LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4419, 27 July 1901, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Civil Service Rifles will fire th* final competition, for trophies this after* noon.

The Clerk qf Awards has fixed August Bth for the Board of Conciliation to investigate the furniture trade dispute in Wellington. Several sections in block 5, Rimntaka district, will be sold at public auction at the District Land and Survey Office, Wellington, on the 14th prox. From and after Monday next, th© commercial offices of the “New Zealand Times” will be situated in, th© brick building behind the present offices, and fronting the Kelburne Tramway avenue. The entrance to the literary rooms will be through the commercial office. Arrangements for • the complimentary banquet to be tendered to Sir Joseph Ward on Monday evening ar e now complete, and the success of the gathering is of course assured. Gentlemen desirous of being present who have not yefc obtained tickets may procure them at HolliLambbtm quay, or Baillie’s, Cuba street. Mr James Barr, writing with reference to the reported fatal accident to th* seaman Saunders by falling from the - masthead of the steamer Monowai on her trip to Sydney, urges that there should be an inquiry into the occurrence. He alleges ,that on some ships men are sometimes sent to the masthead un“ necessarily when'at sea, and says it is tinje the law stepped in and put a stop to such practices. There is, of course, no reason to Suppose that anything of th® Sort took place on the Monowai ; but there will doubtless be an inquiry into the man’s death. The annual report of the Wellington Rowing Club, to be presented to the meeting on Wednesday next, states that during the year ended June 30th forty, two new members were elected, and fit* teen "resigned. The club entered for twenty-six events at regattas during th* season, and was only unplaced once. Th* pair-oar championship of the colony was won by Calnan and Crawford, and the club now holds seventeen championships. The prize-money won at "different regat. tas was as follows: —Championship regatta (Lak© Forsyth), -£27 -. Lyttelton. £32 ; Wellington, £27 ; Wairau, £l4 10s. In club races fourteen events were got off, "necessitating the rowing of 126 heats. The balance-sheet shows a credit bal•ance of £4l Os 9d, as against £37 Os lid at the beginning of the year. Sub. scrhrtions and entrance fees for "the vear amounted to £l7B 16s Bd. The old debentures have been wiped off, with tn* exception of £7, and £5 of th© new issue have also been redeemed.

Tho Wellington. Meat Company's employees held their lourth annual ■‘social” in the Sydney street schoolroom last night- Dancing was tasen part in by about a hmutml andi r.venly couples. Residents of tho city,| N'g'.hanranga, Kuiwarru, Johnsonville, L’otone and Lower liutt were included in th« assemblage.

Dairy farmers and others interested u the dairy industry who arc attending the Dairy C.nterence at Palmer-Hoi '.North visited the Woodville factory el the North Island Co-operative 15,icon Curing Company yesterday. _ 'tho pro cess of killing and dressing pigs by the up to-flatc method in vogue at the factory was watched with keen interest, the 0:d freezing works of Messrs Neison tiros-, with tv ( no brick addition, provide excellent oreniiscs in which to carry on the manufacture of ‘‘Morepork” bacon. Tho visitors wore entertained at lunchon by' the directors of the company. Mr Anderson (chairman of directors) presided. M/J. D. Ritchie, Secretary to (ho Department of Agriculture, was among the visitors.

Toalerday morning the executive of the National Dairy Association had an interview with Mr J. G. Cow, the Gov ernment Trade Commissioner at Palmers'. on North on the question of supply mg him with samples of N«w E akoid l.i-tlcr, information as to thn prop'r n (;,n> of packing it, and other arrangenu nts, so a.s to enable Mr Gow, when visiting probable markets tor New Aciihi ml produce, to represent tho colony P butler and cheese toadvautagi’. Iho association will also simply Mr Gow with information concerning the output of various factories, tin terms on which such coni panics arc prepared to do business in New Zealand markets, and various other matters imidontal to the industry. Mr Gow visited -he Woodvillo bacon factory in tho afternoon, and interviewed Air C. Andersov. the managing director of the North island Bacon Curing Company, in reference to the product of the company's v/o'ks, samples and particulars of'which ho is desirous of taking with him on iis mission to foreign markets.

For over f hirty . years, Father Lewis told a large gathering at the Sacred Heart Churci Schoolroom last night, Mr Salvatore CiiniiM had been connected with the fhnvch choir, during which period h 0 tad admirably discharged the arduous ddics of organist and choir master. How that the time had oome when I ha' gentleman felt called upon to retiro though the pressure of an increasing business, tho members of the choir wLh which he had been so long associat'd felt it fight to present him with a bkon of their esteem. This took the lorn of a gold cross. The presentation w.-s mad e by Father Lewis amidst applaue and musical honours led by Fathei Holley. Mr Ciraino suitably rosp.onlorl. The schoolroom, which was dooorjtod for the occasion, made a prott; picture, and the dancing indulged in by about seventy couples was interfperm'd hy songs from members of the chop A most enjoyable evening was spew hy all present. Mr S. Cimino, Four, is succeeded by his son, Mr S. Cimno, junr.

Vs the result of numerous confer* •■m’s between a committee of the City Coined and representatives of the Driver' Union, - satisfactory arrangement his been maue of various matters m dsputo in reference to the rate of wages, burs of work, etc., for tho City Corponir ton’s tramway employees. An indusrial agreement, emoodying the decision arrived at, will be drawn up at once, and will take effect ns soon as it is approved b- the Arbitration Court.' It is understood that the men have been paid The wages and given the conuitions naked for by them, that an agreement has been made that no. Corporation tram driver can be ‘‘sacked” bv the Tramway Man* «ger or tho City Engineer without consultation with the secretary of the union. Tho new arrangement Will moan a substantial augmentation, of the washes of the men, and an increased outlay amounting to a considerable sum annually on the part of the Corporation, but the fact that the matter has been dealt with and settled privately is considered highly satisfactory to all parties con* corned.

The total value of imports into ’ the colony for the quarter ended June 30th was .(2,382,403, as against £2,027,788 for the corresponding quarter of 1900. From the United Kingdom the imports wore valued at £1,276,362, as against £ 1,247,233 for the corresponding quartor c: 1900; from New South Wales, £368,673, as against £236,635 for the i.fui) quarter; from Queensland, £6513, as against £23,646; trora Fiji, £17,801, against £7009; and from the United States, £358,306, as against £161,141. The exports for tho quarter amounted to £3,391,236, as against £3,289,586 for the corresponding quarter of 1900. The exports to, tho United Kingdom have decreased as between the two periods from £2,545,393 to £2,404,107. The exports to New South Wales amounted to £357,641, ay against £2(54,267 for the corresponding quarter of 1900; to Natal, £173,335, as against £47,297; to the United States, £102,606, ns against £158,641. As regards the distribution of trade among the ports the imports at tho four chief ports were as follow: Auckland. £557,364; Wellington, £656,746; Lyttelton, £437,130; Dunedin, £473,243. All these figures show a substantial increase on those for the corresponding quarter of 1900. The export figures were as follows:—Auckland, £457,952: Wellington. £409,761, as against £527,684 for the same quanter of 1900; Lyttelton, £934,370; Dunedin, £343,698.

Th 0 weekly meeting- of the Trades Council wn-s held last evening, Mr W. Naughton (president) in the chair. A letter was received from the Canterbury Trades Council asking for support to enable the hairdressers to fight the test cass in Christchurch as to whether the Arbitration Court has jurisdiction to deal with the hairdressers’ dispute, the jtnployors contending that hairdressing is i ot on industry within the meaning of the Act. It was decided to accede to the request if necessary. A letter was received from the Building Trade Labourers’ Union concurring with the Council's protest against the delay in settling disputes by the Arbitration Court. A telegram was received from the Auckland Flour Mills Union stating ihut they have not joined the Southern Combination of Millers as reported in the local papers. A motion was tamed protesting against any subdivision of the present industrial 'districts, as mooted bv some members of Parliament. It was contended that under the present system disputes can be settled with a minimum of expense and trouble, and that the suggestion had emanated from tho em* plovers, whose object was to split up the workers into small bodies, and by dealing with them separately to weaken their position. It was also pointed out that if the Court, followed out its present course and created colonial awards, a small union in the country might file an industrial agreement unsuitable altogether to th P rest of tho district. It was suggested that an award should supersede any Industrial agreement -which may have been filed in the district where the award is obtained. The motion was carried. A motion was carried urging that rating on unimproved values be made compulsory, and a deputation was sot up to wait, upon tho Government on tho subject

Dor Dunedin correspondent states ilhat the hank employees in that city mItend to form themselves into an association to watch over their interests. Thn following games were played at the Wellington Chess Club this week; Handicap Tourney—S. Snick beat S. Mackav; S- Saiok beat Janion. Continuous Tourney—Collins beat Cooper; Collins beat Morton; Turner beat Janion ; Snick boat Janion. Two hundred and forty of the new rifles imported by 1 lie Defence Department were shipped to Christchurch by tho Tarawera yesterday. They were con signed to three corps —the Canterbury Hnginccrs, Ellesmere Mounted Rilbs. and Canterbury Mounted Rifles. During tho quarter ended Juno 30th the quantity of gold entered for export fii»n tho colony was 10:2,19-3 ounces and the value £394,788. Tho total quantity entered for export from April Ist, 1857, to tho pnd of June, 1901, was 14,826,379 ounces and the value £58,260,988. I 1 or tho first six months of this year the expert wp.s 217,478 ounces, valued at £844,888, as against 179,303 ounces, valued at £694,859 for the first half of 1900.

A representative meeting of the Central Pharmaceutical Association was held on Thursday evening (Mr Tlanlau in tho chair), to receive a deputation from the chemists’ assistants of Wellington. Tho deputation urged that they did not wish to take advantage of the stringent provisions of the Shops and Offices Bill, tecogiiising that- to do so would seriously cripple business, but would be satisfied to work 54 hours per week, the disposal of tho time to be by mutual arrangement. They urged that chemists’ shops should be compulsorily closed at 8 o’clock on ordinary nights, and that- the hours of Sunday work should bo abridged On the motion of Mr Wilton, seconded by Mr Alee, it was resolved, “That the master chemists approve 54 hpurs as the week’s work of an assistant, a providing tho stipulated hours be subject to arrangement between employer and employee” ; “That the meeting recommends the Government to make the statutory holiday compulsory to chemists, with provision for opening between the h’-uvs of 7 and 9 p.m.”; also, “That provision bo made for the coirfpulsory closing of chemists’ shops at 8 p.m. on the four clays in the week other than Snturd:*' and tho statutory holiday, and that chemists be allowed to open on Sundays and holidays only between the hours of 9.30 and 10.30 a.m.,and 7 and 0 p.m.” The resolutions were anprjvej by a large meeting of the association held yesterday evening, and it was agreed to send the resolution to the M blister m charge of the Bill, with a request that he should receive a deputation on the subject.