LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 139, 13 June 1924, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

"We' would welcome a co-operative scheme. You get it going and supply us witn castings at a competitive price and we will close down our works," remarked an employers' assessor at the moulders' dispute this morning.

A request for the extension of electric mains to Oliiro Bay lias, for the time being, been refused by the council, the reason being that were the present system of reticulation extended as proposed much of the material used would have to be scrapped when tho higher voltage came in with the change-over.

Following upon a report from its officers and consideration by the Finance Committee, the City Council last evening decided that the request of the Johnsonville Town Board to be supplied with' -water from Orongorongo should not be acceded to at the present time. In answer to questions, the Mayor, Mr. R A. Wright, said-that later on, -when the Orongorongo supply had been thoroughly tried out, and the Waterworks Engineer v,-as satisfied that the supply was ample, the question of supplying Johnsonville could again be considered, but at the present time the city must be assured of a full supply. An address on the subject of flower shows in Britain and flower growing in Fiance was delivered to a very interested audience at the conclusion of the animal meeting of the Horticultural Society last evening by Mr. W. J. liarland. He said the roses shown in London by the amateurs were nothing better than were produced in New Zealand, but some wonderful blooms were shown by the leading professional growers, and he was very interested in the long stems grown. In Southern France the flowers and the gardens were magnificent. In the flower auction at Nice, seasons did not appear to affect the production, for every variety of flower could be obtained, and some of the flowers were magnificent. -At Monte Carlo the gardens were beautiful, and what astonished him was the way the flowers were packed in the plots. He could not understand how they grew until he saw an empty plot one evening and the following morning it was filled with beautiful plants and blooms. On the principle of making the punishment fit the crime, Mr. A. Williams, chairman of the Christ-church Fire Board, suggests that a person caught giving a malicious false alarm should be handed over to the brigade for a good ducking. Speaking o f this practice at a meeting of the board, he said that it would be a good thing to watch the alarm boxes with that object. In the financial year just ended, he stated, the brigade had been called out by a record number of false alarms (reports the "Press"). Mr. F. J. Glackm . wrote to the board suggesting that an alarm-bell should be placed on the post at each alarm-box, as it would bring people around, jind might help to stop the "insane practice." 'He stated that it not only caused loss of plant and waste of money, but also risk to members of the brigade. Mr. H. Jt. Rusbridge said that the suggestion' was given a trial some years ago, -but the alarm bells were removed because the system did not give the results expectod. In the Art Needlework Department of Kirkcaldio and Stains. Ltd., ' free instruction is given in all' classes cf Fancy Needlework, Rug-making, etc. You will need some mentis of passing the long winter evenings pleasurablv and profitably.—Advt.

.There were 65 bankruptcies in the Dominion during last month. In the month of May last year there were 62 insolvencies, and in 1922 the number was 80.

• A Vonturi water meter, similar to that employed on the Wainui main, is to bo installed in the Orongorongo-Ka-ron pipe line at a cost of £330. The present Karori mains are not equipped with meters.

. Those lengths of the Orongorongo tunnel where the walls and roof are of doubtful rock, about 25 chains m all, are now to be lined in concrete, and authority was kst evening given by tho City Council for the purchase of a mixer, at a cost of £250, for thi ß purpose,

Wilton's Bush opossums are under threat of much trouble and many fatalitie.s in tho general interests of com. nitrce and the fur cont trade in particular, for authority was last evening grunted by the City Council for the issue o£ permits to Irappem in this area- at a fee of 10s and a royalty of 6d per skin. Dealing with, the matter of British politics, in the course of an address at ■Auckland on "Liberalism," Mr, T, M, Wilford, Leader of the Opposition, declared that no more destructive blow on the fate of this country was ever struck by any Government than by the present. British Government in its cessation of operations at Singapore, The work had been abandoned to, in the words of Mr, Ramsay Mac Donald, <'mak e a moral gesture to the world." The abandonment of that base left us unprotected in the event of .war in the Pacific, said Mr, Wilford, Whilst co-operating in inter= national disarmament w e must also stand solid for national defence in tho absence of such disarmament.

Councillor Ohapman has given notice of motion of his intention to move at tho next meeting of the City Council; "That all member of the council's staff employed in the Town Hall for a longer period than three months be considered weekly employees, and not hourly or casual employees,"

Letters have been received by the City Libraries Committee from the Wellington School Committees' Association and from the Berhampore School Committee expressing appreciation of the facilities given for the free use of books to school children,

The unsatisfactory cendition of the recent apple shipment to Soufli America was discussed at the conference of the Fruitgrowers' Federation yesterday afternoon. Mr, Brown, Redwoods Valley, said the growers in. his district were not inclined to take the risk of further shipments to South America unless refrigerated Bpa&) was obtainable on the steamers'; Mr, Tait, Wairarapa, said the market existed in South America, but New Zealand would require cool stores before we could hope to succeed in that market, Siguor XJ. Bidone, Consul-Genea-al for tlie Argentine, who attended the conference, said he was hopeful that before long produce from New- Zealand would be allowed into the Argentine duty free. > air. C, H. M'Kay, Nelson, asked how it was possible before the war to ship fruit to South America without the quality deteriorating. Mr. J. A. Campbell, Director of Horticulture, replied that the shipments in former yeara arrived in no better condition than recent shipments, but in former years the lossj was borne by the buyer, and consequently was not noticed.

By way of experiment, one of the City Council milk delivery vans is to be fitted with a cover, at a coat not exceeding £30, with a view to having all wagons covered during the summer months. The chairman of the committee (Councillor W/ H. Bc-nnett) stated at last night's council meeting that difficulty was experienced in keeping the milk cool in hot weather.

The eighth conference of the New Zealand branch of the New Zealand Workers' Union was opeued at' the Trades Hall yesterday. Delegates are present from practically all parts of tlie Dominion. After the adoption of the reports submitted by the President (Mr. Baldwin) and the secretary, the presi-dent-elect, Mr, A. Cook, took the chair. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Baldwin for his services as president. All officers of the union are to be instructed to see that that section of the Threshing Mill Workers' award is en. forced which provides that no threshing mill shall work by artificial light or more than eleven hours in any one day. It was also resolved that the union should use its utmost powers to enforce tho provisions of the Shearers' Accommodation Act.

New ■ Zealand has a vast variety of societies, leagues, associations, local bodies great and small, but so far the Dominion does not know a Cremation Society. However, the Cemeteries Committee of the City Council has now received an invitation from the Cremation Society of England for a representative <of the council to be present at the third annual conference of the society, to ie held at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley on Ist August. The invitation has been "received."

The brief courtship of an Auckland girl o£ 20 years of age, and a belated proposal of marriage to her by one of the officers of H.M.S. Dunedin" which sails for Nukualofa on Monday, led to an unusually, smart piece of work by a lawyer and lighting-like rapidity on the part of Supreme Court officials on Wednesday (states "The Post's" Auckland correspondent). The young lady's father and mother were dead, and she had no guardian to give the necessary consent to the marriage of a minor. Were it possible for H:M.S. Dunedin to be detained for 14 days no guardian's consent would be necessary, but the law inexorably demands 14 days''notice of an intended marriage from a minor without parents or guardian. The parties consulted a solicitor who volunteered to act as the next friend of the young lady A petition was presented to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, praying for the appointment of the girl's employer as her guardian. The Chief Justice, on application of Mr. Mouat, solicitor for the parties, made the necessary appointment, and the marriage took place yesterday.

"Is anything being done as to the Hataitai tunnel?" asked Councillor Mitchell at last night's meeting of the City Council. The Mayor replied that he was not able to make a statement at the moment. He had not brought the question before the Finance Committee, but if the council desired him to do so he would carry out their wishes. There was so large a programme of work ahead that he did not think that anything could be done in the tunnel question this year.

A difference oF opinion lias occurred between the City Health Committee and the Bylaws Committee as to tho speed of motor vehicles passing through Karori Cemetery. The Health Committee recently creeled notices permitting motors to pass through the grounds at eight miles per hour, instead of four miles per hour, but last evening the Bylaws Committee sought to have the speed limit fixed at the slower rate. The Health Committee argued that it was practically impossible for a motor vehicle, and that the higher speed constituted no danger. Councillor M. F Luckie, chairman of the Bylaws Committee, considered at last night's council meeting that until one-way traffic was provided for, eight miles per hour would be reasonable enough, but he had regard at present for the fact that oars might encounter a funeral. It was decided that the speed remain at four Tiues nar hout.

The survey of Sydney Street Cemetery and the Botanical Gardens is to be completed at once, and a complete survey of the Town Belt is to be made as soon as possible.

"There is a,^ scientific way of eradicating the blackberry pest in .New Zealand, ' said Mr. Massey to a deputation from the Auckland University College Council on Tuesday, "but its adoption would involve the sacrifice of roses." Such, at any rate, explained the Prime Minister, was the information given to him by a scientific expert at Honolulu, where a fairly similar pest had been destroyed. The destructive specific, however, would also destroy roses. Even at that price tho result would be worth it, though he would like to save the roses in New Zealand.

Provision is to be made on the City Council estimates for the installation o£ electric light at the pavilion and custodian's quarters at Day's Bay as soon as the. current is available.

Wangantii has been gazetted a city and the proclamation to this effect will take effect as from Ist July, The amalgamation of Gonville *and Castlecliff with Waiiganui has increased the population of the united borough to over 20,000, thus bringing- the area within the definition of a city as laid down in the Municipal Corporations Act, 1920.

An application was recently made by tho Y.W.Q.A, for a play area at Palm grove, but the City Council has ' now decided that this area cannot be granted, and has offered instead a portion of section 30, near Adelaide road.

"I congratulate yachtsmen on the magnificent welcome given at Auckland to the warships of the Special ■ Service Squadron," said the Governor-General, Lord Jellicoe, at the annual prize night of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron at Auckland on Tuesday evening, "It was my privilede to see that display from the bridge of the Hood, and though I have no doubt that a Sydney man would say that the Sydney display was better, yet I, as a New Zealander— (applause)—will guarantee that there has been no finer eight than that we saw at Auckland on 10th May. I know that the Admiral himself was very greatly impressed. "Only one thing was missing," concluded His Excellency, "and that was the Iron Duke, But lam assured that the only reason for her not being out was that those in charge were frightened of jealousy on the part of the Hood." (Laughter.)

A sum of £1400 is to be placed on tho city estimates for the laying of. a public sewer along Grafton and Evans Bay roads. Authority was granted for drainage work to be carried out at sections between Sefton street and Wadestown road, subject to property owners paying £200 towards the cost of the work.

Authority lias been given the Waterworks Engineer, Mr. J. M. Morice, to proceed with the work of widening the tunnel which.. carries a 12-inch pipe lino from the Karori reservoir to the head of Aro street in order that a new 15-inch main may be laid. The present main is very old, and is not in first-rate order »f. a J ?ng /way, and the larger main will bring about a much more efficient service to the-city when the Oron<mlongo supply is linked up with the Karori reservoir,

The majority of people are probablje unaware that the colouring of some birds' plumage is not absolutely permanent. This interesting fact was mentioned by Professor Johnson in his address on "Colour in Nature" at Auckland on Monday, After a prolonged bath, or after a heavy deluge of rain, he said, the pink colouring, on a parrot's head often "ran," and the feathers would look very washed out and bedraggled for some time afterwards (reports ■ the "New Zealand Herald"). ■ This washing out of colour often produced some very queer effects, continued the lecturer, who greutly amused his audience by hia suggestion as to the awkward results that would ensue if human' hair suffered the same disability as that of bird plumage when exposed to over-long immersion or to a shower of rain.

Complaints have been made to tile tramways department of the City Council of the nuisance caused by the heavy volume of smoke poured forth from the stacks at the Evans Bay power station. The report of the Tramways Committee to the council last evening stated that every effort would be made to minimise the smoke output, and that it was considered that once the plant was fully loaded, and an efficient state of combustion in the furnaces was obtained, the nuisance would be largely eliminated. The Mayor (Mr. E. A. Wright) said that if the nuisance was not abated when the works were fairly in operation, steps would have to be taken to effect an improvement.

Representations were made by the Wellington Astronomical Society to tho Finance Committe of the City Council earlier in the week that some provision should lie made for the temporary housing of the recently-acquired municipal telescope that it might be available to students in August, when the planet Mars will make its nearest approach to Earth for many years. It was last evening decided by the council that a temporary building should be erect.--cd at a cost of not more than £250. Plans prepared by the society in respect of this housing propose that it should be built next the site of the present observatory at Kelburn.' Tlie telescope at "^present lies in the storage cellars of the Town Hall, all but the iron foundation. which, on account of it^weight and the difficulty of lifting ltWip "again from the cellars awaits outsiaa tVe hall in WakefieM street. The Mayor said last, night that Dr. Adams, the Government Astronomer, was very anxious that the telescope should . be erected. Mr. Wright thought the instrument should be erected _on the council's land, a temporary building being put up, and that a fee of, say, 2s should lp charged (n people making use of it, by way of paying off the cost during the period that Mars will be under observation. Councillor A. L. Monteith: "People won't look at Mars for 'two bob.' I thinV -i shilling ouirht to be sufficient." Tin Mayor said it was a matter of gettin° their money back.