LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 88, 11 October 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Sir James Allen announced) yesterday that the War Memorials Committee at Home had recommended the purchase of two sites for the erection of memorials to New 2ealanders on the fields of battle— one at Messines and the other at Gravenstafel. He'had decided to authorise the purchase of these at a cost of £150.

Practical sympathy 'with his widow and seven young children has evidenced the high esteem in which the late Captain Cowan, master of the Tainui, which was burnt at sea, was teld in many quarters. His home was, at Wanganui, where he was exceedingly popular He also had » number of. friends in Wellington, who, at the instance of Captain Broadwood, of the Calm, generously responded to an invitation to subscribe for the benefit of Mrs. Cowan. The amounts collected locally have been forwarded to Wanganui.

A motion was moved by Mr J. Kenny at the meeting of . members .of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association last evening condemning profiteering. The motion urged the Government in dealing with the Profiteering Bill to make provision for persons convicted of the offence being dealjt with in a similar maanner to conscientious objectors and anti-militarists, i.e., by imprisonment and loss of .civil rights. Various speakers having spoken in favour of tho motion, Mi H T. B. Drew said that while supporting the motion he thought there should bo nothing in it which might disclose sympathy with conscientious objectors. Mr. J M'Kenzie moved as an addition to the motion : "That this meeting of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association, in denouncing all kinds of ■ profiteering—whether in land or commodities —calk upon the Government to devise means whereby all profiteers shall be compelled to pay by levies upon war profits all tha needs' of the soldiers in respect of allowances, pensions, and gratuities." Mr. Siev wright urged that the only way to touch the profiteer wttß to get at his 'pocket The n^U'talpn ww ;iec9pt<gi) and tho motion was carried uaanjmouily.

During the period between noon of 6th October and noon of 9th October, 19 cases of influenza were reported in New Zealand. Of these 14 were mild, 2 were pneumonic, and o were severe. The Wellington cases totalled 1, all being of k mild type.

The Minister of Education is being .asked by Mr T M. Wilford (Hutt) if he will this session place upon the Estimates a sufficient sum of money to purchase a site for a high school for tihe Hutt Valley? Hutt. and Petone, he says, have agreed on a site which is deemed eminently suitable and convenient.

The body recovered on Monday, near Gore Bay, the scene of the wreck of the Tainui, has been identified by his son as that'of William Hardie Stevens, the mate of the vessel. An inquest was held at Cheviot by Mr. C. H. Willis, J.P., and a jury of six. A verdict was returned that deceased was drowned on 16th September through having to leave the ship, which was on fire through an explosion caused by benzine.

Major R. E. Goddard, who has been appointed by the • Department of Overseas Trade (Development and Intelligence) London, and the Association of ritish Motor and Allied Manufacturers Ltd., to investigate the Australasian and Far Eastern markets for the sal? of British motor vehicles, their parts and accessories, is due to arrive in Auckland within the next few days. Major Goddard has made a special study of overseas commerce, with regard to which he has a wide and varied experience, especially in connection with the motor industry. As soon as. his investigations in Auckland are completed he will cometo Wellington, where he will be in close touch with His Majesty's Trade Commissioner. .

Why the men in the Railway Stores Department have not the same working hours as the men in the workshops? is the subject of a question addressed by Mr. T. M. Wilted to the Minister of. Railways. Mr. Wilford says that in the past the Stores Department have always had the same working hours as the workshops—namely, forty-eight hours per week of six days, while under the proposed classification now under consideration the workshops have, the forty-four-hour week, and , though™ the men were given an assurance (a) that' no men or set of men would be in a worse position under the new proposals than they were under the old regime, and (b) that an eight-hour day had been granted, each day to stand by itself, the Stores Department, is still working eight hours and three-quarters a day for five days and four hours and a quarter on Saturday, which really means threequarters of an hour overtime every day at ordinary rates. i '"'■.'

A private exhibition of cinema pictures, taken on the recent tour of the Cook .Islands, and Samoa by their Excellencies the Governor-General and the Countess of Liverpool, was given at the film censor's theatre yesterday. The pictures weje taken by Mr. S. B. Taylor, the Government cinema photographer. They are for the most part in sepia and blue tones. The majority of them are of ancient Island dances, which were specially arranged for the Vice-Regal visit—-' dancing with a meaning; often describing some dramatic incident in history, coconut picking and fishing, the GovernorGeneral landing at Apia, review of the troops, and deceptions of natives of importance were also shown. Mr. Taylor took a number of the pictures in the rain, but that is not apparent in the films. The subjects are full of motion, with the beautiful Island scenery incidental to them. .•They- are remarkable fcir their clear definition and often stereoscopic effects. The pictures are the property of the Government.

"We have been faced with our own special problems, arising, in many cases out of war conditions," states the annual report of the Y.W.C.A. "Girls aad young women have stepped out into public life as never before, and though they_ have_ undergone, in many , cases, special training for their newly allotted tasks, has ? thought been given to their mental and moral make-up before bringing their immature minds into daily contact with the conditions of factory, shop, or office? A generation ago women did not have those problems and temptations tha*, are likely to beset the path of the business girl to-day,, and whilst we rejoice to think that the cloistered life fofl women has gone for ever, and that they are taking their places in the world as responsible citizens, we realise that the helping hand, the., generous and understanding heart, is more than ever needed to -guide this pioneer generation of girls through the quicksands of new and oftimes difficult experiences—or should we say old experiences in a new setting?"

Strong condemnation was expressed at the meeting of members of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association last evening at the letter published ,in The Post" by Mr. J. T M. Hornsby, M.P., confirming his reported, remarks regarding the deputation by returned soldiers to Parliament, and. justifying such remarks: Mr. A. Kyle moved a naotion declaring Mr. Hornsby,' as a result of his action, to be utterly unfit to represent any constituency in the Dominion^ and expresses the hope that returned soldiers will do their utmost to secure his defeat at the forthiDg election. The motion was greeted with applause. The mover said Mr. Hornsby had cast a slur upon the whole of the returned soldiers of the country, a slur which should be vigorously resented. 'Mr.' A. B. Sievwright said returned soldiers were going to protect themselves against such slurs being cast upon them by romancing politicians of the type of Mr. Hornsby After other speakers had spoken in a similar strain, the motion was put and carried unanimously. Mr. Hornsby thereupon was loudly counted out.

The public demand for trout from, the ' Rotorua lakes is as keen as ever, reports the Internal Affairs Department, which has charge of fish distribution. It sold fish in Wellington to the public at 6d per pound fresh and 8d per pound smoked, these prices allowing dealers margins of 2£d and 3d per pound respectively An effort was made to meet • numerous' orders from Napier, but the reduced quantity coming to hand would only allow of small supplies..being sent. The practicability of placing the fish on the Southern markets at a cost -which' would allow its being sold to. the .public at a reasonable price was considered a few years ago. Several small lots were despatched to Chrisichurch, via Auckland, where they were frozen and sent on by steamer. Though sold at Eotorua for 4d, the cost to the purchaser oni arrival afc Christ-church was Is 6d a pound. After investigation during the year, it appeared that fresh trout brought on to Wellington in the usual, way, and repacked in ice'in lots of not less than 4 cwt.. might, after paying extra, shipping, wharfage, and -rail' charges, bs sold ■ wholesale at Christchurch railway station at 6d per pound without loss to the-Department. Next. season, if the supplies coming to hand warrant the exploiting of the fish market, it. is hopeel to despatch at least a few trial consignments to Christchurch

, It is understood, says the Daily Times, that a company is in the process of formation in Dunedin for the purpose of exploiting the fishing industry When established the company will go in for tvawling on extensive lines, in order, to utism-B Sqx the pisot>k of the city and suburbs a plentiful supply of fresh'BeU.