LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 255, 21 July 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Postal • authorities adviso that the Ulimaroa, which left Sydney for "Welliiigt-on on July 18, should, in the ordinary course, arnro here on Wednesday afternoon, July 22. She has on board an Australian mail only. . Their Honours Justices Cooper and Chap? man will hold a sitting in Chambers-at 9.45 to-morrow morning for the purpose of settling the order of civil and other business^ It has been doeided not to hold tho conference of tho New Zealand liockov referees this year as originally proposed. * This dccision has been arrived at on account of the difficulty of getting tho delegates together, lho conforonco will .probably bo hold 'next year. A discussion tool; placo at tho Confercnco of the Now Zealand Trades and Labour Council yesterday afternoon on tho subject of accounts. One dclegato touched tho koy-noto when lie said:—"l don't see that a Council should be blocked on account of poverty. That is scarcoly a democratic idea." - 'lho. conforonco of commercial travellers being hold this week at the ' Commorcial Travellers' Club, in Victoria 'Street, is expected to contjnuo until tho end of tho week. The proceedings, Which aro in camera, will bo reported on the rising- of the congress. Several important matters aro, it is stated, under discussion. . , Tho I-lutt Valley Socialist Society hold a meeting in tho Oddfellows'- Hall, Petone, last ovoning, when'tho Rev. J. 13. Morton Barnes gavo an address, tho subject being "A Reply to Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., on Socialism." Tho address chiefly dealt with Mr. Wilford's Wadcstown spe'cch, and at its conclusion a.vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Mortun Bitrnos. Mr; Whittakcr. occupiod tho chair, and after a Socialist hvmn had boon sung by tho audience Mr. M'Lean sang "Keep tho lied Flag Flying." Black looks and scowls aro usually tho port-ion of ; tho Magistrate . who commits a man to prison for drunkenness, but there was a change jn tho usual order of things at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday. - An elderly man who had been remanded for treatment was brought forward," and was ordered, to pay tho expenses incurred. VI have to thank you for sending, me tlioro, sir," said-tho old man, addressing.his' Worship. "I feel a different man now, and I am sure you' will novpr seo me hero again." His Worship,"dryly—"l hope not." , Tho collecting of folk-songs,- which ho has made his hobby, brings, somo strango experiences to Mr.-Percy Grainger, the young Vie-, torinn musician, who is to re-visit his natiyo land,as a inomber of tho Ada Crossley concert party. Ho was spending a few days in' Lincolnshire recently on his favourite diver--siou when his search.for. finds brought him into contact with an old man, who turned out to bo ono of the very'few'who knew tho words of a song that Percy ..Grainger was most anxious' to • secure. The old fellow volunteered to. write them down for him, and a long hunt for. writing paper proving fruitless, ho coolly toro off a long strip of-the wallpaper, on the obverse side of which ho proceeded to indite with laborious caro the verses <;f tho song in question. That MS. has been preserved: most carefully ever since', and* many aro tho explanations Mr. Percy Graiugcr ims to enter upon as to why ho treasures a piece of very florid wall-paper as if. it wcro a trocious sketch. _ Six members of tho Welsh Society of Wellington, headed by' Dr. Tudor Junes and Mr.\ Dillon, M.P., yesterday interviewed tho Hon. J' A. Mill an (Minister for Labour). Dr.' Tudor' Jones asked that St. .David's Day (March 1) bo recognised as.a statutory holiday, as was tho paso on other national saints' days, andythat the Welsh flag bo flown and bo treated-similarly to the flags of tho other divisions of tho United Kingdom. The Minister, whilo recognising the-reasonable-ness of tho request and tho spirit of patriotism that had prompted it, and whilo'admitting that there seemed to be an anomaly; As far as tho Welsh were eoneorncd in this respcct, said tho present tendency was, instead of increasing tho number of holidays, to do away with St. George's, St. Patrick's, and St. Andrew's Days as public and bank holidays. Tlioro seemed to bo that desiro on tho part of tho'peoplo. . St.. Patrick's Day was tho only holiday ' on which tlioro was any great spirit of national patriotism exhibited. Tho whole matter of holidays was being looked into by tho Primo Miiristor, and there was somo chanco of tho curtailmont being given cft'oqt to. Ho would, however, send their representations along to tho Primo Minister. ■ Tho t secretary (Mr. Carey) reports that a largely-attended meeting of tho Cooks' and Waiters' Union was held last ovening, tho president (Mr. Blcch) in the chair. Letters were reooived from Auckland and .Dunedin' stating that tho Trades Councils in both, those cities wore forming Unions of hotel and rostaurant workers similar to tho Cooks' and Waiters' Union. Tho secretary reported that thero was a great dearth of, employment in tho trade, and that thero wero fully a hundred mombers of tho Union out of work in Wellington.- : It was decided to send delegates to tho. Labour Day Committee, and to participate in tlio procession on Labour Day (October|l4). A letter from the Trades Council asking for ndsistauco for the bakers on strike was| discussed ut somo length,_ tlio Union boiiig unanimously of the opinion that - in view of the fact that the Arbitration Court had over-ridden tho Factories Act, tho men had no option but to .take tho course they did!. A sum of £10' Was voted as.a first contribution to tho.-financial assistance of tho baiters. A lengthy correspondence was read froin tho Labour Department. Tho meeting deplored tho prevalence of breaches of awards by I employers in tho industry, Already over thirty citations for alleged breaches of the Unioii's award had been set/down for hearing at tho next sitting of the Arbitration Court. V During Race Week tho Rooms of Mrs. Riillcston, Itair Physician, Paco Specialist, anil Masseuse (certificated) will be open overy ovbning for Ilairdrossinpr, Shampooing; all Ilair and Faco Treatments; adyico. freoj personal , attention. 3 Willis Street (over Carroll's). Tolophono 1599. C 739 ireacent Drar.u Tea brews a s;ronn rich 'mny liquor, with a fino smooth texture, anil laves tho palato' most agreeably,. It has a distinct and dolicious flavour, and is the mostfaroured for tho morninp: cup of tea. Tho quality and flavour of Crescent Brand Tea noj'or vary. Tho sumo to-day as it was yesterday, and tho price is 2s. per lb. Obtainable from ail grocors, C'BB3

In connection with the Trades and Labour Councils' Conference, r. social will bo held on Friday, when the Premier (Sir Joseph Ward), tho Minister for Labour (tho Hon. J. A. Millar), and the Hon. J. lligg will be present. " What is tho use," observed tho headmaster of ono of the city schools to a Dominion reporter yesterday, "of tlio Health Department forbidding tho attendance at school of a fourth standard boy, because there is scarlet fever in his home, if that same boy, the day* after he has been ordered off, gets a job down town at 10s. per week --carrying parcels ?" Tlio pressman shook hij head, feeling that the workings of tho great Administrative mind were inscrutable; and thereafter eyed each parcel boy he mot With dark suspicion. Ever since tho great fire which, last December, destroyed tho Parliamentary liuildings, a detachment of tho Royal Now Zealand Artillery has Ijeon posted for guard duty ; at ' the ' Government Buildings, day and night. In tho daytime the country's faithful Civil Servants of tho departmental headquarters staffs swarm everywhere, and tho artillerymen aro afflicted with ennui—they aro bored to doq.th. In the night-timo a vigilant staff of night-watchmen, guards the deserted building. The artillerymen are doing nothing, and it is a pity. It is also a pity that over £5 per day is expended on boring to death a* detachment of intelligent soldiers, who might, with great profit' to the country, and pleasure to themselves, bo engaged in sterner pursuits. At tlio last meeting of the Wellington Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade a change of officers took place. Mr. H. H. Seed, who has held tho officc of superintendent of tho division for several years, resigned that office in order to devote more time to tlio position on the staff of the Brigade -in New' Zealand as District Chief Superintendent for tho Wellington District. Mr. Alexander Crow, who has had about fifteen years' experience of brigade work in , New Zealand,'was elected to fill tho office of Superintendent of tho Wellington Division, a position he is 'well-suited to hold, and under.his- ablo guidance tho division should make rapid strides.. Some time ago, a conference' was held in tho Wairarapa of Maoris whose ancestors are supposed to have come to New Zealand in tlio canoe Takitumu. Tho object of tho gathering was to compile and put in writing old traditions, handed down by the tohungas, which wore othcrwiso in danger of being lost. A Wairarapa Native, Whatahora, informed tho Maori Congress that, ho has two volumes of these traditions in his' 1 possession. It is probablo that somo of them may prove of considerable interest. Whatahora stated that lie had been collecting similar loro since 186-1. It is understood-that Mr. -Elsdon Best, an indefatigable collector of Maori folk-lore and .student of the Maori race and customs, has a.large quantity of information'on these subjects ready' for publication. Last night a meeting of delegates of tho General Labourers' Union was lield at tho Trades Hall. Thero were present: Messrs. James Thorn and E; Howard (Canterbury), N. M'Allen and P. Delahunty (Dunedin), H. H. Lash and A. Jones (Nelson), J. Saloon' and F. Brown (Wellington Builders), S.' O'Kcofo and W. J. (Wellington General Labourers). Mr. Thorn was elected chairman, and Mr. Reardon secretary. It was docided to form a Federation of tho labourers of tho Dominion, with headquarters . for the time being- -at Wellington. 'The Federation will bo on similar lines to the Federated Tramways Association. Rules wore drafted for submission to the various labour unions for consideration. The .question of organising a labour paper was also discussed, and is xow under consideration; ' \ Another deputation oil' secondary school accommodation saw the Minister for Education (tho Hon. G. Fowlds) yesterday morning. Messrs. A. S. M. Poison (master) and Dr: F. C.. -Mooro' (chairman of tlio Board of Governors). of the Napier High School were introduced by Mr. A. L. D. Fraser, M.P., and pointed out that , there was imnicdin.to necessity for a new classroom and a laboratory fOr scientific work'at tlio Napier High School. The attendance at the school, had so increased of lato that it would bo impossible soon to carry, on the. work efficiently. ■This was the first appeal the Board had made for direct assistance. They asked for £1500 for immediate needs, while if a now building were erected on a now site —a mat-ter-under consideration —a cost of £10,000 would bo entailed. The! Minister pointed out tlio school was healthily endowed. Ho said that when tho Board submitted plans and came to a decision regarding the new building. ho would bo -willing to recommend a sniajl contribution. A littlo triflo of over 7000 hiiles of territory will bo covered during the next fortnight or "so by tlio four J. C. 'Williamson companies now "touring Australasia. The'two longest journeys ane to be credited to the "Peter Pan" and "Brewster's Millions" companies. Tlio former, which goes to Kalgoorlio at tho end of its successful Perth season, journoys from thero - by- rail and steamer direct .to Broken Hill — 2500 miles-. There it will follow tlio Kingston company, which, in its turn, is to be .shifted round'to Brisbano — 2200 miles by train —ono of the longest railway journeys possible to take in Australasia. . During thoMast week-in the month two other' companies wil) bo crossing the Tasman .Sea —the; Pantoniimo Company on its way'from Newcastle to Auckland (1500 miles), whorto it opens on .the 27th instant, and' the Julius Knight Company returning from the-Bluff to Hobart (1100. miles) for a ten nights' se'ison in. the latter city. Things will, therefore, be lively in tho transportation department, but it only shows the immense field, covered by., the J. C. Williamson enterprises. ' " ' '■ ■ : ' "