LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 9, 10 July 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A conference of prominent officers of the Diefence Department from all parts of New Zealand was opened in the Garrison Hall, Buckle-street, this morning. Major-General Godley is presiding. Strong exception is taken by members of the Tramway Board to a statement made by a speaker at the public meeting held at Mivamar on Monday night, viz., that the Tramway Band practised in working hours at full pay. The Post is assured that the statement is quite incorrect. Th© band holds practices on two nights a week, and also on Sunday , mornings, the practising is don©, in the men's own time, and none of the players are paid for their services. The band certainly gets an annual subsidy of £50 from the City Council, as do other bands, but that amount aoes not go into the pockets of the men, being devoted to the band's expenses. It is urged that the members of the band, through having to attend practice, lose the chance of earning overtime pay. Among the prisoners sentenced by Sir Robert Stout (Chief Justice) to-day was George , Ellis Allen, alias Richardson, alias Baynor, on six charges of forgery and uttering. Allen was on. tup criminal list last sessions* and' when he did not answer to his name, his bailwas ordered to be estreated. He. explained to-day that his absence was due to the fact that he was undergoing an operation at the hospital at tho time of the trial. A sentence of 18 months' imprisonment waft imposed. "Very few country schools are supplied Vith strainers for the water tanks," ran a passage in a letter from a country teacher. "As the spouting is generally half filled with filth, decayed leaves, birds' nests, etc.— it ie simply marvellous that fevers aro not more prevalent amongst the school children who are obliged to drink the tank water." It was the opinion of the writer that County Councils could and would carry out School .Committees' work more effectually. Writing from Tikokino, Waipawa, to the Education Commission in a letter read to-day, Mr. Charles Eves complains of the unhealthinees of many Bchool residences. The house at Tikokino was so draughty khafc a candle would bo blown out at the windows when shut. Out of twolvd windows, only one— a sash window — could be opened at all in windy 'weather or during rain. Two of the rooms were unlined. No provision was made to filter the .water, which fell through a largo hole in tho spouting into tho tank. Tho birds built their nests and roosted under the roof above- the ceiling, the large crevices left forty years ago under the eaves affording ample- room for an entrance. No health oflkor would permit such a tenement ac this to be- inhabited in a borough, and yet'ite value was supposed to be £30 per annum. Island Bay residents, through their Municipal Association, waited on t\io Mayor yesterday to urge the immediate completion of the storm water culvert. Mr. W. H: Coy reminded the Mayor that in 1007 tho council agreed to the estimate of £7540 for this work, which wok to be spread over three year*. Already £4000 had been spout, and yet less than a third of tho work had been done. Island Bay contributed £6000 per annum in rates ; aud t)K> work should be pushed on with «dl epetfd. Mr. Chisholm pointed out that «ince 1907 the Island Bay ratepayers had contributed £25,000 in rat«e. Mewrs. H. G. HHI and G. H. Baylis ;vl«o spoke. Councillor Trevor said ihere had been very heavy expenditure- by th© council in Island Bay, which fully counterbalanced the ratett paid 4uri«g the past three or four ye&tti. The Mayor made it clear that the corporation was not responsible- for the natural water bourses, which were tho «ourco of the trouble. The council had expended on tho work in successive years £165, £2306, £1348. and £751, and £1250 was set down for it this year. Ho was not. in favour of an overdraft, and ho could not hold out much hows th*tt it would bo finished this your. Tho committee would, however, go into the matter with the Engineer. Hair bandeaux have secured an extensive vogue this ee&hon, and are in great demand. Kit-kcoldio and Sl-aius, Ltd., 'are offering the Mul in euch goods.— j

"Fire Waste and it* Prevention" was the subject of an interesting paper read' by Mr. F. G. Cray at a mooting of the Insurance Institute last evening. The loss by fir© in New Zealand, said Mr. Cray, was greater per head than in any other part of the world. General carelessness and a lad? of personal responsibility, ho thought, wore the causes. In liis opinion, a Royal Commission should be set up to inane investigations. Sever*! years ago, wrote a Hawkea Bay teacher to the Education Commission in a letter read to-day, when the headmasterehip of a large school in the Nelson district fell vacant, .it was reported that the Nelson ' Education Board, not knowing what to do with the twelve applicants, put the names into a hat, and drew out three to bo forwarded to the School Committee for •election. A. yank outsider was appointed. Thirty pictures, of "the value of £3250, have boon lent to Mftsterton by the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arta as a recognition of Mastorton'* public flpirit in purchasing a picture from the Baillie Collection for the National Gallery, and also the gifts of picture* by Messrs. W. 0. Buchanan and Bootham, of the Wairarapa. Ths loan collection includes the Buchanan and Beet ham. gifts. It will remain for a week in Masterton. By the Mokoia, from Giaborne yesterday, nineteen members of the crew of the wrecked Star of Canada returned to Wellington. Four of the men have found situations in the coastal trade, and four more of them are joining Homeward-bound ships to-day. In the event of the remainder of the complement not being able to obtain positions, the Marine Department will ship them to England again. A section m the Shipwrecked Mariners' Act provides for this. When the late Minister of Railways (Hon. A. M. Myers) presented to Parliament yesterday th© letter from the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants^ advising that, a« a result of , their interview with him recently, they, had decided to withdraw the petition which was placed before Parliament, in 1911, Mr. Myers said that 'when he took over the portfolio of Railways he found that the railway servants had ninety-six grievances, and as the result of several conferences a considerable number of those grievances had been adjusted. At the monthly meeting of tho Weilington Branch of the Amalgamated Soc!£ty of Railway Servants of New Zealand, held at the Central Hall, Petone, the following resolution was unanimous, ly carriedt —-"That this meeting of trailway servants urge upon Mi. T. M. Wilfoi'd, member for the district, that hie should give his whole support to obtaining from Parliament the freedom of the subject ; that full civil apd political rights be 'granted to all railway employees; and that ho support Mr. Veitcb in his endeavour to obtain the same when tho Minister of Railways implies to the question asked by Mr. Veitch." A picturesque figure in Wellington, has just been removed by death. Years before many adults in the city were born Joseph Marks came to these shores from hie native country, Italy, and entered the fishing industry here. As a young man he had served in the Italian Navy ( and there were few people in Wellington who had seen so much of the world as he had. He was full of reminiscences, and a man who was liked by everyone because of his rare good nature. His death will recall to old residents of Wellington the times when fish wore plentiful along th* shores of the harbour, from Kaiwarra to Oriental Bay. "Joe" Mark* reaped many a rich harvest from the waters oetwoen those points. A queer contrivance attracted a great deal of attention in the Post Office6quare yesterday. A low-set four-wheeled trolley, with an electric motel' and tin emery-wheel mounted on it, was being used to grind down tho tongues of the tram-rail points, and it was fulfilling its purpose effectively. The emery-wheel is connected up with the motor by a belt, and the power is obtained from the overhead wire by means of a long bamboo polo with a copper hook on the end and aft insulated wire running down inside it to the switchboard. The grinding wheel is so set that, wh^n lowered by a revolving wheel ? it fits exactly into the groove of the rail, and in revolving sends out a continuous shower of spark* along the line. The whole apparatus Is simple, but none the less effective. Mr. C. P. Sketrelt, X.0., appeared at the Cost of Living Commission ye&tertky, on behalf of Mr. J. G. W. Aitken, who had been subpoenaed to appear as witness, and asked to be allowed to moke a statement* The Chairman informed Mr. Skerrett that the Commission would accept the protest against appearance, but could hear no statement or argument. Mr. Skerrett replied that he had not yet stated that his client declined to appear, and he protested against tb© rafus&l to be heard as to why Mr. Aitken wished not to give evidence. The Chairman declined to alter his ground. It was the attitude the Commission had been compelled to take up. Mr. Skerrett then eaid that Mr. Trip© (represftntanff the Now Zealand Merchants Association), and Mr. Gold (secretary) desired to join with him in his very strong protest against such action. The Chairman : '*! accept the protest, but cannot hear & statement." One of the proprietors of a local boot factory, who conducted a committee of the Industrial Association through his factory, in reply to a question", stated that tttexe was, for some reason or other hard to understand, a tendency on the- part of many to purchase^ imported boot* in preference to Dominionmade. This tendency exists in connectiot> with other articles manufactured here. Buyers admit that many of the Dominion-made boots and shoes are quite as good «6 the imported, but the boot manufacturers consider that the stronger demand for imported boots i« on account of such lines being better and freely advertised by tho retailer. One or two tilings would appear to lw necessary, eithor a t higher Customs tariff or more patriotism shown by th© people. The duty on imported 1 boots was 15 per cent., ad valorem, pine la 6d on men s boot*. Is oa women's boots, and 6d on children's Iwots. Slippers were dutiahlo at 15 per cent, ad v«loi'ein, plus 6d per paid. Our expert knowledge and equipment are at the sorvico of those contemplating moving. VVo provide skilled hands, and practically take all worry off your hands. The New Zealand Express Company.—Advt. , The Cost of Living Commission continuos to obtain, evidence, but it it. to bo feared thut ite report, whon available, will be of but little practical value. The causes of tho problem lio deeper, than any such body can dolve. So far as tho requirements of the community in the way of soft good* arts concerned, while bucli firtrus ns C. Smith, Ltd., aro content with a moderate return oti capital invested Uiore will not be much room for complaint. For instance, at. the gront winter nalo now proceeding this firm am clearing n. lino of ladies' kid prlovos, all sizes and colours, worth from 2s lid to 4» 6d per pair, at ilio bargain price of In lid per pair. See those at onoo, or mail your order by return. Our assortment of Warner's Cowsets is latye, and wo can fit every type o f form with a corset that wo guarantee to fit perfectly and comfortably, and not rust break* si; tg*r. Local drawers. -.Ad^t