LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 37, 12 August 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Increased payments under the Destitute Persons Act will be considered in connection with this session's legislation (states the Minister of Justice in reply ■ to Mr. Luke). The matter has been under review. Next month Petone is to have a visit from representative boys from fche primary schools of Wanganui, ManawsJtu, Wairarapa, and Wellington for the purpose of holding a football tournament. [ T<ast evening the local Technical School Board granted the use of the art room , for the purpose of entertaining the visi- , tors, and instructed the director to do all in his power to assist in the entertairunent. " The Advances to Settlers Department, according to Mr. J. A. .Nash, M.P., is declining to pass houses where red birch is used, particularly for studding purposes. Asked the reasons for this the Prime Minister has replied: "Toothleaved beech (fagus fusca), commonly ■ known as red birch, is not regarded as suitable for use in the erection of build--1 ings op which advances are made under ; the State Advances Acts, although its ' use is not absolutely prohibited. If pro- j perly seasoned it is a very desirable ■ wood for many purposes, but it is liable ' to shrink on end and warp badly—two . defects which render it unsuitable for use ; in the frame of a building, a true frame , being the first and most important con- < ' siciarafiou in eating «, woo dec buiHinj." i

It is proposed to amend the Harboura Act to enable leases of reclaimed tidal vivejl lands to be granted for 42 instead of 9,1 years, to encourage lessees to carry out improvements. A Timaru Press Association message states that a search party from Mount Nessing,' which looked for a rabbiter, Boyd Thomson, who has been missing since 2nd August, had a bad time on. the range, where it encountered snow up to three feet deep and severe frosts. No trace was found of the missing man. The resignation of Mr. A. W. Hogg from the Wellington Education Board has caused a vacancy in the Wairarapa ward. The nominations to fill the vacancy are Mr. W. T. Grundy, ex-head-master of the Clyde-quay School, and Mr. J. M. Nioliolls, chairman of the Carterton School Committee. The election will take place on 18th September.,,, Recent changer in the staff of the Public Trust Office include the following :—Mr. A. Marshall, to be Local Deputy Public Trustee, Wtoangarei; Mr. R. F. Ward, to be First Assistant Local Deputy Public Trustee, Auckland; Mr E. T. 0. Downard, to be District Accountant, Auckland; and Mr. P. J Ryan, to be District Solicitor, Auckland. It is reported by the New Zealand Herald that a peculiar malady of "hiccoughing" has lately affected a considerable number of people in Auckland. The attacks continue for several days, leaving the patient in a very weak condition, in aome cases aggravated by a- cough. A peculiarity of the ailment is that only men appear to be affected. A number of cases have also occurred in Gisborne, and the local doctork are considerably puzzled as to the causa. Mr. Frank Kennedy, who has been appointed manager and secretary for the Palmerston North municipal gasworks at a salary of £1000 per year and a residence, under a five years' engagement, is a brother of Mr. M. J Kennedy, the present manager of the gasworks in that town (who has been appointed to a position ip the Wellington Gas Company) and a son of Mr. Kennedy, manager of the gasworks at Greymouth. Mr Frank Kennedy is at present chief superintendent for West's Company in the United States iind Canada, at a salary of £1500 per yea,r, and is stated to have accepted the position at Palmerston North so as to be near to his relations and friends. He will commence his duties, which will include the supervision of the new gasworks, on Ist January next. It iii not proposed to make special provision by way of war pension for members of the mercantile marine (states Sir Wm. Herries in reply to Mr. R. A. Wright). Section 12 of the War Penisons Act, 1916, was passed with the idea of providing war pensions for officers and men employed on transports and their dependants, but the Attorney'.Jeneral advised that it would not be prudent to make regulations as the section ijuoted proposed. The Government accordingly decided that each case should be considered on its merits, the War Pensions Board being authorised to make recommendations in regard to injury or death arising from any warlike opsration. Under this arrangement pensions are now being paid, but not in respect of disability or death associated with the ordinary perils of the sea or arising from natural <auses. Highly appreciative references were made at the meeting of the Wellington •Presbytery last night to the work of the Rev. J. Kennedy Elliott, D.D., who has resigned the pastorate of Kent-terrace Presbyterian Church after many years' service. The Rev. W. J. Comrie said Dr. Elliott had been a diligent and faithful pastor, and much beloved by hia people. His activities outside his own congregation had been mainly along the lines of social service. In addition to taking a leading part in carrying on the churoh orphanages and kindred work, he wae for many years chairman of the Benevolent Trustees, and was a member of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. No man in the city had been more sought after by the poor and sick and broken members of the community, and he had been, called upon for much, more than an average number t>t baptisms, marriages, and funerals. His connection with the Kent-terrace congregation was not the longest on record in New Zealand, but was certainly one of the longest, and he thought it was the very longest for £ city pastorate. The Presbytery decided to place on record its warm appreciation of the Doctor's life and work. Victoria, in Vancouver Island, is the oldest town in British Columbia' (states the special correspondent of The Post with the Press Delegation to Canada). It stands at the entrance to the estuary dividing the island from the mainland, and is a flourishing, if rather quiet, town, of about 45,000 inhabitants. The sea passage from Victoria to Vancouver opens up many scenio beauties, akin in character to the Scottish lochs, or some } of the cold lakes of New Zealand, notably Te Anau. Vancouver has a population of between 100,000 and 125,000, but its palatial buildings and .handsome suburban residences create an impression of a much larger city. Its wharves providj secure berthage for vessels of large tonnage. Its tramway services are excellent. Business has recovered completely from the depression which followed the collapse of the land booro six oi seven years ago. Vancouver has its Chinatown and Little Japan, and many Orientals are employed in domestic sei'vice, as well as in connection with the city's industries. In a le^er degrea than San Franciscc it shares in the problem created by Asiatic immigration, although the difficulty so fax does not appear to have become very acute. The special correspondent of The Post with the Empire Press Union Conference delegates to Canada writes :—Passengers by the Niagara who have visited Honolulu before were greatly impressed by the evidence of growth that can be seen in every direction. Thf recent census of Hawaii shows the total population, to be 249,982, a gain of 58,083 in ten years. Honolulu city and county have a population of 117,606, and Honolulu electoral district 80,369, a gain of 38,578 in tea years. One mercantile building in the town cost £250,000, and another equally extensive and costly warehouse is in course of erection. In the inner harbour a powerful dredger is kept constantly at work, and at the time of our visit, besides the Niagara and other big ships berthed af. tho substantial concrete wharves, accommodation alongside the piers had teen provided for five American battleships, including the Connecticut and other representatives of the, greit white fleet which visited New Zealand. These warships had come through the Pianama Canal in the course of a. summer cruise> for training purposes. A dry dock, under navaJ control, capable of accommodating the largest vessel afloat, was opened in, August, 1919. Thwe are also three floating dry docks. In tho office, the shop, the factory, Pynetha will prevent coughs and colds, because ifc kills the germs. It is the most pleasant, effective, and economical inhalant. For Is 6d you get twice as j many doses as you do with any similar preparation. Every tra.veller should keep Pynetha in his bag.—Advt. Some interesting- facts concerning the heart beats of birds clearly shows that what we suppose to be a fluttering of the heart whon we catch a bird is imaginary. The normal heart beats of a hen are recorded to be 330 per minute, and of a canary 1000 per minute. Anyone desiring to challenge these figures may do so as a hobby, but we would advise you first to consult C. Smith's for a comfortable piece of furniture to make tho thinking a bit oauior.—Advt. . ,

Since the beginning of the year 482 Chinese have arrived iii Auckland

The Housing Branch of the Department of Labour is calling for tenders for the erection of 265 houses in various parts of the Dominion, including 54 for Wellington and Petone. It is intended to shortly call for tenders for additional dwellings in other parts of New Zealand.

Some of the coal brought to Lyttelton from Newcastle by a Japanese steamer last week is being sold in Christchurch at £5 5s per ton. The vessel carried 4500 tons, 1500 tons of which has been secured by the Ohristchuich G-as Company. The Government Coal Trade Committee is handling the balance of her cargo.

The reports of Mr. Justice Edwards's comments, in the recent trial of Haynes and Neylon, on Neylon's conduct, are understood to have left an impression in some cases that his Honour intended also to comment adversely on the conduct of Neylon's counsel. Mr. Fair has seen his Honour, and has his permission to state that he did not intend to reflect in any way on counsel's conduct in the aotion, and any impression to the contrary is quite unfounded.

A frail old man, Frederick Lynew, appeared before Mr, J. S. Evans, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court this morning, on remand upon > charge of being an idle and disorderly person, with insufficient lawful means of support. Sub-In-spector Emerson said the police were at a loss to know •what should be done with'the old man; he had no friends, he was not wanted back at the Ohiro Home, and did not want to go to gaol, and he was certainly too old to take cars of himself. He had been a trouble ever since 1870, and there were now 131 convictions against him for various offencee. Lyness said that he believed he would be able to gain admittance to one of the Church home 3. The Magistrate convicted and discharged the man, and advised him to go to his friends. The . Christchurch Presbytery . this week carried the following resolution : —"That this Presbytery strongly protests against the suggested increase in the number of racing permits." A copy of the resolution will be forwarded to the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Prime Minister. The matter arose out of a circular letter from the Rev S: R. Orr, of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Wellington, which stated, inter alia, "neither Mr. Massey nor Mr Anderson is keen on increasing the number of permits, but will be unable to resist the advance? unless representations are made from the other side. The increased number qf permits issued is a breach of the concordat agreed upon some yeara ago. If representations are made immediately it will enable the Ministers to take the stand they desire." "A storm in a teacup" was the Magistrate's opinion on a claim for the registration of a dog made by the Upper Hutt Town Board from A. E. Salisbury and Edward Salisbury at the Upper Hutt Court on Wednesday Defendants are brothers who have a poultry farm which ie partly in the town district and partly in the Hubt County. A. E. Salisbury resides in a house in the town district and Edward resided in a tent in the county. The questions were which brother owned the dog (which had been registered in the county), and could Edward, who olaimed ownership, be said to reside in the county,-as he only slept in the tent and had hie meala at the house. The Magistrate held that Edward was the owneT of th< dog, and that he was bona fide resident within the county. The cases against the brothers were dismissed, with costs against tha boarcd amounting to £2 2s. There is (states The Post's special correspondent with the Empire Press Union delegates to the conference ip Canada) abundant evidence of growth and prosperity in the Fijian capital—th« business houses are becoming- more palatial —but the crowds of Hindoos who throng the streets indicate that the white man will soon become a minor quantity in the life of the community. The coolie i3> no longer limiting his sphere of operations to labouring occupations, or even. to independent banana and sugar cultivation, although there is a considerable population so engaged. He is forcing his way into every mechanical and mei--eantilo trade. The discontent and unrest which a short time ago assumed such a threatening aspect that a detachment of troops, armed with machine-guns, was despatched from New Zealand to overawe the coloured population, seems tf have disappeared since the departure of the principal , agitators, and there is every indication of general prosperity.. The Dunedin Manufacturers' Association, in a letter read at a meeting yesterday of the executive of the Canterbury Industrial Association, asked for support in its representations to the Board of Trade regarding the price of sugar being made uniform throughout the Dominion. The Dunedin Association stated that manufacturers in Dunedin were at a disadvantage as compared with, those in Auckland, who got sugar at £47 per ton, while the Dunedin manufacturer had to pay 15s 6d per ton more. The result was that Auckland manufactures into which- sugar entered could complete successfully with similar manufactures in Dunedin. The Canterbury Aeaociatior Executive (states a Press Association mes. cage) discussed the matter in committee, and it was reported afterwards that the following motion was passed: "That th« Canterbury Industrial Association consider that in all cases where'prices are controlled by the State no' advantage should be enjoyed by any district which is denied to any other district, and in the fixing of the price of sugar the Government should deliver supplies to eva'y port in the Dominion under exactly the same conditions and at the same price as in the district where the article is produced." Collingwood is an exceedingly - rich district from the mineralogist's point of view, and considerable interest attaches to a paper on the geology of the district read by Mi. M. Ongley, of the Geological Survey Department, before the annual meeting of the geological section of the Philosophical Society last evening. Mr. Ongley described the geological peculiarities of the district, and stated that thers 'were enormoup marble deposits, cement-making materials,. ■'■nd also coal, not extensive in quantity, but in patches, and sufficient to supply the needs of cement-making in that district. There were also deposits of dolomite, useful for lining Bessemer converter,owing to its heat-resisting qualities. Mr. Ongley said that in the district a valuable deposit of iron ore. When a market was created in New Zealand ■for this product, and suitable coal could be obtained, it would be a valuable asset to the Dominion. Some people declared that the coal to bo found in the district would be suitable for the development of the ore. The district was thickly bushed, and difficult to cover. He illustrated his paper with specimens of the various rock formations to be found in the district.