LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 21, 20 October 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Keveral representatives of manufacturing firms in the Old Country have been advised of a drop in the prices at Home, find aro revising their price-lists scorning tu cabled instructions. 'New "Zealand firms aro chary of ordering at present, as further falls are anticipated, and business is likely to be a little unsettled everywhere uutil the. position at Home and in America beoomss more stable.

. Evidonce of the up-to-date spirit that is permeating Japan Is forthcoming in the form of a letter which the Mayor 'Mr. .T. P. Luke) has received from the Mayor of Osaka. That gentleman seeks information as to the Wellington system of rubbish disposal, and lins sent a eeries of pointed questions bearing on the subject. All save one question can be -simply answered. Tho question which cannot be answered is a request for the chemical analysis of garbage collected from. Wellington households from day to dav. Though this information is not likely to be forthcoming, Hie question indicates how thoroughly the Japanese inquire* into such matters.

It is understood that Messrs. Walsh Bros. Avro Will return to the Hutt Park towards the end of the week.

In order to prevent war medals falling into the possession of unauthorised persons, it is stated in a General Headquarters inst-uetion that the replacement of, lost medals can be authorised only when satisfactory proof of loss is forthcoming. Replacement of the initio Star will bel made only on th* following conditions:—Serving Soldiers— Claims for replacement will be investigated' by n board of inquiry. Discharged Soldiers—Applications for replacement must be made in the form of a statutory declaration, setting out the circumstances under which tho loss was sustained, that six months have elapsed since the loss, and that every reasonable effort has been made to recover the medal. • All applications must be accompanied by a remittance of Bs. Gd. to cover cost, of replacement. The Defence Department may refuse to make a fresh issue if t.hcevidence of loss is considered unsatisfactory or to indicate that the loss was the outcome of carelessness.

The twenty-first annual dinner of the Ist New Zealand Mounted Hides Association will be held to-morrow.

Reference was made yesterday in ' n hews note to some freak enterprises, through which certain people soiißht to gain a certain notoriety or fame, as the k:iso may lie. Ui.e mentioned was tae ease of a man named Stevens, who some months ago proposed to hurl himself over the Niagara. .Falls in a specialljennstructed barrel. It appears rrom recent files that Stevens persisted in M? foolhardy plan, and Ifist his life thereby. The barrel was smashed on. some rocks •n tho great fall, and Stevens'! body was not recovered,

During the last week the Municipal Milk Department in Dixon Street has been besieged by people wishing to purchase butter at the ejd price, viz., Is. !)d. per lb. Up till Monday the amount ol a single purchase was limited to three pouu'ets, .but since then the quantity nai? been cut down to one pound per applicant. At midday yesterday there were only forty boxes of old season's buttor lefK and these were tiisappeafing as rapidly as the staff could handle'them. It is announced in a General Headquarters instruction issued yesterday that the Question of the allocation of trophies for competition by Territorials and Senior Cadets throughout the Dominion is now under consideration, and, in order that the most suitable may be allotted, a return is boing obtained of those available. It is thought that the present holders of certain trophies might be willing to redonnte them as an encouragement to military efficiency; and officers commanding districts have been asked to get in touch with them to this end.

A Japanese industry which has made considerable progress during the nast lew venrs is the manufacture of condensed milk. The "Japan Weekly Chronicle" estimates the production tor 1919 at 1,200,000 cases of four dozen tins each, valued at, say, .£600,000. which, about meets the home consumption, besides tins, however, there is imported aunually an average of ,£IOO,OOO worth of foreign milk, but the excess of supply over t'gmand is avoided by exportation to China and the South Sea Islands. During the current year it is forecasted ■ that the production will be increased by approximately 30 per cent. The progress made by th'is branch of Japan's industry is due to the stoppage.of imports caused by the war, the special protection given by the Government, and also by various privileges granted to Japanese manufacturers of condensed milk.

Under the heading of "Escapes." * the following passage appears in the Prisons Report lor the past year:—"The liumbei of escapes (eleven) was- greater than usual, but all but two of them were from parties working in the open, hi this connection it must be remembered that under the present system bv far tht larger proportion of our prison imputation is employed on farm work or' under similar semi-free conditions. In fact, a. partial 'honour system' is followed in regard to those prisoners whose escape would not be a menace to the community. . . . Really dangerous criminals nrc kept within the four walls of the cell tral prisons. Escapes occasionally lake place from such places, as thev do from the strongest of prisons in other countries; but if such escapes are due in any way to the carelessness or negligence of prison officers, condign punishment, follows."

The Kcv. Stewart Wright, the missionary of Central Africa, concluded his special mission in Wellington last evening, when h« delivered a short address on "Mission AVork in Central Africa," in The Terrace Congregational Church schoolroom. Mr. Wright leaves this evening for the south.

With reference to the G.H.Q. instruction notifying the final date on which four weeks' privilege railway tickets may be used, viz.. November 30. 1920. it is announced (hat this decision will not apply to men still undergoing medical treatment, and who are not sufficiently recovered to travel before tho date fixed. These men may receive tickets un to one month from date of their discharge from hospital, provided the applicant is certi. fled by a medical officer as uot having sufficiently recovered to travel bv Novera her 30, 1920.

Tho home for chronic service patients at Auckland will bo known as the "Evelyn Firth Home." It is expected'that this homo will be ready for tho admission of patients about November S.

The precincts of tho Town Hall were enlivened yesterday afternoon by tho presence of some 400 or 500 children from tho State schools of Wellington, who had assembled to rehearse (under the baton of Mr. Robert Parker) the sours they are to sing at the Navy League celobraliou of Nelson Day to-morrow evening. Tho rehearsal was very successful, and the children's part in tho programme should prove most interesting.

When he was in England, Mr. Bernard, Tripp, of Canterbury, New Zealand Red Cross delegate to the International Con. fcrence at Geneva, wrote to. Sir Arthur Stanley, chairman of the British Cross, as follows: "The New Zealand Red Cross has a fairly large_ sum of, money in hand, in the • Dominion, tliaF was collected during the war, and now money is wanted for other Red Cross works, in peace time, such as district nurses, child welfare, general hospitals, etc. The New Zealand Red Cross Society want to know if this money cellectcd in. war time can be used for general Red CVoss purposes in peace time. I would be greatly obliged if you would give me your ruling on thi6 point." Sir Arthur Stanley replied to Mr. Tripp: "The money in the hands of the Zealand Red Cross Society can certainly housed for general Red Cross purposes inneace time. I. enclose a copy of an Act of Parliament which we got passed in order to set free the money remaining in our possession at the end of the war, which otherwise could only have been used for sick and wounded soldiers and sailors"

"I have drawn attention in previous , reports to the grave necessity that exists for the establishment of a central De- i partment to control and co-ordinate the ' various branches of different existing'. Departments that deal with the treatment of persons of both sexes and all • ages that, are brought before the courts, and also with the question of social re-' form and general preventive ruoasures," states the Controller-General of Prisons; in his annual report. "I have pointed out how, in regard to probation and other work of that nature, there is much overlapping, diffusion of energy, and wastage that would be ayoidco if the whole business were under one management. .In the absence of such a Department, members of the public who interest themselves in assisting the neglected, the derelict, and 1 the destitute find that _ they have no permanent organisation * to' appeal <to when difficult cases require to' be dealt with. The only appeal at preEent appears to be to the police,, nnd the only place to which the derelict and destitutes can be sent is the gaol. There should obviously be a Department to which the public could go as a matter of' course when advice, information, or assistance is required in cases of this description. ... If there is to be any solid effort to deal with the prevention of crime, root causes must be attacked. This cannot be done without, concentration of effort. Under present conditions there is not, nor can there be, any such concentration."

The Government steamer Hinemoa returned to Auckland from a visit to the islands in the Kermadec Group on Sunday afternoon. .She left Auckland' on October 8 and proceeded to Curtis Island. landing was effected at the island, and a depot erected for castaways. Irorn Curtis Island the Hinemoa visilted the Maraulav Islands. The depot appeared to bo in' good order, but owing to bad weather a boat could not bo launched. A call was then made at Sunday Island, where the depot stores were found 'to be . in excellent order. The island is overrun by wild goats, which have mined the fruit trees cultivated years ago by the Bell family. The outlying islands, including the French Itock were also visited by the Hinemoa There were no imlicnitions of any of the depots having been used by castaways.-Herald. Recently a controversy took place oyer the attitude of the King Country Umber workers to the award in lb? AVellmgton timber yards and sawmills dispute. Mr. ,T. Kead, secretary of the Wellington Union, was criticised for having taken steps to bring the King Country mi to within the scope of the award. -As the; result of correspondence, the AdusoryBoard of the Timber Workers' Federation met in Wellington, and. r.fter noinu care--fullv into the whole, matter, exonerated Mr."Kead from any blame, it « understood that unions will be. notified by circular explaining the position in tun.

Air W. M. Gunn, a well-known resident of Whakaronga, Palmerston North, now touring the United States and Canada on pleasure and business combined, makes some interesting comments on benzine and lamb, states a Manawatu exchange. He says: Tho cost of living at a good hotel is JBI Bs. per day for double room, and -JEI p:«r day for food, and a decent suit of clothes costs X4O (all wool), others 80 to 125 dollars (cotton and wool). Benzine is plentiful and ■cheap. It is sold at (retail) 27 cents per gallon, equal 'to 12s. per case, and he remarks, why 375. 6d. per case, m Palmerston? He goes on to say. It would have done you good to have been with me when I met Armour and Company's manager and heard him praise New Zealand laml>. They had just received' another consignment, and every retail butcher, was chasing them for supplies of it. Armour audi Company sell it to (their retailers at 27 cents per pound, 100 carcass lots, and the retailers sell it at an average of 36 cents per pound. So I tell you it would he no trouble for New York and Chicago to eat the New Zealand outpwt.

Much controversy has taken place from time to time, us to whether eels travel overland from one river or lake to another.' and there are .many, including Maoris, who believe this to be the case Mates the Levin "Chronicle). llie theory was substantiated a few .evenings ago, when a resident of King"* Dme was motoring home. He spied.an eel some distance .off making »cr«liewd evidently having come from the waterrace near bv, .the motor running over and hiHm?it. It is stated that several have been killed on the l'oxton road in the same way.

. An act of wanton, imsclnef wa» P£ netrated on Sunday'night during the evning service at St. George'* Church, Paten saw the •'Press." Some hood--1,,". outs de the building threw a volley, of stones at the church. .One mis . e smashed the stained glass window at the enstern end in spite of the wire-ncttm? protection. A portion cf the broken &T struck Mrs. G. Lap?, who ws sitting in the choir, cutting her check slightly.