LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 173, 17 April 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A protest.is going to be made to the Government by .Colonel Mitchell.. M.P.. against the system of taking orders fo'_ coal at tho State Co.il Department's depot in Lower Cuba Street. Colonel Mitchell is convinced that the taking of orders could b'e undertaken in a way that would cause no- inconvenience to the public, and will suggest alternative methods to the, coal queue, which he was sure would not he tolerated during the approaching winter months. ■ "Don't i;o, gentlemen," said the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), as some Wellington tire underwriters were about to reave the room at yesterday's gathering at tho new Fire Brigade Station in Constable Street. "I believe that you are going to make substantial reductions, In insurance charoes as the result of the new station. If so. I hope you will do so as soon" as possible!"' . "Following the. request of two deputations of members. Mr. W. Perry, has consented to nomination for the chairmanship of. the Wellington Ucturued Soldiers' Association in succession to Mr. J. I). Harper, who has held the position since the inception' of the association, and who recently announced that he would not offer himself for reelection as chairman. Mr. Per"y made it a condition of. his agreement to the wishes' of the members who waited uponhim that Mi. H.avper should submit himself, for election as vice-chairman, and Mr. Harper has consented to do so. A. 1 sixteen minutes past one yesterday afternoon the fire' brigade received a call to air outbreak of fire at- 311 Maiorihnnks Street, r.ccmiicd by Mr. William M. Holmes. The. building and contents were bndly damaged. The house is owned by Mr. J. Murphy, of Wanganui. The amount of insurance'was. not available last evening. At. the .la=_t -I'.ircting nf the Wellington Plasterers' Union a resolution was passed strongly protesting against the utilisar Hon of timber and labour for the purpose of platforms and other erections in' connection with the visit of H.H.H. the Prince' of Wales, when such timber and labour is so urgently required for the building of workers' homes.

In our advertising columns appears the. notice'that, the" Wellington TC.S.A. will hold i,ts annual general meetine in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall on Thursday, Aifril 29.' At this meeting the officers for the ensuing year will, lie elected. , According to the constitution of the association all members who are financial un to Mareih 31 last'will bo eligible to vote. Unfinancial members may attend, but will be debarred from voting:.- '■ ' In the Magistrate's: Court yesterday A. Longton • and R. Wynne, pleaded guilty to informations charging them with breaches of Hie anti-shouting laws, and were each'fined 10s. and costs. The licnrinjj ol'.argument Jn the Appeal Court in the ease of.A.' B. .'Donald, Ltd., v. Luke; M'Gaim ''ami his wife Annie' Agatha M'Gann,. an appeal fenmthe judgment, of Mr. Justice Cooper, was concluded yesterday. The Court reserved its decision. .' . . ' • "IT you are Eo'ing 'to "bring siicii troubles lu Wellington from so far we will never be free of them," said the Mayor (Mr. .T. V. Luke) to Councillor P Fraser. when the latter protests! against the free use oi the Concert Chamber being given to Lieutenant Bouvke, V.C., when it was refused to tine waterside workers, who wished to give nn entertainment to relieve the distress caused by the strike at Broken; Hill. Councillor Fras'e.r moved In refuse the concession' to Lieutenant Bourke, but the motiou was defeated by'W votes to 4

Those members of tlic police force who are members of the St. John Ambulance Association and who attended the annual meeting held in the Council Chamber of the Town Hull last evening, wore invited by the chairman (Mr. J. V. Luke, C.M.Gj) to occupy seats on the platform. Many members of the force' were presented with" certificates. . So.far there has been .no.official intimation received as to whether'the proposed "star" football match between the King's Cup winners and the winners ot the Hanfurly Shield, can be included in the Itoyal programme for Wellington. The proposal may have to be .submitted to the consideration of tho I'riuceVadvisers.'

Colonel Mitchell, M.P. for Wellington South, with Mr. James Nash, M.l':, Mr. E. L. Crabb. of Palnierston North,.and possibly., others interested will visit the Government's hydro-electric works <at Mangahao to-day. A •deputation of Wellington district members is to -wait on the Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. ii. Coates) next week for the purposn of obtaining definite information relative to this and other'works affecting the development of the district. ■..;.-•' The heaving of argument in the case of William Ash ton v. Thomas Solomon Hurrison, an.! appeal fi om the. decision of Mr.' Justice Iterdman in respect to a transaction in sheep, will be taken on Monday by the Court" ot Appeal.

■The dispute filed by the AVellington Gardeners' Union will come before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr, W. Newton) at 10.20 a.m. on Friday next. This .will.bo the first occasion on which an award has been sought .by'gardeners .in Wellington. Among the parties cited are several of the local bowling clubs. ;The union is asking-that "Ed per week-shall be the. wage far .'custodians of greens, giouudsmcn, and foremen gardeners, and that".ill 10s. weekly shall be paid-to ordinary nursery ami landscape garden-' ers. A fortnight's holiday eacti year on. full- pay is: also desired by the union, and it is requeued tiw.t work! done on . Christmas- Day, Good Friday, and Sundays shall, be paid at double time rates, work performed .on all other holidays to be paid for at the rate of time and a. half. . ■ Tho hearing of the engineers' dispute, will be resumed-before-the ■Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. W. Newton)-at HI.IM ii.ni. on Thursday next.

'. "The whole of the insulated tonnage trading in Australasia'is controlled by three men in London," said Mr. G. D. Greenwood at a meeting of the • North Canterbury Sheep' (Farmers' Freezing Company this' week, "and this- is probably one of the most powerful rings.in .the'-world. The tonnage available and likely to be available will, in my opinion, be ample to carry all our produce to any market, but it may be some considerable time before people realise that tlint is the case. To-day the available tonnage is greater than it was in 1914, and'the production of the world has decreased. I commend these facts to your serious consideration." Mr. Greenwood added that there was no hope of clear ing the London stores, and the difficulty to be faced when the commandeer ended was one of insulated tonuaue. T'ie. farmers wOuld have to look round for themselves, and with this object in view he had bad tin -interview with one of die best informed men in skipping-Mr--cles outside the ring. Town-dwellers and workers had complained with reason that the price of meat to consumers in the .place where it was produced was too clear in winter. He did not see why Hie companies should not ask the Imperial Government for permission to supply the butcher,* '-from store's, .and the meat could be replaced in the cummer lime.

"Owing.to the excessive cost and. rol:ten_ scarcity ,of benzine, 1 am forced to the" conclusion that the :consequent.- worr;V and bother of..'running a machine i6ti't worth while, in other words,'the game is not worth the candle," said, a member of Hie Auckland Automobile A6so-1 oiation in tendering his resignation this week. Several other resignationsbrought forth ,th*e remark that evidently some members were under the. inipivnsionlhat.thoy were ..not ..benefiting, by joining the association. - To .this, Miepresident (Mr. George Hemiing) replied i Hurt it was primarily due to the activities'of the motor associations that I most of the Acts that made motoringworth while had been passed.

H.M.S;:. Renown will-be the first ship of the Royal Navy to carry.a billiard table'.'"" Oiio. is'-installed- on the spar deck!' The Prince'"is"'a fair billiard nlayer, though be usually has to strike his flag 'when he plays Prince Albert, .who. is probably the best 'performer with 'a cue the Royal Family has ever pos,sesscd." ' . . ' ...

"■Ton have been told itint the pri.te nf wool will, tumble soon," said Ml'. G. ]). Greenwood at Christclinrch on-Wed-nesday, "but as a Bradfordian J know flmdfordians- and the Bradford market, and when tlicy come out to this country and tell you rind mo that the price is goine to fall you should also know that the Bradfordian who is constantly buying our wool is a champion at crying 'stinking fish' as far as the wool market' if concerned."

Arguing for a five-day working week at Auckland in .the Arbitration Court, Mr. T. Bloodworlh said 'that one Auckland building firm worked ou this system on account of religious' objections to Saturday labour, and was quite satisfied with. Hie results. TCeplyingi to the .Judge, who .remarked that Hhe firm in question might' be prepared to suffer material loss for spiritual advantage, Mr. Bloodworth said the business results were quite satisfactory/ the firm getting 42} hours into the five days, and never suffering .through want of men.

Mr. AV. Sampson, who died this.week, just aft?r n concert had been given in 'his'bfhalf, has left a. widow-and eight children, most of them of tender years. The Salvation Army, of whose band the late Mr. Sampson was for many years a member, is collecting subscriptions with the idea of purchasing a house.for the fnmilv. so as to ensmw the necessary accommodation as a preliminary, 'the pronerty is to be vested in two trustees, end it is hope that- the , widow's pension and the family earnings will relieve them from tlmir present position of absolute destitution. A subscription list hns been; opened at The Dominion office._and the Salvation Army has already notified that it-will give a contribution of .£SO.

Verv hearty approval of the Imperial Government's prohibition of the cuttingnf mutton enrcasses was expressed bv Mr G P. Greenwood at Wednesdays meeting of the Canterbury Sheen Farnv r.rs' Freezing Company. He said that it was not arguable that the cutting of carcases did "a certain amount of damnse, and it was a matter for congratulation that the carcasses were no longer cut for when the commandeer ended New. Zealand would have to go on-the market in'- competition with other producers. ond ; the cutting of carcases, while, necessarv'to conserve- siiace during-the war, was likely to give New Zealand produce k bad name, .' ;. '. '