LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 228, 21 June 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Torrential rain fell at Auckland on Saturday, states a Press Association telegram. For 'an hour or two tho sewers were unable to curry away tho wator In Lower Queen Street, which was flooded, tho water entering cellars. No damago was done.

Some three months ago the Wellington tramway inspectors went before the Finance Committee of the City Council with a request that their positions should be bettered as to wagos and conditions. In the readjustments of salaries made by the City Council last" week, the inspectors were not forgotten. Hitherto they have been called upon to work every other Sunday without extra pay, making their week one of Gi days. This has been altered by giving them a six-day weekone clear day off every week—whilst the maximum salary has been fixed at M 2s, Cd. a week, roughly a rise of about S:\ a week all round.

John Hicks, an expressman residing at York Street, Miramar, fell off his express on Saturday morning opposite the Constable Street fire'station. Tho wheels of the vehicle passed over his left knee. He was removed to the hospital, where it was found that a bone in the leg was fractured and injuries caused to the kneo itself.

The subject of tho construction of a uew feirj steamer for the EastbourneWellington servico was once more discussed at the last meeting of the Eastbourne Borough Council. The council resolved unanimously that a steamer with a capacity for 1500 passengers should be built, and that tho architect should be instructed to proceed with his plans. Consideration was given to the question whether tho boat should be propelled by oil or by steam, and the Mayor (Mr. F. H. Mather) and Councillor Bennett were appointed a committee to ascertain whether or not a sufficient supply of oil would be available.

Rents are not ippressively high in Auckland. "A rental of 12s. Bd. for a four-roomed house is a fair average here/' says the "Star,", "althtough there is a case where, such a dwelling on the twopenny section haa a prospective tenant who is willing to pay a pound. Tho average for a five-roomed house is set down as 17s. 4d., and this is very nearly right, wliilo 19s. <td. as tho mean prico for eix rooms is fairly well borne out by facts; 235. lid. is the official average for seven rooms, S2s. 6d. for eight rooms, and 51s, for nino or more."

A short sitting of the Magistrates Court was held on Saturday morning, Mr. E. Page, S.M., being on the bench. Charles Lindholm was arrested for drunkenness on Friday, and while at the police station he managed during a struggle to put liis elbow through a pane of glass. He pleaded' guilty to wilfully damaging the glass, ana wa9 fined 20s. and ordered to make, good the damage, 85s„ and for drunkenness ho was fined 5a., in default twenty-four hours' imprisonment.

Tho vacancies caused by the resignation of tlio town clerk and ferry manager (Mr. S. S. Heath) were filled at the last meeting of the Eastbourne Borough Council, when it was resolved that the positions of town clerk and ferry manager should be separated. Mr. D. Griffin was appointed ferry manager, and Mr. A. J. M'Pliereon, .town clerk, the appointments to date from July 1 next. An agreement has been reached between the New Zealand Federated Seamen's Union and the Government regarding the conditions of employment on the Government steamers Tutanekai.and Hinemoa. In the main, the terms are much the eame as those contained in the agreement with, the private shipping companies, the principal difference being that the wages of tho men employed on the Government steamers are Jl per month in advance of those paid to seamen on the ordinary coastal vessels. Judgment was filed in tho Supreme Court on Saturday by Mr. Justice Salmond in the case of Broughton v. Doneghue and Co. The action was concerned with the sale of a motory-lorrv. His Honour gave judgment for plaintiff for with costs on the middle scale; on tnie counter-action judgment was for defendant for £1 ?s. 6d. end return of tho lorry, with <£5 ss. The Public Service Eoard of Appeal is at present sitting in -Wellington. The board consists of Mr. P. Bnrr (Dunedin), chairman; Mr. F. W. Flanagan (ValuerGeneral), representing tho Pnblio Service Commissioner; and Mr. C. D. Andrews (Auckland) and Mr. A. Marryatt (Weilineton), representing the Public Service. Tho appeals number CO, and the sittings of the board will probably last for another fortnight. .

At Invercargill last week a man was charged with following his usual occupation as a carrier on Sunday, June 5. A constable gave evidence that he Kul seen the defendant carting furniture on the Sunday in question. The defendant pleaded ignorance of the law, ar.d produced a codv of the carriers' award, in which) it was set forth that for Sunday work doublo pay should be received. The Magistrate stated that he could do what other work he liked on Sunday, but must not follow hia own trade. A fine of ss. was imposed. . Delegates from the main centres of New Zealand met in Wellington last week as representatives (f insurance officers. A guild (similar to that of tho bank officers) was formed. M/. H. P. Mourant, mineral secretary of the New Zealand Bank Officers' Guild, was appointed secretary of the now organisation, tire.title of which is the Insurance Officers Guild of New Zealand.

The nominal roll,of Details returning tier B.D. 812 on tho Huahino is as follows :-Gunnor It. Allan, Invercavgill; C.Q.M.S. F> W. Alley, Clivo, Hnwko s Bay Dvr. J. Gordon, Cromwe'P.; A.-Sgt. J ?i'mms, Nelson. Tho following repatriated Imperial Details aro blbo on board: —For Wellington—Captain Campbell, Lovat'li Scouts; Captain Jordan, Army Ordnance Corps; Lieutenant Jtowson, It I' A. For Christchurch—Captain ■Green, K.A.M.C.; Lieut. H. Timan, King's lioyrf. Eiflo Corps. For Lytto'.ton—Lieut. Ilayter, Manchester Regiment. For Whangdroi—Nurso Moore, Voluntary Aid Detachment. For Auckland—Lieut. Rishworth, E.E. For Foxton—Captain Rough, KB For Turakina—Lieut. Stavert, R.G.A. For Tikoino—2nd Lieut. TirnperI lev, R.F.A. For Inveicargill—Sister Wil--1 m t

In the course of his remarks at the gathering in honour' of Mr. Charles M. Luke on Friday last, Mr, Luke said that lie wished to correct a slight misapprehension that the Ccutral Chamber or Commerce had come into nein'' as the result of a quarrel with tho older chamber. That was not tine case. It was simply thought that something could bo accomplished more expeditiously b y> a younger body of business men. He ported out tho live interest, the Central Chamber was taking in the wholo province and how it had fathered the Progressive League, the means through which they would be able to approach the powers that be in the interest t>nd well-being of the wfcfole of the community.

A sitting of the Juvemlo Court was held on Saturday morning by Mr. E. Poire S.M A lad fourteen years of age" admitted having stolen 275. from his employer. According to Hie statement of the • polioe tho boy went back to the shop after closing hours and got into the premises through a "window, and rifljd tho cash-box. _ When seen oy a policeman he admitted that he had taken the money, and pointed out where lie bad hidden it. Ihe whole of the money was recovered. The boy was cautioned by the Magistrate, and the case was adjourned for twelve months, but in tho meanwhile the lad was placed under the supervision of tho Juvenile Probation Officer.

What is generally known as the "golflinks housing contract" is progressing very slowly. These houses, which are being constructed of hollow ccinent bricks, moulded on the job, necessarily depend on the available supply of cement and labour, and both have been most uncertain quantities for a year past. The position at present is that two of these house's, situated between the Miramar Golf Clubhouse and Broadway, Wave the roof-frames up, two or three will be m a position to receive the roof-frames within a few days, three or four'are halfbuilt, and the rest are simply outlined on the sections by the foundations.

In speaking to the adoption of the report and balance-sheet at Friday s meeting of $he Wellington Presbyterian Orphanage and Social Service Association, the Eev. Mr. Burridgo said that among the things that struck him as remarkable in the history of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand was the educational work which had been" achieved in the second decade of its life here and which had resulted in the establishment of so many church schools and colleges, also its social servico work. This had been begun only fourteen years ago, and yet there were in New Zealand fourteen Presbyterian homes for children, one home for old people, and one for convalescent women and children. In those fifteen homes fully 600 children had found an anchorage and everything to equip them for future life, and of the 600 children 105 were in the Weilingtoii orphanages. It was remarkable that a sum of -55025 odd should have been raised last year amongst St. John's people i'tor carrying on this work. In the Middle Ages, continued the speaker, there had been splendid institutions established for the care of children, but as time progressed the spirit that had brought these into being seemed to gTOtf dim until in the 19th century the spirit of social service had almost seemed to die out. In this century, however, there was a revival of this spirit, and there was a great demand for prac tical Christianity, a demand to which St. John's Church was responding. Tho Roman. Catholic Church, however, had always felt tho caU of this spirit and had always responded to it. It was one of her great sources of strength. Such work, concluded the speaker, could only bo carried out when there was _« strong spiritual force at the back of it. Mr. Bui-ridge finished with a tribute to the work of Mr. and Mrs. Mills in connection witli the children.

We have probalily never had such a glut of mutton in London as at present 5 (says the London "Evening Standard" of j April 17). In store are 1,137,000 car- i ( cassos, and aboard vessels waiting- to dis- ei charge are over 800,000 carcasses. At 5 one huge cold storage for 620,000 car- p fosses tho number actually in store now s , is 744,000, -with 50.000 more coming in; n at another store with accommodation for 500,000.the number now held is 593,000, and another 10,000 are coming in. For t the last two months, adds the "Stand- J nrd," there has never been anything J nnder 800,000 carcasses "afloat," and the 1 figure has been as high as a. million. On ' Monday twelve ships had arrived with 1 800,000 carcasses among them and 60,000 quarters of beef. t Old Cheltonians in New Zealand are 1 invited l by Major-General Harrington, 1 Deputy-Chief of the Imperial General Staff, 'War Office, Whitehall, and president of the Old Chcltonian Society, to • contribute towards the Cheltenham College War Memorial Fund. Advices received from a leading firm of British boot exporters stato there is littlo indication of prices falling, as good, medium, and line grad'e leathers are still very scarce, and the end of the labour demands does not appear to have been reachod. It is stated that slippers are < likely to be higher in price, as there is J a great scarcity of female operatives for j this work, and increases in wages are 1 being demanded. '■» j Through an error ir-ade by a Christchurch firm in labelling a compound as . linseed oil, a Heathcote trainer, Mr. J. . D. Smith, has lost a couplo of valuable trotting horses 'says the "Sun"). A third horse was saved by a'» eterinary surgeon : after it had received a tinall quantity of the "medicine," Mr. Smith, decided to treat his horses to a oonrae of physic for ■ worms, and he fixed on the old-fashioned linseed oil and turps. He purchased what, according to thb label, was a gallon tin of linseed oil. Soon ufter tho cempoupd was administered the horses showed signs of poisoning, and an examination of tho tin showed that it held a mixture evidently intended for external P re " sumably contained a considerable proportion of carbolic acid. It also contained muoh linseed oil. The horses, which succumbed are Silver Heir, conjointly, owned by Mr. J. M'Gregor uid Mr. ,T. Fajrbairn, and Kawenh, owned by Mr. J. Webb. Another trotter, Albert Wallace is recover, ing from his dose of "physic. A meeting of the Wellington ohical Union was held on Saturday evening to consider the agreement entered into by tho union assessors m the Conciliation Council recently. Mr 1. Sheerin presided. Tho secretary (Mr. 0. H. Chapman) stated that the union astossora were .in no way responsible for , tho delay in a settlement. An attempt had been made to have the case heard in the Arbitration Court at Christchurch 1 on June 21, but the employere would not ' oereo. The following resolution was car- ' ried unanimously: "That this union en- ' tors an emphatic protest 'against the seri- ! 011s dolay oharacteristisipr the sitting of ' the Arbitration Court., Although sittings ' are legally provided to take place in the : four centres each three months, it .19 now doubtful whether less than six ' months will elapse between tho Fobniary sitting and the next sitting-of the Court 3 in Wellington. This has seriously. in- " convenienced the Typographical Union, L and has been the cause of loss to our J members.'" "The Great Betrayal and the Next I War" was the title of an address given t bv Mr. T. Brindle in tho Alexandra k- Tf»l1 last night, under the auspices of tte Social Democratic Party. Mr Brinr die argued that the nations had failed t to realise the ideals for which they s had been told the war was fought. Tho Peace Treaty did not meta out justice ,f and freedom; it rather enslaved nal- lions and fostered racial animosities. , The soldiers had been told that they ' iroro fiohtinff to end all war, but already ' It was obvious that the datesmen did ,1 n ot regard war as ended. Prepara- , Hons were being made for the next war, [0 even in New Zealand, and, M beforo, d the people were being kept in the dark as to tho diplomatic activities of the „ Great Power*. There had been a great f betrayal of tho trust of the people. Mr 1 Brindle referred at. some length to the ntmluction of French coloured troops , s nto Germany since the armistice and J" protested that the Germans in the occuj" pied regions had been humiliated and [j' degraded.