LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 32, 1 November 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

During (he hearing of ihe private clubs, restaiirante, and luncheon and lea rooms dispute, before the Arbitration Court yesterday, several waitresses stated that they paid Gs. 6d. and 7s. fid. per week each for thoir rooms, with two girls in a room. 31 r. Justice Stringer characterised this rental aa being absolutely wicked, and t-aid he could hardly credit, that such rentals were charged.

The Wellington petitions in bankruptcy were filed during October, making eight in all since tlio beginning ot tho year. Up to the end of October Inst year live petitions hurt been filed.

A Press Association telegram from Christehurch states that at a public meriting yesterday a committee was sec up to assist tho Salvation Array to raise money for carrying on its work tor Uio benelit of men at tlio front. It was decided that XIO.OM should be tlio aim ot the Canterbury district.

X. man who had enlisted for active service on nine different occasions, and been rejected ns medically unfit each time was before llin Second Canterbury .Military Service Hoard on Thursday Inst. Jio wns Uaymond Scott, a farm manager at Tenipleton, and lin bad been medically c-lnssilled CI on his examination under the ballot. He explained that, after beins' rejected so many times (says u\e "Sun") he had got married, and nail tnken up the management; of a farm of 130 acres. He was appealing because he had been passed only for special CI tram-' ing camp, and it wns doubtful whether ho would get to (ha front after giving .up his position and making what provision lie could for his wife. "I think a man who lias volunteered nine times is entitled to every consideration." commented the chairman (Mr. H. W. Bishop). Tho appeal was adjourned sine die.

Aii inspector, whose duty will include the examination of the credentials of nil men signing on ships ns eenmen, lias been appointed for the port of Auckland. The officer appointed is Sergeant F. 1 , . Quinn. Messrs. A. W. Vlogg. T. Moss, and the secretary (Mr. G. L. Stewart) have been appointed a committee to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the destruction V fire of the Opaki tchool.

Thirty-five births, ten deaths, and five marriages were registered in Masterlon for iho month of October. Tho number of births constitutes a record for the district.

No bankruptcies were recorded in tho Wairarapo during the month of October. The Masterton Borough Council nas (says our special correspondent) been advised that the question of reducing- the fire insurance premiums in Mas.erton is boing considered by the Underwriters Counoil.

At yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Education Board the chairman (Hon. ,T. G. W. Aitken) invited the members of the board to attend a .school fete to be held at tho Brooklyn school on Saturday afternoon next, and to one at the Boseneath School on Saturday week.

Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., at yesterday's meeting of tho , Wellington Education Board, asked what was being done in connection with tho now adjunct to the Woreer Bay school. The chairman (Hon. ,T. G. W. Aitkoii) said that tho board was asking the Department lo find tho money for thorn to go on with the erection of the new school at Seatoun at once.

At the meeting of tho Wellington Education Board yestorday the chairman (Hon. J. G. W. Aitken, M.L.C.) referred to the severe loss Mr. M. H. Penny (of Blenheim), one of the members of the board, had recently sustained in the death of his sou at the front. Mr. Penny had already lost one son when the sad tidings arrived announcing the loss of another of his boys. He could only express his sincere sympathy with Mr. Penny and tho family circlo. Tho ono compensation was tho knowledge that he had offered his lifo to his King and country—the greatest sacrifice any man could make. Mr. Penny, in reply, thanked the chairman for his sympathetic reference to a loss which had been hard to bear. His eon was only another to die doing his duty nobly, as they were all expected to do. His two boys wero typical of hundreds —aye, thousands before the war was through—of the best boys in ihe country —boys who would have been capable of bearing the brunt in building tho history of tho Dominion. He grieved sincerely that so many fair young lives wero being brutally sacrificed because of the falso and wicked ambition of somo sections of mankind.

Old boys of the Wellington College and their friends are reminded that the annual sports will take place to-morrow.