LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17471, 15 May 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A full pressuro v of gas is being maintained in I the city and ) suburban ?, mains, and, providing. the vessels that are expected in port with coal for the Auckland Gas Company arrive to schedule time, no reduction of pressure will .bo necessary ■in tile near future. - The Kamona from Westport„ and .the. Katoa from Newcastle are due next-week, and the Bona from Newcastle is expected the ' following • week. All these vessels are carrying fair consignments of coal for the company. The Kaita'ngata, \ which has just finished, discharging a cargo of coal, is J leaving t for Newcastle, and is expected to return to Auckland with at further .' shipment .in about a fortnight. ; ' '*''V*'? '• ■;,;; The Auckland fish supply continues to be seriously reduced in consequence of the bad weather at sea. . Yesterday the retail shops had practically no stocks, and there are no immediate prospects of any change in , the situation. ' ~,..■ ,!>,'' About 150 telephones in Dominion Road were temporarily .disconnected yesterday, as a result of the wires having been fused by the'fire at Mr. G. O.Blakey's drapery shop at the corner of Dominion Road and Burnley Terrace. \ A large staff of men was engaged yeste*rday repairing the damage. It will be about three days before the' service is restored. ; Fourteen- different samples of ladies' shoes of first-class style and quality were submitted yesterday,, by an Auckland manufacturer to tho Board of Trade AntiProfiteering Tribunal. The members of the tribunal were satisfied that the wholesale cost of these shoes permitted of the retail price being considerably lower than that charged for ladies' footwear by many establishments in Queen Street. Five complaints regarding the prices of commodities were received, and. as a large number of cases are now under investigation, the tribunal will meet this morning in addition to its usual sitting on Monday. The members of the tribunal will visit Gisborne 6n Tuesday to investigate several complaints.' ' There is still an absence of oysters in Auckland. The cause of the late arrival of supplies is stated to bo a delay in the issue of the authority to begin picking. This authority has now been received, and it is .expected that picking will be commenced next week. The funds for the erection of & new hall for the Flying Angel Mission to Seamen, in Emily Place, has benefited to the extent of £1000 through a legacy under the will of the late Mr. David H. Armstrong. The amount named is to be held, invested by trustees, until the local subscriptions total £10,000. At a meeting of the ladies' committee this week it was decided to postpone the i " market," proposed to ibe held in July, in aid of the fund, until .the arrival, early in the spring, of Viscount Jellicoe, to assume the Governor-General-ship. The Main Trupk express which left Auckland on Thursday evening, was delayed for about twelve minutes by striking a heavy post about a mile south of Paerata. The obstruction was lying near the rail, and wis caught by the cowcatcher. The driver pulled up the engine, and took the piece of timber to the Pukekohe station, where he handed it to the stationmaster, It is suggested that the post may have fallen from a passing train. An inquiry is being made.' into the incident • •'".-' • ', ."" ' > : The order'in which the jury cases will be taken at the ensuing civil sittings of the Supreme Court will be decided at a banco sitting of the Court this morning before . Mr. ; Justice • Cooper. ' An undefended divorce suit, in which Percy James Durrant (Mr. Singer) is petitioning for the dissolution of his marriage with Marguerite Durrant, will also be dealt with. , ~'.'• .. ■/. ' The awards: . made by the Arbitration Court, in a number of labour, disputes, tho terms of which were published on Thursday, come into force on Monday, May 24. The period during which the wards will operate has been fixed at »wo years. iv! c. - , A communication from Sir Godfrey Thomas, Bart;', M.8.0., personal secretary to the Prince of Wales, reached the flavor, Mr. J.' H. Gunson, yesterday. I

_ thanking him, and through him thi citizens, for the manner in which th« 6 Auckland arrangements for the reception s and entertainment of His Royal Highness '_" were carried out. The letter also inti ', mated that the Prince had had a verj '' happy time 1:1 Auckland, and it was ac- >• companied by an autographed photograph n of His Royal Highness for the Mayor. The building of new schools is not be- - ing delayed by considerations of finance, i the Minister for Education, the Hon. C. 8 J. Parr, informed a deputation in Wei--0 lington. A most satisfactory grant had ~ been given him, but although commit--1 ments to the extent of over £500,000 had been entered into the work could riot be i started for want cf contractors to. take it r up, He was so anxious to get on with 1 the work that he had gone so far as to allow a clause in contracts to the effect, ' that should there be an increase in prices 8 or wages the increase would be added to l the contract price. If this did not over- . come the difficulty, he felt it would be necessary to ask Cabinet to consider the desirability of giving priority to school • buildings and workers' dwellings. He saw 1 no reason why children should be taught l in shanties and porches while grandstands j and theatres, etc., were allowed to monopolise the attention of builders. , The financial votes which the City J Council appropriated on Thursday evenI ing will enable a fair standard to bo maintained in city works this year, the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunwn, stated yes- ' terday. He added that the public must i understand that, while there could be no , rapid changes or speeding up of ordinary [ maintenance, with the increased amount voted to it the Works Committee would \ be able to render the citizens good service. Unfortunately many proposed works would have to stand over for easier 1 financial conditions. Mr. Gunson said he thought it would be admitted that, hav- | ing regard to the numerous claims, the council was holding its own, and that the ' condition of the city as regards streets, drainage, and the public services generally, showed steady improvement. The insurances on Mr. G. O. Blakey's shop and stock, at the corner of Dominion Road and Burnley Terrace, which were destroyed by fire on Thursday ovening, were: Stock, £1500, in the London and Lancashire Office; building, £950, in the South British Office. Mr. Blakey estimates his loss on the stock is £3500, and on the building £1000. The early closing of fruiterers' shops in the city and suburbs is mooted. A petition to the Minister for Labour has been prepared by the Retail Fruiterers' Association, suggesting 7 p.m. as the closing hour during the first four days of the week and 11.30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It is stated that between 80 and 90 per cent, of the Europeans engaged in the trade favour the proposal, which also has tho support of a number of Hindu fruiterers and fruit hawkers. The Chinese fruiterers, however, are opposed to any restriction of hours, and have refused to sign the requisition. The claims of tho Auckland Tallymen's Union were considered yesterday by a conciliation council, under the presidency of the commissioner, Mr. P. Hally. An agreement was arrived at on practically all the points at issue, but a few matters still undecided will be considered on Monday afternoon. The Birkenhead Borough Council at its last meeting resolved to support a resolution submitted by the Lawrence Borough Council, urging the Government ' to provide the colt of hospital and' chari- 1 table aid requirements out of the Consqli- , dated Fund in substitution of the pre-. I sent system of levies on local, bodies. i