LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1236, 19 September 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The revenue of tho city electric lighting department for the month of August, 1911, shows an increase of ,£572, and tho working expenses an increase of .£l3O, as compared with the corresponding month last year. One hundred and thirty-three new connections were made during tho month, as compared with eighty-two last year. During the five months of this financial year six hundred and seventyseven new connections were made, as against three hundred and ninety-three for tho corresponding period in 1910. Tlio total consumers now number COO 3, as against 4852 twelve months ago, an increase of 1151 consumers. After allowing for estimated capital charges, there is a credit balance on the five months' working to date of .£7273, as compared with ■CGSG7 last year.

The heavy rain and mild temperature of yesterday was a cause of much rejoicing to all who take an interest in gardening. Tho latter half of the winter has been particularly dry in and around Wellington, and everything scorned to be in need of the big soak" which it received yesterday. Up till the rain-storm, which commenced in earnest at an early hour yesterday morning after threatening for tho whole of Sunday, horticulturists were rather dubious about the success of their efforts owing to tho powdery dryness of the soil, which seemed impervious, to. tho hose. Tho hope of the farmer and the urban and suburban flower culturist se-ems to be that there will be rains in plenty during,the present month in order to ensure a profitable spring.

Touching upon the Government policy of vote-catching last evening, Mr. A. L. Herdman'suggested its extension on popular lines. He advised tho Government to decree that every man, upon reaching the age of 21 years, should be guaranteed an income of .£250 a year, a free pass on tho railways, and a trip Home every five years. Voting for tho Liberal Government at three consecutive elections should bo rewarded with a knighthood. (Laughter.) This Mr. lierdman described as a broad, humanitarian, liberal policy. Ho believed that if the Opposition ca.nie out with a policy like' that they would soon bo on tlie Government benches.

"Things are about normal in regard to employment and unemployment, said Mr. Collins, of the Labour Department, to a reporter yesterday. "There is a good deal of work offering, and we anticipate no difficulty in placing the immigrants to arrive by the Eotorua tomorrow. There is a strong demand for farm hands and married couples for the country, and tradesmen, especially plasterers, painters, and carpenters are in request in tho city. Our chief trouble is to find work for men getting np in years. Generallv they are. unskilled men, not physicalfy fit to keep up tho paco required nowadays. Very often they are in reduced circumstances, and they coino to us begging for somo work that they can do. Tliese are the men that trouble the City Council and the Government' Labour Department more than any other class. What are we to do with them? They all want jobs as nighlwatchinen or messengers, but there are so few billet's of this sort, and those are so easily tilled, •that, we never hear of thoin. If you advertised to-morrow for a storeman at ,£2 ss. a week, and added to your notice "light duties," you would get' dozens of applications for tho position."

Abnormally high prices have been paid for vegetables in Melbourne during the past three months, and, according to the "Argus," they are likely to continue for another month at least. Cabbages have brought as high as 125., and cauliflowers 10s. a dozen, and it has been well-nigh impossible to obtain either a cauliflower oi a cabbage worth putting on tho table uiulfr '>d. retail. Parsnips and oamts have touched 2d. each, and Swede turnips 3d. and Id. The immediate cause for such abnormal prices is the heavy rains during autumn which ruined most" of the crops in the growing districts around Oakleigh, Burwc-od, Brighton, and Cheltenham.

As a result of a good season and the exceptional prices secured I'or dairy outputs (says the "Tnr.mnki News") it is stated that prices of land in The southern part of -Taranaki will advance .£"> per aero by the end of the si-ason. .As (lie best land is now commanding .£SO to .£65 per acre, it is hard to know how (he prospective purchasers of land at the enhanced figures are going to pay their way.

Mr. Ilei'dman told his AA'adcstown audience last evening that he considered his constituency (Wellington North) the most important in the Dominion, it was situated in the capital city, and its electors included such illustrious persons as the Prime .Minister and the other Ministers of the Crown, lie understood that these gentlemen did not vole for him, lint he had serious thoughts of asking. Kir Joseph Ward to act upon his committee at next election. (Laughter.)

The Labour Department lmve a considerable area of land at Terrace End, about two miles from the Palmerston l'ost Office, which is shortly to bo subdivided into small allotments for workers' dwellings. Yesterday Mr. J. Lomas and Mr. F. ltowley, of the Wellington Office of the Labour Department, went to Pnlmerston to confer with applicants for such dwellings as may bo erected.

Until the renovation of the Stamp Office, which w'as recently gutted by fire, is completed, the business of the office will be transacted in the AVairarapa Farmers' Association building, 011 Lambton Quay. The Commissioner for Stamps (Mr. Corliss) has been accommodated in tho Government Buildings.

A special meeting of the Wellington City Council will be held 011 Tuesday next for the purpose of considering tho report of t'hc City Electrical Engineer (Mr. Stuart Richardson) on the corporation tramways, and also the export of Mr. A. Lo Soeuf on the Zoological Gardens at Newtown Park.

Through their masterful inactivity (says the "AVairarapa Age") the mercantile houses of Wellington are allowing much of the trade of the lower portion of tho North Island to bo diverted to Auckland. It may surprise Wellington merchants to know that orders are now being sent from Masterton to Auckland, because they are delivered with greater expedition than from the Empiro City. Tho railway service, as it affects tho AVairarapa and Forty-Milo Bush districts, is in a chaotic condition. If the merchants of AA'ellington place any value at all upon the trade of the WairaTapa, they will join in the demand for the deviation of the Kimutaka railway, and will use other methods for bringing this resourceful district into closer touch with its natural centre.