LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 205, 25 May 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

4. The Postal authorities have received advice that thwu.s. Wcstralia sailed from Melbourne at noon oil May 21 for Wellington. She carries 146 bags of mails, including live, from Africa. “rt<? Postal authorities have recived advice trom Suva that the P.M.S. Nirigam sailed at noon on May 24 for A nekland. She carries 108 bags of mail for Wellington. The Prime Minister (the Bight. Hon. IV. F. Massey) is due to reach England to-day. The Imperial Conference is to open next week, and it appears that Mr. Massev will have less time than he originally anticipated to attend to Now Zealand business, including the raising of a loan, before the sittings of the conference begin. Thu 'Telegraph Office advises that the Pacific cable has been restored.

Flags were flown from ail. the Government buildings, yesterday in honour of Empire Day. On Sunday evening al the Unitarian Church The Rev. Wyndham Heathcote announced that owing to the delay in the arrival of Hie jiermanent minister from England it bed been arranged that he should stay on a little longer.

Claims for a new award have been filed by the Wellington Manufacturing Jewellers’ and Watchmakers’ Union. At present journeymen jewellers and watchmakers receive £4.Bs. for a week of 40} hours, but the union is now demanding a wage of £6 for* a 40-hour week. Holidays asked for are Christmas Day Io January 2 (inclusive), Anniversary D'ay. Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, King’s Birthday, and Labour Day. The rates of pay asked for apprentices are as follow First year, £1 Is. per week; second year, £1 65.; third year, £1 Ils.; fourth year, £1 165.; fifth year, £2 65.; sixth year, £3 Is. Tho claims will ho board by the Conciliation Council on Friday. Mr. P. P. Claxon, United States Commissioner for Education, recently called attention to the fact that the American people spent as much for luxuries in 1920 ns was expended on education in tho whole history of the country. Face powder, cosmetics, and perfumes alone cost 750 million dollars, furs 300 millions, toilet soups 4‘JO millions, and jewellery 500 millions. Lost it should be thought ladies alone are responsible, on the otherside are cigars 510 million dollars, tobacco and snuff 800 millions, and cigarettes SOO millions. Chewing gum absorbed another 50 million dollars, and ice cream 250 million. Under the headings joy rides, pleasure resorts, and luxurious service, the total is six billion dollars.

"You are asking me to pay you rates to the amount of £40,” wrote a Native landowner to this month’s meeting of the Matamata County Council, "and I am asking you a simple question. Is this a law passed for all Maoris to pay rates in this district, including those in the I’iako County? Are the Maoris paying rates there? ff not, then why should I, this only Macri, pay rates? I have no right to pay rates unless all other Maoris are paying nates: then I’ll pay, too.” The letter caused a good deal of amusement, but it being stated that this Native was a wealthy man and that last year his rates had boon collected through the solicitor, it was agreed to take this course again this year if

necessary. —Auckland "Star.” The members of the Court of Arbitration will journey to Napier to-day. The Wellington sessions were concluded yesterday.

A number of dwellings in different parts of Auckland have been entered by thieves during the last few days, and in several cases articles of value have been stolen. In the majority of cases the thieves were active between seven and nine o'clock in the evenings, when many people are temporarily absent. Tn every case entrance was not fenced, but was made through unfastened doors or windows.—" New Zealand Herald.” The total area of land in the various land districts of the Dominion is

66.292,232 acres. There still remains 2.820,604 acres of land for future disposal, the largest area (795,139 acres) being situated in the Auckland district. 1 hero arc 6,471,293 acres of native land, in New Zealand, situated in tho following district: North Auckland, 509,000 acres; Auckland, 2.839.997 acres; Hawke’s Bay, 1.273.424 acres; Taranaki, 259,097 acres; Wellington, 1,.500,146 acres; and Nelson, 30,629 acres. The total area of frown lands leased under all tenures, exclusive of reserves, leased by the Crown, is 19,411.473 acres. The largest area (5.557,04-4 acres) is in the Otago land district, and Canterbury comes next with 3.877,811 acres. The estimated area of liarrcn and worthless country in Ihe Dominion is set down nt 3,307.515 acres, and that occupied by roads, rivers, and lakes at 2,244,561 acres. The Wellington Metal Workers' Assistants’ Industrial Union of Workers asked the Arbitration Court recently Io add Ballinger Bros., Ltd., T. Ballinger and Co., Ltd., A. and T. Burt. Ltd., Jenkins and Mack, Ltd.. John Chambers and Son Ltd., and A. E. Wells, Ltd., to the award. Tn refusing the application yesterday, Mr. Justice Frazer, for the Court, stated;—"The Court is unable to make an order adding the persons and firms cited in the application. Their businesses are of a different nature from

those of the employers already bound by the award; and had they been originally cited the award would hare been framed, as in other districts, to make special provision for their businesses. It would be manifestly unfair, at this stage, to join them as parties to an award in the making of which they had no opportunity of taking part or expresing. their views. There is not sufficient evidence before the Court to enable it to make such amendments to the provisions of the award as would be necessary to provide for the special classes of businesses carried on by the persons and firms now sought to be joined. They must either bo made parlies to a separate award, or be cited when the term of the existing award has expired."

A committee set up in We)lington to investigate complaints from limbless soldiers in the city had had no case brought before it in the spiace of almost a year, stated Mr. N. Johnson, while presiding over a limbless soldiers’ meeting last night. From this fact Air. Johnson inferred that the local R.S.A. had succeeded in safeguarding tho interests of tho "limbie” very satisfactorily.

A motion of thanks to the Wellington City Council for issuing free tramway passes to men who had lost a leg was carried with acclamation by a meeting of limbless soldiers last night. A motion was carried recommending that the executive of the local R.SX should endeavour to obtain free passes for all mon who had lost limbs, whether legs or arms.

It was stated recently that Wanganui farmers were arranging to send a shipment of wool Home by a sailing vessel. The opportunity has been largely availed of by farmers along tho west coast and up tho "Main 'Trunk line as far as Taihape. Space for some 6000 bales has been booked., niJvice having been received that this will be practically all tho available space—Exchange. Gove.rnment action is frequently illogical, but never more so than when a Taxation Department insists on collecting revenue from tho winnings in sweepstakes, while a Postal Department at the same time refuses to carry letters Io the promoter of such sweepstakes enclosing applications for tickets. This is at present the position of the Commonwealth Government in regard to a certain well-known "sweep” (says the Melbourne "Age”). It takes the altitude that the sweep is a thing to bo strictly discourager!: and at the same time it does not hesitate to take what revenue it can from flic undertaking. It is surely high lime that the Government instead of sitting on the fence in this matter decided to declare its convictions in one direction or the oilier, lint tiio Acting-Prime Minister, when the question was raised in (lie House of Representatives, refused to attempt tlic task of explaining Hi.' Government’s attitude. A member wanted to know if Hie Taxation Department collected a 10 per cent, tax from flic' promoters of tho sweep-which tax was duly transmitted to Melbourne by 4he Tostmnster-G eneral’s Department: and if the Government: would therefore remove the anomaly eausec’J bv refusal of tho Postal Department to carry letters to the promoters. The Acting-Prime Minister replied cautioilelv that he bad no doubt that Hie Postmaster-General might find many anomalies of n similar kind. The Government could not attempt to rectify them all. "Tn the meantime.” ho added. "wo'want r.ll the revenue we can get.’’ The prices at wliii ’i matches are being retailed in (lie Wellington district Ims been I lie subject nt investigation bv the Wellington Price Investigation Tribunal. It was f m'iul. that many tobacconists and ot her iidailers have been selling slides at Git. per box, a price considered by the 'Tribunal to yield an unreasonably high rale of irofil. At a recent meeting the ’Tribunal decided that » fair price for slides is 2J.d. per box, and is notifying retailers accordingly.

Toe Court of Arbitration has answered the question put to it on Saturday last by Mr. F. Pirani for interpretation (relative to clause 20 (I) of the printers’ machinists and lithographers’ award, which provides that "existing arrangements relating to apprentices may continue, provided that the employer, wishing such arrangements to continue, etc.”) The question was; "By an amendment, dated December 27, 1920, it was provided that the minimum wages prescribed for apprentices shall be increased by Is. a week, etc. Does this apply to apprentices taken on under -previous awards or only to those taken on after the date of the award quoted?” The Court has given the following answer:—"The order in question makes it compulsory to pay not? less than the award rates to all apprentices, irrespective of the dates on which they were apprenticed. . . . The Court considered it was desirable to make the order in that form in order to remove anomalies.”

Tho proposed new rule of "Keep to the -left” in relation to foot traffic in city streets is favoured by the official journal of the Victorian Police Association. Tiie journal states that the inno ration will have the advantage of uniformity wifli wheeled-<traflic. It is pointed out that when a motorist has to walk he finds himself instinctively keeping to the left as the result of his experience on the roadway. The journal advocates a "speeding up” of tho pedestrian traffic and the constant dispersal of gatherings at. busy street corners. "Keep to the left” for pedestrians is advocated also by higTT police officials, who point out that the new method will minimise accidents at street crossings. Two of the members of the Town Planning Association who are experienced surveyors have submitted a proposal for tho improvement of the'gully adjacent to Salamanca Road. The suggestion is that a low-level recreation ground should be formed in the gully at the top end, adjoining Kelburn Park, hut some forty feot below the Park level. The site is well sheltered, and it is urged that it would bo an admirable one for croquet or tennis lawns, and would greatly enhance the appearance of that approach to Kelburn. It has also been suggested that a track might be formed from Everton Terrace bridge which would .give ’convenient access both to the new grounds and the Kelburn district from tho northern end of Wellington Terrace. It is understood that Hie gully is being filled with waste spoil, but that, it is claimed, is a slow- process. The- needs of the moment, according to the association, demand some method of filling, or levelling, that will give the present generations a chance to use the grounds that -will eventually be formed. A rough plan of the locality and details of the proposal hare been forwarded to the City' Council.

The Town Planning Association has made a request to the City Council that permission for any land agent pr other person to erect advertising signs on street reservations, as was done some

limo ago at Hataitai, should be absolutely refused. Tn the case of the Hataitai sign referred to,. some person or persous unknown burnt the sign down by way of protest. That farm labour in the Dominion has on the whole behaved admirably in times of depression, as well as prosperity, was mentioned in the course of the presidential/address at yesterday’s conference of farmers at . Masterton. The president (Mr. AV. J. Polson) had the following to say on the subject :• “While our bona-fide farm workers undoubtedly participated in th/ good times, they made no attempt to obtain either by methods of “go slow” or any other form of irritation more than their fair share. Now that hard times have come upon them they have submitted to tho inevitable without rancour. I express ths earnest hope here that producers generally will make the greatest effort to stick to their employees, who in most instances have given loyal and faithful service, so that severe hardship may not -be inflicted upon men who hsaa not deserved .it. If reduced wages are a necessity, as undoubtedly they are. let us reduce wages by all means, but do not let us turn adrift married men particularly, who in this crisis will be hard put to it to find a roof tree and support for their wives and families.” Incidentally, Mr. Polson suggested that the time was opportune for tho establishment of farmers’ labour agencies, with branches in all , important centres. “It seems the height of absurdity,” said the president (Mr. AV. J. Polson), at the AVellington Provincial Conference of the Farmers’ Union at Masterton, yesterdav, "that while the whole producing community is working at a heavy loss, -the slaughtermen in our freezing works should be earning in some cases as much as £l6 a. week, or more than the salary of a successful bank or business manager. AA’e cannot let this continue. Either labouj- must moderate its demands, or the w'hole structure of our producing organisation will be destroyed. It is already ii; jeopardy, and its destruction will bring the whole community down with it. Let me say' definitely that producers will fight to the last ditch to prevent such a catastrophe, and if a struggle with Labour is involved'we. are prepared, however regretfully, to face it.” .

Ernest Iverson, n married man residing at No. IS Walter Street, was yesterday driving a cart past the corner of AA'akefield and Cuba SI reels', when the horse fell on the tramlines, Iverson was thrown out and had his left leg broken below the knee. He was admitted to tho hospital about 5 p.m.

At last night’s meeting of the Wellington Rugby Union the resignation of Mr. J. C. Minifie, as caretaker of the Athletic Park, was accepted with re-’ grot, and appreciation expressed of Ins services.

That permanent employment and superannuation should be provided by the Government for all limbless men working in Hie artificial limb factories of New Zealand was the suggestion of a speaker at the Wellington limbless soldiers’ meeting last night. Ite stated that the men were only temporarily employed at present, and that no superannuation was provided for them. They were learning an occupation that was not. qualifying them for any other line of work. Once outside it, they would have difficulty in obtaining employment. “A motion embodying the suggestion just made should be carried with acclamation,” said a second speaker, who considered that the position of the men referred, to was “a disgrace.” A motion was accordingly carried with applause. A Dunedin farmer who ’had to make some replenishing purchases last week found on making up the account of the day’s transactions that every pullet ho bought had cost him twice as much as each sheep. Poultry-raising is going ahead fast in Otago, and good birds command ’high prices. A strong plea for closer settlement in (I :■ Don. in: an was made at yesterday's conference of farmers at. Masterton by the president (Mr. W. J. Polson). It was. he stated, nearly two years since ‘•he Dominion Conference passed a motion urging upon the Government, among other things, the establishment of farm schools in every district, in the Dominion whore young men could be trained as practical farmers for two or throe years, receiving adequate payment for their work durHg the period of their employment. Subsequently those of them who showed themselves suited, and who passed their practical examination, should be settled on farm lands on similar conditions io Hose under which our returned soldiers were settled. The. idea was that these firms should be administered bv boards of practical farmers, and that I hey would eventually result in the peasant population which was tlie strength of rural Denmark and the rock against which Labour extremists would dash in vain. ’These matters should not be lost sight of. as eln.se settlement and the encouragement of tho. spirit of yeomanry were amongst the necessities of the Dominion’s national life.