LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 252, 19 July 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho House of Representatives' -will | meet again to-morrow afternoon. Tho Order Paper does Jiot contain much work at present, but some additional Government Bills are to be introduced this week. The Standard Time Bill, which proposes to fix New Zealand time at 12 hours ahead of. Greenwich, thus advancing the clocks half-an-hour, may l>e reached during tho week. Opposition to this Bill is developing, anil according to lobby gossip the Government will not press the proposal if the feeling of the House is strongly against it. The object of the Bill .is to economise coal by providing. «n additional lttlf-hour of daylight at the end of the working day. Two new records for tlio course were established at Tientham racecourse on Saturday. Tho total investments on the tutalisator for the day amounted to .£98,189, the previous best total being handled on Anniversary Day this year, . when J285.455 was put through the machine. The investments on the last race on Saturday totalled JEIG,H3 10s., n'hich is also a fresh record for the course.

No trace has yet been found of Mrs. Barnard, who has been missing from her home in Hall Stroet, 1 Nowtown, silica Tuesday last. Tho Senior Cadets from No. 5 Group assistod in the search on tho hills around the city 'on Saturday afternoon, but no ono corresponding lo tho description of the missing woman was seen.

An interesting sight to be witnessed on most evenings of the week—and one which has been specially noted by spectators on the "bank" at Athletio i Park —is that of a hugo flock of birds, in massed formation, hovering over Island Bay. . The effect, when enhanced by the dying rays of the sun, is a very attractive, one.

During the year ended March 31 last, states the Government Printer in his annual report, the number of copies of the Gazette printed was 1750, the number of subscribers IftO, and the amount received .£307 18s. The number of Hansards printed for the 1919 session was 7450, tilts number of subscribers 117, and the amount received .£2B 15s. The number of sheets of stamps of various values printed was 1,181,218, the numljer of stamps 159,630,239, and the value £7,404,396 17s. In addition war loan certificates of a value of wC197,000 were printed. The number of stereo-plates cast during the. year was 23,576,1 the weight being 17,5211b. The numocr of electrotypes was 5288, and tho weight 23161b. The number of rubber 6tamps miido was 7877. During the ' _ year 9,469,652 railway tickets were' printed, the largest number (1,316,375) being printed in December.

"The prices for paper are still soaring, ajid full supplies are exceedingly difficult to obtain," srates the Government Printer in his annual report. "To keep up stocks involves constant attention, the fulfilment of orders never being certain until the goods liavo actually arrived. This applies equally to printings, writings, and news. AH orders for printing and stationery supplies from Departments have to ha carefully scrutinised before being executed, and frequently it has been necessary to very considerably cut them down. Responsible officers of Departments should givfi oareful attention to this matter of ordering; it 19 very soricun, and needs the utmost care. I have called attention to this for the past two years, but I am obliged to again refer to it. Stationery i 6 in much the same position as paper—prices abnormal and stocks short. Envelopes are especially difficult toasecure, somo slzos being unobtainable. Binding materials liavo advanced considerably, and the prices for some of these goods are startling."

K large South Island deputation is to interview tho Minister of Public Works (Mr. Coates) and other Ministers at 10 n.iu, to-day to urge the completion of the South Island Main Trunk railway. A relieving- sanitary inspector has been ttppomtod from the stall' of tho Public Health .Department, who will be available to relieve inspectors throughout the Dominion in. cases of leave or eickneßS. The officer in question is Inspector C. A. Sohauer. who for come years was previously on the inspectorial branch of this Department) His travelling «x'« peases will be paid by the boards concerned iftitil such time as the Department takes over all tho inspectors.

Disapproval was expressed at tho last meeting of tho council of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society of the sniallness of the iinee,' .El and 13s. Gd. costs, imposed by the Magistrate on three young men recently caught shooting game' without a license. It was decided to framo a remit dealing with similar cases for consideration at the acclimatisation societies' conference.

A seismograph record taken by Dr. Adams, Dominion Astronomer, fixes tho time of the earthquake on Friday morning at 23J minutes past 3 oVlock. There were two distinct shocks, with about six seconds' interval between them, and the indications were thaiNtho shock was quite a local one, originating about 30 or 40 mile 3 from Wellington. Tho record also shows minuto tremors somo twelve hours earlier.

Many interesting provisions aro contained m the will of the late Miss Gaby Deslys, the Fronch dancer, whose real name was Gabriella Caire. She left personal estate in tho United Kingdom of J27223. In the will, of which probate lias now been wanted in London, the total value of her propcrtj—which has been estimated at igflO.OM-is not stated. To Harry Pilcer, her dancing partner ( moft bon camarade"), she bequeaths •810.000 and a life annuity uf £GO per month. She pointed out that her mother was entitled by French law to one-fourth of her estate absolutely, and she loft tho remaining three-fourths (subleet to tho bequests to Harry Pilcer) upon trust for her mothor and sister, Madame Matilde Conill, or tho survivor, for lifo, with remainder:—"To the City of Marseilles, on condition that her house. Villa Maud, Promenade do la Corniohe, Marseilles, is converted into "a hospital to bear her name, and to bo maintained out of tho income from her estate." This bequest is further conditional upon the maintenance of her gravo in tho cemetery of Saint Piorro at Marseilles, and the expenditure thereon of not less than £i per month. Sho added, "It is my wish at my dwith to havo a beautiful funeral," for which somo .£BOO was to bo expended. In 1917 Gaby nnd Hairy wore partners in tho production of the musical pla.v, "Suzette," which ran in the West End from March to October. In this piece they danced togothor. Harry Pilcer is 31. Ho was hot much over 20 when, witli Gaby Deslys, he first whirled on to the London atngo in a series of dances to amazing that "Harry and Gaby" wcro soon famed throughout the world! "The Gaby Glido"—tho most renowned dance for years—mado their namo for good. In 1912 enmo tho report that they had been quietly married in London. A cablegram to New York—"Was married to Harry this morning. Very happy—Gaby" was widely circulated in America. Lator tho story was denied. In 1915 Pilcer, broke his partnership with tho famous Trench dancer, and appeared at the Pavilion witli Miss Teddie Gorrard. Shortly afterwards Gaby appeared in Sir James Barrio's revue. Uosy Baptue." '

For eome considerable tims past negotiations have been proceeding between the Merchant Service <iui!d and tho New Zealand Shipowners' Federation in reference to the pay i«id conditions of employment of officers on this-steamers in tho coastal service of the Dominion, and progress towards a settlement has been slow. Arrangements have, howover, been' mado at last whereby tho parties have agreed to a conference, with Mr. j?. nally as chairman. Tho dato of tho conference has yet to bo I.Ned.

Sir Francis Hell announced 011 Saturday (states a Press Association message from Christchurch) that tho Government hug under consideration the establishment of. a school of forestry for tne Dominion at Canterbury College.

A Napier firm has received from an Austrian firm doing business in Vienna, a letter offering for sale "cottous, dyed indigo, of the heaviest manufacture, suitable for professional clothes." Reference is also made to the low prices and the advantages of trading with Austria on account of tho low rate of exchange ruling. The letter states that tho firm, 011 receipt of inquiries,' will immediately send samples and prices. Eeferring to the recent demonstration

at Carterton against some Hindus who had arrived there looking for work, Colonel. H. R. Potter, C.M.G., Officer Commanding the Auckland military district, said the other night that the incident, though a small one, might lead fo serious consequences if it were repeated. He was lecturing at Auckland <111 "The North-west Frontier of India," to

tho Garrison Officers' Club, and incidentally pointed out how much harm to our national reputation could bo dono by sucli thoughtless conduct as that at Carterton. The Indians were British subjects, and their l kith and kin ' had fought in tho late war shoulder' to shoulder with our own people, and, having been allowed to land in New Zealand, they should be allowed to their ways without molestation. "Incidents like this one at Carterton," continued Colonel Potter, "will be reported hy the Hindus to their friends in India, and

will bo magnified a hundredfold. Sooner or later reprisals will follow if interference with Hindus is allowed to go on unchecked. It 'will not be safe for our young'officers to be sent to India for training, and what a leVer it will be for the different organisations there to use for tho purpose of ovrathrowing . British rule ii; India. Maliy years ,of experience have taught the natives that the British raco is just and honest: They hold our word as good as our bond, n.nd they know that,we always try to play the game fairly, and it will be a crying shame for us New Zealanders, by our thoughtless conduct towards those unfortunate Hindus, to do incalculable harm to our national reputation."—

At Rotorua on Wednesday morning,

about half-past 11, a man walking near the Postmaster liath heard 6ubdued cries and groans, or moans (says the Auckland "Star"). On investigating lie found Mr. E. Sharpe, draper and clothiei,' in a public , bath made during tlifa present King's'visit to.Rbtorua, He-had probably got into the parti used as a bath., 'become stupefied' with tho fumes arising from the waters,_ and in his efforts to get out stumbled into the deep part. Tho man who made the discovery pulled Mr. Sharpe out in an almost unconscious state. He had just enough strength left to l.iang on to the side of the bath. The rescuer promptly secured help. Dr Duncan found that Mr. Sharpe had lmd a narrow escape, but was then over tho worst of it.

Complaints are frequent in Australia concerning the expense and tlici delay involved in securing passports for oversea travel (says the "Adelaide Advertiser"), There is little likelihood that the passport system will Ire suspended, however. It is one of this legacies of the war. Prior to J914 the necessity for a traveller to t-arry a passport in any country had almost ceased to exist, aud' travel abroad for pleasure as well as. for business had become as easy as it was popular There are still far moro people wishing to go abroad from Australia than there is immediate accommodation for in the available steamers, but- everywhere in shipping and business circles there is a desiro tjiat' tho 'Commonwealth Government will loso no opportunity of' simplifving and cheapening the passport system so that the formalities may be made as tolerable us possible.