LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 265, 3 August 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have received advice from London that tho s.s. Cortnttiie sailed on July 28 for New Zealand, via Panama.

The old Curtis turbine, which was taken over from tho Electrical Syndicate, when its works were acquired by the City Council, is being converted and put into order to reinforce the engine plant at the Harris Street electric lighting power-sation. There was a special meeting of the Trainways and Powerhouses Committee yesterday afternoon, which will submit a report on the situation at the two power-stations to the City Council at to-morrow’s meeting. Joseph Baldwin, a carpenter, 48 years of ago and a married man, died suddenly yesterday morning at his residence, 500 Adelaide Road. He had enjoyed good health except for occasional attacks of indigestion. Am inquest will bo held to-morrow morning.

The protracted negotiations between the Wellington Harbour Board and the Railway Department with respect to tho construction of the Thorndon Reclamation have terminated. The Railway Department has submitted conditions for an agreement to the board, and tho chairman (Mr. J. G. Harkness), on behalf of the board, has accepted them. Preliminary work will, therefore, begin at once, and in a few months, it is expected, the construction of tho sea-wall will be started. The reclamation will have an area of approximately 65 acres, of which the greater part will be utilised by tho Railway Department for the purposes of railway yards. On tho sea side a strip of land will be reserved for the Harbour Board, to provide for wharf and shed accommodation and for a wide road next tho boundary of the railway land. Tho sea-wall to bo built up will bo a direct extension of tho existing short length of Waterloo Quav, and will measure about 2700 feet-a little over half a mile—beyond which it will turn northeast towards Kaiwarra, in a direction roughly parallel to the existing shore lino The board’s plans for this wall provide for access io a berth for a floating dock.

The Wellington branch of the Navy League decided yesterday to give a dance for the Snringboks on some suitable date, if tho Springboks cared to accept the invitation. It was loft io a sub-com-mittco to make tho necessary arrangements if the proposal to hold a dance met with the visitors’ approval. September 12 was suggested as the possible dale.

In Madras, India, there is a branch of the Navy League, though not a particularlv flourishing one, as the opportunities there for increasing in membership and. influence are not so good as in many other parts of the Empire. According to n letter received by tho Wellington branch of tho league, the principal call made upon iho funds of the Madras branch is for assistance to tin old Cingalese woman, whose son, a stoker on a British warship, was killed during the war. How hard a trade protective tariff can bear upon the public can bo illustrated in several ways in Australia, where some of the State Governments go to extremes in tho projection of industries that can scarcely bo expected to compete with those which have for centuries been carried on in older countries. An illustration of this is afforded in the price cf white lend—the chief constituent in paint -which is manufactured both in Sydney and Melbourne. The latest quotation in Melbourne was .£B5 per ton. whereas English white lead is selling in New Zealand for -C57 per ton.

"Queer shifts some folk were put to in those days, folk but poorly supplied with cash,” said Mr. Elsdon Best last night in a lecture to the Early Settlers Association on the old days in Now Zealand. "Matches were Gd. and Is. a box, and some apparently never bought any, but depended on tho family fire, which was banked with ashes every qjjiit that a bed of embers might be alive in the morning.”

The Dunedin Presbytery has appointed a deputation to wait on loetti members of Parliament before they proceed to Wellington for the session urging their opposition to increased totalisator permits as recommended by the Racing Commission. —Press Assn.

Tho Superintendent of Mercantile Marine at Dunedin has received instructions from tho Department to arrange a Magisferial inquiry into tho collision in Otago Harbour on July 7 between the steamer Calm and the barque Rothesay BayPress Assn. »

"Schools in those days were by no means high-class academies, said Air. Elsdon Best, in a lecture on old times last night. "An advertisement of a Wellington school of tho ’forties read as follows 'Reading, writing, and arithmetic 4d. per week; reading, writing, arithmetic and grammar, Gd. per week.’ ’’ A striking example of the love of out door sport on tho part of tho rising generation is contained in the following letter to the secretary of the Poneke Club which was-landed round at last rii-ht’s meeting of tho Wellington Rugby Union:—“l would like to know if I,can play Rugby footbjll next season for Poneke seventh grade Then my ag» will be 8 years, and my weight four stone 21b., and I would like to play fullback. l’ always tackle well. I have only ‘mist’ two boys yet.” Mr. L. Glover presided at yesterday’s "slop-work” meeting of watersiders. The returning officers reported that all the executive’s recommendations had been adopted. Mr. J. Read, representative of the Wellington Co-operative Store, addressed the meeting on the value of cooperation. A vole of thanks was passed to the speaker. The meeting endorsed the waterside restaurant scheme, and expressed the hope that the result would cause the board to vote a more up-to-date building for the purpose.

It was reported to the quarterly meeting of tho council of the Wellington Zoological Society on Monday night that a very fino specimen of the King parrot had been purchased by the society aud placed in the Zoo. Mr. J. Castle, the secretary, also stated that the London Zoological Society had been informed that after the war terminated there was a plethora of tigers on offer in London, but they were soon absorbed by the London Zoo and one or two other zoos in Europe. Since then tigers have been very scarce. No cominunicatioa had recently been received concerning'' the elephant that, at last report. was awaiting shipment for tho Wellington Zoo. Tho Board of Trade has forwarded to the Central Chamber of Commerce a report issued by it on the sugar supply, giving a general review of tho position, end showihg tho benefit that, had accrued to the people of the Dominion and tho result of six years’ Government control of the Dominion’s sugar supply- The Ixiard also advised that the Order-in-Council of November 17, 1919, prohibiting (ho export of sugar, jam, confectionery, aud other articles of food preserved with sugar, had been revoked. The matter was before the Council of the Chamber yesterday, when the chairman said that the report reflected great credit on the Government, for, whilst the British Government was paying £9O per ton at Mauritius for sugar. New - Zealand was getting its sugar for £23 155., a contract which was renewed last year at £35 10s. slightly more than was paid by the Government of Australia for three years past, lie was not prepared to say if there was any justification for further contracts.

Referring to tho use of electricity in fighting machinery during the late war, Mr Forsyth, in an address to the Sumner Burgesses’ Association on Saturday evening, said that British scientists made an electric range-finder which gave them a distinct advantage in 1918, when tho Germans captured some of them and immediately turned them to good account. Just before thn close of the war the British scientist again invented an instrument for determining the calibration of tho big guns. This was controlled electrically. It was so sensible as to record 1-5900 of a second, and so delicate that it could only be used at a distance of several miles from the gun. It was a triumphant success, and enabled each gun to go into its new position and immediately record hits tho calibrating being accurately calculated to within twelve yards. Tho instrument was not known to the enemy and was in its primary stages of development when the armistice was declared.— Lyttelton Timos."

Whilst the primary responsibility of providing for tho welfare of incapacitated soldiers and -the dependents of deceased soldiers devolves upon tho State, and it is the duty of tho State to make ample provision for them (states tho Wairarapn Pibriotic Association in its annual report), tho patriotic and war relief societies throughout the Dominion have accomplished many, and ciui attain a groat many more, improvements in tho conditions prevailing, by drawing tho Government’s atteution to matters pertaining to tho welfare of theso men and their dependants. This association has taken up many cases in which the State could extend more assistance than has been given and has obtained favourable results.”

At a meeting of the Wellington branch of tho Navy League yesterday it’ was proposed that the Nelson Day celebrations this year should take the form of an entertainment for children in the evening. The details were loft to a sub-committee to suggest. Ono of the interesting facts of which Mr. Elsdon Best last night reminded his audience of early settlers in a lecture on pioneer days was the share the women used to take in the hard manual labour that had always to be performed on bush selections. Ho related how ho had. met in recent years an old lady who cross-examined 'him very closely upon his knowledge of early conditions in this part of tho world. She seemed well satisfied with many of his answers, and was encouraged to inquire whether he kngw “Barney’s Castle” at Wadostown. He did; ho remembered its building, and said so. “And where did the shingles come from?”, tho old lady continued. "Oh, I couldn’t say,” was the reply; and the old lady rejoined with tho triumphant assertion: “I cut those shingles myself!" In the course of a lecture delivered to the members of tho Early Settlers’ Association last night, Mr. Elsdon Bost recounted one of the tragedies of the New Zealand bush. “On tho shores of the inner harbour at Porirua, when tho hills were all bush-clad, and tracks did not exist,’’ ho said, "a. primitive homestead sheltered a pioneer family. A clearing was made, and a few head of cattle grazed. Ono evening, as milking time approached, cows were seen near tho edge of the bush, end a boy was sent (o drive them down io tho milking shed. As he drew near to tho cattle, they turned find entered •jtliei bush, anil tho parents saw the boy follow them into tho timber to turn them back. That was the Infit they ever saw of the Ind. Darkness camo swiftly, and such poor attempts at searching as were possible in tho night were futile. But next day brought no better fortune. Then day after day search parties of set. tiers roamed the forest, traversing hills and gullies in vain seeking. So time settled down on a in that family. Eighteen years afterwards far on tho eastern side of the big dividing range, and near the Hutt River, some- bushfellers found the bones of the hapless lad."

Yesterday morning Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., opened an inquest into the cause of death of Edward Simpson, a clerk, whose body was found under the overhead bridge at the old To Aro Station on Sunday. After hearing- evidence as to the identity of tho deceased, the Coroner adjourned tho inquiry to a data to be fixed. Exact models of nil British battleships are kept by the builders, and very handsome and interesting these models are. It has occurred to members of tho Wellington Branch of the Navy League that if one model could be obtained from the firm of Vickers it would be exceedingly valuable as a means of stimulating the interest of the young in naval defence. Mr. R. Darroch pointed out at yesterday’s meeting of the branch that a number of British vessels had been sunk in the late war. He thought that a model of ono of these ships which were no longer in existence might bo had if application were made to the right quarter. Ths models ware valued, he said, at £450 each. The meeting decided that a request for a model should be sent to the Old Country.

A meeting of creditors in the bankrupt estate of John Charles Troy, 47 Ghuznee Street, carrier, was held yesterday morning. Bankrupt’s debts were £l7O, and in his statement, which has already been published, he asserted that his assets were nil. Troy traded for a time with two partners, Quaid and Menzies, under the style of the Colonial Produce Company. He was yesterday asked a number of questions relating to the partnership business. It was suggested by the creditors that bankrupt etill had a considerable interest in a motor-lorry, and that there must be a sum of money owing by his wife to the bankrupt. It was stated that if these suggestions proved to be well founded, the creditors might get 20s. in ths £. The meeting was adjourned to enable further inquiries to be made. If a passenger on a city tramcar purposely avoids the payment of his fare he is apt to have a costly nde in the long run. In a case which was heard by Mr. J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., at Dunedin recently, the evidence showed that instead of tendering tho customary copper coin of the realm a passenger offered the conductor a cigarette, stating that it was all ho had. The cigarette, it was added, was politely but firmlv declined, and ft policeman was called in. It was further said that this Individual, was the cause of a good deal of trouble on the trams. As, however, his total out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the prosecution amounted to 29si, he will, no doubt, be more careful in the future.

Bishop Julius, in a recent visit to South Westland, found good accommodation for touristsl at Franz Josef Glacier, but speaks in strong terms of the Government’s management of the hot baths, which are anything but inviting (says a southern exchange). To obtain a bathful of tepid water half an hour’s pumping wps necesttary. Residents have asked the Government to improve the conditions, but the Government has refused on the ground that it has no funds for the purpose at present. It is stated that the Government will not allow residents to take the improvements in hand, as the baths are public property. A suggestion has been made that a small charge should be made for the use of the baths, and an improvement fund established in that way.

A proposal to send a representative team of New Zealand amateur boxers to Great Britain at the earliest opportunity was discussed at the Dominion Boxing Conference at Greymouth last week. sending of representatives to the Olympic games; was mentioned, to which Mr. Kilmartin, Dunedin, replied that a representative had been sbnt some years ago, but that nothing was heard of him from the time he left New Zealand until lie came back again. "All we understood," added the speaker, "was that he did not win.”

Some suggestions on the bookmaker, from an experienced racing man’s point of view, were put before the Auckland Racing Club at its annual meeting on Monday in the presidential report of Sir Edwin Mitchelson. "The bookmaker," he reported, "still exists, and is still a great menace to honest and legitimate racing. Ho still plies his vocation more briskly than ever, notwithstanding the Act that was passed last session, and under which the juries have, with one exception, failed to convict. The only throe things that will prove effective in putting the bookmaker down and out Is to allow the telegraphing of investments to the secretaries of clubs, reinstating of the double totalisator, and taking away from tho bookmaker the right of trial by jury. If tjiose reforms are given effect to the revenue of the Dominion would be augmented by at least a quarter of a million pounds that would mean a total annual revenue from totalisators of not less than £1.000.000 a year. It would not only allow tho Government to decrease taxation, but would al.ro ollow a very much larger amount to bo distributed amongst , tho wage-earners than is now' possible.”