LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 8, 10 July 1923, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

On the casting vole of the Deputy Mayor (Councillor A. M'Kellar), the Christchurch City Council rescinded the resolution adopting proportional representation. Of eight who voted .for continuance of the system (reports the Press Association), six were Labour, one Independent, and one a member of the Citizens Association, which secured the majority of the seals at the last election.

Ihe notifications of cases of diphtheria received by the District Health Officer show that there has been a decrease in Wellington during the past week compared with the previous week. The number of notifications in the city last week was 14, whereas for the previous seven days the number was 21.

: Sir John Peters,- a wel[-known British -banker, who has a thorough grasp of inter-Empire finance, is reported by the '•Vancouver Sun" as having stated" that the over-subscription of New Zealand's £4,000,000 4 per, cent, loan on the British market showed that there was still a large volume of ■ money available for fixed investments. This 'loan, he said, was the first carrying so low a rate of interest put out since the war. When asked about the probability, of Canada getting an over-subscription of a loan on the British. market at a low rate of interest, Sir John stated that it was possible, but he doubted the ability of Canada to get a. low rate or as good treatment as New Zealand, as the British capital, already invested in Canada has not received the same protection here as in New Zealand.. "British investors do not ask a % cry hirb. rate for their money, but they want to feel secure in their investment," said the banker.

An inquest was held by Mr. P. X". Hunt. S.M., Coroner, at Lower Hutt yesterday into the circumstances of. the denlh of Harold Andrews, the second victim of the recent Hutt River tragedy. The evidence was^ similar to that given at the inquest' on George Muller. A verdict of accidental drowning was returned. -

In response to representations made by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, advice has been received from London by the Commissioner of Pensions that steps are being taken to reduce the causes of delay of payment of Imperial pensions to soldiers resident in New Zealand. Tb'e Commissioner of Pensions has notified the Returned Soldiers' Association that he will inform that organisation when further information is received from the authorities in London in regard to the matter.

Councillor L. T. Watkins, chairman of the sanitary committee of the Lower Hutt Borough Council, presented to that hody last evening a lengthy report on the working of the system installed by the Christchurch Drainage Board, with a view to' having a similar system installed in Lower Hutt when electric power is available. Incidentally, Mr. AVatkins stated that tho septic tanks orected.in the Heathcote Valley by the present Lower Hutfc borough engineer, Mr. E. J. Barnes, were giving entire satisfaction. Mr. "Watkics was thanked fox- his report.

The New Zealand Plumbers Board passed the following motion yesterday :— " That the members of the board extend their deepest sympathy with, the family and relatives of the late Mr. W. H. Morton, and desire to place on record appreciation of valuable services rendered by the late Mr. Morton to the hoard since his appointment as engineer member representing the principal local authorities in New Zealand, a position held since the passing of the new Act in 1913, at which time- his professional guidance was of the greatest value to the State."

A warning against the removal of stock from tick-infested areas to clean areas without a permit was given by a prosecution in the Auckland Police Court for this breach of the Stock Act. The manager of a sawmilling company was charged with having removed two horses "from Newmarket, in area B, a tick-infested area, to Raurimu, in cleat; country," without obtaining a permit from an inspector of stock, contrary to the provisions of the Act.. The offence was admitted, but it was urged on behalf of defendant that the breach was duo purely to ignorance of the law. The company did not deal in stock, and was unaware of the regulations, which only recently had come into force. The insiJector of stock, who prosecuted, did not press for a heavy penalty, stating that the ease was brought' as a warning. He accepted defendant's explanation." The Magistrate, Mr. J. W. Pojiilon, considered it an inadvertent breach and a caso for tho minimum penally, £5, . fl<j atl 1 milled' that' liv wus nqt 'nware of the regulations, Esfeudnut was filled £5,

The annual conference of the Council of Agriculture will open in Wellington on 18th July. It will probably be opened by the feme Minister. lii the evening the annual meeting of the New Zealand Forestry League will be held.

Tenders are to be called for in London for the supply of 355 lons of rails for delivery to Wellington for renewal work in the tram tracks on Lambton quay, the duplication of the Thorndon quay line, and the construction of the Wallace street extension.

.Notice was given by Mr. W. H. Field (Utaki) 111 the House of yesterday t 0 ask the Minister of Education whether he will at or.cc provide the necessary money, applied for by the \\ ehington Education Board, for urgent-ly-needed additions to the Otaki State School.

The Lower Hutt Borough Council has decided to have specifications driiwn up for making ;l bituminous road of the whole of the Main road, which runs through the borough. ■ The estimated cost of the work is £8000. The works committee intends at an early date to so thoroughly into the question of bituminous rouds.

Ov.-inor to the prospective ahsence «f Mr. W. T. Strand, the Mayor of Lower Hntt, the next meeting of the Borough Umncil will be postponed till the 26th inst. Besides attending the Municipal Conference, Mr. Strand intends wli!» in the South Island to investigate for himself the. tar sealing of roads and various other matters of interest to'the Lower Hufct borough.

Before proceeding with business at last night's meeting; of the Wellington School Committees' Association, the chairman, Mr. A. J. White, said he thought it was only fitting that they should express their sympathy and condolence to the relatives of those .who had suffered loss in the recent Main Trunk tragedy. A vote of sympathy was accordingly carried in silence.

The Christchurch City Council has decided to charge a. Jialf-crown registration fee for bicycles, the fee' to include a numbered fed reflector, a quantity of which have been landed from England at cost of fivepenee halfpenny each. During the discussion (reports the Press Association), it was stated that the registration might be ineffective in checking thefts, but reflectors were necessary for traffic safety. A new bylaw is necessary to give effect to the decision.

A good story was told after;the last meeting of the Taihape Borough Coun.ci of a Main Trunk sawnulling firm which was prosecuted some years ago for allowing fc awdust to 'pollute a stream. Ino firm engaged a. well-known barriste: to 'defend the case, which it won, wie- legal expenses being £100. The firm was prosecuted again shortly afterwards on a. similar charge,'but evidently decided that it would be "less costly to lose the case. It was, too. as- the Magistrate imposed a fine of £■>

The .question o f the Taita Cemetery was briefly discussed by the Lower Hut't borough Council last evening The {.T; i "■ w- T- Strand.ea[d ji- »» absolutely necessary that steps should be taken in the near future to have the cemetery put in better order; at present there was serious risk of the whole area being swept by fire. Councillor Hobbs remarked that the question <$f one of the local bodies concerned taking over- thecontrol of the cemetery would have to be seriously considered, a * die present board had no means of raisin* the necessary revenue to jrive the cemetery proper attention. . '"

lo what extent a school committee has control over school premises, after school iv hours, particularly in regard to relieious instruction to children, .formed 1 the subject,of a question asked at Jast night's I meeting,of. the Wellington School Committees Association. In reply to the query, the chairman, Mr. A. J. White, said that after school hours the school committee had control of the premises ' and had perfect right to let the school premises to whom it liked. In the case of religious instruction after school hours, a, delegate asked whether' it was optional for the children to attend or not. The chairman replied that it was quite optional. • ■ ,

The league intended during the present year to do all it could to push on this work of. afforestation, so that in the coming timber shortage Canterbury would be in a position to supply not only its own" needs,, but to have a substantial surplus to export to other parts of New Zealand (states the annual report of the Canterbury Forestry League). The work of the league in other parts of New Zealand was having a good effect also in that direction. The head office had been actively engaged during the year in furthering the league's works in Wellington and the North Island, and the branch had arranged with it for. an exchange of minutes of its meetings, so as to be in more active touch with onw another. •

An extensive landslip occurred, near tho city approach to the traffic bridge over the Waikato River, at Hamilton, about 5 o'clock on a recent morning. Residents were, alarmed by ■ the -crashing sound which was caused by the slip. It occurred in the vicinity 'of the brewery, and just alxive the site of the new. septic tank. A jjreat quantity of earth came away, bearing with it the iron shed used by the Borough Council for storing cemont, there b.eing about 100 baas, and also a concrete mixer. The greater part of this fell into the septic tank below, but the mixer escaped damage. The abnormal weather left its mark in Clarence street, where the road subsided; leaving a hole about 16£t deep and 12ft in* circumference, blocking the road entirely. Much of the work of the Church of England Diocesan Synod last evening was transacted in committee.* It was decided that the Standing Committee should take into consideration the advisability of dividing the Porirua-Pahau-tanui parochial'district-so as to make better provision for spiritual, miiiistraton to the inmates of the Porirua Mental Hospital. It was agreed that in view of the constant overlapping of appeals for funds, that no general appeal to the parishes and parochial districts for offertories, retiring -collections, or other collections should bo made without the sanction of the bishop and the Standing Committee. The Diocesan Board of Trustees was recommended to dispose of the site of the present church at Miramar, on the understanding that the proceeds, are devoted to the acquisition of a more central site.

This morning a deputation from the Mothers' Help Division ot the Women's National Reserve waited on the Minister of Health (Hon. Dr. Sir Maui Pomare) to ask that Government assistance be given the organisation.- Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., introduced the deputation, which consisted of Dr. Agnes Bennett and Mesdames Coleridge and Darling. They pointed out that the .object of the movement was to render domestic help to mothers, and to induce young women of education and ability to take an interest in the work. Dr. Pomare who was associated with the Hon. R. F. Bollard, Minister of Internal Affairs, stated that he fully recognised the importance of the movement, but could not assist it directly. The request madn by Hie deputation would,'however, be forwarded to Cabinet for consideration. The matter was really one for the Finance Minister to decide alon«- with Cabinet. Mr. Bollard stated that he had the greatest sympathy with the movement, and considered tfiat the work was to be admired. Although he and Ins colleague did not hold the purse Blrmgd, Uiej,injKiit be able to influent Uib nittii who did,