LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 57, 30 November 1907, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The report of Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., who was appointed a Commission to investigate cases of alleged ragging in tile railway engino-cleaning sheds at Christchurch, has been received by the Premier. Tho Magistrate submits that the charges were not substantiated. He makes no recommendations. The Banks and Government Offices will be closed for the holiday to-day in celebration of St. Andrew's Day. * Tho Government Architect (Mr. J. Campbell) has received- instructions 'to prepare immediately working or contract drawings for the new Wellington Post Office. The Health Department reports the. following cases \of infectious diseases for the week ending November 29Wellington City —Scarlet fever, 3; diphtheria, 2. Hutt County, nil. Tho postal authorities advise that a stoamer left San Francisco for New Zoaland on November 24 with 96 bags of mail. The steamer is expected to arrive in the Dominion about December 22. The story that a big house was on firo at Sutherland Road, Melrose, caused the fire brigade to turn out yesterday. On arrival at the alleged scene of. the fire it was fouud that the alarm had been given in consequonco of some men burning gorse. Tho semi-annual theoretical and practical plumbing examinations in connection with the Wellington Technical School are being held this week.' About thirty-three urban, and eighteen country, candidates took the theory course on Thursday evening, and the same number aro to take the practical Icourse this aftornoon. Messrs. Morton (City Engineer), and Martin, are the examiners The Wellington Garrison Officors' Club held its annual reunion at the Masonic Hall last night, when about fifty officers attended. Among tho guests was Sir Joseph Ward, K.C.M.G., Minister for-'Defence. Tho proceedings openod with !a progressive euchre party. Supper was sorved about 9.30, and tho remainder of tho evening was devoted to song and story. The following contributed items:—Sir Joseph Ward,, Colonel Webb, Surgeon-Major Purdy, Major Mackintosh, Major Tatum, Captain M'Diarmid, Captain Samuel, Captain Cowles, Captain Hall, and Captain Corrigan. Mrs. Ethel R. Do Costa, LL.B. (nee Miss Ethel R. Benjamin, of Duncdin), after practising for 6ome years' in that city, has commenced practice as a barrister and solicitor in No G Nathan's Buildings, corner Groy and Feathci ston Streets, Wellington. Ape. J-} 0 Costa has tho distinction of being tho only lady practising at the Bar in tho Dominion. Intending clients can depend oh prompt and careful attention at Mrs. Da Costa's hands. •

The annual prize-distribution in connection , with the Girls' High School is to take placo at 8 p.m. 011 December 12, and. in the case of the Wellington College at >3. p.m. on December 16. The master bakers of Gisborne have formed themselves into the Poverty Day: Master Bakers' Industrial Union of Employers, and have affiliated with the New Zealand United Master Bakers' Industrial Association of EmployersThe Aotea Land Board commenced a meet- . ing yesterday, which will 'be concluded to-' day. There were present—Judge Fisher (presiding), Takarengi Metikingi, and Mr. H. Lundions, Crown Lands, llanger. About twenty cases arc before the Court. At n meeting of the Wellington Boxing Association on Thursday evening it was "reported that, although the expenses in connection with the recent tourney had been very great,' a small credit balance had resulted. Hanley, the Sydney boxer, has left for home, via Auckland. It is his intention to spend a few days at Rotorua. Godfrey will return to Auckland on Monday. Though the actual now wing of the Govern-' ment Buildings has been occupied for some time, the old rooms immediately adjoining the now offices, which have been subdivided , and renovated, aro. only now leaving, the contractors' hands. The Valuation, Audit, and Education Departments are at last using these offices, and tho Treasury, on the firstfloor, should be able very soon, to take possession. The wood-blocking of the harbour side of Jervois Quay—to be paid for jointly by the Harbour Board and City Council —will probably be put in .hand by tho City Engineer before the year ends. There is evidence of preparation for the work in a stack of 200,000 jarrah blocks which have arrived from Western Australia., and are piled on a section of. city land in Mercer Street at tho , rear of the Town Hall. . The following is a copy of a letter re- ' ceivcd by the College Governors at yester- ■ day's meeting-.—"Education Department.— ' Sirs, —I am directed to sond herewith 21 ! copies of the King's Proclamation and the 1 Prime Minister's Message in respect of Do--1 minion Day, and to request your Board to " be good enough to arrango that a copy shall • be hung in each class-room in the school.— I am, E.,0. Gibbes, Secretary." '

A meeting. of headmasters and assistants of the Wellington and suburban schools was held in the teachers' room, Education Board Building, last night, when matters relating \ to the organisation and control of public school cadets were.discussed. The proceedings were not open to the Press, 'it being decided that the details of the discussion would b§ reserved until the next meeting of the Education Board, when cortiiin Suggestions will be' laid before the Board for its ~ consideration.

The Hon. Dr. Findlay, M.L.C. (in the chair), Messrs.. C. H. Izard, M.H.R., A. Warburton, and Robt. Lee were present at a meeting of the Governors of the Wellington College and. Girls' High School yesterday ; morning. Accounts amounting to £498 4s. for the College, arid £269 7s. sd. for the Girls' High School, were passed for payment. A handsome donation of £350 for the College goneral'fund was received from • the Wellington*. College • Old Boys' Associa- . tion, which, parxi.es with; it. a &for,t£ subsidy,.-,-, from the Government. The very substantial ■ amount ,waa gratefully received and fittingly acknowledged, The matter of making appointments to vacancies in . the teaching staffs — —two'at the-College and one at the Girls'. High School—was, held over ..for later con-, sideration..

Another change has been made by' the Labour Department in the system of publication of its district labour reports. Originally these reports were compiled up to the 22nd of each. month,. 1 and published in the- ~ Department's Journal, issued about the 12th of the following month. Strong Complaints were made that under this system the news of trade conditions was out of date when it' appeared,,' and the Department introduced the practice of issuing to the Press about the end of each month advance copies of the labour reports, made up until the 22nd, the Journal being published about,the 10th .of the month following. Against. this course objection was soon raised by subscribers to tho Journal, and, as it was found inconvenient for other reasons, another change has. boon made. In future labour reports will receive their first publication in the Journal itself, which will bo issued on the 6th of the month, but the reports mil be made up until the 30th, which ought to satisfy all parties.

Printed copies of the Factories Act Amendment Act, rushed through in the last'days of tho session; were available for the first timo yesterday." Thfe Act contains one clause which, :it is' said; would have been very strongly opposed on behalf of employers, if the confusion of its passage at the eleventh hour of Parliament had not mado resistance quite impracticable. This, clause states that— "Every person who is employed in any capacity in a factory shall bo entitled to receive from the occupier such payment for his work as is agreed on, being not less than five shillings a week for the first year of employment in tho ■ trade, eight shillings a Week for the second year, eloveil shillings a week for the third year, and so on by additions of three shillings a week for oach year of employment in the same trade until a wage of twenty shillings a week is reached, and thereafter not loss than a wage of twenty shillings a week." In tho former Act payment was provided for "at tho rate of" five shillings, eight shillings, and so forth a week. The omission of four little words means that in futuro ■ factory workers who may only bo employed for two days of a week must receive a full week's wagos. This .presses hard on employers in tailoring, bootmaking, and other businesses which are necessarily subject to slack Seasons and rushes,' for 'in' times of littlo work they must pay for days when there is no employment, and in the busy season they must pay extra over-time rates, as hitherto. In some Cases it will doubtless bo possible so to organise tho work that thorc will bo a minimum of broken weeks, but other businesses are searccly capable of this control. If you aro contemplating removing, tho first thing you should do is obtain a quotation from J. Keir, 12 Peather6ton Street. Ho has had many years' experience in this class of work, and is in, a 'position to pack, store, and removo any description of furniture. > Ho also clears goods through Customs, and despatches packages and parcels to any address; in the world. Telophone, No. 1180.' ' CoGff Photograpliic post cards'of tho "Compassion Home" workers, military tournamont at I\ilmerston, Dominion celebrations. Turalcina fire, etc., etc., on sale at ZAK'S PHOTO DEPOT, 24 Willis Street (pried 4d. each). CO-tl A fashionably attired woman needs a perfectly cut corset,. artistically moulded to the "human form." C. Adams and Co., Si Cuba Street, have a most np-to-dute corset department, and a lady expert .is < always in attendance for the purpose of "fitting." 0. Adam# and Co. are agents for the Messtjngoir Corset Manufacturers. Your measure is taken br an expert, fitted and made to your ordw witbU a week. Inspection invited.' CM

Mr. L.' F. ' Ayson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, c jvho ; has just returned from' inspecting tho Otago salmon hatcheries, states that; all the salmon are growing well, and the general condition of tlio hatcheries is highly, satisfactory. A/tram car wa9. run 'last evening over tho now 'Seatoun-Miramar tramway section for tho'first "vimo, Mr. Cable, Assistant Tramways Engineer Was on the car. Owing to tho permanent way not being quite completed, tho authorities do not expect to be able to ask .the Public Works Department to inspect tho line: till late next week. Tho annual meetings of tho Wellington and Wairarapa'Charitable Aid' Board and tile Wellington Hospital Board will be hold at the Town Hall on Wednesday next at noon and 11 a.m. respectively. Tho business consists of the election of chairmen, executive committoes, and treasurers. These are tho statutory annual meotings iof both institutions hold a week after the election of the new Boards. Nothing but formal business will bo transacted. Our Taihape correspondent states that a iangi on a huge scale will commence at Moawhango to-day over the remains of Edward Arani, a rangatira, who owned mu3h land there. Arani died ; at Wanganui, and his remains ' wore brought to. Taihape oil Thursday evening and 1 placcd in a large building, whero' a crowd of Maoris held 'an impromptu tangi. Natives from'near and far aro arriving to attend the function,'which wil be the largest ever held in those parts. it is understood that th'e fight between "Mr,*.J. A.• M'Cullough ! and Mr. R. Slater for tho position of' Workers'' Representative on the Arbitration Court was a very close ane,' though Mr: M'Cullough's lend is sufficiently decisive to leave no prospect of the result being upset. The Minister for Labour, (the Hon. J. A. Millar) stated yesterday that ho was not, then ready to pve for publication the actual nutubers of votes recorded, though they would be available later. ■ ~ : Tho-Harbour Board will meet on Monday next'at 2'p.m./whon r tho following motion by -Mr. Shirtcliffo will be considered: —That, in ' view -of the ' inadequacy of • tho' present wharf, and'shed accommodation to copo with the. rapidly-increasing import trado of the port, ..tho provision of increased-accommoda-tion! bo treated as an urgent , work, and tho Engineer tako steps to have the widening of tho, outer tee of the Queen's Wharf, and the* erection thereon of two storied, sheds, as recommended' by him in his report of' May Sl,' 1906, put in hand at the earliest possible date.'

The;'residents of Seatoun arci to be congratulated on'the successful result of their endeavours to secure'shelter for' their boats, but; the credit-lies chiefly with'a few enthusiasts, 'Mr; -' J;*. H.'- Wright, ' tho' chairman, ind'Mr.' H:'W. Cooper," the secretary of the tiewly-formcd Seatoun ? Boating Club, taking' .leading parts. The line now • boathouse which has jiist beon; completed is an outcome Of the storm and, exceptionally high tide of May last, which washed away nearly a dozen boats from tho foreshore in different parts of-the .harbour. The'building, which is somewhat .picturesquely situated on the rocks to tho.north of; Seatoun wharf, is 42 feet long and-25 feet wido, haying ample space for twelve or fourteen boats, and is from a dsMr,,Qi. I). B. ; Liyfisay, s architect-.

Thoiigh the'' ; "pricb of;: th'e 1 41b.'' loaf has ree'iMed fronT'Mv ; to'' bbth'"'att''GhriStchiirch' and Dunedin, the local bakers still hold out for '• the higher • price, and so far have given no indication of'an intention to reduce;' A'n enquiry was' riiiide yestferday as to -.why . the Wellington bakers . have not elected to "come down" in line with Southern bread-makers, and the reason elicited was that Wellington bakers had to pay 15s. per ton; more for flour than either Dunedin or Christchurch tradesmen, on' account of the extra . freight)' -wharfage, - and cartage to bo paid;; and bimilarly, to a /great extent, thoy Jiad *to -pay more for. horse-feed, which nbw stands ,atl a tery. high figure. This argument sounds very logical, but it would be interesting to learn,how many (Wellington bakers have had to buy at the iucreased price of flour. Flour is such a fluctuating quantity that many bakera make it'a part of their' . business policy to hold stocks that would last a considerable time/