GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15337, 22 July 1915, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

The Legislative Council has adjourned until Wednesday next. In tho House of Representatives yesterday Ministers answered the questions on the Order Paper, and the remainder of the sitting was devoted to a debate on Mr Wilford's Stato Advances Bill, -which provides that all borrowers from the State Departments shall be compelled to insure in tho Stato Fire Insurance Office. The House gave tho measure its second reading. A decided improvement is being made on the North railway lino between Chaney's and the sTtewart's Guily bridged by the cutting back of the trees for about a chain from the metals.

The Legislative Council lias adjourned until Wednesday next, when a Chairman of Committees will be elected. ! Mr G. W. Ix'adloy has presented to j the North Canterbury Executive ot tin* i Farmers' Union a framed photograph j of. last year's Conference. j The Tramway Board's quarry, from i which stone is to be got tor the Sumner j causeway has boon onened Mr Hast- I inbs Andrew*; has been appointed j quarry manager. j On Sunday afternoon Dr. It. McNab, M.P. will deliver an address in the Grand Theatre on "How the Early Records of New Zealand Were m . j earthed." Dr. Chilton will preside, j Tho Minister of Railways toM the ; Hou.se yesterday that tho experiments j in repaid to automatic devices for level j crossings had been successful, but o«- j ins to tho war the necessary material j wal coming forward slowly. j The City Council's electrical depart- J nicnt having put 30 hands on work lay- j ins a fable in Linwood avenue, tho j unemployed on the books of tho Gene- j ral Labourers' Union has been consid- 5 erablv reduced, anil there wer<« yestor- j day only five registered as unemployed, j Tho stables at Corsair Hay of Mr .). j Bundy, butcher, of Lyttelton, were j broken into on Tuesday night and .1 j horse, saddle, and bridlo stolen. -In connexion with tho crime, the police yesterday afternoon arrested an obwoncler from the Burnham Industrial School. A poll was token in Dunedin yesterday on a proposal by the City Council to* borrow £26,000 "for building new tram-ears, remodelling existing cars, and making alterations to tho approaches to the- car-shod. Out of about 10.000 voters, only 633 registered their votes, and the proposal was rejected by 31-1 votes to 31*2. The Postmaster-General stated in the House .yesterday, in reply to a question by Mr' Ell, that coin-in-the-slot telephones would be installed at the corner of Moorhouse. avenue and Antigua tercet, and at the corner of Colombo strx-t and Battersea street, about the end of this month. Tho machine at tho corner of Colombo street and Battersea street would be only seven chains distant from the corner of Saiulyford street and Colombo street. Further enquiries were being niado in respect of other sites. The. contract having been let for tho erection of the transformer house at tho Tramway Board's power-house, the work will be started in a day or so. The transformer house will contain three transformers, each of 360 k.w.a., to reduce the pressure of the current from tho Lake Coleridge installation from 11,000 volts t 0 400 volts, to enable it to bo passed through the Board's 1000 lew. rotary converter, from which it will bo supplied to the station hue cars, in tho form of direct current at 600 volts for tramway purposes. The three transformers have- left the General Electric Company's works, and it is expected that they will reach Lyttelton in about a month from tho present. In connexion with the Shops and Offices Bill introduced in the Houeo on Tuesday by Mr A. M. Myers, the following telegram was sent to tho Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition yesterday, by Messrs A. W. Jamieson, chairman, and C. W. Hervey, eecretary, of tho Christchurch Saturday closing movement: —"Suggested amendment to Shop and Offices Act strongly resented here. Electors already expressed very decisively for last two polls huge majority. Other centres have decided likewise. Surely their decision will be respscted. Optional closing absolutely absurd. Only solution of existing difficulties is universal Saturday closing.' r Tho report of the Department of Lands and Survey for the year 1914-15, states that the- response of officers of the Department to tho Empire's call Bad increased the labours of those loft behind. Notwithstanding this, the. area placed on the murkot was double that of the previous year, while at least 1,000,000 acres were in an advanced state for offering during the current year, with, a considerable area well vi view for perhaps a somewhat later period. A total of 1,152,724 acres was opened during the year, more than double the area opened during, the preceding twelve months. In addition, an area of 49,530 acres of educational and other endowment'lands was opened for selection, making a grand total of 1,202,360 acres opened during the year under all classes. At a special sitting of tho Arbitration Court in Wellington yesterday, Mr Justice Stringer-presiding, an ex-parte motion was brought by W. Pryor, secretary of the Employers' Federation, for leave to apply to have the Engineers' award (Dominion), Boilermakers' award (Dominion), and Metal-workers' award (Otago and Canterbury) varied. Mr J. E. Jenkinson appeared for the Boilermakees and Mr J. Reid for the Engineers. The Court decided to suspend those awards until August 9th, under a clasiee contained in the awards which -came into- force on July 19th. This was done conditionally upon the terms of the old award being observed, in the meantime. If the .awards now suspended are , not amended, they will be retrospectj-we as from July 19th. special sitting of the Court "will bo held oe August 9th to discuss the matter. The following "request" programme will be played by I>r. Bradshaw, city organist, at tiie organ recital to be given in His Majesty's Theatre on Monday next, at 8.30 p.m.: —Toccata and Fuguo i n D Minor (J. S. Bach); Legend, -£>t. Francis d'Assise: La prediction oiseaux ("St. Francis Preaching to the Birds , ')' from the Pianoforte "Works (Liszt), Air from "Elijah," '"It is Enough" (Mendelssohn), Mr Leonard Barnes; Air from the upera "Xerxes," "l-arco in G" (Handel; (aj Andante con Moto, (b) Grand Finale, from the Symphony, No. 5. io C Minor, On. 67 tfor full" orchestra} (Beethoven); Air from The Messiah," "Why Do tho Nations" (Handel). Mr Leonard Barnes: Concert Variations on an American Air (Flaglar); Wolfram's Song to the Evening Star (Act) (Wagner); Finale fit>m the Peer Gynt Suite. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" (Grieg). Something in the nature-of a "breeze 1, occurred at last night's meeting of the Spreydon Borough. Council, when the Mayor (Mr W. H. "Wineor) referred to a report ol a meeting o£ the Spreydon Burgesses' Association. <at which, three matters being dealt with by the Council had baen discussed. Tho Mayor was of opinion that this procednre was "a grave breach of municipal etiquette." Referring to a statement made in the report that the rates collected in the West Ward exceeded by £400 the amount collected in tlie East Ward, his Worship said this was a miastatenient. He quoted th.« following figeies:—Total rates West Ward £2130, East Ward £2192 (difference £238): tho general rates (included in .above) totalled, respectively £919 and £737. difference £13*2: area, 775 acres and 425 acres, d>ffereiice 350 acres; streets, 9 miles IS chains and 8 miles; boundary Mrcet-s. 1 mile 26 chains and 2 miles; property owners, 502 and €70. The Mayer deprecated an outeide body dabbling in affairs of which it had only a superficial knowledge. Cr. D. "Williamson spiritedly defended the Association, and contended that tho matters to which tho flavor had referred were matters of public interest. He obJ3cwd to matters dealt with by an outside body htv ing discussed by the Council, as the-out-tide body had no opportunity to ri>i>ly. Cγ. G. H. Rudd objected to matter* before committees of the Council beittS carried to an outhido body. When t-Ae discussion had cooled down somewbni, i Cr. E. O'Rourko suggested that tho j matter should be allowed to drop, which I was acted upon.

In the House last night the Industrial Unions and Trade Unions Enablingßill (Air McCombs) was read n second time, pro lornia and referred to the >t a lutes Kovis-ion Committee. ' • Hi* Honour Mr Justice Dennistcm held a sitting in Chambers in ;^. 0, »t-'55----t-on on .Monday in the case "W hue r. Hopkins. There was an application to hold - interrogatories on certain sections of the case, which was, in part, allowed. The opening of tho kineuiacolor picture leason at tho Theatre Royal has been deferred until" tomorrow evening, owing to tho late arrival at Lyttolton of the Mo?raki with the machinery and iiims. Seats booked for to-night ,-au be transferred to any other evening. Replying to Mr A. M. Myers :n the House yevlerday. the Minister of Defence said the question of tho compilation of a national .register of males of Hervice-aMo ano in the Dominion was under consideration. It was not con«:riored possible- to increase our Expeditionary Force to 50,000 -men, and to maintain it in tho field. The first session of Parliament at Wellington was held in that city in this mouth Jitty years «S O ; duisng tho Governorship of iSir George Grey. The Ministry at the time included the lions. F. A. Weld, Premier and Colonial Secrotary ;J. C. ..Richmond. AttorneyGeneral; W. p'itzherbert. Colonial Treasurer, succeeded by K. Jollie; .l.| C. Richardson, Postmaster-General-,: W. B. D. Mautell, Native Affairs, succeeded by J. Edward FitzGerald: Major H* A. Atkinson, "Defence, succeeded by Colonel T. M. Haultain. The removal'of tho .seat of Government from Auckland had taken place in February. One day last week onp of the coal lumpers engaged -in No. 3 hold of McIlraith McJ'-a-'iiarn, and Co.'s collier Kcoyong, lying at Poit Adelaide, drove hi» snovol through what is believed to be a plug of gelignite. The man discovered that he had driven his shovel within an inch of a detonator used in tho gelignite. Attached to the detonator was a niece of fuse. He handed his find over""to Captam Chapman, tho manager of the coal depot, and it was impounded. Whether tho gelignite had been placed there by design, or whether it got there, accidentally as an unexploded charge from the colliery at which tho coal was obtained is a matter for -conjecture. Captain Chapman inclines to tho view that it was intentionally lodged in tho hold, as this was tho third .instance of a similar kind ho had hoard of recently. Tho weight of tho ph'S would be from three to four ounces, and if it had been exploded could hnvo caused serious damage. The most careful person is liable to catch cold during the winter, but it can always be cured with "Stop It" cough cure! 6041-5 Family Groups become invaluable, moro so as the years go by. Make arrangements now with Steffano Webb. 253 High street Christchurch. Tel. 1989. 5 Youne Engineers.—Now is the timo to get your Meccano Sets for the Groat Meccano Competition. See our windows. Turnbull and Jones, Ltd. o The new "Toric," or curved, lenses greatly enlargo tho field of vision. They have many other advantages, which Walter J. "Watson, D.8.0.A., London, expert optician. Colombo street (near Kincaid's) will be pleased to explain. 6 Expert knowledge is tho only kind that counts. Over sixty years' cxperienco in Customs, Shipping, and Forwarding Work, including Furniture Removals. Call or telephone, J; M. Heywood and Co., Manchester street. Established 1851. U Eyeglass Construction. —The highest achievement in. eyeglass construction is represented in our new model eyeglasses —comfort, quality, durability, appearance, and reasonable price leave nothing to be desired. Experience, skill, and a thorough knowledge of the optical business enables us to fill our customers' requirements with the utmost satisfaction. John R. Procter, Optician, 200 High street, Christchurch. 6 The new red rubber hot-water | bottles are being offered by A. J. "White, Ltd., at 4s 3d, 4 S 9d, os 6d, 6s 3d, and 6s 9d each. ' W9546-3 REORGANISATION OP. ADAMS, LTD'S MOTOR-CYCLE DEPARTMENT. The rapid,growth of the motor-cycle branch of Messrs Adaong. Ltd.'s hugebusiness has placed a continually growing, strain upon th©. accommodation available at the big headquarters establishment in High street, and the time has now arrived for radical changes in the housing of this department in the interests of public convenience. Hitherto tho motor-cycle garage, at the rear of the High, street showroom, has been used as & combined garage and showroom. Clients of the firm, however, make use of the garage in such numbers that it has become necessary to make separate showroom arrangements. Henceforth the motor-cycle showroom will bo located on High street, where the firm ha s the biggest bicycle showroom in Australasia. Half the space is new devoted to the display of motorcycles, of which about a score are on view, including the latest* model 4-h.p. three-speed Triumph, the 2J-h.p. twospeed Baby Triumph, and tho 4i-h.p. three-speed U.S.A. , with combined chain and belt drive, and complete chain drivo respectively. Mr G. B. Brown, the head of the motor-cycle department, will henceforth bo in attendance in tho showroom, where his office/ »s now located. Tho garage will bo considerabjv improved for tho convenience of clients, and a cloak-room is being fitted up. The garago will be used exclusively in futuro for clients' and tho display of secondhand machines. AdatnSj Ltd., Agents for Triumph and B.S.A. Motor-cycles. Headquarters, Hieh street, Christchurch. (G. B. Brown, Motor-cycle Representative.) " 6