LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15992, 8 December 1919, Page 9

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

For a breach of the Borough by-laws, for -turning a corner on the wrong side, P. Puklowski was to-day fined 10s and ordered to pay 7s costs by Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M.

The Queen Anexandra Band, under the baton of Bandmaster Shepley, rendered a delightful concert to a large audience in the Wanganui Bast Park yesterday afternoon. Exports from Waiiganui for the week ended December 2nd were valued as under:—Cheese' J2718, lamb ,£17,415, mutton ,£33,056, other meats ,£18,534, timber £1839, wool £4232. A-fc the Magistrate's Court, this morning, a young man named R. E. H. McjrjCoy, who pleaded guilty to the theft I of an overcoat, was oonviced and fined j 408 by Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M. According to an Auckland telegram, the whole of the mail services and contracts will be arrangtd within the next few weeks. The question of service, via Panama, will be considered very soon.

The compulsory provisions of the Edu- , cation system were seen ,in operation at the Magistrate’s Court this morning, when a number of parents were interrogated for reasons why the children had not regularly attended school. Fines ranging from 2s to 5s were imposed. Last evening at His Majesty’s Theatre Mr George Durham took occasion to give an emphatic denial to the statement that, he had been asked to second the vote of thanks to Mr Veitch on Thursday evening. He stated that he did so absolutely on his own initiative. Holidays for the Christmas and New Year season were discussed by a meeting of local retailers on Saturday night, and a committee was appointed to canvas the local shop-keepers and to ascertain whether they will be prepared to observe the Saturday of both Christmas and New Year weeks as close holidays.

At the Magistrate’s Oonrt .this morning a first offender, who was charged with intoxication and disorderly conduct, was convicted by the Magistrate, Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M.„ who ordered him to come up for sentence when called upon within six months, on condition that the defendant abstained from intoxicating liquor and refrained from entering licensed premises. One of the provisiins of the Education Act, by which exemption from attendance at school can be obtained for children, is by a medical certificate. A new phase of this provision was referred to at the Magistrate’s Court this morning. This was in respect to delicate children. The Magistrate remarked that he considered it unreasonable for parents to have to obtain a medical certificate for delicate children ©very time they were absent from school. There had been instances before him where this provision caused hardship.. He thought that there should be some provision for half-time attendances of delicate children on a medical certificate. The Education Board’s Inspector stated that where the teacher was satisfied that children were delicate, exemption could be granted for twelve months. His Worship said that it was not for, the teacher to say whether or not a child was delicate.

With the, object of obtaining 1 an award to cover the various sections of the building trade, claims have been filed in the Arbitration Court at Auckland on behalf of the unions interested. The principal features'of the claims are: Bight hours a day on five working days of the week; two classes of labour, journeymen and apprentices; minimum wage for journeymen, £4 15s a week, casuals 2s cd au hour; double pay for overtime, and fo.- any time in excess of four .hours without a meal intervening; apprentices’ wages to advance from one-sixth of journeymen’s wages to five sixths in the fifth year, and full journeymen’s pay in the sixth year of plumbers’ apprelt-' t.'ceships; piecework to be prohibited. Sp't- ai clauses affecting conditions in individual sections are includfe'd, and it is proposed that the term of the ward should be one year The attendance of apprentices at Techidcal Schools on two half-days weekly, compulsorily upon employers and apprentices alike, is privided for. f As the Premier, the Hon. W. F. Massey, passed through Marton Junction on Saturday en route to Auckland,, he was presented by the Mayor 6f Marton, on behalf of the citizens, with an address expressing appreciation of the Premier’s services at the Peace Conference The gathering, which was ; largely attended, was non-party and ron-political. Mr Massey, in reply to the address, said that personally he had given his best for New Zealand. The Pacific Islands for which mandates had been given to New Zealand would be very valuable. He said, in reference to indentured labour at Samoa., that he believed-' there would not be any in a few years, as already some of the men who were indentured to stay there. The climate was tropical, with a heavy rainfall, and it would be folly to Jet the great plantations go to ruin. He believed that Samoa would pay its way. New Zealand’s duty was clear. With the end of the war a period of construction was ahead, and they should develop New Zealand and develop the Empire, and do the right thing in the defeneg of the Empire, both on land and sea. It vyas even more .important to do their share in naval defence than land defence. He thanked the people of Marton for their gift. The Premier was accorded a hearty reception.