LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 761, 19 July 1916, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Mayor has received donations to the Gramophone Fund from Misses A. ami E. Evans and Mr W. G. Turner, each of whom has sent a parcel of gramophone records. It was on May 11 that St. Martins and Opawa districts notified the City Council that the council's electric lighting proposals would be entertained. The lights were turned on last night. Quick work. "The empty Pacific" was the term applied by one of the officers of a vessel which reached Wellington on Monday from New York, in referring to this misnamed stretch of water. "During the entire run down we did not sight a single vessel, steam or sail, and all we saw was a seabird." A meeting of the Loyal Eakaia Lodge of Oddfellows, M.U., was held in the lodge room, Rakaia, on Tuesday evening. An invitation was received from the Loyal Ashburton Lodge to a social evening on its anniversary night. Sick pay amounting to £2 16/8 was passed to a brother. The total receipts for the evening were £5 6/6, and the expenditure £5 8/6.

Many people have weird notions as to the duties that fall within the scope of the Mayor's activities. Recent complaints made to him give indication that he is expected to patrol oiir 140 miles of streets at night to see if the street lamps are burning brightly, and to turn up the delinquent illuminations as he strolls around. Mr Holland wishes it to be understood that, while he would be only too pleased to indulge iu such a healthful recreation, the business does not fall within his province, and that the city electrical engineer is the man to see when street lights go out.

One of the grievances which were aired at a meeting last evening of the Returned Soldiers' Association is the holding back of £2 by the Defence Department from the pay of each soldier on his discharge. It is stated that this is done until the man's final accounts are received from the front. No case has yet been recorded by the association where this final balance has been re-, ccived, and it was suggested last evening that the Government hoped the money would be paid out of the war indemnity to be extracted from Germany, and that the payment would be one of the blessings of peace. The subject of day labour as opposed to contract was discussed at the Drainage Board meeting last night, in connection with a proposed work at Bing's drain, St. Albans. A tender received for the work was regarded as unsatisfactory, and the desirability of the board doing the work by day labour was advocated by Mr W.' J. Walter, who said that that system had proved very