LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 204, 24 May 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

His Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. I'. Luke) returned from Christchurch yesterday morning. Mr. Irako states that the enthusiasm in Cliristchurch on account of the Prince of Wales was on a par with what it had been everywhere else, though the form in which it was expressed may have differed in character from what it was in the North Island. The farewell dinner on ILM.S. Renown fit Lyttelton on Friday evening was a pleasant function, the happy free naturo of the Princo robbing tho affair of all traces of heavy formality. Alter tho dinner there was ji dance on deck, which was attended by a number of guests who were not present at the dinner. Tho weather was delightful, and the danco proved to be very enjoyable. About midnight a spcciul train took the guests back from Lyttelton to Christchurch. The Princo of Wales personally thanked Mr. Luke, for the people of Wellington, for tho splendid nature of the reception which had been accorded him here, and expressed his high appreciation of the work Mrs, Luke aud other ladies and gentlemen had done to make .his stay in Wellington such a plensaut one that ho was never likely to loso memory of it. On his arrival home Mr. Luke discovered that the Prince had been pleased to forward him' an autograph photograph of himself, which was accompanied toy the following note from Mr. Godfrey Thomas: "I am desired by H.R.H, the Prince ot Wales to forward you herewith his signed photograph as a memento of his interesting visit to Wellington."

Another motor-car accident happened j near Palmerston North on. Saturday . night to a party returning from the Wanganui races (states our Palmerston • ( North correspondent). When coming j along Milsom s Line a car driven by William O'Neill' in avoiding a motor- . oyclist crashod into the ooncrete portion , of the bridge. Howard C. leaker, ac- ( countant, Palmerston North., received in- . juries that necessitated medical attend- j ance, but the other occupants escaped with bruises. The car was considerably damaged. - . A business -man, with premises in a main street of Wellington, is willing to accept war bonds in payment for goods purchased in his shop, and it is anticipated that others will follow the example The effect of making war bonds legal tender in this commercial sense will mean that such bonds become, in a measure, liquid cash to tho holder, 1 instead of hiß having to wait for the date of maturity set forth on tho bond. The above is tho first instance of tho sort that has come under notice. The Prime Minister wna asked in Christchurch what chanco there was of an extension of the commandeer. "Very little," he replied, "but I cannot be certain. I have not been al)lo to get a definite reply up to tho present from the Imperial authorities, but judging by what is taking place in England, tha extension of tho commandeer is unlikely, except with the object of avoiding tho confusion of having Imperial and Do-minion-owned meat in the coM pterM at one time. Something might be tlono in that way and I have not yet given up hopo. Don't Imagine I expect anything in the way of a slump, but I do 6ay we have got to be careful and mako the most of the position." While out shooting between Plimmerton and Paremata' on Saturday after-, noon, Walter Day, aged 12 years, son of tho caretaker of the Garrison Hall, Buckle Street, met with an accident. Ho was carrying a pea rifle under his arm when it went off, and the charge lodged in his right foot. He was brought into town and admitted to tho Hospital at 7 p.m., and tho pellet was removed by an operation. Yesterday, the lad was reported to bo progressing favourably, and the wound was stated not to bo serious. A heavy gale, with boisterous winds and flieavy rain, stopped ail outdoor amusements at Palmerston North on Saturday afternoon, telegraphs our special correspondent. -The weather improved yesterday, but was bitterly cold. Tho burning of railway tarpaulins was tho subject of a complaint mado by the Wanganui Farmers' Union recently. It was stated that the Bailway Department had employed two men for nearly two months burning tarpaulins, and they had been paid 12s. per day. The Department had explained 1 * that it was impossible to sell such tarpaulins, on account of difficulty of distinguishing them from stolen ones. Tho matter was mentioned to tho Prime Minister at Christchurch on Saturday. Mr. Massey eaid the complaint was not new. The samo thing had been genng on for twenty years to his knowledge, ne had to admit that, as Minister of Railways, ho had not had time to look into the question, but ho would do b*. "I know," he continued, "that on many occasions in the haivest and hay sear sons, I should have been very glad to have had the use of these tarpaulins myself, in the days that have gone by." The final meeting of the committee which had charge ot the school children's reception on the occasion of the visit of the Prince of Wales, was held on Friday evening. Mr. T. Forsyth (chairman of tho Education Board) presided. It was reported that the official parade states showed that there were on parade 12,828 children and 879 teachers ana committeemen. The total cost uf the refreshments was i£39B is. 9d. Assuming that the country children received two meals during the day, it is estimated that the cost per head was between CJd and 6Jd. Satisfaction was expressed at the excellent manner in which the various tradespeople catered, and a special vote of thanks was passed to Mr. John Dineen (Education Department) for his invaluable services as commissariat officer. The ex- ' penses of the committeo incurred in connection with other matters c mounted to ,£532 9s. 3d., the chief items being banners to schools, £208 18s.; souvenir cards, ifilSi 18s.; ribbon, £&i lis. Gd. The committee expressed _ its thanks to all who assisted in organising for the big event. Eeferring to the question of "equal pay for equal work" at Saturday's conference of the New Zealand Secondary Schools 'Assistants' Association, tho secretary (Mr. F. M. Eenner) complained that under the recent Education Amendment Act women teachers had benefited infinitely more than the male teachers. The average salaries of full-time women teachers ware increased by 43 per cent., whereas the salaries of male assistants were increased only 28 per cent The average increase of 28 per cent, given to the salaries of assistants by the recent ' Education Amendment-Act, stated ,Mr. 1 Eenner, actually amounted to only lb • per cent, for tlio majority of senior mala assistants who were not principal or first \ assistants. In his opinion the amending Act was "a erode and embryonic scheme that merely perpetuated the ensitng ' chaos." . At a meeting of the M&nawatu ■ triotic Society a letter was received , from the War Belief Association, of Wellington suggesting that as there were so many societies m the Wellm D--1 ton provincial district a meeting of • delegates representing the different sociei ties should "fie held at Palmerston Norh r nn June 2 to decide what course should be adopted in tho Wellington provincial ' district, with the object of establishing 3 a national scheme for dealing with peri manently and partially disabled soldiers and their dependants. The suggestion was considered to be 'V , Messrs. J. A. Nash, M.P., M. Cohen, and J. Strang were appointed to repre- ' sent the Manawatu society at tho con- | feience-

The band; of tihe sth (Wellington) Kegiment played a programme of music m tho Hospital grounds yesterday afternoon. A collection taken up in aid of the Hospital realised a, 6U in of c£6 119. utl. • Willinm Cos, who was seriously' injured on Lambton Quay on Tuesday evening last by a taxi-cab, which knocked him down as ho wag crossing the street, was reported by t'be Hospibil authorities last niglit to "b© & Mfce k e " er * A Pross Association message from Dunedin reports that during the week-end tho weather became boisterous and equally. Snow and driving sleet showers fell on Saturday afternoon and night, but conditions were much milder yesterday. Tyo 80, o Chinese, aged 56, has died at Darwin, after five years iso ation as a leper. There .are still five lepers at tho station,' »U Chinese except ihe officer in charge, who is a. half-caste aboriginal, and is «Jso sufTermjr from leprosy. Two years ago Tye Bo took a sheet of iron off his hut. He fashioned this into a boat and rowed four miles to the mainland, but the black trackers soon tracked him Ihe | office- in charge »Ibo escaped on one occasion in a roughly made boat.

At a special meeting of tho Wellington Typographical Union on Saturday, the following recommendation from the board of management was carried unanimously:—"That a ballot be taken 011 tho question of donating the sum of .£IOO to the Victorian typographers now on strike, also a levy of 2s. 6a. per member per week for four weeks or more be voted to relieve their distress/' The report of tho executive of the Now Zealand' Federated Typographical Association for tho past year was received and adopted. Tho union representatives on the executive, Messrs. T. Sheer in and A. D. Hobble, were made presentations in appreciation of services rendered on that body.

Such volumes of smoke arose from the foot-hills of the Tinakori Range, above St. Mary Street and Patanga Crescent-, at about 8 a.m. on Saturday, as to mako some people think that somo of the city hill-side plantations in that locality had been burnt. This was not the case. Tho firo that was noticed w«9 on privato or leased land, and broome and corse were the only trees destroyed.'lt is to avert such a possibility that a number of men have been employed thinning out the thick-growing pines on the Town Belt at the back of Oriental Bay during the past week. Being only planted three feet apart, a lot of the undergrowth becomes dead and as dry as tinder, but with a little more room for each tree, tho needles should remain green to the lowest branch and therefore be more fireresistant.

Referring to the alleged shortage of carpenters, the secretary of the Auckland Carpenters' Union said that while it was time that practically all available labour in the building trades was fully employed, it was not correct to say that there was a, shortage of labour, and that that shortage .was hindering liouse-build-ing. Only a few weeks ago a vessel come here to be insulated. He had been asked by the owners to get 150 carpenters for tn«t work, and had no difficulty in doing so. When the vessel left, most of these men were available for building work, and had obtained employment. He couuidered it a difficult matter to decide which was and which was not iftsnential .work. The demand for houses waß to n large extent occasioned by the boom in trade generally, and to interfere with flic building of factories or warehouses would interrupt the expansion of trade, and thus check the demand for houses.

Mr. Boneld. Boyd, who served in the Indian Mutiny and tho Crimean War, was one of the veterans who met the Princo of Wales in Invercargill. Ho reached India in 1857 with the forces under Sir Colin Campbell, and eav much of tho heavy fighting during the Mutiny campaign. Ho is now 85 year", of age. "I landed in New Zealand in 1860, 6aid Mr. Boyd last week, "and after a year on the Malvern Hills run shepherding joined tho police, serving in many places Ono of my duties was gold escort in Central Otago, and after removal from there I was stationed at Mataura, having to investigate the Waikawa murder, which ended 1 in tho hanging of Welsh. After leaving the polico force I was engaged in many businesses, and finally I was engaged by tho Southland Education Board as Truant Officer, a position I held until I retired in 1906." The North Island detachment of polico who were detailed' as part of the escort for His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales during his tour of tho Dominion, arrived in Wellington} by the Tutanekai from Lyttelton yesterday.

Recently the Minister of Education was asked to establish a class for backward children at Napier. Writing to Mr. J. V. Brown, M.P., the Hon, C. J. Fair says: "I have to state that such a class would bo considered only in connection with a general development of policy in this matter which the Department is net yet prepared to ono of the chief obstacles being tho lack of suitable teachers. Later, when circumstances are moro favourable, due consideration: will be given to tho provision of the necessary appropriation for the purpose. In the meantime sanction _in any particular case except in connection with a training college must be declined." Deserved judgment was delivered by Mr. E. Page, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court on Saturdav morning in the case of Lillian Ashby v. Clarence Hobbs, ah application for an affiliation order._ After reviewing tho evidence the Magistrate refused to make the order. Mr. A. M. Salek appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. W. G. Mellish for. the defendant. Tho Appeal Court was on Saturday morning formally adjourned by tho Registrar until Saturday, June 19.

At Saturday's conference of the Secondary Schools Assistants' Association very grave dissatisfaction was expressed with the marking of last year's matriculation papers. Severe comment was directed against the "extraordinary anomalies" in the list of marks eained by students in the French paper. After a full and at times a very vigorous discus; .6ion, it was unanimously decided to reaffirm the association's strong support of the accrediting system for matriculation on the same lines as the senior free place system, whereby candidates would be recommended, with proper safeguards, for matriculation without examination."