LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17145, 26 April 1919, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

» —■ The prisoner. Charles Edward Bolton, who escaped from Mount Eden caol on Monday Inst, while serving a sentence of one month's imprisonment for vagrancy and theft, is still at large. The suggestion that the observance of Anzac Day should be transferred to St. George's Day, April 23, was mentioned by Bishop Averill nt, the semce -n the Domain yesterday. He said no doubt the suggestion had been mado in the best interests of Anzac Day, but he thought it would be belter to transfer the observance of St. George's Day to Anzac Day, and so ma ntain the day of days which was enshrined in the affection and sympathy of all New Zealanders. Returned soldiers, parents and wives of fallen soldiers and citizens had the right to make such a request, and demand that Anzac Day ehould be observed as a day of national commemoration, thanksgiving and inspiration. Bishop AveriU's remarks w*'re trreeted with loud applause by tho returned soldiers present. The secret ballot taken by the Auckland Waterside Workers' Onion, as to whether the offer made recently by the employers shou'd be accepted by the men was concluded on Thursday. Considerable interest was taken in the ballot, and it is be--1 eved .that {ill financial members voted. The ballot papers have been forwarded in sealed boxes to the headquarters of the federation at Wellington, where ballot papers from all centres will be opened. The fire brigade received a call nt 8.53 last evening to a house in Hobson Street, where a shed at the rear was on fire. The flames were extinguished before much damage had been done.

' A conference of Commissioners of Crown Lands is to be held in Wellington on Monday to discuss the general administration of the land laws by land boards. The commissioners of the Auckland and the Nor h Auckland Land Boards, Messrs. H. M. Skoet and R. P. Grevile respectively, will be present. One of the objects of the conference is to secure uniformity in administration. Among tho ;■ matters to be diseased will be the settle- ! ment of discharged soldiers on tj-e land, i and the advisability of amendment or imj provement of the law. [ Interesting reading matter for all sections of the community is contained in the supplement issued with the Hquld today. Matanga writes on "The Whirligig of Time," and a fine description of the landing at Gallipoli i« given by one of the men engaged. Another soldier writes on the advance into Germany. Other articles are "Our Mining Country," bv Kp.hi'ki-le-rangi and " Literature—An Influence for Good, by R. R. Macgregor. The Local Gossip and Nature Notes, by J. Drummond. F.L.S., F.Z.S.. are also supplied. The issue contains a number of general articles, local photographs, and topical cartoons.

A handsome souvenir of tho visit of the Japaneso training squadron to the Dominion in 1916 has been received by the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, Mr. H. D. Heather, from RearAdmiral T. Matsumura, who commanded the squadron on its visit. The memento is in the form of an attractive series of photograph? of views at various ports and places visited during the cruise A considerable portion of the volume, which is bound in embossed gold Bilk, is devoted to scenes in the Auckland Province. Altogether it is a charming memento.

The oyster season will open on Thursday, and Government pickers are already busy at the various beds preparing for opening day. The beds to be worked this year are at Ponui Island, Great Barrier, and Russell. The oysteis are reported to bo in good condition, fully equal to those picked last year. Although never equal to the demand, it iB hoped that a good supply will be forthcoming. Orders have been received already from many centre outs'de Auckland, from as far south as Westport. Notwithstanding the increased cost of labour, material, and fright, tho latter of which has gone up 200 per cent., the price of oysters will be the same as last year, namely, 14s per sack, 3s 6d a tin of four gallons, and Is a package of one gallon.

To-morrow is the 26th annivcrsTy of the death of the Hen. John Balk ce. Mr. Ballance, who died on April 27, 18J3 had been Premier of New Zealand from January, 1891. He w?s succeeded by Mr. R. J. Seddon, who'e first Cabinet was sworn in on May 1, 1393.

The latest Expeditionary Force List contains the names of over W0 noncommissioned officers and men who have been given commissions with tho rank of second lieutenant. The commissions are dated in January, 1919, and nearly all the appointments aro supernumerary to estnb'ishment. Seven non-commissioned officers and men who have been appointed instructors under the education scheme have been made second lieu'enants, with the temporary rank of captain.

The Wellington Harbour Board intends to reply to the Minister for Marine that it regrets that it is not practicable for the engineer, on account of pressure of work, to vieit Gisborny and advise the Gisborne Harbour Board in regard to dredging, as revested.

The Workers' Dwellings Board has for some time been invest gating the merit:; of three different systems proposed for the erection of standardised dwellings in concrete. It is probable that if the results of the investigations appear sufficiently favourable the board will go as far as to erect a few dwellings on the system showing most promise. The work will be something in the way of an experiment. To avoid the monotony of appearance that threatens to attend standardisation, the board would, as far as possible, vary the fronts of the house, and build no more than two or three in any one locality. Should the experiment be resolved upon, it will in all likelihood be mado in Wellington.

A suggestion Was made at the meeting of the Taranaki War Relief Association that a " baby bonus" might be instituted by the association to assist soldier fathers whose earnings were not very large, Something may possibly be done in adopting the suggestion at the next meeting.

Almost £20,000 has been paid by the Wellington City Council to aold.er members of the staff in making up their military pay to what they were receiving in the service of the corporation.