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Otago Daily Times, Issue 17575, 17 March 1919, Page 4

The Parliamentary Committee of Industries and Commerce, which has been engaged in hearing evidence in tho South Island for tho past four weeks, concludcd the first portion of its itinerary last week, bittmgs were held in Christchurch, Dunedin, Inverearpill, Oamaru, Timaru, Grevmouth, Westport, Murehison, Reefton Nelson, Blenheim, and Kaikoura, and tho ovidence laid 'before tho commiitoo by a largo number of witnesses will doubtless form tho basis of a valuable report to Parliament in the coming session. The sittings of the committee havo been adjourned until April 12, when they will bo re ramod in tho North LJand, probably in the Wanganui district, after which other places will be visited. Aocording to the report of the Now Zealand Red Cross Committee, there were approximately 6387 New Zealand era in hospital in the United Kingdom on November 13—about tho date of the termination of hostilities. Of these 65 officers and 1436 men were in British hospitals, and 172 officers and 4714 men m New Zealand boa.r**' tJa.

Our London correspondent states that the advance of the New Zealand Envision into Germany had a peculiar effect on one of the activities of the New Zealand War Contingent Association. For the past year °u m . or ® association had undertaken shopping in London for men at the front, and the orders handled by this branch amounted to something like £150 per week. . As soon, however, as the division, reached Cologne orders almost ceased. The men wero able to get all they wanted in German shops, and there was no further use ! for tho shopping branch of tho War Contingent Association. . Tile . finance Committee of the City Council reports that in accordance > with instructions it has, with Cr Douglas, conL' sidered the proposal for tho erection of a I town hall. Li tho opinion of tho comf nuttee, the sum required for tho work will require to be raised by way of loan, which would necessitate tho taking of a poll of 3 'the ratepayers on tho proposal. It would 3 bo first necessary, however, to revise the I original estimates for tho building and , equipment, as the cost of building to-day has considerably advanced. The committee ' will report on this aspect of the question f at the earliest possible date. The old light cruiser Pyramus, which was on the New Zealand station prior to tho outbreak of wax, is now on duty at Constantinople, with the captain of the base on board. She had a very varied experience during tho war, having seen service in Samoa, East Africa, the Persian Gulf, and the Suez Canal. Ihe question of motor lorries for haulage of metal was briefly discussed at the meot- . ing of the Waihemo County Council on Saturday, when a, letter was read from • the Manarsvatu County Council suggesting ; that lorries which had been in us© in ) France might now be procured by local for .this purpose. The Waihemo Council approved of tho principle, and • decided to apply to the Government for at [ least one such lorry if it could bo pro- , cured. s The collection at Maori Hill in aid of . the . Hospital Helpers' Association was ' carried out on Saturday morning by 10 .of the senior girlsof the Maori Hill School, > under the direction of the head master, ! Mr Fitzgerald. The sum of £13 odd was > the result of the girls' efforts. . _ In connection with the proposed increase . in the Kaikorai Company's fares, the ' Finance Committee of the City Council has the matter under consideration, ■ in its report, to be presented at the . nest meeting of. tho council, states that it ! has found_ that tho only alteration is in the direction of substituting a 3d fare ; for the existing 2d fare from tho : Octagon to the Roslyn Council Chambers, i In other words, all up passengers ( will pay a maximum fare of 3d for any portion of the journey. The committee is of the opinion that no reasonable objection can be mado to the proi posaL i At both morning and: evening services at Knox Church yesterday, the following , resolution, adopted by the Kirk Session m reference to the recent > centenary of the late Dr Stuart, was' read to the con- > irrigation,:-— 1 " The session at this their first ; meeting since the sth February, which marks the . centenary of ,the birth of Dr Stuart, the' first minister of this church, welcomes the opportunity of once more re- ; calling to the minds and memories of tho session and the congregation the great debt they owe to tho memory of their late beloved pastor. It is almost 25 years since Dr Stuart passed away, and while many of the congregation are left who remember his gracious ministry, his unfailing kindness and sympathy, and his cheery presence, their number must, lessen with the passing years, and it is well that such an occasion as the centenary of his birth should not be overlooked, giving, as it does, an occasion to again recall the privileges and the congregation enjoyed for the long period of 34- years in the ministry of a man so rarely gifted as Donald M Naughtan Stuart. The session hopes that not only -will the memory of tho congregation be 6tirred and stimulated by the circumstance of the occasion of this centenary, but' that ' some useful movement will be set afoot and carried to a successful conclusion, which can bo associated with this date, and be an everlasting monument to and link between Dr Stuart and the people he loved so well." According to tho annual accounts of the Pacific Cable Board, 7>> million paying words of international traffio were handled by the cable in the financial year 1917-1918, • and nearly 600,000 words of messages to,' from, and in relation to, wounded members of. the expeditionary forces were transmitted free. In addition, 1| milliop paying words were carried between Australia and New Zealand, and between Australasia and the Pacific Islands. Owing to the enforced curtailment of cheap classes of traffic, due to connecting companies being unable to accept them, the paying words of international traffio were H million: short of the nine millions transmitted in the previous year. It is feared (says our London correspondent) that no opportunity of reinstating the week-end telegrams and the deferred press messages will occur until the return to normal conditions, but it is hoped that deferred ordinary messages may bo possible in the near future. Our London correspondent states that four . New Zealand soldiers were recently sentenced at Devizes to six months' hard labour for being concerned, in a raid on the -George Hotel at Codford, when damage to the extent of £41 was done and two cash registers, about £30 in money, and £53 worth of stock wero stolen. Lord Bath, who presided, _ said that he was glad to that this occurrence, which assumed practically the nature of a riot, was an isolated one, so far as the New Zealand forces were concerned. . He would not say a word against the general conduct of the men, but on Christmas Eve there had been a serious disturbance in the town of caused by men from the camps. It was time that the military authorities and the War Office itself accepted responsibility for keeping order in these districts, .instead of throwing it on to the civil police. Mr E. A.. Anscombe's scheme for tho industrial development of the city has been considered by the Finance Committee of the City Council, which reports, particularly as regards the financial aspect, that at the present time tho council has no legal authority to embara upon enterprises of the nature proposed by Mr Anscombe, and is not in possession of any data that would justify it in going to the Legislature for the necessary legal authority. The report will come up for consideration at the meeting of the council on Wednesday next. . Two youths were arrested last evening by Constable Lean, and will come before the Police Court this morning to answer a charge of breaking and entering MaeDougall's sweets factory in Morav place. A call was received by the City Fire Brigade on Saturday morning to a gorse fire in the Kaikorai Valley. Eloquent addresses in favour of prohibition were delivered at Hawea on tho night of Wednesday last by the Rev. Mr Rankin on behalf of tho New Zealand Alliance' and Mr R. K. Smith, speaking for the Efficiency League. There was a largo attendance. Mr Cotter, who presided replied to the lecturers, and said that, while loudly professing patriotism, the business men of New Zealand had extorted wealth from every section of the community during the war, and wero a greater menace to tho country and to efficiency than the trade they sought to suppress. It was (our correspondent reports) unanimously resolved lhat, in tho opinion of this meeting, tho profiteering merchants and business men are responsible, to a far greater extent, for tho economic evils that beset tho country than the liquor trade." A vote of thanks to Messrs Rankin and Smith was carried by acclamation. As a result of the decision come to at tho last meeting of tho City Council respecting the erection of workers' homes on tho quarry rpservo at Maori Hill a special meeting of the council will bo held on Wednesday night for tho purpose of passing n resolution, to bo submitted to a subsequent meeting of tho council, and to operate as a special order, authorising tho 1 raising a loan of £27,000, for the purpose < of laying out and forming streets, providing drainage, lighting, and water stipply, and erocting suitable dwellings for workers employed or resident within the City of j Diroedin, i

Tho Defence Office has been advised that re rmng draft 231 is due to arrive in NewZealand by tho hospital ship Mahano oa or about April 20. candidates wero successful Aswit+yvi n Pr t? acal examinations of the Associated Board of tho Royal Academy H. y Col [ ego of Musio, London, tho nletion f"«, ? pending comp etion of the theory examination. The a* ar A C , alphabetically in each grade,-Advance Grade, p iaDO: LriWb n-S! P^ n °- (Miss B - Oollinaon); pass, Georgma V. Brooke "Miss Barthl • i? 8 ' intermediate Grade. Pianoi Pass, Nancy Holmes (Columba College, Miss ■ J. Jones); singing, Molly Vickera (Mr G W. Johnstone, L.A.8.). I Finance Committee of tho Drainage , Board reports that the petition presented ky residents m the outer drainage area, in 1 North-Eaet Valley, objecting to bo rated at 2d m the £ for drainage purposes, has recoived consideration. The committee was advised that the rate was legally struck, and there is, therefore, no alternative for tho board but to collect it. Tho Bournemouth Daily Echo, of January 22, contains a report of a dinner at which the Mayor of Bournemouth (Alderman E. L. Bishop) entertained the officers of tho New Zealand Engineers' Reserve Depot prior to their departure. from the town. Those present included Lieutenant-colonel Barclay, V.D N.ZJ3., Major A. Mitchell, C.F„ Captain R. O. Phillips, N.Z., D.C., Captam A F. Grenfell, 'N.Z.E.F., Captain D. ChisM.C., Lieutenant J. A. 6mith, N.Z.E., Second Lieutenant N. L. Higginson, Maori Battalion, Captain DolliiSTv V ' G,iptain KA - Marchant, ™ L ' c . utGnant C. M. Smith, N.Z., M.G.C., Lieutenant K. M. Barranca, an( i Mr Robert Blair, N.Z Y.M.C.A. The Mayor, in proposing the toast of The Guests," said he had desired before the officers of the N.Z.E. left Bournemouth and neighbourhood to entertain them, in, that, -way, because of tho nappy relations which had existed between i jke™. since their friends from the dominions I f ad 1,6(311 located in their midst. Although they were spoken of as colonials, they 1 were regarded as friends,, and he might i the y were absolutely British to the core. On behalf of the town, ho wished to express their great appreciation ' i of the excellent behaviour and fine bearinp » of the men. Of their Stay in Bourne- [ mouth the townspeople would alwaysi have , pleasant recollections, and he hoped thai i that would bo reciprocated. ; _ In the course of its report for, the meet- [ ing of the City Council on Wednesday nighty the Works Committee states that 1 the city engineer has been instructed to ! prepare and submit a scheme for the drain- | age of the Anderson's Bay and Tainui districts, and the matter will be reported on 1 to the council at an early date. In the meantime the committee has been called upon, as a matter of' urgency, to make' some provision for dealing with the-drain-'' i age from several of the large institutions : in Anderson's Bay, more particularly from • Karitano Hospital, which is at present served' by septic tank. The sewer" to ■ serve these institutions would form part ■, of the main drainage' scheme, - and with a view to having the work proceeded with at the earliest possible date, the town clerk has been instructed to take the necessary' steps under section 69 of "The Publio ' Health Act, 1918," to. obtain the approval , of the Minister of Publio Health to the raising of a loan of £3000, by special order, to cover the cost of the proposed work. When the matter is further advanced, full particulars of the proposal will bo submitted to the council. A sub-committee of the General Committee, has been set up, along vrith Cr Hayward, to report as to what further action should be taken in the matter of the proposed establishment of fish markets. Tho matter will bo; further reported on to the - council in due course. c The Gas Committee, in its report for presentation to the meeting of the City Council on Wednesday night, states -that! the position in regard to coal supplies for the works is very unsatisfactory, and is causing a good deal of anxiety. At the outbreak of war, the works were well supplied with reserve stocks, but these have now disappeared. Recently the position became so ■ acuto that the works were compelled to. mako up the deficiency in coal gas : pro- ; duction by an increased percentage; of water gas, and the use of a mixture of Kaitangata coal and shale. This in turn necessitated the temporary stoppage of coke sales to the public, : and the quality of the gas, tar, and coke was also affected. Representations were made to the Mupitions and Supplies Board, and" as ' the result of repeated applications, advice: has now been received of the allocation of a quantity of coal for tho city gasworks. , Pressing requirements have therefore been met, but the position is still most unsatisfactory as there is no guarantee of adequate supplies.. in the future. The, matter is being again taken up with tho Munitions Board with a view to ensuring that the works willreceive sufficient supplies of coal for the maintenance of an efficient and uninterrupted gas supply for the public. The British Ministry of Labour announces that an Appointments Department has been: formed for the purpose of placing prospective employers in touch with demobilised British officers and men of similar educational qualifications, A very large number of applications for pests overseas has been received, and to ; deal with these the Appointments Department has opened two special directorates —one- for openings in the outer British Empire and tho other for those in foreign countries. The applicants for appointments comprise some of t the best - of the Motherland's manhood, and may be divided roughly into threo classes—viz.: (1) Untrained men, chiefly composed of those who joined the army straight from publio school of university; (2) semi-trained men, whoso education was interrupted by, the outbreak of war; and (3) trained men./ While the British Government has made 'elaborate arrangements for training men for any position, it is realised that in many cases overseas employers would rather obtain a good man and train him themselves. In any case employers who, have appointments to offer are invited to 6end full particulars of heir requirements to the directorate concerned. In the City Police Court on Saturday, before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., David William Rowe was convicted of drunkenness, and ordered to pay cab hire. For a similar offence Thomas Blake was fined 20s, in default 48 hours' imprisonment. A charge against Henry Smith of threatening to murder a female at Oama.ru was withdrawn by consent. Judging by th<3 programme as advertised, the armual St. Patrick's concert, to be helfl! in His Majesty's Theatre this evening, pro--mises to maintain its usual standard of excellence. Tho proceeds of tho entertainment aro to be devoted to the fund for tho erection of a dwelling for the Christian. Brothers. ' The "Kizer" is not satisfied with his lot in Holland; he. will bo more dissatisfied with his quarters in the next world. May wo send-you particulars of the 1919 HarieyDavidson, the supreme masterpiece of engineering enterprise. A shipment coming to hand m a few days —W. A- Justice and Co. (late Wilson and Co.). Princes street, Dunedin.—Advt. New Millinery.—The first display of novelties ,s now being made in our showrooms. You are invited to inspect same— < Mollisons (Ltd.).—Advt. "No Rubbing" Laundry Help and the pure Golden Rule" Soap, in fancy cartons a delightful combination for washing _ all clothes spotlessly clean and white without the backaching, washboard •, slavery.—Hunter and Etheridge (Ltd.). — Advt. . Take the best! Leave the rest I Get Watson's No. 10 whisky. fine. Advt. Electric Incandescont Lamps, Brawn Wire Metallic Filament, Philips Manufacture, 16* 25, 32, and 50 candle-power. Price,' 3a each. Special terms for quantity orders.— Turnbull and Jones (Ltd.), Electric En'gi. neors. —Advti A. E J Blakeiey. dentist, Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1859.— Advt. Eyestrain I—Consult Mr Peter G Dick. D.8.0.A.. F.LO. (London), consulting oculists optician.—Peter Dick, jewellor, eto. 490 Moray place, Dunedin.—Advt