LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 211, 1 June 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Before tho Prince of Wales left New Zealand he wrote a message especially for the children of the Dominion. The message will be read in Wellington schools when they reopen this morning. Copies have been sent under seal to all headmasters, and are not to be opened till the time for rending the message. Afterwards the message in facsimile form will nppear in the "School Journal," so that each child shall receive a copy.

The special committee which is to investigate the dispute of the locomotive men of the railway service with the management of the railways will probably begin its sittings on Friday.

Through the organisation of the Women's National Council, which is representative of practically all women's organisations in the country, women of Wellington have been taking action to commence a campaign against prevailing high prices. Representatives of tha council met Messrs. W. G. M'Donnld and Hart, of the Board of Trade, yesterday morning, nnd had a discussion with them on the points on which they wero interested. The representatives of tho Board of Trade commended tho decision of women recently not to buy luxuries, and expressed the hope that tho movement would 6pread. At the conclusion both sides stated that satisfactory information had been given.

Reporting to the Technical College Board Inst evening tho director (Mr. J. 11. Howell) said:—"As the reconstruction of our education system is in the air, and it is probable that a Bill dealing with it may be brought bofore Parlia' ment during tho coming session, I would suggest that the board consider whether it would not be advisable to formulate a policy with regard to matters that specially concern technical education. I would suggest the following:—(1) The constitution of technical boards; (2) the payment of teachers according to scale; (3) tho school-leaving age; (1) tho age at which some differentiation of training should take place; (5) the training .of apprentices and the means for securing an adequate supply." The report was adopted.

Tho shooting of a white crane at Lake Ellesmere, near Christchuroh, was mentioned by the president of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society (Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp) at the annual meeting of the society last night. A pair of these rare nnd beautiful birds had been living on Lnke Ellesmere, nnd the male bird had beon shot by some person unknown. He thought that when tine Animals Protection Act was amended a very benvy penalty should be provided for persons shooting these protected birds. Mr. L. G. Reid remarked he had noticed a doubt expressed as to the white crane being indigenous to New Zealand. The bird had foeen breeding in this country for at least fifty years, so that it surely could claim to be a native. The Maoris had a prov.erb relating to the white crane, showing that they were familiar with the bird, which was now rapidly becoming extinct. Another member mentioned that four years ago he saw some white cranes on the shores of Dusky Sound.

In the course of his report to the Technical College Board last evening, the director (Mr. J. H. Howell) said:—"Professor Newton, who was a colleague of mine at King's College, London, has suggested that in accordance with recent practice, at Home, in t.he caso of all laboratories that are intended to bear upon industrial processes, the dividing walls should bo removable, and the fixtures as simple as circumstances will allow, so that as the demands of industrial training change the laboratories may be adapted to meet them. Professor Newton spoke of large laboratories in London erected and equipped only a few years ago lit a cost of over ,£200,000, whioli had virtually to be dismantled and remodelled to meet the needs of industrial science during the war period. At his suggestion I have written to Sir Frank Heath, the secretary of tho Committee for Industrial Research, for information which may bo of use in plannine our new laboratories and workshops."

A fine 'of £1 for failure to attend for jury service was yesterday imposed by Mr. Justice Salmond upon Howard Henry Newton,. of Austin Street. '

A decree absolute in divorce was yesterday granted by Mr. Justice Salmond in the cose Anne Marion Tozer (Mr. H. E. Evans) v. Edward Alfred Tozer. His Honour ordered that petitioner should have custody of her daughter. Charlotte Mildred Connor (Mr. P. W. Jackson) was granted a decree nisi against William Connor, whom ehe charged with desertion. The case was one that had beon adjourned for the production of more evidence.

"I want to pay a tribute to tho adaptability of tile returned soldier to new conditions," remarked Dr. Boxer, president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, during the course of his presidential address to the annual conference of the, association yesterday. There, were many details that wore yet unsettled, and tliero were many men who wanted things done, but as far as the country itself was concerned vho problem of repatriation had been largely solved. That was a great tribute to th;o adaptability of the men who had been repatriated. It said a great deal for the men 5f the N-.Z.E.F. that many of them had, on account of war disabilities, taken up successfully vocations that they had never dreamt of working at before they weiit to the war.

Tn his advocacy of rest places in the. city. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, chairman of the Town-Planning Association, made an interesting announcement to tho meeting last night. He said that a move was being made in the provision of res* places by a body of men of whom this could be least expected—the farmers. The owners of the Dominion Farmers' Institute building had purchased a site opposite to their building—at the cornev of Bnllance Street and Fenthorston Street. Mr. Hunt, producing a rough sketch of the proposed Test place, 6aid that it would not be very big, but there would be a patch of green, nnd there would be one or two seats. The farmers had decided to set apart. ,£ISOO worth of land, and there was no reason ' whv other wealthy firms in Featherpton Street should not do something similar.

The workers' dwellings being erected at Miraruar by the Government aril roundly condemned in the annual report of the "form-Planning Association. The Garden Suburbs Committee of the association reported as follows:—"This committee entered a strong protest to tho Government against tho treatment that was being meted out; to the Miramax housing scheme by the Labour Department. Tho houses are Vadly planned, some of the rooms being ridiculously small, and serious lack of thoughtis evident throughout. , Fortunately, the recently appointed housine architect is a town-planner, nnd if ho is given a reasonably free hand future schemes should he quite satisfactory." Tho Women's Committee passed on tho houses the following comments:—"lt is to bo hoped that in future such mistakes as having four doors into the living room and three into the kitchen, and the outside doors facing (he prevailing wind, will not be repeated."

Delegates to tho annua] conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association yesterday demonstrated their approval of the action of Mr. John 1. Fox in challenging Mr. P. Frascr, M,l\, to resign his seat in Parliament because of his refusal to sign the Wellington City. Council's address of welcome to the Prince of Wales. The matter was brought up by Mr. Drummond, of Gornldine. who said the association's high oflicials should refrain from attacking members of political parties. Delegates were anxious to know to whom Mr. Drummond referred, "Mr. John Fox," declared Mr. Drummond. The mention of Mr. Fox's name was received with applause and cheers by delegates, and the president, Dr. K. Uoxer, of Hastings, said he must rule. Mr. Drinnniond's reference out of order for the reason that Mr. Fox was not a high official of tho association.

Some damage has been jouo lately to the plantation on the Town Belt nbovo Pirie Street by collectors of fuel. Bnrlt has been out from a number of pino trees, and ono or two trees at the top of tho plantation havo been practically ring-barked, and may die in consequence of tlw treatment they have received.

The Kelburn lioy Scouts are at present distributing in the Kelburn district a pamphlet setting out the benefits of scouting, and inviting the enrolment in their ranks of boys of scout age. The scoutmasters of tile Kelburn Troop hope to hear from tho parents of boys of scout age in Kelburn and adjacent districts, and have the opportunity of discussing the subject with them, and as a result enrol n number of recruits.

New Zealand's pension bill for Die vear onded March 31 last was J!2,705,1<50. This fact is contained in a return received by tho Minister in charge of the Pensions Department (Sir William lEerrios) from the Commissioner of Pensions (Mr. (it. Faclie), which details the various items as follow:—War pensions, £1,773,6J2; old age, je732,966; widows', £130,815; Mauri war, ,£40,085; miners', J31C.C52.

Messrs. John Chambers and Son, machinery merchants, of Cable Street, sustallied heavy damage on Sunday through some miscreant smashing three windows, the plato glass in each window beiiij, worth about A'liO Shortly after 9 p.m. those- in the vicinity of the warehouse heard a crash of ' glass, but no ono was seen making away from the place. Two of tho plate glass fronts wcio found to have been smashed, apparently by someone throwing stones at them, but tlie third sheet of glass had a neat hole hoiod through it, evidently by a revolver or riffo bullet. Tho police were on tho scene very quickly, but they were un. able to discover anything, nor were any suspicious characters seen in the vicinity,

During the past month there were no bankruptcy petitions filed in Welling-ton,-while, in May, 1919, there were two, For the five months ended yesterday there were, three bankruptcies, e» against four in the corresponding period of last year.