LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 187, 27 April 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The I'ire Brigade received a call at G.lo ■ last evening to Ihe Koyal Hotel, Euju.utun.Quay. On the first iloor a lire had broken out in a clipboard, (he contents of which wore destroyed. A thirteen-year-old boy named Alfred Tairhurst llailwuod, whose parents reside at Wadestown, died suddenly at his home on Thursday evening. Jle had been playing football in (he. afternoon, and returned home complaining of pain in the head, lie died a few hours later. An inquest will be held on Monday. The Government Statistician advises that since the. publication of the Gazette of April 25 evidence lias been produced to him Unit Frank-Charlton, dork,, of 11 Manly Terrace, who was called up from Class B for Group ,1, had previously enlisted for the Expeditionary Force,' but was not accepted. Evidence has also been -supplied (hat Percy William Barnes, Queen's Toad, Lower Hutt, called up in Class '!!, for District 5, is identical with 11/322 Tercival Barnes, who went away with the Main Body, and has since been returned and discharged medically unfit, lie is therefore not a reservist within the meaning of the Military Service Act, HUG. Some of the resolutions passed by the Council of Education at its February meeting reached the College Governors at yesterday's meeting. One directly affecting the appointment of teachers in secondary schools is expected to give rise to comment. The council decided: "That while the appointment of teachers in primary, secondary, and technical schools by ono controlling body would make for unity of purpose, better co-ordination of work, and would provide a wider outlook for teachers, there is no controlling body as at present constituted that could be entrusted with this power of appointment, and that (he matter l;e deferred, for further consideration." This, it was agreed, was tantamount to advocating that the power of appointing teachers in all such schools referred to should be vested in the Council of-Edu-cation, a course which boards of governors throughout Kew Zealand were, hardly likely to agree to. Several . Wellington men holding responsible positions with institutions and business companies, and in some cases principals of firms, have been called up in connection wil.li the first .ballot of the Class B (married men with one child) men. As a consequence there has during the last day or two been a good deal of hard thinking on the part of those likely to suffer by the loss of the services of such men, and from what can be gathered tho Military Appeal Boards will be set an entirely now. set of problems to solve when they sit in Wellington in connect on with- tne heavy crop of appeals that is likely to be made. There is, 100, a deal of .speculation iii.tlio city as to what proportion of the 10,000 15 men already balloted will pass the severe medical test I hat is now being made as tho result of so many men, apparently fit, who. aftiir nionlhs of training here and in England, linvo been turned down as unlit lor. active military service abroad. The committee elected /for the Alfrodton School is as follows:—Messrs. A. .T. Hutherford (chairman), C. Cross, J. Thrupp, W. Ciranthnni, C. Smith, and T. Taylor '(schoolmaster, secretary). A German named John Givdnv Carl Smyrek pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., thai, being an alien, lie failed to register under the Alien's Registration Act. When asked by Plain-clothes Constable Black for his registration papers he said ho was an alien and had been reporting to the police during the past three years. He professed ignorance as to the requirements of the Aliens Act, although he was living with another foreigner who had registered.. He did not know.he had to register as well as.report himself to the police. '.He was 'fined 405., in default, seven/ .days'' imprisonment:

Tho foundation-stone of tho ''Lower Flutt Presbyterian Chu.rchroom is to l>c laid this afternoon bv tho Hon. J, G. W. Ailken, M.L.C., Moderator of the General Assembly of (lie Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. The new churchroom is being built in Woburn "Road, and will bo used by the Presbyterians residing in the southern part of tho Ilutt. It is being built in wood, and will have a tile roof. The interior is lo bo finished in. stained woodwork. Seating accommodation is being provided for about 2Afl people, and there are two classrooms for tho Siißilay School. Mr. M. Upton is the contractor and the plans were prepared by Mr. W. Gray Young.

A number of ]«i(lies, r with Mrs. E. TT. Hiley as spokeswoman, waited on the Ho-perves-Committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon to inquire whether it would be possible to secure a sufficient •area of ground for the purpose of laying down croquet lawns. They were prepared to pay ground rent up to perhaps ns much as .£73 per annum, if their wishes could be met. The Reserves Committee decided (hat it would visit the park nml ask their oificiiils to prepare a report on tlie proposition to see whether it is at all feasible,; in view of the space limitations Anderson Park presents. The Wellington Land Hoard spent practically' the whole of yesterday morning dealing with applications from returned soldiers settled on the land for financial assistance. The applications were made in accordance with the legislation passed during th'i recent short session of Parliament.

A family quarrel resulting in assault was ventilated in tlie Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr. S. B. M'Carthy, S.M., wiien Reginald John Downing, for whom Mr. J. J. M'Grath appeared., proceeded against Villiclm Jensen, represented by 3!r.'l'.'W. Jackson, for assault. Ii was stated that the complainant, who is a son-in-law of'ths defendant, had been assaulted in Willis Strict without provocation, and Hint the defendant used obscene language. The defendant admitted striking tbo comphiim'.nt. and staled that complainant, besides sayi::;/ a good many objectionable things about '.'. '.< defendant, "had said he (defendant'! ■•*us a German. When accosted oa 'hi>\ ilie complainant said, "So you didi'"' 'ike it?" The defendant denied using ob.-ccio language. The Magistrate hohfrliai the evidence proved that defendant km; used obscene language, ami he had no right lo take the law into his own haiuk As a Justice of the Peace he oti'hi to have known better. Defendant was iiit-al J:10 and costs.

Negotiations have, been proeeedin;; between (he Labour Department and local' trade unions in reference (o the proposed curtailment of the amount of fees to be paid lo assessors on Conciliation Councils. The original idea of the Department was assessors' travelling expenses should lis paid only while tin assessor was in (he industrial district in which the dispute wiis being heard, unless a recommendation lo the contrary was forwarded by the Commissioner, who was lo bo guided by certain considerations. It is understood that (his has been slightly modified, but: it is not .yet regarded as Miti.ifiii'tcry from I lie unions' viewpoint. The unions claim that thov should have (he right to bring .at (ho Department's expense nl least one man from oulside Hie district concerned, and they have framed a regulation which would suit their ca.se. This will be placed before'the Premier' (Right iron; W. I'. Massey), who is Minister nf Lab-,, our, by a deputation which w;ill wait upon liim this morning.

A foreigner named John Shultman, n senium) on «n oversea vessel, was chnrge<l in Hie Magistrate's Court Yo--(crdnv, before Mr. S. K. M'Carlhy, S.M., with unlawfully absenting himself from his ship. Mr. A. W. Blair, who appeared forthe' owners of the ship, in asking for a remand for n week, said he did not think ihe man intended to desert, as he conic back to the ship ' Hie next day. The man seemed to be'very much .worried nboiiit his people, who wcro living in Riga, Russia, and this appeared lo have affected his mind. He had thrown himself overboard,, and had done queer things,' such as wash "his fate . iii tar. lis.was remanded for a week for medU cal observation and treatmoiit,

Bcforo dispersing for the half-hotjday on Ansae Day tho pupils of the Woreor Bay School paraded in the school ground for the purpose of nuying ■tribute to the flag. The salute was followed bv the bulging of the National Anthem, and a short address was given bv the chairman of tho School Committee (Mr. AY. Steven-). Jn the course of his remarks the 'chairman outlined tho meaning of Ihn word "Auzac," and also the composition of the lliitish flag. In referring to St. George's Cross, Mr. Steven told the children how St. George had - destroyed the dragon, and how the Allies to-oy were fighting to destroy a more terrible dragon thai, with its claws already implanted in Trance and Belgium, was endeavouring to ravage the whole world. The proceedings terminated with three hearty cheers for tho heroes of Gallipoli. A meeting organised by the Protestant Political Association wifs held in King George's Theatre, Lower llnt>, last night. Councillor J. Bra-well presided, and about 1000 people were present. Addresses were delivered by the Kev. Howard Elliott and Mr. ii. J. Harford.-The meeting was a most enthusiastic one. The addresses covered much the same matter 11s that dealt with at similar meetings held recently in Wellington. The Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, at its last meeting, passed fhe following resolution-. "That it is the confirmed opinion of the Wellington Union of the Amalgamated Carpenters' and. Joiners .that no. conscript ion of labour for the purpose of national efficiency can be. considered- in any way satisfactory if it does not provide for the. adequate representation of organised labour in the administration of the Act." . Tor general information it is notifiod that the oflico of the Tegistrar of Tensions is being removed from the Wellesley Club Huildings, Teatherston Street, totiio Government Insurance Buildings, in Urandon as from Monday next, I'ensiuns payable to old-age pensioners, war pensioners, „;\»d widow pensioners will in future be paid in the new offices, which aro located opposite the Defence Office..:. . ■ ■ • . It does not appear to be known generally that a soldier in England may operate upon his account in the Tost Office Savings Bank without any trouble, says the Auckland "Star." All he has to do is to apply to the High Commissioner through his military headquarters for a remittance. The Jliah Commissioner then cables to (lie Tost Office Savings Hank in New Zealand, and the. remit-, tiince is immediately dispatched by cable. If a soldier should cable personally- to the Department a remittance cannot be. forwarded because of the question of identification.

illustrating what a fall in the rate of exchange between Britain and the United Stales means, Air. J. it. Frascr, in a lecture to the Auckland Society of Accountants, quoted some striking figures. He pointed out that with the pre-war rate of 'I.BU dollars for Ji\, the sum of itlCO would purchase 4SB dollars' worth of American goods. Now, witli the exchange rate down to -l.Tti dollars for the M llio same amount of English money would purchase only -17C dollars' worth, thus increasing the cost of American goods to British consumers. During the three years to the end of 1917 the United States exported goods to the value of J.'1G,0(IO,OflO,000 in excess of 'imports. The majority of this vast quantity went to Britain, and, owing to the fall in the exchange rate, the, British were paying an extra sixpence in each pound's worth, ns. compared .with pre-war rales, for which they received no vahic.. The total siim thus lost to Britain was approximately -.£100.000,000.

When supporters of the National Uovprnnssnt in the course of the Wellington North campaign declared that the election of Rii avowed anti-conscription candidate would be playing into the hands of the Huns, who would make the most of the faot in the. Press to hearten up the German people, they were laughed at by their opponents. The- following abstract from "Land and Water" of an article- in tho "Jvolnische Volkszeitung" on the rejection by Australia of compulsory military .servico .is in the circumstances worth noting: "It conies," says tho latter paper, "at a very inopportune time for Great Britain,coinciding as it does with Pussia's defection and just when the Entente has need of new troops , in the lighT.qf the' forthcoming German offensive. Great Britain'has'iiothihg leftbut'to'ihake''up tlio deficit out of Iter'own' resources, This'means a;further' with" drawal of'men from'industry, which will' •still further_ weaken Great Britain's position. This, however," it adds, "will not bo ~the only political result. Tho Australian decision mii'st inevitably have :i detrimental'effect on the whole British Empire. 'From the first there was no great inclination to comply with Britisa wishes regarding military service. It is not to be supposed that the other Dominions will take much .trouble about questions of military service. This applies especially to Canada. Here, indeed, the law has been adopted, but the minority is very strong, and has declared that it will'not obey. There'is ii> doubt that the Canadian minority, which' is composed of the French-Canadians, will be confirmed in their intention.-, by the -decision of the Commonwealth."