LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 268, 6 August 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evidently there are many people who have not noticed, or liavo already forcotten, (hat the rate'of postage on ordinary letters has been i/.creased from Hd. to 2dj as from Sunday last. This has been made manifest by the large number of letters on which the postmen have had to collect deficient postage dnring the present week, much to tno annoyance of the addressees in mcst cases.

The imports into New Zealand during the quarter ended June 80 last were -valued at .£14,407,613, including all specio imported, while for the corresponding quarter of last year the , total was £7,575,772. including specie oilier than gold specie. The imports from tho United Kingdom were valued at .£6,995,259, agairtst ,£2,994,989, an increase bf ; from the United States ,£2,001,700, against J81,891,590, an increase of .0110,116; and from Japan JG2J8.550. compared with 182, a decrease of .£130,G32.

A recommendation of tho Libraries Committee that the subscription to the lending department of the public libraries he increased from ss. to 10s. per annum,' was adopted at last night's meeting of the City Council. The aetiiigchairman of the committee (Mr. J. M. Dale) explained that tho committee was unable to cope with the expenditure without somo increment in revenue. The price of books had gone up very considerably. The increased chargo i would bring Wellington into , line with' Auckland and Christchurch, in which cities the charge was 10s. The children's subscription of 2s. 6d. would not he increased. .The proposal was opposed by Councillors Fraser and G. B. H. Burn, the former moving that it be referred back to the committee for further consideration. The amendment was rejected.

Councillor M. F. Luckie stated in tho City Council last evening that one of the worst things ever done in this country was to make it possible for anyone to pass into the secondary schools without paying fees. This had resulted in raaiy thousands of boys going- into of' flees who would have mndo excellent tradesmen, and'so (lone very much better for themselves in .most eases. That was largely responsible for tho position which had arisen, viz., the shortage of tradesmen.

"What was the retail price of that overcoat three years ago?" ashed Mr. Justice Chapman of a witness who was giving evidence In the Supreme Court yesterday.' "Eighty-four shillings," replied the witness, a man or some experience in the clothing trade. "And what would be the price of it now?" pursued His Honour. "Probnbly nine guineas,' tho witness responded.

"If you increase prices all round in all industries, then these must inevitably be reflected in,increased prices of goods, unless you can' in some way keep prices down, which, according to the authorities you quote, is impossible,'" remarked Mr. Justice Stringer in the Arbitration Court yesterday, in replying to Mr. M. J. Eeardon's contention that prices were-not controlled by the local market, but by the world market; and that the rise in the cost of living was independent of the incidence of wages. "You can only control prices," continued His Honour. "by economy in spending less. If people would only weal- their clothes and boots for a much longer period thw at present, prices would have to come down. People could not_ afford to hold goods at permanently high prices. But while everybody is seeking to maintain tho samo standard of living, prices will not come down." Mr. Reardon -. "Should Hie workers atone practise oconotfiy ?" His Honour: "I think everybody should do it."

When the last mail left Stm Francisco sugar was 'being retailed at 25 cents (Is. fliS.) per lb. "Everything, else," says a letter from San Francisco, "is very gradually, conung *owii, and value of the good old British sovereign is very slowly going up."

The Wellington Investigation Tribunal will hold sittings at New Plymouth on August 10 and 11.

"Seeing that members of Parliament aro raising their lionorariums," said Councillor J. O. Shorland at the City Council last evening, "and that you are chairman of i*o committee that is handling the Municipal Bill, would you sen that the honorariums of city councillors are raised." (Laughter.)

An extension of the ladies' dressing shed at Lyall Bay was authorised by tho City Council last night.

As reported in yesterday's Dominion; a meeting of representatives of various Wellington unions passed a resolution on Wednesday night, expressing strong disapproval of Mr. J. Read's action in tho Arbitration Court in connection with tha King Country Timber Workers' Union. Speaking to a reporter on the matter yesterday, Mr. Read said: "The lack of fairness-of some peculiar people connected witli the Labour movement is exemplified in the report of the meeting held last night, which passed a resolution condemning me for my action re the King Country timber workers. To show the workers there nnd the general body of organised labour how unscrupulous my detractors can be, I may inention the fact that _ probably not ono labour organisation in the whole of Wellington was notified of the meeting in question. Certainly no union in the Trades Hall was notified, and yet a scratch meeting on an ex parte statement had the effrontery to pass a resolution such as the one in ouestion. It is strange how some people squeal when they have to take a dose of their own medicine. This union in the King Country jumped into the Wellington Union's territory without a 'with-your-leave' or 'by-your-leave.' and has never yet had any communication with the Wellington Timber Workers' Union, except one teleTarn ?ome weeks ago, and yet when the Wellington Union retaliates with the same weapon, apparently both the Wellington Union, for whom I have been acting all through, and I are to be condemned as traitors.to the. Labour cause, and bv a scratch meeting, too. Will the public be informed what unions were represented? Needless to say. wo are not going to take this thing lying down, and if the men pulling the strings, in this matter think they are going to walk rough-shod over either my union or me, they are labouring under a. delusion which will lie dissipated ere long. In tho meantime, T ask the King Country timber'workers to suspend judgment until they have heard the Wellington Union's side of the case."

The By-laws Committeo reported to tfio City Council last evening;—" That th>v have received a communication from the Minister of. Internal Affairs stating that it is the intention of the Government to introduce legislation during the present session of Parliament to deal with motor traffic generally, and that the council will be afforded an opportunity of considering the proposed legislation when same has been considered by Cabinet, and the Bill introduced to tho House." In reply to an inquiry by the secretary of the N.Z.Ti.S.A. as to whether exsoldiers of the N.Z.E.'F. aro liable to tho nayment of income tax on pay received by tlicm beyond the Dominion, the Commissioner of Taxes states that the only portion of an ex-sohlier's. income which is exempted is his military pay earned outside New /<cainnd; in all other resneet.s no distinction is made with regard to income lax between soldiers and other taxpayers. The Cftv Council last evening decided to grant another subsidy of .£IOO to the Boy«' Institute Tepid Baths, mating tho total grant .£2OO for thp current year.

The Grey Street express stand is to ba done away with owing to the increaso in the traffic in that neighbourhood. Tho Ci'.y Council decided last evening that a new stand be authorised in tho Post Office Square, extending in a northerly direction from the main entrance to the Queen's Wharf. Councillor 11.I 1 . Fraser thought that tlio ,meli concerned should be consulted, and moved that tho proposal be referred back. Tho amendment was defeated,

A demand was made by Ihe New Zealand lieturned Soldiers' Association recently that retrospection of all allowances and pay be made by the Government to soldiers of all ranks. 60 as to bring about a uniform standard for the whole war period. The. secretary has just received from tho Minister a reply io the effect that the Government has already decided that increases of pay and allowances shall not be made retrospective beyond the dates abendy authorised. "1 regret to inform you that it is not intended to vary this decision," stated the Minister.

Thn City Council decided last evening to ask the Police .Department to arrange for a constable to be appointed, for traffic duty during the day at the entrance to tho Queen's Wharf.

The annual conference of the New Zealand Tramway Employees' Federation was continued at the Trades Hall yesterday under the presidency of-Mr. C. TTobbs (Wellington). A deputation from the conference will wait 011 the Minister of Public Works (the 11011. J. G. Coates) nt 11 o'clock this morning to discuss with him the views of the federation on various aspects of tramway affairs, particularly the matter of regulations.

The Wellington Returned Soldiers' Aspociation rv to be informed by the City Council that its request for the remission of the rent for the Town Hall 011 tho occasion of their cost-of-living meeting, cannot be acceded to.

The City Council agreed last evening to increase the building frontage for residential buildings in the Karori district to 40ft.

Replying to representations by tho Returned Soldiers' Association that tho handling and investigation of military files at (he Base Records Office by women be discontinued, tho Minister of Defence states that women have been employed in Base Records Office, and have handled the files during the whole period of the war. and it is not considered desirablo at that late stage to substitute by male clerks the comparatively small number of women now employed there, especially in view of the fact, that the employment is only of n temporary nature. In reply to a request from the association that the Government should publicly reaffirm that the files were absolutely inviolate, even to the police, the Minister has stated that ithe files are not open to the jjolice, nor is any information as to anything* detrimental m fl soldier s uiilitury history disclosed.

Tenders,for the supply of a refrigerating playt for the milk station were opened by the ..City Council last ilii?ht. They : were referred to the Milk Committee with the instruction that the lowest tender bo accepted if found to be in order.

Tlie excise duties collected in the Dominion during the June quarter totalled ,£105,746. as compared with .£82,052 in the corresponding quarter of last yinr. To Inst quarter's total Wellington contributed =£22,311. as against .£1)017 in tho Juno quarter of 191' J.

Councillor G'. H.' Chapman raised tho question of a betterment tax at the City Council meeting last night. He said that many property owners benefited considerably by city services, particularly the tramways, and yet when the expenditure in connection with tramways rose the council apparently was only able to meet the difficulty by raising fares. Could not a tax or rate 1 lie levied on those whose properties had appreciated in value through tramway services? The Mayor said that the subject was not a new one. . He mentioned that there was a Bill before the House, which he hoped would give local authorities the power to impose a betterment' tax. The best system he knew of—and he had read up most of them—was the Liverpool system, by which the property owners and the local authority shared tho benefit equally.

A deputation from Canterbury regarding the proposed forestry school at Christcfiurch interviewed Sir Francis Pell, Minister in charge of the Forestry Department, yesterday. All the Ciiristchurch members And the Hon. W. 11. Trigg.s, M.L.C., wore present. Messrs. j?. Nairn nnd Robertson, representing the' Sclwyn Plantation Hoard, also attended, and Messrs. Sidey and Horn sent apologies for their absence. The proceedings were not open to the Press. Having heard what members of the deputation hail to say, Sir Francis Bell and the Hon. Mr. Parr. Minister of Education. replied. Members of the deputation stated afterwards that the replies were non-committal.

"The City Council played the gamo during the war nnd assisted the Defence Department to the limit of its ability, but we are not going to carry_ on a national work so far ns its activities are concerned now that the war has ceased." remnrked the Mayor (Mr. ,T. P. Lukei at last night's meeting of the City Council. He was referring to a recommendation by the Tramways Committer to decline the request of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association that free passes on the trams be issued to the massage sisters employed by the Defence Department. Tho Mayor added that it was obviously the duty of . the Department to pay the travelling expenses of its employees.

Of 02 applicants for the position of headmaster of Wellington College 55 were from Australia. Academically, the headmastership of Wellington College is, says the "Sunday Times" (Svdney) the equivalent of the position of headmaster of a first-class high school in New South Wales, but the maximum salary, for such schools is ,£036 ner annum, with the exception of the Sydney Grammar School, where the salary is =£1200 per annum. That the salaries paid to 'headmasters of high schools is too low is recognised by the Department of Public Inslruction, and the whole salary system of the State schools is being revised , with a i-rw to an all-round increase.

111 speaking last evening on the subject of the renting of the Town Hall, Councillor J. Hutchison pointed out that neither the free lectures on a Monday evening nor the organ recitals were creating the interest or inducing tho attendances they should. He asked that when the Finance Committee next considered the renting of the Town Hall the whole system should be gone into.

Two old men died in the Oliiro Homo on Wednesday—John M'Crae, .aged S3, who was only admitted on Saturday; and Charles Collett, also aged 83, who jiad been in the home for several yews. Inquests will be held.

The 'ffainiai'ino Acclimatisation Sdiner.v will move at the Nnv Zcdland conference in Wellington a Tor'tiilgnt hence: "That, in consideration of the excellent tourist tesort, scenery anil tishjng to be obtained in and around the Tongariro National t'nrk, aud tlie fact thut tjns l)o----minion asset is almost inaccessible for tourist I *. tUii conference urges tliio Gov' eminent to take immediate steps to put in good order the wade und bridges fading thereto."

A *Buufist lias been made to the City Council that school tramway tickets be issued to pupils attending secondary schools irrespective of age. The council, on the recommendation of the Tramways Committee, has decided not to accede lo the request.

Iview regulations as to the shipment am) landing of petroleum are published in the tiuzette circulated last evening, thoso previously in operation being revoked. It is provided, inter alia, that eu nn-fv.il at a port in New Zealand of any vessel carrying moro than 2000 gallons of petroleum, and so long, as th'e> vessel remain* in port with that quantity on board, the vessel must while at anchor or moored «t any ivharf display at tho mastlifad a red Hag not less than Min. square, (Turing the daytime, aud at night must display a red light, at the masthead. Should t'h<s vessel be berthed at any wharf or landing place, besido the red light at the masthead it must display a red light at tho after side of the gangway, and u white light over the forward side, over a black notice' board with Mi'.: wordn "Danger. No Smolfin?," printed in white in Gin. letters. Tlio regulations do not apply to kerosene oil of or over 160 deg, tiro tost.

It is notified fri'the Gazette that the otiico of Solid tor-General is exempted from the Public Service Classification mid Superannuation Act, 1!)08.

The new rates and charges for connections withl telephone exchanges and for telephone toll communications appear in last evening's Gazette.

A valuable sito in Customs Street East, Auckland, belonging to l)avid Nathan's Trust, Ltd., has been proclaimed Crown land by the Government, tho object being to erect upon the ground a building to bo occupied by the Public Trust. Tho frontage to Customs Street is 65ft., and Port Street Lane skirts one sido for a distance of 72ft. Tho property is tho only freehold in Customs Street—all tho rest of tho land belongs to tho Harbour Board—and its value is estimated at about .£450 a foot. Negotiations to purcliaso (were oponed pomo considerable time ago, the sellers demanding JE30.000. After ithe usual bartering (says 'lie Auckland "Star") that figure was reduced t0'.£27,000, a emu which was more or less agreed upon. Thereafter, however, tho Government took up a. different attitude, and applied Iho Public Works' Act, under which they proclaimed thu property Crown land. By this step tho sellers were deprived of any hold on the Government which they might liave possessed in regard to tho figure of. =£27,000, and Hioy may now have to launch upou a protracted compensation claim to obtain their price. In any case, the Government lias power under the Act to withhold payment for a period of fivo years. At the annual conference of acclima-

Ccunclllor C. fl. Cfiapman asked Inrcvening when a report on municipal maikets was to be brought down. Tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said he thought tt would be much better if they' dealt with the loan schedule; arid got everything cleaiv befoie ftey went into tb» matter of the markets.

tisation societies, the Otago Society is to move: "That the Government'bo asked to give eafly and special consideration to tho urgent necessity for amendment of the Animals Protection Act, 1908, with regard to opossums, by introducing legislation prohibiting the sale of opossums' skins of any variety during a closo season, and requiring dealers to produce evidenco as to where aud from whom any and all opossum skins found in their possession during the open Season hayo been received."

Mr. G. Winder lias disposed of his bis store at the corner of Cuba and Milliners Streets to Messrs. James ■ Smith, Ltd., who intend to occupy the whole of tho building and will remodel it entirely for the purpose of their drapery business. The building, which is of live stories and a basement, has a/ frontage of 74 feet to Manners Strret and one of 81 feet to Lower Cuba Street Mr. Winder will vacate tho premises in about thTee months time, and later he may make a trip to England, Mr. Winder is a North of Ireland mail. He served his apprenticeship .to the drapery trade at Home, but on coming out to Wellington took a situation with Mr. John Young, a hardware merchant, in Cuba Street, and was there "until lie commenced in business for himself.

At last evening's meeting of the City Council! Councillor J. Hutchison protested against so much work being done in committeo instead of. In open council, and he complained that he linil only re* celved the report of the Finance Committee that evening. Tho Mayor s"Md that nothing was clone In committee, that should be taken in opeh council, but thero "were-many things "that they could not take in open council, such as discusnionn on officers' salaries anct land transactions. Councillor Hutchison remarknd that the whole discission on a the powerhouse proposal had bqen taken in committee. The Mnypr said that whilst he was in the chair he would never be a party to taking matters in opeii. council until they had been carefully considered in commltteo.

The annual conference of the New Zealand Acclimatisation Societies' Association will be held in Wellington on Wednesday and Thursday, August IS and 19.

The Wanganui Society will move at tlste annual conference of New Zealand acclimatisation societies x tliis month "That each acclimatisation society shall receive from the Government annually a subsidy of 10s. for - every. XI expended by such society in the purchase of game or fish for liberation in its own district, this to apply to those societies only not at present receiving the XIOO Government subsidy, the above subsidy of 10s. in the XI not to exceed, say, ,£SO to any society in each year."

The City Council agreed last evening to the following Recommendation from the Finance Committee:—'"That a proposal to set back tho boundary of property at the corner of Bowen Street; and Tiio Terrace to enable the corner to ba rounded off, be approved. The estimated cost to the corporation in connection with removal of sump and alterations lo kerb and channel' is ',£20." The Mayor said that this was a very generous offer on the part of Dr., Hardwicke-Smith, which would make a big improvement.

Following on the representations of a deputation from the Melrose Ratepayers' Association the Outlying Districts' Committee of the City Council has decided to effect improvements to Antico and Caprera Streets. The City Engineer has also been instructed to took into the question of the formation of llelroso Crescent.

The I'inance Committee reported to the City Council last evening as follows: —"That they have received a communication from the Railway Department stating that with reference to the question of road access to Khandallnh, tho Department will .reserve sufficient land for a chain road graded up the hill cutting alongside the present Hutt Road. In view of this, tho committee recommended that tho water requirements of the Railway. Department be approved, subject- to the ecst of connection being borne by the Railway Department and lo tho supply of each house being inetorcd. Tho report was adopted.

Writing from San Francisco, Mr. lon Bnrnes. the baritone vocalist, formerly of Wellington, states that the Rev. Papa'kiira and party, who were shipmates of liis across tlio Pacific, have done well with the Chautauqua, 'i'hey have been offered another twelve months' engagement, which the writer believed they had accepted.

It was decided last evening that an allocation cf .£14,000 be made to the Reserves and Forestry Department to cover tho estimated expenditure for this year. In response to its renuest for the provision of croquet ccurts, the Thorndon Croquet Club is- to be informed by tho Reserves Committee of the City Council that it has recommended the inclusion of a sum in the propesed loan sehedulo to cover an extension of Anderson Park, mid that croquet courts will be provided on the extended area.

"As I told you before," writes Mr. Leu Barnes. from San Francisco to a Wellington friend, "the papers here are full of elections, divorces, and holds-up. Wo have just had the two big party conventions—the liepublicans in Chicago and the Democrats in this wonderful city. Both the nominees, Harding and Cox, are Ohioans, and newspaper men. Heaven luelp the country! From what I can sc<! of these conventions • they are punk— they framo a platform and 1 nominate h candidate, and tile delegates all go mad. Tho platform part of it seems to bo all 0.K., but as for the nomination, there is so much personal bitterness between the opposing factions that it took 14 ballots before Cox got the necessary twothirds votes here, and ten ballots wero taken beforo Harding got half the vote* in Chicago. Tte Socialists have nominatwl Debs, who is at present serving; n term. Now a new party calling itscfi? "Tho -18", have started ill. ... I don't think 1 told y<m that there is not a great deal of dust in this city. I first put it down to good roads, but haw now coine to the conclusion that >- i» because everyone oxpectorates I"

Attention was drawn by Councillor Bennett at last night's meeting of the City Council to Iho "eyesores" that exist in certain parts of the city in tho slmpo of unfcnced sections abutting on the principal thoroughfares which were made tho dumping ground for rubbish. Ho referred particularly to Adelaide Hoad and to tho long frontage to the Public Hospital, part of which area, was made a. repository for factory refuse. Could not, ho asked, owners ho forced to put their property in order? Tho Mayor pointed out that tho council should iirst set its own liouso in order, a munlxa' of sections belonging to tho corporation would not pass ruustor in this respect,