LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 105, 28 January 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The new Victory stamps will bo on Bale at tho G.P.O. this week. In the vast it lias been the experience of the Post Office to have a huge demand for new issue stamps, and the same is anticipated with tho Victory issue. The new issue bears the word "Victory" and tho figures 1!)U-1919 in tho design.

The trip to bo taken by members of Parliament to Samoa next month was discussed by a meeting of the committeo of management of the Merchant, Service uui.u Jitiii yesterday. Ultimately, a motion was passed recording the committee's emphatic protest against the Mokoin being sent to Samoa, and it was decided to call a special meeting to go into the question more fully. The secretary in the meantimo is to approach other mnrino bodies so as to obtain their views. The committee expressed tho opinion that tho trip is unnecessary, und will consume a great deal of coal that could bo put to more profitable use in Now Zealand.

Tennis players will bo interested to learn that the City Council, nt its meeting last evening, decided to place a sum of .£3OO on next year's estimates for the formation of 6ix asphalt tennis courts at Williams Park, Day's. Bay. A witness in the Magistrate's .Court yesterday afternoon, when asked if tho driver of a motor-cnr was drunk, said; "I would not like to say any man was drunk, 'because I like a drink myself." Another witness, when asked what he meant by saying that the man was under the influence ot liquor said: "The same as I am when I have been drinking." Again yesterday the inferior quality of the coal used at tho electric power station interfered with the tram service.

"Are you awaro that the sand-drift nuisance at Lyall Bay is becoming a serious matter '{" asked Councillor It, A. Wright of the Mayor at last evening's meeting of tho City Council. Privato property 011 the foreshore was- gradually becoming "snowed" up through the sand, and Councillor Wright considered that some urgent action wat necessary to overcome the difficulty. In reply, tho Mayor said that tho .matter had como under his personal notice, and'mentioned that in his own village of l'en/ance tho church had 'been lost through a sanddrift. However, the matter ' would bp inquired into.

In all Anglican Churches in the diocese of Wellington tho Offertory on Sunday noxt is for General Church Funds. From this fund grants are made for tho support of tho clergy in 25 parishes, and a chaplain is kept tor hospital and prison work in Wellington.

For the first limo for a great many years the ordinary meeting of tho Karon Borough Councifl, which) was to have been hold last .evening, had to bo postponed for want of a quorum. Soveral of the councillors aro out of tho district, which accounts for their non-at-tendant*.

A specinl class of teachers, numbering about eighty from tlio Auckland province, inc'.uding twenty 'adics. are attending. Iho Teachers' Farm School at Kuakurn Hi's week. A number of tents have been erected in the orchard for Iho accommodation of the men. The lady teachers will drive out from Hamilton each morning. With a view to furthering thoir clubhouse scheme, members of the Port Nicholson Yacht Club proposo to hold in Iho near future a carnival at the boat Harbour. Efforts aro now being inado to obtain assistance from public bodios, and ovory endeavour' is to be used to make tho gathering eomething to bo remembered.

New appointments of Salvation Army illicers announced yesterday were: Welingtoii Division: Wellington C.ty, Stafflaptain Sladin (Ensign J3i iiklock, assist); Vellington South, Adjutant Calcott; Killirnie, Captain Tong; Brooklyn, Captain 'essie l\ivio; Kelson, Captain Ooombc; 'etone, Captain Watkin. Central (North) livision: Kltham, Adjutant Simpsqn; Vanganui. Commandant Ashton Bennett; )annevirl;e, Ensign Huston, Pah'atua, ,'nptain Prince; Carterton, Adjutant Parvus; Inglewood, Ensign D. Thomson; s'ew Plymouth, Adjutant Bayliss; Stratdrd, Captain M. Brown; lluwera, Capoin Friberg; Levin, Ensign Richard Saw•cr; Woollville, Adjutant E. Parker; I'ailinpe, Capta'n Mackinder; Norscwood, "aptain 1. Bain; Waipawa, Captain ijarden; Aslihurst, Captain (Jrace' Jackion. "That a man be appointed to take the lumbers of all licensed vehicles in at.endanco on' trains and steamers, the lolice having slated that they nro uniblc to undertake l!io work." This recommendation ui the By-laws Committee if the-City Council was adopted by the louncil. Councillor I.uckie (chairman of ihe committee) said that the reason for ;he clause wai the greatly increasing lumber of pel;y thefts of hijrgngo joini? m at the wharves and the railway 6ta.iotis of Wellington. Tlie elder!) woman who was found 'nnd in ii r:>om s'«- oje.upied at 70 Abel i'mitli Streo'r on Monday merning, has wen Kluiuiiitd as iiiully Webster, ai.as Oorbett. At its meeting last evening, the City Council deeded to acquire an. area of ground at .Ngaio for .recreation purposes. A motor delivery service is to be inaugurated by the City Council to serve the lioseneath district twico a week. At last evening's meeting of the AVellington City Council donors of tho following gifts to tho Zoological collection were thanked for their presentations .--Mr. B. Johnston (a {penguin ami an albatross), Mr. Chiirnian, Constable Street (a magpie), and Mr. Itobston (a lizard). In connection with an intimation received by tlie City Council at its meeting last evening concerning tho probable revaluation of the city towards the close of the present year, the- Mayor commented on tlie fact that Auckland was. much better off in tlr.s connection, and were alieady receiving higher rates than Wellington. There had not been a revalua-. tion of the city property for some years, and as a. result the council was being deprived of considerable revenue. He trusted that the revaluation would take place at an early date. Seven Virginian deer were in 1903 presented by the Tourist Department to thu Lrkra .District Accl.muhsation Society and liberated in the Eec's Valley, at the head of Lake Wakatipu. No sportsmen or poachers having got amongst these deer, they have multiplied and done well, and it is estimated that they now number belween 300 and 100. The only other part of New Zealand in which Virginian deer have been set loose is in Pegasus Bay, Stewart Island. It is not only in New Zealand that sugar is in short supply. A New Zealandcr writing from America, states that there is a general shortage in the United Slates, and stores sell one pound only, which costs from Bd. to lOd. The prico is predicted to reach 1?. 3d. per pound. Prices generally, lie writes, are very high. Butter is 3s. per pound, cheese 25,, ham 55., p'enrs Gd. to.4s. Sd.- each, apples 3d. to lid. each. Suits -ire ils to J'iM. Ho saw in a New window a blouse ticketed up at ,£719. It was of roso point lace. A grilled steak costs from ss. to Bs. Gd., and snything else provided is extra, such as bread Ed., coffee '(.Id., potatoes lfld.' A breakfast on tho tiain, consisting of fish and bacon and eggs, with bread and coffee, costs Bs. Gd., besides tips to attendant and waiter. A pastoralist from Australia lakes strong exception to the cabled weather reports from Sydney (says the Auckland "Star"), lie writes: "Un reading your cablegram in 'Star' of Wednesday that tho drought had definitely broken all over Australia, with the exception of part of West Australia, I cabled to my brother, in Sydney, and he . replied on Saturday by cable stating (hat wo havo had no rain on our stations in .southwest, west, and north-west of New South Wales This is the .third time during tho last month a general break in tho drought in New South Wales and Queensland has been erroneously reported. To mv knowledge tho drought (which is ono of' tho worst on record) still continues unabated over the greater part of New South Wales and Queensland, sml it is most upsetting to many pastorales who are visiting New Zealand to be constantly reading' these untruo reports in the leading papers." The clearance sale by Mr. 11. ErnestLeighlon of Mr. AV. Ci. Foster's furniture, stock, nnd form plant, at While's Line East, Lower Butt, will tnko place to-day, commencing at 10.3(1 a.m. sharp. In reply to a question by Councillor Forsyth as to whether any of the houses which the council were building had been completed, tho Mayor said that owing to tho lack of dry timber and shortage of men, and also to the holidays, the woik in connection with the housing scheme had not progressed as rapidly as it would under normal circumstances. Nevertheless, steady progress was being maintained. But tho Mayor, answering another councillor, had to admit that not ono house had yet l>een completed for the council. Speaking at a reception in Perth, West Australia. General Lord' Birdwood f expressed his amazement at the Australian soldiers' wonderful command of language (says tho Sydney' "Sun"). Ho had had one exceptional opportunity, lie said, 'of learning for himself something of tho Diggers' capacity in that regard. It. was on a cold day in winter,, and it was his custom to keep himself warm bv running from battery to battery or from battalion to battalion. Ho met a soldier, who said, "It is pretty cold, sir." to which ho replied, "Yes, but the best way to get warm is to run." Ho sot off. and the soldier ran alongside. After about a couple of hundred yards the man said. "When do wo get the rum, sir? 1 ' "Rum!" I did not say rum; I said run!" exclaimed tho general. That ' settled tho soldier, and at once identified him as an Aussie. The general heard a wonderful flow of language till ho was out; of earshot.

Four or five years ago (says the Christchurch correspondent of an exchange) property- agents wero tip early every moraine hunting for buyers. Nowadays thev often miss breakfast in the hope of landing a house whose owner wishes tc Roll. In Cliristohurch there is hardly a house to let ut any price. "Hero's a letter from tho south just in," "said a land salesman. "A lady coming hero in live wishes to rent a four or fiveroomed house; all conveniences, handy to the 'Sauuro. Slio hasn't a chance. We cannot eet them at any figure. In the davs bforc August, 1914, it was usual to sell'a'house on the instalment JESO down, and tho balance as rent under a sale and purchase agreement. That's a thing of the past. The buyer now navs a third of the purchase money, and tho asencv arranges about Hie rest on a first mortgngo. The presence of the cash buver has brought about a ohnwre. There are any amount of buyers about. The difficulty is to get the houses (o sell. The main reasons are tho general prosperity of tho country and tho fact Hint the business man who nreviouslv preferred to rent and to have his capital invested in his business, has enmo to realiso that a homu is essential, and that tho only way to own it is to buy it." The Wellington North branch of the labour Party, at a .meeting last evening, passed two resolutions that were communicaled to the Press. The first was a protest against tho projected Parliamentary trip to Samoa. It eet out at length that the trip will bo a waste of coal and shipping. The second resolution ran thus: "That this branch of tho New Zealand Labour Partv rejoices in the success of tho Russian people in their heroic ai>d historic struggle for the right of self-de-termination, despite Hie appalling forces Hint wero brought to hear against her by tho reactionary Governments of Europe and America, and inlumnious attacks of , a capitalist-controlled Press and cable 1 service, and trust that the day has now 1 dawned when Russia shall no longer bo impeded in her self-imposed mission and laudable intention of hastening the realisation of the brotherhood of man, tho materialisation of the dream of tho years -the Kingdom of God ou earth, as it is Heaven." The Wntersido Workers' Band will 1 piny at Oriental Bay to-night.

In connection with the deputation from the Competitions Society which waited on the finance Committee of the City Council recently to apply for a grant of A'so to be used to found n scholarship in connection with the' society's work, the committee reported to the council last evening that a report on the matter would be introduced at a later date.