LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 41, 12 November 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

lj ~K return of the total amount spent to date by thu Housing Department (jn--0 eluding administration), and the tolal r number of houses completed to date, was > furnished to the House of Representatives yesterday on the motion of -Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui). The expondi:l ture from December 1, 1919, to October 1 i- 13, 1920, was -CIS*,OOG. The number of 0 houses completed was 21. In addition there were on that date 342 dwellings in course of erection or for 'which contracts 11 had been let. 3 Up till three years ago camphor was r a comparatively cheap commodity. It e could be purchased wholesale in Welling- . ton at 3s. Od. per lb., and as it is light ' in weight a pound could be divided into many cakes for us©' as an antiseptic a and purifier. Since then Japan has bct come aware, that, in Formosa and Japan, . she possesses a world's monopoly, nml so well did she use her powers that the wholesale price soared up as high ns 3 225. Gd. per lb." (over 600 par cent), and s at the present time, the wholesale pries . oft" camphor'is 18s. per lb, as compared . with 3s. 6d. some three years ac'o j Tho arrivals in the Dominion durlns the month of October totnllod 3391, as " compared with 2662 in October of last t year. The departures numbered 2072, as 1 against 1913. The excess of arrivals over departures last montji was 719. and by a stiange coincidence that was exactly the J difference in October last year. Tho at- - rivals in Wellington last month wore r 1123 and the departures 14C0. The intention of tho Government to . take the totalisntor fractions next year | was yesterday referred to in tho Legislative Council by Sir Francis Bell. "I ' understand they amount to about ,£40,000 r a year," said tho Leader of the Council. "This does not come into operation until July 31, 1921. so that the clubs will have the pennies for this year. 1 think some credit is due to the late Min- ■ istcr of Internal Affairs for having dis- . covered this epoch-making policy, and b having advocated so strenuously as he did the attachment to the Treasury of this 1 money. -Opinions may differ on the ques- . tion whether the pennies belong to the ) Government, and I am not venturing a personal opinion, but I am prepared, on ' behalf of the Minister of Finance, to put my hand into anybody's pocket." ' - The vital statistics for October 6how that the total births registered for tin* . four metropolitan areas amounted to 792 . as against 81.1 in. September— a decrease of 21. The deaths in September were 407 —a decrease of 5 as compared with the • previous inonth. Of tho total ({paths, ■ .males contributed 2(il, females" 206, Ninety-six of the deaths were of children 1 under five years of age_, being 20.55 per • cent, of the whole number. Seventy of • tlieflo were under one year of ago. The deaths of 230 persons of 65 years and up wards were registered during October, .as against 247 in tho previous inonth. : Five deaths- last month were uf persons over 90 years of age. 1 Only one undefended divorce case was ■ heard in the. Supremo Court yesterdav bv Mr. Justice Salmond. Maurice Roche : (Mr. J.' A. Scott) asked for dissolution of his marriage with Bttie Roche on : the ground of desertion. For tho petitioner, counsel stated that tho parties had been married in 1909, there "being three children of the marriage. The re. spondent had admitted misconduct with two men, and later, in 1915, deserted her husband, taking one of the children with her to Marlon. The two other children had been left with petitioner, Aftci explaining to nis Honour that, the caso was in no way defended, Mr. P. W, Jackson, for Mrs. Roche, said that the respondent desired the custody of the child at present in' her keeping. In complying with this request, and granting a decree nisi, His Honour remarked that tile proceedings had been brought o.u thu wrong ground. Tho other two children would be left in tho enro of tho petitioner: Tho suggestion of the "Wellington Harbour Board that the new streets on. the Te Aro reclamation bo named Herd Street, Burnett Street, and Chaffers Street was approved by -the City Council last night. During last month 114 Chinoso arrived in New Zealand, and 14 left the country. Qn the recommendation of tho Finance ami Property Committee, the City Council last night resolved to allocate ,£IOOO to the forestry department for the current year. The Mayor explained that the money was necessary for the purposes of tlio department, which was engaged in carrying out trae and shrub planting throughout the year, The following resolution was carried unanimously at a meeting of the executive of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association:— "Tint this executive views with surprise and indignation the totally inadequate provisions made in the matter of increased pensions for, the dependants of fallen ealdiers. It regards the attitude as one of ingratitude, and the statement of- the Prime Minister, 'that the country could not afford more than .£50.000 to provide fdr those who are suffering want through the loss of> their wairc-earners in the Great War,' as one ' that is unworthy of the country he re- , presents, particularly in view of tho fact that he recently sanctioned .£600,000 as■•a bonus to butter-producers. It'calls upon' members of Parliament and the public generally to see that common justice is done to these needy people." Authority was given to the City Engineer by the City Council to extend the drainage and water supply services to Sutherland and Tavistock Road?, Melrose. The Mayor said the amount inr volved was X 323; and five houses were to be connected. The tramways employees have been granted permission by the City Council to hold their annual' picnic on Christmas Day. The last meeting of the Wellington District Repatriation Board was presided over bv Mr. T. S. Weston. Twentynine furniture loans were granted aiid two were declined. _ The hoard granted two loans for financial assistance in the establishment of businesses, and refused nine applications. It was also decided to subsidise the wages of four men undergoing training as apprentices, and to pay tho fees and allowances of four others receiving instruction in technical schools, etc. It was recommonded by the Reserves Committee of the .City Council last night that the charge for season tickets for tho use of tennis courts at .Williams Park, Day's.Bay, bo increased'from £1 to ,£1 , 10s. The recommendation was adopted. The Customs duties collected during the. September quarter amounted to ,£2,216,245. as compared with .£1,063,370 in tho corresponding quarter last year; the incroasein the last quarter was thus more than 100 per cent. The revenue from excise ' .duties totalled ,£101,973 as against .£93.658. In the Gazette issued' last evening it Was notified that the consent of the Gov- ] ornment had been given to the following , local bodies to raise tho amount stated J against each:—Palmerslon North Boronfcli Council, 4.79,000; Springs-Ellesmere Electric' Power .Board, .£60,000; Rangi- ■ tikoi County Council, .£40,000; Ohura ■ County Council, -625,000"; Waimate West ■ County Council. .£24,820; Stratford Bor- ; ough Council, ,£12,000; Auckland City ' Couucil and Napier Borough Council, ' and Waipu County Council.. JHO.OOO ! each; M'antikau County Council, ,£7000; 1 Dargnville Borough Council, .£6000; Cam- - bridge Road Board, .£4500; Mangaorongo ' Road Board. ,£3000; Waimarino County j Council. £'i 500; Eyre County Council and' Parawera Road Board, ,£2OOO each; Wlia- | nganiomona:County Council, .£1500; Dnnuevirke County Council. .£700; Kgmont 1 County Council, ,£650; Featherslon ' County Council, X 500; and Bruce County Council. £TA The loans total ,£301,220. j The following resolution,' which has J been standing in the name of Councillor ' C. H. Chapman on the order paper of the City Council for some- weeks, was adopted'by the City Council last night: ; "That this council, being impressed with j the urgent' necessity of attempting lo : reduce the cost of living, and boing of i Iho'opinion thai by well organised pub- ' lie markets there is a prospect of relief, , refers to its engineer's department the tnnllor for report ns to sites available, , with an instruction that the. report be ' presented as early as liossible." The ' Mayor said the report ootild not be ob- , iained readily because the City Engin- -, ocr's Department was exceedingly bus.\ at the present ifme. However, the report would 1m brought down as 6oon as -, possible. '

"That consideration of the application of, Iho Miniumr Amalgamation League that the Killiirnie service be extomled to Ihi! Miianiiir junction, and that the cily concession (jckets bo brought into i force on the borough line he ixistponcd uulil the. amalgamation shall have been effected." ran a clause in tlie Tramways Committee report which was adopted by [ the City Council last night. Mr. H. Atnioro (Nelson) nsked the C Primo Minister yesterday if his altenL lion had been drawn lo the increase; in i fares between Nelson and Wellington, i and if he would inquire whether it was justified. Mr. Masscy said that he would , be glad to do so. ; A Press Association telegram from - Waipukurau gives the result of polls • faken yesterday in the borough. On a ' proposal to raise a loan of ,£13,500 for 1 electric light, the voting was: For the proposal, 239; against, 34. The result of a poll concerning a loan of .£23,000 for 1 sewerage installation was: For, 245; ' against, 19. >• Tho tramways manager has been au- , t*'oriseu by the City Council to arrange with tho Miramar Borough Council for a unification of the service on the Kilbimio and Seatoifn liues, with a view to obviating the existir.g duplication of 1 the service between the Kilbirnie Post Olfice and the Cily Boundary. Mr. J. R. Hamilton (Awarua) yesterday mentioned in the House of Representatives the impossibility of consigning goods from the Wellington railway station to any station in the South Island. Members would shortly be returning to their horiiiH in the South Island, and ho' wished to know if they would have, to go out to Petone to do this. Mr. Massey said ho had not been able to do anything yet, but the matter had not been overlooked. Probably members would hear a little more about it (luring the next week or two.