LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 305, 20 September 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

'('hero is still an acute shortage of telephones in New Zealand consequent upon the stoppage of supplies during the war period, arid there is still o- considerable list uf applicants in Wellington who avo on the waiting list. Some respile will bo afforded towards tbo end of the month, when the "cut-over" to the Wcslern Electric from the Strowger autoinatic system is effected at Newtown and Courteiiay Place. At the present time each subscriber in'those districts has two telephones, but unw. the cutover takes place the Strowger instruments cannot bo removed, but theso telephones will now very shortly be available lor use elsewhere Delegates to the Vomers-' Union Conference were unanimous in their desire to obtain . from the Government medical assistance (o assist back-blocks settlers. Speakers cited the real need for such medical assistance, and outlined eirfes ot extreme hardship, particularly during (he influenza enidemic. One speaker flavoured the establishment of cottage, hospitals. Other speaker,- were of opinion that hospital boards should give, assistance in arranging for a distribution of nurses in .the back-blocks. A. cablegram stating that (he Imperial I fioverniiß'ut was printing copies of Ihe Peace Treaty, with fascimilo signatures, was read by Ihe. Prime Minister-in the House of Representatives ycs.lcrday. Sir. Masspy sa.id he .'thought New , Zealand won!?!' require IMO or 203) copies. A suggestion had been made .that, copie; should bo supplied to all public,libraries. If seems that the corporation 'rubbishcollectors are particular as to what, forms of nibbish they gather, being guided, it is understood-, by what refuse the destructor at Clyde tjuay will consume. For instance, tlwy object to Inko tins, and broken bottles, which in. Ihe <»r<li;«k"y, domeslio ,-enf-x of the, word come uinier the heading-'ol' household refuse. 'During ■the past fortnight.' whilst Hie citv Ims been spring cleaning, all kinds of ruhjbish has been collected, and what would not burn has been deposited at the various tips. When the-Mayor alluded. at Thursday's meeling of the City Council to Hie work which had been done- in this-, direction, Councillor 'I-'. Forsyth;'whilst' giving credit for the effort,.regretted that the rubbisln was not as thoroughly col--lected even- week.. There was no reason whv it should not he done. The practice was already followed in Dunodin. which was the-cleanest citv hi the Dominion. ' A Prc« Association message'' stales that Sir James'Allen, has advised Hie president of the' Newspaper 3'ropnelprs' Association that arrangements have been made lo continue this year the practice adopted for some -time past of posting copies of the Financial Statement ,to newspapers, instead of having siimmarie»> telegraphed. In discussing (he rabbit pest at yos-lerdi'-v'fi proceedings. .of. the. Farmers Union, Dr.. C.. J. Keakes, .Director- ot I Agriculture, said that the Department had and was still, endeavouring to. have, rabbit-netting introduced into the.country at the lowest possible cost. Fencing the boundaries in rabbit-infested country, however, was not generally favoured, and as one speaker put il, farmers did not want lo 'farm' rabbits, 'but to destroy them, and the only really effective measure wa-i by poisoning. The' membership of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association-nuw stands at GOOO, as against 890 in September-last-year. Detective Sergeant Cameron, of Invercarg'ili, is to leave for Sydney to-day by the Muheno to escort'to New Zealand a man who 1 was arrested on atiextradition warrant in. Sydney on the arrival there of the Kauri. The charge is one. ot fraud, by using a valueless cheque under an alias. The'warrant was issued in luvercnrgill. ~. „ " The Taratu Coal Company, vnosa mines are within two miles of Kaitangata, are making 'preliminary arrange, meats for opening a'third mine on their property hy laying a branch line from their railway. It is hoped to have this third mine opened up in time to reinforeo the supply to the public-next winter." With somewhat, of a dramatic. touc:i,' Councillor W. Wittc produced at'tho last meeting of tho Spreydoii Borough Coun-. oil two small round objects, which fell on the council table with a muffled -sound. "What do you think they .'►ve?" the asked. "They are washers. How much do you think I paid lor them ?" .; "Sixpence," ventured a councillor, evidently thinking his estimate liberal. "No, ninepence each," was the reply. Councillor Wittc subsequently stated that .he had ascertained that the cost price of tho washers was Id. each. A discussion as to whether the council should raise the wages of its lower paid employees ln:d been ?n : ing on. "This is what you have to look to—the excessive profits made by merchants," said Councillor AVitte. '. Mr. P. C. Corliss, Commissioner of Stamps, has completed his jubilee, (fifty years' service) in connection with the Department:... He has received numerous letters.and telegrams of congratulation on having achieved'an unusual record, including messages from Sir James Allen and Mr.' T. SI. 'Wilford, the ex-Minister in charge of the Department, speaking in terms of high praise of tho manner in which for so many years he has conducted such a complex. Department, The delegates to the Farmers' Union Conference yesterday paid a visit . to 11.M.5. New Zealand, under 'arrangements with the Prime Minister (Mr. Massey). During the discussion at Thursday's meeling of the City Council on the urgency for providing .better conveniences (and more of them) for both sexes in Wellington,-the-Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), who agreed with the members of the council that, improvement was needed, said that the increasing cost of labour and its shortage was a factor they had to contend with, and whilst the matter of conveniences was one that had to he attended to no matter what tihe cost was,ho believed councillors would -agree with him that they must practice economy during the ensuing year if they were to keep within tho bounds of thoir revenue. "In ,tho interests of the children of the back-blocks settlers, the Government should be urged to: provide better facilities to tho settlers to get 6cFools," said Mr. P. Keegan at yesterday's conference of the Fanners'. Union. He,said that the country was crying out for increased .production, but was neglecting the education of those who would be directly concerned in this increased production. Other speakers also stressed the need for the provision of better facilities, and it was stated that immediate action was desirable as the tendency of the Education Department was tg centralise the schools. The back-blocks children were not getting the schooling that was essential to their welfare. The following resolution was carried bv the conference of the farmers'' Union yesterday:—"That the Farmers' Union desires to congratulate the Hon. Mr. Massey upon having secured one-lhird interest in the phosphate deposits on Nauru Island." The annual winter reunion of pioneers and their descendants will ho held on' Dominion night, Monday next, m the Town Hall. Their Excellencies tho (In--ernoi'-Gonoral and Lady Liverpool will be present. The. musical part .of the programme,- arranged by Mr. Robert Parker, should be a musical treat. Items will be given by Mrs. Parsons, sen., and her daughters; Mr. John Prouso and Mi;. Eib.v. Miss Kdmondson will give a pianoforte solo. The reunion will be opened bv the singing of the Old Hundredth IValiu to an organ accompaniment by Mr. Parker. When our.pioneers landed here nearly eighty years ago I hey stood together on the beach and sang this psalm, nnd in no more filling war can a reunion of pioneer '•■etilors aiul their descendants be ciimmencfd. . Officials of friendly societies from ono caii.-,'.' or another sometime* lorgei m send in their returns to (he registrar, as required by Ihe • Friendly Societies Act, but the registrar,, while extremely forbearing, cannot wait indefinitely for Ihe rclurns to bo sent in. Yesterday in (he Magisl rale's Court (he registrar procorded against the Progress Division, Sons and Daughters of Temperance, for failing to send in the annual returns of income and expenditure. The information was laid under section .Id of the Act. It was explained on behalf .of Ihe society I hat one of its officers had been ill, which accounted for the delay. The return had since been forwarded to Hie Department, and under the craimslances Mr. F. Pnge, 5.11.', recorded a.conviction ami fined the. society 41 and costs.

At 7 o'clock Inst, night Lionel Marshall, a married man, aged 33, residing at !« Hollownv Jtoad, was admitted to Hie Hospital. Marshall fell oil' a tramcar in Willis Street, and suffered an injury to his head. Jle is not, however, in a serious condition. ' A Press Assocoation meswc from Dunedin states that Hie Li.oour JJepnrtment lias served attachment orders on the flreen Island coal mine owners, requiring them to deduct from wages the amount of fines imposed by the Court as the result of the recent strike. The fines and costs amount to J2 ss. per man. Messrs. Griffiths and Co. yesterday disposed of (lie first snipmenl of green pras from Nelson at 7s. per peck. This vriee constitutes a record. ! Mr. W.-G. Kiddell, S.M., held an in"tiest vestertlnv morning into the cause of death of William Ashler dark, .(i!l years of age, who died suddenly at tun residence- in Rintoul Street, early on Thursday morning. Dr. Fvflfe in his evidence stated that the post-mortem exam iiiation which ho made showed that death was due to.oedema of Hip Inn;..nnd the Coroner found accordingly. Mr. C. G. Sherwood, of-Willis.Street, has let a 'contract to Messrs. Campbell and Burke for I ho erection of a new twostoried reinforced concrete ''building to. take the place of.the old wooden premises, now to he demolished in oo.nn.eetion ■with 'the -widening of Willis' Street. Messrs. I.toggard and Protisc arc Hie architects. . - The 'fifteen "Jfojo-Slnvs who have, been, delained at 'I'ren'tlinui camp-.were relcasri'kmTh'iirsdnv and left for the 'north yesterday. The publisher of the Jugoslav paper. "The Nci- World" ("Novo Svjel"). Ims been advised 'bv the Hon, J. G.'Coafes dial; Cabinet has decided after consideration'of an application by those interested that'the paper may now be published;'. .A .welcome .to.Mr. P. C. Webb will bo given- at the. Paramount Theatre toinnrrow evening by the Social-Democratic Parfv. The., chair will, be occupied by JJr.'H... Holland....