LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 302, 15 September 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have been advised that the mails which left Wellington on August 2, per -R.M.S. Tahiti, via San Francisco, arrived in London on September 9. Ex-New Zealand Expeditionary Force officers when posted to the reserve will be given tho highest rank they held in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, provided such rank was held satisfactorily for not less than six months bofore November 11, 1918, ami will be given seniority in their ranks in accordance with their Expeditionary Force service in such ranks. Officers' of the reserve who leave the. Dominion may be granted leave of absence up to two years without change of status.—Extract from an Instruction issued by Headquarters, No. 5 Regimental District.

The announcement was made last night at tho general meeting of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association that tho New Zealand Rugby Union had presented more than 200 tickets for the admission of "limbies” and disabled soldiers to the third Test match. A motion expressing tho gratitude £f the association .was carried.

“The Hutt Valley is one of tho prettiest places in tho Dominion,” stated Ills Excellency the Governor-General at the opening of the Hutt Flower Show yesterday afternoon. "Frequently I have heard it referred to as tho 'Garden Valley,' and I think it quite well deserves that name,” (Applause.)

It is staled that the Salvation Army shelters no fewer than 1100 people nightly in tho Dominion. A Sumner (Christchurch) resident reports having observed a beautiful and well-defined lunar rainbow at 8 o’clock on Saturday night. Tho ring jwas very much larger than that drdinarily seen round the moon two or. three nights before a change in the weather occurs. At .8 o’clock tho large ring round the moon was perfect, but by 10 o’clock it had < practically disappeared, • t

A Press Association message from Pahiatua states that voting on the County Council’s proposal of a special bridge rate of one farthing resulted: — For, 391; against,. 83; informal, 3. The Tourist Department advised the Acclimatisation Society last. night that 'eight Sambur deer had been captured at Himitangi. Seven of these had been eent to Rotorua, and one, a fine stag, had been sent to the Wellington Zoo.

The Christchurch PrcsjiytcTy passed the following resolution:—"That this Presbytery will 'be glad to see the Bible read in the public schools of tho Dominion aS part of the school syllabus, with a conscience clause for both teachers and parents, and would commend this step at the present juncture to the Bible-in-Schools Committee of tho General Assembly.”—Press Assn.

"The idea of 'go-slow’ is the inevitable outcome of the fear of becoming unemployed. It is suicidal certainly, and it kills itself in tho end.”—Professor T. A. Hunter, at Petono, on Tuesday evening.

Ths Pahiat.ua Borough Council early in its financial year reached tho limit of its overdraft, anl certain councillore established a trust, fund, paid, tho council’s accounts —about £5OO -and held cheques till the money was available.— Press Assn.

Tho award of tho Court of Arbitration in tho case of the Wellington plasterers has been filed. Mr. Justice Frazer states that tho award, with some slight modifications, mostly verbal, ombodica the recommendations of the Conciliation Council, which the parties agreed to accept.. It was agreed by tho parties that, if the Court should raiko the flat rate of plasterers' wages at Auckland, then tho flat rate at Wellington should be automatically traised to the same level. The Court reserves to itself the right to amend the wages clause of this award in accordance with any alteration in tho Auckland rates, and to provide that any such amendment shall be retrospective to tho date on which any increase at Auckland becomes affective.

Victoria College Council decided hist night to offer the use of the college buildings for the meeting of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science, to be held in Wellington in January, 1923.

Tho New Plymouth Borough Council is to move at the coming Municipal Associations’ Conference: —"That a further sub-section be added to section 267 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1920, empowering borough councils to accept agencies for the sale of vehicles or machinery driven by„gas or electrical power.” Commissioner control of a town or borough still has its advocates in New Zealand. In connection with the coming Municipal Conference, the Hastings Borough Council has forwarded the following remit:—"That legislative authority be secured whereby it will be possible for municipalities at their option to place their affairs under the control of commissioners as is frequently done in tile United States.” A full holiday will be observed on Saturday by the legal offices, banks, and insurance offices in conneetion with tho New Zealand-South African Rugby Test match.

Palmerston North has been troubled with quite a number of sneak thieves during the past week or two. Robberies from clothes lines have been of frequent, occurrence, end some of the thieves have turned their attention to gardens from which both vegetables and' flowers have been taken. Tho Defence Headquarters were broken into, n window being smashed to gain entrance. There were signs that endeavours were made to open tho safe, but these were evidently of ft very amateurish nature. Had tho would-be thief got the safe open ho ‘would have found nothing but departmental files for his’ trouble. The intruder got away with about five hundred rounds of 'ammunition and a rifle. Tho employers of Wellington have nominated Messrs. T. Ballinger, C. A. Lawrence, and L. R. Partridge as their representatives on tho Technical College Board. The following have been nominated as representatives of tho employees: Messrs. J. Berras, C. 11. Chapman, T. Graham, D. R. Kennedy,’ J. Read and H. Thompson. Each side is entitled to three Topreecntativcw. Nominations have not yet closed and tho elections will bo held next week.

fkivoral parties from Masterton have made the ascent of Mount Holdsworth during the part few days, including one during the week-end, when an excellent view was obtained of the country side. Tho track is reported to bo in fairly good condition. A Lower Valley farmoi who sent 37 sheepskins one bale of erntchings, and one bale of pieces to Wellington received Ji7 from tho sale, says an exchange. •Over 60 trees in tho "Avenue of Remembrance" for fallen soldiers in the Greytown Memorial Park have been purchased by their relatives and friends to data.

A visitor to Levin last week informed a reporter that he proposed shortly going on a prospecting expedition into the country at the head of the Ohan River. Ho said that many years ago his father, when a resident of Otaki, located an area from which payable gold was obtained, and lie secured eiiough of the precious metal to make a ring that he possessed HU the time of his death. His father gave him particulars of the locality where <he found the indications in an alluvial' deposit, and the visitor considered tho information good enough to tri' out.

Apparently some members of the Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association attended last night’s adjourned general meeting in tho expectation that a rescinding motion of which Mr. J. M'Kenzio had given notice would be one of the matters for discussion. A fortnight previously, it will lie remembered, the meeting had carried a motion recording dissatisfaction with the fact that Mr. A. B. Siovwright had not ’’seen fit to justify” certain statements; and Mr. M’Kenzie had stated that he would move to rescind this motion. When the last business upon (he order paper of the adjourned meeting had been disposed of last night, the chairman (Mr. W. Perry) pointed out that the rescinding motion could not como up for discussion until the next meeting, .due notice of which would have to bo given. The point was heatedly debated, but in the end the chairman's- ruling was accepted. Among the minor improvements to bo effected by the Petono Borough Council during the current financial year are repairs to a- portion of the sea. wall, and at the hist meeting the engineer was instructed Io jirocced with the work. The Mayor of I’etone (Mr. .1. W. M'Ewan) informed a Dominion reporter yesterday that this work would provide employment for some of the men out of work ah the present time. Regarding tho reading of Wilford Settlement, Mr. M'Ewan expressed tho hope that the Lands Department would expedite the preparation of the subdivisioiial plans with a view to the necessary working plans for the roads being framed. That work, when put in hand, would also provide, a considei'able amount of employment. '’When tho settlement is rcaded,” observed Mr. M'Ewan. "it will enable the land io be sold in suitable sections, for which there ;is a considerable demand. The whole of the sections previously offered for sale were disposed of by auction in a very short time, the few that remained over having sihee l>een sold by the Lands Department.” Theodore Woodward, who was charged at the Petono Court yesterday with causing actual bodily harm to James Doogan, was further remanded Uuntil September 21, Ba.il as previously being allowed.

The State schools’ method of imparting a knowledge of civics was criticised 'by Mr. R. Lawson, M.A., in delivering a lecture 'under the auspices of the Presbyterian Public Questions Committee in Melbourne. Speaking on the Application of Christian Principles to Modern Life, the lecturer deprecated attention given in the teaching of civics to nonessential points, to tho neglect of the great opportunities to influence tho mipds of the young in worthier directions. Who cared, he asked, how a council, or oven Parliament, was elected? It was the sort of man that was elected that mattered. The parent was not always aware of the tremendous responsibilities that faced the teacher, who could give any bias ho liked to his teaching, as had been dono in Gernyniy. The system was too "mechanised.” If society were not actually crumbling, it was close to it—not for lack of .courage or combination, hut of application of the principles of Christ. Even amongst the.falling ruins there could be seen the coming of a now faith. It the right kind of education got. abroad, the whole world would be changed. Tho Christian was the truest evolutionist, net believing that the world merely fluctuated to and fro, but with right kind of education and conditions there could bo almost indefinite expansion and improvement. That higher education consisted of the inner rectitude of the soul.

Iriquiries arc being made by the Commonwealth Bureau of Commerce- and Industry concerning the manufacture of aluminium in Australia on commercial lines. Various deposits of beauxite are being investigated, and, while the best of them show aluminium contents equal to tho imperfect American article, a deposit at Wingello, near Moss Vale. New South Wales, has keen given special attention (savs the "Herald”). Tbo Director of the Bureau, Mr. Stirling Taylor, stated that considerable importance was attached to this deposit by tho bureau, and endeavours are to bo mado to interest some of tho steel manufacturing companies in tho proposal. Already 4,000,4C00 tons of ore had been proved, and it was probable that many times tho quantity was available.

An example of live business methods was given to the members of tho Auckland Rotary 'Club by Mr. Robert Laidlaw at the last club luncheon. In tlio course of his 1 address on trade depression Mr. Laidlaw said he thought tho Hindu with his banana stand on the corner of Wyndham and Queen Streets was tho finest merchant in New Zealand. This Hindu, said Mr. Laidlaw, bought 30s. worth of fruit each morning, and had sold it for 455. by night. Deducting from this the hawker’s wages of 10s. pdr day, bad stock; end depreciation 2s.< Friday, and he had left a net profit of 3s. per day on an investment of 305., Or 10 per cent, per day for 300 working days •in the year, equal to 3000 per cent, per annum on his capital.

"There is no profession on earth that makes a greater call upon the vitality of those who practice in it than the profession of tho Bar in New Zealand,” declared Mr. 11. F. Richmond in the Auckland Supreme Court, when paying a tribute to the late Mr. A. E. Skelton, solicitor and barrister. "The profession,” continued Mr, Richmond, "is more trying than elsewhere, partly because of the immense variety of the work with which counsel have to deal, and partly liccause, at any rate at times during the year, tho climate makes the constant pressure of night work more than usually exhausting.”

It 5s understood that there are about 80 men, less than one-third of whom are married men, at present employed in the State forest at Ilanmer Springs, states the "Press." (Some are engaged at work in the nursery, where lining-out operations are in- progress, and the remainder at road-making, etc., -about the plantations. As the weather has been title of late, very little time is being lost. Tho men are fairly well catered for with a cook and cook’s mate, and they have tho advantage of procuring their rations from the Queen Alary Hos.pital authorities at a minimum' cost, which should enable them to live at a reasonable rate. By a convenient arrangement tho men are enabled to arrange for the payment of a fixed portion of their earnings to their dependants at whatever Centre the latter reside in, or are near. The men are housed in good bell tents, and the camp is as comfortable -as it call he made under the conditions. It is understood that whilst there was a certain amount of discontent amongst a. number of the men in the early days of the camp, very little, if any, now exists.

Messrs. Whitcombs and Tombs, Ltd., have published what is virtually a third edition of Mr. F. W. Shortlaiid’s "Police Court Practice" under the title of "Police Court Practice and Procedure.” The author states in his preface that ho has endeavoured to make the volume a companion book to Stout and Sim’s "Practice of Supremn Court and Court, of Appeal.” Since the last edition he Ims been able to add ten years’ now case law and a. considerable amount of other n’Boful matter. Tho work is very well printed, and the information it contains is sot out in a way that makes reference to any item exceedingly easy. No doubt the large numbers of legal practitioners and others who have found previous editions a valuable possession will welcome the Issue of this up-to-dite publioattoa.