LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 235, 29 June 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The proposed erection of tile city eloctric power-house at Evans Bay .is. meeting with opposition from the residents of that locality, and n petition en the subject was received by tho City Council Inst night. Tho petitioners urged that the power-house should not lie erected, on the grounds that it would (jive rise to a smoke. nuisance, that values of proSorty would ho depreciated, and that anger would arise by reason cf tho increase in traffic to and from the powerhouse. Councillor C. H, Chapman said that' Evans Bay was. now a residential area, and that fact wouf.d have to bo taken into consideration by tho council. Tho Mayor stated that ho believed Evans Bay would become a great industrial area. In years to come, no doubt, facilities would be created for carrying out repairs to ships on a large scale, and ninny fnotories .would aflso ho erected there. The petition was referred to tho Electrio Lighting Coinmittcw.

The captain of tho Union Company's steamer Komata reported to the Marine Department yesterday morning that tho Karori Rock light was out. The Government steamer Hinemoa is leaving Wellington to-morrow for Cook Strait lighthouses, and tho light in question will bo attended to at once.

The cabled report that tho British Government had decided to secure Australia's output of butter at 2405. cawed an inquiry to be inado yesterday as to whethor any such action was being taken with respect to the Dominion's output for the coming season. Mr. J. 0. Harkness, secretary of- the National Ddiry Association, stated.that no offer of the kind had beeu received, nor were negotiations in progress. The producers of New Zealand were still of the same mind and they were holding out for a free market.

A monument to perpetuate the memory of Constable Vivian Dudding, who last October was shot dead wbile performing his duly, is to be. orected in Karon Cemetery out of moneys subscribed by members of the Police Force throughout New Zealand. The design of tho monument and the inscription it sball bear are matters which have yet to be decided.

Last week successful lectures on town-planning were held at Feilding and ■ Marton by Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, president of the Wellington Town-planning Association. As a result of the visit to these ]towns. it is anticipated that local associations will bo formed in each place.'

An idea of how some young people 6pend their earnings can be gained from evidence given in e ease heard at the Auckland Magistrate's Court before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S M., says the "Star." A young.man, questioned as to his means. 6aid he earned £2. 10 a." per week. Ha was.asked if three shillings' per week covered Ms expenditure on picture shows. The reply was that he generally took a young lady, and the cost was nearer 10s. per week, whereupon Sergeant M'Naraara, caustically said, "And ratepayers have to maintain your relative." Mr. T. Dwan has been appointed as the City Council's representative on the Assessment Court to determine the valuations of properties in the city of Wellington. The Director of Technical Education (Mr. J. H. Howell), in his report to the board presented last evening, stated that the accountancy class for returned soldiers opened in the first week of the term with an attendance of six students, which in the second week increased to fifteen. ' The Press Association reports that Al'bert Steele, of Auckland, broke tho world's record for continuous piano play-

ing at Palmerston North. Altogether ho played for' 98 hours 38 minutes, the previous best being 96i hours by a Frenchman. Eugene Deschteler.

•Proposals for an award to cover the workers engaged in the Wellington match factory are now being framed. Eegistration of the Wellington Match Factory Employees' Union, which has been revived, was secured yesterday.

The Dominion Council of the Boy Scouts has decided'that NeWr Zoajand cannot be represented at the big ."jamboree" of Boy Scouts from all parts of the world which is to be held in England. The council discussed tho question of sending either, a patrol or- a troop Homo to attend the "jamboree," and came to the decision that it could not finance the proposal—Press Assn.

For private reasons, Mr. J. T. Paul, president of the New. Zealand. Labour Part}', has declined nomination for any office for the year 1920-21. Mr. Paul will preside at the annual conference of the party, which will open at the Trades Hall on July 8. The following ere the nominations in connection with the election of national officers:—President, Messrs. John Read (Wellington) and Peter Eraser Wellington); vice-president, Mi's. Snow (Wellington), Messrs. Fred. 11. Cooke (Christchurch), J. A. Looncy (Dunodin), James M'Kenzio (Wellington), Rod. Ross (Palmerston North), M. Silversf.one (Dunedin), P. Vinnell (Timaru); secre-tary-treasurer, Messrs. Moses Ayrton (Palmeston North) and T. Brindlo (Wellington). The focal tallot under tjio auspices of the WeUington Labour Representation Committee, will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 6 and 7. Some '600 Senior Cadets, who have been to the Territorials in Group 5, will be formally handed over, to their new units at a parade to bo held at the. Garrison Hall, Buckle .Street, tonight. The trainees will parade in mufti, and after they havo been sworn in as Territorials they will be taken on the strength of the respective companies, ami wi'l be measured for uniforms, etc. Officers who will bo present at, tho parade will be Brigadier-Genera G. S. Ricliard„on, General Officer, in Charge of Admin titration, Cotonel C. W. Meln.l, Officer Commanding the Wellington Military District, and Colonel I?, St. *•»«", D.5.0., Officer Commanding tho sth (Wellington) Regiment,

The Finance Committee of the City Council has arranged for a number of free lectures to be held in the Council Chamber during the. winter months. ' When tho Conciliation Council met yesterday morning to consider the demands filed by the Wellington Wholesn o Merchants' Employees' Union, the Goiuniiseioner (Mr. W. Newton) stated that ho had not received from tho employers any notice of the appointment of assessors.. The firms cited were Kempthornc, Pressor, and. Co., Ltd, Sharland and Co.. Ltd.. and Young's- Chemical Co., Ltd. Mr -W. A. Grenfell (employers' agent) said' that the .union was not legisterod when it created the dispute. It therefore had no legal standing, and shou.d hot bo permitted ,to go on with tho matter. Mr. A. L. Monteith, who, with Mr 11. Dyson, represented the employees, rejoined that the union (formerly known as the Wellington Storeinen s Union) had merely undergone a change of wime and of scope. Tho Commissioner communicated V telephone iwith tho Registrar of Industrial Unions,. and ■ found that tho formalities required to put the changes in order had not been completed, though the. Registrar had consented to them He therefore ruled in Mr. Grcnfell's favour. Mr. Monteith of unnecessary delay on the part of the Labour Department. It was evonhuillj amnged that Mr. Monteith ■**««"»- mediately take stem to have tho prescribed procedure- duly compfoted, and that tfio council should meet again seven dnvs after the employers had received notice that the dispute was m order. Kenvphorne, Prosier, and Co. were yesterday represented by Mr. J. Duff,.Sharland awl Co bv Mr. W.. Larkin. and\our.K s Cherafcal to. by Mr. A. Young. The. union officials claim that tho membership roll comprises a majority of the employeesother- than clerks-in tho wholesaJo drug trade of Wellington.

At tho last meeting of tho Executive Council of the Wellington Competitions Society it was decided that owing ito tho delay in Issuing the syllabus, choir members should qualify on a membership of two months instead of three months, as stated in the syllabus. The General Manager of Railways wrote, dtating that school choirs of not fewer than twenty members would bo carried on _ the railways at stop-over school excursion rales. The letter was received with thanks. Tho secretary stated that a considerable number of inquiries had been received for copies of the syllabus from all parts of Now Zealand, also a number of choirs had intimated their intention to compete.

At the meeting of the Technical Schog Board last evening tho Standing Commit toe recommended the board to suppor the application from tho Christcliurei Technical College that' tho Departmen should mako grants for the acquisitioi of farms to be attached to technical col logos, with well developed agriculture departments. Tho recommendation' wn adopted. At the conference and annual mcetin] of 'the International Garden Cities am Town-planning Association, bold in Lou don recently, New Zealand was reprc sented by Messrs. A. I. J. Clay, G. I Downer, N. C. Sir Thomas Mat Kenzie, S. Hurst Seagcr, W. H. Gum mer. Miss E. L. C. Watson, and Miss / E. Evans. In all, twenty-two countric wero represented by about ono hundrc and Beventy delegates. Cases set; down for hearing by th Court of Appenl yesterday were nojouri cd on account of tho absence of the Chi( Justice (Sir Robert Stout), who had mi with a slight accident, Tho Court wi sit on Friday in order to make fixture for the hearing of cases next week. It was stated in a paragraph publishe yesterday thaii reference would be mac in the House of Representative.; to th death of "tho lato Mr. Tan Henave. Mr. Tau Henaro is alivo and quite wel Tho member who-is dead is tho late M Henaro Kaihau. Complaint regarding the state of Thor) don Quay was made by Councillor . Hutchison at last night's meeting of tl City Council. The thoroughfare, 1 said, was -"nothing but a dust storm i summer and a mud hole in winter. Tt quay should bo put in order as soon c possible, and a proper surface [aid dow) He urged that tho City Engineer shout bo instructed to put Hie main artorii thoroughfares of the city in proper ord< as soon as possible. The Mayor state that one of tho council's difficulties. i regard to street works was cement. Son: weeks ago bo wrote to Mr. Massey p questing that arrangements should .1 made to bring cement to the Dominic from the Old Country, but he had bee informed that plentiful supplies could I obtained in New Zealand if the coal ai shipping difficulties could be overcom The demands for cement in the 0 Country, he was toM, were so urge] that it was impossible to obtain sin meats from that source. His idea wi that the council should impress np< the Government tho necessity of obta.i in« cemont from abroad, for by don so it would be possible to carry oi many public works in tho Dominion. The Wellington City Council decidj -last night to appoint a lady sanitary l 6peclor.

Referring, during the courso of his address at Taikorea, to the cost of living, Mr. E. Newman, MJ, pointed out that the Board of Trade had prevented rises in tho prices or wheat, flour, bread, sugar, meat, butter, milk, groceries, bacon, beuzine, cement, end timber, and at present tribunals were dealing with prices-of woollen - goods, clothing, leather, and leather manufactured goods. Unquestdonably thousands of pounds had been saved to consumers by the work of the board. In one article alone (sugar) it was estimated that during the last three vears the sum of £2,000,000 had been saved, owing to the satisfactory arrangements made by the Government with tho Colonial Sugar Kenning Co; In New Zealand the increase m the cost cf living (food prices) over July, MU, .was shown as 621 per cent. In Australia it was a few points higher, in South Africa the increase was 67 per cent., m the U.b.A. 88 per cent;., in Canada 92 per cent., in the United Kingdom 136 per cent., in France 185} per cent., and in Italy and Belgium tho figures exceeded 200 per cent.Tho fact that other people were suftcring more than we might he poor comi - fort, but he thought it proved that the New Zealand Government were alive to the need for action, and hod demonstrated beyond doubt that they were sincere in their determination to minimise the evil as- much as any Government could minimise it.