LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 18, 16 October 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho influenza notifications during the four days ended noon on October 13 numbered eight. This is the lowest number for some time, which should be taken as evidence that the disease is losing in tiru!ence and that there is no indication of a recrudescence of serious sickness. Anion;; the eight cases were four pneumonic (one in AVellington) and two severe. As most people know, influenza in a mild form has been prevalent in AVellinijton lately, but there was only one notification, wliich seoms to show that people are no longer calling' in medical men for cases of ordinary influenza. No doubt they have iost their dread of the disease.

Railway traffic is gradually being restored to normal dimensions. Tho patronage being accorded to the Auckland, Napier, and New Plymouth expresses is, as a rule, well tip to the accommodation provided, and «s .the. weather merges into summer the. two-exnrcssca-a-day sorvjee (as promised by the' Minister "of Railways) to Auckland will l>6 found to be justified. The permits issued to the public l>?hi-ceii August 1 and Septemlwr 27 at Wellington numbered 14,020, and the officials—as well as the public—are , thankful that the harassing system is at an end.

There was a particularly heavy charge* list at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Tl'.e major portion of tho business waa in charge of the detective branch, and their list covered twelve pages and no fewer than ten indictable cases. In addition there was the ordinary police list, which included three indictablecharges.

'J'lio big increase in the price of nee was mentioned in the House of Eepresentatives by Mr. C. H. Poole (Auckland Wait), who askeil tho Government to inquire why rice was now coiiting 7Jd. and 8d per pound. The Prime Minister replied that he would get a report from the Board of Trade. He, understood that there was a world shortage of rice.

"I was almost going to let the matter drop when I thought of the children and other people's children," aaid the mother of a child when giving evidence, in an indecent assault case at the Magistrate a Court yesterday.

The meeting of "independent" picture theatres, held in one of the Town Hall committee • rooms, openfd interestingly. Messrs. E. 3. Eighton, A. Gillespiq, and L. Wilson, of the New Zealand Picture Supplies, Ltd., attended as the .representatives of theatres ill various parts of New Zealand, but their presence was very strongly objected to, and a motion was passed to the effect that they be requested to retire. Both Messrs. Gillespieand Eighton attempted to speak, but the chairman ruled them out of order, and after again attempting to justify their delegation, they left the room. Mr. Wilson then explained whom ho was representing, but on the feeling of the meeting being taken, ho too was requested to leave.

One of the provisions of the Post Office Amendment Bill, passed by lino House of yesterday, makes, the misuse iS* telegraph forms or other Post Office forms an offence punishable by ft fine of £%). The clause is aimed at persons who remove telczraph forms and use them for purposes other than the writing of telegrams.

The petition of •. Mahoney, widow of tho lute Consla.. M'nhojey .was reported upon in the House of Representatives yesterday. Constable Mahoney, it will be remembered, lost his life at the big fire at Upper Hutfc some years ago. Mi's. Mahoney wns left with four young children, and she was given a compassionate alloivauce of X 750. That was «>me six years ago, and she is petitioning Parliament again for relief. The committee recommended the appeal to tliii "favourable consideration , !! cf the Government. Several members spoke on the ouostion when it was beforo the Houso, urging that Mrs. Mahoney should bs given either a considerable allowance or ft pension. Refercneo was also made to recent evidences of the dangers of the uoliceman's life', and it was suggested that tho force eliould be assured that the country was behind every policeman always, and that if he lost his life in tho service of the State his family would be provided for fully.

A. meeting of tho Bav of Plenty Development League decided to urge th& construction of a branch railway from Whakatane, also the opening up of tho Urewora country, the purchase of Tauaroa (Galatea) station for returned soi(Hers, and giving bao.kblock gettlers more consideration regarding postal facilities. -Press Assn. The Victoria Collage Council is still receiving from local bodies variouslyworded protests against "the proposal to reinstate Professor von Zedlitz in the Chair of Modern Languages." Tho latest addition to an already Imllty sheaf of correspondence was received last evening in the. form of a. letter from tho Wanganni Borough Council. Ono member of the council observed that it would be necessary to keep n special file for such letters. Tho communication met tho Barao fate n« its predecessors—it was merely "received."

A. Press Association message from Wfc worn fitntes tliat nt a meeting of Hie Technical) High School Committee, afteia loner discussion over delay in approval of the plana for the new technical school, iiK promised hy the lfon, J. A. Ilaiinii B'heii Minister of Kiliir.'ilion, it va.- <U'f-i-.U''l Hint ii deputation wait imon |'(i I'vi'ii" 'liiii-»rer. T'i> eau-ip nf Hns'pm's protest centres round th;« fact in.-.!. (»<j;igh S< . t'-'-..l >' ih p!n"* npprovvi!, nnd lveently hud an iiddi<ional grant of X'IQOU provided, JTuwoiii was informed hy the Director of Education (Uγ. Anderson) that the proposed cost of the new school must ha cut down,

The. last meeting of Ihe Wellington District .Repatriation Hoard was presided over by Ifr. T. S. Weston. A number of applications for wages of trainees in various avocations to be subsidised were received. Jn 25 cases the requests were granted, ami three were deferred, the Itoard considering that the wages paid by tho employers were not siitiiciont. Thirty applications for loans to buy furniture and tools of trade were grantfid and 20 grants for financial assistance in the establishment of businesses were appiore<l.

I A Press As.=oe : atioii cablegram 'from London last evening stated that Mr. Oscar Aschc's "Chu Chin Chow" at His Majesty's lias made a new world's record with HO7 performances, beating "Charley's Aunt." i At ii meeting of rhe -Wellington Labour Representation Committee leld at the Trades Hall last evening it was resolved: "That the Wellington L.It.C. strongly opposes the proposed policy of the City Council in' converting empty buildings into tenement houses, us being the thin end of the wedge for introducing the vicious system of creating tenement slums."

On inquiry at the Bowen Street hospital laet evening it was learned that the condition of .Mr. H. C. Pcarce, of Messrs. Levin and Co.'s staff, who received eerious injuries on Moiv'ay as the reault of a mptor-eycle accident, in Thorndon Quay, had "not improved a great deal. Air. Pearce is still very weak.

There is one petition which comes before ihe House of Kepresentatives every sesoion. It has to do with rat-trays to be placed on hawsers of steamers moored at wharves, to prevent rats from comiiiK ashore, or going off to the steamer. The question about these rat-traps dates from the time of the plaguo 6caros of some ten years ago. It lvaj considered of extreme importance that ruts should not be permitted to come ashore f:oru vessels, and a man invented a trap, said to be very effective. ' The Government save him some encouragement to hope that the use of the trap would be made commilsory at all New Zealand ports, and lit incurred expense in having numbers of the traps made. But the Government never., did put through the 0"-der-in-Council lo compel the ships to use Ihe traps, and ever sinco that time Jfr. Worthimtfon, the inventor, line ken petitioning Parliament, asking that.the Order-in-C'ouiicil lie made. The It. to 'A. Petitions Committee recommended Hie netition of this session to the Government for favourable consideration. New evidence was offered this wssion before the committee. It was from Ihe Waterside. Workers' Union, and it whs urged bv (his organisation that active stops should be taken to destroy rate on shipboard, as they were liable to introduce pestilence into the country, or to cause sicknes? amongst men working cargo in tho holds. 'Recently a historic cannon was landed from the We-stralia at Gisborne, harm? been brought from Queensland by Mr. (i. J. Black (says nn exchange). After leaving New Zealand in March, 1770, Captain Cook sailed up the eastern coast of Australia, and in Juno' the Endeavour ran on the Harrier lieef. As she was in danger of sinking, six of her suns were thrown overhead, ns well as .stores and ballast, and as a result the vessel was, lefloatcd. About ten years ago the .gun now at Gisborne. was found bv beche-dr-iner fishermen diving on the reef, and eventually became the property of Captain Thompson, of Port Donglns. Being the one cannon recovered, it is a valuable trophy. It is known «s a fourixmnder, is about -ift. long, aJid weighs h.vrt It has been returned to Gisborne 150 vears after the Endeavour visited Poverty Bay.

Jewellers' employees in the Wellington Industiiaj District intend to apply at the next local sittings of the Arbitration Court for amendments to the hours and wages clauses of their award. The union will aak for a U hours' week, instead of the present hours' week. Tho present ivago of journeymen is ,£.l 10s. per week, plus a bonne of ss. The union will apply to have that wage increased to a flat rate of £i Ills, per week, and also to have the wages,of female workers and appreti(icea in the trade incratw! by 20 per cent. A rate of "time and'A half" for all overtime will be sought.

The importance of adequate allowances being made by tho Government for the employment of qualified agricultural masters in secondary schools was stressed by Jlr. T. 11. Hodder, of Palmerston North, at the conference of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture, in moving a remit to that effect on behalf of tho Mamuvatu A. and P. Association. Mr, Hodder decried the fact that thero was a lamentable lack of qualified men to teach agriculture in secondary schools. It iva.s impossible to get. good instructor*— they were not in the Dominion. The Government should offer sufficient inducement to young men to take up flu's important work. As it was, thero was a lack of instructors who combined tho practical n'ith the theoretical knowledge. The Government should give- increased allowances (o secondary schools, wlvch at present could offer only the pitiable salnry of something under .£2OO. The remit was carried unanimously.

• At yesterday's conference of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture a motion was carried that, a joint deputation representing the A. and P. Conference, the board of of the New Zealand Farmers' Distributing Company, and the Farmers' Freezing representatives wait upon tho Government and protest against the present unfair regulations regarding the sale of hides.

The number of unemployed men on the books of tho Wellington District Repatriation Board at the present time is 70, made up of thirteen clerks, five storemen, four carters, five motor engineers, four commercial travellers, five agricultural workers, ten men capable of doing only light work, and twenty-four Miscellaneous cases. At tho lttgimiing of the mouth there, wore 71 unemployed men on the books. Forfy-threo men have been placed in various positions since the beginning of the month, and 42 new applications have been received.

Amonu the 'numerous remits passed yesterday by the conference of the Now Zealand Council of Auriiiulhire none found warmer support than ft Mnsterton recommendation: "That the Fnrah'Y Department be urged to facilitate the conservation of native forests, and enlist the co-operation of farmers in a more vigorous system of tree-plan tins." Several speakere, including Sir Waller Buchanan, pointed to the rapid depletion of our forests, tho leckless and ruthless waste going on all over the country, and tho lac!; of a sufficient body of effort to ensure tho replenishing of our timber supplies. Numerous glarng instances were cited, and the remit waa unanimously adopted.

The following,is an extract from a proposal which is to be placed before the next meeting of the Pelone. West School Committee by the headmaster, Mr. D. S. llediiKtfield:— "l suggest that a large concrete basin, 18ft. by 12fr. by Biri. deep, Iμ erected in the lower playground. I havo in mind certain geographical work which could be taught in an up-to-date, manner if fiuch a basin were provided. ' The baflin would bo filled with water nn inch or two deep, nnd hy the use of elay nnd sand models of islands, peninsulas, pthl isthmuses, etc., could be constructed. Tlrs would (,'ive the younger children nn elementary knowledge of the meaning of such geographical tprnif?. Mode's of tho North nnd South Islands of New Zenland nnd other pnrts of the world could also bo formed, as, for ini-lance, a model of the Pacific Ocean. The formation of valleys, plains, etc., would be demonstrated in a way both practical and instructive. As the depth -would bo only about. 8 inches, I do not think the cost would be great."

At a epecinl meeting of tho Wellington Education Board yesterday, Messrs. J. J. Clarke, J, p. Shaiid, G. L. Stewart, T. I'orsyth, L. R. Partridge (Industrial Association), and A. G. Wallace (School Committees' Association) were appointed managers of tho Wellington Technical School. Messrs W. IJ; Nicholson, • H Baldwin. 1). M'KVu7,ip, and G. London were appointed maingors of the Petone Ttv-hnical School.

In ivsiionse to an application in the Aiif-ltliiiiil Arbilrati-m Court. Mr. ,7n» Ii"" StrinifiT iifi-ccd to slate 11 cine foiHi' f'im-l (if Anp<\;l on tip one-lion of 'lip paviiM'iit of \vfi[!c-i Iμ employees of 'I'-liin , theatres for the epidemic'period. It wiif stated in one case tlrnl Xlflfifl was involved. Mr. Liyhtfoot. reprecontini the Labour Department, said Ilia); one case would be taken as governing all of them.—Press Assn.

In Lho Divorce Court yesterday beforeHis Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), Mary Janet Grey, of Wellington, for whom Mr. L. Edwards apneiirwl, petitioned for the dissolution of her marriage with William John Grey, of Auckland, commercial traveller, on the ground of desertion. 'J'ho iiartice were married on September G, 1901, at Auckland, and there were'three children of the marriage. The case was undefended. Thfl petitioner in her evidence stated that after tunrringe they livocl for some time at Auckland, then went to Sydney, and later came to Wellington. Her husband left her on or about February, 1911, and they had not lived togother since. Tho petitioner had earned her own living since her husband deserted ):er. Corroborative evidence, was ■riven by the petitioner's sister, and Jlifl Honourgriiiiti'd a decree nisi, to be made, absolute in three months. The People's Picture Palace Company, of Manners Street, has purchased the freehold of the property adjoining the pi'cmisjs occupied by Kitto and Son, hiilors. The intention later Uto improve Itho frontage and enlarge the theatre A Press Association message from Taumaninui stain? that a boy named brightwell, seven years of age, is missing. Hβ was last t-oew on Tuesday afternoon goiiijf to his home across the Wauganui 1-iver. The boy had to cross on the swini? bridpa to Winters Island and Sindrir's Bridge from Hie isliind to the other side of Hie river. A pn.rc.el carried by the bt>y was found yesterday on the island, but no further trace. Tim police are searching.

A rather serious accident betel a- pupil of the Clyde Quay School iliirinp playlime yesterday morning. A Ixiy named Ildward Hall, whose mother resides at Kataitai, was playinp; with some other boys in the school ground, and when leaning forward with his head down, lie was pushed violently against the wall, which he struck head on. As the result he Mistnined concussion of the spine, which rendered the lad unconscious for Borne three-quarters of an hour. He received medical attention as foon as possible, and wne sent home. It is understood the iniur.y is not a. serious one.

Another attack ou iiorse racing and (rambling wan made by the IJov. .T. .T. North at Mond-iy night's swaion of the conference of the New Zealand Baptist li'iion. The conference was discussing labour problems generally, and the relation of the Church to these problems in particular, "ft makes me mad." tiedared Mr. North, "to f-«e working men foolitifr round tho totnlisator and putfin? money on the. rich men's horses." Tho racecourse, he added, engendered ami cuUivnlcd just that spirit of (treed that was Hie. curee of our whole social system. 'Che Church (should set its face asainst. all forms of wimbling, whether on the racecourse or in the commercial world.

The era of the nnartnwit house ie upon us. siys the Auckland "Star." Already nmnb°r= of boardinghouses and large residences in the city and suburb's have Iwen converted to this purpose, and hundreds of smaller houses are arcommedatinir two or more families. . Tt is therefore not eurpri«iri( thai the ftat-dwelHne tendency should be carried si ill further. No fewer than five large modern apartment houses are in contemnMion in Auclc'aml, and on one of them line already ly><rnn. "When completed, these lilndcVof flats will accommodate nt SSO families. nn<l their aegreirale cost will b» in the iieiVibonrhcod of •RW).O< I fl. ,

At Urn Ponnkc Football Club's smoke concert Inst evening Mr. A. V. Wiren threw out a. suggestion that the Wellington Rugby Union would <lo well to recommence the publication of Hielr animal, which was fivst issued in 1596 and irhieh of Into years had not been published.