LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 4, 30 September 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

—. —o Tho Postal authorities advise that tho mails which loft Wellington on. August 18 par R.M.S. Marama, via San Francisco, and thoso which left Auckland on August 20 per It.M.S. Niagara, via Vancouver, arrived in London on September 25 and 20 respectively. Tho s.s. Kurow, which sailed from Sydney for Wellington on September 26. carries 16 bags of mail for Wellington, and tho s.s. Jlaheuo, which left Sydnoy for Auckland on September 25, carries 106 bag? of Australian and 00 l»gs o£ English mails for Wellington.

Peculiar tactics of profiteers were-re-vealed toy the Solicitor-General (Mr. W C. MacGregor, IC.C., in th|; Supreme Court yeistuday, when profiteering, eases jreii l occupying the. attention of tho Pull Bench. "A woman went into a shop tho other day," said Mr. MacGregor, "and saw a costume that she thought 6he would like. On inquiring tho price she was told iCSO. She was taken aback at this, and made further inquiries. later another employee camo to her and told hor she could have tii> costume for ,£l7. Still not satisfied, tho woman threatened to inform tho Board of Trade of tho p-ice, and the result was that sho obtained thp 1 article she desired for <C9\" "She was a successful buyer!" remarked His Honour Mr. Justice Edwards.

Realisation of the very acute house shortage in Wellington has been forced upon one property owner week in a striking fashion, though his experience by no means stands alone. He had a fourroomed cottage to let and advertised tho fact. There was. no mistake about the response. Applicants called by the score, Their visits followed se fast one on another that tho lady of the "house grew weary of answering tho door and placed on it a notification that the cottage had teen let. But still tlie applicants camo, o.ud beloro tho prooession ended over 109 had callcd to inquire about the house, which in point of fact had beon let beforo tho first response to the advertisement was received. So anxious were many of the people to rent the place that they were ready to buy tho furniture it contained in order to secure it.

The last meeting of the Wellington District Repatriation Board was presided over by Mr. T. S. Weston. Five applications for loans for assistance in the. establishment of businesses were approved, and 13 wero declined. In 13 casea .it was decided to grant loans for the purchase of furniture. Tho board resolved to subsidise the wages of three men undergoing training as apprentices, and to pay tho fees and allowances of three others who are receiving instruction at technical schools, etc. •

In the Full Court yesterday tho Solici-tor-Goneral (Mr. W. C. MacGregor, K.C.) protested against tho practice indulged in by wholesalft firms of making a differentiation in prices when supplying retailors and private individuals. "It is this way," he said, "if I go into a warehouse and ask for an alarm clock, they immediately ask mo whether I iim a shopkeoper. If I say 'yes,' the price is so much, and if my answer is 'no it is so much plus so much. How can that bo justified? It was pointed out. that in tlie case referred to there had been ouo article sold at one price and two <i'».en (a bulk lot) at another-. "Just the tamo as buying a gill of whisky and a keg, remarked His Honour Mr, Justice JMlwards.

Writing from New York in August, Mr. R. B. Morris, Sectary of tho Post and Telegraph Department, said that he was in the great American metropolis, ami did not care how 6oon ho left it. Tho city was sweltering in a heat wave, and lie was writing at midnight with electric fans going on each, sido of him. bince then a cable message had been received (this week) stating that he was about to leave for Paris en route to • Madrid to attend tlfo International Postal Congress.

Mr. Robert Duncan,'Secretary for Marine, is to he. entertained by the Marino Engineers' Institute at their rooms on October 2.

A conference of tho Advisory Board of Patriotic War Relief Associations is "to be held in Wellington on October 15. commencing at 10.30 a.m. The delegates from tho Wellington War Belief Association will bo Messrs. L. 0. H. Tnjip and C. M. Lulca.

The Wellington Land Board met yesterday and sat in committee for the best part of the day. The board will oontinuc its sitting .to-day, when routine business will be dealt with.

When the police made a search of the 8.8. Wesimeath yesterday morning prior to her departure for Avonmouth, they "discovered an American negro, rejoicing in the name of Leborn Maynard, stowed away behind 6omo bales of wool. When questioned ho said that ho desired to get back to the United States because he 00-uld not, get any work m New Zealand. Lnter Maynard appeared an J,hio Magistrate's Court, before 'Mt. F. K. Hunt, S.M., and was charged with going aboard the vessel without permission of the military authority or tho owner, master, or agent of the ship in breach of the War Regulations rnado on July 15, 1917. He was convicted and discharged.

The fortnightly meeting of tlio Society for the Prevention of Cruelty 1o Animals took place Inst the president, Mr. F. Meadowcroft, in tho ohair. Tho annual report on tho working of the society for the past year for presentation to the annual meeting to be held on October 12, was read and approves. The secretary roportod that owing to the illness of Uw collector no subscriptions had been received. The inspector's report dealt with several cases of cruelty to horses/ cattle and pigs, which he had attended to.

"Is a magistrate to run every busint-ss in Now Zealand?" was a question put to the Solicitor-General in the i Full .Court yesterday during the hearing of profiteering eae|>s. "No!" was tho answer. "But it is his duty to see that no lp?vton sells goods at unreasonable price;-.'

At tho meeting of tho Palmerston North. Chamber of Commerce, it was reported that .0195,000 had been subscribed towards starting a woollen, mill at 'Wanganui, and that applications were still coming, in. It was suggested >with a oapital of from to branches of tho mill could be started in Hawke's Bay and Palmerston North. A separate prospectus could bo Issued in. each case, and if\ the branches did not get on with tho headquarters at Wanganui they could break away and work on their own account. The pro'posal was favourably received, and Messrs. L. H. Collinson find H. L. Young were appointed a deputation to bring tho matter under tho notice of tho Farmers' Union with a view to co-opera* t.ion in the establishment of a mill in Palmerston North.

Tho arrangements made for the education of the children of lighthouse keepers is a subject which Ml'. V. H. Potter (Eoskill) has brought under tho notice of tho Minister of Education times. » Ho asked a further question on tho .matter in tho House of Representatives yesterday. Mr. Parr said in reply that lie had obtained the necessary information on tho subject. There were 32 lighthouse stations about the coasts of New Zealand and there wero 79 children living at them. Of this number G2 were receiving education through the medium of household schools provided by the capitation grant of £12 per head. Tho _ remaining 17 were receiving no education. Ho had asked the Department to communicate with the education beards in the districts where these lighthouses wore mid had asked tho boards to make special efforts to see that tho children had some sort of teaching. In no case wero there more than two children at a lighthouse under these conditions, and in pome instances only one, so that it was difficult to determine how they should bo given instruction. The Department was helping alrrady, for it was recognised that not oven seventeen ohildTcn should remain in New Zealand without eduoation.

Tho director of tho Technical Collego (Mr. J. H. Howell) suggested to tho board.last night that the time had arrived for the institution of athlutic sports as an annual event, and that facilities for proper practice should be provided. Ho pointed out that running and jumping wore excellent forms of physical training, mid if carried out regularly under proper guidance were productive of much good.

Borne intricate commorcial_ points were raised during the hearing of profiteering cases beforjj the Full Court yesterday. The question camo up as to whether a mpii possessing one articlo, the lasr cf a stock, and knowing that 6over.il persons desired this article, would be enfitled to raise tho price, or to allow them to compete for tho article. Tho vtew of tho Solicitor-General was thnt such action would not bb allowable. To this Mr. Justice Edwards replied that if an auction wero not permissible the whole fabric of business woulil bo turned upside down.

"It is pleasing to state," said tho Applications Commitloo in reporting to the War Belief Association yesterday, "that tho men who have called have in many cases required no help at present, but they have been requested to call at tho office should they over bo in necessitous circumstarces. Numbers of I applications are being. recoived from fit men for assistance in tho purchase of residential houses or farms, and the committee regret that, unless in special circumstances, it is impossible to grant these applications. The committee con eiders that its funds should be conserved for tho disabled men and their dependants, and those who break down as (lie result of their war service. In all cases where applications are made Tor the assistance mentioned, inquiries are made in order to ascertain whether tho applicant has received the full benefits authorised by the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act." I

Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) asked in the House of Representatives yesterday when tho printers would bo able to get a prhitecf copy of tho Dominion Award filed on September 13. The award, he said, involved a considerable amount of retrospective payment, end tho delay was causing irritation amongst the workers. He wanted to know why the award had been hold up.. Sir William Herries said ho would make' inquiries and let the member know the result.

The Defence League held a meeting last overimg to establish ft branch nt Nowtown. Mr. A. Gray, K.C., was in the chair. Mr. Gray explained very fully f.lio purposes of tlio league. Colonel G. Mitchell, M.P., addressed, the meeting, and pointed, out the importance to the pcoplo of Neiv Zealand continuing to support the dofence of Ihe country. He also pointed out the very gravo conditions in the world, which made efficient defence imperative at this time. Mr. C. M. Luke supported Colonel Mitchell. _ A provisional committee was appointed with Mr. Luko as convener. The ferry steamer Maori left Lyttelton at 8.25 last night oil the arrival of the train from Timaru. The vessol could not wait- for (lie second express from Dunedin, tho train being dolayed by Hoods on tho line.

Tho Applications Committee of the War Relief Association reported yesterday i—"The claims ave daily becoming more difficult of solution—more particularly those submitted by other socic tics—but there has been no general alteration in the nature of assistance asked for or granted, whilst the correspondence, inward and outward, has shovai a large increase m compared with that

of last month." The Minister of Agriculture stated in. the House of Representatives yesterday that the inspector sent to New Zealand by the Commonwealth Government to examine potatoes intended for cxpdrt to Australia was at prosent at work in tho South Island. Ho had reported to his Government* but so far 110 announcement liad been made to tho potato growers. ' An interesting lecture on the scientific study of New Zealand scenery was given in St. Mark's Schoolroom last evening by Dr. C. A. Cuttle, N.A., D.S.C. The lectuio was illustrated by lantern slides, and was much appreciated by the scholars of tho school and their parents who wore in attendance. It was the first of a series organised for the purpose of raising funds for the purchase of lantern sli,do9 for the school educational purposes. Votes of thanks were accorded tho lecturer and Mr. G. W. Balthrop, who manipulated the lantern.