LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 44, 20 August 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A circumstantial rumour provided a little excitement in the House of Representatives yesterday. It was said that Mr. Mander, Ministerialist member for Marsden, an old-time supporter of the' Massey Bide, had resolved to fill the role of candid friend to the Ministry during the Budget debate. Shrewd students of politics were incredulous, and their doubts were soon justified. The Mr. Mander of this session proved himself the Mr. Mander of other sessions — a tranquil debater. Mr. Isitt fairly summarised the speech as the amiable disBertation of "a mild and gentlo soul," whom he further described as " a consistent and persistent Bupportei of the Government —and thus passed the Opposition's expectation of a thrill. Tho most important feature of the debate was Mr. Mtt's charge of maladministra' tion of the Cook Islands. The Ministor, Dr. Pomare, promised to reply "in time." The House rose at 11.25 p.m. Mr. B. M. Wilson, General Manager of the Tourist and Industries Depart* ment, will leave Wellington for Auok land on Saturday to meet the British Parliam«ntary party, which is about to pay a hurried visit to the North Island of New Zealand. The politicians will reach Wellington by the Main Trunk line to-morrow week, 28th August, and will be accorded a 'civic reception that afternoon. They will be the quests of Cabinet at lunch on the following day, and a few hour* later will leave for Sydney direct. Bather an unusual call, to a fire in a taxi-cab, was given to the Fire Brigade at 7.49 p.m.. yesterday. The driver of the car liad • stopped in Glasgow-street, Kelburne, id ascertain the cause of a squeaking sound which proceeded from the gear. Evidently there was a leakage to petrol somewhere, for the hext thing the driver knew was that the car was alight. The Fire Brigade p\it out the fire, but the body of the car was destroyed, The car was insured for £250 in the Ocean Accident Company, and was the property of Mr. Matterson. A new industry is apparently open* ing up in Bluff to supplant the oyster canning. It has been carried on (telegraphs the Dunedin Star's correspondent) with more or less success during the past three years. A Bluff firm has received orders for 3000 dozen opened oysters frozen, and the order is Being executed. To do bo has entailed keen competition in the work of opening them, and a man named Lee/ has been declared champion with a record of 4400 oysters (six sacks) in eight hours. This works out at 650 per hour, nine per minute, or one every* 6£ second*. Seeking to put the election of a county chairman on the same footing as that of a mayoralty contest, Mr. J. Grimmond (Westland) moved the following remit at the Counties' Conference yesterday :— That the conference consider the advisability of electing the chairman of county councils by popular vote over the whole county instead of election by councillors as at present, the term of election (if by popular vote) to be for three years, and the election to be on the same day as that of councillors. The innovation would, said the mover, give a chairman a much stronger standing than at present, and afford him sufficient time (three years) to catty out a certain line of policy. It would make the position of a county chairman a more popular one, and he would be able to speak with more confidence in urging the ratepayers to adopt any proposal. The motion received short shrift. It would mean, it was pointed out, giving one riding (that which returned the chairman) two mem--bers to another's one. There were plenty of fair-minded men who could be elected to the position from among the councillors themselves. The remit was loßb to the tune of a resounding chorus of noes. Mr. Ulysses Grant, jun., second son of an illustrious father, General Ulysßes S. Grant, the victorious commander of the Northern troops in the American civil war, arrived in Wellington by tho Aorangi at the latter end of last week. Mr. Grant, who resides at Santiago, California, is on a long tour of the globe, and does not expect to return home un> til October of next year. Seen by a representative of this journal to-day, Mr. Grant mentidned that he was eight years of age at the time of the siege of vicksburg, and well remembered seeing the running of the blockade of that town. The river steamers that undertook the desperate exploit, said Mr. Grant, were all covered in cotton bales to protect their machinery from the gun-fire. It was a very dark night and the rebels set fire to the buildings on both sides of the river, the scene being a thrilling and picturesque one. The Vessels were laden with stores for the troops and were successful in their mission, the Northerners after that crossing the river and fighting a number of successful battle*. Afterwards General Grant was twice elected President of the United j States, and for over twelve months Mr. I Ulysses Grant, jun., was his private secretary. Mr. Grant left for Auckland by to-da,y's Main Trunk express. Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd., beg to announce that they are making their initial display of Model Coats ond Skirts, Reception and Dinner Gowns, Blouses, etc., in their Mantle Showroom.—Ad vt. Shipments of goods made regularly. Melbourne every Thursday, Sydney and South Africa Fridays. The Colonial Carrying Company, Ltd., 107-109, Cus-tomhouse-quay. shipping and forwarding agents to all parts of the world.— Advt t

This morning the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke) t attended before the Local Bills Committee and gave evidence in opposition to the Architects Bill now before Parliament. Counsel in a judgment summons ca*o at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court this week used the term "lady" in referring to a. woman who had been connected with divorce proceedings, "Don't iise a word I strongly object to— 'lady,' " said Mr, Bishop, and the word was not again heard in this case (says- th» Press). The Primate (Dr. Nevill, of DunerUn), Bishop Julius, of Chrißtchurch, Bishop Averill, of Waiapu, and Bishop Sprott, of Wellington, have been conferring ih Wellington during the past two day* upon matters relative to the work of the church in New Zealand. Bishop Sadlier, of Nelson, will arrive this evening. The Bishops will attohd the public meeting in the Town Hall Uvnight in connection with the Marsden centenary. It is now a little over a month since the Timaru Harbour Board offered privately to its present debenture-holders and others throughout the Dominion the £100,000 loan which is due on Ist January, 1914. On enquiry at the Timaru Harbour Board's office a Timaru Post reporter was informed that the response had been marvellous, £90,000 of ■,the loan beihg now applied for. The .parcels taken up varied from one debenture (£100) upwards, and went to all parts of New Zealand. ' _ A discussion took piaco at a meeting of the Itoseneath Ratepayers' Association last night, Mr. T. W, Ward in the chair, relative to the method of electing Mayors. It was decided to oppose the proposal of the Government that Mayors Bliould be elected by the councils, but to state that the association was of opinion that the tenure of office should be for two years. Tho secretary was instructed to write to the City Council asking when the proposed esplanade at Oriental Bay was to b« started. Two new members were c-leet-ed, bringing the membership up to about ninety. It wos reported that the concert recently held ju the Oriental Bay Kiosk in aid of the association funds had been a financial success. Tho following motion was pawed by the Thorndon branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants at a meeting held on Monday evening :— "That this branch of the A.S.R.S. is opposed to the actibn of the Executive Council in presenting a counter petition to Parliament to that of the En-gine-drivers', Firemon's, and Cleaners' Association who are seeking for recognition of their society, as we are firmly of the opinion that the" time has arrived when they should have the sole right of representing matters affecting the locomotive members' requirements, thereby removing the petty squabbling that has been filling a prominent space in the organs of both societies. " A correspondent writes. I—"Some1 — "Some tim« ago a Post reporter noted the habit of some persons living adjacent to the Town Belt to make the resorvd a depot for household refuse, but one enter* prising person in the neighbourhood of Mem-street has gone one better. He has been cutting a quantity of turf from the Belt. I presume the City Council will not object. It will be interesting to learu what the City Corporation authorities will do with the piece of Belt at the top of Constablestreet, from which it is carting off the soil. Does it intend to leave the bare clay? And does this entering on to a lessee's ground mean that the Corporation is going to give that lessee a chance* to revoke his lease nnd to leave the section in a disgraceful condition of gorse?" "A matter which I have felt for some years to be worthy of more than the passage in the presidential report of the passage in^the presidential rerport of the Counties' 'Association) "is the question, of superannuation for local bodies' employees. At the last conference on my (Mr. Jull's) motion, a resolution on this subject was carried, and I commend it a^am to the notice of the conference, with an addition that this association! empower the executive to consult with the Municipal Association, the Harbour Boards Association, and the leading Hospital Boards, with the view of formulating a scheme somewhat on the lines laid down last year, although there does not ?eetn much likelihooa of many local bodies acting on the powers already conferred by the Local Authorities Superan- • nuation Act yet, I am afraid of what might happen if a large number of small bodies were to do co. lam sure it would be drastic and disastrous in the extreme." According to the president (Mr. A.> E. Jull), the New Zealand Counties' Association Conference might take into consideration an amendment made last year in the Valuation of Land Act. In it, he remarked yesterday, the definition of improvements was altered and provision was made to include as improvements road, bridge, irrigation, drainage, or river protection works within a county to the extent that such works had been paid for by the owner directly or by way of special rates. It would appear, however, as if the proviso whittles down the benefit, bo far a* loan moneys are concerned, to the amount* of principal estimated to have been repaid toy special rate*. It would be seen, added the president, that upon a loan, raised for thirty-six years to effect cer*., tain works, the persons who raised the money and improved their property would receive a very small allowance for tho early period of the loa-n. the full advantage being deferred until- the loan was repaid. Every dog has its day, but if the Counties Conference had its way .Maori canines would not have a place in the general scheme of things. Unanimously the delegates this morning passed a remit "that the county councils instead of tho Maori councils be the registering authorities for dogs owned by the natives." Dogs attached to native households simply over-ran many country districts, and the farmers could simply do nothing to control the nuisancenumerous speakers declared. Sheepworrying was consequently rife. In many cases tho Maori councils never collected the tax. It was against the best interests of the country, and sheepfarming in fact would not be able to bo carried on, exclaimed a delegate in pointing to the undesirabloness of carrying another remit which proposed that local authorities be empowered to put a tax of £2 2s on all sluts. This proposal was lost, and the conference then heard more about dogs and their doings. As an upshot two remits were carried as follows:— (1) Tnat , l°*|»i bodies be empowered to deal with the fees to be charged on fill dogs. (2) That the county councils instead of the Maori councils be the registering authorities for dogs owned by the natives. Pushing, progressive people employ us to Bhip, store, or distribute goods. They desire a good service, and we take care they get it. New Zealand Express Company, Ltd., 87-91, Cus-tomhouse-quay.— Advt. Undoubtedly tho ladle* of Wellington nro tho most economical in she Dominion. To prove this statement to be right, wo just need to follow closely the conversation over the friendly afternoon cup of tea, when in almost every ease thafc familiar Bubject, "press and Faahion" is fully discussed, and invariably it lewis to the one fashion centre known Ml over the Dominion, namely, C. Bmith. Ltd., of Cuba-street, who are- this week clearing one thousand hats at one shilling ©*oh. A whole window full is now on view at* their premises, 96, OuU'BJir^t^Advt,

"We are always ready to sympathise with the back-blockers in calling upon the Government for their assistance, but ale we ever disposed to assist them ourselves?" remarked the president (Mr. A. B. Jull) at the Counties' Conference yesterday afternoon. "W ( hy should not the State get the beneßt of it rather than let the banks profit by it?" remarked Mr. J. T. Quitt (JEltham), at the Counties' Conference, in moving that all loan money accounts be kept in the Post Office Savings Bank. The banks, added the speaker, did not allow the deposits as a set-off to a local body's overdraft, Without discussion the proposal was turned down by aft overwhelming majority. "On what days does the Court sit in Wellington?" enquired an officer of the j Defence Department of Dr. M' Arthur at the Petone Court this morning. "Likei a broody hen, we are always sitting/ answered Dr. M' Arthur, S.M. On another occasion the Doctor was asked by ' a, Maori how long would a prohibition I owlet 1 just imposed on him last. " Oh, j it's one of these Kathleen Mavourneen affairs— it lasts for ever unless it's takea off," waa the answer. In reply to the Christchurch. City Council s request that the motor-bicycles ; used by the Telegraph Department ■■ should be marked in accordance with the regulations made under the Motor Regulation Act, and that the messengers j should obtain certificates of ability, as provided for in the city bylaws, the Secretary to the Post and Telegraph Department states that the Motor Regulation Act and the bylaws do not apply to the Crown, and the request cannot be complied with. It has been decided to | ask the Department to reconsider its decision. Amongst other, matters the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board will deaf with at its monthly meeting tomorrow afternoon is a motion by Mr. B. R. Gardener—" That, owing to the continued heavy expenditure .involved in connection with the Olaki Sanatorium, and the resultant drain upon the resources of the local bodies which have to assist in maintaining the institution, it is desirable, in the opinion of the board, that application be made to the Government to have the Oteki Sanatorium closed down, or that otherwise it be converted into a national institution and be 1 maintained by the Government." At a meeting of delegates from the various sports clubs, held in, Mr. Paape's office, and presided over by Mr. Tringham, final arrangements were made for the deputation which will wait on the City Council to-morrow evening t6 ask for a remission of rates on the various sports grounds in the city. It hu« been calculated that the total amount involved in this request will not amount to £600. Most of the clubs are in debt, and some have had serious losses during the last year or two. The speakers selected are—Messrs. C. P. SkeTrett, K.C. (general sporte bodies), W. Perry (footballers), and J. J. Roberts (bowlers). Complaint is made by " Fairplay " in a letter to the Editor that on 14th August he was refused employment by the official in charge of the Government Labour Bureau on the. ground that he was an outsider. He states that he was told that there was work for practical pick-and-shovel men at Huntly, but when, in reply to a question as to his experience, he said that he had worked on some of the deviations of the New South Wales railways, the official said, " Oh, we can't find \ou outsiders in work." The Labour Department states that it is not the practice to discrirninftfe against applicants for employment because they are not natives of the Dominion. If they are married men, whether from outside or not, they are given preference over single men. Each case is treated on its merits. Overshadowed by the great international exposition to be held in San Francisco in 1915 to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal, practically nothing has been heard in these parta of a amall&r but, nevertheless, important exhibition, to be opened in Santiago, California, at the same time. This latter undertaking, it was explained by Mr. Ulyseefi Grant, jun., a visitor from Santiago, to a Poet reporter to-day, was to bo opened on> Ist January of 191?. The large, mtm of eeven million, dollars vm» being oipended on it, and many of the buildings' would be permanent ones. The aite of the fair wa« a large park of 1400 acree right in, the heart of the city, the population o{ which had in. a couple of decades grown from 17,000 to 90,000. The exhibition would be of an ethnological nature, and it waa hoped to have there representative* of ©very people in the world, Commissioner Richards, of the Salvation Army, has just returned to Wellington after a successful tour of the Northern districts.- While in Auckland he held three sessions with young people, between the ages of fourteen and twentythree 'years j the sessions lasted from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, 10th inst. On a week night he opened a new hall in the Mount Eden district to cope with the increasing population and the needs of the Army in the suburbs of the Northern capital. He visited Pukekohe, Paeroa, Taumartmui, and Taihape, and at each place received an enthusiastic welcome. The Mayor and Borne leading citizens' extended a welcome to the Commissioner, who gave a racy account of some of his recent experiences and the Srogress of the Army in New Zealand, n Sunday last the whole day was devoted to large gathering in the Empire Hall at Palmerston North. Commissioner Richards will now have a few days at headquarters in Wellington, and on Friday evening leaves for Christchurch, accompanied t>y Brigadier Bray (property and social secretary), Brigadier Hoare goung people's secretary), and Major >lvin (editor of the War Cry). The Commissioner will probably return to Wellington on Tuesday. pr. Marcel Natier, at a recent meeting of the Paris Medical Society, gave a lecture in which he stated that he had found a cure for lazy boys. He means schoolboys, of course, who, when play is more alluring, have an incorrigible aversion from study. He says that when a boy is an inveterate idler and a dunce, declared so by his masters, he ought to be subjected to a thorough medical examination. The doctor ought to find, a physical cause for the mental lethargy. This consists in an insufficient respiration or breathing, a pathological disorder to which the doctor should attend, also an incomplete development of the thorax, troubles in the circulation of the blood, n general antenna condition, sluggishness in expelling used-Up cerebral matter and gradual intoxication and exhaustion of the grey matter of the brain. Dr. Natier has found these symptoms presented in boys of nine who had not yet learned their alphabet. The boys were generally decl&fed lasjy, but what they wanted was not the rod, but medical treatment. In such cases he prescribed a momentary suspension of study or attendance at school and ft course of gymnastic exercises in the open air. All the symptoms of th« sluggish or lazy boy soon disappeared, and during the subsequent five or six years many of them got to the head of their classes and took first prizes. The transformation was marvellous. The Rev. Clyde L. Carr writes to state that he did not use the" expression "unchfistianlike" in his remarks criticising Mr. A. R. Atkinson's reported statement in the Bible-in-schools controversy. The Wellington Bowling Club wjU entertain Hataitai bowlers this evening at a, card party in the city club's pavilioni