LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 205, 24 May 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tf declared a clean ship the troopship Paparoa will berth at No. .1 Glasgow Wharf at 11 o'clock tills morning.

"The last houses erected under Hie Workers' Dwellings Act are six just completeil, of five rooms each, at lvilbiruie, The average cost of tyiese is .tfiOft per dwelling, and .£l2O per'section, while administration is total JITIO, on which the total instalments, calculated at B.J per cent.,.including maintenance and all other charges, are nearly M 3. By way of comparison of' Ihe purchasers' instalments on workers' with the rents charged by private owners for similar dwellings in the same locality,' I might mention that in Wellington our five-roomed wooden dwellings range frcm ,1&. in 11112 lo 24?. .Id. in 1019 per week (including rales, insurance, <\nc] mainterinnce), while the rents charged for such houses privately were about 255. bffore the war and 1)0.-. at the present time. A particular example is' at our I.yall Bay settlement, for instance, built in llllfi, where the total instalments, calculated as before, are 2.15., lfld., and thin house would have brought about 3fls. pej .week in rent at that time." —Mr. V. W Rowley 'Secretary for Labour), in a paper" read to the Town-planning Conference yesterday.

Sir James Allen has been advised of the following details of New Zealand Forces in the United .Kingdom and France:—Strength in France, Sf; in United Kingdom, 1313; patients in hospital in the 'IniilQ'l Kingdom, 1707; married men with wives and families in the United Kingdom. 1'25-J: nurses and Bed Cross workers to be evacuated, 185. Silica the armistice '2:1.-tfi7 men have been evacuated from Fngland.— Assn.

On 'Monday morning the civil cases to be heard by judge ami jury will be taken in the Supreme Court. "

"Apples are going to be very dear this winter;' 1 said a city retail fruiterer to a Dominion reporter yesterday. ''Despite what the growers are saying about the poor retain, the latest quotation received this week from Hastings for good dessert apples was 12s. Gd. per case there, and Nelson could do nothing hotter than 10s. Gd. per case. Jonathans are still to be bought in the shops for M. per lb., but it is the fog end of the season, an/I already apples are 'being lifted from cold store for. Die market. The condemnation of so many hundreds of cases of apples, affected with black .spot -is also a contributing factor, though why they should condemn for black spot this year I don't, know. It is not a new disease, and does not affect the fruit.' It is only a skin disease. Apples will be selling here for 8(1. and 9d. per lb. retail in a couple ot months."

Speaking to a reporter, says a Press Association telegram from' Invereargill. Sir .Tames Allen stated that the Government would shortly make public details of the scheme lo make miners' work more attractive. Since 111? armistice a number of men have let> work in tho mines, and it was now necessary to encourage men .to take up mining work to maintain the output. Sir .Tames Allen that I hough it was hoped to tide over the present cent .-liortage it might be necessary to still i'ullher restrict train services.

The Harbour Borird advise that the following tenders were received for contract No. 178, Taramiki Street: store:— I'. C. Watt (accepted). X'M,lß"> 7s. Id.; .tones and Cameron (declined;, •£lG,is!) Ids.; Campbell and l'.nrke '.declined), •£19,976; engineer's estimate. ,!:t.'1,500. A Press Association telegram from Duucdin stales that '.lie steamer Perth, which arrived on Thursday from Newcastle. was released from ipinr:iiiline yesterday, ami berthed to discharge her coal cargo. When Mr. Morgan, Director of Geological Survey, was giving evidence before the Parliamentary Industries Commission on Thursday lie referred lo the prospects of the. di-covery uf oil in Humility, in Marlborough. In the report of his c\idenec he was made to say that ihe prospects wero great. Mr. Morgan writes lo siiv that his evidence was that the prospects were nui great. A. tesliiuom- lo the activities of the ■War'.Relief Association of Wellington has been received in a Idler of nppnviulioi. from an applicant. The letter is as follows :—"Mv husband has now ','ot temporary enipliiyinunl at Ihe 'invornuienl Buildings as -—. I thanl; you inu-t .kindly on behalf of my family for your lrmlncss during mv husband'* alwonoe at tile front. I. also wish In (brink your lady visitor fur iicr kind attention." Sir .billies Allen yesterday ollicially opened Hi:- Southland Itoiiie for Convalescent ,Soldiers at linwood before a largo assemblage, lie declared 1 hat the l.luveniment favoured such homes, but. eases i requiring special treatment' would linVe to go to special institutions.—l'ress Assn.

A conference of school committees of the Ilutt district met at Lower flutt on Thursday evening to consider the question of establishing a secondary school to meet the requirements of the district. There were present Messrs. Forsyth and Stewart (Wellington' Education Board), Bakewell (Chief School Inspector), and also tho members of tho local school committees. Several speakers explained the nccessily of establishing an up-to-date-secondary school in the district, and it was finally resolved, "That this conference urge" the Wellington Education Board to take steps to erect a secondary school in this district, and that the members of the Wellington Education Board be invited to-inspect several site? mentioned and select one." Mr. t'orsyth said he would be pleased to get the board to go out, and when a site had been selected no lime would lie lost in urging oil the government the necessity for erecting a secondary school.

The 1 Chief Inspector of Explosives (.Dr. ,T. S. Maclaurin) has circularised tho various local bodies, setting forth the precautions that should be. used to prevent (ires and accidents in tho course of the fireworks displays that are likely to take place during the Peace celebrations. The inspector recommend? that displays should take place in open spaces, at a safe istanee from buildings; that steps ,should! be taken to prevent the public approaching too ..near the. lii-eworks; and that care should be taken to set rockets at such an angle that tho burning sticks would fall whore they, would do no harm. "It has the •'reputation of being the largest wooden 'building ill the world, but it's really only a Gargantuan soap-box," said a lady town-planner in speaking of the Government Buildine* r«tercay.' ■• Councillor A. P. Atkinson has been elected chairman of. the_ Legislation and Leaseholds Committee of the' City Council : Councillor L. MlCehzie', chairman of the Outlying Districts Committee; and Councillor if. F. Luckie, chairman of the Iflr-Lavs Committee.'" Half an hour later than usual the ferry steamer -Maori sailed for Lyttelton' last night. The delay was caused through trying lo secure a full comploment ; of firemen, and as they could not be engaged. the vessel had to proceed at a reduced rate of speed to .the Canterbury port. ' ■ The Postal authorities advise that ..the; mails which left New Zealand on April 7 "arrived at London on May 20. ■ Information has been received by Mr. J. T. M. Hornsby, M.V., by letter from Sir James Allen that the Government has dcc'idcd to procecd with the development of tho Seven to Nine-Mile coal seam, in the' Grey district. 'A new -colliery is to be. established • near NineMile Point, and steps will "be - taken to have put' in' hand as early as possiblo the construction of the necessary branch railway. \. • 1 The Wellington City Council has'no very definite, ideas on street tree-plant-ing. A few years ago a . plantation was established. at the foot of .Taranaki Street (in Courtcnay Place)- The shrubs flourished until they were quite big hushes. A few weeks ago they were all— with the exception of a few cabbagetree palms—cleared oat, and all tnat.the plantation now contains is a.circular bed of what looks like wall 'flowers and the palms. The' plantation.at. the tramway junction at the other..end of Coiirtenay PJace is soon to bo disturbed again in order to provide large up-to-date lavatories. This ■ improvement' is sorely needed.

At a meeting of -.members- of tho Y.M.C.A.. addressed by-Mr. E. 0.-Brown-el!. Dominion secretary, and Mr. J. C. Field, president, Christchurch, a branch was formed of fourteen directors representing several churches, says : a Press Association telegram .from Timaru. It is. proposed to carry on as in other centres, and ere::t a hostel later t»n. A site has already been purchased near Caroline . Bay.. Discussion has taken place on a proposal that the -Returned Soldiers' Association, .who .'desire to erect club rooms, should combine - with the Y.M.C.A.. lmt'tho soldiers refused to do so. Tho meeting .appointed a commit-' leo to wait on the R.S.A. to remove misconceptions.

The Executive Committee of the Xew Zealand Counties' Association met at the Hutt County on Thursday, when it wai decided to convene a conference of tho'county councils ' lit" a date during next -Parliamentary -session.'' The exact date of the conference will be fixed when the date of. the session is finally known. The question of'i-hc control of the main arterial roads of the country was discussed, and the scheme of road control in Victoria was also <onsidered. In order lo be able to secure for the conference the report of tho Victorian system, TtrotTi from the point of view of Hie State and tho local authorities, 't was arranged that the president of tho association should visit Victoria for the purposu of investigating the country road boards' system in operation' in Victoria.

At the Town-planning Conference yesterday a delegate, threw <-ut a suggestion that the Government should establish a Scholarship ill town-planning in connection with (he School of Architecture established in Auckland. The suggestion was not made formally, ami, therefore, it was not discussed.

The Chief .lustice (Sir Robert Stout) pointed out at last evening's session of the Town-planning Conference that townplanning had so recently-come into being that in the "Encyclopaedia Britanniw," right up to the eleventh edition, iio reference to it was contained in the index. In the ,'clevcnth edition there were two passages, under the title of "housing," in which it was .mentioned. It was interestinfr to note by way of comparison that in the ".Britannia Year Book" for 1913 there were 110 fewer than 1!) references in the index to town-planning.

The twelve-year-old boy who reached' Auckland in charge of two soldiers, who paid his fare from Wellington owing to liis plea, that be wished to come there to visit an uncle, has been returned-to his parents. At first the Auckland police wero. unable lo trace the latter, but they eventually succeeded in locating them in Christchiirch. The lad has now been sent home, the parents defraying his-expenses.

Another protest against the continued employment of so many women in Christchiirch offices was made at a meeting of the Canterbury District Benatriation Board on AVedlie.sday. In making the protest, Mr. W. Laadley mado particular reference to the North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, which, lie had been told, was. employing a large number of girls \<{ its office. - He urged that local bodies and (lie Government, should set an example to private employers. Mr. F. T. Lidridge said that. he had counted H) "iris in the Hospital Board's office. It was. also staled that banks were still milploying girls, in suite of a promise that these would bo dimsissed when returned soldiers were ready to,lake I'heir 'daces. Tt was a'-reed that 'a snb-coinmitln should wait on various local bodies andheads of institutions .in connection with the ma > tor. , ■

The acting-secretary of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board advises thai the following notices of motion are to be moved at the next meeting of the board:—"By Mrs. Aitken: "That a previous minute of the board (on February 21, 1!I1E> abandoning the l'ublic Health Committee be rescinded." By Mr. ,T. Hutchison : "That an instruction be given to the board's solicitor that in all future drawing up of leases a clause be iuserlcc making it'iiiaiidatory that in the event of a lessee discontinuing the occupation of any properly of the board that a complete'surrender lie ma-lc to the board, (lie board's valuer to be empowered to ascribe compensation for any ' improvements made. And further it be clearly defined that :>l the completion of the aforesaid llie leiWe or leases in question be put up to miblic auction.".

A ballot by members of the Waterside Workers' Unions throughout .\ew Zealand was taken .on Thursday and yesterday In decide whether,,the terms submit led from the recent coufcreiico with <li« einp'oyers be accepted or rejected. The result, it is. announced, will iiot be known for a day or two.

During the lemporarv absence of the' vicnr of f-l. Thomas's line l!ev. W. Failcourt) the b'ev. W. A. k'oay. of the Holy S«nulchri' Church, Auckland, will act :n Itviiui tenons. preaching at 81. 'I'lhi'-his's both morning and evening on Sunday.

Tlie thirty-fourth annual general meeting of the Acclimatisation 'Society' will be held in' Iho Chamber of 'Commerce nt. 8 p.in. on Wednesday. 1 May 28. 'Ail advertisement on another page cordially invites all pcsons interested as .well as members to attend.

Cabled advice Ims been received by Mr, L. J(. Beddall, of Ngaruawaliia, ■ WaiJcalo. and formerly 'of the Wairarapa, of the death of his father, Mr. G. R. lieildall. at tho family residence, '-"Grange Mount," Sneatestone, ISsses, England, at (be ago of 7o years. v ' Tlie Wellington Patriotic Society's Band will play at.Newtown Park to-mor-row at 3 p.m. Excellent work in the interests of returned soldiers is being done by tbe employment bureau under the Auckland Patriotic Association. The president, Mr. ,1. 11. Gunson, stated on .Wednesday that, siftce it was reconstituted in March, 420 men had passed through the office. Of these, 250 had been placed * in, permanent employment. Others had left the city and secured positions as tho result of .'their own efforts. There .were on the Iwoks a few eases which the. pacers were dealing with. An- urgent neeu still existed, said Mr. Gunson, for tho fullest .co-operation, on the part of .employers generally, as the number of returned men was being, steadily maintained, and no effort must be.spared to .cope with .the position. . i____