LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 231, 24 June 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Flags were flown from the Government buildings, and from many of the banking and commercial houses in the city yesterday, in honour of the Prince of Wales's twenty-fifth birthday. The following cable message from Buckingham Palace has been received by General Booth in connection with the Salvation Army's jubilee celebrations:—"General Booth: On the,occasion of the jubilee of the Salvation Army 1 heartily congratulate you"aml its members on the mighty achievements of a system founded half & century ago by your distinguished father. By its work of love and mercy in peace and in war the Salvation Army has become honoured and endeared to the nations of tho world.—(Signed) George R.L" Many Wellington households received no milk on Sunday morning, and yesterday morning. The retailers had small supplies, which they doled out to customers who cajled at the dairies. One dealer explained that the quantity available was so small that delivery was 4 not worth while. It .would have been necessary to reduce the quantity supplied to each house to a fraction of a pint, and it seemed better to let the people who really needed tho milk call for it. A Press Association telegram from Wanganiii states that heavy rain,. accompanied by severe thunderstorms, was experienced during the week-end. The sign "A House To Lot" appearing in Oauiaru at the presont time is like a red Tag to a bull, causing a commotion of 6ome magnitudo and the rushing hither and thith'fer to find its owner and afterwards to view the premises (says the Oamaru "Mail"). The house shortage is extremely severe, and anything with four walls is being used for living purposes. One local resident had reason the other day to feel the full weight of tho shortage. The mistress of the house had oc-,. casion to remove her curtains for the purpose of washing, and at the same tune detached the blinds for renovating. Hardly had these drapings been lowered when the rush set in, and throughout the day her .time was occupied in answering calls to know fhen the liouse would be vacant. Needless to say, she wasted no time in hanging the articles again as a visible sign that the place was occupied. The Court of Appeal will sit this morning, when several judgments will be delivered. The traditional silence of the British Navy now extends to the name-bands round the sailors' caps. Those of the crews of the mine-sweepers now in port are merely stamped with the golden letters "H.M.S." Three remits to the New Zealand Lahour party's Conference this year will urgo fch'3 party to advocate a forty-hours' working week. In conversation with the Secretary of Labour yesterday, a Dominion" representative chanced to inquire what popularity the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, 1913, enjoyed as compared with the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Mr. Rowley stated that whereas there wore in New Zealand about -Kid unions registered under the latter Act, there 'had been only six cases- in which the workers had invoked the provisions of tho former for the settlement of a dispute. In eaeli of tho six cases a 6cttlemei.it had been arrived at without the workers having recourse to a strike. It may bo noted t'.hat for unions not registered under the Arbitration Act a strike may bo legal when tho procedure prescribed by tho Disputes Investigation Act. has been followed out. Unions can please themselves whether they register under the Arbitration Act and go before the Court, while are bound by tho choice of tho employees. The executive of the Students' Association of Victoria College has carried the following motion:—"That, in view of the fact that the Government; of New Zealand has, by its action in making a grant to tho Victoria University College for the erection of a now wing to the present collego buildings, made it apparent that it intends to observe the present sito of the college as a permanent one, tho time has now arrived for j laking action towards making tho collego more self-contained in the mutter of residence for students and of playing fields, 'both of which now are, and in the future will be, more urgently reeded. Further, that this association is of opinion that the present unused ground at tho south side of the college sito would be most suitable lor the above purposes; and, further, that: this association write to the College Council and Professorial Board suggesting that a conference of representatives from these bodies and this association be held at an early dale with the object of discussing ways and means of developing the scheme and putting it into operation." The Auckland Conehworkers' Union will nsk the New Zealand Labour Party at its annual conference to endorse the following suggestion"That in the event of tho Labour Party being; returned lu power, all war loans be repudiated,"

Litest theatrical news from Sydney states that most of the companies are playing about oven, Hto exceptions liein*;' "The Better 'Ole," Hien (on ,'une 12) in tho third week or its boom, and Sir Harry Lauder still playing to packod business. The Williamson and Tait pantomimes in Sydney were just about holding their own which (says a correspondent) is not so bad as the Hilary list: in such cases is very heavy. Kara Allgood is to revive "Peg o' My Heart' in Melbourne early in..July, and v:ill fellow it with the J. and N. Tait production of "Old Lady .11," which was such a pronounced success in America, .'dr. K. Tait was to have left San > Francisco "for Sydney on June 12 with a number of new plays and players. An Actors' Union was being formed under the direction of Barry Lupino, Muriel Star. Kardlcy Turner. Jack Cannot, Leslie Gaze, Minnie Love, and a bost of other .players in all branches of the profession. "Strike boats are tied up to the wharves 'by dozens, what time the seamen refuse to arbitrate, i'hey claim that their only hope is direct action. , Mr. Justice Higgins, our chief referco in these matters, scouts the idea, and warns employers to be firm, so Australia marches on to tho end of 'a perfect fourhour day.' If tho unexpected happens and a speedy settlement is elleeted, and Hie 'flu does not get us on the run, things will be good for another twelve months; al'ter that who knows? It is very obvious that the country cannot stand the burden of strike, drought, pcstilence, and crackpot politicians all at once." Tho Wellington Centro of tho Workers' Educational Association is endeavouring to provide ;t series of free public lectures on scientific subjects. The scheme was inaugurated on Saturday evening, when Dr. Cotton, of Victoria University College, delivered an interesting illustrated jlecture upon "The Coast Lines of New Zealand." It is not quite certain whether it will be possible to arrange for the next lecture to be given a fortnight, hence, but tho association intends to adhere as far as may be to a programme wiiji intervals of rot more than two weeks between lectures. Rifleman E. B. Newton, son of Mr. AV. Newton, Conciliation Commissioner, is expected to return from service abroad about July 17. Rifleman Newton left . New Zealand in February, 191(i, as a member of the Rifle Brigade. He ha« been with tho troops in Germany sinw the armistice ,was signed. The animal conference of the New Zealand Labour Parly will open in the Trades Ilall, Wellington, at the beginning of July. Four Wellington dele- ' gates will take part. They will be Mr. P. Fraser, M.P. (member for Wellington Central), Mr. J. Read (who recently contested the City Mayoralty), Mr. I'. Cornwell (secretary of tho Painters' Union), and llr. 11. M'Keen (secretary, of the L.R.C. and 'the Grocers' Assistant*' Union). Mr. Arnold Bell, who is playing Old Bill in the Sydney production of "The Belter 'Ole," " had. an eventful trip to Australia from the Old Country. "Wo started off," he says, "by being hung up in the Mersey—finding the reason later, when we were shown the masts of a Leyland liner which had been torpedoed off Liverpool four days after tho armistice was signed, a deliberate act of Hun treachery. Then, crossing from NewYork to Canada, the cars struck a rock slide when turning a sharp curve. We spent a day in a siding near Vancouver. The day after we reached Vancouver we were nearly swallowed tin in an earthquake. Getting away by the Niagara, we came in for the tail-end of a Honolulu eyclonfc. At Suva we could not go ashore on account of the influenza. Wo got ashore at Auckland, and then were sentenced to a term of quarantine for having done so." The Tramways Committee of the City - Council wns waited on yesterday after- ' _ rjjf.on by a Wellington gentleman, who J 'put before the members-a coal proposition. He stated that within easy reach j of Wellington was, a coal mine, already opened- up, with 2000 tons of good qunl- ' ity coal stacked ready for shipment; a j railway connection 'with the scafront, and all that was needed was n wharf , foi; the steamers .to berth at. He wished the council to ndvance money for the erection of the wharf, and take out the cost: in coal. The committee admitted that the proposition was attractive, but the opinion was expressed that the coun- | til had tio power to invest the ratepayers' money in the manner suggested. [ Five inebriates were dealt with by Mr. . R. D. Hanlon, J.P., at the Mount Cook police station yesterday morning. Denis ! Sloiuie was litied J3I, or 46 hours' im- ! prisonment; George Hardham, 55., or 21 hours; James M'Guire and Jeremiah Cahill, 103., or 2-t hours; and a -first . offender was convicted and discharged. 1 The use of live decoy ducks by shooting parties was mentioned at the meeting of the council of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society on Friday evening, . when a letter was received from a Waikato sportsman asking if this practice were illegal. The secretary was instruct, ed to reply that, while the use of livo decoys was not an offence under tho Animals Protection Act, it was a breach of the Police Offences Act in that it amounted to cruelty to animals,; and tho police had power to prosecute. Members agreed that, apart from the legal aspect, tho uso of live decoys was unsportsmanlike. The shortage of female labour in its i relation to tho secondary industries willf bo discussed at a meeting, convened by the Auckland Provincial Industrial Association, to be he'd this week. A number of resolutions will be submitted to the meeting by the executive of the association. These will propose that in view of tho "disastrous effect of tho shortage ot female labour in the'development of local industries," tho Government should be asked to consider a scheme of selected immigration. Tho following schcmo is outlined with a view to ensuring success: A committee of five or more practical men and women, approved by tho Industrial Corporation of New Zealand, should lie set up, accredited by tho Government and commissioned to proceed to Groat Britain for the purpose of selecting suitable immigrants; this commission should be in tull possession of_ all tho facts, conditions of labour required, nature of tho work to be done, wages to be paid, and enabled to state definitely to prospective immigrants wlier.e they can be nlacell in permanent employment; em plovers mnst.be prepared to give a binding undertaking to state what number of hands they require and to find employment for such number at a stated scale of remuneration as soon as sucli hands arrive in tho Dominion. It is added that an essential part of the scheme would lie the provision of suitable housing accommodation, and it is suggested that the Government be requested to organise n. vnicli will meet this necessity. A remit tt» be discussed at the New Zealand Labour Party's Conference mouth urges the introduction of btateowncd kinematogrnphs for the purpose of demonstrating in public schools When the question of immigration is being discussed peoplo often wonder why moro peoplo do iiot r ' s como out to tho more favoured conditions of the Dominion, One side of the question was put to an Aucklaud "Star" reporter by a Scotsman who had been in New Zoaiaml six years, and was sending Homo money for soma of his relatives to como out. "For twelve years before I came out here" lie aiiri, "1 wanted to come, but I ha'd a small family to keep and only got 275. (id. per week wages, and it tooic mo a that i knew, with tho heip of a careful wife, to savo JCIOO in the twelve years. After paying our passage money and gotting a small outfit for tile voyage I had left a very few pounds when we landed in New Zealand, but I. never regret coming to Auckland, and 1 am duing all 1 can to urge many more to como out. Since tho war money is mote plentiful ill Home than formerly, wages are better, and they have the struggle my wife and 1 had." An appreciable increase in the supply of milk hits taken place in Auckland as the result of the -mild weather experienced lately and the consequent growth of grass. Dealers report that tho position is very much easier, and, C'e supp'.y is seriously interlercd with bv unfavourable weather, there is no likelihood of the price being increased. A deputation- representing tho JugnSlavs in -New Zoalnitd waited on Sir James Allen yesterday, asking for the repeal of some of the regulations under which they were classified as enemy aliens. Sir James Allen said that he would submit the matter to- Cabinet,

Tho possibility of adding Canadian geese to the list of game birds was discussed by the council of tlm Auckland Acclimatisation Society on Friday. The matter was introduced by a letter from the. Canterbury Society,'in which it was stated that there wero about 200 of these birds in the southern district, which.had been bred from two birds imported for the Christchurch Exhibition, but, as n new strain was needed, tho Auckland Society was asked to contribute towards ,the cost of importing the necessary birds. Mr. H. 11. Ostler, who presided, said thb New Zealand Society had accumulated a fund for the importation of new ganib birds, but, owing to the war, no money hud been spent in this direction. He suggested that a portion of the fund should be devoted to the importation ot Canadian geese. It was decided to refer tho request to tho next Dominion Conference. The Palmerston North branch of the Social Democratic Party will submit to the July conference of the New Zealand Labour Party the following remit "That no one be eligible as a Labour candidate for Parliament who has stood in opposition to an oflkinl Labour candidate for. a Parliamentary seat until six years have elapsed from the date of sucii opposition." That there is something in the cry made'by somo of our correspondents that young, men should lie encouraged to go 6n tho land was very forcibly explained on Friday by a man who had come out to New Zealand four years ago and with I his family had cleared iUOOO in that time oft' a section on which ho hod paid a deposit of .£3OO, the whole of the money lie possessed at that time, the proceeds of the sale of his tailor shop in the old land (says.the Aucklaud "Star'). He knew nothing of farming whatever, but was willing to learn, and with the help of his family they worked early and late, with the good result stated above. Yesterday, being the Prince of Wales's Birthday, the Magistrate's Court sac at 9 a.m. instead of HI o'clock. Mr. I'. V. Eraser, S.M., was on the Bench, and there were very few police cases to be dealt with. Two first offenders, for insobriety, who did not, respond to the "roll-call," were each ordered to forfeit tho amount of their bail, 10s., and another individual who had not appeared previously for over-indulgeuee in liquor was fined ss. A Press Association message from Tirnaru states that Mr. Craigie's proposal to . erect a town hall and miniature Pantheon . to commeinorato the memory of war veterans, has been enthusiastically endorsed by the Mayor, leading citizens and returned soldiers. A meeting will shortly be held'to arrange for the carrying out of tho scheme in its entirely. A meeting of tho Canterbury branch of the Engineers, Firemen, and Cleaners' Association passed a volo of confidence in the president and executive, and appreciation of the manner in which they had placed the branch's proposals beiore the Minister of Railways and the Department.—l'ress Assn.