LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 98, 20 January 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

During lust week the War Expenses Department paid out <£'1I.).-180 in refponso '» SSI!(J claims, for gratuities. The. total amount disbursed in gratuities up to Saturday, Jonuury 17, was .£3,G40,351, which represented the settlement of Ol.flliO claims.

Is seaside properly in the same category us town houses ns regards the new law mi occupancy? Tlmt is a question which is worrying several owners of property at a seaside resort a few miles away from AYellington. As is well known, for 6easide cottages at a purely seaside refort there si a summer and winter rent. The winter rents are low, and towards the end of November tho summer rents begin, and tliey are pretty high, owing to the demand, which for years past has not been satisfied. In -jno instance this year n person was given the tenancy of sort there is a summer and winter rent, provisionally on quitting the place just before Christmas. Then the owner filled in his summer bookings. "When Christmas arrived, however, the tenant refused to quit, and further refused to pay more than the winter rent, so that the owner, through the action of the tenant, is a rather serious loser, and all the summer tenants who booked the cottage consecutively havo been considerably inconvenienced. It is understood Hint the matter in dispute is to be made the subject, of a test case. Property owners at the place referred to are now seriously discussing the point as to whether letting tho places in the winter-time is worth while. The Pacific Cable Board advises that cable messages from the United Kingdom are showing a delay of three, days. To United Kingdom tho delay is twenty-fnur hours. Messages for America are subject to a delay of four days, and deferred messages seven davs.

Tlio liot of shortages in the Dominion lias not yet been nenrly enumerated. At last evening's meeting of the Wellington Industrial Association Mr. 0. C Webb, manager of Messrs.

Levor Bros', works at l'etoue, mentioned that there was a serious shortage.of muriatic acid lit present. Muriatic acid, ho explained, was used in an important process in the soapworks. Mr. Webb also mentioned a difficulty he had experienced in getting a competent shorthand writer and typist, although the „<J3 a,week ho offered was surely very good nay for a (firl. Koforring to the great increuse in tho rest of erecting houses an Auckland builder writes to a local paper: "In 11111, according to price lists, doors- cost Ills, till.; in I'JJ'J, 3-Is. Hushes, 5-11 x 3—l, '7s. (id.juow 335. Skirting, 2-U, (id.;'now 38s. And other lines in proportion, liven common ledge doors, which a boy could iimlce, cost in I'M lis. nil.; the- mill price at the present time is 21s. Iron in DIM cost .£2l per ion; now is JSn Twenty gallon cup]ier cylinder, £2 ss. j now ,£(i ss. No. 1 Orion' range, A'li; now .£lO. Nails, 18s. to °os. per cwt.; now 38s. Scrim, UJd. per yard; now Is. IOJd.; wages in lilll were' Is. (id. per hour; now 2s. 1.0 2s. 3d. If anyone thinks there is such a lot of profit in building, let him havo a go at it, and if ho makes more tlui'.i wages afler paying all expenses he will be°!i luckv mnii. I" regard to using wet and unseasoned timber, that is not the fault of the builder, who has to , take what he can get or go without. As a builder of 25 years' standing, and one who takes his coat off and works just a, hard as tho few men ho employs, I I havo come to tho conclusion that the j builder of wooden houses would bo better off on wages, especially <if five days a week comes into force, and .£! 15s. j tier'week of HI hours. It would save him a lot of worry and overtime, which he docs not gel paid for. The annual conference of the Industrial Corporation of New Zealand (which embraces the various industrial associations) will conuneiico in Duncilin on I'ebruary 1. Tho delegates from the Wellington Association will 'be Messrs. 11. Mainland (president), V. W. Vosseler (vice-presiilcnl). C. J. Ward (vice-presi-dent), S. W. Vickcrmun, and. L. If. Parlriih'e'. Mr. 11. V. Allen was to have gone soufli also to attend to tho secretarial work, but as he cannot conveniently get awnv', those duties will bo performed by Iho "secretary of Iho Auckland Association, Mr. T. W. Whitton.

One of the finest cottons in Ihe world is grown at Fiji. According to Mr. J. M. Ommiiighloii, of Manchester, what ho wIN "South Sea cotlon," grown from 1-Vvpliau '•ecd, was oi high quality, and i-iwmbli- oi* extra superfine treatment. AMioiig lin samples is a- length of what most ladies would de-crib.- as a heavybodied pale pink pongee silk. Mr. ConliiiiHilim suv-. it i-i simply ("'l')" crepe mad"" from Viii collon. The gloss, the feel the weight, and the colour proclaim it to lie :i revelation in what can be done with cotlon.

Some time on Thursday last a thiel or thieves broke open a show case outwide Mr. Armifs tobacco estahl shment. and removed a quantify of choice cigars, valued at between .fclS and ,£'2o. \ conference of the recently-formed Hank Ollicers' Guild is to be beld in Wellington next week. Delegates I rum „„)4 of the banks in the Dominion wil. attend. The chief business will be disunion and adoption of n constitution for the guild and the formulation of )ls policy.

In our advertising columns in this •«ue will be found' the full programme of Ihe first eonrr-il to lie given in \Veilin«lon by (he Xew South Wales Slate Orchestra'. I't include? the I'umoiis svinphonv "I'atheliqoe," by Tscluikovsky. as well as a number of other items. With pi ices for Knglish goods jumping lioin dav to day, it is a little difficult to know* how the order business is conducted (it the present time. Mr. James M. Coiimiuglilon, who travels the world for a Manchester firm, fays (hat his last price schedule was cancelled by cablegram whilst he was in Auckland. Sine- then he had to cable Home for n price and hook on that price the same dav, cable the order, and await its confirmation. It was the only possible way to do bus'ness under the circumstances. The slightest investigation on the part of the person who passed the fire alarm lit Mason's Steps on 1/imbton Quay last evening would have obviated the. turnini,' out of the (ire brigade at 10.18 p.m. The action of the person, performed in all good faith, was due to the report of a vouth who noticed low-lying smoke m the vicinity of Palmer's Cafe and. fearing a fire, informed a passer-by. who gave tho alarm. Tho turn-out was prompt and the return to station quite as speedy, as there was no fire. "One of the greatest difficulties to be faced in Ihe future," said Urigad er-Gen-cral liichardson at Duncdiii last week, "is going to be the breakdown of the disabled returned soldier. Then he will have to live en his pension, and how he is go'aig to do it. under present conditions I don't know." The General expressed the opinion (says the Dunedm "Star") that patriotic funis throuehoul the country should be pooled to form a fund far disabled soldiers, and should be under the control of local committees. These committers could give mimed ,-ito relief to disabled men who had broken down. What was the country going jo do for this class of men? homebody , should sec at once Hint machinery was . set up to deal willu. the question, nnil lie advised the U.S.A. to take the matter in iiand at once. In view of Hie great scarcity of men eleilcs in Auckland, it cannot be «nd that the women employed in offices are ousting men (says the "Herald"). U"s was the view expressed on Thursday by (he head of ono of the oldest established firms in the city. In support of llio assertion, he staled that ho had the greatest difficulty in filling vacancies. To a rerent advertisement for a malo clerk he had received only four replies l-rom further inuniries it'appeared that the practice of employers had been to reinstate all returned men, but some ot those whose places had been kept open had refused to return to the otlice stool, preforriti" to go on to the land. The scarcity of efficient men clerks was commented v.mm bv the insurance company olnc.ia'.s. Tn a number of eases, it was staled ill ere was difficulty in getting even office bovs. "With the insurance ticonlo the trouble appeared to be that a man was of no use unless he had experience of tho business. Generally,, the inferior women clerks were being dispensed with, but the clover business woman was 100 valuable an asset to lose, particularly as there were - - no men to fill her place. The head of one firm spoke somewhat cMHim-lv of his experience of women in business. He declared they had no initiative, and. in fact, that there was no such persoif as "the business woman. The ladv -clerk, lo his mind, was all right at the telephone switchboard, nt tho ledgers, or using a typewriter, but she had no idea of how to interview a client. She lacked versatility and was content to do drudgery, without the slightest ambition for better work. She could never take the place of a man, lwcnuse she had no faculty for business. Sho had no better position now, although Ihe war had made her numerically stronger. She was temperamentally unfitted for a commercial life, except as an au'iiinatfln

"New Zealand is more prosperous than nny oilier counlrv I lmvc seen," said a Cliristclnirch business man to a Christchurch "Press" reporter, summing up his observations after an extensive (our through Britain and America. • "My experience at Home led me to tho conclusion that the people are still wnr-wcary. Business men arc not yet displaying tho initiative that must accompany a true expansion of trade, and for that there are three or four reasons. Tho most important is heavy taxation on profits from (lie first rear of the war, where a firm made, say, .010,000 instead of tho usual of .£SOOO, a tax of 80 per cent, has been levied on tho extra t 45000. And that in addition to ordinary pre-war tuxes. The result is that, with labour gravely unsettled, no one is trying to beat tlio .£SOOO mark. Business is sluggish in consequence. The leaders of commerce arc marking time until Labour settles into a proper groove. "When things are tranquil, then British industries' can 1)0 expected to forge ahead, and our commerce will compete- niore favourably on foreign markets. Wages are verv much higher in America than in England, and that is a handicap to the United States. During 1020, .if all goes well, I expect Britain to open her gates for commerce, and the country will then bo in a much better position. She is such a great producing country that all Europo is looking for her goods. From i- lib views of different men I met. I assumo that the year will be marked by a great improvement, in the methods of English .houses, though the interference c l ' The Ciovernment in industrial matters

has left an unfortunate legacy. Th shipping bungle has been the causo of; heavy blow to British commerce. lh (love'rnment tied up British shinp'.ng t< 2.").?. a ton, while foreign-owned vessel secured up to flos - Ycu can inli "-'' no tin disastrous result, and how difficult it wil he to catch up the leeway unless tin labour situation becomes more favour f.l'lp. A building boom is taking place at Devonport, and many builders say tlici find no difficulty in gelling materia (savs I lie Auckland "Star"). The chic obstacle they sav they have to conlcm with is the constant fluctuation o prices. One contractor said that ho go a price for doing the plumbing of i house, at a reasonable sum. and thei next day the price was withdrawn, am •Kfl added as material had gone up ' "AVe don't know where we are," aliothei said, "tho present unsettled state 11 things, which is very often artificial!} made, is not in the interest of llii builder or the man who is paying lot the job." -It is feared that in consequence of the sugar searcilv the price for jam will ri-c to prohibitive rates. The Ch;istehuvcl. "Sun" lias been informed that of a Shipment of 15!) tons of sugar arriving ir . Ohristchurch unlv about 10 tons were devoted to household consumption,, the remainder being utilised for industrial purpose.'!, principally in connection with I breweries and confectionery works. Gro- | ccrs interviewed alleged that housewives ! were using all manner of despicable means in order to obtain sugar, and certainh- were not stopping at telling un--1 truths. People connected villi Hie fnul business spoke of Hie glut on lh<- market or small fruit caused by Ihe laid; o suaar'fftr jam-making purposes, and said apricots, peaches and other large fruits would also be affected if matters were i not improved. Black currants were eoll- , ing at as low as 2id. per lb., and peaches were from '25 to 30 per cent, lowv.r than they were at this lime last year. ' A. partv of motorists recently made • the lri|i between Wellington and Auck- ' land in a three-sealer car in excellent ! time, although not attempting to put up : a record. The distance between Auck- ' land and "Wellington, via Napier, is over 1500 miles, and this was covered in I twenty-two hours.-Auckliiml "Star.'-

A record volume of traffic took placo on the Auckland tramways for the Holidays. Ilio twelve-day period from December 23 to January :) showing a return of 1,778,258 tickets issued, or 185,422 nioro liian on tlie next Inchest total for tlio holiday season, which was in 11)17-18, and iiQ'MYI more than last year. The receipts were ,£1'2,!I80, as against. .£11,091 last year and XU,WI in 1917-18.