LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 303, 16 September 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

That employers still evince a sympathetic interest in the affairs of returned soldiers is borne out by an incident that occurred in Wellington this week. Owing to a breakdown in health caused by the_ effects of having been gassed on active service, a returned man who was in business on his own account found himself in such serious financial difficulties that a meeting of his creditors had to bo called 'by tho Wellington District. Repatriation Officer (Mr. C. W. Batten). The creditors decided to realise on the man's business, but agreed to forgo their claims and to pay over to the returned soldier the amount obtained from the sale of the concern. Colonel E. J". Collins intimated yesterday that all tiie men selected to represent the Dominion at the Empire liiflo Meeting to Ik> held in Melbourne in November have accepted. The team will leave Wellington for Sydney en route to Melbourne by tho Moana on October A request by the Wellington Education Board to tho Education Department for half house-allowanco in tho case of schools possessing meagre accommodation has been declined. The Department replied to the hoard yesterday'that tho payment of half the ordinary house allowance was intended only to apply to special cases, where it was found necessary to provide small portable residences. The board expressed regret at the decision of the Department. Numbers of bowlors are making application for inclusion in the team that is to visit England next year under tho flvspices of the Dominion Bowling Association. It is believed • that there are already some sixty bowlers prepared to make the trip, and details as to how so largo a number can bo accommodated will bo thrashed out at a meeting of the Dominion Bowling Association to be held in tho Wellington Club's pavilion on Wednesday next. This meeting, at which details of tho coining tournament will be discussed, will commence at 10 a.m. A Dominion Conferenco of the N.Z. Drivers' Federation will be held in Wellington on September 28. The president of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association (Mr. H. M. Gore) has received from tho Secretary of the Auckland Provincial Lawn Tenuis Association n letter explaining that stands for spec-' tators will be provided on the same lines as at last fixture. An Auckland firm will be appointed booking agents, and the opening dates will be advertised beforehand, some timo in October, when applications can be made through the agents. The applications will receive equal consideration with personal bookings. The Auckland Tenuis Association will not entertain applications for 6eats in the meantime; Owing to the shortage of coal tho gas pressure in Napier has been reduced.— Press Assn. Writing to his father, Mr. J. F. Evans, of Wellington, Mr. Percy F. Evans, a commercial traveller in England, gives some, figures on the ever-rising cost of everyday commodities in the Old Country. The writer, after noting that even season railway far* havo advanced 50 per cent., states that the price of the 41b. loaf is now Is. 3J(1.; sugar is Is. 2Jd. per lb.; tea, 3s. per lb.; butter, 3s. 9d. per lb.; cheddar cheese, Is. Gd. per lb.; and soap, ltd. per bar. Ordinary cashniero hoso (women's) could not bo obtained under Bs. lid., and at the time of writing (July 31), another strike was pending in the hosiery trade. Workers in. that trade wero asking for .-C7 per week, and £6 10s. out-of-work pay. Mr. Evans also noted that women's corsets, which formerly cost 17s. lid. per dozen,, wero now 'being sold at 695. Gd. per dozen (wholesale). Such was the difficulty in securing goods that several of the big commercial houses were taking their men oft' tho road, and giving thorn a retaining salary only until such time as goods were available. On the motion of the Rev. W. Shirer, tho Wellington Presbytery on Tuesday passed a rosolutien of sympathy with t.ha "incregation of St. Andrew's in the destruction of their church by fire on August IG. Appreciation was also recordad of the spirit manifested in making efforts for the restoration of the church. A ktter was received from tho Kcv. Robertson Orr stating that he was going on six Dipjithy furlough for the lwuefit of his health, and an expression of fi.uui>athy' was passed to him. as w:;ll us appreciation of the excellent work ho was doing. The Rev. W. J. v'omrie was apDoinfeU moderjtor of St. Andrew's during the absence of Mr. Orr. "Tho settler is out to do tlhe best for his holding," remarked Mr. E._ P. Rishworth, speaking at tho Education Board meeting yesterday on tho subject of county schools. "He will speiid any amount on his farm: therefore it is his duty to look after his children's interest and to take an interest in the question of accommodation of teachers." "It does not speak well for the condition of the roads." remarked Mr. Hunt, S.M., at the Petone Magistrate's Court yesterday, when dealing with quite a number of cases of riding bicycles on footpaths. In reading tho executive's statement regarding tho Public Service and tho education service at yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Education Board, tho chairman, Mr. T. Forsyth, said: "Tho Public Service Commissioner advertises tho fact, that a number of officers still in their thirties aio now drawing salaries of between <KiOO and J!7sfl, and that there are higher administrative positions up to .E12.">0; whereas the highest teachership is at present limited to ,CMo, ineluding maximum grading increment and house allowance (-ESO). Further, a youth who is over 18; years of age at tho dato of. entry begins 1 in the Public Service at ' .£IOO, willi an allowance of .£3O if he re--1 quires- to livo away from home."

Kir Thomas Mackenzie, in a recent Id lor to a friend in Wellington, expresses tho opi'nion that a new Department (ihoukl lw created in London repre.sentinir exclusively tlw commercial ami production interests of New Zealand. He believes there is a field for wido usefulness in this direction, and thinks the- Dominion might even, unito ivi'Ji Australia in the matter. At present each country and each individual consumer nets independently, and thero is no consistent relationship in the transactions that take place. The general sympathy accorded to tin mnnll shareholder in comrnniss of n.agnitude, snico the nuMica'ion of Iho Land and Tncomo Tax Bill, is not felt l\y Mr. (■>• M. Banks, who spoke at the special meeting of the VWli.iiri.on. Chamber 01 Oonimerco on Tuesday. "I envy the small shareholder," he Niid. "Ho is l-.f-tlei- <-ff 'o-ilay than ho was five yc*:s nuo. very few small shareholders wov'd sod today at (ho price niiin-; before the war." Mr, If. JJ Vickei'v thereupon romnikod tliat ho would sell 6ome, at a reduction! The. lust moeting of tho Wellington District Depntriation Board was presided ever by Mr. T. S. Weston. Twenty-live loans tor tho purchase of furniture were agreed to and four applications were declined. Two applications for financial assistance in the establishment, of businesses were approved, three declined, and fi.uv deferred. In four cases it was decided to subsidise the wages cf men undergoing training in trades, and if. was also-decided to pay tho training fees and allowances of six men receiving instruction in technical Bchools, etc. At a conferenco of representatives of Canterbury local bodies and other organisations held last night, the- following motion was carried:—"That in the opinion of this conference of representatives of educational institutions, local bodies and the industrial, commercial, and farming interests of Canterbury, the Government should give early_ effect to tho recommendation of the. Director of Forestry that n°scliool of forestry should be established in connection with Canterbury University College." It ' was IV''her decided that a representative dcp>. .ition should wait upon Mr. Massey in Wellington to urge the views of the people of Canterbury in tho matter.— Press Assn. Judgment was delivered by His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Hohert Stout) in tho Supreme Court yesterday in the case cf Laery and Co., Ltd., of Wellington, v. the North American Fruit and Produce Company, of Wennhepee, Washington (U.S.A.) and the Union Steam Ship Company. The dispute had reference to a shipment of American apples, consigned to New Zealand, but delayed considerably in delivery on account of tho 1918 influenza epidemic. The fruit was over-carried to Sydney, and subsequently it was sold by the Union Company. The plaintiffs sought,,, an order restraining the shipping company from paying over the proceeds of this snlo to the North American Fruit Cuupany, and they also claimed,as against tho American Company tho sum of <£67G 55., representing freight paid in advance, together with exponses and alleged damages for broach of contract.. The American Company denied liability, and said that tho refusal of Laery and Co. to take delivery of the fruit had resulted in it being sold by the Union Steam Ship Company at a nrico substantially below the market value. The American Company therefore counter-claimed for .£675 damages. The Union Company, as disclosed in its statement of defence, adopted a neutral attitude, merely setting out that it held in trust the sum of 4749 6s. lid. as tho proceeds of tho sale of the fruit, for distribution, as the Court directed. His Honour »ave judgment for Messrs. Laery and Co., on both the claim and counterclaim, with interest at the rate of G per cent., on the amount claimed since November, 1918. At the hearing Mr. C. P. Skerrett, K.C., with him. Mr. B, Kennedy, appeared for the plaintiff company, S( r I C, A. Hislop for the defendant American Company, and Mr. P. Levi for the Union Steam Ship Company.