LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 229, 22 June 1921, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The city tramways authorities will have a further conference with the representatives of the Tramway Employees Union to-day. A report on the negotiations will be furnished the City Geuncil at to-morrow evening’s meeting. Instances of cargo pillaging continue to be reported, and frequently the loss involved is serious. A Wellington firm has just lost over £SOQ worth of goods, all from one case. When the case was opened up hero the £5OO worth of goods originally consigned were missing, and in their place was a bag of sand of exactly tho same gross weight as the goods that were ordered. The goods were an American consignment, and. the opinion is held that the case was tampered with before it left the States.

Work is now proceeding satisfactorily at the Petone Gasworks, and the gasworks manager is of the opinion,, that the new men aro "making good. A curtailment of the supplies to both boroughs is still being observed during tho hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

"The motor-car was going like the wind," explained a witness in tho Hus-kiason-Fulton cose, in Supremo Court yesterday. "Yes,” said Judge Sim. "But there are various kinds of wigids - - . was it a gale or a zephyr?” "A gale!” eagerly replied the witness, amidst merriment.

On Saturday last, the Ghuznee Street Employment Bureau had on ita books tho names of 324 applicants fit for heavy work, and the names of 74 fit for light work’ Jobs were found for 45 men during’ the week.

Speaking at the N.Z. Workers’ Union Conference yesterday, a delegate, contended that a sj>eeial tax should be imposed on farmers and freezing companies, "to provide a fund for the purpose of relieving unemployment which was a direct result of. the fluctuating seasonal requirements of the farming and freezing industries."

The annual conference of the N.Z. Workers’ Union yesterday confirmed tho amalgamation of' the following unions with the N.Z. Workers’ Union:—Auckland General Labourers, Auckland Gun Workers, Dunedin Lime and Cement Workers, Otago and Southland Brick and Sanitary Pipe Makers, and the Dunedin- Match. Factory Workers. These' amalgamations are stated to represent a gain in membership during the past six or eight months of about eix thousand.

Wellington College cadet corps, 650 strong, haa in the past had tho services of only two or three instructors from (he local Defence staff, but arrangements have now been made for the sending of twelve instructors, and as these instructors are of all arms, it will bo possible (o carry out specialised training in addition to tho ordinary infantry training. An artillery and a signalling section are being formed, and it is hoped to form later on engineering section also. On each drill day two 18-pounder guns of the latest pattern are taken to the college, and tho most efficient of the older boys aro being drafted into two gun teams. Eventually, it is hoped, it will be possible to develop these teams into a miniature battery. Captain- F. M. Renner, of the college staff, has taken the place of Major Williams as officer commanding the corps. Major Williams, it may be remembered, recently left hia position at tho college to take up a position elsewhere. lack of proper parental control was the cause ascribed to the majority of the cnses dealt, with in the Auckland Juvenile Offenders’ Court on Saturday, and it was by no means, uncommon for a parent to admit 'that a lad or a girl of tender years was beyond control. In one instance a ten-year-old boy, who was charged with theft, was stated to be living in Auckland with his grandparents "because he could not get on with his father," who lives in the country.

Assaults upon women at Napier continue to be reported. It is stated that last week another young woman was assaulted by a man, states an exchange. It is understood that the young woman was set upon in Cameron Road and was found later by three men on their way home lying on the side, of the road in a semi-conscious condition. .A severe struggle must have taken place, as the lady in question had in both hands hair that she had torn from the man’s head. Unfortunately, as far as is known, iho assailant, has not been identified. Another case within the past three days is also reported to have occurred in Munro Street, the circumstances being much the same as in the Cameron Street affair. In this case the young woman was even more badly treated, and her clothing was half torn off. A good view of a volcanic eruption on Isabel Island, in the Galapagos Group, about 700 miles from Panama, was witnessed from the steamer Eastern Crown, which arrived in Auckland from New York on Saturday, Tho eruption was observed on tho night of May 22. the sky being lit up for miles around, while columns of - dense smoko were ejected from the crater. A volcanic eruption broke out in Isabel Island in 1899. but since then it has been marked on the chart as inactive. The Eastern Crown passed about ten miles off the island. The hearings taken by her showed that* the recent disturbance had pot occurred in the same spot as the one that was -recorded in 1899.

Allegations of the existence of slum areas in Dunedin are made by the Rev. V. G. Bryan King, in the "Otago Daily Times.” Tie states:—"lt is quite a common thing for whole families to to found living in one room where everything has to bo done, including the cooking. Tho rents charged for these rooms are simply outrageous, and that is brought about to a large extent by tho fact that there is undoubtedly going on. what might to termed the ’farming’ of houses. That is to say, people who are in occupation of houses are sub-letting the rooms at high rentals, knowing that under the present condition of things there are many people who will pay practically whatever is asked. In one case which came under my own notice, and which is by no means exceptional, there were six persons sleeping in one room—tho parents and> one child in one tod and the three children in another single bed. They had no blankets, and were simply covered with, the clothing which they wore during the day. The mattresses had all broken away, and instead of springs the boards had been improvised so as to form the basis of the tod. And ■why has this come to pass?” asked Mr. King. "The law permits a landlord to turn his tenants out of a house if he wishes to occupy it himself. A very glaring case of the abuse of this provision came under my own notice recently. A man-occupying a good position put the tenants out of several of his own houses in turn on tho plea that he intended to occupy the house himself." The usual sedate proceedings of tho Native 4-and Court are occasionally relieved by incidents with a touch of humour, as was instanced recently in the course of proceedings before Judge Gilfedder in relation to mutton, bird island rights (says the “Southland News"). Mr. J. Moffett was addressing the Court much to tho displeasure of a stalwart representative of , the Native race, who in stentorian tones demanded to know whom counsel represented. Tho Judge informed the interrogator that e *’r. Moffett was appearing amicus curiae. This did not make matters clearer, for the Native, after a moment’s cogitation, ejaculated, “Who?” and the broad smiles round the Court table left him stul mystified. The Press Committee of tho N. 7. Workers’ Union Conference yesterday stated that Mr. Edmond, national secretary of tho Y.M.C.A., had addressed the conference with the object of obtaining an assurance of amicable relations between the union and Y.M.C.A. He had received an attentive hearing, and had been accorded a vote of thanks at tho conclusion of hie speech. Within the past fortnight “The Wellington City Tramways and Power House Employees’ Union” has been registered under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Some time ago, it may be remembered, the tramway employees cancelled their registration under the I.C. and A. Act, and their present dispute with the Wellington City Council is being conducted under the provisions of the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, 1913.

A. L. George, one of the Wellington College Cadets who went through the special oounso of instruction recently provided at Trenthanx for u.c.o.’s of secondary school Cadet corps, is mentioned in a report from those in charge of the course as "the cleanest and best turned out n.c.o. attending the school." The report adds: “He shows great promise. His influence at all times was good, and he worthily upheld the reputation of his college." A new “spot" has made its appearance in the sun, according to Mr. John P. Artha, a member of the British Astronomical Association, who resides ut Devonport, Auckland. Mr. Arthur, using a 6in. telescope, stated that he located the "spot" on Saturday, and estimated that it 4s about 20,000 miles in diameter. He said that a remarkable thing about the "spot” is that it. has what is called a "bridge" dividing it into iwo,. An undoubted reason for the high rents in existence at the present time is flie fabulous juices which are being’paid for old houses that have been bought by speculators for letting purposes, states the Rev. V. G. Bryan King in the “Otago Daily Times," interviewed on the subject of slums and the "house famine.” Only recently a cash came under my notice of a seven-roomed house which was sold for £350, and after it had received a coat of paint it was again sold for £785. Truly a coat of paint covers a multitude of sins! The people who buy ordinary houses to live in and pay too much for them are making the position very much more acute for Others less fortunately situated than themselves, for the rate of interest which fs now payable, combined! with the incidental expenses, is out of all proportion W the accommodation provided.

A "Queenslander’’ writes: —"Ro the remarks on bookmakers and art unions in Queensland published on Friday. These art unions (the Golden Casket and others) are run by the Government for the benefit of the hospitals and to assist soldiers during the war; not to assist the Treasury, ns stated. I agree'' that tho Government may be bad enough, but it has not come to that yet."

At a special meeting of the Wellington branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants last nighty the following motion was carried: —"That this meeting of members of the Wellington branch of the A.S.R.S. strongly protests against the action of the Petone Borough Council in refusing to consider the Mayor’s motion that the dispute between the council and the gas men should be tried by conciliation, and that we heartily support the Mayor in his action.