LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 241, 6 July 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

fThanks to the fine weather which prevailed yesterday ' morning, the collier Waipori, with 500 tons of coal for tho gas company, wns able to berth at the Miramar Wharf at an oarly hour, thus averting the possibility of all gas being cut. off from- the city. A meeting of the members of Parliament for the Wellington .province, ifawke's Bay, Nelson, Marlborougn, Taranaki, and Gi6borne is to be held in Wellington to-day at.the Chamber of Commerce to consider railway, hydroelectric, public works, housing, and kindred matters. The idea of the conference is to consider provincial needs and how best the most urgent works can be promoted. \

The ballot of members of the A.S.R.S. regarding l tho acceptance or rejection of the recommendations made recently by the board which inquired railwaynien's conditions closed on Saturday. The result will not be available for about a fortnight.

On the motion of Mr. W. Stuart Wilson it was resolved by six votes to five at yesterday's meeting of the council of the AVellington Chamber of Commerce, that the Press be invited to attend meetings of the council. For the future meetings of the council are to be held on alternate Mondays, and general meetir<;s of the chamber every quarter. "That the Government be urged to abolish house and land .agents, and to create a special department, under the control of the Government, in lieu thereof," was the text of a motion passed at the final sitting of the Timber Workers' Conference.

Traversing the Normandale settlement -an area, by the way, which is not n settlement at all—there- is a long-disused road, overgrown with gorse and destroyed by the recurring floods of years past. This road the county has never tried to maintain, because it has received no rates for the maintenance of it—the Government as the adjoining owner, paying no rates—and there were no settlers to use it. The Government, too, as the adjoining owner, should have been responsible for cutting the gorse off the road The position is now complicated by the settlement in the district of a returned soldier, who finds himself cut off from his section by half a mile of gorse-grown and impassable road. The representative of the riding on the Hutt county, Mr. M. W. Welch, mentioned til's matter to the Minister of Public Works yesterday. He nsked the Minister for n grant of .£'.oo. The Minister did not (jive a definite reply on the matter. Ha was speaking about other questions as well. No doubt the matter will be taken into consideration.

The scarcity of offices in the vicinity of Queen Street, Auckland, has.had the result of causing rents to advance. Tenants in one block have just received notification all round of an increase, in some Instances, from 15s. to 275. fid. per week, plus rates.

The new telephone directory will bo available to-dav. and in our advertising columns a reminder is given to subscribers that extensive alterations to numbers havo boen made. Numerous changes from manual to automatic working and in the allotting of'numbers havo been effected. Three or more exchange connections aro now available in many instances, whore previously one existed, and in such cases Ihe caller should give only one of the numbers quoted in tho list; it is not likely,that all the numbers will be engaged simultaneously, and the innovation is one which should make for amicable and prompt, working. From to-day users of the telephone will greatly assist thfl. Department by referring to tho new telephono directory only.

One of the cases heard by the Court of Appeal yesterday hai reference to a dispute m which some of the parties, according to Mr. C. P. Skerrett, K.U., had been somewhat "nclventurous in "the matter of matrimony." llcnnlits under a will were concerned in the case, but, stated Mr. Skerrett, certain of the parties had not taken act.on sooner because they had not realised tliu importance of the question involved. "JL'erhiips they thought that there was something iu the nature of a Statute of Limitations relating to marriages," suggested Mr. Justice Chapman amidst laughter.

Messrs, A. I'. Koberts aud H. D. Bennett have been appointed to represent tno Wellington Chamber of Commerce at a conference convened by tho Central Progress League- ior July 16, when uueetious concerning the progress of Wemniston province will be discussed.

Tho scheme proposed by the provincial executive of tue * Auckland Farmers' Union for assisting immigrants has been placed before the Government, and replies have been received on the matter troni the Immigration Department and the Department of Lands. The UnderSecretary for Immigration, referring to the suggestion that tho Fanners' Union should compile n register showing details of situations available for immigrants, states that tho Department will pay reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the work. He adds that domestic servants under 40 years of ago may obtain free passages under certain conditions. In reference to the suggestion that provision should be made for settling some of the immigrants on the laud on the block system together with discharged soldiers, the Under-Secretary, for Lands states that this system has already been tried, but had proved very unpopular with returned men. Two large suitable blocks in North Auckland, aggregating about 10,000 acres, he states, were offered for settlement on the block system, but after lying available for about two years without finding any soldiers who were willing to work on them as proposed the scheme had to bo abandoned. The selections were allotted to the soldiers in the usual manner, and were immediately selected. The Department had a similar experience iu Canterbury. It is also stated that all suitable Crown and settlement lands are set apart for selection by discharged New Zealand soldiers only, and until the wants of these are satisfied it is not likely that any lands will be made available for parties of immigrants as suggested,

"Sport throughout tho world is gradually returning to normal," stales the annual report of the Wellington Boxing Association, "and after tho extraordinary conditions prevailing during six years of war, the .association., has ones again resumed normal activities. It has necessarily taken some little time to get back to a pre-war basis, but, having regard to the conditions obtaining, the year's operations have come well up to expectations," After referring to the various tournaments provided during the year, the report continues: "Tho visit to New Zealand of so visiting professionals, who have willingly , assisted in the boxing education of local amateurs, has undoubtedly had a marked effect, and this should be pleasing to members as furthering the objects of the association in encouraging the sport among amateurs." With regard to future tournament? tho committee reports that it has already made arrangements for resuming the usual amateur championship tourney, to be held during July, and while it is not yet known whether sufficient entries will be forthcoming to warrant a two-night entertainment, • the class of amateur competing will bo equal, if not superior, to the class that competed in pre-war days, and somo excellent contests are in prospect. It is anticipated that Wellington will bo' represented hv some worthy talent at the New Zealand cliarapionships at Hastings. . A letter has been received by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce from the New South Wales Grain _ and Produce Brokers' Association, advising that tho question of brokerage on rales of produce from the .Dominion had arisen owing to n. uniform rate on sales between New Zealand houses having recently been fixed, It was desired by the association that all merchants exporting produce from New Zealand should be advised of tho rates fixed by the association, which were as follow:—Grain, 1} per cent.j potatoes, onions, and other root crops. 2\ per cent.; chaff, 2 J , per cent.; and seed, 21- per cent. The local chamber has already .advised tho merchants concerned of the new rates of brokerage. "The draftsman of the Arbitration Act has often been at sea," remarked JTr. P. J. OTtcgaa during the hearing of a case in the Court of Appeal yesteidny. His Honour. Mr. Justice Sim: "Very much at sea!" The annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of Labour will commence in Wellington to-day, and the conference of the New Zealand Labour Party will open on.Thursday. One of tho outcomes of the scarcity of houses has been that many people have hai to get into flats or furnished apart' nients. Similar conditions exist in Great Britain, and Mr. Kingsley Wood, of tho Ministry of Health, recently stated: "Profiteering in furnished lettings will doubtless be made an offence," "If we da not build houses to-day, you can depend upon it we shall have to build hos« pitals to-morrow," declared Mr. H. A. L. Fisher, Minister of Education, when speaking recently in England. The heavy consumption of water in Wellington was referred to by the Mayor and Councillor E. A. Wright, M.P., in the 00111*0 of their addresses to a meet ing of Onslow residents last evening. Mr. Luke paid the consumption of watei amounted to 80 gallons per head per day, whereas in other big cities 50 gallouj per head was regarded as fair consumption. "The people must go in tor a good many' baths," suggested Councillor Wright. "No," replied the Mayor, amidst loud laughter, "they must .drink b good deal of whisky and nso n lot of water to break it down." Councillor Wright said that in some cities it was customary to keep n check on the consumption of water by means of meters. He did not think that at this late stage, however, it would be possible to introduce a meter system to Wellington. "I am sure," ho remarked, "that if any city councillor made such a proposal he would havo a very (lively, time of it, and that at election meetings he would have an attendance of more than three." (Laughter.) The question of forming a Building Trades Federation of New Zealand was discussed at a conference of delegates representing unions in the building industry held at tho Trades Hall yesterday. Mr. E. Phelan, president of the New Zealand Timber Workers' Fcdtiatlon, presided. The following bodies were represented: Timber workers of Invcrcarjrill and Westland', Furniture- I'iades Federation, National Organisation of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, Wellington Building Trades Federation, painters of Christchuriih and Nelson, Masterlon unions, electrical workers of Wellington, Canterbury Building Trades Federation, Auckland labourers, King Country sawmill work' »rs. The following motion wns carried: "That ibis meeting affirms the princi pie of closer unity in the building trade, and recommends the provincial organisations concerned to continue their efforts in tho direction indicated,, and when such provincial federations have been effected all provincial federations shall appoint delegates to attend ft Dominion conference, to he held in Wellington, with tho ultimate object of creating a Dominion Federation for tho industry.' 1 Mr. H. Hunter (Christehurch) was ap. pointed (secretary pro. tem., e.nd instructed to get into communication with the provincial organisations.

"As far as the work of extending tho city tramways is concerned, we have great difficulties in regard to cement," stated the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), in addressi&E a meeting at Khandallah last night. "We cannot get the cement. There is a fact concerning cement, which is very embarrassing, but I cannot go into details. Rails for tram lines will be available shortly, but we cannot provido the additional electric power for fresh installations. As a matter of fact, wo never knew the day when there will be a complete 'bust up' at the powerstation, and that is straight English for you." Referring to tho cement problem, Councillor L, M'Kenzie said that tho City Council reauired 50 tons of cement i>?r • week for maintenance, but at present it was not getting 20 tons. Only yesterday morning he had been in the City. Engineer's office when permission was obtained to get 20 tons of cement from a vessel in port. Before the necessary vouchers could bo signed, an o(ficinl nrrived in the office to say that the engineer would have to be content with five , tons less than the origirnl amount granted. "We cannot tret <,noui:h cement for maintenance, let ■ilone new works," added Councillor M'Kenzie. , The Eagle, Star, and British Dominions Insurance Company has purchased from Mr. W. H. Sefton Moorhoueo the reinforced concrete four-storied building in Panama 1 Street, in which the company has been conducting its business for some time past. The building has a frontage to Panama Street, of 28ft.. and is about twelve years old. Speaking at a meeting of Onslow residents last evening, Councillor L. M'Kenzie said he was not sure whether tho time had not arrived for the city to change its rating system, and rate on Hie annual, instead of the unimproved value. By rating on the annual value, the city's fit.ances would be strengthened considerably, because a good deal more money would be available than was the case now. In any case, the City .Council was hampered n good deal at present because revaluations were not made often enough. A new guild, known as the Wellington Hardware Merchants' Assistants' Guild, has been incorporated and registered, the secretary being Mr. P. J. M'Comisky. It commences its operations as a very strong society. "I did not know that I was alive until I got on the City Council's Milk Committee," remarked Councillor 11. A: Wright, M.P., when speaking ut a gather ing at Khandallah fast evening. Mr. Wright stressed the great amount of work that councillors had to perform on various council committees. The Milk Committee, he said, met morning, noon, and night, and the problems continually arising were amazing. No sooner did the councillors think they had overcome dif-. acuities with the vendors at aue eud than fresh obstacles arose at the other with the producers, "Between the two," he observed, "we are pkaying a game of liftttlcdoor and" shuttlecock—with the council as the shuttlecock. But, we are still sticking to our guns and intend to fight on, even if wo have to go tho length of providing a council farm to augment the city's supply of milk in tho winter time. I am going to suggest that as a moans of overcoming the winter shortage, tho committee should undertake io have milk frozen in the summer time for use in the winter. That is dene in other countries. If milk were frozen in the summer, when thoSiwy ii; would overcome the difficulty regarding shortage in the winter."