LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 233, 26 June 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Chief Postmaster notifies (hat the NTew Zealand mails dispatched from Woliiißton on May U last, arrived in Lrinlon on Juno 23. Tho Minister of Internal Affairs announced yesterday that "as a coal-saving neasure the Government had dotoriniuthat in all Departments under the xintrol of tho Public Service "'ommisjioner all ovor Now Zealnnd the hours ! or employees should be tho same as they lave boen in Wellington for noine months just. Tho hours nro from 8.30 a.m. till p.m., with a break for lunch be;ween 12.30 and 1.30 p.m. An International Research Council w :o be held at Brussels on July Iβ. The natter of representation of New Zealand ias been considered by tho New Zealand institute, and it was resolved by that >ody to endeavour by cablegram, to au:ure tho attendance on behalf of (his lountry of Sir Ernest Rutherford, Dr. )endy, Dr. Jlellor. or Dr. Uofeprlson, :o epresent the institute at the couiui]. The New Zealand' Post Office, in ,-.cordnnco with the arrangement jiuthnrsed by tho Imperial Board of Trade, rill accept parcels of foodstuffs and lothing and materials and articles for nenfflnjf clothing for the relief of' disress in enemy countries. The parcels mist be supplied by way of (jilt, and lust not exceed in weight ifllb. cadi, nd they must bo addressed to Lho Emcreney Committed for the assistance of icrmans. Austrian, find Hungarians in istress. 27 Chancery Lane, London. The ostage will require to be prepaid. "The Government is not a milch criw, o be milked for every purpose," Hie lon. G. W. Russell said lo a deputation .t. Christchurch that asked for an inrcased grant to the Royal Life Savins ior-.iety. "People must help themselves .rst and then appeal to the Government, 'hey have dropped into the habit of noking 'to tho Government for everyliing. They should drop into the habit f doing things for themselves first."

throughout the past few weeks consent complaints have been received by the police regarding thieving at hotels and boardingiiouscs. Yesterday afteriiooii, Detective-Sergeant Andrews n,ud t'lain-clothcs Constable Black arrested a man on a charge of t'heft from the Alliojuarle Private Hold. The accused will liebrought before the- Magistrate's Court 'Ins morning, mid it is understood that a number of other charges of theft are lo be preferred against him.

Over ,£9O was subscribed in the room ■or the purposes of a Peace memorial t}t the annual meeting of tho Wellington Howling Club.

'i'lie .Roman Catholic Hierarchy of' Australia and New Zealand has issued a I'iistoral letter to be read in all the churches enjoining that on the Sunday within the Octave of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the solemn consecration of Australasia to the Sacred jteart shall be made. "Never, perhaps, iii the history of the world." says the 1 astoral, "was tho need of the benediction and assistance of the Sacred Heart wore urgent than now. After the terrible worid-wido war, with its widespread devastations and myriad consequent woes, in every direction, tho nations are faced with problems of all kinds, su serious and complex that no merely mundane wisdom is adequate for the momentous and far-reaching conclusions so urgently required and anxiously expected. I'he Governments of the vorld never more sorelv needed illumination from on high, in order to govern wisely and veil, and Hie people in all nations'never required more enlightenment and strength willingly to receive and efficient!}- ti) carry out the w;se N decrees of the Governments for their material, social, and moral we'fare. Henco the extreme urgency of having recourse to the merciful and benignant Heart of the King of Kimrs. that He niav aid His people to live in accordance with the principles of nistica and charitv. the sources of true liberty, and duly to support, as they are m duty bound, the order of the civil progress of humanity,"

Early in the year Mr.. James Macintosh entered into a lengthy review of British trade at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. A copy of The Dominion containing Mr. Macintosh's review was forwarded by his Wellington agents to Mr. F. Hornby, managing director of Meccano Ltd., and Mr. Hornby has replied as under, dated Liverpool, April I 23:—"Replying to your favour of FebruI ary 19. we are obliged by the copy which you .have been .good enough to send us of The Dominion, and after.reading carefully Mr. James Maciutosh's address cqn- : cerning British trade, it appears to us evident that ho is not himself immediately in touch with the conditions prevailing in this country. It must be common knowledge to everybody iii New Zealand the ' extreme difficulties undei whicli British manufacturers have .been, and aro still, labouring. All plants capable of munition work have been compelled to concentrate on the production of this class of work, and have been hedged round on every side with restrictions which made it impossible to deal with private work, and even yet they havo not been able to emerge a'ltogethei from.this ekes of work, whilst Ameri-' can and Jananeso manufacturers have practically hud a free hand. Manufacturers in this country have had to provide the whole of tho munitions employed bv this country, in addition to supplying others of our Allies with enormous quantities, and we think it only fair to British' manufacturers that men holding responsible positions should .to more charitable in their'views.. It is fair to assume that. British manufacturer who have made such.gigantic efforts in the nasi; are not zoine to bo suDeraedw in their particular lines in future by other countries. When Mr. Macintosh refers to an American firm offering 5000 dollars' worth of motor spares on consignment against a British liousa who would only supply similar goods on,payment of cash in London, from tho experience thai tho writer has had in connection with American business affairs, we are sceptiCi'.l."

.The Minister of Public Health has been advised that excellent ivorlc ]-iis beenTirS is beinp done, by (he Women"s National Reserve and the- St. John AmBrigades all over Hie country in tho training of young'women'in homo mil-sing, in order that there may'be'mined helpers available should a recruiesciiiico of tho epidemic occur. The work is hoing done not only in the cities, but also in tho suburban and country districts. Tho Public Health Department also is taking a very, active imrt in this work, several trained nurses boing engaged in assisting in the instructions that have been established,

A report on the fishing industry in .Auckland by a lioyal Commission ie published. Among the recommendations of the •|Co:nmission are one or two of gtrieral interest. The first is that the Government should give fishermen relief from heavy insurance premiums on oonts and gear by talcing the risks in the State Fire Oliice. The Commission states that the, evidence was that losses did not exceed 2 per cent, per year, nnd that the premiums could with safety bo much lower than thoso now charged by the marine insurance offices. Another 'suggss't'ion was that (he .Government should assist the fishing industry as it had assisted other industries by giving- fishermen advances with which to provide themselves with boats, and gear. Tho Commission believed (hat the industry could lie developed and that the possibilities of expansion were enormous.

The council of the Canterbury Philosophical Institute has decided to write to the Prime . Minister recommending that the Government should appoint'an industrial reader, whose duty it will be to study industrial literature from all parts of the world, make abstracts of article's likely to bo valuable to New Zealand, and forward, the abstracts to persons engaged in the industries concerned. It, is hoped that this will be tho beginning of a scheme that will keep the industries of tho Dominion, in close'touch with important processes, inventions and developments in other countries.

The Victorian Repatriation Board has prohibited Sir Harry Laudor from publicly collecting fujids for maimed' Scottish soldiers, sailors,, and fishermen, on tho ground that if there i 3 any loose cash lying round it is needed for repatriating Australian soldiers.

At tho quarterly meeting of the Wellington Technical School Teachers' As;"--oiatioii held, yesterday, the- following resolution was unanimously carried:— , "'That members of Parliament be -circularised urging them not to overlook the just claims of technical teachers, when legislation dealing with teachers' salaries and tho welfare of teachers generally, is brought down."

At the Royal .Society of Arts, Mr. W. N. Boase, chairman of the Elnx Committee of Scotland, stated that probably a worid shortage ot flax wou.d have to be faced. It was to bo fervently hoped that troubles in Bussia, tlio largest ttaxproducing country, would soon cease, m that there might be a chance of procuring tlie'ila.v. which.was certainly still there. Encouragement of the growth ot ilax in our own Empire, now engaging tho attention of tho Government, might enable us materially, if not entirely, to supply the fibre needs of tho flax industry. . ,

A local Bill is to be introduced next session by tho Auckland Harbour Board to eecure authority to raise one million pounds at not more than 5} psr cent, per annum for a term not exceeding twenty years. The loan is for tho purpose ofi constructing an eastern' breakwater, also an eastern reclamation, Hobson 'Wharf and equipment, Preenian's Bay reclamation, warehouse, Quay Street landing, Central Wharf completion and equipment, western tide dellector, Ferry Wharf, Devonport, and Onehunga Wharf. As explained by tho chairman (Mr. H. D. Heather) only urgent works will be authorised under existing.conditions. Power is nluo asked in tho Mill for the board to quarrj and sell stone- or other road metal.

Mr. Hewitt, the Wangnmii S.M., has hit upon a novel form of "punishment." On Saturday he ordered six juvenile offender* to ije birched for various deliuriucncies, "and to be deprived ot attendance at tho picture allows for three months."

A meeting of the Lower lliitt branch of the New Zealand Labour Party was held last evening, when suvernl prospective candidaiM gave their views prior to liiu selection of a candidate to contest tlio Hutt scat ut ihe forthcoming elections. A similar meeting is to be held at i'etone to-night. A ballot will be taken on Saturday next to decide on the final selection,

In response to requests from different parts of tho electorate, Mr. G. Barclay, of liitO'.o Biver, has decided to contest, in tho Liberal interest, tho Ellcsmero , scat at the next general olection.

When ii policeman walks with tho b!ow deliberation of "boat routine" he. attracts , more attention probably than any other man in the street.' When lie wa.ks fast people turn their heads and wonder what particular business ho haA in'hand. But (says the Melbourne "Age") when a policeman runs! Well, then people begin to prepare themselves for news of a great sensation. And so, when two policemen ran at top speed in tho direction of the North Wharf on a recent afternoon, it was not surprising that dozens of citizens were so overconib by excitement that, throwing every business care and prudent consideration aside, they turned and ran with them—or at least as closely as their turn of speed permitted them to do. "What is it?" was tho cry of tho bswildea-ed but expectant crowd. On the policemen ran, and larger grew tho number of their excited followers. Breathless, tho upholders of the law arrived at the water's edge, and jumped on board the South Melbourne ferry just as it moved from the wharf. "Thought we'd missed it," said one policeman, wiping off the perspiration. On ehore a disappointed crowd dispersed.

Proceedings against ■«■ civilian are tu be taken by tjie police at the Magistrate's Court to-morrow on an information of having brought liquor on to tlio troop train which reached Wellington ou Tuesday with the dritft of returuiuy men from the transport U'aimana. It is not alleged that toe man supplied any if the troops with drink, but it is stuted that he boarded the train at Palilierslon North, and.that he hr.d liquor in his possession at- the time. Under the War Regulations it is an offence for any person to take liquor on to a troop (ram. The Southland Land Board leays the '■"Southland Times") concluded a t'hreo days' sitting on Saturday, when ninetyfive soldier applicants for loans , for town and country properties were dealt with involving an amount of over £138,(100. . It is announced, says an exchange, that the Farmers' Union Trading Company has purchased the twelve country stores owned and controlled by Messrs. Green and Colebrook, Ltd. These businesses extend ' down the Main Trunk line from Tuakau to Ongarue.