LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 126, 24 November 1923, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have received advice from Sydney that the Marama left at noon on the 23rd instant for Wellington. She carries 247 bags of mails for the Dominion, including 100 bags from Australia, 4 from Africa, and 143 parcel receptacles.

Cabinet has approved of a grant being made by the Cook Islands Department for the payment of teachers and for ' educational facilities in the Northern Cook Islands. The instruction will be given by the London Missionary Society missions in accordance with a syllabus to be approved by the Superintendent of Education at Raratonga. Reading and writing in English and Maori will be taught, as well as arithmetic, weights and measures, and money calculations.

According to a Press Association" message, a largely attended meeting at Christchurch yesterday passed the following resolution : "This meeting of business firms and representative citizens heartily endorses the Canterbury Progress League's pioposal to launch a special publicity campaign for. Canterbury in connection with the British Empire Exhibition, and commends the scheme to the generous and practical support of all local bodies, business firms, and private individuals."

"Racing and football seem to be the only things that take on-down here," said Mr. E. L. Macaasey (president) at a recent meeting of the Otago. Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, when the secretary (Mr. R Swinuey) reported that, the los ß on Saturday's sports meeting exceeded £20. A delegate said that efforts should be made to popularise athletic sport among the ladies. Mr. G. Luckhurst said that that had already been done. ; On one occasion Jackets had been sent to the ladies' hockey clubs, but very few of the girls had attended the sports meeting. "If you put on a jazz," he added drily, "you might get them along."

Two Radium (Radiation) Appeal subscriptions collected by Mr. D.-M'Laren have interesting features. One is from a man who was cured of a disease by Rkdium; the other is from a nurse who has seen suffering. And Mr. M'Laren knows privately (as he confided last evening at a meeting of the Appeal Committee) that that nurse did without a new hat in order to pay that subscription. Then the secretary mentioned that a weeks collection for the fund, made' on the premises of a certain firm, had .<"£?• brou Bht in by two little girls. _ lnis action is encouraging," he added . and shows how some firms have taken the appeal up." The Mayor remarked tha-t it would be capital if others did likewise.

According to a Prses Association message from Dunedin, tho Otago Education Hoard has received a communication from the Education Department statins: that the plans for a new infant depart ment for the Forbury School were to be modified by the substituting for a closedm corridor an open verandah, which meant a saving of £480. The boards architect reported against the proposal The chairman said he felt so strongly that ho had instructed the architect not to proceed until further representations were made to the Department. He considered it a breach of faith to make the present proposals without consulting the board. It was decided to protest against the proposals, and suspend operations meantime.

A deputation representing the Chamber of Commerce and tho Institute of Architects waited on the By-laws Committee of the City Council yesterday atternoon to protest against 'the proposed new bylaw which provides that stairways in buildings shall °? I-*. c „built within iJ» *»t of lift wells. •It was contended by the deputation that the demand that a stairway should be 20 feet away from a lift was unreasonable. In support of the views of the deputation Mr. Crichton alluded to the bylaws relating to lifts and stairways in iarge and progressive cities in other countries, and urged that expert advice should be obtained by the council before adopting new 'bylaws affecting buildings. The desirableness or otherwise of walling in lifts with • fire-resist-ing material was raised by the chairman (Mr. M. -Lucius), who also suggested deferring the bringing into operation of the bylaw until further inquires were made. It was agreed that the chairman, Councillor W. H. 12ennett, the Superintendent of i.ho Fire Brigade, and the City Engineer confer with representatives of the Institute of Architects and report to the committee oil ths matter.

The Eastbourne School Committee have purchased a "shute" for the school playground, at a cost of £65

The Eastbourne Ffre Brigade wrote to the Borough Council last evening asking that arrangements be made to cut fire tracks through the Muritai Park reserve, in order to facilitate firefighting operations should a fire occur. Tho general manager was instructed to furnish a report on the matter, including an estimate of the cost.

At a meeting of the North Island Braes Bands Association i executive last night it was decided to recommend that the championship contest should be held at Dunedin in 1925, provided the North Island is allotted the championship contest in 1926. The opinion was expressed, says a Press Association message from Wanganui, that the ■ championship contests should be hel din each Island in alternate years.

"A very old woman, poorly dressed, came into my office the other day to give to the Radium Appeal," said Mr. G. Mitchell at^a meeting of the Appeal Committee last evening. " She produced two shillings from the corner of her pocket handkerchief." There was a chorus of admiring. thanks from members of the committee, one of whom 1 commented, Big heart!" "Yes," said another member, "but the owners of big hearts generally have mall incomes."

The Presbyterian Genera! Assembly, now in session- at Christchurch, last evening decided, to again Appoint the Sunday nearest to Anzac Day to bs League of Nations Day, to encourage the League of Nations Union Committee, to show diligence in promoting the interests of the League of Nations Union as opportunity may offer, and to call upon the people of the Church to support the union and the cause of -world peace by practical sympathy and prayer without coating—Press Association.

A new season for trout and perch in the Hawkes Bay Acclimatisation Society s territory is announced by Order-m-Council. The society represented to the Government that better rainbow trout could b« secured late in the seaBon, and has asked that the season be extended for a month, as an experiment for one year, in order that they may judge the results. The Government has accedsd to the request, and has extended the season until .the end of May, for the present fishing year.

An official of the Dunedin office of the Tourist Department stated the other day that, judging by the inquiries made and the bookings arranged, there is no doubt that the Milford track is going to have a record year so far as tourist patronage is concerned. Numerous inquiries are also being made and bookings arranged in regard to other resorts throughout JSew Zealand. Stewart Island, Queenstown, and Mount Cook are all being well booked up. Lake Wanaka, where a fine new hotel i s being erected, is also certain to be a popular. resort. .

,Of forty children taught to swim last year, twenty were awarded certificates by the New Zealand Council of Swimming. That is the record of the Pahiatua Swimming Club, whose annual meeting was held recently. It was reported that the prospects for the forthcoming season were very bright. Mr. Kenneth Impett had presented a cup for competition, 'value 15 guineas. There was a credit balance of over £9. Various speakers eulogised the services of the president and his officers, and Mr. J. A. Walsh was re-elected president for the twelfth year in succession."- '■'; "-■•

The question of prohibiting pillion riding on motor cycles was brought under the notice of the Bylaws Committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon. Mr. W; : A. Edwards presented a petition of protest against the proposed bylaw, signed by 270 motor cyclists, aud read resolutions passed at last Wednesday's meeting of motor cyclists. It was contended by the deputation that in pillion riding the added weight behind was really an advantage in steering the machine, and that naturally when a man had a passenger behind, the added responsibility made him more careful. Mr. Maslin supported the request of the petitioners. The question as to prohibiting Billion riding in certain btiey street* of the citywas mentioned. It was stated that the records of accidents showed that there was no special danger in pillion riding, and that the object aimed at might be obtained by restricting the speed of motor cyclists. It was admitted that pillion riding other than sidecars was prohibited in certain boroughs. The chairman said that the views of the deputation would receive the fullest consideration.

"The safety of the miners and the best methods of working are matters of concern to the employers as well ac the workers, and they are most willing to take any steps leading to such a result," declared the secretary of the Coal Mine Owners-Association (Mr. T. 0. Bishop) yesterday, when discussing the question of what are the best lamps to use in mines. Mr. Bishop said that the mineowners only wanted the best and safest lighting of the mines. They were convinced that the Edison electric lamp was the best, and considered that it was only a fair thing that the law should be altered to enable those concerned ,m the mines to obtain the most successful results so far as the health of the men and the efficiency of the work were concerned. At present the law allowed only the use of British lamps in the JNew Zealand mines, but, unfortunately they were not the best. Despite the prohibition, at least, one Edison lamp had been used in New Zealand, and it met every test successfully. The h-dison was a head lamp with a storage battery carried by the miner who was using the lamp.

The Dominion Conciliation Council in the painters and decorators' dispute, concluded its sittings yesterday. Ihe mam question of wage*, as well as the suburban work, preference, and otly>r clauses, was referred to the Arbitration Court for settlement. An agreement was arrived at in regard to country work, with an increase of 4s 2d per day for men so engaged. The suburban work clause provoked a good deal of discussion, the main difficulty being that ot deciding the centre from which the .LT 8 ermlni"g suburban work shall start. The employees desired a fixed centre in each town, such as a post office or other agreed point, while the T Pi°?T l? ugg*Bted that the centre should be the place of business of the individual master-painter: A resolution was passed by the employers recording their appreciation of the fine attitude adopted by the workers in the trade cen- *?• 7' fu" d °, f ? e ami«We manner in which they had. endeavoured to effect a- settlement of the dispute as a whole. The employers regretted they were unable to grant the the concessions asked for The sitting closed with a hearty 7*°f to w3nks *° tho Commissioner (Mr. W. Newton .