LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 138, 11 June 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An additional burden has been placed on the housekeeping bill, especially in this, time of milk shortage, by an advance of condensed milk to Is per tin, but in some places it can still be bought fov •lid. The Board of Trade on Ist April sanctioned the increase of the wholesale -price from 38s to 40s per case, subject to the usual trade discount. This would account for a wholesale rise of id per tin. Mr. Hoyles, general manager of New Zealand Milk Products Co., Ltd. ("Highlander" milk) explained to a representative of The Post to-day that while the retail price since 1914 had advanced 100 per cent., viz., Is per tin, as against 6d per tin, the manufacturing costs had increased 106 per cent. Tinplates had since advanced by 246 per cent.; sugar (including purchases made outside New Zealand because the local supplies were inadequate) by 143 per, cent. ; and fresh milk by 87 per cent. But even so, condensed milk at Is per tin wae cheaper in New Zealand than in England, where it was Is 6d, and Australia where it was Is 3d. The arrivals at New Zealand ports during the month of May exceeded the ] departures by 363. In the corresponding month of 1919 there was an excess of departures over arrivals of 504. During the railway strike the extra cost incurred by the City Council in bringing milk into the city was £412 Is lOd. "I have had a number of applications for trees and shrubs." reported Mr. T. G. Mackenzie, Director of Reserves, to the City Council last night. "As we have a- big planting programme outlined, I would recommend that no tree 6be given away except for public purposes." In view of the complaints received from the Post and Telegraph Department with reference to the condition of the telephones at taxi stands, the Department is to be asked by the City Council to alter the instruments so that calls only can be received. Polline in connection with the vacancy on the Makara County Council caused by the resignation of. the chairman (Councillor 5. Bryant) took place yesterday. The result- was as follows:—Fredk. H. Flitter, 53; Thos. S. Jackson, 51. The official count will be made next Monday. Mr. Wilfrid Beech, county clerk, acted as returning officer. :V dispute on the question of wages and conditions is at present being discussed between the members of the Gas Workers' Union and the Petone Borough Council. The parties are to meet again next Wednesday. Councillor Hay last evening suggested that if the matter was not then settled it be referred to the Arbitration Court. "Moat tenants have -an idea that when prospective buyers call to examine ahouse no obstacle must be placed in the way of the inspection," said one of the speakers at the meeting of rentpayers last evening, "but don't believe that for a moment. Quit© a few of those visitors have called at the house I am renting, but none are asked inside." At the present time the Petone Gas Department cleans and maintains gas fittings at the rate of lgd per point. Last evening the manager of the gasworks pointed out that tnis branch was being run at a loss, owing to the heavycost of mantles and glass chimneys. A motion by Councillor Cox that the charge be Id per point, consumers to pay for material, was lost, and it was decided to close this branch altogether. Among many floral tributes to the memory of the late Riehaa-d John Seddon which were placed on the Seddon Memorial in the Bolton-street Cemetery yesterday, on the'occasion of the fourteenth "anniversary of the statesman's death, was one from the Seddon Memorial Committee bearing the following inscription :—"To cherish and revere the memory of Richard John Seddon, Imperialist and Humanitarian.. From Young New Zealanders." The Western Samoan Order-in-Council made by His Majesty the King is published in the Gazette. Made upon the renunciation by Germany of her right over the territory, it decrees that Upolu and Savaii, together with the adjacent islands, shall be' known as Western Samoa, and that the Parliament of New Zealand shall have full power to make laws for the government of the territory in accordance with the provisions of the Peace Treaty. s Regarding the serious shortage of milk in Wellington. Councillor Bemiett, chairman of the City Council's Milk Committee, announced last night that the Board of Trade was inquiring into the price to be paid to the Featherston farmers. He could not say how far the negotiations had proceeded. Owing to the cutting off of -supplies from Bunnythorpe and Featherston, the distribution in the city was 1000 gallons less per day now than at the same time last year. The constant increases in the price of coal is making the framing of the estimates of the Gas- Department of the Petone Borough Council an exceedingly difficult matter. Estimates which were prepared some 14 days ago, arc now obsolete owing to increased freight and other charges. Councillor Cook suggested that it was folly to attempt to prepare estimates. The department should be run as a commercial concern, a quarterly balance-sheet should be produced, and the price at which the gas was sold reviewed on each occasion, raising the price as the cost of production increased. Land adjacent to the Karori Park containing a plantation covering from seven to 10 acres has been offered to the CityCouncil by the owners, Messrs. Lewer and Isaacs. ■ The council has been 1 given a fortnight's option over the land on certain conditions. The Mayor stated last night that he did not favour accepting the offer. The neserve was close to the Karori Park, and it was not feasible that the council should buy up every plantation around the city merely for the sake of preserving the trees. The Finance Committee recommended that the offer should not be entertained, and the recommendation was adopted unanimously. The Hon. W. 'Nosworthy, Minister for Agriculture, in speaking at Tara-nki Winter Show, referred to the shortage of manures, and said that he was pieuaeel to mention that under the new arrangements with regard to the Nauru Island p'.v. sphntes there was good prospect that beiore another season manures would b9 cheaper and available in greater quantity. As Minister of - Agriculture, he also recognised (states The Post's corespondent at Hawero) that something must be done; with regard to the lime I deposits, and the Government had in view schemes whereby the lime deposits | of the Dominion could be developed to greater advantage. The Glen Oroua estate, of 1100 acres (owned by Mr. E. R. Saundere), was sold by public auction on Tuesday, by Messrs. Murray, Roberts and Co., Ltd., Feildins, who disposed of every section under the hammer. The total purchase money was £110,159, and the average price per acre £103 2a 6d. There was particularly keen competition for the homestead section, which was purchased •by Mr. Walter Mills, of Picton; at £180 per acre, and, after strong bidding, the same buyer also secured the adjoining section at £152 per acre. Bidding was spirited throughout the sale.

The customary grant of £50 towards tli* funds of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts has been made by the City Council. The request of the Cook County Council that local authorities should have the power to enforce payment of rates by Native owners, has been referred by the Prime Minister to the Native Minister for consideration. Sitting in banco at the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon, his Honour tho Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) granted an application on behalf of the Yost Typewriter Company, Ltd.,-for an order to permit the Registrar of Patents to register the name "Yost" as a trademark for typewriters, typewriter accessories, and typewriter paper. Mr. H. Anderson appeared for the Yost Company, and Mr. J. Prendeville for the Registrar of Patents. The support of the City Council has been given to the following motion passed by the Palmerston Borough Council : "That the Government be requested to at once use every endeavour to obtain adequate supplies of cement, so urgently required by local bodies throughout New Zealand, for the purpose of undertaking the important works which they have now i« hand." "Act in Time" writes to The Post regarding a report that Mason's Gardens," 1 Taita, were to be cut up and sold, and the trees destroyed. "Is not this wonderful spot, with its magnificent old trees, as much entitled to protection as any of our scenio reserves?" Inquiries failed to elicit either confirmation or contradiction of the report, but many hopes were expressed that if any sub-division of the gardens were contemplated, the public authorities would act at once to save this resort from destruction. Some time ago a suggestion was made that local bodies should obtain supplies of metal from Mount Egmont. It is understood by the Wanganui Herald that the Public Works Department is now taking up the matter, and that certain proposals are to come before County Councils for their consideration. It is believed; that by obtaining the metal in large quantities, it could be landed in Wanganui at a cheaper rate than obtaining it from Lower Hutt, and that a saving in railway haulage could also be effected. Late last ijight a middle-aged woman named Christina Saville was noticed wandering about Thorndon-quay with 1 two young children, one an infant in arms. The night was wet and the woman and the children were in a pitiable plight. They were taken in charge by tile police and lodged at the Police Station for the night. This morning the woman was brought before Mr. E. Page, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court upon a charge of being an idle and disorderly person, but on the, application of SubInspector Emerson the case was remanded for ona week in order that inquiries may be made. On Monday night the Christchurch City Council listened to short addresses | from its Labour members upon the treat- j ment of conscientious objectors, and, j after a division on party lines, decided not to make a protest to the Government on the subject, as requested by the Canterbury Labour Representation Committee. The committee wrote asking that the members of the council should make a protest to the Government against "the continued imprisonment and persecution of conscientious objectors to military service." The letter was received, an amendment that the request be endorsed being negatived by 9 votes to 5. A different policy in regard to the closing of schools during epidemics will henceforth be adopted, under instructions from the Health Department.' The Htttltfi Department has intimated that the closing of schools as an epidemic measure has been so frequently adopted, and with such questionable results in reducing disease, that the use of this measure must be limited to special cases. It must be insisted on only in areas where the need was considered very urgent, and ffc all case« the Education Board must be consulted and the feeling of local school committees obtained. Closing might be adopted where local panic or depleted attendance warranted it on common-sense grounds. Bad language on the football field was the subject of many complaints to the Wellington' Rugby Union this wek, and last evening the Management Committee of the New Zealand Union had to deal with applications for the reinstatement of players disqualified for such practices. In the case of a player who had undergone suspension for eight years, and been ordered off all grounds for the persistent use of bad language, it was considered he had been punshed sufficiently, and reinstatement was granted. "I wish they would impose, gome such sentences in Wellington," said Mr. T. H. Jones, 'a prominent referee, "for something of the kind is necessary." The Management Committee was not so lenient in other cases. At the annual meeting of the Tauvanffai Licensing Committee yesterday an application was made, and granted, for the renewal of the accommodation license at Maketu. Application was also made for an accommodation license at Matamata-, where no license now exists. Mr. H. A. Sharp, representing the applicant,. A. Montgomery, applied to have the application adjourned till Bth July. The intention, he said, 'was not to pay a fee for the Makotu license, thus allowing it to lapse. A license then being available, application would be made to grant it at M'Stamata. The application wns opposed by the police, and several other petitioners. Mr. Richmond, appearing for Mr. Black, described the application for the adjournment as a piece of legal trickery and strongly opposed granting it. After lengthy legiil argument, the commititse decided to grant the adjournment, ill order that th» full committee should deal with, the matter, one member being absent yesterday. An unusual volume of evidence was called at the Magistrate's Court yesterday morningl and afternoon, in support and in rebuttal of an application made by Arthur and Alice Spiers to have Arthur Howe dispossessed of a dwelling. in Waripori-street. Mr. T. H. Hislop, for the plaintiffs, stated that there were two grounds on which the application was based. The plaintiff had purchased the house as a home, and needed it as such, and, secondly, that the' house was not properly conducted. Evidence was then called, to the effect that dancing, singing, and drinkiug frequently went on in the house till late hours. Sergeant Cruickshanks said that he had received many complaints regarding the conduct of the house, and that he had had the house under observation for some time past. • He agreed that the character of the house was likely to be objectionable to the neighbourhood. For the defence, Mr. W. G. Mellish said that the evidence about the conduct of the house was flimsy, and showed a. good deal of malice, as a neighbour who was unfriendly with Mrs. Howe first informed the police. In adjourning the case for two months, Mr. E. Page, S.M., remarked that the evidence as to the conduct of the house was not sufficient to warrant the. application being granted, but he strongly advised the defendant to secure other premises in the meantime. Authority lias been granted by the City Council for the erection of two additional stories on to the Union Steam Ship Company's premises at Custom-house-quay.