LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 267, 5 August 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The moßt important item of business to come before the City Council this evening will te th'o consideration of the schedule of tho new city works loan, which the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) stated months ago would run into seven figures. The Finance Committee of tho council have been in travail over this schedule for some weeks past, and members of the council, who are not members of that committee, aro anxious to see what works have been included or excluded, The biggest items will lie the money needed for the proposed new power house at Evans Bay, tho Orongorongo waterworks, ami duplication of water mains in tho Wnimii district and through Wellington city. Kilbirnio and Hataitai people will be interested to see if tho new tunnel is remembered, nnd Island Bav folk are looking for the inclusion of a sum of money to cover the cost of new stormwater mains and the widening of the main drain, which a recent storm showed to be altogether inadequate to meet an extraordinary demand. Owing to the many interests affected, the discussion on the schedule may be taken in committee. At the last meeting of the Council of Education it was asserted by some members that grave mistakes had 'been made in the University examination papers. Inquiry has been made, and the University authorities have ascertained that there was no misprint in the Latin matriculation paper. It was admittedly confused with another examination, which had nothing to do with tho University. Another complaint was that two problems in arithmetic were incapable of solution, but this was not the fact; though difficult, they wero actually answered by 6ome candidates.

At about 9.10 yesterday morning a solar halo was observed from Kelburn. •A solar halo, unlike a rainbow. Ims the violet ray towards the sun and the red from it. The phenomenon wis not visible for very long. At last night's meeting of the Philosophical Society Dr. Adams mentioned that a solar halo was not very often seen, in fact this was the first one he kid seen. The annual doc; show of the Wellington Kennel Club will be hetfl in the Harbour Board's "J" shed on Friday and Saturday. The City Milk Department notify that from Monday next cream will be retailed at 2s. 3d. per pint. An Australasian record price for a bullock, X2oi, waß paid at Addington saleyards yesterday. The animal, a purebred Shorthorn, weighed 3050 pounds. Somo grocers in and around the city have been receiving complaints from their customers about "fishiness" in tho butter they are purveying. Tho general complaint is that butter is high enough in price without hiving to pay the tall prices asked for impure butter. Several lots of butter bearing well-known brands, which were submitted to the inspection ot a Dominion reporter, liftd developed distinctly "fishy" flavour. The fortnightly meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took placc last evening. The president, Mr. ]•' Mendowcroft, wns in the chair. It was resolved to obtain a quantity of literature suitable for distribution amongst the Junior League of the S.P.C.A., which was 'being introduced into the schools, also to have membership cards printed for tho same purpose. It is the intention of tho Wellington Waterside Workers' Band, which has made great strides forward under the direction of Mr. Drew, to tako part in the big brass band competition at Ballarat. To that end the band is instituting a special competition fund, and will give special performances for its benefit during tho next eight or nine months, in order tbak tho band may get its chance to show its musical paces before competent judges. At the last meeting of the Cliristcliurcli Tramway Board it was reported that the superannuation scheme for tramway employees. launched early in 1919, was costing £im per annum. Of this amount tho State contributes ilkSO, the board .£3359, the balance of .£23G.'I being contributed by the employees. The Hon. J. Ban- said that the men were appreciating tho benefits of the 6cheme. r ?he Wellington sittings of the Arbitration Court will concludo to-morrow and the Court will then proceed to Auckland to hear cases filed in the northern industrial district. At a general meeting of the Northern Wairoa Soldiers' Association at Dargavillc, a strong committee was formed to make arrangements to start a stock depnrtmcnt on the associations account. The secretary was instructed to write to other associations in the north of Auckland recommending a similar procedure.— Press Assn. After considering tho provisions of the Public Health Bill the North Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board resolved to advise the Minister of Public Health that all public health work, local and general, including precautions in respect to infectious diseases and insanitary dwellings and other premises, should bo in the hands of the existing branches of the Health Department, and not in thosa of the local authorities.—Pres9 Assn.

A tender has now boon received from Australia by the Tramways Committee of the Dunedin City Council for the 10 trailer cars for which prices were recently obtained in the Dominion, but tho price (je-2000 per car) is so high that tho committee is obliged to recommend that it be not accepted. The only alternative now appears for the department itself to manufacture the bodies, and either import tlie trucks or procure them in {lie Dominion if possible. The committee (says the "Otago Daily' Times") is accordingly recommending that it be authorised' to arrange for tho building of the bodies at the tramway workshops, and to make the best possible arrangements for obtaining the trucks. A radio station lias been opened at Makatea, a French possession in the i'aumotu Archipelago. At a recent meeting of tho council of Academy of Fino Arts it was decided that the next annual exhibition 6hould be opened on fiaptemlielr 20', instead of in the first week in October, as is customary. Tho change has been made in response to representations from the Otago Art Society that works shown at tlie Wellington exhibition in Octolier cannot he sent on to Dunedin in time for the opening of tho southern exhibition on November 1. The following resolution was passed at a meeting of representatives of various Wellington unions held in the rooms of the Miners' Federation last night: "That having heard the statements of the representatives of the King Country Timber Workers' Union and tte> facts in connection with Mr. ,T. Head's action in the Arbitration Court this week, this meeting of Wellington unionists expresses its strong disapproval of his action, which is contrary to tho spirit of I rue unionism, opposed to the 'best interests of the working class, and contrary to the resolution of the Timber Workers' Federation, and calls upon that body to repudiate his action; also that a sub-com-mittee be appointed to draft a circular setting forth tbh facts of the case, the same to lie forwarded to all tlie unions of New Zealand."

A deputation from the tuiinellors at Arthur s Pass waited upon the Minjster of Public Works yesterday. The Minister originally niado a proposal tlmt they lx; paid 22.15. per foot. "The men asked for 2255. The Minister now offered 22-ts„ with a guarantee of 20s. per day for two months. He also offered a It) per cent, bonus to all who sw the work through witlmut delays. In the case of sickness or their having to leave the work for any bona fido reason lie proposed that the 'bonus bo 5 per cent. This offer is to bo submitted by the deputation to the union, and the deputation will telegraph the decision of the union to the Minister. Meantime the men are continuing to work at the Us. a day rate. A fine example of the work of the well-known Scottish artist. Allan liamsny, has been lent to the Academy of Fine Arts for exhibition in tho Free Public Gallery. Tho work, which is a portrait in oils, is to hang in tho side room of the gallery until a rearrangement «.f the pictures in the main gallery can be

The personnel of the Military Supplies Purchase Hoard in now as nuclei".— Lieut.-Colonel 11. 13. Pilkingloii, C.8.E., D.0.K.; Lieut.-Colonel H. -M. Griilen, D.F.S.; Lieut.-Colonel N. W. B. 13. Thorns, D.5.0., MX'., "0" duties; Major 0. A. Gibbs, D.A.D.M.K.; Captain S. H. Crump, officer in command A.S.C. duties. The recently-formed Co-operative Building Society will make its iirtsl appropriation by "ballot this evening. Mr. G. Mitchell, M.P., intends to address members on the aims and objects of the society. The gathering' of the members of thc Independent Order of Oddfellows of iN'c-w Zealand, which is to be held oil Tuesday next, for the reception'of .Mr. JusUco liorst, Grand Sire' of the Order in the United States, will bo presided over by Sir Robert Stout, Chief Jus-lice, who was prominently connected with the institution in Dunedin in the early stages of its colonial history. The Hon. Sir William Hull-Jones, M.L.C., and Mr. J. A. young, M.P. for Waikato, who are also identified with Oddfellowship under the American system in New Zealand, and Mr. ,T. Rohb, of Gisbnrne, the present Grand Master for the Dominion, will also be present, Appealing at the annual meeting of the Ballarat Town Mission for more practical interest in mission work, the Rev. T. E. Long, missioner, said he had that day been called on by a man who was in distress because of lack o{ food for his home, and money to pay his rent. The man told him that lie was the father of 20 children, 12 of whom had served in the war and eight; of whom were killed. Of the four boys who had returned one had lost his arm* and another a leg.