LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 30, 30 October 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The damage to.the two tr.imcars which rollided on Sunday afternoon ui Brougli.'im Street was considerable. The heavv steel buffer of the moving car, which is rounded in harmony with the design of the front of the car, wns bent back the reverse wav. (showing that tho impact was a vei'v hoary one. '''he damage w.'i cost something like .£l7O to repair. It is unfortunate that tho accident should hive occurred at the present time, when {■her* is itn urgent demand for more earn, find llio repair staff is short-handed. A departmental inquiry into tho accident is to be held (o-day. Tho degree examinations conducted by the New Zealand University will commence on Tuesday next. With the end of tho war has , " come a big increase in the number of candidates. For tho examination for section of the Bachelor of Arts ttiore arb nearly 5(10 candidates— more than double last year's entries. In every faculty there is also a. conrfdorable increase

That the retail trade in the cities is getting more nnd more like, the Old Country ways of trading, was the opinion expressed recently by an Auckland grocer who hnd been engaged at tho business for a long period of years. "The retail trade," he said, "line altered very much during the past year or two, and peoplo are buying in much smaller lots than formerly, and all this tended to increase, the cost of running a, business. It used to be a very uncommon Ihiiiß n little while bnck for the ordinary housekeeper to buy half a pound of bacon or half a pound of cheese, and tlie days used to bo when few people ordered les3 than a pound of butter. Now, too, ifc is quite common for people to ask for a pound of broken biscuits, which aro sold at a cheap rate. To sell in big lots 'means less handling, and that ii counter linnd has much less work, which means that, the cost of turnover is less. Last week many counter hands did not put through more than JS per day, and eome did not do more than £7. in one establishment that T know. Three men were kepi: busy enough, but big ("(iinii titles of stuff did not puss through their hands in the large quantities that it used to do. Ladies, dre?scd in the mast faehionable styles, very often ordered their goods in ihe smallest quantities, which wivs quite different from what hanuencd before the war. People are evidently feeling the pinch of the increased cost of living more now than they ever did. because it afl'eots everything n housewife needs and everything that is worn as well. No one would liJive ever dreamed that the retail trade would have been cut lip the way it is, anil the worst feature of it nil is thnt tlie alteration is not: nt all tending towards tho benefit of cither the buyer or the seller. The markets are uncertain, and trade is just as uncertain, and grocers all over the country," ho concluded, "long for a return to those days when freedom in buying was so common' to all. .

Tlir c.oninlaiut of a number of parents ol children attending the school at Waiiara whs mentionedin the House of. Hβiiri'sciihilives yesterday by Mr. Jennings. 'II? said thut he had received a cominiinioatioii from a number of these ncoole lo the effect that: Hie medical inspector of schools in thut district hud liikeii on': ImUi of some of their children without consulting the parents. He niked that the attention of the Minister of Education be called lo the matter, mid this M'r. Massey premised would be

Tlm iflOfl-kilnirall 'I'arsons tiirbino engine for the tramways' power-house, which !iu! tramways manager (llr. W. li. MiirloiO saw erected at the works in NewcanUe-on-Tyne, .is now on its way to Kimv Zealand, and should' arrive, in the crmvsc of two or throe weeks. In tho meantime arrangements are lining made, for its reception at the Street power-house. The engine is one of tho lalest Iviin, and it is Anticipated that it. will be able to be kept running by tho supply of stoiira which now goes to wnete Ihrouj'h tho means of a very big conclens?r. The new engine is expected to effect a considerable economy.

There are people who hold it no crime lo "forget" to pay a tram fure if tho cMuluclo: , should happen to overlook Ilinni. Apparently, however, n resident of Stratford liocs nrit come within this category. Among his mail the other lnornii , . , . , the inamigcr ot the Auckland tnimwuvs received nn envelope contniuins tli? sum of threeponce in stamps. Tlmrn was no communication enclosed, and the .stamps were left to tell their own slorv. It can only Ik> assumed that Ihev were inlendrd as conscience money bv a visitor—a juvenile, if the superecrintioit on the envelope c:in be taken .is n guide—who eithe: , or MiridiMilallv omitted t<> |«i.v his fare. The manager slates that this is not by am- means the first i=lllll h? has received in this vav. nnd that at times as much as £\ has been sent with a brief note continuing the voids, "I'or fares not paid."

The fonndaiion-slono of the now St. Mary of the Anils' Church in Boulcolt 'Street, is to be laid by His Grace, Archbishei) O'Kliea at .'! p.m. on Sunday next.

A. jjenernl meeting o[ the newly-formed Wireless luslituto wa< hold on Tuesday night, and was well attended. The actiiiu ollicprs previously ap|)oinlcd wero onnfirineti as tho executive. The followim:'were adopted as the objects (if Iho institute:—To bring inio contact nil pern:ins interested ir. the study of o.leitric.iiy, especially as applieil Id research in radio telegraphy ;;nil radio telephony. To arrniiue a liieriniK place to facililnte study, rending. discu-Mii; qif.-tt ions iiritiin;: Irom pxiii:rinicnl.i, and (lie exi-liaiigo oV ideas generally. To appoint members ot a'dppntatioii Io interview the proper authorities in an elVort to make arrangement for the granting of experimental iiccns'.v. Io all properly intrrrsled in tho vaiup of wireless research. To distribute written matter on the proceeding.-! ol' all :ipmonslTalivp, instructional, and Ilipnvptiml kctuiTs given for the practical benefit of i-uiintry members. Io form a library of lx:.'il;>, works, and lX'riodicals on wireless, both experimentally find commercially, nr.d Io encourage tho studv thereof It was decided that the age limit for full members should bo eighteen; ihc.se below that ago be "student members": and the siib-criplion was i\xNi at one guinea for full members, and half a Eiiim-a for ■conntry and student members.

Messrs. Harcourl: and Co. report that they sold at public auction yesterday five of tho nine tedious in the Upper Hutt which were offeree, tfos. 7, 8, mid 9. on the Main Koiitl, were sold to Mr. John Larmer for ..Clio; No. IS, oil tho Main L'oad. to Mr. W. Robinson, for .£100; and No. 0 on the" corner of Main lioad jiiii> Russell Street, to Mr. J. T. Benga, for <&;00. The remaining four sections nre now in the hands of the auctioneers for private silo.

The annual report of the New Zenland Employers' Federation nays: ""While recognising' that much remains to bo done to make the federation the strength it- ought to be in the industrial affaire of the Dominion, it is believed thnt the. work accomplished during the year hn» "been of benefit to employers and tho community generally. The Advisory Board is of the opinion thfct while every effort should he made to promote friendly relations between workers and employers, it is clearly the duty of thn federation to oppose to its utmost the elements of Bolshevism, I.W.W.ism and direct action which have established themselves in our midst. The bust means to accomplish this is by the more complete organisation of employers, and Io that end Hie various affiliated .Employers' Associations are urged to take all possible steps to increase their niembership and secure the co-operation and support of all employers of labour in their respective districts."

"The Itcd Guards of the "Finnish revolution wero the finest body of men ■physically I have ever se.sn," sa,id Mr. A. L."Williams in his lecture on "Bolshevism" at Auckland. The British party with wliich Mr. William.-; returned to England from "Russia had to pass through the fighlins lines in Finlnnd, and he .<nid tliey all .had a warm regard for the I'ed Guards, who treated thfhi well, and •"hated the Germans. The White forces contained Gcrmi'.ns and Germain-trained officers.