LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 23, 27 July 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In the course of a lengthy letter to the Editor on the Bible-in-Schcols controversy, Professor von Zedlitz expresses the belief that the denial of justice hi tho Bible League's proposals fs abhor rent to the mass of Bible Leaguers, He continues: "If Canon Garland is in any doubt about that, I challenge him to allow me on Monday night to put tho following resolution to the mass meeting of his supporters: 'That this meeting respectfully urges the lenders of the Bible movement to consent to a modification of the proposed ballot-paper so that the voters may be asked explicitly whether teachers now in the service shall or shall not be given the same rights of conscientious exemption as parents.' I may add that Canon Gavland has already informed me verbally that he does not propose to accept this challenge."' The correspondent's letter reached us too late to permit of publication in extenso today. His other points will appear in our columns as soon as space is available.

Although the City Council has been very short of funds for some time, and is now anxiously waiting for the first of the new rates to come in, it has been able to continue its regular work, including the street maintenance, which is always, a part of the winter programme. The council, at its last meeting, adopted, the estimates for a schedule of street works costing about £45,000. There is thus ample work to keep the city's staff going, and notwithstanding the impoverished exchequer, it will proceed, even at the expense of increasing the present disability. The city is in the remarkable position of having had no revenue in the way of rates since the 31st March. But the valuation list should be available in a few days now, and when the rates are struck, the response is expected to be very prompt, Profiting by the lectures recently given by the delegates from the English Town-planning and Garden Cities As* isociation, the executive of the Greater Wellington Town-planning' and Municipal Association lias decided to ask the Government to pass a Bill dealing with this subject. A general meeting of the a-esociation will be held shortly, when a draft Bill will be submitted to member* for 'dtecusfcion. : A vote of thanks and appreciation to the English Association for arranging for the visit of Messrs. Davidge and Eeade to this Dominion was paused. Enquiries made by the Lyttelton Times show that many men are unemployed in Christchurch, the majority being unskilled workers. The secretary of the Canterbury General Labourers' Union (Mr. E. Howard) states that the Government is not doing what it should to provide the unemployed with work. He says that some time ago the Publio Works Department asked for men to do work in Canterbury, and when they attended at the Christchurch office it was found that no preparations had been made to send them out. < An emphatic denial is given to the statement that unemployed in the towns will not go to the country. According to Mr. Howard there are many men at Lake Coleridge who, having completed their work there, will gladly go to any other country district. The Labour Department hao never had any difficulty in inducing men to go to country jobs.

Two luggage porteTs, John Aitken and David Grindon, were charged in th» Magistrate's Court this morning, before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., with entering the Royal Hotel on Sunday, 12th July. Mr. Perry appeared for them, and stated that their work was such as to take them into licensed premises *t all times, and at all hours. On this par* ticular occasion they had no set object in entering the hotel, but thought they might possibly get a job. They were in the hotel a few minutes only "The facts as I have them are these," said Inspector Hendrey. "The two men were seen to enter the hotel, and immediately after a light appeared in the bar. There is not a shadow of doubt that the men went in for beer. Wo alleged Sunday trading, but, of course, we cannot prove that." Mr. Perry: "They were in .the hotel a few, minutes only." Inspector Hendrey: "Quite long enough to obtain a drink." His Worship imposed a fine of 10s, in default 48 hours in gaol. An agreement between the Auckland branch of the Australasian Federated Seamen's Union and the Leyland-O'Brien tho Parker-Lamb Timber Company, the Kauri Timber Company, and Cashmore Brothel's has been registered under the ConciHation and Arbitration Act (says the Herald). Tho agreement deals with tho wages and conditions of employment for deck' and jtoke hold hands employed on vessels engaged in all classes ot towage. Preference will be given by employers to members of the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia, but employers may engage nonmembers conditionally that they tjecomcmembers of tho union during the currency of their employment. Any man of good character can join the union, nonmembers at present employed on vessels being given two months in which to become membea's. Able seamen will receive £9 a month; ordinary seamen, over 18 years of age, £7, and £6 if under 18 years; firemen and greasers, four-hour watches, £ll, and £l2 for six-hour watches. Thi« agreement, which will remain in force until 31st December, 1916, has been registered and filed as an in» dustria) agreement, binding only on those or- whoso behalf it has be<m signed. It cannot be converted into an award, which would be binding on all who might subsequently take part, in the industry affected, without the mutual consent of all the parties concerned, Kirkcaldie and Staine's great winter sale, which commences on Wednesday, 29th July, promises to bo a most remarkable money-saving event. Messrs. Kirkcaldie and Stains's is all eVpr popular shopping centre, and throughout the whole sixteen days of the sale there will be eager crowds of purchasers} for the faith of tho public in Kirkcaldie and Stains stands on a sure foundation, and never has been and never will be mis-placed.—-Advt.

A pleasant programme of music was played by the Salvation Army Band it* th« grounds of the Wellington Hospitut yesterday afternoon. A little over .04 was subscribed by visitors, and this amount will be handed over to the Hoa« pltal authorities.

Three members of the Wellington Accountant Students' Society (Messrs. W. Appleton, H. A. Cunningham, and T. Anton) had a spirited debate at Cluistchurch on Friday, with an equal number of representatives of the local Accountant Students' Society, the subject for discussion being, *' That the introduction of a.general scheme of profit-sharing would be beneficial to the employers and employees of this Dominion." Tho chairman (Mr. J. S. Day) decided in favour of tho Wellington delegates. There was a large influx into Petone on Saturday afternoon owing to tho " star " Rugby attraction, which, of course, did not eventuate. The postponement caitßed keen disappointment, and many adversely criticised the action of the local council. The morning's deluge, however, had made the Recreation Ground something in the nature of a swamp, and it is explained that considerable harm would havo been done to the surface had matches been played. One outstanding feature of tho affair was that, although only 5s had been taken at the gate, there were about forty claimants for the refund of their admission fees, Needless to sa>, there wag " nothing doing." A conference was held at Tautnavu. nui on Saturday afternoon between a number of representative Maori chiefs and delegates from the Temperance Party regarding the maintenance of tho proclamation against liquor in the King Country. The temperance delegates corn* pmed Mr. Wesley Spragg and the Rev. J. Dawson (president and secretary of the New Zealand Alliance), Mr. VL. D. Bedford (of Dunedin), 'thfe Revs. W. Gittos (veteran Maori missionary), Ham* mond (West Coast Maori Missioner), ,F, Bennett (Rolorua), and Hone Hare (Otorohanga). The gathering was imanimoua m its demand that' the Government and country must be true to tho arrangoment entered into with the Maoris. Messrs. Spragg and Dawson returned to Wellington by the Main Trunk express this morning, while the remainder of the delegates proceeded on to Te Kuiti, where a similar conference with the Maori chiefs is being held to-day. The temperance delegates will come on to Wellington by the Main Trunk express to-morrow morning, and a request will be made to the Prime Minister to receive them as a depu« tation later in tho day, It is not so much a matter of inter* State rivalry as the necessity for making provision for very rapidly . increasing trade' requirements which has caused the formulation of, plans for harbour improvements at Australian ports at an. aggregate cost of millions upon millions (writes The Post's Sydney correspondent). During the week the Melbourne Harbour Trust formally declared approyal of a scheme of harbour and dock improvements at an estimated expenditure of £5,740,000. By this scheme, which includes the construction of four new docks, it is hoped to provide for the expansion of shipping trade in connection with the river Yafra for the next thirty years. This is independent of big and costly schemes for the improvement of what is called the outer harbour—the portion of Melbourne's port which lies outside the mouth of the Yarra. These big undertakings, r.iiich are matched by proportionately extensive plans for increased shipping accommodation in the .other States, show abundance of faith in the' commercial future of tho country. A new volume on Garrison Artillery Training is being published in England. In the opening chapter emphasis is laid on the training of the soldierly spirit, and provision is made for the attachment of G.A. officers to other arms; conference of officers at the end of the training season ; the co-operation of other arms in manning exercises, and for-'sig-nallers used at practice to bo detailed for similaK duties with the examination service in War. The following are now included in the coast defence armament in England:—(l) Guns for attack of aircraft ; (2) machine guns to assist anti- , torpedo craft guns. There are only two methods of fire, viz., battery Are and gun fire. The manning and fighting guns by | night is dealt with very fully, the instructions for watches and relief of watches being entirely now. A new appendix (VI.) on telephonic messages has been added, the principles being similar to those employed in dealing with messages in the field. As far as practicable, the new conditions will be applied to tho New Zealand Coast Artillery during the present training season. A training manual, dealing with N,ew Zealand Garrison Artillery conditions, is in print, and will be issued Bhortly.

Mention has been made before of the influence exercised by the action of the New Zealand farmers during the big waterside strike in the Dominion (writes The Post's Sydney correspondent). Another illustration has to be recorded. There is nov\ in session the annual conference of the Farmers and Settlers' Association of New South Wales, a big organisation, which is reported to bo gainings steadily in strength and solidarity. No speech made at the conference has been more heartily cheered than" one in which the president, Mr. Patten,* M.H.R., threw out a bold challenge to' the Australian Workers' Union. . This is the most, powerful of Australian industrial organisations, and it has in its course of accretion recently absorbed the Rural Workers' Union, with the object, of forcing the employing agriculturists to recognition of the union and of its demands. Mr. Patten described as "silly" and "childish" allegations made by officials of the A.W.U. to the effect that the farmers and settlers' organisation was resisting endeavours by the union to get the case of rural workers before the Commonwealth Arbitration Court. "We have no power to stop any* one from going to the Court," proceed* ed Mr. Patten, "and wo have no inclination to stop them if they want to go. Tluvdoor is wide open. We don't,care whether they go or not." Concerning a sort of ultimatum issued by the A W.U. concerning rates of pay and conditions for rural workers, which it demands shall be paid as from Ist October, under penalty of a great boycott, Mr. Patten, was equally outspoken. Said he : "if they unreasonably decline to handle our property we shall step in and lift it ourselves, if necessary, wo shall see that our property is sent not only from the farm to the railway station, but also from the railway station to the ships', holds, and across tho sea. They . will not have to go far before they meet men who will take up the A.W U. Challenge." No doubt was left regarding the farmers' determination to fight the big A.W.U. to tho bitter end if necessary.

Remember! Wo have our own offices in leading towns North, South Islands. We forward parcels, deliver goods, pass entries, check baggage. The New Zealand Express- Company, Ltd., 87-91, Customhouse-quay.—Advt. It is quite evident that, we are living in an age when wo are judged by our reputation. This has been proved in this city for the past thirty-six years by the well-known firm of C. Smith, Ltd., which to-day iB one of the leading drapery urn™ here, and wo givo in their own words the secret of their success. From the (irst opening thoy have given tho very best values _ they could, and have conducted their business in a genuine, straightforward way, and wo sea no reason why it should not be so universally,Still, the fact remains that C. Smith, Ltd., of Cuba-stroot, have had a record sale, and arc continuing to servo hundreds of woll-pleasod customers daily.--Advt.