LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 70, 15 December 1921, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A tender has been accepted by the City Council for the preparation of a suitable rat poison, which is to be distributed to citizens free of cost some time next week. In answer to an inquiry yesterday, it was stated that people desiring to obtain supplies would not have to provide their own receptacles. Tho poison will be put up in 2oz-. or 4oz. jars, suitably labelled with full instructions ns to its use. AH tho chemists of tho city are co-opt-rat-ing in the work of distribution. Answering a question put to him in the House of Representatives by Mr. G. Mitchell (Wellington South), the Minister of Education (Mr. Parr) said that if tho Sydney Street Schoolroom could bo used again, tho Girls’ College would have sufficient accommodation next year. The number of new pupils was not likely to bo as largo as in recent years, owing to changed economic conditions. It might to necessary to require Petono and Hutt children to attend tho secondary schools in their own districts. "Old legal documents presented through. Mr. A. T. Bothamley, Clerk-Assistant of tho Legislative Council, wero received just after March 31, but mention of them is made here ns they are of very great historic interest, and some at least are of great historic value,” states the Vnnnal report on the Turnbull Library. “They include documents drawn up at various times from the reign of Queen Elizabeth and onwards. Some arc in English, some in Latin. They form a fine collection, illustrating the evolution of English ealigraphy during over three hundred years.” Tho committee of the Canterbury A. and P- Association passed the following resolution yesterday: —"This meeting wishes to bring -under the notice of the Government tho pressing and urgent necessity of retrenchment in the Public Service and all Government Dtepartments.” —Press Assn.

Tho official recount of the votes cast at the Hutt River Board election on Tuesday gives each of the candidates an additional vote. The result now is: F. 11. Futter, 107 votes; C: B. Robinson, 106. The president of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society (Mr. L. O. 11. Tripp) stated at tho meeting last evening that while in England he saw l a number of yearling rainbow trout in a hatching. Inquiry elicited tho information that tho trout were sent to hotels where they wero kept and fed in tanks for customers. "The most arduous period of its existence” was the term used by . a. committee of tho "War Relief Association, when reporting on its fifth year of service, which ended on November 30. "Although it has not dealt with ns many .claims as during its third and fourth years,” added the report, "those presented to it this year have been much more orimplex than those received nt any previous time, whilst the total volume of work carried out. by your staff exceeds that, of any other year since the inception of the association.”

Farm training for soldiers is one of the subjects dealt with by the Director of Repatriation in his annual report, ’['ho director states: “As the demand for training in farming was so great, the Department made arrangements for the tuition of soldiers at Runkura and AVeraroa Stalo Farms, and established special forms at Motuihi (Auckland), Tauherenikau and Pcnroso (Wellington), Avonhead (Canterbury), and Moa Seed Farm (Otago). Some six hundred men have been trained: in these institutions, and as a decided falling-off in tho number of applicants was noticed six months ago tho training al Mot.uilii, Penrose, and Weraroa was discontinued, whilst negotiations are proceeding with the Department of Agriculture ns to the future policy regarding A vonhead .and Mon. Seed Farm. This will leave the Department with a training centre at Tauheronikau (where mon suffering from tubercular disease are taught poultry-raising, beekeeping, and horticulture) and Ruakura (where similar instruction in light farming is provided for disabled soldiers incapable of carrying on their old occupations).” The report, does not go beyond August 20 last. The Arbitration Court has reserved judgment on a clcini for £5OO compensation made against the Palmerston North Borough Council by Mrs. Hickey, arising out of the death of her husband, tho borough poundkeeper, as a result of injuries sustained in' a collision with a motor-car in February last.—Press Assn.

Tho Nelson branch of tho Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association passed a series of resolutions (I) against the proposed reduction of salaries, contending that it. would bo a breach of the agreement; (2) that tho whole question of female labour to revived ; and (3) that racing telegrams to accepted in order to increase the revenue.—Press Assn.

At last night's meeting of tho Acclimatisation Society, the president (Mr. L. O. 11. Tripp), who has recently .returned from a. visit to Europe, was extended a welcome back to the Dominion by Mr. E. J. C. Widen, who had acted ns chairman during Mr. Tripp’s absence. Other members endorsed Mr. Wiffen’s expression of good will.

Tho vacancy on the Lower Hutt Borough Council has been filled by the appointment of Mr. Allan Macaskill.

"Tho exhibition of official war photographs shortly after hostilities ceased was accompanied by numerous requests for prints, and tho addition since of tho original negatives has enabled us to supply orders,” stato tho officials of the photographic section of (ho Internal Affairs Department in their annual report. “Arrangements are being made for a more general distribution of albums containing specimen prints, and a large increase of orders may be expected. Loans of lantern slides havo boon made to lecturers. The negatives and kinematograph films secured on the expedition to tho Wanganui River add materially to our collection. Tho co-operation and kindly assistance of tho older Natives, who were genuinely interested in the preservation in the museum (to them tho whare wananga, or house of learning and higher knowledge) of records of their arts and crafts, and tlio willingness of tho younger ones io help, gave zest to our mission, and enabled us to secure many pictures hitherto unobtainable. Tn addition to over three hundred still photographs, about 5500 ft. of kinematograph film was exposed. It is proposed to print positives of the films, and others secured on previous expeditions, and dispose of them to film exchanges. Over one thousand photographs of the visit of H.R.H. tho Prince of Wales wero prepared. Sots of photographs of selected war memorial designs wero also prepared and distributed for exhibition in outlying country districts. The official war films received 1 during tho war period have been safely stored in one of the outbuildings.”

Bird 1 sanctuaries are referred io as follows in the annual report of the Department of Internal Affairs: "The, principal part of the Pon to Point sanctuary consists of Lake Mokeno and the large swamp adjacent. For water birds the food is abundant and tho cover good, whilst tho isolation of the area in an expanse of sand dunes gives tho seclusion necessary for a breeding ground. The following species of birds are found in the. sanctuary: Grey duck, white-eyed duck (widgeon), black swan, pukeko. dabchick (diver), bittern, pied stilt, shoveller duck (spoonbill). In addition there occur several sea birds on the coast, and a few land birds in the manuka-scrub land. Almost entirely covered by bush, Little Barrier Island is fitted only for bush birds. The cover is good, a variety of bush habitats being provided, while food is ample for a largo bird population. Enemies aro few, cats perhaps doing the most damage. Tho following birds breed on tho island: Tin’, bell-bird, stitch bird, wax-eye, North Island wood robin, North Island tolt'iit, grey warbler, pied fantail, ground iKrk, whitehead, rifleman, kingfisher, kaka, red-fronted parrakeef, yetlow-franted parrakeet, pigeon, morepork, harrier, bush hawk, brown-backed shearwater, allied shearwater. Cook’s petrel, North Island mutton bird, black petrel, pied shag, little blue penguin, dove petrel, blnckbacked gull. A number of other birds regularly visit the island, but have not boon detected breeding. The brown kiwi and Hanst’s kiwi have been transferred from the mainland, and both appear to have thoroughly established themselves.”

"In addition io tho donations made direct to tho library, a large quantity of books, manuscripts, pictures, etc., presented to tho national historical collection liave been handed over to the library, where they are to to housed,” states the annual report on tho Turnbull Library. "These form a considerable mass of material, and a still larger mass, comprising tho Samoan records, has also been doposited in the library. It has been impossible to do more at present than receive and house these valuable collections; to to of uso to students it will, of course, to necessary to have the whole properly arranged and indexed, and until this is done their great value cannot be appreciated. There is, however, more than enough io do to keep the present staff fully employed in completing tho classification and cataloguing of the Turnbull collection; and, for the present at least, these historical materials must be allowed simply to accumulate. A biographical section has been started, all newspaper notices of old settlors or people of noto being preserved' and arranged. To tho notices, portraits—of which there are many hundreds in the library—will to added. It is hoped to make a similar topographical section, so that tho place history of the Dominion may bo put on record as details become available.”

An appeal against the decision of a. Magistrate, in a recent civil action was heard in the Supreme Court yesterday, before His Honour’ Mr. Justice Husking. Tn the Magistrate’s Court, the Dominion Produce Company, Limited, of Wellington, had proceeded against, W. Findlay, pastry-cook, of . Gisborne, to recover the balance of an account relative to a consignment of egg-pulp. Tho plaintiffs alleged that tho defendant had ordered 25 cases of egg-pulp, and that receipt of the consignment was acknowledged by him. A claim for £157 7s. 9d. was put in, and Findlay paid £ll4 4s. 5d., leaving a balance of £43 3s. 4d. This was the amount sued for by the plaintiffs. In the lower Court tho defendant contended that one of the eases (constituting a shipment) contained a musty egg, and that, owing to the method of shipment adopted, other cases wero leaking. The Magistrate (Mr. J. S. Evans) decided in favour of the defendant. The plaintiffs appealed on legal grounds. Mr. O. C. Mazcngarb appeared for the appellants, and Mr. E. K. Kirkcaldio for the respondent. His Honour remarked that there was no doubt, according to the evidence, that the egg was musty, and that the finding in favour of the respondent had been correct. He would reserve his judgment, however. "An endeavour should be made,” stated Mr. L. O. 11. Tripp nt tho meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society last evening, "to establish Atlantic salmon in some rivers in New Zealand. It is, I am told, the finest fishing in the world, and other societies should bo approached for assistance in making salmon fishing iq New Zealand an established fact.”

"It came as a bombshell when wo learned that it was the intention of tho Internal Affairs Deportment to charge half-a-crown on the issue of every license,” stated a. speaker at the meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society last evening. “It seems an absolutely exorbitant charge. We would not cavil at one shilling, but I fail to see whore tho additional Is. fid. is warranted." Letters of protest against the proposed increased charges wero received from other societies. It was decided to take no further actions in the matter at present.

A letter has been received by the War Relief Association from the Under-Secre-tary of Internal Affairs, stating that tho free postage privilege will be withdrawn as from December 31. When the letter was mentioned at yesterday’s meeting of the executive, Mr. A. Macintosh characterised the action of the Government as “a very mean economy.” Ho stated that tho association was doing a valuable work, which otherwise would surely fall on the Government. Moreover, they wero doing tho work thoroughly and in an honorary capacity. Air. IV. Ferguson said that the chances were that later they might have to call on tho Government for a considerable sum of money in order to carry on the work. At present it meant that the association was making a subsidy to the Government from its funds. It was reported flint a letter had been received from Mr. R. TV Shallcrass (secretary of the Advisory Board), who wanted the feeling of the nssociatioiis on tho question. On tho motion of Mr. Macintosh, it wa s decided Io object strongly tn the proposed withdrawal of the postage privilege and approving of that protest being forwarded by tho board to the Government.

A national ballot is to bo held io elect the president of tho New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation. The candidates are Messrs. R. Gould and J. Roberts (the present secretary). Tho members of the Wellington branch will record their votes to-day and to-morrow. Advice has been received, from Trantham Military Hospital of the death of 21724 Michael O’Leary. Tho funeral will leave Wilson’s mortuary chapel, John Street, Wellington South, to-day, at 2 p.m.

Tho offices of the Wellington War Relief Association are. to to closed from December 23 to January 10. It has been decided to ask the Mayor to deal with any urgent applications for relief (luring that period, the resultant expenditure (up to <£2s) to to refunded by the association.

The prico of butter in Auckland has been reduced by twopence per lb. First grade is now selling at Is. 10d.—Press Assn.

Owing to the existence of fire blight in New Zealand, the Australian Government has prohibited the importation from the Dominion into tho Commonwealth of all plants and parts of plants, including fruits, the seeds of any plant of the rosacea family, aud the seeds of any fruit trees. The importance of good umpiring at tennis championships was stressed at tho last meeting of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association by Mr. E. J. Taylor, states the "Sun.” Tie stated. that people were willing enough to officiate as umpires, but it was necessary, in view of the forthcoming New Zealand championships to be held in Christchurch, to make some definite provision for umpiring. He offered a prize for tho best umpire at the forthcoming championships, their willingness to act to bo called into consideration. Such a prize, lie stated, had been giiven during tho championships at tho time of tho 1906-07 Exhibition, when it had been won by G. M. Ollivier, then a lad of IS, who had umpired magnificently.

Some half a dozen applicants for the position of rat-catcher to Christchurch culled in to see the town clerk the other day, and one is to he selected, and appointed forthwith, states the "Sun.’ The appointment, however, will only to a temporary one, and will, continue as long as the need lasts for the taking of special measure to ward off the plague monace. The rat-catcher will be appointed as a temporary city inspector, and will have all the powers possessed by the inspectors.

When Mr. W. S. Wilson returned from a trip abroad he gave an address to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, in which he suggested that all the institutions in Wellington working for the progressive development of the district should etjmbfna and form one central tody which took control, the same ns in the United States. Tho matter was again before the Chamber of Commerce last evening, and a motion was moved to that effect by Mr. Wilson, but it was lost The opinion expressed to the Greymouth correspondent of the Christchurch "Sun” by a. business man, to the effect that the opening of the Otira tunnel would develop Hokitika, is apparently shared bv tho Railway Department, at least to the extent that it is preparing for such a possibility. The Department is reported to be negotiating with the Hokitika bo-rough authorities in regard to closing portion of Stafford Direct to permit an enlargement of the. statton and approaches thereto, "in anticipation of increased traffic ■ resultant on the opening of the Otira tunnel next year.”

Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) has asked the Minister of Education whether it is the intention of tho Education Department io reduce the number of. entrants holding frec-plc.ce certificates into tho 'Wellington secondary schools. "Such a policy,” he comments, "would hamper the parents who plan to send their children to college, and those teachers whose salaries depend "n Hie roll number.”

Tho public schools will close for the Christmas holidays on Wednesday, December 21, ami reopen on Tuesday, February 7.

Tho Mortgages Extension and Deposits Act was discussed by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last evening. Mr. H. D. Vickery, the secretary, in tho course of an address on the matter, said that the Chfiiiftors of Commerce in New Zealand thought that depositors, in the event of a. person going bankrupt, should bo considered preferential creditors; that was, creditons ranking after secured creditors, but, before ordinary creditors. Under the new Bill a depositor was debarred front suing for his debt, and to that extent was a deferred creditor, as compared with the ordinary creditor for goods supplied, and in the event of liquidation or bankruptcy he was deemed an ordinary* creditor. The meeting carried a resolution that it was of opinion' that some protection should to given to a depositor under the Act, and he should have the right to be treated as a preferential creditor. Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt) asked a question in the House of Representatives vesterday concerning a tender made by Messrs. William and Co. for repairs to tho Government steamer Tutanckai. It had been stated on an earlier occasion that tho firm had not complied with the. conditions of the contract in legaid o the deposit. Mr. Wilford said this statement had been incorrect He produced documentary proof that the deposit had been paid and returned fl he Prime Minister undertook to look into the matter.