LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2999, 9 February 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

"You will lose money if- you send Customs oxaminors to the front," said a witness before the third Wellington Military Servico Board yesterday. "Better to lose money than to lose the war," interrupted the military representative (Captain Baldwin). "Yes," retorted the witness, "if you can carry on without monoy." There was no reply' to this. _ Vital statistics for tho four chief cities of the Dominion iu 1916 are gazetted. The population of tho cities is given as follows: —Auckland, 104,166: Wellington, 80,223; Christchurcli, 71,166; Dunedin, 64,185. In. every case the population of suburban boroughs is included, and for Wellington Petone and Hutt are not considered suburbs, and are not included. Wellington has the highest birth rate, 24.31, and tho lowest death rate, 9.45. A Gazetto Extraordinary was is.wed last.night containing ah Order-in-Coun-cil by which tho exportation of wheat., oats, and other cerealSj and also of Hour oatmeal, crushed oats, rolled oats, and similar preparations is prohibited, save with tho consent of the Minister of Customs. "There is a growing impression that the City Council is not fulfilling its obligations to tho members of the corporation staff who enlisted,'.' said Councillor J. E. Fitzgerald at tho City Council last evening. He asked 'the Mayor if ho would repeat a statement on this subject which he had made at a previous meeting. Tho Mayor did so, saying that .the employees of the council who had donned tho khaki had their military pay mado up ;to tho level lof their civilian pay. In addition, 'tho wives got 7s'. a week. Sinco the Government liad njade an allowance of ninepence a day for every child, tho council had made deductions accordingly. Some of tho men were gotting £1 a week more than if they were still in the omploy of the council. A ballot is to be taken by the Labour Representation C'ommitteo on Saturday for the selection of eight Labour candidates for the City Council elections. The voting will tako place at • the Trades Hall, commencing at 10 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m. A settlement has been reached in tbe Met'al Workers' Assistants' dispute, which was considered by tho Conciliation Council recently. The council adjusted most of the points, and tho union has now closed the case by acoepting a- proposal for Is. 4d. per hour, in plao.B of tho present rates of Is. 2d. and Is. 3d., with a war bqhus of 10 per cent. A request that the municipal band should bo sont' to Island Bay some Sundays .was made by Councillor .1!. A. Wright at tho City Council last ovouing. In reply tho Mayor said that ho thought that tho request was fair. Tho Wellington Chamber of Commerco has received tile following telegram from the Hon. J. Allon, Minister of Defence:—"Your letter of February 6 ro Territorial camps received. It is noted that your chamber does not endorse tho resolution passed by tho Napier chamber, so far as it relatos to the advisability of not hoding tho camps. In order that employers may not ho caused any groat incpnvcnienee, arrangements havo 'been mado for the camps to bo spread over a period of four months, Fobruary to May, oven into June, if necessary. Employers should therefore arrange with tho local Defence office regarding tho dates on which they wish their men to bo called into canip. Tho Defenco Department will do everything possible to meet' the wishes of the employers in this matter, and I trust tho arrangements made will bo to your satisfaction." ' In reply to a question by Councillor Godber at the City Council last evening, the Mayor; said ho hoped that money would soon be sufficiently cheap for t.iie oouncil to in for building workmen's homos for its employees. Tho' Ricc-arton Buslv (just out of Christchurcli) is to be formally opened to tho public by His Excellency tho Governor on February 24. The Government Analyst's report on fifty-six samplos of milk taken by tho City Milk Inspector was presented to tho City Council last night. It was shown "that forty-four of tho samples wero all right. Of tho other twelve, cloven wero not fresh, and ono contained 16.5 per cent, of added water. In six cases prosecutions wero instituted, in fivo warnings were given, and m ono inquiries were mads as to the handling of the milk.

"Cornwall Street)" which one half of Jlllrhty, Roberts, aujl Co.'s big new wool storo on the Waterloo Quay reclamation will face, will bo an addition to tho nomenclature of Wellington sti'oets. it is tho name of the lad who so heroically stuck to his post during tho Battle of Jutland, and though mortally wounded continued to transmit orders until tho groatost sea fight of modern times was elided. Tlio lad died subsequently, and fras given a monster funeral. Among those who forwarded a floral tribute was Admiral Boatty. A valuable contribution to tho Returned Soldiers' Club, in the shapo of a piano, given by tho Bristol I'iano Co., was reported at tho mooting of tlio committee held yesterday, Clio value of tho instrument Ts upwards of £"0, and as for somo ttnio past two pianos liavo been lont by tho Bristol Piano C'o. free of all ehargos, tileir donation may bo said to ropresont £100. The committee passed a special voto of thanks to the donors for thoir handsoiuo gift. ' The following contributions to tbo various war relief funds havo boen received by the Under-Secrotary lor Internal Affairs: —Belgian .Relict Fund, £250,846 12s. 4d.; New Zealand Comforts Fund,- £54,540 3s. 3d.; Red Cross Fund, £73,054 15s.;' Russian Jewish War Belief Fund, £77, Is. (id.; Munitions Fund, 10s.; London l.ord Mayor's Belgian Appeal Fund, £113 10s. (id.; Belgian Children's Christinas Appeal Fund, i£4541 4s. 7d.; Belgians in England .Relief Fund, £1061 10s.; Queen Alexandra Fund, £400; British Navy Belief Fuud, £91,388 2s. 9d.; Serbian Belief Fund, £15,119 Bs. (id.; relish Belief Fund. £392 4s. Od.j Russian Prisoners' Tteliel' Fund, £55 155.; Allies' Relief F'und, £2152 ss. 7d.; Brinee of Wales Fuud, £3811 Bs. lOd.; New Zealand War Belief Fund, £11,913 §s. Id.; Enemy Prisonors' Belief Fund, £11 10s.; Noiv Zealand Expeditionary Forces Tobacco Fund, £16 135.; "Chronicle's" N.Z. Expeditionary 1 orco Fund, 10s.; St. Dunstan's Hospital Fund £265 10s.; Salvation Army Belgian Appeal Fund, 10s.; Christmas Dinner Fund, 10s.; Overseas Club tobacco Fund, £1054 19s. 3d.; Belgian Children's Fund, £422 13s. lOd.; Prisoners' Relief Fund, £31; Regimental Funds, £200.

Harden up and get as near as possible to coming within tho estimates,, was the advice of the /Mayor to the City Council last evening. Mr. Luke said that it was impossible now to close the year within the estimates, but they should go as little in exccss as possible, As eight per cent, of the City's outgoings was in wages, the increased expenditure would be largely accounted for by the fact that tho employees' wages had been increased to tho oxtcnt of a ten per cent, war bonus. The Mayor added that tho council would have to put the curb on some people who were pressing to get work done at the present time. A request for a lift to carry Kosencath people fron) tho level of, Oriental Bay (near tho quarry) in; a couplo.of inimitos to Crescent Iload was mado by Roseneath residents to tho City Council last evening, and was supported by the Hataitai Electors' Association. Replying to tho deputation, the Mayor said that prior to the war the intention was to run motor buses round to llosoneatb. from Courtenay Place, via liawker Street.. Howevor, oven if the proposed 1 lift scheme wero favoured, tho council would not bo able to get the labour or the money for the work. Tho matter would receive consideration. The City Council has decided to havo six buildings in the City condemned. Four of them are stables. By Order-m-Council the Government has consented to tho raising by tho Foxton Harbour Board of a loan of £16,000. Tho maximum rate of interest prescribed is 5} per cent. The Postmaster-General notifies iu the Gazette that letters or packets addressed to W. Bishop, 05 Dixon Street, Wellington, will not be delivered, nor will mouey orders be issued iu his favour. At last evening's session of tho Master Plumbers' Conference, Mr. Charles W. Mack, M.1.H.V.E., read an interesting paper dealing with the danger From" fire made possible by hot water and heating pipes. In the course of a technical examination of the question he said that fires arising from the direction of tho hot water pipes wore mostly caused through defective brickwork of the ohimneys, which through age, becomes greatly decayed, much of tbe mortar coining apart from tho bricks, leaving intereises for the flames to penetrate. Messrs. Longmore and Co. offered at pnblio auction on Wednesday a number of properties on behalf of- tho Public Trustee, and sold the property situated Duncan Terrace, Kilbirnie, for £825. The „other properties, situated at tho Hutt, Childors Terrace, Kilbirnio, juid tho two houses in .Martin Square, also vacant sections in Mein Street, not reaching the reserve prices, were passed in and are now in the hands of Loiigmoro and Co. for private sale. Tho silent flexibility of the Hudson Super Six is a thing to marvel at. This car is without exception.' the most silent car. on tho road. Correct balanco and weight distribution, together ' with a coach-built body and an ideal springing system make the Hudson. Super Six tho easiest riding ear on N.Z. roads. The Dominion Motor Yob idea have the latest model on view at G5 Courtenay Place, and will bo pleased to demonstrate to youi if you will call, 'phone, or write them.—Advt.