LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15550, 6 March 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Regarding as a vote of censure recent resolutions by meetings of the Auckland Tramways Union, the Management Committee of the union has resigned in a body, leaving only the secretary, who is a paid official, in office. The original factor leading to this decision was the refusal of a member to pay a fine imposed by the executive, on the ground that he had not been given an opportunity to explain his side of the case before the executive reached its decision. Meetings of the union held last Friday endorsed his attitude by a combined vote of 126 to 24, and shortly afterwards the committee decided to resign. The committee comprises the president, two vice-presidents, treasurer, and 20 other members of the committee. An election to fill all these offices will be held next Friday, the nominations closing at 8 p.m. to-day.

A rescue from drowning was accomplished by Captain Stephens and some members of the scow. Kapua on Tuesday evening. About eleven o'clock they went down the King's Wharf to bring the scow alongside, when they heard l cries for help. On searching they found a man in the water, who was clinging with one hand to a dinghy, and was almost exhausted. They were able to draw the man from the water and restore him to his boat. On three previous occasions Captain Stephens has rescued person* from drowning, the last of them being a boy who fell off the Northcote Wharf.

The Norwegian tramp steamer Terrier arrived in the stream at Auckland unexpectedly early yesterday morning. The vessel, which is on her way to Newcastle in ballast, left Corral (South America) on January 29, and when nine days out, and about 1700 miles from the American port, she lost one of her propellor blades, and was left, therefore, in a partially disabled condition. The vessel came on at reduced speed, »nd as she ran into very bad weather a few days after the mishap, her speed was lowered until she just made enough headway to maintain steerage-way. Owing to the uneven nature of the propellor, caused by the broken blade, a severe strain was imposed upon the engines. The vessel logged about seven knots on an average throughout the voyage of 6000 miles to Auckland, but for days at a time the speed had to be reduced to 2A knots, owing to the bad weather which was occasionally encountered. The Terrier will probably be floated into the Calliope Dock this afternoon to have repairs effected, after which she will resume her voyage to Newcastle.

An important point in connection with the new regulations regarding the sale of foods and drugs, which will come into operation on April 1, is that they apply to foods manufactured in other countries and imported into the Dominion with the same force as they do to the food products made in New Zealand. Opportunity has been given to merchants during the past year to inform firms from whom supplies are obtained, of the requirements of the new law, and most of them have made arrangements to ensure that Lhe regulations are complied with. Each of the Australian States has a system of food regulations, and steps are being taken to bring them all into line, and so far as possible the New Zealand regulations will be harmonised with those of the Commonwealth, so that manufacturers will have virtually only one set of regulations to satisfy in preparing supplies for the whole of Australasia.

The aims of the Victoria League were likened to the ideals of the late Ciscil Rhodes by the acting-president of the Auckland branch of the league (Mr. E. Anderson) at last night's annual meeting. " On reading the life of the great Empirebuilder a few days ago I was impressed with the view he took of life," remarked Mr. Anderson. "He assumed that Providence had chosen the Anglo-Saxon race asbeing best adapted for the civilisation of the world, and for extending liberty, justice, and truth throughout the world. He considered that in attempting, so far as was in his power, to extend the boundaries of the Empire, he was doing i work which Providence intended he should do. Though this belief is open to criticism, the pariotism behind it is beyond criticism. The Victoria League, in its efforts to help our ■ kith and kin beyond the seas, and in. promoting patriotism, is doing 'a work worthy of our best endeavours," concluded Mr. Anderson, "a work'which is really good, and which will last."

Carelessness on the part of employers in the matter of • keeping wages and overtime books as required by law, was the subject of some strictures by Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. "I used to impose heavy fines," said His Worship, for offences of this sometimes as much as £10— and that made employers careful about keeping these books; but since I began to impose more moderate fines there has been a good deal more carelessness in the matter. I shall have to increase the fines if this carelessness continues."

The decision of the Government to renovate the old Auckland Courthouse, with a view to the more adequate housing of certain Government Departments, does not, apparently, meet with the approval of the Chamber of Commerce, which takes the view that an entirely new and up-to-date building is vitally necessary. In conversation with a Heeald representative yesterday, Mr. Bart Kent (president cif the chamber) indicated that that institution had no intention of allowing the nvitter to rest. The position in all its bearings would be thoroughly discussed at a neeting of the executive of the chamber sh Drtly to be held. "In view of that meeting," said. Mr. Kent, "it would be inadvisable to go into the matter now in detail, but I think there is no harm in saying that we shall continue to impress upon the Government the desirability of a. new building, thoroughly up-to-date in every respect. My own view is that the old build ng— and I have examined it thoroughly— dangerous from the fire underwriters' point of view, and if any disaster were to occur it would lead to absolute chaos it. the Departments concerned."

"In dealing with evidence about cruelty to stock on farms, one must always h*ar in mind that the farmer considers cruelty only from the point of view of whether his stock loses in value or not," said Mr. E. C. Cut-ten, S.M., yesterday, when hearing a case of alleged cruelty to stock on a farm at West Taraaki. Over 100 head of cattle and 550 sheep were alleged to have been cruelly treated by not- having sufficient water provided for them. . Aft:r the hearing of some evidence the case was adjourned till Monday.

A movement is on foot in the Bay of Plenty district to establish either a freezing works or a meat-canning factory. From information received at the Auckland branch of the Farmers' Union it appears that a feeling prevails in the Bay of Plenty that a meat-canning factory should be established on a moderate scale in the meantime as it is considered that the time is hardly ripe for the establishment of freezing works in the district,

> # The Auckland Farmers' Union has been | in communication with farmers' organise '? tion:s in Australia with a view to farmein in New Zealand and Australia. co-operating in -a plan of campaign during times of industrial strife. From information so far received from Australia it appears that Queensland is the only district that hag a fanners' union similar to the organisation in New Zealand and the Auckland branch is now keeping in close touch with the Queensland union. In the other districts of Australia the dairy associations are the only organisations that so far look after the farmers' interests, but it s possible that in these districts movement will be started for the establishment of fanners' unions similar to the Queensland organisation. In the meantime the Auckland branch is keeping the idea of cooperation between New Zealand and Australia well to the front. The Auckland Prohibition league supplies the following record of offences and defaults arising from drink dealt with at the local Police Court during the month of February, and reported in the daily press :Drunkenness, first offenders, 75; others, 61; breaches of prohibition, 23; sly-grog selling, 1; insulting behaviour, 1; disorderly conduct, 1 ; fighting in a publia place, 2; common assault, 4; aggravated assault, 1; assaulting and resisting the pol;ce, 2 ; indecency, 4 ; obscene language, 7; damage to property, 2; theft, 7; knowingly receiving stolen liquor, 1« vagrancy, 10; separation orders, issued against husbands, 3. Total offences, 205; total offenders. 156, of whom nine were women. Seventeen new prohibition orders were issued, five of them against women, Threo men were sent to Roto Roa. Fines amounted to £98 14s. The New Lynn School Committee, at it 3 meeting on Monday, dealt with a rumour freely circulated in the district that on the completion of the new school on the Het.na Hamlet, the school at the other end of the district would only be used for primer and lower standards. The committee re solved to write to the Education Board, asking its intentions in this matter. It has been reported that the committee is endeavouring to have the new school created the main school for all standards. This the committee denies, and it proposes to call a public meeting at an early date to explain its attitude to the residents. At a recent meeting of the City Council Mr. G. Read presented a petition from residents of Sarsfield Street, asking that the street be permanently formed. Reporting to the council last, night, the city engineer (Mr. W. E. Bush) stated that the street had been recommended for inclusion in the next allocation of street improvement loan moneys. A fire was discovered in Mr. Robert FaiTell's bakehouse, Princes Street, Onehunga, on Wednesday, just before midnight. In less than three minutes after the alarm had been given the fire brigade's new motor was on the secne. The fire had a good hold, but the brigade suppressed the outbreak without much difficulty. The building and contents were insured in the Guardian Office for £3600. Considerable damage was done to the bread-making machinery. It is thought that the fire originated in some.green tea-tree which was stacked against the oven. For the fortnight ended February 22, a total of 246,710 units of electricity were generated at the electrical, power-house, and,682,400 gallons of water were used. Altogether 354 tons of coal were consumed, and 13 new customers were ' ob- J tained, making a total of 1495 "I think swimming should receive more encouragement from the State," said Mr. G. Gore-Gillon, president of the Auckland Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, at the Albert Street Baths last evening, when extending a welcome to the Sydney (swimmers now visiting Auckland. About 150 people are drowned annually in New Zealand," he continued. "The State might help in the way of subsidising swimming organisations. If New Zealanders were all taught swimming , when they were young lam certain thure - would be far fewer victims of what is now i - known as ' the New Zealand Death-'" . 1 Mr. Gore-Gillon cordially welcomed the > ! Australian • team, which, he said, : contained such world-famous swimmers as > Harold Hardwick and Miss Fanny Durack, lady champion of the world, and -he expressed the hope that much would be learned here as a result of their visit. • A new regulation bearing upon the financial methods of local authorities was included in the legislation of last session, an Act which was passed on December 15 providing that money obtained by loan must be paid into a separate banking acconnt. Among the bodies affected by this statute is the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, for in the past it has. relied upon its own book-keeping to distinguish loan money from general revenue, and has employed only one banking account. The system lias had a practical advantage, for although the general account has at times been insufficient to meet the current needs of the board, the necessity for arranging an overdraft from the bank has been avoided by the fact that the deposits of loan money have maintained) a credit balance on the combined account. There has been a debit balance on the board's own books, but it has not involved an expensive overdraft from the bank. Before the new financial year begins it will be necessary for the board to transfer any loan moneys to a separate account, and upon them a lower rate of interest will be paid than the board, will be required to furnish for any overdraft upon its general account when ordinary revenue does not come to hand quickly enough to meet current expenses. " Something should be done for the children " was the keynote of a discussion at the annual meeting of the Auckland branch of the Victoria League last night. According to the secretary (Miss E. M. Statham) there are now only 67 juvenile members of the branch, some of whom are in the country districts. A lady member said she thought that children looked upon the Is membership fee as a penalty for writing essays. Only six prizes were given for these essays, and those who did not win one saw no benefit in belonging to the league. The Education Committee had considered the matter, and thought some entertainment, such as patriotic pictures, should be provided for the children to stimulate their interest.. At present they simply paid their shillings and never met the other members of the league. At Home lantern lectures were given for the juveniles. Th« secretary said that the Auckland branch had a set of slides, but no lantern, whereupon a lady present suggested taking up a subscription there and then to defray the cost of a lantern. The acting-presi-dent (Mr. E. Anderson) agreed that something should be done, and expressed the opinion that, instead of having a few boys \ and girls as members, the branch could m •% a few years have thousands if it went the ,J right way about it. He approved the -; idea of an entertainment on the lines pro- ! ; ffl posed, once a year. A recommendation ®| was ultimately sent on to the council of ■'.-,.-: the branch to deal with the matter at the Si earliest opportunity, ... j|l . -MM