LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12087, 16 August 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

That women in New Zealand are taking up what has hitherto been exclusively men's work was further exemplified by an application received by 'the Petono Technical School Board from a. lady residing at Paraparaumu, who desired to receive instruction in woolclassing. She stated that two other ladies in tho same district would also become members of Ithe class. The secretary was instructed to inform the propective student that the board would be willing to form a. ladies' class if eight students were forthcoming. "Heavy taxes aro inevitable, and must and will be borne patiently, - ' said Mr W. 11. P. Barber, when presiding ai the annual meeting of the Wellington Woollen Company ' 011 Tuesday, " irtit those whose means enable them to spend should do so as much, :if Dot more, than usual, to allow ' business as usual' to be pursued with as little disturbance as possible. ' Economy ' is a popular 'text just now, but in such a crisis for all to adopt it as completely —and. may I say, as unintelligently—as some public men urge would precipitate a calamity bv plunging into distress those workers whose living depends on the. uninterrupted carrying on of business," " One of the many difficulties that loomed somewhat largo in our industry at the beginning of the war," said Mr W. 11. P. Barber, in his presidential address at the annual meeting of the Wellington Woollen Company on Tuesday, " was the scarcity of dyes. It is Sciilisfving to feel that the British manufacturer is taking hold of the; situation in a better way than was expected, and the shortage, whilst still acute, is not now so alarming. There is a reasonable prospect that we shall never again have to depend on outsiders for a. commodity which, unfortunately, was allowed to pass out .of British control." At last evening's meeting of the General Committee of the St John Ambulance Brigade, tho following charges were approved for the public use of the motor ambulance : —JTirst four miles, 5s (minimum charge); each successive mile, Is; tho distance to be counted in and out. The first quarter hour waiting time will be given free, but Is for each successive quarter-hour will be charged for waiting time. The motor ambulance will be stationed at Hayward's Kink Taxis, and tho firm uili also supply petrol, oil, cleaning, and the services of a driver at a charge of (55 per cent of the fees incurred by the users of the ambulance. In cases wliere circumstances do not permit the payment of the fees, the brigade will bear the expense, as hitherto._ The motor ambulance has been insured against all risks. The cost of running the ambulance, including wear and tear, is estimated at one shilling per mile. The annual report of tho superintendent of tho Christchurch Fire Brigade contains among its appended statistics some interesting facts. It is shown that of the 176 calls received during the year 32 were on a Sunday, 21 on a Monday, 33 011 a Tuesday, 13 011 a Wednesday, 17 on a Thursday, 30 on a Friday and 25 on a Saturday. Eight alarms were given by ''strangers." 11 by automatic alarm, 65 by telephone, and 92 by street fire alarms. Seven fires were caused by careless smokers, five by defective hearths and chimneys, three by gas stoves and rings being left alight, two by the ignition of petrol vapour, one by the explosion of a kerosene lamp, five by lighted candies coming in contact with inflammable material, and thirteen by the careless throwing down of matches. Some flowery phrases emanated from Mr J. T. M. Jiornsby in tho House of Representatives last night, when making reference to the remarks by Mr G. W. Forbes last week in regard to presenting bouquets to members mf Cabinet (says Wednesday's '• Post.") Mr Hornsby said ithat ho had prepared a list of flowers suitable for tho different Ministers. It was a follows:—Prime Minister, paconies and puff-balls; Minister of Finance, pennyroyal, shower of gold, sensitive plant; Agriculture, buttercups and cornflower; Public Works, stonecrop and sothernwood; Railways, Anyselopsis Veikchii and sprig of monkey-puzzle; Defence, campanula, field-marshal, and stinging nettle; Marine and Health, fafc hen, horehound, and bleeding heart; Education, forget-me-not and love lies bleeding; Native Race, hearts ease, rata and pulia; Munitions, vine leaves and violets; to be placed on ithe still vacant seat, love-in-a-mist; Attorney-General, crested dogtail and red-hot poker. We understand that the Canterbury Motor Company, the Ford car agents, will soon be landing the " Ton-Ford," a one-ton lorry, that is in such great demand in .Canada that only a limited number can be landed here. Immediately on arrival they will be on view at the Canterbury Motor Garage, 166, IXiam Street. 6 Ladies know them to have no equal. Martin's Apiol and Steel Pills. Sold by all Chemists and Stores throughout Australasia.

The collection of black swans' eggs and their sale for patriotic purposes is proceeding this season and two cases were lifted at Lake Ellesmere last Saturday. Tho rising of the lake,- however, has stopped operations, for a time, The by-election for councillor for the Hanmer riding of the county pf Amuri, caused by the death of Mr Duncan Rultherfovd, was held at. Hanmer •Springs yesterday, and resulted in tho return of G. O. Rutherford, who polled 37 votes to 21 by the other candidate, G. S. Hickman. The Chief Inspector of Machinery reports that freezing works have almost dc/abled in numbers during the last two and in the later additions where elc-ctric power can be reasonably secured it has been adopted for driving purposes. Th 3 storage capacities at nearly all the old works have been increased, snd additions made to machinery. The abour-saving devices adopted and the methods of handling the materials aro quite a revelation. The Chief Inspector of Fisheries, in hi., annm 1 report, states that the outstanding feature in connection with the sea fisheries during tho year has been tho extension of the steam trawling industry at Auckland. All kinds of market fish have been plentiful in Auckland. The line and net fishermen have not been able to compete with the. trawlers, and most of them have had to dispose of their boats and seek other employment. llie Imperial Government recently suggested that the attainment and nismtenance of uniformity in the examinations of masters and mates throughout the British dominions would be greatly facilitated if arrangements could ba made from time to time foi some of the examiners in all of the self-governing dominions where such examinations are held io visit Britain to study the methods adopted in tho Board of Trade examinations, and tho system bv which they are co-ordinated The matter has been considered by the Government, and it has been decided to send Captain William Whitford to England for tho purpose. The vexed question of whether or no't. Maoris have an unalienable right to shoot native pigeons, irrespective of Government proclamations of a close season, was raised again at a meeting of the council of the Auckland Acclimatisa'tion Society. A communication was received from tho Minister of Internal Affairs touching on tho matter of conserving the native pigeon, in which the Minister made a definite statement that neither Maori nor half-caste had any more right than Europeans in the matter of shooting pigeons. The council decided to request the Minis'ter to obtain a legal opinion 011 the point from tho Grown Law Office, and to advise Acclimatisation Societies cf the decision, in order that 'the societies might havo a secure ground on which to take action.

A very interesting account of Bishop deary's narrow escape from death on the Somme front was received in Patea a few days ago from Private Norman Tinney. In it letter to a relative ho says:—"This is what actually happened. The Bishop came into the trenches one afternoon .shortly after dinner to ceo how the boys were getting along. He visited our dug-out, and f shook hands with him, and was talking to him. In less than five minutes, 'however, Fritz opened out with a he;i.-'.y strafe, and suddenly bang came a sin high explosive shell, and landed quite close to us Bishop Cleary was knocked down bv some large pieces of earth, and an artillery officer was killed outright. It was a very narrow escape indeed ior us al l - Later in the afternoon I had a similar narrow escape tu the Bishop's myself. Things here, can imagine, are very lively just now—in fact, too lively to bo pleasant." Mr V. J. Larner, chairman of the Claims Board of the Auckland Patriotic Association, has opened the. subject of Government grants 'to widows. He instanced the case of a widow whose son had fallen in action. She was in receipt of a pension of 10s per week, this being quite inadequate. Replying to representations made by Mr Larner, tho Commissioner of Pensions has written saying that in cases where the applicant was not affluent a war pension of at least 15s a week, and more if necessary, was granted. This made a distinction between a widow and a mother wi'th a husband perhaps in regular work. The Commissioner concluded by inviting for reconsideration by tho Pensions Board, cases where 10s per week was not deemed adequate. According to Mr Larner, the Commissioner had always displayed tho utmost consideration, and had assisted a great deal in representations for reconsiderations of allowances.