LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 311, 20 September 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Acliiijj-Postniast'er-Geiiera], the Hon. AY. D. S. MacDonalcl, announces that a very small mail—one ' patched from Wellington on April 23 last for the civil pose office, Malta, has been lost at sea through enemy action.

A regulation restricting the business of follmongering by licensees of uieatoxport slaughterhouses is published in a Gazette Extraordinary. The regulation states that it shall not be lawful for the licensee of a meat-export slaughterhouse under the Slaughtering and Inspection Act, 1908, without the consent of the Controller of the Department of Imperial Government Supplies, to receive any sheepskins to be fellmongered by the- licensee, whether on the premises of the meat-export slaughterhouse or elsewhere, or to fellmonger, whether on the said premises or elsewhere, any sheepskins other than the skins of sheep slaughtered on the said premises.

A Gazette Extraordinary contains an announcement abolishing the Third Weiliiigton and the Second Otago Military Service Boards, and revoking the appointments of the members of those boards'.

At a meeting of the Wellington Rod Cross Executive a letter was received from Colonel Moor'houso covering n statement froiu llis Excellency Dio Governor-General in which he stated that Surgeon-General Henderson asked if tho lied Cross would consider the question of the erection of workshops for orthopaedic .treatment. One is to lie started at the consumptive .sanatorium, Hatuma, and it is also proposed to establish functional workrooms at Wanganui Convalescent Homo, Christchureh Surgical Hospital, Masterton Hospital, Dunedin Convalescent Home, Monteeillo, liiveicaigill, and an extension at Hanmor,

The Acting-Prime Minister (Sir Jamns Allen) received a deputation yesterday consisting of a number of representative business men from all parts_of tiie Dominion regarding tlio request that is being made for a settlement of t'i© liqnor question liy a poll on tho issue of immediate prohibition with compensation as recommended by ..the National Efficiency Board. The deputation urged the payment of compensation as a sound" policy for the purpose of making a speedy end of the liquor traffic.

In Wadestoint, as in some other suburbs of Wellington, cattle wander at large. The City Council lias been communicated with, and last night that body decided that the AVadcstown Electors' Association be informed that the return. of impmmdings for tho period Juno to August would show that the ranger could not be charged with not being energetic in carrying out bis duties, and also that the remedy now rested with the stipendiary magistrates.

Tho official notice that tho Taranaki seat in tho House af Representatives has become vaoant appears in this week's Gazette.

Mr. Len M'Kenssie announced yesterday that he would not l>o a candidate for Wellington Central. /War conditions have mado it impossible for him to make- the requisite arrangements for engaging in a political campaign.

A mcetinc of railway men at Easttown workshops yesterday resolved, iu connection with the Wellington Central election, "That the interests otf Labour will be best served by leaving the contest to the selected Labour candidate, Mr. P. J'raser," says a Press' Association message from Wanganui.

In tho Divorce Court yesterday morning His Honour tho Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) heard the undefended case of Mary Francos Atkinson v. Harry Temple Atkinson for dissolution of marriage on the ground of constructive desertion. Mr. )L\ Myers, v--lio appeared for the petitioner, stated that the latter had been granted leave by tho Court to prove her case by affidavit, she being at present resident in lingland. The parties were married in 1905, aii'l lived together in Hawara, where the respondent practised as a barrister and solicitor. In 1909 the respondent's health broke down, and in 1911 petitioner went to England with her father, who had practically supported her since her marriage. She returned to Now Zealand in 1913, -but in the following year returned to England, and had been there ever since, and during that time her lrasband had i.ot written to her and had not supported her with reasonable maintenance. His Honour granted a rule nisi, to bo mado absolute in three months.

A mass meeting of railwaymen was held on Tuesday at the railway workshops, Eastow.i, Wanganui, to discuss the discrepancy that oxists between tho wages received and the amount or money necessary to support dependants. Tho following motion was carried: "That in view of the still increasing cost of-the necessaries of life, which the National Government seems unable or unwilling to check, combined with the decreased purchasing power of money, we are now in such a position as to bo uuablo to supply_ our families with actual necessities. Wβ are therefore compelled to ask for an immediate increase in pay of not less than 2s. per clay." This has been forwarded to the executive of the A.S.K-.S. for presentation to the Acting-Premier.

At 11.15 a.m. on Tuesday next, at the Normal School, Phillip Lawranco Hunt, the youth who so gallantly attempted the rescue of 0.P.0. Sandalls off Ngahauranga on December 16 last, will bo presented by Captain HallTliomnson with the silver medal and certificate of the Australian branch of the Boyal Huraano Society.

In connection with tho discussion on tin* standard space per pupil at tto Education Board's meeting on Wednesday, it should l)o made clear tiiat the fl'paco (12ft. square) is not computed on air space (which would bo cubic measure), but on floor space.

The scerotary of the Wnr Relief Association of Wellington has received a loiter from tho lion, organiser , of tho Fruit mid Vegetable Fund, Sydney, which assists the women and children dependent upon Australian soldiers and snilors on active service. In tlie euur.«4 of his letter the secretary Bays: As an earnest war worker, I must congratulnlo the New Zealand authorities on the handsome way in which your soldiers nnd their dependants are treated. It is a source of regret to me that our Australian soldiers and their dependants do not receive anything like tho same treatment. You will understand my feelings in this respect when I tell you that tho maximum amount which a- wife with seven children can receive here, including tho assistance from the Patriotic Fund, is only £3 los. 3d. per week, and there is no provision for the insurance of her husband or for help of any other kind beyond what she receives from tho fund under my oontrol."

In return for theatre courtesies received from Mr. Allen Doone, the scholars of the Marisf Brothers' Schools in Wellington entertained the, actormanager and the members of his company at the Grand Opera House yesterday afternoon Tho entertainment consisted of songs, choruses, recitations, and calisthenic exercises, and v-as thoroughly enjoyed by all present.

Trooper Claud Cos, of Johnsonvtlle, writing from Palestine, says: "I was standing beside Lieutenant Frank Moore when he was struck by -ragments of a bursting shell in tho last hot encounter. Hot corners are common here. In one gully the ground was strewn with dead Turks when wo advanced on the enemy position. Irooper Reg. Ball, of Johnsonville, is now in Palestine."

Plans of proposed subdivisions of property in Humber Street (Island Bay) and in'Moxham Avenue were rejected by the City Council last evening on the around that the sections should each have not less than 40ft. of frontage. A proposal to subdivide land in Glenbervie Terrace was not approved, as it was conßidored generally unsatisfactory.

• The Finance Committee made the following recommendation to tho City Council last evening: "That the _ City Solicitor be authorised to obtain a declaratory judgment of the Supremo Court upon his interpretation or the National Provident Fund Amendment Act with ; respect to the payment ot corporation employees' contributions to the superannuation fund during service with the Expeditionary Forces.

The Finance Committee reported to the City Council last evening that they had considered tho request to the couucil that the subsidy of £200 granted to the Wellington Boys' Institute- last Tear for the maintenance of the tepid bath bo renewed for this current year, and regretted that they could not recommend that the. request be acceded to owing to funds not being available for the purpose. , In reference to a statement regarding tho War Scholarship Fund mado by "W.H.0." (Dannovirko) in a letter appearing in our issue of September 14, we are requested to state—(l) Iho Trenthnm Scholarship Fund was organised twelve months before Dr. IticUlcJl knew of it, and subscriptions have been received from all narts of the Dominion. (2) When Dr. Eiddell been me acquainted with the nature and scope oi tho fund ho very kindly volunteered to promulgate an art union in aid ot it. (8) His generous offer was gladly accepted, and has been cordially appreciated by tho trustees of the fund, as also those who were taking an interest in the matter before Dr. Riddfill suggested tho art union. (<l) Owing k> its national character, it has never been intended to associate any individual name with tho fund, which is, and will so remain, designated the Trentham Scholarship Fund.