LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1207, 16 August 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is jnst possible, said the managing director of the Wellington Meat Export Company at the annual meeting of tho company yesterday, "that shareholders may be a little anxious in view of the state of labour iu the Old Country. I (lon t think this is tho time to dilate on tho subject. But I think it is fitting that I should say that our interests are so covered that wo shall, I think receive ira actual damage pecuniarily from the efiects ot tlia strike. Of course, if the strike were protracted there mi "lit be danger to the markets, but as "to the actual effects there is no danger." Youthful curiosity was crushed in the Magistrate s Court yesterday morning. \\ line the business was .proceeding two kmckerbockercd striplings were noticed among the inevitable crowd in the auditorium. I here are two bovs here," remarked Dr. M'Arthur, S.M. * "Have they anything to do with the business?" One youngster took the hint. The other seemed inclined to brazen it out till he got the unmistakable command to-quit. "Have you any business here?" queried the magistrate. Tu-p pointed questions proved to be sufficient, and the youth of idle curiosity (led.

.leste-rdny tho Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. l>. ltally) conducted a fitting pi the Conciliation Council in the dispute between the Merchant Service Guild on the one side and the "Union Steam Shin Company, tho Maoriland S.S. Company, the Blackball Coal Company, and the liuddarr-Parker Company, Limited, on the other. The fitting was n continuation or the conference of the previous day, and the discussion principally hinged on the matter of hours of labour and rates of pay. Discussion was carried on in committee, and finally an adjournment was made till September l'J. TVritfht elicited from flic Hon. 6.' l'oulds last night , in Hie House of Hopresontativos another brief statement ou the recent epidemic ot typhoid in the l'orirua Mental Hospital. The member for Wellington South said it had been virtually admitted by the Minister that tho outbreak was traced to a single patient who had the peculiarity of carrying tho infection about him when not apparently suffering from tho disease. Ho askeil what steps were being taken to prevent future outbreaks. Tho Minister replied that every possible means would be used to prevent any further outbreak. It might bo found that more than one patient had tho capacity of carrying the disease, or. another patient having it might be admitted. Is T o stono had been left unturned to get to thi- bottom of tho /atest outbreak, and every ■ precaution would be exercised in future.

Reticent and somewhat timid as to facts of real interest, tho Machinery Inspection Department furnishes tho following as to current proceedings:—"The examiners of tho Inspection of .Machinery Department held examinations recently at Auckland, Blenheim, Ch'ristchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Groyrnouth, ..Hamilton, Invcrcargill, Komiti, Mnngawharo, Napier, Nelson, Palmorston North, Parkvale, Timaru, Wanganui, and Wellington.' Candidates sat for the following classes of certificates: First-class marine engineer, second-class marine engineer, third-cliss marine engineer, river engineer, and engineers of auxiliary powered vowels other than steam (botfi for seagoing and river trade), extra first-class engineer, iirst-clars sta-tionary-engine driver, tecond-class station-ary-engine driver, locomotive and tractionengine driver, anil winding-engine driver (for mining certificate?). Ot the two hundred and twenty-nine candidates who were examined, ouo hundred and sixty were successful.

Respecting the. recent Sunday night street disturbances, Sergeant liutledgc told a. Dominion- reporter yesterday that there had been two windows broken last Sunday night—one in the building of the Chinese Association in Tarnnnki Street, and one in a laundry in 'J'ar.inaki Place. The pne broken in the Chinese Association was smashed by a bottle of ink being thrown through it, and that was taken as an indication that the act was not tho work .of tho anti-Socialist mob. When Sergeant Rutledge said on Sunday night that no windows had been broken these cases had not been reported to him. They were reported on Monday.' Tho latest movement on the part of tho party which has arrayed itself against compulsory military training takes the form of a challenge issued by Mr. Robert Hogg to debate tho question with General Godley. An application for admission to the Auckland Stock Exchange was blackballed at a meeting of the exchange on Monday (writes our correspondent). Tho applicant had bought a seat, but nine members of tho exchange voted against tho admission, and though the majority regard him as a highly dcsirablo member the nine black balls were sufficient under tho rules of tho exchange to exclude the applicant. Tho announcement of the result, iti is stated, proved the signal for the most stormy scene that has been witnessed on the exchange for years. There is considerable fooling over the matter, the majority of the brokers holding that tlic applicant's character and qualifications wero not considered, otherwise there would have been no question as to his suitability as a member.

Tho Charitable Aid Committee of the Wellington Hospital Board mot yesterday afternoon, and dealt with various applications for relief for indigent persons.