be commenced. For some time the depot has been ..delivering coal ordered weeks in advance.

I)r. Martin, of Ngaruawahia, was urgently summoned to Ruakawai settlement, Raglan Harbour, a fen - days ago, and udoii arrival found fourteen persons suiTering from poisoning, caused by eating bush honey. Some of tlicin were in a serious state. Drastic remedial measures were immediately applied, and all the patients are now convalescent, though some will bo affected for some time. Eighteen persons partook of the honey, four apparently not being affcctcd. Among the victims were a family of eight, named Iladficld, of Horotiu, who were spending a holiday at ltuakawai.

A Press Association telegram from Christchurcli states that the Mayor (Dr. Thacker, M.P.) and Councillors Williams and Sullivan, Mr. 11. E. Smith (Town Clerk), and Mr. A. Dudley Dobson (City Surveyor), representing the Christchurch City Council, and Mr. H. Holland and Mr. P. Pi. Climie, representing the Canterbury Progress League, left for Wellington last night to attend the Dominion TownPlanning Conference.

A very largo gathering of the staff of the A.il.P. Society assembled in the board-room to bid farewell to Mr. J. R. Cornish, who has been granted six months' leave of absence prior to his final retirement in November next on superannuation, when he will have reached the age limit of the society's 'by-laws. Mr. was appointed to the-staff in July, 1888, and has therefore been in tho service just on thirty-one years. Mr. E. W. Lowe, one of the directors, spoke in very 'hipli terms of the esteem in which Mr. Cornish wns held, both by directors and staff. In'presenting lii'm with a travelling-rug and a leather gladstone bag, Mr. Lowe stressed the conscientious manner in which Mr. Coi-nish had at all times carried out his •duties in the best interests ofj the society. Mr. Amies and Mr. Harland regretted having to part with such a highly-re-spected member of the staff. In proposing the health of Mr. Cornish, Mr. Lowe wished him many years of happiness and good health, in which all present joined with musical honours. Mr. Cornish, in thanking Mr. Lowe and the other speakers for the good things they had said about him and also for the handsome presents, said tho occasion would bo remembered by him for all time, especially the good feeling that existed between the whole staff and himself.

Since the bjginning of the war close on one hundred soldiers have left the Porirua district, this total including tiltmembers of the Mental Hospital staff. On Thursday evening about fifteen of these'soldiers were given a warm recep: tion and welcome home. A pleasing feature was the presenco _ of' four Maori members of the Expeditionary Forces. The hall was packed with old and young, who wero anxious to show their-respect for those who will never return and appreciation for those who have helped to make New Zealand's name ,so honoured to-day. Tho proceedings opened with theNational Anthem, after which a motion of sympathy with tho relatives and respect for the .fallen soldiers of the district was carried in silence. Addresses were given by .the Rev. W. H. Walton, Dr. M'Pherson, Councillor Windley, Mr. T. Harris,.and the Piev. C. H. Earwaker, who occupied the chair. Lieuitonant Carter replied on behalf of the soldiers. Later the hall was cleared for dancing, and a most enjoyable evening was brought, to a close a'bout 1 a.m. The ladies of "■the district provided an excellent supper.

Jlasterton will achieve the honour within a few days of being- the first town in New Zealand to be. completely furnished with automatic telephones. According to the Chief Telegraph Engineer iMr. A. E. Shrimpton) the system will be "cut over" from the manual to the automatic on Saturday night, May 31, and thereafter the "Hello Girl" will hot he known in the, metropolis of the Wairarnpa. The system which is being installed in llasierton is that supplied by The Western Electric Company of England and America, tho same that is ultimately to be supplied to Wellington and Cliristchurch. Mr. Shrimpton hoped that the Courtenay Place, sub-exchange would bo ready to be thrown into operalion towards the end of next month, but owing to tho non-arrival of the new telephones it is now doubtful if that can be dona. Tho station itself is now quite ready for action.

A scheme for settling soldiers on bush country was submitted to the executive of tho Auckland branch ol' the Farmers' Union oil Friday by Mr. John Allen. Tho necessity of providing for the fit men possessed of the pioneering spirit, and of materially increasing the prodiic-. tion of primary prodints by breaking-in virgin bush country on. a comprehensive scale was emphasised .by Mr. Allen, who advocated the block system of settlement under conditions suitable to bush areas. The proposals included the felling, burning oil', and grassing of largo areas under competent supervision, prior to railway or roads being constructed through the blocks, in order to enable the best routes of transit to be located, and the most suitable subdivisions made. Details re-. garding the best and most economical' method of carrying out improvements wore also furnished by Mr. Allen, who expressed the opinion that tho land should, be provided free of cost to the soldier-settlers, who should be charged only with the cost of Hie improvements. He referred to tin* settlement of soldiers on improved land, which, according to published reports, lmd cost tho country ; £1.085,71.8, and stated that this amount, if expended on breaking-in virgin country, would settle one thousand men 'on grassed land, with 250 acres each, which would produce approximately an aggregate amount of i'so(l,oftl) a year. A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Allen for submitting his scheme, and a resolution was passed recommending that the provincial executive should place it before the Government.

.Tho industrial agreement recently Arrived at between tho employers anil the employees in the freezing works and related trades throughout New Zealand is stated to involve a total annual increaso in wages of about ,£IOO,OOO. The agreement is for a term of two years, and comes into operation on August ,11 next, but the now rates of pay date dack to April 7 last. It is expected that very, soon the local agreement for Wrllinglon' and Hawko's Bay," which, of course, follows tho lines of tho New Zealand agreement, will have been signed by all the parties and so made ready for filing as an award.

The biennial conference of the Now Zealand freezing workers and employees in related trades was hold in (he Trades Kail last week. At one ot' tlio sessions a deputation representing the locomotive men in the railway service was introduced. After hearing what the dele"aUw had to say, the conference passed the'following resolution: "Thnt. this conference . . . expresses its sympathy with the locomotive men and their demands, ami trusts that public opinion will insist iipoit 'better conditions for the men in this important branch of the Government service."

The Christcliuroh market is nt present practically bare of. good coal (says a I'ross Association telegram). Of the consignment of tlio Ngakuta, now in Lyttelton, the Coal Distribution Committee has l)een able to spare only 50 tons for the general trado. The Koromiko is presumed to have left Newcastle'with a coal cargo, but'no definite advice has yot been received that she has sailed.

The Wellington united sturemen will go before the Arbitration Court at its next sittings with tho object of securing amendments of the hours and wages Houses in their award. The union asks that in general W'hours be made to constitute a week's work,, and that tho hours of work be from S a.m. to ,1 p.m. on ordinary weekdays, and from S a.m. to 12 noon on Saturdays; that in the case of establishments in which no work is done on Saturday, the hours of work be 81 per day, extending from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.; and that in the-ease, of establishments handling perishable goods, 7.30 a.m. be the earliest time for commencing the eight hours' work on any day, and ,1 p.m. the latest for ending. The foilowing increases in wages ar.e applied for:—For ondiuary storemou, a. rise from .£3 fis. to .£1 per week; for head shoremen, a rise from ,C 3 lis. to ,£4 Ills, per week; for juniors, a rise of 10 per cent; for casuals, o rise from Is. fid. to Is. tOd. per hour. It is understood that the Auckland storemen proposo to 'ask thnt their award "be similarly amended.

A man named Arthur Knight, who resides at the Gresham Hotel, fell down in Lambton Quay about G o'clock last evening, and fractured one of his legs. Ho was admitted to the hospital.

A correspondent writes asking us to find out why specially-addressed. letters for England by the Tainui were not forwarded by that steamer. Whilst tho Postal authorities are at a loss to know by_ what means our correspondent ascertained that what he alleges was tho case, they refute such allegation entirely by stating that all specially-addressed correspondence to be forwarded by that vessel was so forwarded, so that tiio correspondent, "Father of a Maimed Soldier," may rest content that, if posted in time, his letter went forward by that steamer. It might bo mentioned incidentally that the specially-addressed mail by tho Tainui was « considerable one.

An inquest into the circumstances of the deaths of three Maoris who wero killed by an explosion on Waikoria Beach, nenr Woodlcigh, laist month, was concluded at Glenmurrav last week, before Mr. Dynes Pulton, J.P., Acting-Cor-oner, and jury> of four. A report by Captain _ frail-Thompson, Naval Adviser to the New Zealand Government, was snl>mitted by the police. Captain HallThompson said that after inspecting the piece of metal which was recovered at the spot whero the explosion took place, ho had no hesitation in stating that the accident was due to a German mine, which probably was ono < which had broken away from the minefield near Farewell Spit, as recent tests made by the Navy and Marine Departments indicated the probability of mines drifting in that direction under ccrtain conditions. There seemed to him to be little doubt' that the men were tampering with the mine, perhaps endeavouring "to secure some trophy, such as a horn, by either' unscrewing or knocking off. or nerhaps loosening the screw by tap'ping it with a etono or stick. T'lio result would lie to crack the glass cylindor enclosed in. the lend horn and cause an immediate exnlosion.' The jury returned a verdict that deceased met their deaths on Waikoria Beach on April 21, 1919, by the explosion of a German mine, there being no evidence to show how the mine was exploded.—Press Assn.