NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8366, 28 February 1913, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

The following vessels are expected to be within wireless range of Wellington this evening: Victoria, Ulimaroa, AVimmera, Warrimoo. Nuvua, Atua, Moana, and Aorangi. During January 5877 persons arrived in New Zealand, against 6096 for the corresponding month last year, Tho departures numbered 2681 against 3031 in January 1912. As pay day of the Old Age and Widows’ Pension Office falls on a Saturday (to-morrow) this month, the office will remain open till 1 p.m. instead of closing at noon as is customary on Saturdays. The widow and children of tho late Giuseppe Pisani (harpist on the ferry boats, who was killed by a motor car accident) are left in destitute circumstances. Friends have opened subscription lists. Contributions sent to this office will be duly acknowledged. In connection with the demands made on tho City Council by the General Labourers’ Union, the Mayor stated at yesterday’s meeting that the finance committee had up to the present only been able to deal partly with tho matter. Tho council empowered the committee to further consider tho union’s claims. Detective Andrews yesterday arrested a man named George Butler Lusk on three charges of failing to account for gams of money totalling £l2 6s to F. J. Dawson, manager of “New Zealand Truth.” He was brought before the Magistrate’s Court in the afternoon and was remanded till Wednesday. Bail was allowed. The application of the city billiardroom proprietors for an extension of time for closing billiard-rooms from 10.30 p.m. until 11 p.m. has ,not been acceded to by the City Council. _An amendment ■ moved by Councillor Fletcher at yesterday’s meeting of the council that the hour of closing be extended to 11 p.m. elicited equal voting —five for and five against. The Mayor gave his casting vote in .favour of allowing tho present hours to remain unaltered. , - About 10 pun. yesterday the fire brigade was called to-an outbreak in a ten-roomed' house situated in Kent terrace, owned and occupied by Mr Richard Tingey. The fire started in a small room at the roar of the building in which paint and turpentine were kept, but the origin is unknown. However, it was soon suppressed, and the damage . only amounted to_ about £lO or £l2. The building was insured in the Commercial Union office for £650. ' r Many residents of the outlying portions of the city have made complaint to Councillor Frost of -the trouble they have been put to in ’ having to travel to the tramway offices at Tborndon at the beginning of every month to purchase the concession tickets for school children.' Councillor Frost yesterday brought the matter bebore the, chairman ;of the Tramway Board, whd suggested that it might be possible to arrange that the head schoolmasters might assist by disposing of the tickets. The Mayor has undertaken to write to the various schoolmasters in the city and district. In connection with the Mount Lyell disaster in Tasmania, the Premier (Mr W. F. Massey) cabled to the Premier of Tasmania asking if any monetary assistance was required, and received a reply stating that no money was needed. The Wellington Trades and Labour Council, however, sent a donation to the secretary of the Miners’ Onion and. quoted the reply that had been received by the New Zealand Government. A letter has been received acknowledging receipt of the amount, but the writer adds: “I note your remark about the Tasmanian Premier that no money was wanted. You will be shocked to hear that up to the time or writing (February 18th) the Tasmanian Government had not provided any relief for the widows and orphans.” The current issue of the “Trade Review” commenting upon the moneymarket remarks: “There is very little alteration noticeable in the money market since our last issue and money .does hot appear to be getting appreciably easier so far. The volume of ow exports is well maintained > and prices generally continue very satisfactory, and for the season to date tho total is some £1,430,000 ahead of the previous season. The returns are coming in now from the realisation of these exports, and beginning to assist the money market. The Government has raised a loan of £3,600,000 on the London market on terms which must be considered satis-, factory in the present state of the market there. The Post Office Saving Bank returns for the Inst half of. last vear show an excess ofwithdrawals, which is evidence that other demands for money are attracting these funds. Transference of Maori exhibits from the museum to the galvanised iron structure erected for purposes of storage is still proceeding, ana many higniv curious' and interesting specimens nave been consigned to an indefinite oblivion, so far as the edification of tfio general public is concerned. Many exhibits which the director himself, in pursuance of his -ethnographical .and historical studies, would have had occasion minutely to examine, have had to suffer this temporary disappearance. The removal or the Maori material has considerably eased the overcrowded condition of the old building, and until the Parliamentary Library is available for its new purpose the transferred exhibits will not,be available for inspection. It is considered improbable that the museum wiU bo placed in the library building for a period of five to seven years. The prosent intention is to erect only tho legislative part of the House of Parliament, leaving the library wing, ineluding Bellamy's, to a later date, when (it is hoped) funds will be more plentiful. That being so, the present library building will be utilised for some time after the first part of Parliament Houjse has been erected. Besides there are a number of depart-, mental officers housed in the library, for whom accommodation will have txy be found when the museum is placed] ■.there.

The Chatham Islands have been declared'by Government proclamation to bo a district within which liquor is not to be supplied to .Maoris. The Wellington Jewish Club, at its first meeting of the season last night, passed a vote of sympathy, with _ Lady Scott and the other relatives of file Antarctic heroes. Mr J. Castle, of Newtown, will be a candidate for a seat on the City Council, and announces that ho will bring forward “a strong progressive' policy.” Dates for deer-shooting have .been fixed as follow: Rotorua and Whakataue, April 7th to May sth, license fee £3; Mahia Peninsula, April 7th to May sth, fee £3; Wairoa (Hawke’s Bay), April 7th to May sth, feo £3. The Government offices throughout the Dominion will be closed on Monday, March 17th, being St. Patrick’s DayFriday, 21st, Saturday, 22nd, and Monday, March 24th. will ho observed as holidays in the public offices ot the Government of New Zealand. Mr G-eorge Jeffery, who has been with Messrs Win room bo and Tombs for over sixteen, years in charge of their retail stationery department, has recently severed his connection with tho firm, and has started in business for himself as general stationer at tho corner of Lambton quay and Kelburno avenue. A six-roomed house at Hukcrenui, near Whangaroi, owned by the RailwayDepartment and occupied by a guard named Dunn, was destroyed by fire on Wednesday night. Nothing was saved. There is a policy of £IOO on the furniture in the Standard office. The building was not insured. The building was valued at about £SOO. Notice is gazetted that pursuant to section 342 of the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908. the provisions of Part XIV of that Act (dealing with foreign deserters) will, on and after this date, be enforced in New Zealand in respect of the masters and seamen of Italian ships. Professor Mackenzie addressed a meeting at Petone last night on the subject of “Bible Reading in Schools,” Ho stated that moral teaching was as evident in the public schools in Now Zealand as in the Sunday schools, and urged that it was not to the interests of the schools or the pupils to combine secular and religious education. About 6.30 o’clock last evening the Aorangi arrived in the stream from San Francisco, and berthed an hour later at the-Queen’s wharf. A light drizzling rain was falling and there, was only a handful of people waiting to see the vessel berth. Generally fine weather prevailed on the voyage, which was fineventful. The Aorangi brought only about a dozen passengers for New Zealand, although there are forty passengers for. Australia. Tho vessel sails for Sydney this evening. , Tho following business has been set down 1 to be dealt with by the Arbitration Court which opens its sittings in Wellington on March 3rd: Compensation actions—Public Trustee v. H. M. the King, Hooquard v. Ballinger. Disputes—'Bookbinders, tailoresses. enginedrivers. Applications to add parties— Cooks and waiters of private hotels’ award; bakers’ award; merchants assistants’ award: typographers’ award; lithographic and letterpress printers award. Application for interpretation— Woollen mills award. The Minister of Justice (Hon- A. L. Herdman), accompanied by several officers of the Prisons Department, yesterday paid a visit to Point Halswell, and inspected the work of preparing pita for tho reception of trees that wiU in future 'clothe the slopes of the range between Miramar and Evans Bay. The prisoners are busily engaged in these operations, and the trees are being planted in tn© sam© nmnner as at Rotorua, The Minister found that everything was going along very satisfactorily. The lioness at the Wellington Zoo is now-assured a permanent haven at Newtown Park, as £9O out of the £IOO required for her purchase had been subscribed up to yesterday. The latest donations.- collected by Councillor Frost, chairman of the reserves committee, are:" Millar Hardwood Company, £1 Is; J. J. McGrath. £1 Is; New Zealand “Truth,.” £1 Is; Gear Meat Company, £1 Is; Blundell Bros., £1 Is; Campbell and Burke, £1 Is; Francis Penty, £1; Two Friends. £1; Herdman and . Kirkcaldie, £1; Alfred Lindsay £1; “Cubs,” £1; R- W. Armit. 10s 6d; S. and W.M.„ 6s; C. Johnson, 4s; A Friend, 2s. The St. John, Newfoundland “Telegram” of January Ist, says.—Last night Sidney Simpson, a 24-year-old seaman, belonging to New Zealand, attempted to end his life by shooting himself in the right foot, and the victim now lies at tbe General HospitaL Simpson, at the time of the happening, was in a frenzied state. While at the station Simpson, spoke fairly rationally, and' acknowledged that ha had shot himself intentionally. Ha said he belonged to the schooner Conrad, Captain Corkum, whipb is now in port. He stated that he was treated badly on board and did not want to leave in her again; further alleging ithat, if ho was forced' to go, _ when ■the vessel would reach her destination 'there would bo one man short, either he or the captain. Eventually Simp'Son became ■ quite • conscious, and realised what he had done. Ho confessed Ito the police that he was to be married *in Halifax during Christmas season; also that his mother was worth a considerable amount of money. ■' The Chief Public Service Commissioner is inviting applications from female officers of tbe service who are desirous of being taught tho use of adding machines, listing machines, and other mechanical office appliances. Applicants must be between the ages of eighteen and thirty, and must be good miters,and able to manipulate figures'with accuracy and neatness. Those who pas* the prescribed examination will- be attached to any department of the Public Service for duty, as vacancies arise whenever they can be spared from their ordinary duties. Upon taking up the duty of machinist they will he classified 'n grade II (general division). With this classification they will be entitled bo receive one year’s seniority, and an additional increment of £lO per anmum until a maximum salary of £l3O per annum has been reached. Thera will also be a classification for exceptionally skilled operators capable of passing a further examination to be prescribed, who will be placed in grade I (general division), with salaries ranging from £l4O to £l6O per annum, and eventually there may be a number of operators selected from that grade to act as “machinists in charge. with salaries from £l7O to £2OO. An app!: ; cant’s failure to pass the prescribed examination will not necessarily atieci the continuity of her employment in tho Public Service. No appointment .o the grade of machinist is to he made to any ,who fail in the examination, and, in the case of those who pass no increment ■will be paid until they have taken, un dutv in that grade. Opportunity wul be afforded applicants of learning the uses of the various machines at time* outside of their ordinary hours.