LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 4, 6 January 1916, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Satisfactory conditions ot trade and labour are recorded in the report of the Labour Department, Wellington branch, for December. "All skilled trades (the report states) were very busy, and few, if any, skilled operatives were out of employment The earnings of a large number of workers have been greatly supplemented 'through the overtime necessitated by the rush of work Particularly does this apply to the textile trades These satisfactory conditions were reflected in the large volume of business transacted during the two or tliree weeks prior to Christmas. Many shopkeepers report a record business, and on all sides satisfaction is expressed with the amount of business done. The large number of troops present in the city during the holidays caused something of a mild panic to restaurant and boarding-house keepers, and these-, together with fancy goods dealers and tobacconists, have had an exceptionally busy lime. It is certain "that the war had no depressing effects so far as the conditions of trade and labour, in Wellington were concerned during Christmas, 1915." Regarding unskilled labour the report states: The number of callers decreased in comparison with the previous month. Boilermakers, carpenters, painters, plumbers, farm hands, hotel workers, and general labourers were placed. These comprised 79 married ■ and 121 single men with 224 dependents; 62 were sent to private employment and. 138 to Government works. The assisted men came from the following places : North Island, S3; South Island, 29; Commonwealth, 20; Great Britain, 88; other countries, 10 In addition five wives and six children -were assisted to join their relatives. »•

Dalgety's wool statistics for the six months ended 31st December show 146,062 bales of wool exported and 164,219 bales sold in the Dominion. Tallow exports for the period amounted to 8536 tons.

• In the course of a, brief speech at a social gathering_ last -night, the Hon. G. W. Russell. said he hoped to have a' ■"Roll of Honour" in each Department of the Government, to record for all time the. names of the men who had gone to the front and who had given their lives for their country.

Mr. Wolf Harris, London, governing director of Bing, Harris, and C 0... has sent to the Mayor of Wellington, for the Wounded Soldiers Fund, £300. Mr. Harris's firm has given £1000, but the £300 above referred to is part of a personal gift, of £1000 for this purpose, of which £300 is for the Dunedin fund, £200 foi the Christchurch fund, and £100 each for the Wanganui and Invercargil) funds. In the places named Messrs. Bing, Harris and Co. have branch houses.

Speaking at ,a social gathering in honour of Captain Herman (Inspector of Messengers) last night, the Hon. G W. Russell said he had always held, in regard to the Public Service, that, ■whether a- man joined as a- messenger or a cadet, or anything else, there should bs.no position in the Public Service that was not open to him, if he had • the brains and the ability and the energy to climb- up to it (Applause.) And if he retained office long enough, and got the opportunity, whatever barriers were in the way ho" should endeavour to get a law passed that a man a, me6senger this year could next year be a clerk,'' and, if he had the ability, could one Say be the head of a department. (Applause.) That would give every man an incentive to do his very best. Energy, ability, and sa-rnestness should always count in bringing a man promotion (Applause.;

HoTses seem to bo going a-begging in Clutha nowadays (says the Leader) At a horse sale last week there appeared to be more sellers than buyers, and most of the animals offered were " passed in." One seller, who did not get a bid for his hack, told a small boy he coulr1 have the horse foi nothing if he took it away. The boy had no hesitation about accepting the. gift

Locally a frost in January is an extremely rare occurrence (says the Marlborough Herald of Thursday) Such a, visitation was experienced last night, and was sufficiently pronounced in some localities to partially blacken potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, beans, and other tender growths, without, however, causing any extensive damage. The temperature last night and early morning was decidedly cool.

A fully-attended meeting of the committee set up to make arrangements for1 the reception of Monsignor Cerretti, Apostolic Delegate from the Holy See to Australasia, was held last night, Mr J Burke presiding The text of the address of welcome drawn up by the subcommittee appointed for the purpose was approved. Several owners of motorcars wrote offering His Excellency the use of their cars during his stay in Wellington, and the Union Company and Huddart Parker Company intimated their willingness to afford every assistance in their power to facilitate the arrangements for the landing. Final details will bo arranged at next week's meeting

"I am hounded down as soon as I get out of gaol," was the complaint made by May Gibbons, a young woman who was charged at the Magistrate's Court' to-day with the theft of a. chain valued at ss, the property of Frank Tamnin. The woman admitted, the theft. Sub-\ Inspector M'Kinnon explained that the chain was valued byi the owner at £6, but its value had been assessed by a jewsller at only 5«. Accused was also charged with having used obscene language in Tui -street, but denied the charge. " I nevei- do use these filthy words, although I am always before his Worship for drunkenness," she protested The evidence of two constables, however, convinced the Magistrate (Mr D G A. Cooper, iLM.) that the woman had used the language. On the first charge he fined her ss, in default three days in gaol, and for using the obscene language he sent her to prison for two j months, as she had been previously con- I yicted tor «imila» offences. I

There have been no bankruptcies in Masterton for the past three months. Nine were recorded last year, as against ten for the preceding year.

The deaths are announced of several well-known West Coasters, including Mr John O'Connell, of Kumara and Cape Terrace, aged 85 years; and Mr. George Stewart, of Cobden, aged 73 years.

All the members of the Government Messenger staff who are of military age are either at the front or have volunteered, said Capt. Hennah (Inspector of Messengers), at a dinner given in his honour last sight - The prevailing shortage of firemen i> proving a source of great inconvenience to shipping companies and the travel ling public alike Last evening the ferry steamer Maori was unable to secure her full below-deck complement, and she was compelled to sail for Lyttelton with reduced boiler pressure. As a result of his sketching campaign in the city yesterday to raise money for the Soldiers' Tobacco Fund, Mr Arthur Tozart raised £10 12s, and induced one recruit to join the colours. The money will provide each of 424 New Zealand soldiers at the front with thirty cigarettes, one ounce .tobacco, and matches. Mr Tozart, who has been very successful in his operations in different cities in New Zealand, intends enlisting at an early date. It is interesting to note how the Government has benefited by the holiday race meetings in Auckland this year As previously stated in The Poet, the total amount invested was £301,123 Ton per cent of that total is apportioned for tho racing clubs and the State. The former receive 7| per cent., and the iatter 2^ per cent Therefore, the clubs benefited to the extent of £22,584, and the State received £7528—a total deduction for the clubs and the State of £30,112. A special war tax of 2j, per cent.., as prescribed by the Finance Act, 1915, was also' deducted from the dividends. An additional sum of £6947 19s 9d was realised for the Treasury in this way during the seven days' racing The amounts of money mentioned were not, of course, all in circulation among racegoers. Some of it wag invested over and over again on the machine during the 56 races which were run during the seven days. . r ' Thousands of pounds are said to be going to waste every year in New Zealand in the cocksfoot and other grass seeds growing along the railway lines, country roads, and other open grassgrown place 6. It is proposed that this waste should be turned to profitable account by children gathering the grass seed, and beh)g paid for it at the rate of 3d per lb., the proceeds from tho sale of the cleaned seed to be devoted to some approved patriotic fund It has been estimated that some thousands of pounds' worth of cocksfoot seed is growing to waste around the hills of Wellington alone, The Hon V 7 D S MacDonald, Minister for Agriculture, has consented that the I services of the Field Inspectors of the' Department of Agriculture shall be available in connection with the scheme Mr A. H. Cockayne, Biologist to the Department, has furnished notes on the gathering of cocksfoot, which, supplemented by local farmers' advice, should be of great assistance to the children

The Post has received from the Tasmanian Government Tourist Department a publication offering, in concrete form, a complete guide to the whole St.itc. The information giyen is concise, a:.il all essential details are covered Tha tourist business in Tasmania is managed by the Government, just S-S is the c.it-3 in New Zealand, It was only in 1904, however, that the Government assumed control, but the step was found to he an inestimable advantage. The State having control, it sees that its guests are properly looked after "Wherevertraffic springs up." says a note in the introduction to the- guide under review, "there will be found people ready to exploit tourists ■ It is impossible, even were it desirable, for the Government to regulate private enterprise in that direction, but the Government Tourist Department may be relied upon to smooch the way, and make the path easy for visitors to the State." The latter desire is. to a large extent, accomplished in the new guide, which is well printed and profusely illustrated.

The work of preparing plans and specifications in connection with the erection of a theatre in Wellington South for the New^own Pictures Company is well in hand, and Mr 3. M Dawson, the architect,, will shortly invite tenders for the job. The site is at the rear c? the Newtown ' Hotel, situated at the corner of Riddiford and Constable streets, part of which building is to be used for the foyer,, dress circle,' etc. The entrance to the theatre will be through the corner of this existing building, and will lead into a large crush hall from. which the stairs ascend to the foyer ?nd circle There will be a seating-capacity of about 900 persons^ and the seats are to be the latest tip-up, plush upholstered. The interior will be decorated throughout with-.fibrous plaster enrichments, and all woodwork will be in figured red pine. A softness will be given to the artificial lighting by the introduction of the reflected light system, whereby all light is reflected from the ceiling and the lamps arc invisible. The furnishing will be on the most up-to-date and elaborate' scale, and special attention has been paid to so "raking" the floors of the auditorium and rirole as to give each person a clear view of the screen The whole of the ground, floor of the existing building will be converted into fireproof shops, eight in all, having tiled entrances and modern fronts As the entrance to the theatre on the corner will be brilliantly lit up at night, and all the shops will be well supplied with light, this should bo a very prominent and busy corner, in strong contrast to its state in past years since the hotel was deprived "of the iicense. The exterior of the existing building will bs renovated and painted, and it is expected t.hat the whole of the work will be completed in about nine months' time Plans have also been prepared by Mr. Dawson for a picture theatre to be erect ed in Cuba-street, for which tenders will shortly be invited.

The sum of £250, stated the Hon. G. W. Russell yesterday, has been donated by the Gisborne Patriotic Committee towards the cost of equipping the Convalescent Camp at Rotorua.