LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 126, 21 February 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have received advice from Sydney that the s.s Moana sailed at 11 a.ni. on Friday for Wellington. The vessel is duo hero tomorrow. She carries 1990 bags of mails, including 211 bags of Australian and 473 bags from the United Kingdom foi Wellington. The Postal authorities are also advised from Sydney that the s.s. Tofua left that port at 5 p.m. on Friday for Auckland. She carries a small Australian mail.

Newspaper proprietors from all parts of the Dominion will bo assembled in Wellington to-day for the annual meeting of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association, which opens this evening. The annual meetings of the New Zealand Board of the Empire Press/Union, the Press Association, and the Master Printers’ Association will also be held during the present week.

A total of .£l3OO was realised by the sale of goods at the Town Hall last week bv the local branch of the Red Cross Society. Tho” Board of Trade lias received intimation through the Crown Law Officers that Messrs. Bing, Harris and Co. have abandoned their appeals in the three cases under the Board of Trade Act, in which they were recently fined a total sum of .£3OOO.

The following recommendation will be sent to the Empire Conference of exsoldiers, to be held, in South Africa shortly, by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association:—“That this conference views with alarm and concern the large number of unemployed soldiers in certain parts of the Empire, especially in the Mother Country, and calls for the immediate fulfillment of the pledges given to the men serving during the war and this conference earnestly prays that, in order to avoid a 'social calamity, the conference of Empire Premiers, to be held in Juno next, will give its immediate and close attention to the solution of the problems raised, and to the prompt and successful repatriation of all ex-service men.” The recommendation was approved on. Saturday by the Dominion executive of the N.Z.R.S.A.

Air. W. G. Riddell, S.M., delivered reserved judgment in the Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning in the case of Harry Kahn (Air. J. Al'Eldowney) against Herbert Stuart Cook (Air. C. A. L. Treadwell), a claim for JiSG 25., made up of <£so deposit paid in respect to the purchase of a dwelling in Konini Road, .C 25 general damages, and costs and expenses. The plaintiff alleged that there had been oral misrepresentation as to the soundness and good order of tho house, and therefore he refused to complete the transaction. The Alagistrato held that the plaintiff had not proved his allegations lutt gave judgment for the d'feifc clanffwitii .£5 9s..costs.

The Bi'ble-in-State-Schools League Executive will meet in Wellington on Thursday and Bishop Julius will preside. A petition requesting tho league te meet and make a public statement was signed same time ago by AVollington ministers, and a resolution to the same effect was passed by the Southland Presbytery. Special circumstances delayed the holding of the meeting. The minute books of”the league are stated to have disappeared, and an urgent request regarding same, and full particulars with, regard to tlie hour and place of meeting, will be found in our advertisement columns.

Replies by the- Government to remits sent from the conference of the NeuZealand Returned. Soldiers’ Association in reference to pensions were considered last evening by the Dominion Executive of the association. One reply intimated that the Government had not been able to make provision for the exemption of pensions for taxing purposes. The price of land bought by the Government for the purpose of repatriating soldiers was referred to in a letter from Air. G. Mitchell, D. 5.0., which was read vesterday before- the Dominion Executive of the N.Z. Returned Soldiers’ Association. Relative to the Tiraumen Estate, which had been bought by the Government for JIB an acre, Air. Alitcheil stated that it was doubtful whether before the war J!4 an acre would have been paid for it. How, then, he asked, could a soldier make it pay? In reference.to the lieparoa Estate, he said that similar conditions obtained. i

"Does anyone ■understand the land policy of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association?” asked Mr. R. B. Bell nt the. Returned Soldiers’ Association Dominion Executive meeting yester•day. "For my part,” he added, “I think it is hopeless and' useless!”

The matter of the present and prospective situation of returned soldiers settled throughout the Dominion, in view of the economic state of the country, was discused by the Dominion executive of the N.Z.R.S.A. yesterday. The matter was finally referred to a special committee, consistinc of the nr»=;.lent (Dr. E. Boxer, C.M.G.), and Messrs. R. B. Bell and D. S. Smith. This committee, which was given full powers of action, indicated that it proposes to hold a confidential conference with leading mercantile and economic experts. It will be guided by the advice so gained.

In the “Nineteenth Century,” Mr. Everard Cotes, who accompanied the Prince of Wales as Reuters’ correspondent, has a.u article on the Australian and New Zealand tour, in which he refers to Mr, Massey as "that embodiment of kindly good sense and unquenchable espirit, whom this Dominion is so fortunate as to have as Prime, Minister.” The settlement by him of the threatened strike "afforded interesting proof,” not only of the confidence inspired by Mr. Massey himself, but also of the reason, n.bleness of the attitude of Labour in this part of the world”

IVords of Advice —Inventors should always take immediate steps to have their invention protected. Write or call on Henry Hughes, Ltd , Patent Attorneys. They are thoroughly conversant with all the intricacies of the Patent Laws. Address: Henry Hughes, Ltd., Patent Attorneys, 157 Featherston Street, Wellington. —Advt.

At a beekeepers’ field day held at Ruakura State Farm, last week. O Mr. T. W. Kirk (Director of Horticulture) quoted -figures showing that in 1906 there were in New Zealand <4,000 colonies of bees with an output of 1,000,0001 b. of honey. Owing to a process of “cleaning out,” the number of colonies was reduced in 1911 to 71,000, but the output increased owing to better methods, to ],500,0001b. In 1916 the number of colonies was further reduced to 57,500, the output amounting to 1,400,000. To-Day the total number of colonies was 78,000 and the output 1960 tons, valued at £222,220. The total registrations to date were 5565. These figures ho described as.very satisfactory, and! said they augured well for the future of the beekeeping industry.

"Yon want to go to America for a wrinkle about holidays,” remarked .an assessor in the Conciliation Council at Christchurch lost week, when the question of holidays in the general merchants’ employees’ dispute was being discussed. “Over there, if a man wants a holiday, there is another man handy to step into his position, and he gets it and keeps it."

"One of the crimes of the twentieth century when looking for a house is to have a family,” said! Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court last week. “The Court and the community are faced with this serious house shortage. It is all right to talk about a White New Zealand. and of filling up the waste spaces with more population, but there is discouragement to a man facing a wife and rearing a large family, if he cannot rent a house suitable for a family of moderate means. Legislators should: find n remedy for the portion that has arisen.—“Lyttelton Times”

Mr. W. T. Cotton, of Lower Hutt, who was a candidate at the Harbour Board election two years ago, has notified his intention of again seeking election in April.

“And what about all the other seniors?” asked Mr. R. D. Martin, at a sitting of the Christchurch Conciliation Council, considering the warehouse, employees’ dispute on Friday (says an exchange), when the matter of the proportion of workers was being considered. It was shown that, a worker would increase in status year by year, a fact which elicited Mr. Martin’s question. “Don’t you worry about the seniors,” advised Mr. H. F. Stevens, one of the assessors for' the employers. "They will look after themselves. Nobody ever looked after me. Once a man is qualified, ho must work out his own salvation. The young fellows who are making progress are of great interest to us, however. We want the fellows with ability, and we encourage them.”

The policy of handing over the main roads of the country to the control of a State Road Board has a. warm advocate in the person of Sir Raymond Dennis, managing director of Messrs. Dennis Brothers, who is at present visiting Dunedin. “You have many fine stretches of roads for motoring purposes in the South Island,” he stated, “but they are marred by faulty patches in too many places. I understand there is a movement on foot in. the Dominion to have the roads taken over by a central control, and from my knowledge,of the operation of that system in England I can say that it works admirably, relieving the local bodies of an inequitable responsibility and giving general satisfaction.” The war on rats ie to be more vigor-: ottsjy prosecuted by the Auckland City Council, which, last week adopted a recommendation by the Works Committee that a rat-catcher be employed at a weekly salary of £5, and that all proceeds from the sales of the rodents lie credited to the district fund. This course was adopted as the outcome of advice from the medical officer for health that no rats had been received by his department from the council since September 30 last, and that it was necessary for examination-of rats to be carried out constantly.

While cruising at the Heads on Saturday afternoon Air. Helgeson’s yacht Isca was driven ashore i-n Scorching Bay. The crew escaped without mishap, but the yacht was somewhat damaged before it was made fast.

At the meeting of the Dominion Executive of the N.Z.R.S.A. on Saturday night, the president (Air. E. Boxer) created amusement on the one hand, and consternation on the other, by appearing in a new role —that of Dt. Jekyll and Air. Hyde. On a proposal that tho New Zealand delegates to the conference of returned soldier organisations of the Empire should support a motion in favour of the resumption of trade with ex-enemy( countries, opinion was sharply divided. Dr. Boxer spoke in support of the proposal, and on the division on an amendment that the matter be left to the discretion of the delegates, in view of the arguments to be advanced in the debate at Cape Town, voted against the amendment, which was designed to block the motion in favour of the resumption of such trading -The result was a tie. Seemingly, the doctor then began to doubt the wisdom of his attitude, for on being asked for 'his casting vote he gave it against the proposal—amidst laughter and incredulous exclamations.

A motion was -passed by the conference of the 'Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants disapproving of utterances of the Chancellor of the University (Sir Robert Stout) 'in connection with the appointment of the Rev. J. K. Archer, who. as the tutor of the ATorkers’ Education Association, taugjit, among other philosophies, the Alarxian theories."

At the last meeting of the Patca Harbour Board, Mr. Winkelmnrin wrote on behalf of the West Coast Ironsand Smelting Works, stating that the company was erecting works in Onehunga for the purpose of extensive tests with ironsand, and desired’ to obtain, an option for one year over the Patea iror.sands. The clerk, with instructions from the Works Committee, had written offering the option on payment of AlfiO. In reply to this Mr. Winkelmann stated that he did ’not think this company would consent to paying this amount. He pointed out that if the company carried out its present intentions great benefits may. result to Patea and the whole Dominion. It was decided to grant an option on the same terms as one was granted to a previous company, the area covered by the option to l>e three acres on the south of Patea and the amount to be paid L's.

Stories of wild doings are reaching Gisborne from Te Araroa, a township of the East Coast. 110 miles to the north. The information given (says an exchange) was fully confirmed and corroborated by the remarks made to a. reporter last week by Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M., the local Magistrate, who has been away on a tour of the East Coast, and during his trip held sittings of the Court. "I have received a good many complaints lately.” he said, "from prominent residents of Te Araroa and business people of the very serious state of affairs existing there, stating, that life in the towniship was becoming intolerable by reason of excessive drinking by the Maoris. lam informed that white people are in the minority, and also that large and frequent shipments of spirits are being made there. The result is seen in the conditions complained of. lam informed that drunken Maoris attack the storekeepers and demand goods on credit, and the storekeepers complain that conditions are so bad that their assistants will not. remain with them. One of the assistants has made application to me to bo allowed to carry arms. . . . Evidence was given before me that in connection with the drunken rowdiness that goes on, it is-quite impossible tor white women to attend tho local picture show, by reason of the riotr-ar and disgraceful conduct of drunken Ma/aßi.”

Complaint as to the reception of Imperial immigrants at Auckland was made yesterday at the meeting of the Domintion Returned Soldiers’ Association exeutive by Mr. E. F. Andrews, an Auckland delegate. Mr. Andrews said that the complaint did not merely refer to the cases of people arriving in Now Zealand absolutely penniless. “But there are many persons, possessing £5O or £6O, who are finding it had to get along,” he added. "On tlieir arrival in New Zealand they are found board by the Emigration Department, through the Salvation Army; but the sum that has to be expended weekly by the unhappy immigrant is considerable, and quickly runs away with all his money.”