LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16039, 4 October 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Canadian-Australasian liner. Makura, is expected to arrive from Sydney at 6 a.m. to-day, and after pratique has been granted she will berth at the Queen's Wharf. The steamer has 175 passengers for Auckland, and is timed to- sail for Vancouver at 10 a.m. to-morrow. The Makura is bringing 61 bag* of mail for this port, which, in the absence of definite advice, the postal authorities expect will be Australian.

Tho problem of finding employment for soldiers who have returned from active service, and have been discharged on account of some partial disablement, has already confronted tho Relief Committee of the Auckland Patriotic Association. Mr. V. J. Larner, chairman of the committee, stated on Saturday that the utmost difficulty had been experienced .in finding suitable employment for some of tho men who would shortly bo discharged from the forces. ' * T lt is apparent we shall require the very real co-operation and help of employers if we are to protect those mon from being placed in a very unfortunate position," Mr. Larner said. " Some of those with whom wo have to deal are men whose education and qualification entitle them to good positions, and it is most important that the association should endeavour to find employment for all of them as they are discharged." Mr. Larner added that the committee is considering the establishment of a bureau in connection with its work, which would form a means of communication between employers and the men who had cheerfully surrendered their employment to answer the country's call.

A married woman, Ellen Carroll, 56 years of age, died suddenly at her residence, Bath Street, Ponsonby, at 12.30 p.m. on Saturday. The deceased had not been in the best of health for some time. The body was removed to the morgue, where an inquest will be held at 9.15 a.m. to-day.

The Auckland Hairdressers' Assistants' Union is seeking a new award. In its demands, the union asks, that the hours of work shall be 52 per week, exclusive of meal hours, and that the minimum wage to be paid to journeymen or journeywomen hairdressers shall be £3 5s per week. The scale of wages sought represents an increase of 10s per week on the present rate. The reduction sought in the weekly hours of work is 6 hours 40 minutes, and six extra half-holidays per year are asked for.

The funeral of the late Private Leslie Gordon McKinstry, who died at Trentham from cerebro-spinal meningitis, took place on Saturday afternoon. The cortege left the home of the deceased's parents in Sarefield Street, Ponsonby, and" the interment took place at the Waikaraka Cemetery. The remains were carried to their last (resting-place on a gun-carriage supplied by the New Zealand Field Artillery. The pall-bearers were: Sergeant Moore, Privates Gordon, Hodgson, Bruford, Millet, and Neumigan, members of the New Zealand Medical Corps. There was a large attendance of friends. The Rev. I. Jolly conducted the service, at the conclusion of which " The Last Post" was sounded, and three volleys were fired over the grave.

A schoolboy named Charles Corrin, seven years of age, was admitted to the hospital on Saturday suffering' from injuries incurred through falling on his head at Birkdale, on Wednesday. He died at six o'clock yesterday morning, and a post-mortem examination will be held to-day.

A' roll of honour, containing the names of 23 young men, -who have enlisted from the Onehnnga Methodist Circuit, -was unveiled yesterday morning, during service in the Onehnnga Methodist Church. The ceremony was performed by Mr. H. J. Davies, one of the church trustees. He stated that the trustees desired to honour the young men who had sacrificed so much. The -worshippers would see the roll of honour, at each service, .it being placed on the wall behind the pulpit. Mr. Davies referred to the bravery of the New Zealand troops at Gallipoli, and concluded by appealing to the congregation to do all they could to swell the fund for sick and wounded soldiers. The evening service in tho same church was conducted by Ser-geant-Major Frank Sutherland, formerly choirmaster at the church.

To complete its establishment, the New Zealand Engineer Tunnelling Company requires 70 skilled face workers and 40 unskilled workers. Applications for enlistment should be made at the recruiting office, Drill Hall, Rutland Street. Recruits accepted will go into camp at the Avondale racecourse at once.

As the result of a fall from a landing at the top of a flight of steps, an inmate of the Mount Eden gaol was admitted to the hospital on Friday, suffering from injuries to his head. Yesterday, his condition was reported to be improving. The man is 23 years of age, and is undergoing a two-years' sentence.

The Rifle Club of the women's branch of tho National Reserve is one of its most popular activities, and great interest was taken in a shooting match, Women v Men, which was held at the Drill Hall on Friday night. The men competing belonged to the mounted branch of the reserve, and the teams were 10 a-side. The match resulted in a decisive win for the women, who scored 325 points, as against 307 for the men. The fine marksmanship of the women came as a considerable surprise to many of their opponents, and showed that the excellent coaching the Wonen's Rifle Club has had during the last few months has borne good result. The highest score made— out of 35— was credited to Miss Fenton ; 33 being the highest individual score on the other side The shooting of the women maintained an excellent average, very few scoring l ess than 30. Quartermaster-Sergeant Robertson, of the Permanent Staff, acted as scorer.

An interpretation has been given by the Secretary for Customs regarding the application of the. primage duty 'of 1 per cent, imposed by resolution of the House of Representatives in Committee of Ways and Means. There is express provision that the primage would not bo collected on goods already imported, and the Department states that cargo is considered to bo " imported " when the vessel carrying it reaches her first port of call, so that all goods on vessels which had reached the Dominion before the resolution was passed will escape the taxation.

The condition of the boy, Reginald Hallett, who sustained a fractured skull and a broken jaw by being run over by a motor-car in Mary Street, Mount Eden, on Friday afternoon, has not improved very much. Trooper Claude Gordon, a soldier on leave from Trentham, who was found lying in a semi-conscious condition beside the railway track about midway between Penrose and*Ellerslie, on Thursday morning, is making' satisfactory progress towards recovery. He was removed to the hospital suffering from slight con•cuasioni

A reference to Japanese enterprise m Australia was -, made last, tfeek by Mr. Harold Beauchamp, chairman of the Bank of New Zealand, on his return to Wellington from a; visit to the Commonwealth. " Taking" advantage of their opportunities*'* he said,- " the Japanese are making a bold bid for the large section of trade formerly done by Germany in Australia and, owing to the quality and finish of their goods, I shall be surprised if they do not secure a permanent footing in the Australasian markets." Whilst Mr. Beauchamp was in Sydney, a Japanese steamer arrived with over 4000 tons of general merchandise for that port, and several other steamers are on tho way. To facilitate trade between Japan and Australia, a branch of the Yokohama Specie Bank, a very old institution, has just been opened in Sydney. No doubt, ho said, Japan would be equally energetic in developing trade with New Zealand. J.s that country is already a considerable purchaser from us of wool and other commodities, he thought it should be greatly to New Zealand's advantage to cultivate a close and permanent connection with her people.

Men who in summer time gather tho Dominion's wool clip have many representatives on Gallipoli, and it is anticipated by people' in a position to judge that sheep farmers will be faced with difficulties during the shearing season. Advices from parts of Australia . where shearing has already commenced are to the effect that there is a marked shortage of workers in consequence, a smaller number than usual will visit New Zealand this season, says a Wellington paper. In quarters where this is known it is stated that runholders would be well advised to commence shearing a little earlier than usual, in order that the shortage of workers may be met by a lengthened season. Otherwise, when the season is in full swing, employers will be competing with each other for the services of workers. Under such circumstances they would be inviting requests from individuals for increased rates. It is this state of affairs, it is reported, which has led already to demands by the native shearers of the Poverty Bay and East Coast districts.

Whilst drought has been experienced in the South, says a. Press Association telegram. Nelson has had one of the best growing springs in the memory of the oldest farmers, there having been a plentiful supply of rain at right intervals. Crops never looked better. Orchards, also, are doing well, and, at present, there is every indication of excellent crops. Hundreds of thousands of apple trees are rapidly coming into bearing, and all trees bear indications of heavy crops.

"There is a fiction abroad.'' says the New Zealand Public Service Journal in its latest issue, "that the average publio servant is a fortunate individual who draws a high salary for doing very little work. . An analysis of the last classification list produces the following result : There are 4892 officers drawing £260 or under per annum, and 977 officers drawing more than £260 per annum. The second group includes 401 officers drawing £315 per annum or less, and 583 officers drawing £425 per annum or less. From the above it will be seen that the rank and file of the service, that is to say, those officers who receive salaries up to £260 per annum, aro in the large majority, those receiving higher salaries being responsible officers, experts, and professional men, and these two latter classes would, if not in the employ of the State, command equal or greater remuneration in private employment or practice. The Public Service Commissioner in his last report complains that there is a dearth of officers competent to fill positions of responsibility, but omits to state the reason. " ' We believe this emergency arises from the fact that the salaries paid are too low to induce many brilliant men to remain in the service in the hope of reaching what may be termed the prize positions. These men are attracted by higher pay and better prospects in employment outside the service, so it eventually happens that there is a falling off in general efficiency."

, A claim arising. out .of .the recent patriotic carnival in Wellington occupied the attention of the Magistrate's Court in that city last week. The case was one in which Miss M. E. Taylor, secretary of the combined Drapers' Carnival Committee, sued Mrs. J. H. Ward to recover a bridal* doll, valued at £10, or. in the alternative the sim of £10 as damages. The doll had been raffled at the carnival, and had been wrongly delivered to the defendant (Mrs. Ward), so plaintiff alleged, instead erf to a Miss Ward, the actual winner of the raffle. After hearing the evidence, the magistrate gave judgment for the plaint iff for the return of the doll, or in the alternative the sum of £5 as damages. No costs were allowed.

The -production of chicory will shortly be resumed in Otago. Owing to the curtailment of supplies from other countries, a Dunedin firm of- coffee manufacturers has decided to revive the industry on its farm at Inchclutha, where large quantities of chicory were grown some 14 years 'ago. A substantially built kiln, situated just across the river from Balclutha. is to have several additions made to it in the chape of storing sheds, and a manager's cottage is to be erected, while chicory growing on an extensive scale is to be resumed on the farm.

In view of the possibilities of. the development of the Waikaremoana waterpewer scheme, opposition has arisen in Napier to a proposal of the Wairoa people to harness tho To Rcinga Falls. Some weeks ago the Borough Council took exception to the proposal on the ground that it would mean the loss of a good customer to Waikaremoana. The Chamber of Commerce has taken a similar view, and has decided to inform the Public Works Department that it is opposed to the Wairoa scheme if it will in any way interfere with the larger undertaking.

American commercial men appear to be firmly convinced that they can capture the trade which Germany did in Australia and New Zealand. In comment on ConsulGeneral Winslow's report from Auckland, the New York commercial journal, Current of Affairs, observes that it is essential to send out qualified tradesmen to New Zealand with their samples, prepared to tend in orders by cable for immediate delivery. • Merchants in New Zealand are described as hard pressed for goods which have not come forward from England. " Being out of touch with elsewhere," the paper states, "they do not -know where *° turn." It is significantly added :— " Salesmen sent to New Zealand and Australia should have Anglo-Saxon names."

A remarkable accident befel a Wellington resident recently whilst motor-cycling along the Johnsonville-Ohariu Road. The machine was travelling at a moderate pace up-hill when it skidded a few feet but without causing a fall. The rider's foot caught in a projection from the bank and was twisted right round. For the moment the rider .was hardly aware that he had been hurt, but feeling a numbness stealing over the limb, he jumped off his machine on the injured leg, and at once collapsed On examination it was found that the leg had been broken about 4in above the ankle, the ankle itself was dislocated and one of the small bones of the ankle broken.