LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 288, 30 August 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Thero was a clean sheet at. the Magistrate's Court 011 Saturday, not a single offender being brought before the MaatsIrate.

The immigration of ex-Imperial sol(~m's the Dominion was discussed on Saturday at the meeting of the Dominion exeunt ve of the Mew Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association. A subcommittee, consisting of Messrs. C. W. Batten, D. S. Smith, and Wj E, Leadley, was set up Ad go into the question of formulating ti scheme for the settlement of ex-Imperial soldiers in the Dominilon, null the following motion was carried: "That from evidence before thi.? executive of the N.Z.R.S.A. the nominated system of immigration is working satisfactorily, but.tho overfens settlement sciiorue breaks down through lack of euro at the High Commiss'ioner'y office."

In travelling about the Peninsula ono cannot help but be struck with the number of empty farmhouses to be seen (says the correspondent of the Christchurch "Press"). In ono of the eastern bays, for instance, one is told there are over 20 ef these mournful reminders of busier dnys gone by, while in another there are Id, and so on. Around the watershed of the harbour tlw same Oiling applies, though not,- perhaps, to such nn extent. Land aggregation has slowly but surely brought about this result, and the thoughtful observer naturally wonders where it is going to end. Closer settlement 1 , would ue a very real blessing for a district lika this, where nature lias scattered her gifts with such lavish hand. The Peninsula could easily support in comfort twenty times its presenti population! Perhaps the "powers that bo" will do something more than "keep the matter stwdily in view."

Jliss M'Lean, principal of the Girls' College, reported to the ■ Board of College Governors that of 19 candidate* from the Girls' College U passed Uio Junior Public Service entrance examination, and of these ono succeeded in gaining first place among all candidates.

At Friday's meeting of the colltgo governors ft petition was received from tho teachers of tlio lower department ut tho Girls' Collego requesting that their salaries bo raised, as they apparently were not to x»rt,cipato in the bonus being granted by tho Education Department to other teachers. It was pointed out that Mie Board of "Governors was quite helpless in tho matter, as thu Education Department had 110 desire to encourage the lower department in tho Girls' College. It/ was decided to reply accordingly.

Efforts are being made by the N««f Zealand ltevurned Soldiers' Association to have the scale of war pensions for injured men and thel dependants of de* ceased soldiers increased. The matter 'was discussed at Saturday's meeting of tho Dominion executive of the association, when figures showing how tho coßt ai living is increasing were quoted in order no prove that ail increase in tho pensions scale was justified. The executive resolved to ask local associations throughout the Dominion to call meotillgs of soldiers and dependants of deceased men for _ tho purpose of passing suitable supporting resolutions regarding the increaso of pensions. It was also decided 110 direct the Dominion subcommittee to take tho necessary steps to secure to every applicant for- a pension tho right to bq represented by an advocate, both before the AVar Pens'ons Board, and before iCie Appeal Board to be set up.

The adjourned extraordinary general meeting of the Wellington Ii.S.A. is to ho held in' the club rooms ito-night. Some important business felt over from last meeting will come up for discussion. Included in Mus will be the Government's policy in regavd to immigration. The housing question is also down for discussion. Only financial members will be admitted to tlm ineeting. \

_De=pile tho very .wet day, between 40 oiid 50 farmers, inchuling.j;cveral soldiel settlers, attended the veterinary demonstration arranged by the AYairarupa /armors' Union, and held at Donald's Estate Dairy, Featherston. Mr. T. A. Blake, M.K.C.A r .S., Government Veterinary Surgeon, gavo a very interesting demonstration, and also lectured on tho many diseases affecting cows, their prevention; and'-euro. ATt 'file request ol ;the soldier settlers he showed them how to take the veil out of a calf, and also the best means of throwing a beasl with a rope single-handed. The farmers r.*nressed themselves well pleased with .the interesting manner in which tlio demonstration was carried out,,and gave turcu cheers for Mr. Blake before Uispcrsmg.

The AVellington District Conference of the AVorkers' Educational Association was continued, on Friday,.Mr. C. It. O. liomeson presiding. A draft constitution tor the district, much upon tha lines of that for the Dominion organisation, was adopted. It provides for the setting up of, local centres, comprising five members elected at the annual meeting of inem'bers of the local branch, one member representing each of tho affiliated bodies, and one member representing each contributing local body. The duties of local centres will include the organising of classes', enrolling of students, and coilection of moneys. Each local commiHey will act under tile control of the Dls trict Council, which is to bo elected'at the annual district conference of the AV.E.A. The following District Council was elected: —President, Mr. F. Cornwall; vice-president, Mr. J. M. A. llott; executive committee, Messrs. C. J?. C. T?obieson, B. Yates.' L. Sievers. D. S. Smltn. and .T. Barras.

Land matters were among the subjects discusscd at the meeting of tlie'Dominioii executive of the N.Z.R.S.A. on Saturday Mr. A., P. Whatman, who was invited to. bo present during the discussion, stressed the importance of pressimr the prnv«'ii"< of the Compulsory Acquisition of Land Act, 1008. The executive resolved to interview Cabinet to-day on the land question, and, if the reply received is considered to be unsatisfactory, to arrango for the introduction of a Bill bv. Mf. G. Mitchell, M.P., on the lines adopted bv the recent general conference of the association.

The meeting of the Dominion executive of the N.Z.R-.S.A. on Saturday expressed its entire accord with tho principle.-. ot tile National Defence League, and recommended members of the association to givo all tho support in their power to the leairue.

"Probably the high cost, of living- is Do soiiio extent responsible for tho general unrest, amongst workers to-ciay throughout the world," said Mr. J. GHerdnian at the annual meeting of tlio Clu'istchuxch Chamber of Commerce. "Tlio relations at present existing between employer and employee are not) all they should be, and there seems little chance of closer co-operation as long (is tlio worker is dominated by the extremist of the Bolshevik type; that clement eliminated, there would be a reasonable chance of .establishing permanent co-operntion between employer and'employee on such a basis that would dispel anv fear as to the future progress of the British Empire. It is for the worker to consider what the ultimate result of the extremist revolutionary methods may mean."

The present winter has been particularly hard on old folk in Auckland, and witliin the) last five weeks no fewer tjhan s ; xty deaths of people over 'seventy years of age have been notified (remarks the "Herald"). Of these, thirty-two were men and twenty-eight women. The longevity was much greater among tlio latter, of whom foutf were over ninety, and thiMeen over eighty. Of tlio men, two were nonagenarians arid ten had passed their eightieth birthday.

A story has reached Adelaide of a remarkable change of fortune which has befallen Miss Maud Armstrong, 19 years of age, employed as a maid at a Jamestown hotel. She was visited by a lawyer recently, who informed her that her uncle had died, leaving her considerable properly and money ._ It :<? asserted that tlio property comprises the Laurels, at Toorali (Victoria), Wirriada Station (In Gippsland), arid the sum of ,£30,000.