LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20076, 12 October 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thirty open-air band concerts will be given in the city this summer. Applications hare been invited from the city bands. The portion of Trafalgar Street lying between Rutland Street and Courtney Street has been re-named St Albans Street. The Beckenham Bowling Club, which borrowed £2OO from the City Council for the erection of a pavilion, has been granted a ten years’ extension of time ai which to pay the money back. The new term is twenty years. The prosecution' of a doctor for’allowing his car to stand unattended in tho street near his rooms was referred to by tho By-laws Committee last night in a report which stated that tho proceedings were instituted by tho police. As a by-law could not be made unless it was general in application, the committee had no recommendation to make.

The only danse in the Municipal Corporations Bill to which the City Council has taken exception is a provision that the giving -of Sunday entertainments should be subject to the consent of tho Mayor. The council is of opinion that the matter should remain in the hands of the council. The contractor for tho erection y{ additional sanitary conveniences at the junction of Cashel and High Streets will start the work as soon as cement comes to hand. It will be necessary to close the present conveniences and fence off the portion of the road between Jnglis’s Buildings and the tank. Tho Canterbury Sweet Pea and Carnation Society will henceforth lie known as “The Canterbury Sweet Pea, Carnation and Rose Society.” The alteration of the title was decided upon at a special general meeting of tho society held last night, and presided over by Mr W. J. Jenkiu.

The sub-committee set up to formulate a scheme for utilising the Canterbury Hall site reported to the City Council lust night that it had considered plans of a. suggested layout for offices, council chamber, and so on. Certain modifications were being made in the plans, and the sub-commit-tee hoped to be iu a position to report fully on the matter at an early date. “ Quantities of scraps of paper and other refuse are thrown on the riverbanks daily by people who have their lunch there,” ran a clause of the Bylaws Committee’s report last night, “ It costs at least £1 per week to clear up this rubbish. Many people are extremely careless, and some have been observed throwing down nieces of paper when they were actually leaning against a rubbish receptacle. As the depositing of rubbish upon any publio place is a breach of the by-law, the committee has instructed the Town Clerk to prosecute the offenders.” A daylight-saving effort on the part of fifty-three employees of the City Council was debated last night on a petition that the staffs should start at 8.30 a.m. and finish at 4.30 p.m., thus adding half an hour to one end of the day’s work and taking it off at the other end. There was a sharp division of opinion as- to whether the petition should be granted, one of tbe opponents expressing the opinion that the idea was prevalent that shops and offices wore run for the employees and not for the public. Finally the matter was referred to the Finance Committee to go into. The condition of the Main North Hoad between Chaney’s and the Empire Bridge was discussed at last night s meeting of the AVaimairi County Council. Councillor 0 AV. Hervey said that recently a member of tlie Canterbury Automobile Association,. who had motored through from Christchurch to Blenheim, informed him that the worst piece of road in the Whole run was the stretch between Chaney’s and Styx. After a full discussion it was decided to coat the road with clay between Chaney’s and the Empire Bridge, to the extent of £3O. Proposals for borrowing through the Government all loan moneys required by local bodies were made in a circular received by the City Council last mght from the Dunedin City Council. With a view to placing local loans on a more satisfactory basis, it was suggested that ail borrowing should be conducted under the aegis of the Government. This would result in a uniform rate of interest. A Loans Board should ue set up to float all loans required by local authorities, and establish a sinking fund that would ex tinsniish the loan in the estimated life of the asset. The circular was received and referred to the Finance Committee. The heavy duty charged on Edison storage batteries, according to the general manager of the city’s electrical department, is a serious drawback to tlieir more extended use. As providing a means of cheap transport, ho says, they enter into every industry; they use locally- generated energy instead of imported fuel, and cannot be manufactured m the country. At present the emty on a truck chassis, including battery, is 2-A per cent, and on spare batteries imported separately 33 u per cent. The City Council has decided to make representations to the Oustoms Department and to the Minister on tlie matter. The house shortage in Christchurch is still acute, judging from the experience of Mr Forsyth, of the New Zoaland Agency Company. I u Saturday s Star the company advertised a five-roomed house to let, and no fewer than JOO applications were received trom would-be tenants. Several househunters interviewed Mr Forsyth on ounday, and on Monday morning he found thirty letters under his office door. Every hour and every mail fuelled tlie army of home seekers, and Mr Forsyte decided to hold a ballot tie selected seventy-seven of the most pressing “cases,” and invited the editor of the “ Star ” to draw the'winning number. The lucky marble has been assigned to a lady living at AVcodons. Two hundred replies to a siuglo advertisement is not a bad record. There are several parcels of land in the Woimairi County used for religions pm poses, the owners of which claim exemption from rating. The AVaimairi County Council applied to its solicitors tor a legal opinion as to whether these properties were exempt from rating and at last night’s meeting of tbo council a reply was received and discussed Hie solicitors replied that such properties were not ratable unless they were used for purposes of gain. In the absence of any definite information as to tlie purposes for which the properties concerned were being used, it was impossible to give any definite ruling ; ,s to whether the properties were ratable Tim council was asked to supply this information. It was decided to supniv the solicitors with the information required. A splendid spring cleaning help is the Dustless Alop bong sold for 5s (id by Hastie, Bull .and Pickering, 118, Cashel Street It is quite the best thing yet introduced, It sweeps and polishes in the one operation. j Your portrait. . . a speaking likeness, daintily mounted, is the most attractive of all Christmas presents. Do not wait till the last day— arrange for a sitting now. Steffano AA T ebb, Petersen’s Buildings, High Street. Telephone 1989. i Jumper AVeek at “The Patricia.’ Beautiful goods, reasonably priced, in voile, silk, and wool. Corner Montreal and Victoria Streets. , 1

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