LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 58, 6 September 1916, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A report by the Visiting Committee set up by the Wellington Technical Education Board was submitted by Mr. W. H. Bennett at the meeting of the board last evening. Inter alia, it states: "This board is out to do the best it can for the rising generation, and if we can help in any way those classes that are languishing for pupils, it is both our desire and duty to do so. The urgent question is, What can be done to persuade youths to take up mechanical trades? The outlook of the building trade as far as certain branches are concerned is black indeed. Where are we to get our future tradesmen? We are not training them— iv fact, the lads are not offering if the employers wore willing to take them, which in many cases they seem unwilling to do. One is led to ask, Is our system wrong? School days are over at fourteen years of age; a lad is not ready to become an apprentice until the age of fifteen or sixteen. Do the intervening years havo a tendency to-make them drift into other channels as message-boys to this or that? Should there not be a system of compulsory continuation classes for a further term beyond the age of fourteen? Comparatively few lads or lasses will continue ,at school out of pure love for it. There must be some compelling force, either at the time or in the future when the drudgery is over."

"Onus of proof is on the defendant." These are unusual words in statute law, and should therefore be well heeded by men of military age. If a man is to saVe himself from conviction on a charge under the Military Service 'Act he has to prove to the satisfaction of a Court that his case is not one for a penalty. This change of the ordinary procedure in British Courts is deemed necessary by the Parliament of New Zealand for the purposes of the new Act.

Arbitration Court awards havo been filed in the cases of the Wellington Brewers, Battlers, and Aerated Water •Workers' disputes. In the section concerning brewers the ward is in accordance with the agreement reached before the Conciliation Council. Regarding aerated water workers, a partial agreement was reached, but the Court was asked to award double time rates of pay for work before 7 a.m., it being pointed out by the union's representative that men were at 'times asked to commence work at 6 a.m. to assist carters who were to make early deliveries. The Court agreed to this request by the union, and the award which has been filed provii.es for double time rates of pay between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m

A paragraph which appeared in The Post on Monday stated that in the course of argument in the hearing of a civil action at the Auckland Supreme Court last week, counsel for one of the parties said: "We prefer to come to this Court than to go to the Arbitration Court. In the Arbitration Court it is more expensive and less sure than justice in this Court." This would appear to convey an impression, which is not fair to the Industrial Arbitration Court. The case under trial at Auckland was a dispute in regard to a building contract. The reference "was evidently to the special tribunal known as an Arbitration Court, which may be set up under the Arbitration Act (which is altogether distinct from the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act) to act as arbiter iv the settlement of differences between business men. As a matter of fact, proceedings in the Industrial Arbitration Court (known officially as the Court of Arbitration in New Zealand) are much less costly than in the Supreme Court, and on the average cases are settled as quickly, though this, of course, depends on circumstances and the (pressure of busi-

The Seaward Downs correspondent of the Wyndham Fanner gives particulars of a terrific electrical storm which recently passed over a short compass of space in that locality. After the lightning and thunder, the storm rushed with groat fore'e between two posts-of a fence situated about three chains from the homstead of Mrs. M'Kenzie. Both posts were shattered, just as though a charge of blasting powder had been fired into them, and chips of wood were found fully two chains away—all in one direction, proving that the force had been in a S.W. to N.E. direction. The severed wires (five) of the fence gave the appearance of having passed through a furhace, the top barb especially so, nine feet of it having absolutely disappeared; and from the appearance of what remained it would appear that < that particular piece had been completely melted. A couple of calves sheltering about two chains along the fence were killed. The lightning appeared to have travelled along the fence in both directions, and was easily traceable by the burned appearance of the wire. Mr. Robert M'Cali had a valuable cow killed. Tlie animal's neck, and both forelegs seemed to have been broken, but no marks were discernible.

In a few weeks, Moore Park will no longer be the location of the magnificent collection of animals gathered from all parts of the world through the agency of the Zoological Society (remarked the Sydney Morning Herald of recent date). At Taronga Park, Bradley's Head, the site chosen for the new Zoo, matters are so far completed that the official opening has been definitely arranged for 7th October In the meantime, in order to advertise the change of location as widely as possible, the Government has undertaken to give every school child in the metropolitan area a free trip to Taronga Park.

For years (says the Feilding Star) New Zealand tawa timber has been amongst the despised products of the Dominion, but the depletion of our forests, with the consequent scarcity of other varieties of •timbers, has brought its possibilities into prominence. Australia is taking all the tawa that can be got, and. an order for 50,000 feet was placed in Auckland the other day. It is easily worked, is more solid than white pine, has a nice grain, and can be easily stained to appear liko oak,'mahogany, or rosewood. Tawa has been used for butter kegs years ago; and if large enough trees are available suitable .butter boxes could be made of it.

Notice has been given by Councillor Budd of his intention to move at tomorrow's meeting of the Onslow Borough Council a& follows :—" That the City Council and Railway Department be written to drawing their attention to the bad state of the approaches to Lajiibton and Thorndon Stations, and especially of the crossings at Davis and Bunny streets, during wet weather, and urging that some improvement be effected so that travellers by train may reach the city in comfort." Councillor J. G. Smith will move:—"That this council appoint a special committee to approach the Wellington City Tramway authorities, with a view to arranging for improved tramway facilities to and from the Thorndon Station."

"In the carpentera' shop we found a fair number of Studente, one of whom, by the way,_ was a lady, states Mr W. H. Bennett in a report submitted to the Technical College Board last night on behalf of the visiting committee. "I understand the lady is not a builder's apprentice. On enquiry I found from the instructor, Mr. Graham, who is himself a first-class mechanic in all branches, thait there are at present among the students five apprentices, two joiners, making themselves more proficient, one who intends to be a fanner and desires to get a knowledge of the tools, and others who are merely taking the course as a hobby. Most of the woTk in band appeared to be articles of use in the home rather than parts of building construction." -

The New South Wales Minister of Mines (Mr. Estell) stated recently that he intended to go ahead with the establishment of a State coal mine at Lithgow, despite the rejection by the Upper House of a Bill to acquire land for that purpose. Authority to go on with the matter was contained in the State Coal Mines Act of 1912. The scheme, said the Minister, was to have an area of 40,000 acres, with a shaft on 40 acres of private land, to be purchased at a cost of £6000, -the construction of a line from the • Great Western line to the shaft, to cost £14,000, and the equipment of a colliery to cost £20,000. The Crown Law authorities had advised that it was not necessary to submit this to either the Public Works Committee or the Legislative Assembly. He went on to say that £30,000, which had been voted on the previous year's Estimates for the establishment of State Coal mines, was available. The Minister has issued the necessary, instructions, and says that as it will take some months to sink the shaft, the two access areas which formed the subject of-the rejected Bill can be acquired at a later date.

Interviewed by a New Zealand Herald reporter on his return by the Arawa, Dr. Marshall Macdonald, who spent twelve months on the staff of a French military hospital at the front, stated that the French medical service was not well organised at the beginning of the war. Since then, however, die service has become highly efficient. All the doctors in France have been mobilised, and a large .number of public buildings, colleges, ajid schools have been transformed into hospitals. Every facility is provided for the proper and careful treatment of the wounded. Severe cases can be attended to within easy reach of the firing line. The hospital trains carry' medical officers, and are fully equipped with operating theatres and surgical appliances. Every, railway station is a Red Cross depot, and well-stocked canteens supply the need of the men passing through. France was divided into twenty military districts, and the chief town of each district had special medical services, including surgery, bacteriology, neurology, infectious diseases, and eye, ear, and throat work. Little trouble was being experienced with infectious diseases. Tlie French medical service was' conducted efficiently and economically.

Last week news of a phenomenal gold discovery was cabled from Tasmania. This is how the Tasmanian correspondent of the Australian Worker refers to the "find":—First it was a "mountain of gold," then it became a "jeweller's shop," then it became a "highly payable reef," then the little Hobart syndicate that owns the show was said to have "great expectations," which dwindled to "extensive possibilities," and now it is mentioned as "a possibly payable venture." That about describes the public history of the prospectors' gold discovery at Long- Plains, neir Waratah, in the r.orth-east corner of this island. The details of the first yarn were to the effect that the prospectors had unearthed the hitherto nndiscoverable parent reef from which all tlie rich gold of Specimen Hill (1850-60) had been shed, but this cheerful story was somewhat gloomed by the official geologists, who reported that the real reason the parent reef had not been discovered years ago lay in the fact that there never was and never would be any such parent in that locality, and even if there existed such a progenitor it would probably be as barren of' gold as Mount Rennie or the Hill at Flemington Racecourse on off days. However, samples analysed show some grains, and even pennyweights, to the ton, and "further developmental works is to be undertaken with a view to flotation," or words to that effect.

Colonel G. F. C. Campbell, Coast Defence Commander, paid a visit of in-: spection last evening to the pajade of the D Battery. Accompanied by Major! Petberick and the other officers of the battery, Colonel Campbell reviewed the; men, and in a brief address expressed his appreciation of their steadiness and soldierly bearing.

Private A. M'Nab, formerly of South, land, writing to his brother, the Hon. Dr. R. M'Nab, states that he was in the trenches without a break for six months and a-half, and never missed a roll-call. He escaped without any wounds. At the time of writing he had been placed on the quartermaster's staffin order to give him a spell, but even that necessitated two visits a day to the trenches. Private M'Nab held a com-.-mission during the Boer 'Wai-, but in, the present war he felt he would like toi have the experience of a private, an 4 enlisted in the ranks.

It is stated by the New Zealand Herald that according to recent commercial advices received in Auckland railway freight rates between Pittsburg, the great Pennsylvania iron-manufac-turing centre, and New York, had been raised by about 40 per cent. It is 'also considered probable that the legislative provision for an eight-hour day on the American railways, which has averted the threatened railway strike, as indicated in the cable news, will entail the passing on to the public of the increased cost of working, by mean's of tho further raising of tariffs. One effect of such charges, it is considered by business men in Auckland, is to encourage trade within the Empire, seeing that the Canadian iron and steel manufactories are mostly established close to the seaboard, and are independent of Ameri. can railway rates.

A case of considerable interest tq patrons of the totalisator was heard ai» the Magistrate's Court, Featherston, yesterday, before Mr. L. G. Reid, S.M., F. J. France was charged for that on 3rd "June, 1916, at Moroa Racecourse, near Grey town, he did record on the totalisator certain moneys after the time! notified for the starting of the race.. Superintendent O'Donovan appeared toj prosecute and Mr. Card for the de-J fendant, who pleaded guilty. The explanation advanced. was that defendant had received a sum of £20 to be invested on the totalisator, with the direction that it was not to be rung on all at once. He had put on £10 before the race started, but owing to the pres. sure of work had omitted to'put on the other £10. When he rang on the bal-' ance he was ignorant of the fact thatJ the race had started, nor did he knowj the position of the horses. When two, men who had tickets on the winning; horse came along subsequently and protested he instantly rectified the number^ on the totalisator by putting up a noticej that the £10 had been withdrawn. Supen intendent O'Donovan pointed out to th<j Bench that the offence to which the de-i fendant had pleaded guilty opened the way to the widest frauds imaginable inj respect of horseracing. He was satisfied,' however, that on this occasion thefta was no fraudulent intention in the mmdi of the defendant, who was a man of! well-established good character, and well known not to be associated with any ob-> jectionable elements connected witty horseracing. Had the position beeq otherwise he would have pressed for the highest penalty. His Worship said that,1 taking all the circumstances into conJ sideration, he would impose only a liglilj fine, £2, and costs.

Through falling off a cad>uiriAdalaide*j road last evening a man named John Williamson suffered slight injury to bis back. He is being attended at the Hosj pital. '