LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 17, 14 October 1921, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In reply to a question by Councillor Cba-'innn at last night’s meeting of the City Council, the Mayor said that the matter of preparing lor the increased voltage which would come with tho advent of power from Mangahao was undergoing close investigation 'by tho city engineer. Tho Mayor added that he did not expect that the change-over wouh result in expense to consumers. Ho was informed that most of tho present connections would ho all Tight, but some of the older ones would require nil oration. Councillor L. M'Konzie said that many of tho houses would require entirely new equipment, ami it would an expensive matter, to which the Mayor rejoined, "Tho electrical department lias about .£70,000 in reserve.’’ "While in England, America, and Canada,’’ remarked the Prime Minister nt the New Zealand Club luncheon yesterday, "I had hundreds of questions asked me about Now Zealand rugs, and there was not one procurable m tho whole of my travois.” Mr. Massey sr - gosted that Now Zealand manufacture™ should turn a. little more attention to the production of rugs and Mailhots, wi h a view to meeting t,hc demand. Il would ba a splendid thing if everybody here made up their minds to wear clothes made from New Zealand wool for a few years to come. (Applause.) Tho staff of the Public Trust Office now includes 36 qualified solicitors and 53 qualified accountants, states the annual report. Tho possession of so largo a qualified staff, it continues, is an assurance that the technical side of the Department’s work will receive satisfactory attention. The use of the Town Hall and Concert Chamber has been granted to tho following bodies as under: —Dominion Boy Scouts, Town Ha.ll, November 11 and 12, cleaning and lighting charges; National Defence League, Town Hall, November 17, cleaning and lighting charges; .Homo of Compassion, Island Bay, Town Hall, November 26, under charity tariff. The City Council decided last evening .to support tho resolution forwarded by tho Raglan Borough Council requesting, the Government to adopt the oC for J 3 fiat system of subsidy to hospital boards. It was recommended to the City Council last evening that Cornwall Street, Fryatt Quay, and Waterloo Quay, which have been contracted by tho Harbour Board with the exception of the asphalting of the footpaths be now taken over as public streets, subject to tho footpaths being completed to tho efity engineer’s satisfaction, when the building operations now in hand are completed. "Of course, we’ve lost Councillor Dale from tho Reserves Committee, and that no doubt accounts for nn coming to a reasonable agreement with tho Cricket Association,” said Councillor J- Thompson in the course of tho debate over the Basin Reserve at the City Council last evening. Authority to borrow at 6 per cent, has Tieen granted the Tiniaru Borough Council in respect to -£63.0(10; the Dannevirko thorough Council, .£25,000; and the Lawrence Borough Council, .£2OOO. The folTowing have been granted the right to TZirrow at 61 per cent—Christchurch City Council, .£30,024; AVKangnrei Borough Council, .£2230. The Napier Harbour Board liasl been authorised to borrow .£40,000 at 7 per cent." Beyond New Zealand. By Order-in-Council appearing in last night’s Gazette, Tlio Wellington City Council is authorised to transfer .£25,000 Prom tho city water-supply loan account to tho general account, in order to reduce the interest payable on its overdraft. Speaking at yesterday’s conference of superannuated public servants, Mr. K. Parrant (Otago) said that Mr. Veitch, M.P., in criticising Mr. Statham's pension proposals, had stated that the average retiring allowance in the Railway Service was £94 a year. He thought there was something wrong about that at the time, so had looked up tho D 5 list, to find that there wero 1117 names on the list, 1 he owners of which wero drawing .£94 364. This gave an average of only ,£B4’ 12s. When he found that out ho determined to refute Mr. Veitchs statement at the first opportunity. The following local bodies have obtained the consent of the Government to the issue of loans—Christchurch City Council, X 53,500; Invercargill Borough CounciL £20.000; Newmarket Borough Council £5000; Geraldine Borough Connell. .£5890; Kaikoura County Council, £5500; FeUding Borough Council, .£5000: Masterton Borough Council, -£2.00; Faeroa Borough Council, J3lOOO. Letters of naturalisation have been -ranted to Louis Morris (Italian), baker, nnd Frans L. O. Sjoberg (Swede), painter, both of Wellington; Woolf Goldman (Russian), tailor, Hastings; and Amund Erickson (Norwegian), labourer, Norsewood. The Day’s Bay Ratepayers’ Association is to be informed by the City Council. in reply to its reqeust for the construction of n new dam in e«nnc.,. tion with tho reservoir nt Williams Park, that, there are no funds available ’to enable the work to be carried out. Several applicants for work at tho unemployment bureau in Napier have told the officers in charge that they walked up from Wellington in their search for work. AH have been given work in the Hawke’s Bay centre. Permission has been granted by the Reserves Committee of the City Council for a golf coach to instruct beginners playing on tho municipal links at Berhampore. An Auckland Press Association telegram reports that a young man, Frederick Arthur Timmis, was sentenced in the Supreme Court yesterday io two years’ reformative treatment for a series of thefts of cigarettes and tobacco, valused nt .£265, from his employers, the Gisborne Farmers and Mercantile Company. Emphasising at yesterday’s conference the lack of "ammunition" possessed by superannuated public servants in making claims to tho Government. Air. Parrant (Otago) said: "Me cant strike, wo can’t even go slow, because wo re going as slow as we can now! is so " said Mr. T. (I. AV-.iitt (Auckland), "lint wo might bo able to influence some lliirfy odd thousand votes!” Tho City Council decided last evening that the tender of tho National Electrical and Engineering Company bo accepted for throe 50-kil. transformers. A meeting of tho Civic T/eaguo was held last night for the pnrposo of welcoming representatives of tho Young Citizens’ League from Auckland. Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., and Mr. E. C. Purdy, president and vice-president respectively. wero very heartily received. Mr Cutien addressed the mooting, and explained the initial work mid progress of the Young Citizens’ League movement in Auckland, where it had spread from tho city over the province Mr. Purdy spoke emphasising, the good work done nmoiijrsl scliool children of tho Auckland di lrirt. Tn mxwor to questions, Air. Cutten said that a league would bo formed in. the district. <U’d each branch would lie independent in governing its own aflairs. r l lie league would not t’C -iim-.-ilv n‘-.= ociMcd with miv olhc onastol Mcause (lie movement < nil>i':i’’< d children of all ieet.ians of tho 'omniunity. Fcvcral members of the I'ivi" l.eiigiio ofi'orod their services in various ca limit io=. If was decided to roeonimrml Air. G. Mitchell. Mp> ;u q n member of tlio Advisory Council for Wellington. The mooting closed with a hearty vote of thanks to l tho visitors.

"It sounds like bad language,” said n minister at a meeting of tho Auckland Presbytery when a letter was read, in which Teferenee was made to “Those B classes.” “Hardly Presbyterian," was (lie coninWiit of another minister, and when tho laughter had subsided tho clerk smilingly stated that ho was only readin- what was in the letter. It appeared that the "B” classes merely referred to certain Bible lessons.

Had tho By-laws Committee, queried Councillor Thompson at last night’s meeting of the City Council, had time to consider the suggestion that the rule of the footpath for pedestrians should lie “keep to the left,” in order to brinit into conformity with the rule of the road for vehicular traffic Replying on behalf of the committee, Councillor Buckie said that it had obtained a lengthy and valuable report from the police,' and this had been referred to the engineer’s department, because, apart from tlio original question, it raised points affecting the street traffic generally. Tim matter would be reported upon shortly.

At midday on Wednesday an exceptionally heavy thunderstorm passed over the Hawke’s Bay district; tho thunder resembling a battery cf heavy guns in action. At the height of the, storm a '‘thunderbolt” exploded in the centre of Hastings railway station yard with a deafening crash. People standing under verandahs had a startling experience, lightning zig-zagging down tho posts. Tho A'.ALC.A. buildings were struck, and caught fire, but tho flames were quickly suppressed.

AVriting from Tawhai Camp, near AVaimarino. on Sunday, Mr. John Cullen said: —Ruapehu has been emitting a large column of steam this morning, but as the top of tho mountain has only been visible for half an hour during tho last few days one cannot say whether the thermal activity has been continuous or intermittent. Ngauruhoo has been ol>scured with clouds since wo arrived till this afternoon, when it cleared for an hour or so, showing a great amount of white billowv steam issuing from tho crater, and drifting down into tho Man.gntepopo Valley. Occasionally darkcoloured steam rushed up for a few minutes. Loud rumbling from Ngauruhoe camo frequently, but no earthquake shocks.

"Those who aro in this industry day after day cannot close their eyes to the fact that tho standard of work, so far as quantity is concerned, is decreasing.” said Air. J. AV. Morgan, who represented tho employers in the Blenheim wool, hide, and grain storemen’s dispute, which occupied the attention of the Arbitration Court yesterday morning. He further stated that ho had watched the loading of trucks time and again, and the men to-day were not loading the same number in a given time as they wero five years ago. He was, however, unable to put his fin-or on the. cause. Tho men were apparently working properly and well, but the fact remained that they wero not doing the quantity of work they did previously. If they put their shoulder to the wheel and increased the output by 10 per cent., that would go a long way towards solving the difficulties which faced them to-day. Mr. Scott: “Does that hold good to-day? That was the position six months ago, but since then a vast change has taken place. Mr Morgan said it was some months since ho watched tho matter closely, but quite recently the number of trucks loaded was not up to expectations. Mr. M. Dvson, who appeared for the union, said he was surprised to hear Mr. Morgan's remarks, seeing that he had stated at: the Conciliation Council meeting that there was no restricted output in this industry. Air. Morgan emphatically denied Mr Dyson’s remarks. Be statea that he- had always said that there was lint tho same standard ns regards quantity of work as there was years ago.

'The Milk Committee reported to tho City Council Inst night that it had called upon a licensed milk vendor supplying milk under the provisions of tho Wellington City Alilk Supply Act, 1919, to appear before the council to show cause why his license should not toe deal, with.

It was stated at yesterday’s conference of superannuated public servants that consequent upon tho abnormal number of retirements from tho Public Service, the association could expect a largo accession to its membership within the next year or two. In seeking to justify tho claim of superannuated public servants to further consideration by way of a bonus, Mr. W. Dickie (Canterbury) said at yesterday s conference that just as they in Tsew Zealand had suffered by the shrinkage of tlio sovereign, so had civil servants m *Ti<l’a. suffered by tho depreciation of the rupee. Tho rupee had depreciated most alarmingly, and tho Indian Service was suffering so much that their case was brought before the British Government, which without any demur made all salaries equal to what they would be were the rupee stable at 2s. 2d. The Lands Department, in preparing the Orongp block at the north-eastern corner of the Hauraki Plains for soldiers’ settlement, is carrying out some interesting work, states the 'bew Zealand Herald.” Tlio area of tho. block is °960 acres, and about 700 acres is badlv affected with tall fescue. In order to get rid of this grass, which is a danger to stock in its rankness and its susceptibilitv to ergot, the Department is ploiwhing on a scale undreamt ot in that'locality before. Five motm- tractors nro at work, throe under tho Lands Department and two under contractors, tireninv furrows romfhlv 7in. deep and 2ft. wide, and at Wo rate of 24 acres ft day. The large size and width of the furrow aro necessary in order to bury the fescue stems, which in places are Gtt. high. Tho success of this operation nnd the exceptional richness of the soil is indicated by the fact Hint 150 acres ploughed and put into grass Inst May without any manure has been carrying equal to twojirad of entile por acre, and one paddock of 17 ac-es carried 50 bullocks for three weeks in September, which is usually a bare month. Mr. James Drysdale, late manager of the IVoraroa State Farm nnd the Wnixeria. prison farm, near To Awamntu, who is in chargo of the operations, says that, in his opinion tho Orongo block is one of tho finest larpo areas of dairving. grazing, and fattening land in the Dominion’ The whole block of 2000 ncres is ns level ns a. billiard board. Ho believes that with n little provision for dry sensons and for winter tho Land will readily carry a dairy eow and a half to the acre, so that on 'this one block nlone there may bo carried enough eows to k-oep a largo factory going. "If Sir Francis Boll’s Trocal Finance Rill conies info force on March 31 next tho position will bo Hint a local body will not be allowed more overdraft than is represented in tho outstanding rates. If there is any more, if will have to come out of tho pockets of the councillors. Tlio idea is that tho. councils should ond all square.” This stateinent was made by tho Mayor to the City Council Inst evening. Councillor M. F. Luekio said Hint '.he Bill was now being considered by local bodies, and he suggested that ihe city solicitor nnd city treasurer should consider tlio Bill and report to the council. Ho also said that a report was to ho made to the executive of (ho recent municipal conference, with a view to suggesting any amendments which might bo found necessary. Councillor 1.. M'Konzie thought that evidence should be prepared on all Bills before the House affecting local bodies. 11 was understood that Councillor T.nckio’s suggestion would be acted upon.

Councillor S. 11. Underwood asked Inst night whether the city engineer had brought down a. report on municipal biick’makiiig works ns was promised some time ago. The Mayor said that no such report , had been provided, chiefly, he thought, because there was no money available for such a scheme.

"Personally I hope they don’t come in,” replied the Mayor (Mr. R. A. AVright) when asked last night whether there was any likelihood of the Fetono mid Hutt boroughs joining up with Wellington, so ,as to form one big power district, in readiness for the reception of power from Mangahao. “We have," continued tho Mayor, “got everything in Wellington in the shape of stand-by plant and the like, and they have got nothing. Tho Hutt is a very largo district, and [ think wo can manage very well without them; but if they want to come in the council is quite willing to negotiate with them.” "It has to be borne in mind, gentlemen,” said Mr. T. G. AVailt (Auckland) at yesterday’s conference of superannuated public servants, “that wo retired from the service when salaries were considerably lower than they are now, which means that those officers who are retiring now go out with more superannuation than we get, even though some of them were our successors. There is a ease in the room where a- man wont out in receipt of .£375 a. year, whose successor Is now receiving .£5OO a. year.” Air. AVaitt. also pointed out that whereas the Superannuation Board, administering a fund of over .£1,500,000, formerly got only or 4 per cent, for tho money in Treasury bills, it was now empowered to lend money on mortgage (on approved security), nnd was probably getting 6, Q, or even 7 por cent, for its money, which meant, that the fund must increase considerably, and that being tho case he thought tho superannuated public servants had a claim to fair treatment.

In referring generally to the claims of the Federated Association of Public Servants, the president (Captain AV. M. de R. Barclay) traversed the association’s dealings with tho Prime Minister and his wholly sympathetic attitude prior to his departure for England. AVhat, however, had happened as soon as Mr. Massey’s back was turned? There was issued by tho Government what he called the notorious circular, which was a public insult to tlio people who were benefiting under the system Air. Massey himself had established. Hie had- heard men of common sense nnd education say: ' AVhy should those civil servants obtain superannuation who had substantial private means?” His answer to that was that whatever private means a man had, had nothing to do with tho case. Superannuation was the consummation of a contract between tho State and the individual. There were cases in which people who hadi nearly reached the age of retirement had been retired, and. had onlj received tho amount of their , subscriptions to tho fund, and that without interest What they wanted to do was to create an interest in members of Parliament, so that they would not be put off with an evasive reply, and would have a definite idea as to what was going to bo done and what was not going to be done. They wished to have living questions for the members and must get living answers.

Following consideration of the appeal regarding the recent Hartings-Manst Old Bovs’ match', the New' Zealand K u ?l > y Union decided last night that the Hawko’s Bay Union bo requested to furnish a report as to the allegation that the Marist team played a league playei. It was decided to advise the Hawke s Bav Union that no breach of the lavs cX the game had been committed, and that, therefore, there was no ground lor appeal.

Included) among the recommendations of the Bv-laws Committee which were adopted at last night’s meeting of the Citv Council, was the following: That the Government be asked to consider tho advisability of introducing legislation to amend the Health Act, 1920, glvin/* power to local authorities to enforce nil’ notices in respect of repairs to buildings and demolition of same under the Health Act. 1920, by treating default or non-compliance with sucn notice, as nn offence punishable on summary conviction by fine. "The problem of China,” said Mr. Massey last evening, "was one of those that would' have io lie decided by the Pacific Conference. It was one of the most serious and the most difficult of all problems. It was useless to suggest what was going to happen in regard, to China ; i-z man on earth could do it. He doubted whether any really satisfactory arrangement would be arrived nt, yet he thought that something should be done. He was not at all certain that China, had had justice in tho past, and it should be the duty of Britain, America, nnd Japan to see that full justice was done to a country that was in such a position as China found herself m. She v«s in a very bail position.’ "It is a. weakness of human nature to judge by appearances,” said His Honour Air. Justice Frazer in the course of an address to local Justices of the Peace last evening. He said that a story was told of an American physiognomist, who claimed that a man’s character was written so plainly on his face that a trained observer could tell by looking at him what kind of a person he was. Ito was later put to the test by a polie captain when walking along a bathing beach. The officer pointed out two men who were bathing close to the shore. The man of science drew attention to one’s low brow, heavy jaw, peculiarlyshaped cars, deep-set eyes placed close together, and claimed for bun a criminal career. The other’s delicatelyshaped features and calm dignity, according to tho physiognomist, proclaimed him to be a man of high principles, considerable', refinement and sound moral character' The police captain’s comment was unexpected. “I reckon, professor, that von have got things a little mixed," he said. "Your high-principled gentleman i.s a crook who has done several terms for burglary and safe-breaking, nnd your low-browed criminal is one of the most scholarly and saintly bishops of the Protestant’ Episcopal Church.” A Gisborno Press Association telegram states that tho first shipment of meat from the new freezing works at Hicks Bav is being made by the steamer Kttmn’ra, which will lift 31,000 freight carcasses. These works aro expected to play a big part in the development, of Northern AVaiapu.