WELLINGTON NEWS

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 October 1926, Page 3

WELLINGTON NEWS

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND’S GUNS.

(Special to “Star.”) WELLINGTON, October 22. Relics from H.M.S. New Zealand, which was scrapped under terms of the Washington Disarmament Treaty, have been received in the Dominion. They comprise guns and fittings, which will be used in various purposes. Six fourinch mark VII. breachloading guns have now been mounted at Point Jemingham saluting battery to replace the old. six-pounder Nordenfeldts, which were found unsatisfactory for saluting. The reports could not be heard in certain conditions of the wind. The guns of H.M.S. Dunedin are of larger calibre, and have been tested under varying windage conditions. Their audibility has been all that could be desired when the salutes were being fired. These naval guns are regarded as honoured veterans of the Great War, from which the German Navygot more than a satisfying taste in several North Sea battles, including Dogger Bank and Jutland. It will be well to remember this, when next used for salute on some State or other occasion. The question arose some time

ago whether the 12-inch guns which constituted, the New Zealand’s main armament could be mounted for defence purposes on some coastal battery on the shores of the Dominion. Technical reasons, however, made the. proposal impracticable. . The old muzzleloading guns formerly used for saluting from Pipitea Poiont are now located on the top slope in front of General Headquarters, Defence Department. COUNCIL AND BUILDER. Some time ago, the Wellington City Council considered what should be done in regard to a cottage built at Kilbirnie in defiance of The building by-laws. The builder was refused per-

mission to connect water, drainage and electric light. The Council has since been deliberating how further to deal with the matter. The section on which the cottage is built, does not fulfil the by-laws in regard to air space clearance from other dwellings. The builder’ a well-known local contractor, was refused a permit to build in the first place, but went ahead without waiting. In due time, he was called before the Magistrate and fined. The Council then played its trump card and refused permission to connect the city services with the cottage, therefore it remained empty, entirely surrounded by backyards or nearly so. The Council has now passed a resolution that the buildei- be served with notice, calling on him to remove the dwelling, which he will now have to do, whether he likes it or not. BUS FARES.

Having got rid of the bus competition, the City Tramways Department has decided to revise the fares on those ’buses belonging to the Council operating along the tram lines. During the period of competition with the private concerns, “those travelling on Council ’buses were allowed to use the universal three shilling tickets, the same as on the trains, which allow twelve trips anywhere for any distance. The Council has now decided that from November 1, special ’bus tickets will be issued giving twelve rides for four shillings, an increase of 25 per cent. It further decided that the minimum fare on ’buses shall be threepence where hams are twopence. The Tramwaymen’s Union applied to the Council to ran no trams on Christmas Day. The matter is not yet finaly decided, but the request will probably be acceded to.

WIRELESS REGULATIONS.

A Gazette notice, last night, amended the wireless regulations as regards aerials. It is now provided that no aerial shall be erected above or below wires used to supply electricity or sufficiently near such wires to permit contact with them should either class of wire break or become detached from its support or the support fall. It is also provided that an aerial shall not, without the consent of th Minister, be erected above or below any electric line erected or maintained by the Post and Telegraph Department.

MILK SUPPLY. The City Council’s milk supply has grown considerably during the past year or two there being a steady increase in those persons desiring regular retail supplies. During the period of the past eighteen months the increase amounted to one-third. The Milk Department also more than held its own in the wholesale trade for the past twelve months, the approximate increase being 24 per cent. Retail milk sales last September averaged 4365 gallons daily, a record in the history of the Milk Department for this particular month, showing an (increase of 7.88 per cent, over the sales of the corresponding month last year, which averaged 4046 gallons daily. P.O. SAVINGS BANK. It is usually considered that the Post Office Savings Bank business is an indication of the prosperity or otherwise of the Dominion. For the quarter ended September 30, 1926, withdrawals £7,801,617 exceeded deposits £7,533,915, by £267,701. For the corresponding quarter' last year the excess of withdrawals over deposits was £283,981. The figures showing the number of accounts opened and closed, the number of deposits and withdrawals for the quarter are This year: Accounts opened 24,430, last year 32,468; accounts closed 17,697 —26,126; number of deposits 391,890 —380,496; number of withdrawals 300,718 —298,877.

COUNTRY LIBRARIES. Parliament granted £3OOO for distribution to public libraries in country districts last session. It was now officially stated that the distribution will take place about March 1 next. No claim is entitled to consideration if it does not reach the Education Department, Wellington, on or before January 31 next. The Minister of Education (Mr Wright) explains ' that the library to be entitled to a subsidy must be public in the sense of belong-

ing to the public, ana nor oeing unaer the control of an association, society or club, whose members comprised a section of the community only. If within a borough, a reading room containing newspapers and periodicals must be provided for the public free of charge. Also, a library must not be situated in a borough, town, br town district, Hie population of which exceeds 1500. In addition, the receipts for the year from subscriptions must not have been less than £2, exclusive of moneys received from endowments, from the Government, Borough or County Councils, or from other sources. The number of members to a subscribing 'library during the year must not be less than eight, each of whom must have paid a subscription for at least six months: Libraries established in 1926 may apply for the subsidy, which will be awarded on the merits. A subsidy is act given to mor® «i&n one

library in each town. Distribution means a nominal addition of £25 made to the amount of income of each library derived from subscriptions. No library will receive credit for a larger income than £25; that is, in no case will the augmented amount on which the distribution is based exceed £5O. The whole of the money must be spent immediately on the purchase or loan of books, the majority of which must be books having a permanent value. Applications to share in the distribution must be by means of a statutory declaration by the chairman, secretary or treasurer.