LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16822, 12 April 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Complaints regarding a number of matters connected with the Auckland-Hender-son suburban railway service have been brought under the notice of Mr. G. J. Parr, M.P., by daily travellers on the trains. The condition.* specially complained of are tho time takon on the Journey, the long delays at stations, the fact that insufficient non-smoking carriages die provided, and that ladies and girls are constantly being compelled to ride in smoking carriage! or on the outside platform, the told and dirtv state of a number of the carriage)'., and the fact that some of the cars on the night service are not .u'hted «r only partially lighted. A petition, which has been signed by 230 passengers, setting out these statements, has been forwarded to Mr. Parr. In reporting on the state of affairs at the railhead of the North Auckland Railway, the commissioner of the Railways League states that thousands of Blabs and temporary sleepers are stacked or scattered about, in addition to large numbers of kauri saplings and other heavy timbers, which have been brought many miles at great expense, and which will soon be useless owing to exposure to tho weather. Thero arc also many tons of rails lying about rusting. The report further states that the four miles of tramlino laid down will soon be useless, as the sleepers and corduroying will bo too far jjone in decay. Tho following communication from tho Minister for Public Works in regard to resuming work on the lino was read at yesterday's meeting of the leaguo : —" I wish to assure you that I am not losing sight of the necessity to resume work at Huarau tunnel as soon as I can arrange matters." Tho leaguo's commissioner reported that.it was stated that tenders had been accepted for tho erection of station buildings at Maungaturoto and Huarau. A draft of 60 CI reservists left for tho training camp by the Main Trunk express last night. These men, who comprised the Auckland and Whangarei quotas, assembled at the Drill Hall at 6 p.m., and, led bv the Ponsonby Drum and Fife Band, marched to the station via Queen Street and Quay Street East. The draft was under the charge of Lieutenant W. M. Milliken, 3rd, Auckland, Regiment, who was assisted by Lieutenant A. B. Ross, Post and Telegraph Corps. Captain J. M. Canghey, railway transport officer, was in charge of the entraining arrangements. The Paeroa and Hamilton quotas, of about 24 men, were to join the train at Frankton. Another rise in tho price of gas is announced by the Auckland Gas Company. Tho prenen'. price of gas is 5s lOd per 1000 cubic feet, subject to a discount of Id per 100 cubic feet. On and after May 1 an additional 61 per 1000 cubic feet is to be charged, miking the gross price 6s 4d. A First Division reservist with a wife and five children dependant upon him applied to the Military Service Board yesterday for exemption until Second Division reservists with five children were called up, or for financial assistance if sent to camp. Appellant explained that he married a widow with two young children in June, 1915, and he had since had three children of his own. His wages were a littlo over £3 a week. " You would be a lather expensive soldier," remarked the chairman of the board. Financially your family would be much better off if you went to the front. They would be entitled to £4 lis a week, and if you were unfortunate enough to be killed in action their peasions would amount to £5 Bs. Tho board proposes, however, to adjourn your appeal sine die, but you must understand that you may be called up before class F of the Second Division if the demand for men becomes greater."

The use of women in industries as a war measure was strongly advocated at the annual meeting of the Women's National Reserve last night, when it was stated that there was an all too evident prejudice, among both men and women, against women undertaking any duties performed by men. It was felt'that in the pro.lent crisis this attitude was inexplicable, and that the day was not far distant when an urgent, call would be made upon the women. Mr. George George said he felt sure the women of New Zealand would eventually be called upon to replace lnen, but, although the women would need a certain amount of training in order to enter dome trades, no effort was being made by the Government to pre pare the way. A resolution was carried to the effect that in order to meet the appeal made by Mr. Lloyd George for more men the Government should be urged to immediately consider the question of conscripting women. as until this is dono it could not be said we were making full and complete .'aorifiec as a community in the present war. It was decided to send copies of the resolution to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Defence, and the Minister for Internal Affairs. With a view of determining the advisability of proceeding with the development of hydro electrical schemes for municipal lighting, the To Awnmutu Chamber of Commerce has decided to ask the Public Works Department what the prospects are of State action being taken at the Arapuui site.

A somewhat unusual position aros yesterday in respect to the meeting o creditors in the estato of Joseph Bed Charters, of To Aroha, billiard-marker which was to have been held at 2.3' p.m. The bankrupt and tho solicitor to the only unsecured creditor in the estat wore present nt the timo for which th meeting was advertised, but the crcdito was somewhat late in arriving. Mr. W S. Fisher, official assignee, was unavoid ably absent. As those present appearei to no in doubt in respect to the legal it; of tho proceedings, owing to the lat arrival of tho creditor, tho bankrupt sail ho did not care to go on with the meet ing. Tho meeting was accordingly ad journed sine die. Tho exceptionally high tides experience* in February and March, which caused ex tensive damago on tho waterfront of th Auckland Harbour, apparently had a wid influence on the East Coast. At the meet ing of the Railways League yesterday Mr. S. N. Westney said that during recent visit to the Ray of Plenty ho wa informed that the tide- in February ha< risen to a height never previously reached Serious damage had been caused to th railway at Matata, and the line would re quire to be raised for a distanoe of eigh or ten miles in order to render it safe. A special service will be hold in St Mary's Cathedral at 11 a.m. on Anza Dav. April 25. The Anglican Bishop o Auckland, Dr. A. W. Averill. will b present. The officers of the district head quarters staff will attend. An urgent appeal for funds has beei received from the headquarters of thFrench War Orphans' Association by Mr Du Flou, secretary to tho New Zealan. branch, whose headquarters are at Hamil ton. The communication containing th appeal asks that all available moneys b cabled at once as the need has beei greatly increased as a result of the recen German offensive and tho aerial raids am bombardment of Paris. The New Zealam branch has £150 in hand, and the Wai mea County Council has promised £25 A further amount will be required. The hearing of the civil action, i: which Arthur L. Raven, of Auckland auctioneer, and others (Mr. Singer an* Mr. Andersen), sued Norman M. Keiwr of Rotorua. settler (Mr. Ziman), for £12 17s 6d, being five quarters' interest allege to be due under an agreement, date' December 10. 1914. for the salo and pui chaso of certain sections of land, bein part of the Grand Vue Estate, at Taka puna, reached finality beforo Mr. Justic Cooper at the Supreme Court yesterday The defendant, who alleged misropreser tation. and also that the plaintiffs had n title or right to sell considerable portion of some of the lots included in the agree ment, asked that the latter fact bo re sc : nded and applied for the return of £10 19s 7d. paid to the plaintiffs on account prior to February 20, 1917. After heal in? argument His Honor reserved his de cision. The system of employing women a carriage cleaners for the purpose of relieving men for active service has been n operation at the Auckland railway statioi just a year. In all 12 women are em ployed, having replaced a staff of eigh men, and local officials speak highly o their work. Tho women cleaners are cm ployed exclusively cleaning the interior o the cars, and it is generally felt that th' work is done nroro thoroughly than wa the case before the women were employed All the outside cleaning is done by men Generally (he system has given satisfac tion, but a difficulty lies in the fact tha the women cannot get about among th' cars in the shunting yards or tracks, as th Railway Department insists upon entin safety for women workers. Tho cost n the present system is said to be littl more, if any, than thnt prevailing befor. the employment of women. A petition in bankruptcy has been filei by James Angew, of Morrinsville, con tractor. The first meeting of creditor will be held at Morriasville on April 19. A farewell service in connection wit! tho Melanesian Mission was held at Al Saints' Church yesterday morning. Th attendance was satisfactory. Holy Com munion was celebrated bv the Rev. A. 1 Hopkins, assisted by the Rev. VV. G. Dur rad, who also preached an interesting For mon on the work of the mission anvoni the natives of the islands of Melanesia In a case heard before Mr. E. L Moseley, S.M., in the Magistrate's Com yesterday, counsel asked for an adjoun ment to look up authorities in support c his case. The magistrate said he eipccte counsel to be ready to go on with thei cases straight away, and intimated thn he was prepared to give his decision ther and then. Mr. Moseley said there lm heon most extraordinary delays in Au«l land in tho past, and he hoped couiim engaged in the caso would remember, an let others know, that he expected solictors in any cases which came before hii ' to complete their cases as soon as poi siblc A general meeting of the District Com of Convocation of the University of N'ei Zealand will be held in the old (tramma School, Symonds Street at 4 p.m. today The business will include a distf.ssion o repeat and honours work in languages with a view to allowing languages to h taken separately, as is the case wit science subjects.

A charge of fraudulently affixing a used: stamp to a letter was denied by Edith J Bowen, a storekeeper at Taknpuua (Mr.. Moody), in the Police Court, before Mr. i F. V. Frazer, S.M., yesterday. It was admitted Unit a used ljd stamp was affixed by defendant to a letter, but she said she took the stamp out of her stamp hot and placed it on the letter in a hurry. She was short-sighted, and did not notice that the stamp had been used. After examining the stamp the magistrate said there was apparently enough of tho old gum left on the stamp to enable it to adhere to the letter. The marks' on the black stamp were slight, and, could have been easily overlooked. The chargo was dismissed. j Badges which are being issued to tho' mothers and wives of soldiers in Wellington and other Southern districts, were displayed by Mrs. Porter, of Wellington, I at the annual meeting of the Women's' National Reserve last night. Mrs. Porter, who is the organising secretary of the Reserve for New Zealand, said these badges were issued everywhere but in Auckland. The mother's badge, a neat circular emblem in silver, with appropriate lettering, is issued, on payment of Is 6d, to mothers of soldiers who were, or had been, on active service. The wives' badge, which is issued ader similar conditions, closely resembles the official badge of tho New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, the chief difference being a small inlay of blue enajneL