NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10293, 30 May 1919, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

It wa» remarked yesterday i that Wellington had been exceedingly free from serious accidents of late. Between May 3rd and yesterday no inquest had been held in tho city, which is unusual and is considered to be a record covering a period of several years.

The chairman of the Christchuroh Repatriation Board (Mr A. W. Jamieson) met members of the Ministerial Repatriation Board, and discussed with them, several questions which havo arisen in Canterbury. The discussion was thorough, and it is understood that as & result a clearer understanding on several matters was arrived at.

la accordance with a requisition signed by a majority of the occupiers of all the secondhand' dealers' shops in the borough of Petone, the ActingMinister for La/bour has gazetted a notice directing that on and after the 4th day of June, 1919, all secondhand dealers' shops in the borough shall.be closed as follows: On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, at 9 p.m., and on Fridays at 9.30 p.m.

In seconding the motion for the adoption of the report at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Mr J. B. McEwan emphasised the suggestion that more publicity might be given to the views of business men. He pointed out that they were largely accused of profiteering. During the progress of the war no doubt they had profited. But they had to take great risks and now that hostilities had ceased they were subject to all sorts of fluctuations in the market to their detriment. He made a recommendation to the incoming council that information from tho t commercial point of view should be freely accorded to the Press.

Tho Wellington Diocesan Synod is to open iu the Sydney street schoolroom on Tuesday, Jti'y I st -

The people of Martinborough, . it is stated, intend to take active steps to impress upon the authorities tho necessity for completing the FearherstouMartinborough railway.

Sir James Alien, Acting-Prime Minister, stated last evening that the Board of Trade's coal report is now in the hands of Ministers, but is not yet available for publication. Tho report of the Royal Commission on the Influenza. Epidemic has not been considered by Cabinet, and is therefore not y>s availablo

Eighty men are.now engaged on tho work of providing additional accommodation at the Motuihi Island quarantine station, and good progress is being made. The intention is to erect ten buildings, apart from a convalescent ward and au observation ward. There are good supplies of water on tho island, but boring is being carried out in order to secure further supplies to meet all possible contingencies.

While the lifting of the embargo on 3ie exportation of potatoes has been followed in the South Island by an increase in price of from 7s 6d to 10s per ton, a, letter received by an exporter from Sydney clients yesterday stated that "there is not likely to be any shortage of potatoes in either-Vic-toria or Tasmania for the nex» twoiir three months. Prices m New Zealand for this market will have to be low."

Proceedings were taken in the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon, before Mr F. V. Frazer, S-M., by A ■J. Coleman, ladies' tailor, against Fred Marshall, journeyman tailor, for leaving his employ without giving reasonable notice. Judgment was given for plaintiff for £1 7s 6d, the amount of the claim, with 6s costs. Mr H F. von Haast appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr D. M. Findlay for the defendant.

A disconsolate individual stood in the dock at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mi- F™zer, S-M. Ho was separated from his -wife on account of his drinking habits, and had a dismal outlook upon life". The magistrate attempted to cheer him up. "You are not "such an old man, and there is a lot of usefulness in you yet," ho said. "Don't put your tail down. You are not such an old crock after all, and if you pull yourself together ,-■ there is no reason why , you should not make a fresh start in life."

At a, meeting of the Hutt Technical School Committee on Wednesday evening, the treasurer reported a credit balance of £360 in tho Post Office Savings Bank. It was decided to hand over £360 to tho Wellington Education Board, which, with a Government subsidy of £3OO, also a subsidy of £250 on the land, will bring the amount in hand to over £9OO. -The chairman and treasurer■•: were, authorised _■ to make arrangements with the Education Board and the board's architect for the. preparation of plans suitable for the building of the school.

During tho hearing of a judgment summons case yesterday in the Magistrate's Court,' counsel, when crossexamining tho defendant, asked if he interest in property. "I conr sider I have," replied the defendant, "I found, all the/money for r the, purchase of a house, and my wife and I made a verbal agreement that we should own the property jointly, but, unfortunately, the deed was made out in her name. AVe are separated now, and my wife refuses to recognise me in the matter. I made a grave mistake in permitting her name to bo placed on the deed."

■ Giving evidence before the_ Industries ' Committoo yesterday, with regard to the oil deposits of the Dominion, Mr A. J. Rutherford stated that it had always been his opinion that there would be no big beds of oil struck near the T'aranaki coast, owing to the violence of f the volcanic disturbances in that region. But, further inlaud, beneath the great envelope of papa, oil would probably be found in large quantities. This papa had not been pierced, except on tho Taranaki coast, where ' there were little pockets of oil. It might bo that the oil was situated at a great depth, and he urged that the Government should undertake the work of prospecting for it.

Responding to the toast of tho National Government at the annual meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday, the Hon. A. M Myers (the ' Acting-Minister for Financed remarked that. when the history of tho war came to be written it would be found that the Government had done its beßt to face grave responsibilities. (Applause.) The object with which it had been brought into existence had been —to help to win -tihe war. He urged that commercial men should do more in the way of engagement in public life. This country would be better off, he said, if there were more commercial men in Parlia ; ment. .At present the whole of the community was not adequately represented. The money that had been raised in the Dominion in connection with the war was really remarkable, and showed what enermous nascent powers the country possessed, v But every effort must now bo made to make it self-supporting. He had great faith in the advice of business men, and their aid had been of the utmost value to him in dealing with munitions of war.

It fell to the lot of Mr It. A. Wright, M.P., at yesterday's annual gathering of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce to propose the toast of tho National Government. He remarked that tho National Government had proved to ho the most unpopular ever experienced in New Zealand. But, as a matter of fact, a situation had arisen which provided no alternative. There was a division of parties with only a majority of one. and there had to be a coalition. The trouble was that the two parties "went to live in the one house without being married." (Laughter.) Had thoy been welded together and married politically, all would have been well, but thoy came together as two distinct parties, and it became necessarv to map out ,a course whereby one should not tread on the corns of tho other. They had to pursue the line of least resistance, carrying on the work necessary in connection with the war. It must b» admitted that they had carried on their task particularlv -well. No one party could have passed the Conscription Act. It must be acknowledged that they had created the strongest financial position ever achieved or attempted by a Zealand Government. He understood that they had a nest-egg of twelve millions in London during this time of crisis. Tho financial position of New Zaland at present was no doubt extremely strong.

Lethargic encephalitis has been gazetted as an infectious disease within t-ho meaning of the Public Health Act.

The following steamers are expected to be within wireless range of Wellington to-night:—Maori, Mararoa, Pateena, Mokoia, and Bhamo.

By Order-in-Council gazetted yesterday consent is given to the raising of a loan of £2600 by the Eketahuna Borough Council and a'loan of £4OOO by the Eketahuna Couny Council.

An Order-in-Council gazetted yesteiday authorises the special investment of £3OOO of the Public Trust Office funds in a loan to the Vincent Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. \ A request of the contractors at the municipal abattoirs for a reduction in the price of electricity for power purposes has been declined by the City Council. i

On the recommendation of the finance and property committee the City Council has decided to invite adjacent local bodies to confer with the object of promoting a scheme for the improvement of main arterial roads.

In view of the "seriousnnenace aggregation of land is becoming to the •welfare of the country," the Farmers' Union Conference ' decided yesterday that the Government should be urged to take more effective measures to prevent same. Some 577 acres of Crown lands in the Auckland land district and 23 in the Hawke's Bay district were gazetted yesterday as set aside for sol-dier-settlement ; also 200 acres of settlement land in the Wellington district and 470 in Southland.

At a special meeting -of the City Council last night, a resolution was passed accepting the surrender and granting a new Tease of two lots of the Te Aro reclaimed land occupied by Messrs Laery and Co., Ltd. The Kelburn and Karon tramway by-law was also adopted. •

A distinctive badge for the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association is defined and assigned by an Order-in-Council gazetted this week. The badge is described as follows:—A metal badge consisting of a bar surmounted by a Crown and the letter's' N.Z., with the are of a circle below the bar, and having the words "Returned Soldiers' Association" inscribed on the bar and arc.

The reserves committee of the City Council has received a request from the vocational officer for the Wellington district, asking whether the council can make arrangements for a member of the reserves staff to instruct returned soldiers, at the Miramar Convalescent Home, in horticulture and kitchen gardening. The committee has left the matter in the hands of the director of parks and reserves to make the necessary arrangements, if possibles .■•■'?'.>? ; ■• ■■-'■ ■'■ ■ • :

On receipt of a communication from the Brooklyn branch of the Labour party, some discussion took place at the City Council meeting last night regarding the municipal roll. The Mayor admitted that the present position was most unsatisfactory, some people having been left off the roll for years. He explained that the matter had been- remitted to the. finance and property committee for investigation" with" a view to having an improved iwhcnie vf 'inspection £nd amendment adopted."

The Hon. A. Myers, Minister for Customs, notifies ior public information that the New Zealand Government has been advised that the Government of India is now in a position to consider applications for licenses for the exportation to the British overseas dominions of linseed,, linseed-oil, and oastor-oil. Importers in -New Zealand should arrango with their suppliers in India to,.apply for the necessary licenses for exportation from that country. ' >'

Councillor P. Eraser, M.P., has given notice of the following motion to tho City Council:—"That the council agree to proceed immediately with the erection in central and convenient situations of two rest-rooms for women. Councillor J. Glover intends to move the following the ingineer be instructed to immediately prepare a scheme to extend i'he present public conveniences for both men and women ; to. establish new onea where those existing are obsolete, inadequate, and insanitary, and at such other places in both city and suburbs where considered necessary."

The finance committee last night recommended to the City Council that applications bo called for two additional sanitary inspectors, returned soldiers to receive "preference. Councillor Fraser, M.P., moved as an amendment that there should be four additional inspectors, two of whom should bo women. While speaking on the subject, Councillor Fraser alluded to the necessity of additional sanitary conveniences in the city and rest-rooms for women. Councillor Chapman seconded tho amendment. The Mayor mentioned that the chief inspector was ot opinion that two more assistants would bo sufficient. Councillor McKenzie, in supporting tho committee's report, took tho opportunity of urging that greater, powers of inspection should bo vested in the corporation. The recommendation of the committee was adopted by 0 votes to 4, and a resolution was passed that the committee ehould consider the matter of women inspectors at its next meeting.

• The leading note of the address delivered by Mr J. G. Harkness, the president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, at tho annual meeting yeßterday, was the necessity of increased production on the part of New Zealand. "Not only must the soil increase its productivity at a greater ratio than heretofore," he said, "so must the manufacturing industries add their quota, and last but not least the coal mines of the Dominion must put out ample supplies for local requirements sufficient to meet the demands of ocean and intercolonial steamers." As to post-war problems, he pointed out that there was a strong consensus of opinion that every -effort should be made to encourage trade within the .Umpire. "Even in the United Kingdom," he remarked, "it is now recognised, that it is vital to the nation's future success that drastic amendments should be effected in many economic arrangements. Tariff reform is the only effective weapon that can deal with the recurrence of German commercial penetration. Further, it is acknowledged that some form of preference is desirable as between the United Kingdom and the Dominions across the seas. However, that is a question the Mother Country must decide. The Dominions cannot and should not dictate the terms. Already the principle is acknowledged in our tariff, and this is the practical proof of sincerity."