LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2550, 26 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities advise that tho ] s.s. Wiminera, which is due from ] Hobart on Friday, is bringing Austra- ( liaiv mails only. ] It is understood that another fall in j tlio price of flour is imminent. _ Tlio Canadian harvest of wheat-is said to | havo ueen a very good one, and it is stated that in about two months from now it will be possible to land flour in New Zealand fiom Vancouver at a prico , considerably below tho present selling - price—£ls per ton f.o.b. in the south. Preparations are also being made in Now South Wales to handle a 00,000,000- j bushel crop, which should also lielp to bring the price of flour down to a reas- < onable figure. "I regret that it is not possible to I comply with this request," said the : Minister of Railways yesterday in reply to,a request that freo tickets over ] the railways should be given to re- i turned soldiers for the first three : .months after their return to New Zea- ] land. "The transport of returned sol- < diers to their homes is arranged for by the Defence Department," said Mr. . Herries, "but it is quite impracticable , to give a- large number' of men free , ■travel over the railways subsequently. . Tlio Government has decided 1o < amend the regulations to provide f>'.r teleplwc exchanges with from 30 1o ( 50 subscribers to be kept open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., instead of from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., conditionally upon every subscriber agreeing to pay an additional fee of £1 per annum. There is a- probability that some friendly societies in New Zealand may find themselves in difficulties to the demands made upon them in respect , of their members who return from the war wonnded or sick. Mr. W. A. Veitch asked tlio Minister in charge,of Friendly Societies (the Hon. J. A. Hanan)" if the Government proposed to help the' Friendly Societies in this matter. Mr. Hanan replied: "The ques-, tion of abnormal sick expenditure m friendly societies on account of tlieir. members on active service is one for tlio societies thenislves to deal with. The Government proposes to amend tlie Friendly Societies Act in order to allow the societies in New Zealand tlio same - measure of freedom in dealing with these allowances as is granted by the British Act." The difficulty which soldiers on active service find in getting envelopes and writing paper has bee>n made clear by tho many ingenious methods adopted to supply the need. In Parliament last week Mr, R. Fletcher suggested that a number of addressed envelopes should bo issued to the troopers beforo thoy left New Zealand. Replying to the suggestion yesterday tho Minister of Defence (the Hon. J. Allen) said that he did not think the arrangement suggested would bo satisfactory. _ Ho bad already advised, and still advised, all those who were writing to soldiers at the front to enclose in their letters an addressed envelope and a sheet of two of writing paper.... This had proved to be of tho greatest iiouvenience, and he honed tho advico would be followed;. In Parliament yesterday the Minister of Education (the Hon. _J. A. Hanan), in reply to a question, said the Education Act of last session already removes the competitive element "from scholarship examinations, a common standard of attainment to he readied in examination being now substituted therefor. All who reach tlio standard, to be declared, from year to year, and who are otherwise eligiblo, will receive scholarships irrespective - of the fact that others, are above them on tho list. In future no pupil by obtaining a scholarship will debar another, who also qualifies, from securing a. similar privilege. The executive of the Harbours Association has 'postponed the Harbours Conference till 1916, and of the remits forwarded by the Wellington Harbour Board those previously adopted by the conference will be forwarded to tlie Government, together -with recommendations embodying the principles of certain other remits not yet formally dealt with by tho. conference. , • Beforo the. present session comes to an end the matter of making a grant to honorary mombers of tho National Government for a house allowance will bo considered by the Government. : Messrs. J. E. Fitzgerald and J. Lewis, as a deputation representing the Patriotic Society, waited on the Postmaster- - General yesterday_ with a request that parcels of advertising matter relating to tW more-men scheme should .'be carried free through the post. In his reply Sir Joseph Ward indicated that there was a terrific, amount of work going through tho Post Office, and tlie limit had been nearly reached. If the free postage was to be confined to bundles, and if tho postmasters, in'the different centres did not have to distribute circulars, it was a different matter, and something might be done. He promised to make further inquiries, and also to inquire further ■ whether the society could bo granted free registration oil' letters connected 1 witih' the Patriotio Fuuds. "Accounts with' the Government for reclamation work done by the Wellington IJarbour Board, at Pipitea- Point • have been satisfactorily settled, and the final payment of £11,500 mado by tlio ! Public Works Department," the chairman of tho Harbour Board reported last evening. Replying to a question in Parliament yesterday, the Prime Minister said that | it was not proposed to repeal the Legis- ; lativo Council Act, but a necessary ' amendment would bo submitted to Parliament at; a later dato. An ex-ship's steward, named William ' Fraser, appeared before Mr. D. G. A. 1 Cooper, S.M., in tho Magistrate's Court ' yesterday charged with the theft of a ' number of pillow-slips, sheets, tablecloths, etc., of a total value of £5 lis., ; tho property of "the Union Steam Ship , Companv. Inspector Hendrey explained • that the thefts had apparently been i committed from various ships accused had been employed on. The articles mentioned in the information, along with other articles from ■ other ships, ' had been found in a room in town occupied by accused. Fraser had no previous convictions against him, and_ in--1 deed in all his discharges lie was given ' a good character. Tho Magistrate re--1 marked tfyat accused had apparently car- ! riea on a systematic course of thieving. : 'As ;t -was his first offence he would ho ■ given tii6 benefit of a fine. Ho would be , fined £10, with an alternative of two ■ months' imprisonment. Replying to a question in the House ' of Representatives yesterday regarding . the advisability of the Government tak- > ing action to racing m New ZcaI land, the Prime Minister said that he was of opinion that tho authorities con- : trolling raciug in Now Zealand would i not in "accordance with public sentiment, and that there was no need at present ; for tho Government to interfere. John Mills Ross, commission agent at Hastings, has filed a petition in ; bankruptcy. Tho Minister of Defence (the Hon. J. ; Allon), in reply to Dr. A. It. Newman, stated in tlio House of Representatives yesterday that he was not ordering a thousand horses for Trentham. Horses are kept in tho remount depot some ! miles away from camp till required in' i tho lilios. When in tlie lines, ho was advised, tho Ji'orsos wero sufficiently . separated from the camp' site. Chevrolet—Whereas Chevrolet cars are . equipped with enclosed overhead valves, . let all people know that it necessarily . follows that these cars combine lower , fuel consumption, less heating, less carbon deposit,. more power than any* other ' car on the of engine considered. To obtain proof it is only neces--1 sary to visit the Dominion Motor Vehicles I Garage, 65 Courtcnay Place, and 41-18 . .Tory Street,—Adv>-

A petition in reference to the weekly lialfjioliday question in Auckland from 84-1 shopkeepers of the city and suburbs, was presented to tlie House to-day by Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont). The petitioners state that they havo suffered gravo financial lose through the compulsory closing of their shops 011 Saturday afternoon, and. they besecch tho ' Houso to pass legislation making tho day of the half-holiday optional. They • emphasised tho fact that after wore than two years' trial wo havo proved tho said Act a hopeless failure, and ruinous to hundreds of shopkeepers." Tho petition was referred direct to tlio Labour Bills Committee. , Tiie hearing of tho Wellington drapery trade dispute was concluded in tlio Court of Arbitration yesterday. Tho Court reserved its decision. The net proceeds of tho demonstration and burlesque football match held at Napier last Saturday in aid of tho Wounded Soldiers' Fund is £140. Mr. H. Latham, a prominent member of tho Napier 30.000 Club, organised"the wholo affair, and collected sufficient to pay expenses, so that all tlio gate money received was given to'the fund. A first consignment of 90 tons of steel for piles for the Pipitea Wharf is due to arrive by the Tongariro. nest month, and tlio Harbour Board's engineer proposes to start pile-making immediately on receipt of the material. At the Napier Court on Monday next Stanley Ellis, of Hamilton, who recently knocked a little girl down with his motor-car, causing fatal injuries, will appear to answer a charga of manslaughter. The Wellington Harbour Board deoided recently to make certain shelter provision for its workmen. At last : evening's meeting of the board, the 'chairman stated that a floor had been placed in tho shelter room, and heating apparatus had been installed.- ~ "The board," remarked tho chairman, "has taken a pride in tho past in making its men comfortable, and now they will be more comfortable than ever." A meeting of the sub-committee in regard to Now Zealand sending more men to the war was held yesterday afternoon, when t!he following resolution was adopted unanimously:—"That representations bo to the Prime Minister as to the necessity for including won en in the National Register, seeing that if further drafts aro made upon the men it ,is essential to know what womhi} are available to fill their places." Arrangements were made to report to the members of the deputation at an early date, with a view to proceeding with tho formation of the proposed league to expedite audi extend the organisation of the people of New Zealand for the purpose of taking our full share in the <-Cfeuce of the Empire and tiio prosecution, of the war. This incident is told in print at thd Bluff: —He went to sleep on the Bluff railway station. Poor fellow, lie had a busy day. He had gone- from one hotel to another, and was a long, . long thirsty journey between. Eventually, when he had seen four hotels and been, politely refused any further refreshment, he located the middlo railway station for a rest. There were three railway stations, and ho had considerable difficulty in finding .his way to the middle, ono. He sat down on ono of the many seats oh tho platform. Ho could not make out why there should bo moro stations than one, and so he pondered 011 iflie problem until ho fell sound asleep. While he peacefully slumbered, some wags got to work and plastered him with labels.- One boot was consigned to Dunedin and the other to Christchurck. One wing went to Oropuki, aud tlie other stretched awayto Kingston. Across tfie bridge of his none there could be only one labelGore. Finally, across his waistcoat were placed the significant directions—"Excess." "Ihvercarccill," and "Rotura Empty." ' Mr. H-: J. Lea Wright, New Zealand representative of the Eastern Extension Cable Company, wishes to rect a- statement.sent in by the Central Chamber of Commerce in connection .with an informal chat 110 gavo tlio ■members oil cablo matters. Mr. -Wrightstates that it was incorrect to say that his company was handling diers' cable messages free of cost. They are handling cablegrams sent to wounded soldiers through -the Government free of cost, and had been doing so sinco tho outbreak of tlie_ war. . Referring to the reductions in the cost of cable transmission, 110 states that- it - is ono of tli© few tilings that have btjen reduced in price. The cost was a matter of the speed at which a cable could be worked. When one of our cables was laid down about twelve years ago its capacity was only 46 words per minute, now it was 110 words pel minute, thanks to patent dev.ces ifaai have smce been invented. One speaker at tho meeting of Cuba Street shop-keepers, held yesterday morning, to discuss the tramway service a? it affected them, suggested the adoption iu Wellington of the American system of transfers. By this means a person is able to drop -off one car ' and travel by another without paying an extra fare. ' For instance,, were liio system adapted here a passenger cocld travel citywards along Courteaay, Place, and transfer at Winder's Corner to a Cuba Street car or at tho herb Betel corner to .an TJpper Willi;) .Street car. What was not pointed rut was tho fact that tho level 5 cent' ('2',-tl./ faro charged in most of tho tramway sj r.tems of alone makes the transfer system possible. In that country one pay 5 cents to travel one block or ton miles Hero wo havo the penny ("2 cent.*) scct-ional .system, which 'orobablv "::,c-etf tho public demands bettjr than c live] fare of S-Jd.-for an anylonath ride, ■ Tlie question of offering a reward for the discovery and development of deposits of molybdenite, sclieelite, and other ores from which tungsten (used, in the. toughening of special steel) is obtained, is at present under tlie consideration -of the. Government. "I don't know that I'm particularly interested in this sprinkler business," said ono of Wellington's architects who was present at the screening of tho fireprevention picture, "The Locked I'oor, ■ at the King's Theatre yesterday afternoon.' "This sprinkler is not much good for us architects," which is just about as good an advertisement as tlio t«rmr.ell sprinkler could desire.