LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 146, 16 March 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Many are the city beautifiers who believe in the gospel "Plant a tree.” The Reserves Committee of the City Council is deliberating at present on the advisability of decorating the Oriental Bay parade with large foreign trees. The proposal of the Director of Reserves (Mr. J. W. M’Kenzie) is to plant Norfolk Island palms every 56ft. along the outer edge of the broad asphalt walk from point to point. The point has been raised, however, -as to whether such tallgrowing, wide-spreading trees would not tend to obliterate the sea view of dwellers along the parade; as against which point it has to be considered whether or not such people would welcome such an arboreal barrier as' a break-wind. Mr. M’Kenzie is confident that such trees are hardy enough to grow if the City Council decide to try the experiment. Like many other policy measures, the question is likelv to be left to the decision of the new council to be elected next month. The final day for lodging the prescribed clearing office forms in support of claim's against - .German nationals in respect of pre-war debts is announcad as March 31. No claim will be accepted for transmission to the German clearing office after That date, unless it is proved that omission to lodge the claim by the specified date arose from circumstances for which the claimants could not Im* held responsible.

Several applications were heard in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday under the provisions of the war legislation relative to rent, in respect of various houses at Francis Place and Petone. Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., dealt with the cases. The Inspector of Awards (Mr. R. T. Bailey' asked the Magistrate to determine the capital value of dwellings situated Q.U No. 1,3, and 7 Francis Place. The rent demanded for No. 1 was 255. rt week, and for Nos. 2 and 7,20 s. The Magistrate determined the value of No. 1 at £4lB, and fixed the rent! at 13s. lOd. and Nos. 3 and 7 at £415, with rental 12s. 9d. Costs amounting to £3 3s. were allowed the Department. In a Petone case the Tent demanded, £1 45., was reduced to 13s. lOd.

A deputation yesterday waited on the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey) and the General Manager of Railways (Mr. R. W. M’Villy) to advocate the provision of a subway under the main line of railway at Ngaio station, and the erection of an. overhead bridge at Khandallah station. The need for safeguarding school children from accident was the principal argument, advanced In support of the Ngaio project. It was stated that the level crossing over the railway at Ngaio was used by 150 school children four rimes a day. With regard to the Khandallah request it was mentioned that at Te Aro there was a disused overhead bridge that would probably serve the purposes of the Khandallah people. Mr. M’Villy replied that in the consideration of such requests there was a big principle involved—that of th# allocation of co«j,< He suggested that the Railway Deparrinent’s engineers should confer with the City Council on the matter. The Prime Minister said that apparently the solution of the matter lay in a conference such as Mr. M’Villy had suggested. He was sure that the Government would consent to any arrangement made ns the result of a conference. A serious lift accident •which took place in Kennedy’s buildings in 1919 was referred to in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when finality was reached in the case of Alfred P. Dryden (Mr. S. S. Watson) v. the Misses A. C. and A. A. Kennedy (Mr. R. Kennedy). The solicitors announced that a settlement had been reached by' mutual agreement. The plaintiff had claimed £5O general damages and £l3O 17s. 6d. special damages for injuries sustained in the accident referred to, whereby he was permanently disfigured and partially incapacitated. The .case had been adjourned last veek at the suggestion of the Magistrate in order that the parties might confer. Mr. Kennedy said yesterday, before Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., that the defendants had offered a substantial sum to the plaintiff, which had been accepted. Mr. Watson expressed approval of the attitude of the defendants, and His Worship said that the settlement was most satisfactory.

At a meeting Inst night of the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association, a recommendation by the, executive was submitted to the effect that it was not. considered in the interest of bona-fide manufacturers that the association should federate with the Now Zealand Manufacturers’ Association, inasmuch ns the latter admitted as members importers and others whose interests frequently ran counter to those of manufacturers. The recommendation was unanimously adopted.—Press Assn.

The Commonwealth Government Gazette contains the balance-sheet of tho State Hotel at. Port Darwin, which shows the takings for the year at 2110,930, stock in hand 215,000, purchases 282,000, salaries 214,800, repairs 21100, and fuel 21200. There was an actual net loss for the year of 2131. The actual amount received for liquor sales was 283,8.32, there being less than 3000 population within 100 miles of the State Hotel. This works out at, over 227 p«r head per annum, which, it is believed, ie easily a world’s record.

"People I order to leave houses become a nuisance tn me.” remarked Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., while dealing with tenement cases in tho Magistrate s Court yesterday. "They ring me up at my house, they pass me on the steps, and are a nuisance generally.” Mr. J. A. Scott replied immediately: "I have never 'heard of any evic’bd tenants in these tenement cases walking the streets!” His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve .of the undermentioned corps of the Dominion of New Zealand being shown in the Army List as allied to the respective Imperial corps, namely, Royal Army Service Corps, the Army Service Corps of the Dominion of New Zealand, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, the Army Ordnance Corps of the Dominion of New Zealand. Tho Fifth Regiment, -band will play at Oriental Bay at 8 o’clock to-night.

An appeal from a decision by Mr. J. S. Evans, S.M., in a case Stellin v. Christensen, regarding a contract for the sale ?>f a lease of the Railway Hotel at Waitotara, was heard by His Honour Mr. Justice Salmond in iho Supreme Court yesterday. The respondent was awarded £lOO in Hie Magistrate’s Court as a return of deposit and damages for breach of contract, but no damages were allowed on the counter-claim filed by him. The appeal was made on the ground that the respondent had committed a breach of contract, and therefore was not entitled to a return of his deposit or damages. After hearing argument His Honour reserved his decision. Mr. T. Young appeared for the appellant and Mr. W. Perry for the respondent.

"There are some among us who preach no flag, no country, no God,” said the Rev. F. W. Youjig in preaching at All Saints’ Church, Ponsonby, Auckland, the other day. He dealt with the need for acknowledging God in public life. In England, he said, God was acknowledged in the anointing of the King as well as in the crowning. The New Zealand educational system made less acknowledgment of God thati was the case in any other country he knew of. Our denominational schools, with all their weaknesses, still bore witness to the need of God.

Last evening the D Battery, N.Z.F.A., was inspected by Colonel G. F. C. Campbell, C.M.G., Coast Defence Commander, accompanied by Captain Miles, D. 5.0., M.C., R.N.Z.A. There was a fine muster, five officers and one hundred and sixty men being on parade. The Wellington Artillery Band made their first appearance on parade, and created a. very favourable impression. After a- critical inspection the various branches of the Battery carried out their usual duties, and were later addressed by Colonel Campbell, who. congratulating Major Lyon. O.c' Battery, on the exceptionally good .appearance of the men, look occasion to remark that their turn out was equal in all respects to that of any troops he had seen while away from New Zealand recently.

The present session of the New Zealand Parliament is of particular interest fi - o' = mfJie - aate compiler’s point of ciew, states the “Herald.” It is the first occasion on which Parliament has been opened in the month of March. Since the first Parliament metl in Auckland in 1854 sjPsiojjs have commenced, in various years’! in every month except March and December. Several of the sessions, however, have extended into December, but none into March, except the slibrf'seseion of 1912, which closed with the sitting of February 29, leap year thus' preventing this sitting being convened on March 1. Although’ the whole of this sitting is officially that of February 29, the last hour nnd 55 minutes was in March. A brief period of less than two hours thus comprises the only March work of our legislators in Parliament assembled during nearly 67 years.

"Football may take up a good deal of a man’s time,” remarked Dr. P. F. M.’Evedy at last night’s annual meeting of the Wellington Rugby Union, "but it is too much to expect a man to give up his business for the game." The interests concerned in the production. of eggs inr New Zealand have been notified by the Department of Industries and Commerce that the Board of Trade is holding an inquiry into the question of the egg trade generally in Christchurch on. March 22. Representations have recently been made to the Government by returned soldier and other poultrymen for a prohibition Ao. be placed upon the importation of Asiatic eggs'. It has been pointed out that the only opposition to such prohibition emanates from bakers, pastrycooks, and confectioners. With a view to the question being fully discussed from all points of view, the board lias invited, representatives of the producers, the importers, and the users of eggs to be present at the conference. As the Customs Department is interested in. the prohibition of importation, advantage will be taken of the presence in Christchurch of the Tariff Commission for the members of (he commission to attend the inquiry. The Department of Public Health and the Department of Agriculture will also be represented.

Tn amended regulations for the New Zealand Military Forces it is provided that bands may bo formed as follows:— Mounted Rifles, one for each regiment; Artillery, one in each district; Infantry, one for each battalion; Senior Cadets, one at the headquarters of each group. The strength of each band will be 35, exclusive of the bandmaster, consisting of 25 members of military age and 10 supernumeraries of any age, providing that the latter are efficient musicians. No extra allowance or pay will lie made from Government funds for bands, or in respect of men acting as bandsmen.

At last evening’s meeting of the Vie? toria College Council it was decided to fell as many of the pine trees at the south end of the university building as was necessary to permit the erection of lhe new physics wing.

The cairn, that was erected on a prominent hill to the north of the Shag River, near Palmerston South, as a monument to the late Sir John M’Kenzie, collapsed some years ago, the country rock of which it was built being of too friable n nature for such a purpose. Mr. M'Calluni (Wairau) referred to the fact, in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, and asked if the Government would see that the 2560 placed on the Estimates for rebuildin it might now be spent. He said ho realised that during tho war there was a scarcity of building material and ot labour, but thought that the work might now be taken in hand. It was a matter of great importance to sentimental Highlanders who lived in the district. In .Scotland t'l'.ere were many similar monuments erected to 'the memory of Highland chiefs, and the Otago Highlanders regarded the late Sir John M'Kenzie as a chief, whose memory should be 11 ated in that way. Mr. Massey replied he would be very glad to comply with the request. When he was in that district lately ho bad looked for the cairn, but could not -see it. and he wonedred what had happened io if. He that a vote for its re-erection had been passed, and he expected that by tha time it would have been rebuilt. He hoped it would now -be re-erected at a comparatively early date.