LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 10, 7 October 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Postal authorities have received advice that English mails we.ro dispatched for New Zealand on September 30 per Reinuora, via Panama. Tho s.s. Wairuna, which sailed on October 2 from San Frnnoisco for Auckland, carried 651 parcel receptacles and 76 bags of ordinary mail matter for New Zealand.

Tho South Canterbury Battalion Band, which is on its way to tho competitions, will arrive here this morning from tho south en route to Sydney. If time and tho weather permit tho band will give a performance at the Oriental Bay rotunda this afternoon. •

A Press telegram from Auckland states that Mr. W. A. Watt, Federal Treasurer, is a through passenger by the Niagara, which arrived yesterday'from Vancouver. Ho declined an interview, saying he adhered to his determination not to open his mouth until 'he returned to Australia.

There have recently been issued new sets of stamps for the Cook Islands, viz., Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Penrhvn, and Niuo (states tie Auckland "Star"). Tim values are Jd., Id., I\<L. 3d., 6d., and Is. The designs are very effective, and includo island scenes in appropriate decorative settings. Ono of them contains a cameo portrait of Captain Cook.

The gate receipts for eighteen matches during tho British Loaguo team's recent tour of Australasia totalled £15,933. Of this amount £1980 was taken in New Zealand. One-third of the net profits in" connection with matches in Australia, where the takings wero £13,955 for twelve matches, is to be divided amongst the players.

Fourteen Chinese arrived at Auckland from Sydney by tho Riveriua on Monday, states the "Herald." Of these, 13 applied for admission into tho Dominion, and all wero allowed to land. The remaining Chinese Svas not in possession of the poll-tax, £100, and did not apply to bo put through the education test. The niun'ber of Chinese who havo landed at Auckland since the beginning-of tho year now totals 664.

At a meeting of the Palmerston North Borough Council on Tuesday night the question of accepting tenders for four motor-buses camo up for decision. It was decided to accept a tender for "Commer" buses at a cost of £2125 each. Tho decision was arrived at by five votes to four. Tho buses will ho ordered immediately, and should bo on tho road within a few months.

Following an application from tho furniture trades employees of' Wellington for an interpretation Of clause 3a of their recent award, an opinion has been given by His Honour Mr. Justice Stringer, The clause referred to reads as follows: "Overtime lor work done before the ordinary hour for commencing work, or after tho oniinary hour for ceasing work, shall be paid on the basic wage, at the rate of time and a half for tho first three hours, and thereafter double time until the ordinary'time for commencing work next day K workod continuously. The question put to His Honour was: "If several men being paid 2s. 6d. nn hour for ordinary time worked overtime, at what rates would they be paid?" His Honour considered that" the rate to bo paid should.be time and a half on ordinary timo calculated on tho respective basic wages, apart from any bonus fixed by award for the various classes covered thereby, and irrespective of wages actually being paid.

Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) asked in tho Hotiso of Representatives why tho issue of tho award in tho printing trade had been delayed. The award had been made on September 13, and he had seen it 6tated since then that tho master printers had decided not to comply with tho award. Mr. Howard added that the increased rates in the award were retrospective to May 1, in accordance with an agreement between tho parties. Sir William Herrics replied that the award contained something that tho Labour Department considered to bo ultra vilroj. The question had been referred to Ciio law officers of tho Crown, who would say whether or not tho Court had power, to make the agreement an award. He hoped • the matter would be settled within a- day; or two. Ho would bo only too jrlad to issue the award.

Certain Alterations in the fees for Supremo Court proceedings were announced yesterday by the Miuistor' of Justice (Hon. E. P. Lee). Tho principal item, he said, was in the fee for the scaling of probate when granted by tho Court. This had' nothing to do with estate duf<e«. Under the old ecalo the highest payment was .£B. Now the fees were to reach £3 for an estate worth .£BOOO, and increase by £1 for every thousand pounds after this amount. It would' bo seen, therefore, that in tho case of an cstato valued at 4100,000. tho fees would amount to XIOO. The increases were mado in consequence of tho increased salaries of Judges and court officials. The scale of death duties would have to be tho subject of legislation, and this would bo quite distinct from the present change, which was purely a Departmental alteration.

The rowing eeaso.i will be opened at 2.30 on Saturday afternoon.'

When Mr. E. A. Tanner, of Wellington, was in America, all sorts of enarges were being hurled against England because English capital was being _ invested in oil lands in Mexico. Persia, and elsewhere, and propagandists against England were instancing this as evidence of England's "grabbing" propensities. The charges became so hot that tho British Ambassador, Sir Auckland Gcddes. had to state that only 17 per cent, of tho oil of the world came from Britlsii-owned oil lands, so the charge was quite ridiculous. If England couid obtain moro of these oil lands it would certainly bo good business.' There was a report going round the States that tho oil-fields of Amerioa would give out in about ten years' time, but on what grounds that computation was based he did not know..

A further rise has token place in ilia price of American oil. A week ngo caso lots could be purchased for 355. The ■minimum price'to-day is 375. fid. Tho increases aro not uniform. The Boa.-il of Trado 'has sanctioned the increase of the price to importing firni6 owing to the adverse movement of exchange rates. The average price to the consumer would work out at a little over 375. 6d.. and in some Instances a chargo of £2 per case would be justified. The latest increase will hit those carrying firms who have "hitched their chariots to petrol," and will-doubtless re-act on the community. ' Mr. A. E. Tanner, who has just returned from England, via America, said that during his visit to the Old Country there was a considerable slump in prices in several directions. The'genesis of the slump was a big fall in prices ui America. Immediately that became known retailers in England reduced their prices, and ceased ordering, with surprising results. <Jne retailer told him that before tho slump it was n matter of ordering goods and getting only a~Ttfth of what was ordered, and a traveller never came near tho place. Afterwards he was visited by half a dozen travellers solidting> orders, and the goods appeared to bo fairly readily obtainable. Whether the slump would last no one was able to say, but it seemed to be confined to the retail trade. There was no doubt whatever that wholesale profiteering hod been going on in England, and on that account there was a great deal of unrest among those who wore suffering, particularly tho middle class, who had to pay the heavilyincrensed charges with little compensation by way of higher salaries. At (he 6anio time England was rapidly picking up, and wow it not for tho apparently endless succession of strikes and the profiteering, normal conditions would soon be restored.

Sir James Burns, of Mesa's. Bums, Philp and Co., was questioned yesterday as to whether he had mado the, remark attributed to him in n cable message from Victoria a/few weeks ago, to tho effect that Dr. Monnix in no manner reflected the views of Australia. Sir James Burns said ho did make the remark to someone on board, but did not know ho was a pressman. Ho felt sure that everyone of any senso would agrco with him.

A lawyer in the Full Court yesterday was endeavouring to explain to the B?nch the meaning of a right, which ho though was vested in his client. "Wo have a right of election, Your Honours," he saM, "until Judgment Day"! Tho Bench, seeing the point, was roally cmusod.

At Auckland yesterday, Samuel John Thorn, charged with tho murder of Sidney Eyre at Pukekawa, was remanded to Pukekoho to appear for trinl'next Thursday.—Press Assn.

The last meeting of the Wellington District 'Repatriation Board' was piesided over by Mr. T. S. Weston. Piyo applications for loans for assistance in the establishment of businesses -wore approved, six were declined, and ono deferred. Nineteen furniture loans were approved, and ono application was deferred. In five cases it was resolved to subsidise the wages of men Tindergoing training as apprentices, and the board also decided to pay the training allowances of four men receiving instruction at technical schools.

The residence and grounds of Mr. John Kirkcnldio, Thompson and Hankey Streets, were offered at auction yesterday bv Messrs S. George Nathan and Co. Bidding started nt £8000 and reached ,£9700. As tho reserve was not readied, tho property -was withdrawn from auction, and is now open for private sale.

"The general opinion in America," says Mr. E. A. Tannor, "is that pre-, hibitiou has been advantageous to the well-being of the community as a whole. Wines, beer, and spirits are still to bo obtained, but there are difficulties in tho wav, and the result generally is good. I heard that the grape-drawers of California thought that prohibition _ would involve them in irretrievable ruin, but I was told that instead of crushing tho grapes for wine-making they dried them off into raisins, a.nd made more money out of them that way than if- they had been turned into wine."

A curious story of tho speculative value of stamps is going round. In the .printing of the word "Karotonga" over tho ordinary New Zealand id. stamps (says an exchange) a corner of one of the sheets was turned over, and two ot the stamps had tho word obliterated from them, being printed' on tho overturned corner at the back. The purchaser of some sheets of these stamps noticed tho omission, and a block of the four stamps, .including "the two which had missed printing, was torn from tho s'beet and sold to a dealer for £5. Ho sold it for -£15, and it is said the second purchaser obtained £150 for it from the Prince of Wales, who bought it for the King, one of the keenest philatelists in tho world and possessor of probably one of the finest collections of stamps in existence.

An enthusiastic meeting of tho Returned Soldiers' Memorial Band was held on Tuesday night. The formation of the Memorial Bund was agreed to. Jho band exceeds 30 members, and will. he augmented by a fine orchestra. Owing to the success of the movement, a reunion of ex-N.Z.E.F. bandsmen will bo held at an early date. Thanks wero extended to Colonel J. Pow, general secretary, N.Z.R.S.A. headquarters, and to Mr. R. A. Blnekbee, secretary and organiser, R.5.M.8., for their efforts in bringing the movement to a successful issue. Tho baud, which is to be used in tho city's interests, comprises talent from all the N.Z.E.F. bands that won such favour overseas. Mr. Blnekbee stated that prominent people of the district had congratulated him, and considerable support was promised. The meeting adjourned until October 14.