LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

.'■ It is not,expected that,the liquor trade in Wellington/will;'nominate'; members; for -.'the new. Licensing Committee. . No,steps have been taken up to the present ./-''; : The'following prisoners will, probably be brought; up. for: sentence. at the ' Supremo : Court this morning : Robt. M'Phun, criminal offence; Francis Bartosh; forgery;' ahd'Terence'Murphy, breaking; entering, and theft. AuVthe sawmills ,betwoen .-Raetihi/, and Rahgataua, including three, or four,"., new, mills,, are now working, some apparently, fun-handed.,.' This, says '-'.the {Raetihi: paper:, -would .give/one 'the. impression 'ithat the/condition of the.industry.is. on,the.inend.' A; meeting, of,tho Wellington- branch 'of the; Now; Zealand Institute of Teachers was held last evening for the purpose of receiving: legates'/reports : in connection with?tho re-, cent' annual conference .of teachers at. Dun' edin.;; The president,' Mr. H;A. /Parkinson, was in the chair.. There was a/small, attendance of members. VDetails of the proceedings at the conference, which 1 was held in .Januaryilast, have'already been published.; j. 1 .' ■';'.■ The_ statement -published in 1 The Dominion yesterday, that if a' vote. were taken •. of the flaxworkers at. lesat 75 per cent, of the men', would agree to go back to:the conditions existing before'the present award-came "'into force, is'; denied by the chairman and'sebre : tary of the Flaxworkers' Union. They slate that all tho branches of the .union were noti.fie'd '■ by circular of tho ■ meeting, at which / a resolution: in regard to the present; conference was passed, and the vote against revi-. sion : of the, award, <vas unanimous.: There; was an:attendance ofi.about,4o members:at the 'meeting,,representing a', majority of -the. union's".branches. ' :'.;■';/ '.v'-V : ': ; . 'In/the borough- of. Pahiatua. tho : oapital value of land .(land and improvements),: aB at, March 31, 1908, was £215,124,- and ./.the unimproved value of land was £101,223. In the borough of Eketahuna' tho values;:' were j £15,337 and £85,885 respectively, and in the borough of Woodville, £113,415 and £45.978, respectively.: -In Pahiatua the outstanding/ loans amounted to '£8450, the accrued sinking fund was £700, the net indebtedness,£77so,, and the'annual.' charge including, sinking fund, £200, but, .cxoluding exchange .and commission, £622. / Since, the compilation of these figures'ia further; loan/of £1000 has been raisod, for/the completion /of ;tho water and '.drainage works, the. Sinking/ Fund; Commissioners /being : the ."lenders.:/:'ln Woodville -the' outstanding loans amounted to' £6940, the. net .' indebtedness". to £6940 : (no sinking fund having .accrued), and'the annual charge (including:' sinking fund) to£4l6.—"Pahiatua Herald."■''•'/ // ... : _ A 'strong hint to the May or j/who,; as,, a vice-president, was on the platform, was given, by' Mr. ,R. T. Caldqw at the .annual meeting. of, the: Choral/Society last evening. Last year the society, held a miscellaneous concert to raise funds for the procuring'of a 'set of wood-wind instruments, but the con-/ cert, falling on a wet night, was disappointing in its financial result. - Mr.;CaldoW:referred to this need at the meeting last evening, and also to the exceptional pitch of the' Town Hall organ, ; which would require a special set of instruments attuned to it./ He; suggested that the City Council should, purchase a set of instruments, and let/them in; the; sam 9 way as they did the organ. ;The members of the society .could; not purchase two sets of wind instruments, which it Was really necessary to/have if they were to,use such-instruments with the Town Hall; organ: The.cost bf,a second set .would be-about £300, and the. society had £24. Mr. Caldow, suggested .that-the. Mayor might consider the suggestion, but Mr. Hislop "lay low and said nothing." ' '

The farcical nature of some of the labour, legislation is illustrated by a case which has just. been' heard in Palmerston (says. tho Rahgitikei "Advocate"). Inspector' of : Factories, Mr. VW/ J. Culver; sued the Shannon Meat Company for breaches of tho. award:in not paying proper .wages. . Two employees. Armstrong, and Martin, wore also, charged with' accepting less than tho statutory wages,; and both stated.that they <wero getting full wages, except that they were neither of them taking a. meat allowance. They wore both single men, and;though Mr. Culver.had impressed on them the fact thaOhoy were entitled, to the meat they had no use;for it. Mr. Culver.oontended that.tho meat was part of tho wages; and that-tho employer should bo' compelled to give tho.-meat and tho em-, ployee to take it.-■ His Worship said apparently the employees had Committed a, technical breach, though it was. absurd, to .fprco them■;'to tako the meat if. it,was usoless to! them.:; The case against the employer >as dismissed, and against each employee a con-' viction was entered, but no fine enforced. If the employees had taken the' meat .and thrown it away they would not have been conrioted. The Labour Department is evidently anxious to take the full pound of flesh ,'froih--,.-'■ the.', omployor', at every possible opportunity. , ..

Mr. T. Burd, District Road Engineer,;. To Kuiti, is visiting Wellington on Departmental business.

■ Mr. J. A. Hanan, M.P., has been appointed by the -Government as.one of the Otago Sohool Commissioners.'.

The firo brigade turned out. at .10.25 last night to a chimney fire at Goodall's dinincrooms' in Willis Street; , v 1 ' The employees'of the-D.I.C. will hold their annual picnic to-day: , The establishment will be closed at.noon. ' ■'...'•■■■"

The Cabinet yesterday authorised the; expenditure of £1200 on the: Stratford-Onga-ruho Railway,. £4000 on the. Coal Creek Railway,.£2ooo on.tke Reefton-Inangahua Railway, , £32,000: for 1 the purchase of railway' rolling stock,' and, £1625 for the purchase of railway sleepers. . ."_■.;' .. ■■■'~-..

According to a statement made at' the meeting -of. the.Teachers' Institute, last evening, there is a growing feeling among teachers in favour of centralisation. Evidently the methods adopted by some of the Education Boards of the Dominion with regard to appointments and promotions of teachers is beginning to bear fruit.

The Hon. T. Maokenzie (Minister in charge of the Tourist Department) hopes to gather together at Lake' Wakatipu as, complete ;: a coflection'as'possible of the rarer native birds of the South .Island,, such as .kiwis,, wekas, and. kakapos. 'He is als6'taking : -stops': to have a large-number of paradise ducks cap-, tured. and. distributed;. among': domains that have pools..or;running;water.'.'■'■•':'-. . ',

In the.opinion of :one of .'the speakers at the Teachers'' Institute'-last- evening, , that - body stands in need of having its organisation strengthened;' there was : not Y enough vitality in it,'at present, ;he ; said, ;and in view of. certain 'important 'matters,:', which would .shortly engage/ their -attention, the question of making their organisation more effective sho-JEd be given /consideration. ■ .".;;■■

At its.meeting, on' Thursday;.,the.Wellirig■ton Education Board decided; in selecting ■nominees'for,appointments to various/positions/in the schools' of. its district,', to "send one name only to. each.; school: committee concerned,'.instead of three, ;as itdid at its, previous. meeting. This ■' step is '. hailed with satisfaction by /teachers who have suffered from the canvassing and "wire-pulling" of committees by' certain enterprising members of their profession in/the past. '■

.-J. 'Mr. A. Hamilton, Director of' the Dominion Museum, has received from Mr. F. G. Grace a silver collar. and f pendant which' he obtained;,from the Arauoaniah Indians ing a stay " in. the south, of. Chile'toil 'years •ago. "■■ Mr.'Grace, states .'that .the-women: of. this, raoe; were .in mahy/cases wearing, considerable quantities ■ bf. ornaments ■-.'.of this sort, but: would not under any oircumstancen part;with any of them. - The.pendant was attached' to the front <.oi\ the collar..-. The latter has a leather: foundation j likean. oldfashioned military stock, and iscovered with 1 small hemispherical pieces ,of silver, sown on to: it. . TW pendant 'consists of a number.of pieceß .of beaten silver,,to which are affixed extinguisher 'shaped objects,' probably meant for be115.,.. ; ----y;.;- ; 'v .'••;:::': :i -> -":';•'

■ \ The: difficulty : that", has • arisen ' oyer' the • ap-.f pbintment-of .a,-headmaster for.-theLans-downe School was dealt'with by the EducationBoard' incommitteeon Thursday;.. The board at' its : previous' meeting submitted the names: of, three: 'applicants: l for the ■". committee to. select' from. :- The.;committee declined, to make a selection, the chairman (Mr. P. L. Hollings) advising the board that they required the'nameof Mr. G. Jones, teacher of. the Te Ore Ore School, to be included, and that the unanimous.wisLof the residents aiid. Committee-mas that he -should -be appointed. The''' board decided to adhere to its' decision, and; if necessary; make, the selection,,as: the. Act .provides, independent.of'..the wish of -tha committee. V,lt,:was'decided to;postpone/de-: finite: action .for. ten days, the ChierVlnspec-. tor' in the "meantime, being. ; requested to. see: the committee and explain the; position. ..;

In accordance with' their .pleasant- custom, members:of.the':City, Council, the...leading coi'pora.tion .officials, ■ and: some of the ladies of their Reservoir yesterday for their annual picnic. The trip was.'made.by road'the'whble'way,. most: ot'the;'party 'in cabs'and' waggonettes.; '/The Mayor :(Hon!' T.' W,: His : ; lop); motored, 'out .with Mrs. Dr." Hislbp;Mrs!Shand;-: aiid.Missl'.'HMop;'■;'.'ln the'fme' sunny .weather,' tlic^iong'drive:was ! most enjoyable,' and the view from;the;hilltop„was seen at its: bast.' Luncheon; was taken 'without -.undue fdrmality.in a marquee on tie margin of the picturesque ! 'reservoir.. The "waterworks; 'including '■ the new; dam: at -Solomon's .Knob', which;was recently' visited' and described by a Dominion s representative, : were .inspected; /and a pleasant ''sociable;, time was: spent! The party gbt c :backi''.to'town: early in'the even-; l ing.v^--' , ;:'v : ' v :- , '''';:'-r-v-;:; : -v-\ ; -- ; ';,-^-V.iv:' f '. ; ':v-:'! ;;

•. The." many- .friends '.of :'// Captain .'/theHon. •v : W;'^;; : D:-.; "and '"•;; Mrs; ■ '■■ Baillie ..will /regret ;. to;; hearvof the death l . of their'ypungest:son,-..Dr..;J. H. H. ..(Hainish) Baillie, which -took'place-on .Thursday in London,, the 'cause being scarlet fever.: Dr. Baillie, who was, thirty-two years of age,; was educated at..; Nelson College, where'lie obtained 1 a junior/ University, scholarship' and subsequently at'Duhediri took'his B.Sc.: and .M.B. degrees : at the University of New' Zealand.. Ho ,then .went ,to London, and entered .University : College,, ■ London/ taking- ?'his' M:E..0.5., and L.R:C.P. • Ho .has; since-sijud-/ ;ied:.in.variods hospitals, and iwaS. for/over •three years one.of the.hous'e.surgeons .in the London County.'.; Asylum' .at/ Horton. ;. A .few months.: ago'he obtained hisD.P.H.at Cambridge, and was, when he lastwrote; acting as.demonstrator in baoteriology at University ] Collegey. London/ • Dr. Baillie had booked his passage 1 back to New Zealand, as surgeon of the s.s.,Arawa, to leave;Londoh oh March 4.

; The. Wellington ...Field': ./Ambulance/'and Bearer.;' Corps,' under .Surgeon'; Captain /-/C Mackie Begg, .is >.t' present .undergoing its annual 16 days': training-courseat .tho; Hutt. Park.• ;■ A-.',good 'deal of ■really :useful, work has been accomplished during the'past week: The _ corps, is .equipped' with two of the/new service ambulance carts built for the New, Zealand Army Service Corps. ; Some of. tho work has/ been done'in '.co-operation with the engineer, volunteers,/who. are also in,camp, and whose precarious occupations naturally suggest the; possibility of useful "subjects'! for medical attention; The firing' of a' "fougasse"—a : land, mihe-r-for example,: may result (in theory, of course) disastrously to .certain;hapless sappers,■'.and the. field ambulance has its/hands full (also', ; of .course,' in theory); .On one occasion tho big pontoonraft built by "the engineers was requisitioned; .for the conveyance of;the ambulance cart .across the river,'the opposite:shore of which was strewn /(this / also in.. theory). with ..the wounded. . Tho -corps .; was : inspected '■'. by Colonel A.' W. Robin,/ C.8.,. chief of the General Staff, last evening. '; ' .!/■..-