NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 27

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Mr R. B. Houston, C.E., has accepted the position of engineer to the Taieri River Trust Board.

An Order-in-Council revoking the prohibition of the importation of gas cookers has been gazetted. Baden Powell West, for breaking and entering a farmhouse, was sentenced at Napier to two years’ reformative detention.

The Dunedin branch of the Overseas Club has raised its annual subscription to 10s 6d for men, 5s 6d for ladies, and 2s 6d for juniors. It is reported from Christchurch that 7 per cent, for loans on first mortgage and 10 per cent, for second mortgage are the ruling rates there.

It is proposed to hold an industrial exhibition at Wellington during the forthcoming session, when Parliament will deal with the tariff -question. The Out ha. Presbytery, at its last, meet ing, adopted by 14 votes to 5 a motion in favour of tho introduction of tho Bible as a reading book into the public schools. The excellence of the results in the correspondence system of education for children in the backblock.s of "Victoria greatly impressed Mr Caugliley, director of education in New Zealand. Consent lias been given to the Gisborne Borough Council for raising on the instalment system cf repaying in 36) rears £IO,OOO of the £42,500 authorised for Beefstreet bridge, etc. Members of the Tariff Commission have returned to Wellington. The taking of evidence is practically completed, only a few local witnesses remaining to be heard. It will naturally be some time before the deliberations of the members are completed. Consent has been given to increasing to 51 per cent, the rate of interest at which the Banks Peninsula Electric Power Board may borrow £15,000, and the h hames V alley Electric Power Board to borrow £30.000 for the purchase and construction of electric works. The shortage of dwelling houses, in Dunedin is still acute, and an inquiry by a reporter of the Otago Daily Times goes to show that there are I cverai eases of overcrowding. It- is ger t rally considered that there has been no increase in the way of a slum area. As a result of having to import coal, the Auckland Corporation s electricity coal bill doubled last year. the increase being £17,000. As a result of this and other increased charges, the cost of power and light to consumers will be raised by 5 per cent, in September. The Education Department has refused to grant nine months leave- of absence on salary to visit England to Mr George, director of the Auckland Technical College. Mr George says he allowed his holidavs to accumulate, and they now amounted to over a year. At ihe Wanganui Magistrate’s Court Harold J. Sal monel, accountant in the Native Lands Department, was charged with the theft of £338 in money, the property of the New Zealand Government. The accused was remanded till Monday, bail being allowed in two securities of £l5O. Edward Donovan, who was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for breaking and entering, and shooting with intent at- Wanganui, was on the 17th sentenced to three years’ hard labour for breaking and entering. Joseph Keys, for stealing from the person, was sentenced to a year’s hard labour. David Sutherland, a clerk employed in the Defence Department, pleaded guilty to embezzling £lO5. Accused received tlie money for goods made by men who are undergoing vocational training, and shortbanked it. He got into difficulties owing to gambling on horse races. He was committed for sentence. Mr Dagger, one of tho Dominion Conciliation Commissioners, expressed the opinion during tho hearing of a dispute at Christchurch that the employers in New Zealand are 10 times better organised than

the workers. Ho ala© had a good word to say for tlie paid union secretary and the professional agitator. Iho laieri River Board, at a meeting last week, adopted the classification of land for drainage rate as recommended by tho classifiers and ir was signed by the chairman. Ihe list is to be deposited at tho office cf tlie Trust for the inspection of all interested. In the event of any appeal, Mr John Loudon was nominated as assessor. An election of a public service representative on the Public Service Appeal Board i 3 to be held on June 27. The candidature of Mr E. F. Hawthorne, at present chief clerk of the Justice Department, formerly in tho Survey Department, has been endorsed. The New Zealand Public Service Association Executive is taking active steps to secure the full support of members of the association.

, . Daughley, Director of Education, airer inspecting the systems in New South and \ ictoria, hae reported that New Zealand has little to learn from these States in the way of education. In no respect was the work of the sixih grade classes, the pupils in which will qualify for entrance to the secondary schools at the end of the year, equal to the work of chiloren of tho same age in New Zealand. Io reply to «a request for information iia to when powo r would bo available from the Mangahao, the -Minister of Public Works has written to the Petone Borough Council that it is expected that the scheme will be completed in 1923. The lion. J. G. Coates ‘ said tenders wore now being called for the generating plant, so that there might be no waiting tor the plant when the work was sufficiently advanced to permit cf its erection. Ihe matron of the Batchelor Hospital stated at tlie annual meeting of ihe Sewing Guild connected with the institution that, thanks to the Hospital Board, it had been possible in these times cf high, prices for women to go to a hospital where tho cost was only 30s per week. For the voar ended March last, out of a total of 181 patients, 15t> were married women. Mra Galloway was elected president of the Sewing Guild. There had been little or no falling off in Hie number of complai its of overcharging since the elk-banding of the Wellington I’li-es Jnvest:gai:on Tribunal. ’Jlip work of tniki.g the necessary preliminary investigations into c< mplaitits has been placed in the hands of an officer of the D; partment of Industries and Commerce, and with this exception, cases are dealt with as before. ■ Just at present one of the main subjects under consideration is tiie j rice of milk in suburban d’strict*. The officer in charge of the Coal Control Department-. Mr Gunn, states that the general position with regard ro coal control continues unchanged. 'J ho regulations were si ill in operation, and were being enforced. The supply (his winter west much more satisfactory than it was the same time last vear, but we were not out of the wood yet. One factor i:i easing the position was the remarkably line weather that was being experienced, and the consequent failing off in orders for coal for domestic requirements throughout New Zealand. The Auckland Farmers’ Conference adopted the following remits:—(l) That in view of the great importance to the public ar:<! the industries of the dominion of efficient control and working of the waterfront industry, it be an earnest recommendation to ihe Government that they institute an early inquiry into the whole matter of cargo handling at the various ports; (2) that Parliament he urged to act at the very earliest possible moment with a view to reform in connection with the waterfront conditions of labour. Details connected with the recent revaluation of the eitv of Wellington have now been completed. The approximate total rateable value cf the city (metropolitan and suburban area) is now £23.864.800, the capital value having increased bv £6.236.928 since the last valuation was m.ide in 1914. The uninn,roved value lias increased by £2.996,496. the total additional value of imt.-rove-nK nts being £3.240,432. Wellington’s unimproved value is now assessed at £15.28-2.933. the value -of improvements hei tr £14,581,862 Details connected with th- recent rpvaluat'on of the city of Wellington have now been completed. The approximate tcJ-al rateable value of the city (metropolitan and suburban area) is now £29.864.80. th caudal value having increased by £6.836 998 -inee the last valuation was made i-i 19’4 The unimproved value has in roused by £2 995.(96, the total additional value o' improvements being £3.220.432. . WolHugfop’s unimproved value is now assessed at- £ls 982.9 7 8 t.he value of improvements being £14.521.862.