LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 245, 10 July 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The number of depositors in the Post Offic-e Savings Bank at the end of the March quarter of 101!) totalled 597,1'i7, the total amount deposiled being =£5,8155,•178. This shows an increase over the corresponding period of 1918, the depositors then numbering 57+,807, and. tbe deposits totalling ,£■!-,401,731.

In the courso of his presidential report to the Racing Conference yesterday, Sir George Clifford Jirged that, with a view of eliminating the undesirable influences of bookmakers, tho double totalisator should be permitted upon racecourses, and that secretaries of racing 'clubs should be allowed to receive investments bv letter or by telegram. At the afternoon session of the conference attention was given to the matter in committee, when the following resolution was passed: -•"The conference hereby requests the authorities to take steps to authorise the working of a double totalisator on racecourses, as its establishment Mould tend to the advantage of the sport and the benefit of the public."

The school teachers of the Hutt Valley on Tuesday morning, found that the train that usually leaves Lambtou Station at about 8 o'clock for Petone wh«, on aceoumt. of the races, making its iirst stopping place Kaitoke. Nothing daunted, the teachers resolutely set out and walked to Petone. Fortunately when they had walked about as far as Ngalmuranga an obliging motorist g.'vo them n "lift" to Petone. They arrived about twenty minutes lato for school. Mr. Haslaip (headmaster of the Petone District High School) stated that it had caused a completo disorganisation of v tho school time'lable in the ITutt Valley. At the Petone District High School there was cue teacher for the infant school, no teachers for standard 111, ono for standard V (instead of two), one teacher for the High School, and there was no cookery mistress for the soconilsvy department.

Another New Zealand Victoria. Cross winner, 2nd Lieutenant R. S. Judson, of Auckland, is among tho draft of soldiers returning on the Mar,una. Lieutenant Judson, originally a member of tho Riilo Brigade, was attached to tho First Auckland Infantry Battalion when ho secured bis commission, and is spoken of as a man absolutely without fear. Tho story of how lie won tho Victoria Cross makes magnificent reading. His company was unablo to advance on account of the lire from a German ma-chine-gun nest. Leaving'a couple of men to engage the Germans' attention with bombs, lie. boldly went forward alone, and, standing on the parapet, demanded tho surrender of tho enemy. There wero two officers and twontv men, with n. couple of machine-guns, but he com. pletely disregarded the danger. One of' the Germans fired at him with a revolver and missed, whereupon ho threw, a. bomb among the enemy! killing several. 'J'ho survivors fled, leaving their guns, anil as a' reward Judson got the Victoria Cross. Within about three months lio won the D.C.M., tho M.M., ami finally the V.C.

A complaint that the Feilding racecourse was pestered by "thieves ant! spielers" was ventilated by Mr. J. I ! Perretl: at: tho Racing Conference yesterday. "We cannot find any policemen to assist us," remarked Mr. Perrett. "I counted -1-3 sitting on the iron feneo at the, last meeting. We cannot do anything and tho police won't shift them." The president, Sir George Clifford, slated that similar trouble had been experienced in England. He thought the conference should appeal to the Minister of Justice for protection against undesirables amending race meetings. Upon Sir Georgo Clifl'qrd's suggestion, it was decided to ask the Minister of Justice for assistance in the direction desired.

At the conclusion of a criminal prosecution in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Mr. 11. I 1". O'Leary, who was representing a defendant, , said that it was pleasing to be ablo to remark upon tho fairness- with which the police had conducted their ease. They had conducted Ihe prosecution impartially, and all the evidence had been given without comment.

A local contractor informed a Dominion reporter that several of iho sawmills along tlio Main Trunk line had reduced tlio daily hours of labour owing to tlio impossibility of getting their timber away by rail. Those mulct which could afford to do so would, ho thought, keep goingfor a while and build up stocks, but ill eases where mill-own-ers could not afford to continuo paying out wages with nothing coming in they were left with no alternative but to close down almost immediately, which wouiid have the effect of throwing mail) men out of work and so cause a goou deal of hardship throughout the country. If,\liO' suggested, tho Government would advance money on stocks of timber at current rates (for which there wa» ample demand), it might ease the situation. -In duo course such stocks could be sold through the usual channels and the Government repaid its advances. One aspect of tho railway "out" reacted on the frozen meat industry. Some ot the freezing companies were busily adding to their cold storage accommodation, and without such additional accommodation it would, in some cases, be impossible to contend with the product of tho coming killing season. Now the railways had placed an embargo on all building material, and consequently building operations would have to cease almost at once.

"There ara three hundred minors in Christchurch and Lyttelton doing ordinary labourers' work in preference to living under tho present housing conditions on tho West Coast," said tho Mayor (Br. Thaeker) at a meeting of tho Citizens' Railway Transport Committeo in Christchurch.

"Tho conduct of all leading trainers during the season lias been thoroughly satisfactory, but there are many licensed trainers who have no horsei to train," stated tho report of the Stipendiary Stewards' Committee presented to the Racing Conference yesterday. "This latter class appear to use their licenses merely for the purpose of obtaining privileges at raco meetings, to which they are not in any way entitled. We would strongly advise trainers to strictly comply with Kulo 5. Part 21, Rules of Racing. The list of licensed jockeys is still a lengthy one, and contains the names of many who are in no way qualilied to hold such licenses. The conduct of jockeys who have come under our notice, with ft few exceptions, lias bciii good, but we regret to state that cannot endorse the same in tho ease of a few of the lending horsemen. Most disquieting rumours aro in circulation as to tho sums being won and lost, moro especially With regard to double betting, but under present conditions no means arc available to us to prove the truth or otherwise, of thevd reports, all reputed business being done with bookmakers."

At its meeting yesterday tho llutt County Council decided to strike a general rnto of lid. in the .£ for tho comity.

If proof is wanted of the growing virulence of cancer and the decline in inljuenza, tho 'Monthly Abstract of Statistics affords it. 11l the four metropolitan and nine suburban areas there wero 57 deaths from cancer and only 12 from inlluenza.

The Saiuoan Kpidcmic Comhiission returned to Auckland from Samoa yesterday. The Commission heard n considerable amount of evidence at Apia Savani. Tho Commission will sit iii Auckland to-morrow and leave for Wellington on Friday.—Press Awn.

Two special instructional classes wero held at the Drill ltall in Buckle Street last evening. Tho Senior Cadet n.c.o.'s, who are undergoing a voluntary course m infantry training, musketry, and physical training, advanced a stage further in their instruction. J?art of the classtime was devoted to a lecture on discipline and soldierly conduct. A course instituted to assist candidates for first appointments to commissions was begun. The examination of the candidates will be held in August.

"Eighteen malicious false alarms were received during the year, eleven moro than last year."—Extract from the annual report of the superintendent of the Wellington Fire Brigade (Mr. JI. Tai.J.

The Stipendiary Stewards' Committee reported to the liaeing Conference yesterday that now that the war was over the time had arrived when better grandstand accommodation, not forgetting that for tho outside public, should on most racecourses be instituted. Nearly all totalisator buildings in the Dominion, owing to increased patronage; were now inadequate and required enlarging or reluodernising to efficiently deal with the volume of business offering. Many of the minor appointments on racecourses needed immediate attention.

A, request that the work of providing station accommodation at Wanganui East was made by a deputation from Wanganui which waited on the Minister of Railways yesterday. The deputation comprised the Mayor of the town (Mr. C. E. Mackay), Mr. Ewau Campbell, and Mr. J'uxford (secretary to the Chamber of Commerce). The speakers said that the land for the station had been bought before the war, but they had been told that as there was some possibility of the main station being moved, nothing could be done at Wanganui East. They urged that whatever was done nt the main station something ought to be done at Wanganui East to give accommodation there. At present there were no facilities for entraining cattle there, and stock had to be driven across the bridges, and was a source of annoyance to residents, pud inconvenience to traffic. Mr. Luxford said thoro was an idea flint tlie Department thought of making 'Wanganui East the main station, now that there was good communication with the town by electric cars, cutting out the branch line with its dangerous crossings. Personally, be favoured this suggestion. Mr. Ilerries said the Department hud always recognised the necessity of building station accommodation at Wanganui East, nn<l had bought land for that purpose. But until the whole question of accommodation at Wanganui. Aramoho, and Wanganui East, was settled,, they did not really know what sort of accommodation was required. The Harbour Board apparently, wanted to eet rid of the "Railway Department control, and get hold of tho wharves, and it had made the suggestion (he did not know whether the people agreed to it), that the present racecourse would make a suitable site for a central station. But what h«rl been done further in the matter lie could not say. The question of stockyards was one that bo would certainly look into at once.

A deputation from the New Zealand Institute waited on tho Minister in Charge of Scenery Preservation (the Hon. D. H. Guthrie) jwslorday. Mr. W. H. Feild, M.P., introduced the deputation, the members of which were Mr. B. C. Aston, Professor Kirk, Dr. Thomson, Dr. Cotton, and Dr. Cockayne. The main request was that, the institulo should be. consulted by the Government in somo way in ma Iters pertaining to tho preservation of scenery and of native flora and fauna. One speaker mentioned also that there was need for somo steps to bo taken for. tho preservation of sites of historical interest, many of which were bein? obliterated. Among these was named the Gate Pa. A reference was made to Kapiti Island, now a sanctuary for unlive fauna. It was said that, the prett'iicfl of natives, nwl Jlio prpsenec of slock on tho native portion of the island, was spoilinr the island as a sanctuary. It was asked either that the whole islaim should be acquired, or that Hie stock on the native portion should be enclosed lW* fences to keep them from destroying (lie flora. The Minister said that he would be quite williwr to accept, any assistance from the institute that murl" bo offered, and he. would welcome any recommendations they might make in lepard to the preservation of scenery, the questions in regard to TCapiti Island were now being dealt with, and lie was in entire svmpathy with tho views of the deputation. As to the preservation ot historical sites, he would confer with his officers, and with tho Minister of Internal Affairs.

The Minister of Education slated yesterday that be had lately been soius into ihe building reouirements of schools and other educational institutions in the country, And Up cstuvuiisd ihfit not lesa than three"millions would bo required if all demands were lo be satisfied. A requisition had been sent along recently from tho University Senate, and if this sum were granted tho total would m largely increased.

The total number of births registered in Wellington for tho month of May totalled 1512. being 2.02 per thousand of tlie population. . T'lio deaths numbered 88, jbeing 0.91. per thousand. Writing to a friend from Cello Lager, Germany. Lieutenant Max Juriss, late of the London Regiment, nnd formerly a well-known physical cuHurist in Wellington, says: * ''At present I am in charge of tlio camp (on behalf of tho Red Cress Society), besides holding tho responsible position 'as representative of ihe Inter-Allied Commission here. My duties keep me on the move from early morn till night, owing to the fact that I have GOOO Russian prisoners under my control. . . Of course Bolshevism has <rot a firm hold of the majority of the Russians in the camp, and it is very difficult at times to know how to deal with them, and one must use discretion to prevent it spreading. The other night the Bolsheviks of Cello (from the neighbouring town) raided our camp, and things looked very serious indeed, shooting going on in all directions. After an liour's excitement the Bolsheviks disappeared, and I am pleased to report that there were no serious casualties.. 'We are every moment expecting further raids.*'

'' Speaking to a reporter yest?rday, Councillor '<&• B. Norwood said that it had come to his knowledge that Mine vendors had warned' people whose houses wore situated well 'back from the road that if they did not place their milk jugs or cans close to the ron<l they stood an excellent ehanco of. not being served at all. Ho asks tho public to take no notice of such talk, except to report it at once to the Central Milk Depot, a? it was never intended that the public should be put to such inconvenience.. As a matter of fact, two of the companies hail so thoroughly organised their districts that there .were no complaints. One in particular got though the whole of its work by 10 a.m. yesterday, not a single house being missed, and everyone received the milk they had. ordered. In oilier cases the result* so far had rot been quite so good, but that was .limply through lack of proper organisation, and would be rectified, ho had uo <Nmbt, within ft low days.

• The Canterbury Progress Lenmte lias received a telegram from the Hon. W. I). S. MncUonald, Acting-Postmaster, (lonoral, stating that ho was glad to learn that the league disavowed any desire to usurp the functions of tho Post Offico in regard to tho carriage of mails (states a Press Association telegram from Christcluirch). Tho Minister said Hint he was (|iiite prepared to meet reasonable claims rendered in connection with the. mail services inaugurated, and hoped that the arrangements made would resitft in a full measure of satis-' faction to all concerned.

A silling of the ?olv:e '.:ourt was held ot the Mount Cook Police Station yesterday. Mr. 0. Pnthericlr. .T.P., presiding. Patrick Sinnott was fined 205., in default three day.-' imprisonment', rn n charge of insobriety, and Timothy DriscoJl was fined 10s., ill default -IS hours' imprisonment. on a similar charge.

The "Nev; Zealand Herald" reportsi A good recovery is being made by Mr. G. lfewcastle and his family, who wero overcome eai£,v on Friday morning by fumes which found their way into their residence at the Newton waterworks depot from the olcetrie mains. Investigation made by Mr. A. W.vlie, cit.v electrical engineer, as to the. cause of the accident, showed that some electric wire in tho main had fused. This in itself was a minor accident, huh the resultant fumes iwere carried along tho main until they found an exit under Mr. Eewcastle's residence, where an opening led up through tho wall of a bedroom,