LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 207, 27 May 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities advise that the mails" which left New Zealand on April 19 arrived London on May 2A.

It was after 9 o'clock last night before the New Plymouth mail train arrived. The delay, it appears, was caused by a goods-train from Wanganui to Hawera being hold up on tho hilt to Wcstnicro. Tho train had ultimately to be divided, and taken up to tho top of the hill in sections before the i.tain track was cleared for the mail train.

"The minimum fine a first offence for drunkenness is 55.," said Mr. P. V. Frazer, S.M., at the .Magistrate's Court yesterday, "hut if a man is drunk whilst in charge of a horse and cart, tho minimum is .£1 for a first offence." .

The superintendent of workers' dwellings yesterday informed a Dominion representative that his Department had received practically no applications from miners to have homeo erected. It appears that the question of housing tho miners is comjihcated by tho fact that mining townships have no prospect of existing beyond thje' lifetime of the mine. Private speculators are thereforo chary of building for miners, and the miners are probably avorse from committing themselves to the purchaso of houses that they may not be able to occupy for long. Tho Workers' Dwellings Board has under consideration a scheme for the erection of temporary dwellings for country workers. The houses, it is proposed, shall be bolted, not nailed, and shall bo removable in sections from place to place. Possibly the scheme might "be adapted to meet the requirements of tho mining settlements.

The City Council has adopted a policy of acquiring corner properties whero tho ilcrni;mls of traffic require an easement. The city has already purchased the property at the comer of Cuba and Vivian Streets, and the ono at the comer of Kent Terrace and Buckle Street. It has also socured that vacant corner section oil tho corner of Kaitoa linad and Moxham Avenue at Kilbirnie, where south-bound cars have at present to mako a sharp turn on a down v grade.

The conduct of a certain hotol in the city which is patronised ft good deal by sailors was rofcrrcd to in condemnatory terms by Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday morning. "1 would like to remark upon tho fre. quency with which drunken sailors are seen about a certain hotel cvc'v day," said Mr. Frazer. "I think the ..itention of tho licensee might bo drawn to tho fact that the law does not permit him to fill up 'men and make them beastly drunk. The law permits him to supply men with liquor, but insists that, as soon as a man shows signs of intoxication ho is to be turned out not served with any moro." His Worship remarked that tho particular corner ho was referring to was hecoming somewhat of a disgrace to Wellington. llo_ knew that sailors wore hard to.deal with. "I am not making any special remark about tho conduct of tho hotel in general," added His Worship. "When sailors come ashore naturally they want some liquor, but tho fact that 6aiiors are a little bit difficult to deal with onlv makes it all tho moro necessary that the lieenseo should take every possible precaution to see that matters do not degenerate in the way they have degenerated." Men should bo refused liquor when thoy showed signs ot having had enough. "Only tho other night a man camo out of a side room of the hotel and fell between a tram inspector aiul myself," His AVorship continued, "aud we had to pick him up and put him on his feet. Of course no doubt ho got tho drink at the Government Buildings or some placo other than a hotel!" (Laughter.)

Tho doer-stalking senson in the Wellington acclimatisation district ends next Saturday (May 31). During tho season 100 licenses have been taken out as against 110 Inst season, tho decrease being accounted for in the generally unsettled conditions which followed tho armistico. Last season stalkers accounted for n 21-. pointer and a 19-pointcr. Whilst uono of the heads secured so far this season exceeded 17 points, tho average quality of tho 95 heads which hnvo reached the taxidermists at I'eatherston and Martinborough is said to bo ■ even better than last year. Though the present SGiison is £i closo one for u&tivQ jind 1111 ported game in most parts of New Ze»' land, tho Wellington society successfully petitioned for an open senson. The gameshoolin" senson opened at tho beginning of the month, and on May 1 and 2 two Palmorston North sportsmen succeeded in bagging IGO native ducks not very far from town.

Some amusement was caused at the meeting of the .Petono Borough Council last evening when a remit was received from the Waihi Council, suggesting that councillors should each receive a minimum fee of ,£1 Is. for each day spent in tho scrvice of tit© council. Oil© council* lor asked the Mayor if in the event of tho Act being so amended the fees would lie granted retrospectively, and how far bncic tliev would date from. Councillor Tovev endorsed the suggestion, and still farther suggested that the Mayor, should receive .£5 ss. for each meeting. It was finally docided to merely, "receive' tho communication.

A special meeting of the Wellington C-itv Council will be held before the! ordinary meeting on Thursday evening for the purpose of adopting the Kelburn and Karori tramway by-law, 1919.

Speaking of tho trip to the Wairarapa oil Saturday and Sunday of the Parliamentary Industries Committee, Mr. J. P. Luke, M.P., said that the whole of Saturday'was spent in Carterton, and its vicinity The evidence taken concerned matters of local interest. One burning question all ovor the Wairarapa Vajley was the manlier in which the district was neglected by the railway authorities, iho feeliu" was very strongly manifested that development was very seriously retarded by tho'failure of the railway authorities to appreciate the value of this rich, extensive district. The committee visited the station properties of Messrs. William Uidwill and Alfred Matthews, and were also very favourably impressed with t ie nood work that was being done bv the G rev town Associatioa in the culture or fruit. Tho fruit farms covered a very considerable area, and bid fair to be very valuable iu tho future. (

Each mail brings further evidence to the Commonwealth of the popularity and tliß Irish esteem in which members of the ii.F- were bold in both -France nnd. Belgium; slates the Melbourne "Argus."' A somewhat unique illustration of this has bs'eii received ]>y the Actinir Minislei' of Defence, Senator Russell. ' The citizens of Phillipoville, Belgium, having learnt that the 15th Australian Battalion, which had been billeted in their town for six weeks, was to be sent to a neighbouring locality, netitiored the G.D.C. 1 . ■Ith Australian Infantry Brigade, as fol-lows-—"Thw news lias been received with' great sadness bv our pconlc, who have Mine to love and know tlio Australian oIIh-im';; and men, who for so many reasons merit our gratitude. If it were a question of demobilising nnd wwl'Vf Ihe soldier' b:iel; to Aiislrnlin. li'-lhiiiff would remain for us but to tlnn'c i'u"m. to congratulate them, and to wish them all a happy return to I heir <".vn country: but as it is merely a cioe-tMui of transferrins them, we beg ve.u to keen the 15th Battalion at Phillipeville. The civil ponulntion and the Australian soldiers understand one another nerfeetly. and the officer.-, and men are well satisfied with their relations with the inhabitants." Tt would be interesting to learn, adds the Avsus,' if am- similar petition* wore prespiiled ( n tbo German generals wlien their time (itwia i, Jce -.11."" w ta Bolfluim.

A number of farmers arrived last night for the purpose of attending the Fnrmers' Union Provincial Conference, which opens to-dav.

Monday is known as "njjony day" in the magistrate's Court, for it is then that family troubles are ventilated. Yesterday was no exception to the rule, there laeiiig the usual crop of infelicitous domestic cases to deal' with. Reference was made to the matter by Mr. I'. J. O'Kegan, who said that the case ho was concerned in seemed to bo ono of the results of the war. "I suppose there is a tiff in every family now and again just for the fan of making it up," ho remarked. It seemed, however, that the nerves of some of the men had been affected by their war experiences. They appeared to be more irritable than they wero before they went away. In another ease in which the husband of the Complainant was a returned soldier, Mr. I'. V. Prazer, S.M., said that numbers of men who had been away, especially if they had been wounded, got a little bit peculiar at times. "But," ho added, "they Ret all right again." His Worship counselled the unhappy pair who wero before him, and who had been married in England, to try to become a little more forbearing and frank with one another. There was really nothing very serious between them, except that they did not make sufficient allowance for each other's frailty of disposition. The husband contended that his wife was dissatisfied because he was too quiet. "That ig not so," exclaimed complainant, "I don't think it is right that a man should bring a woman 16.000 miles and then throw- her over. The law should be made firmer. I wish ho had left me in England, as I would have been far happier." His Worship said that the law was all right, it was the parties to the marriage whio should try to bear with one another.

The Town Clerk of Lower Hutt was formally apprised yesterday of the vacancy on the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, caused by the resignation of Mr. H. Baldwin. As Mr, Baldwin represented both the Lower Hutt and Eastbourne Boroughs, a conference will have to be held or an agreement arrived at between the two bodies as to who shall fill the extraordinarv vacancy.

Mr. W. Stuart Wilson writes"Thinking over the need for open spaoes, playgrounds, etc., in tho city, after reading what Mr. Parr and others had to say undej this heading at the Town-planning Conference held last week, it occurred to mo that it might be a practioal idea to have an annual competition betwoen. say, Wellington and Auckland to raise funds for these purposes. Both places are lamentably short of these attributes of modern cities, and friendly competitions between them, and for the mattei' of that towns of similar size all over the Dominion would benefit all in a marked degree. I mentioned this to several who took part in the conference last week, all of whom agreed that good work could bo done in this way. The illustrations in the exhibition at the Town Hall showing what haa been done in Wanganut must make all realise what splendid work might be dono all over, the Dominion in this direction."

For sonie time, says tho headmaster of tho Stratford School in his monthly report, fashionably-dressed little, girls have been coming to 6chool in very short dresses, tho dresses of the ultra-fashion-able being absurdly shortened. His attention has been drawn to this frequently. Now that the weather is getting colder, a chango to longer garments is hoped for—both' for the health and tho appearance of the little ones. The conimitloo endorsed the headmaster's opinion.

Gradually tho reclaimed land between J'ervois Quay and Clydo Quay is being filled with buildings. Tho latest block that is to be covered by bricks and mortar is that adjoining 0. and .A. Odlin's warehouse in Cablo Street, which is going to bo utilised by tho ground landlords—tho Wellington Harbour Board— for the erection of a large briok shod for tho purposo of storing general cargo. It has been fduml repeatedly that when tho shed on tho Taranaki Street Wharf fills up the berthage there becomes practically useless, as there is no further room in tno vicinity to stack cargo under cover. The new shed, which will have a frontage of 90ft. to tho foot of the wharf, will cive the required relief. Tho new shed, which will be one-storied, will bo erected on reinforced concrete piles. The block to be oovored has' frontages of 90ft. to Cable Street and the wharf, a. frontage of 144 ft. to Lower Taranaki Street, and a depth of 122 ft. on the boundary alongside Odlin's. 'Mr. P. C. Watt, the contractor, has already mado a start with the excavations for the foundations.

A. largely-attended memorial servioe, in memory of tho late Dr. M. W. Ross, was held in the Grand Theatre, Petone, on Sunday afternoon; The Mayor of Petono (Mr. J. W. M'Evran), tho Revs. Bruco Todd, W. Shirer, 11. T. Stealoy, C. Blair, and representatives of various institutions to which tho deceased doctor liad boon a member, oooupiod chairs on tho platform. The proceedings opened with tho singing of "0 God our Help in Ages Past," after whioh Mr. M'Ewan, in a short address, referred to tho good work of tho late Dr. Boss. Ho referred especially to his splendid work during the recent epidemic. At tho conclusion of tho Mayor's remarks, Mr. ,T. Chamberlain sang "Thou Are Passing Henco" (Sullivan), after which tho Rev. H. T. St.ealey read a short passage from tho Scriptures. The congregation then joined .in singing the well-known hynni, "Days and Moments Quiokly Flying," which was followed by a short address from tho Rev. W. Shirer (Newtown). Mr. I\ A. Bryant, then sang "Beyond the Dawn," which was followed by another short' reading from the Scriptures by the I?ov. C. Blair. Mr. E. J. Hill sang "Elegio" (Massanet), after which tho congregation sang "Abide With Me." An orchestra, under tho baton of Mr. C. 34. Eainsford, played the "Dead March" in Saulj which was followed by the pronouncing of tho Benediction by tho Rev. W. Shirer. Tho sounding of the "Last Post" by Mr. A. W. Bryan concluded a memorable ser. vico.

On rocoipt of the news of tho honour recently conferred on Sir Harry Lauder, tho famous Scotch comedian, Mr. A. Campbell, ohief of the Wellington Caledonian Society, forwarded to him tho society's congratulations. Mr. Campbell has now received the following reply from Sir Harry Lauder:—"Chief Campbell and my dear Brother Scots,— Please let me say how much I appreoiate your cabled congratulations. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.—Yours sincerely (Sgd.), Harry Lauder."

A point in tho regulations governing the advances mado to soldiers to enable them to acquire homes ivaa referred to b.v a deputation from Blenheim which waited on the Minister of Lands yesterday. It was pointed out that tho Government would advance a man to buy house already built, oven if ho had so little as >£50 of "his own money to put into the investment, but if the man had a section of his own, worth, sny, •£250, on which ho wished to build a new house, the most tho Department would advance was .£750. H was urged that a new house would bo very much better security for an advance than a house which had been standing for a number of years, and that from tho soldier's point of view it would bo better for a man to sell his section and to buy an old house than to try to build a new house on a section which was already his own. The Minister said that ho would give the matter consideration.

Although winter has not yet been entered upon, the demands being made on the Lalto Coleridge hydro-electric installation are Already taxing the capacity of ("lie generating plant to tho utmost (says tho Chrietc'hurch "Press"). In fact, recently tho plant has been called upon to supply, and has supplied, 250 kws. (3$ h.p.) over its rated capacity. Tho indications are that tho additional 3000 kws. unit (1000 li.p.), which was ordered in 1010, will be wanted, and wanted urgently. very soon. AVnr conditions have, of course, dolayed tho lilling of the contract, but advice has been received that tho machinery for this unit is ready for shipment. However, the receipt of this machincrv would not solvo the problem, as this additional unit cannot be put into operation until the third pipe-line is constructed, and the material for this pipeline, ordered about tlio same timo A3 the machinery for the additional unit, has not yet come to hand. Tho pipe-line is the determining factor in respect of tho installation of tho new unit, and until it comes to hand little progress can bo made. In the meantime, the order of the day from the Public Works Depart- . ment to its consumers is "economy,"

The recent rains have had the effect of freshening the pastures in the vicinity of Auckland, ana already there are signs of renewed growth in the grass, says the "Herald." Reports from country districts state that an improvement in the North Auckland pastures is noticeable, and there should be a steady wiuler growth, unless unusually heavy frosts are experienced. _ A Waikato larmer stated 'hatthe rains would be of considerable benefit to the Lower AVaikato, but that southward from Pukekohe there was little appreciable growth in the grass during the winter months. The Waikato and King Country districts had aot been seriously affected by the dry spell. Tho hay crops had been plentiful, and ample provision for winter feed had been made in most districts in tho form of root crops.

A protest against tho high rates charged on Homeward shipping freights was recently forwarded to the Acting-Prime Minister, Sir James Allen, by the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Particular reference was made to excessive rates charged on tow and flax, which were so high that it was impossible for producers to pay them. A request was made that Sir James Allen try to arrange some modification of tlicße rates, to which a reply was received at Friday s meeting of the council. This 6tated that Inquiries had been made, and Sir James Allen had received advice that the New Zenland Government had no control over'the rates of freight charged by steamers from the Dominion to the United Kingdom. From Information obtained from tho New Zealand Overseas Shipowners' Committee. it appeared, however, that the present reduced rates compared favourably with thosa ruling from the United Kingdom to New Zealand, being based oil a fino measurement rate of 120s, per ton. It was also pointed out by the committee that at present a largo number of vessels were coming to New Zealand from the United Kingdom in ballast, and that in view of all circumstances it was considered that the present time was not opportune for any further reduction.

The Hon. G. W. Russell has been advised that thero are at present 42 men engage* on the work' of renovating and repairing the buildings of the quarantine station at Somes Island. With this number of m/i on the work it shoul'i be dono very quickly, and endeavours will' be made to increase this number.

"The trouble ljith New Zealand youths, to my mind, is that more homo control is required, remarked i\lr. J. S. Barton, S.M., at Gisborne Police Court on Friday morning. "The amount of theft and other oil'onces of a liks type is extraordinary in this place/'

A tribute to the work of the East Coast Babbit Board ttas paid by a commercial traveller in tho courso of a conversation with a Gisborne "Times" reporter. He stated that he had lately been on a visit to the Waikato district, and the number of rabbits there astonished him. In his own languago ono hill was "black or rather brown with them." Farmers were very bitter in their complaints a 6 to tho damage done by tho pest, Mid estimated that thousands of pounds were lost yearly through the depredations of tho rabbits. A few days ago he made the trip to Gisborno by ear from Opotiki, and during tho whole run te sujv no sign' of a, rabbit

The dearth of vacant houses is not peculiar to tho large centros. The Gisborne "Times" says an instance occurred only the other day in which an outgoing 1 tenant who was not due to give up possession for thrco more weeks was offered by an eager home-sookor if ho would forego his right to ocoupy the house for the remainder of the term. In many cases those afflicted with the liotwe- . hunger are buying a home, in the bope of escaping from their predicament. Where it is found that the wife of a soldier is tho occupier the purchaser, however, not infrequently "falls in," for he cannot secure possession, under the law as it now stands, unless the occupier, in 6uch a case, is prepared to move ont. The loss of the intended occupancy as well as the locking up of the usually heavy deposit ,on the property is, in such an instance, a double misfortune.

Band rotundas which never know the strains of a band are one of Wellington's weaknesses, writos a'correspondent. For some twenty years there has boun a rotunda on tne' Thorndon Esplanade, but only the older residents of Thorndon can remember when a band played there. .Under the inspiring enthusiasm of the late Mr. J. Woodward, the Thorndon Esplanade, so soon to be' givon over to railway tracks, was used as' a promenade, and occasionally _on Sunday afternoons a band would discourse music, but the memory of such occasions / grows faint with tho passage of time. \ It is believed that a band did, onco upon a time, play in the Jevois Quay rotunda, but tho conditions (meteorological) wero so uncongonial that local i bandsmen refused to risk their health in such a spot. Soreens wero tried, but as a rule tlia wind just flirted round them, and no great improvement was effected. Now a start has been made to .demolish tho rotunda for re-erection in Orioi\tal Bay, whore it_ is hoped it will justify its future existence.