LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 49, 26 August 1921, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The total revenue of the New Zealand railways for that part of the current financial year ended 23rd July was £2,124,741, against £1,975,959 for the corresponding period of last year. Expenditure for the two periods was £2,119,840 and £1,473,281 respectively. Receipts on the North Island lines so far this year have totalled £1,258,279 and expenditure £1,186,403. The corresponding figures for the South Island are : Receipts £866,462, and expenditure £933,436.

"I didn't order the oar till 10 o'clock, and its not yet a quarter to' ten," explained His Excellency the GovernorGeneral, at the Sailors' Friend Society last evening, when the programme abruptly came to an end before scheduled time. "■Colonel Mitchell iras expected to spoak for half an hour; 1 don't feel like taking his place. . . I'll have to walk home."

Giving evidence for the employers in the shearers' dispute at the Arbitration Court yesterday, Messrs. H. Gascoyne and P Patullo, both of the Hawkes Bay district, stressed the points made in Mr. Nicholson's . opening address (published yesterday) that there were no material alterations in the .conditions of the industry to warrant the claims. As far as cattle were concerned, they stated that farmers, we've making heavy losses on them at the present time.

Regulations under the section of the Health Act, 1920, dealing with the demolition of insanitary dwellings have been issued. It is provided that the local authority wishing to compel an objecting owner to demolish an insanitary dwelling is to make application to the Magistrate's Court nearest its public office. A copy of the application must be sent to the owner of the building, and tlv~ Court will. give the parties ■ Fourteen days' notice of the hearing. The local authority and the owner, and also other as the Court may think fit, may be represented at the hearing by counsel.

A story that was current in certain quarters during the war was revived by Canon Foster in the course of a lecture on Palestine delivered at St. Mary's Church Hall, Auckland. A statement by the church officials at the beginning of the war that two canons were connected with the Collegiate Church of St. George, founded by the British Mission in Jerusalem, led to the Turkish authorities excavating near the foundations of the church in the expectations -of discovering two. Bfitish cannons secreted within its .walls. The marks left by these fruitless operations were, the speaker understood, still left for amueed sightseers to inspect.

A letter urging 'that' steps should be taken to secure an increase in the amounts of hospital subsidies was received at yesterday's meeting of the. Hospital Board from, the Westland County Council. It was stated by the chairman (Mr. F. Castle) that the Hospitals Conference had recommended that the 12s 6d in the £1 should be the minimum subsidy and 28s the maximum.. He moved that a reply s be sent that the board would be willing to co-operate with other bodies in having that scale adopted. Under such a scale the Wellington board's subsidy would amount to 22s or 23s in the £1 instead of 16s 3d as at present. The motion was carried, other' members agreeing that the board could not consistently make a recommendation different from that adopted by the conference of hospital boards.

Strong exception was taken by members of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Navy League, "at the annual meeting in Masterton on Wednesday, to reported statements concerning the activities of the league, made during a debate at Victoria College, Wellington, writes the Masterton correspondent of The Post. The President (Mrs. H. H. Beetham) thought the remarks attributed to the Rev. Moses Ayrton and others would most assuredly serve no good purpose. Surely all knew what the Navy had done during the war, and how much it had contributed to preserve the integrity of the Empire. She was very gratified to note, however, the spirited reply made by Mr. R. Darroch, who put the position in a nutshell.

During the hearing of a dispute in a motor-car repairs case which /came before Mr. W. R. M'Kean, S.M., at Auckland, the question was asked by counsel, "What is your estimate of the number of magneto experts in Auckland?" The reply was, "About 25,000," implying that every person owning a car considered himself a magneto expert. The answer made all present in Court burst into .laughter. Counsel, however, put another query: "There is at least one first-class magneto expert in Auckland, I suppose?" Whereupon witness bowed courteously, and said, "I thank you for the compliment." Counsel on the other side, however, did manage to get # an admission that there was one other magneto expert in the city.

The question of increasing salaries of nurses was reported upon by the Finance Committee to yesterday's meeting of the Hospital Board. It 'was recommended that the matter of increasing the scale of salaries of the 1 whole of the nursing staff be reviewed towards the end of the financial year, and that, in the meantime, a communication ""be sent to the Auckland, North Canterbury, and Otago Hospital Boards, stating that it is desired, if possible, to maintain a uniform'rate, and suggesting that an increase approximately of £10 per annum be granted to first, second, and thirdyear probationer-nurses respectively. Mr. J. W. Butler cordially supported the recommendation. The Rev. Dr. J. Kennedy Elliott, while favouring the principle of increasing nurses' salaries,-did riot quite see eye to eye with the idea of paying substantial salaries to people who were learning professions. He agreed with the proposal to communicate with other hospital boards, for the purpose of securing uniformity, and said he hoped that anything in the nature of competition in salaries paid by different boards vfould be avoided. The Chairman (Mr. F. Castle) said, that the proposed increase would involve the board in an additional expenditure of about £1000 per annum. Mr. J. W. M'Ewan thought that if nurses' salaries were raised, the board would also have to consider the question of raising the wages of the employees in the laundry. Mr. A. R. Hornblow stated that ho did not oppose the nurses having their salaries raised, "but if the proposal meant that wages were to be increased all round, then he was going to oppose it. "It might arise but of my irivinciblo ignorance," said Mr. Elliott, "but are the girls hi our laundry learning a profession?" (Laughter.) Sir. M'Ewan replied that it was fairly obnous that there was a, marked distinction' between the work of laundry employees and nurses. The recommendation was adopted.

The suggestion of Councillor W. J. Thompson that a universal keep-to-the-right bylaw for pedestrians be introduced in Wellington has the hearty sup port of the committee of the Wellington Automobile Club.

It- is reported from Ohristcliurch by the Press Association that the dates of the Australasian amateur boxing championships in Sydney have been altered to 4th and 6th October, to suit New Zealand competitors.

"There is no _better husband in the world than a sailor, and I gpeak from experience," said His Excellency •Viscount Jellicoe, at the anniversary meeting of the Sailors' Friend Society .last evening. "Some people say a sailon has a wife in every port, but* that is a libel." (Laughter.) :

The commission which is investigating the huge blocks of forest country in the Urewera country with a view to consolidating the Native interests, and acquiring areas for Crown settlement, is now sitting at Rotorua (says the Auckland Star). Good progress is reported to have been made, and it is expected that next week the commission will have completed its negotiations. . .

Eeporting to the Hospital' Board yesterday, Dr. E. Gordon Bender, dental surgeon to the board, stated that the number of. attendances at the .board's dental department during July totalled 290, and the number of out-patients treated was 105. The namber of new patients was 62. "A considerable number of children pass through the department at different times," reported Dr. Bender, "a high percentage of whom are noticed to be suffering from affections of the tonsils and adenoids, of whirh fact their parents seem to be in total ignorance."

Some of the persons and firms receiving notices under the compulsory clause of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Loan Act feel that they are not in a position to meet the demand. Tho Act makes provision for appeal against calls for compulsory subscriptions to the loan. Any person on whom a notice is served may appeal within fourteen days to a special boawl, consisting of the AuditorGeneral, the Commissioner of Taxes, the Secretary to tho Treasury, and the Government Insurance Commissioner. This board, after investigation, may exempt an appellant from the whole or a part of his' obligation to subscribe to the loan, or may allow, time for payment.

"I suppose you could not give us any indication of what the prices will be next season?" said a shareholder to the chairman (Mr. J. vCr, Cooper) at yesterday's annual meeting in Masterton of the • Wellington Farmers' Meat Com-, pany. "I wish to goodness I could," was the reply. Lamb : values, Mr. Cooper Baid, had kept up remarkably well. Owing to the exceptional drought in the Old Country there was no rape or turnips. But it would not be safe to count too much on that. The future depended'entirely on the return of prosperity in the Old Country. If there were two million men out of work next year they could not expect much im-. provement. -\ .' . A case of considerable importance to motorists, that of the Borough of Gisbofne versus C. E. Matthews, ex-chair-man of the Cook County Council, was decided at Gisborne yesterday. Mr. Matthews was charged with driving a private motor-car within' the "borough without holding a license to drive, issued by the borough. ..In his decision, Mr J. S. Barton, S.M., said he was clearly of opinion that it was«competent for the borough to legislate effectively for the protection of its citizens, and the regulation of traffic by-requiring all drivers within its streets to conform to a standard of competency. Mr. Barton held the the bylaw in question., however, as' drafted, "Was defective, oppressive, and unreasonable, and dismissed the information. ■'■■'.

When speaking at a postal officers' social function on Wednesday night, Mr. R. B. Morris, Secretary to the Post and Telegraph Department^ stated 'that tlie increase in cost of administering the Department was mainly accounted for by the payment to officers of a cost-of-living bonus." He stated that the Department was engaged in endeavouring to make a substantial reduction in expenditure, a reduction rendered .necessary by the generally unfavourable financial conditions. He stated that a fairly large number of officers were faking advantage of their right to retire on superannuation, and that, in consequence, there would shortly be a number of vacancies ir higher positions. , •

Addressing the boys' of Sco ( ts College yesterday at the conclusion of the military barracks, Major-Gen-eTal Sir Edward Ohaytor pointed out the significance of the work that they had been engaged in. Everyone abhorred militarism, but it had to be realised that different countries had different ideals, and the ideals cherished by us were not always approved of by other nations. He hoped that the boys he was addressing would never know war and its awful experiences, but, nevertheless, they must be prepared to stand by their highest ideals, and, if necessary, fight for them. The General concluded by congratulating all concerned on the good work that had been done. Colonel G. W. Melville- was also present, and inspected the company, which was ill command of Captain Donaldson.

A Wanganui Herald reporter, being curious to know whether there was still a plentiful supply of threepenny-pieces in circulation, thought the most likely person to ask would be a member of the Wanganui Garrison Band, seeing that its members had given a number of Sunday evening, recitals of late for benefits and other purposes. "By Jove, there are plenty of them about still!" replied the member; "and, if you don't believe me, come round some Sunday evening when we are counting up." "What would be a fair average per head spread over a series of entertainments?" queried the reporter. "About fivepence," replied the bandsman. "But at a charitable entertainment the average is better than that," remarked the reporter. "Look here, my good friend," replied the .bandsman, "there are some people who don't care whether it is for charity or otherwise—they won't spring more than the nimble threepence." He concluded by remarking, "Times are hard, so let us forgive them."

Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P., chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, spoke in the Town Hall in Westport last night on the Anglo-Japanese Alliance,' which, he declared, grew out of the struggle of capitalists of various countries for trading concessions and territorial! acquisition in China. He enumerated the coal and iron mines, and other industries which are under Japanese control, asserting that some millions of British capital were invested in Japanese companies. He held that, notwithstanding the Anglo-American arbitration arrangements, it would still be possible for Britain to be dTawn into a war against America on the side of Japan. It' was quite certain that Britain could be involved in war, in support of Japan, against France, Russia, China, or any other country than America. The ' Labour movement of Australia and New Zealand was practically unanimous in its* opposition to the renewal of the present Treaty, but would favour an international arrangement, based <jn friendly, economic, and political relationship, and making for peace.

A cable message from London states that the Southland electric supply loan has been over-subscribed. - The Makara County Council has been authorised to erect a permanent war memorial at the junction of Wakefield Gully and Horokiwi roads.

Formal notification of the abolishing of the coal-trade districts and committees is contained in this week's Gazette. ■The committes go out of office at the end of this month. .

The rate of interest which may be paid by the Lower Hutt Borough Council in respect of a Joan of £64r,000 to be borrowed beyond New Zealand for a gasworks undertaking has been fixed by Order-in-Council at not more than 7 per cent. , "Ten shillings or forty-eight hours," was the greeting which m,et two secondoffending inebriates, John Mathieson and Charles H. Shaw, on appearing before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court this morning. There were' no other cases of drunkenness on the list to-day.

"I refuse absolutely to suppress the names of anybody unless the circumstances are exceptional," said Mr E. D. 'Moeley, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at- ChrisfcchuTch, during the-hearing of a theft charge, whsr application was made by accused's counsel for the offender's name to be withheld from publication. "I shall certainly not suppressa name in a, case of dishonesty."

An attempt is being made to revive the Petone Labour Day 1 Carnival, and to that end a preliminary meeting was held last evening, presided over by the Mayor, Mr. J. W. M'Ewan. It was decided to hold the carnival, and that any surplus funds be devoted to the instrument fund of' the Petone Municipal Band. The formation of the committees was postponed till next week.

The Italian Government has issued a new and complete set of stamps, some of which are of very handsome design, and worked out in two colours. As the delegate who attended the International Postal Congress at Madrid last year, the Secretary .of. the Post and Telegraph Department (Mr B. B. Moms) has received a complete set of these stamps, beautifully set out in a specially-design-ed booklet of excellent workmanship as a souvenir of the recent congress.

Pinus insignia, in spite of the many criticisms made. of it, has some strong supporters among members of the Christ- * church Committee of the New Zealand Forestry League. At a meeting of that • body instances were quoted to show that pinus insignis was a valuable timber. Some which had been grown at Pigeon / Bay gave a return of £700 an. acre, less cost of milling and marketing. One mem r ber said he had found the timber grown under proper conditions quite durable and satisfactory. Houses built in St. Leonard's district 20 years ago were in better condition at present than building of the same age constructed oi: rimu. ' A petition to' Parliament in favour of . granting a meat export .license to Armour's, Ltd., is lit present in circulation among sheepfarmers in Canterbury. The petition sets out the reasons why Amour's should be allowed to trade' as exporters of frozen meat, one being that J;he petitioners are of opinion there should be no.restrictions in respect of the markets in which the Dominion's frozen meat should be sold. It is also submitted that the granting of a license would not mean the introduction into the Dominion of the American Meat Trust. The petition is being signed by large numbers. It is 'stated that of 800 farmers' -who,' have, been' asked ''to 'sign '„;• 'only four have declined. ■>"''*:':'"' !l

Timber of all ordinary kinds is somewhat heavily stocked in Dunedin just now (says.the Star).. .Sellingr.has been..... restricted . owing .to the financial stress. . icausing money to be scarce for building. The merchants, however, say that there are eigns of returning activity Orders are commencing to come in from quarters that have been sluggish. Timaru is ome of the places that s»jms to be getting lively. Persons who are in a position to speak with authority say that the .prices of native timber are not likely to drop unless wages come down. But the price of timber is only one of the causes, a«d not the chief one, of building being expensive. The calculation is that > for a residence of five rooms, to cost £1100, the wood would como to not riiore than £200, and probably nearer £150.

The text of the contract between the Government of Fiji and the Commonwealth of Australia for a direct shipping service (between Fiji and- the United Kingdom' has been published in the Fiji Gazette. The contract provides for a regular service by cargo steamships of four voyages per annum from the colony to the United Kingdom and from the United Kingdom to Fiji, the steamers calling on each voyage at Suva and Levuka. The rates of freight are to be not higher than the lowest prevailing rates for similar goods between Sydney and the United Kingdom,'and. mails are to be carried free. The, Government of Fiji is to pay a subsidy of £12,000 per annum, reducible by £1500 for every voyage that is omitted upon notification that the export of produce has been adversely affected by storms; at the option of the contractors if less -than 1000 tons of cargo is offering at Fiji for any voyage; or through disorganisation of the \ service by causes beyond the control of the contractors. The agreement is to remain in force for one year, subject to determination thereafter by either of the parties giving six months' notice.

The cargo trade between the United Kingdom and New Zealand, which was disorganised by the coal strike in England, is now improving (says Auckland Herald). Owing to no outward cargo being available during the strike period, and in order to relieve the congestion of produce awaiting shipment here, a number of steamers were despatched to AW Zealand in ballast. When the strike ended, however,' steamers were able to load outward cargo, and these vessels are now arriving here. The Dorset, which arrived from Liverpool on Monday, brought 4000 tons; and the Eimu-ta-ka arrived at Wellington on Tuesday with a large quantity of general cargo. The Kumara, vhich is due at Auckland on 11th September, has 5000 tons to land in New Zealand, while the Eemuera, due here on Ist October, is bringing _ 7000 tons. Speaking of the coastal and intercolonial trade, Mr. D. Carter, manasfer of the Union Steam Ship Company at Auckland, stated that it was not showing any improvement, but the reverse. There was still a falling off in the pas-' senger and cargo trade, and instead of there being a prospect of recomimssioning any. of the company's steamers at present laid up, it might be necessary to lay up more cargo boats. The cargo ami passenger space in the vessels at present running was not nearly taken up, al-^ though steamers were being placed on any run they were needed in. The large quantity of coal in stock and the dearness of that commodity was responsible for a falling off of that trade, while the cost of living -and other expenses prevented the public travelling, except when absolutely necessary. <