LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 145, 20 June 1924, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It has been arranged that a deputation representing those residents "of Thorridon opposed to the filling in of the Hobson street gully will wait upon the City Council at its next meeting, on 3rd July. A supplementary petition has been sent on to the Town Clerk, the signature of persons opposed to the proposal now numbering 118. Reports on the tenders for the -contracts, in connection with the Arapuni hydro-electric scheme will be placed before the Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister of Public Works)- on Monday, states a Press Association message from Auckland. .The tenders would require' careful consideration, said the - Minister today, and no announcement as to acceptance would, therefore, be made for several days.

I In accordance with a unanimous '• expression of opinion among delegates attending the Local Bodies' Conference-on Wednesday in regard to the furthering of the Hutt road extension scheme, a recommendation will -come before the I City Council shortly that a second paving plant, similar to that at Ngahauranga, .should be purchased right away, that there may be no delay in pushing ahead the district's roading schemes, city paving, and paving of roads agreed upon in surrounding districts.

At a meeting arranged by the Council of Christian Congregations yesterday afternoon, a petition against any increase of gambling facilities was presented to Mr. T. K. Sidey, M.P.,' for presentation to Parliament. The j>etition, to -which the. names of 211 representative professional and business mfn hare been attached in two days, is the same as one recently circulated in. Christchurch, states a Press Association message from Dunediu. Mrs. Leech, representing 16 women societies associated with the National. Council of Women, said that the women were solidly supporting the petition. Mr. Charles Todd (representing the signatories), Mr. Sidey, and the Hon. G. M. Thomson, expressed their sympathy with the petition, and their desire to prevent the spread of gambling: facilities.

The duty of second-hand dealers to notify the police when goods are purchased in certain circumstances was mentioned in the -Magistrate's Court at Christcburch on Wednesday by Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M. During the hearing of a theft case, it-was stated that.a fur coat had been offered to a dealer for 10s, and it w:as subsequently' purchased for £1 10s (reports the "Lytteltqn Times"). "It is a scandal the way people buy a coat obviously worth £10 when it is offered for 10s," said theMagistrate. "Dealers should not buy in these circumstances; they should ring up the police.";-The witness concerned m the purchase said that if the man sold it privately it would he .more difficult. Chief -Detective Gibsori: "That Is the trouble." The Magistrate said that it was the duty of a second-hand dealer to ring up the police and ask whether there was a fur coat missing. The Chief Detective: "That should be done.'; The recent appearance of chequ.es without the usual impressed twopenny stamp duty has caused/certain of the business community to wonder whether or not their bankers had ' made un ' error Iremarks the'"Auckland Star"). The position is that the stamp duty, though still payable at the rate of twopence per cheque, is no longer denoted by an impression on the cheque - form, and persons handling cheques may accept unstamped cheques with confidence, that is so far as the stamp duty is concerned. The innovation is the result of suggestions made to the Government to expedite the issue of cheque forms./ These had a habit ,o£ congregating by the million at the Stamp Department, in Wellington,.for ,the purpose of having stamp duty impressed upon them before issue to the banks for distribution to their customers. Under the new system the banks cpllect the twopenny stamp as before and pay the amount over to the Government, and the Stamp Department is saved the very considerable labour of ■ stamping each individual cheque.

The prospects for the formation of the proposed orchestra, under the auspices of the Wellington Society of Musicians are said to be exceedingly good. "At a meeting called by 'the secretary of the society last Monday evening, it was unanimously, decided to form' an orchestra on the lines discussed at previous meetings. In the course of the discussion it was" pointed out that a measure of support would be received from orchestras connected with various institutions in the city. Applications and recommendations have been received for 58 players, but all sections of the orchestra have-not yet been provided^ for, some instruments not being represented. This is principally due to the difficulty pointed out some weeks ago of securing wood wind and'other'players. The names of four competent musicians have been submitted in connection with the conductorship, and the selection is being made by postal vote of the listed players. A subcommittee has been appointed to report on various .matters, including arrangements for a practice room; music, and rales. A further meeting will be called by the society at an early date, when an announcement- will probably be made concerning the conductorship. A bylaw prosecution, in which it was alleged that Francis Brown, a merchant of Wellington, had .exceeded the speed limit on the Hutt road, and, alternately, had driven his car in a manner dangerous to the public, was dealt with at the Magistrate's Cdurt yesterday afternoon. The Assistant City Solicitor, Mr. L. C. Heincry, who conducted the prosecution, said. the charges arose out of an accident on the Hutt road on 26th April, the day of the special race meeting at Trent-ham in honour of the visiting warships. The position*' was that Mrs. Olive M. Linklater, who was examining the front wheel of her car which she had stopped near Ngahauranga, was knocked down, it was alleged, by the defendant's''car. She luckily sustained only bruises, but suffered from general shock. Inspector Haselden said Brown had admitted to him that he had knocked someone over at Ngahauranga. * Witness told him he would be prosecuted, for driving at forty miles per hour, but defendant replied that his car would not do more than fifteen miles an hour. " For the defence, Mr. J. F. B. Stevenson said that during the whole journey from Trentham his client's car had not "topped" eighteen miles per hour. Defendant felt nothing when passing Mrs. Linklater, but, unfortunately, he must have touched her. Mrs. Brown told' him that he' had knocked someone down, but ( he thought she was mistaken. However, he started to go back, but heavy rain began to fall. At the -time defendant was approaching Mrs. Linklater's car, - another vehicle was coming from the city, and defendant also'had to move aside to allow a townward-bound car to go ahead. The Magistrate remarked the whole case depended upon whether the speeding car was that of the defendant. His Worship added that in regard to this point there was a doubt in his mind. The informations accordingly were dismissed.

Mr. T..M. Wilford, M.P:',' delivered an address at the Dunedin 'Rotary Club's luncheon yesterday on "Japan and America; why there will not be war."

The R.M.S. Mamiganui, which left . San Francisco on the 18tii. instant for .-, Wellington, has on board for New Zealand 1425 bags of mail, including 1-194 ■" from Great Britain, and 524 bags of parcels.

. The Central Fire Brigade has received a donation of £2 2s from Mr. Andrew Williams, of 197. Tinakori. road, asa mark of appreciation for services. ren-. dered at his recent fire. The money will go towards the recreation iund.

. The conference of the Railway Officers' ' institute yesterday afternoon passed the following remit from the Wellington branch -. — "That this conference con-' gratulates the Minister of P.ailwavs on ' his decision that oilicers with services of forty year's and over shall be compul-' sonly retired, but urges that in future no exception to the rule be made."

The Fire Brigade acknowledges receipt of a subscription of £2 2s towards the Recreation Fund from Mr Andrew Williams, cf 197, Tinakori road. On Wednesday afternoon one of the* buildings of % Lambton Railway Station caught fire, but the brigade quickly arrived on the scene and the flames wers ' extinguished before any appreciable damage, was done.

New Zealand's advantages of soil, climate,, and-pleasant living conditions^ are being brought tp the attention of AncrloIndians, and the officers and men of the British regiments in India. The "Argyllshire Highlanders' News," the regimental magazine of the Ist Battalion the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess.Louise's), station at Allahabad, contains'a three-page article written by Mr. James Cowan, of Wellington describing the Dominion as a suitable permanent home . for retiring soldiers and others seeking a life on the land. \ "The economic-loss attributable to the aecay and destruction of timber by iungoid and insect attack amounts to at least £1,000,000 per annum in buildings already constructed," reported committee "C" to the Building Conference this morning. The Departmental view, after experiments, was - that to , combat the alarming increase in the'• depredations oi these pests cdncerted action by- sawmillers, ; timber merchants, builders, owners, and local and Government authority %vas required. The committee mentioned that, in this connection the experience of one/member was that treatment by a patent gas had had satisfactory results.

A civil action in which Thomas Fugle; a carrier, claimed damages to the extent of £11 5s 9d, from a Chinese market gardener, named Harry Wong, was dealt with by Mr. C. R.'Orr-Walker, S.Ms, at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Plaintiff, through hi s counsel, Mr. St. L. Reeves, alleged that' defendant had so negligently driven his horse along Jervois quay that the animal had got out ' of control. A collision, as the result, followed between the defendant's wagon and plaintiff's motor-lorry, which was at the ..carrier's stand. After hearing the evidence, the Magistrate said it appeared to him that the defendant's ho3\a had become frightened in some way, and had got out of control. The Chinaman evidently had done his best to control : the animal, and it had not. been proved that he-was in any way guilty of negligence. Plaintiff ' was nonsuited witlf costs. Defendant ..was . represented byMr. J. S. Hanna.

It became quite obvious at the Building Conference this morning that-'the three dajs allowed were no(? sufficient for the delegates to fully consider and make recommendations based "on -the seventy pages, of model bylaws,' reports,, and data submitted by the Forestry Department as a basis for discussion. The point, came up this morning when a long report was submitted by com-, mittee "C" referring to construction. - Mr. A. T. Paterson, chairman of the committee, appealed for the minimum of ' discussion. He remarked that the saw- v millers had yesterday put up a block- - ade, and would ■ probably do so later ' in the day. They, had only about a. third of the time necessary for the disj cussion, and they wanted as much con- ' cession ill the discussion as possible.