LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 90, Issue 14024, 29 March 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

That life is long which answers life’s great end.—Young. Court in Hamilton will open on Wednesday next, April 2nd. Only civil business remains to be dealt with. On the motion of Cr Herbertt the Hamilton Borough Council decided last night to clear the gorse from the open drain at Frankton.

Entries are filling rapidly for the various events in the programme for the athletic sports gathering at Cambridge at Easter time, and given good weather, the meeting should constitute a record.

The Hamilton Borough Council last night approved of the recommendation of , the Legal and Finance Committee that the public library be lit with electric light, provided the Library Committee paid one-third of the cost of installation (estimated at £4O). The Hamilton Borough Council last night received a requisition signed by 507 _ persons (10D more than required), asking that a poll be taken on the question of the Saturday half-holiday. The Town Clerk' was instructed to take thle preliminary steps for a poll on the same day as the municipal elections. At last night’s meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council a communication was received from Messrs Swarbrick and Swarbrick, asking that a committee be appointed to go through the draft by-laws with them. As there were 166 pages of these, Councillors Were not eager for the job, and it was decided to refer the matter to the incoming Council.

The Feilding Salvation Army Band will visit Hamilton on Enstbr 'Monday, April 21st. Last night application was made to the Borough Council for the use of Ferry Bank and the Town Hall. The Council gave permission to the Band to use the rotunda in the afternoon, but, owing to the hall being engaged in the evening, the second request must be refused. An account for legal expenses in connection with the closing of the road for the Hamilton Technical School silo was received from the Borough Solicitor by the Borough Council last night. The Council decided to instruct the solicitor to send tire account to the Board of Education.

The Hamilton Borough Council set till 11 o’clock last night. At that late hour there were still several reports to he taken, hut councillors appeared to he tired, and decided to hold them over until the meeting of the Legal and Finance Committee next Friday night. The Cambridge Soldiers’ Memori il Committee wrote to the Hamilton Borough Council last night that they intended to erect a monument, and it was also suggested that a. memorial highway be constructed from Cambridge to Hamilton. They wanted to know what the Council thought of the proposal. The matter was referred to the Legal and Finance Committee.

The Minister of Railways conferred with the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants’ executive yesterday on the Department’s proposed concessions to railwaymon. He subsequently staled that the interview was of a very satisfactory nature. The Minister meets the Locomotive Association on Monday. It is understood the Department lias offered substantial concessions.

The assets of the Farmers’ Co-opera-tive Auctioneering Co. are sufficient to pay all the liabilities of the company—£23o,Bo6, and all capital paid-up by shareholders—£272,9l3, and then leave a sum of £84,888 as a surplus, equalling 31.1 per cent on the paid-up capital. The staff of the company is 160, including 13 on active and 033 sales were held last year. In 1908-the figures, were 13 and 150 respectively.

The season has oucncd at Hooker and Kingston’s with a fine display of ladies’ coats. There’ are some fine styles showing in these garments, including some smart creme blanket coats. Others featuring arc motor coats, in all squirrel fur, some in heavy all-wool tweeds, with fur collars and lining. An early show is now being made with the new costumes; .the main feature that every customer will he impressed with is the good value in these garments.—Hooker and Kingston’s, where you get absolute satisfaction or your money back.*

Tho King of Tonics—Forsythe’s Vigor Tonic—invaluable as a pick-me-up after influenza, colds, etc. Bottles, 2s 6d and 4s 6d.—Forsythe, Chemist, Hamilton.

At Stratford, Harry H. Rawlinson, a sawmiller of Whangamomona, charged with employing his brother, James V. Rawlinson, who deserted from the Ex. peditonary Force, was fined £OO by Mr Crooke, S.M. At a mass meeting of the Waihi Miners’ Union last night it was decided to take a ballot at an early date on the question of the offer by Mr Charles Rhodes, a director of the Waihi Co,, to pay into the union the entrance fees, duos, and legal levies of the exempted men.

During election night, April 10, the Hamilton Municipal Baud will play in the streets of the town, when a wellarranged programme of popular musical members will be submitted. On that occasion a collection will he taken up in aid of the contest funds. During the 12 years the Farmers’ Cooperative Auctioneering Co. has been in existence, no less a sum tnuu £195,931 has been paid to shareholders by way of rebates and dividends, and practically the whole of this sum has been distributed to the farming community in the districts in which the company is operating.

“Labour and Liquor” will be the subject of Mr Oscar Mcßrine’s address to his comrades at the open-air meeting to be; held in the vicinity of the King’s Theatre to-night, at 7.30. Mr Mcßrine invites comrades and the workers of Hamilton and Frankton to hear what he has to tell them.

The new pay and allowances for the New. Zealand Defence Forces, announced to-day, involve substantial increases for officers of all arms of the service, thus placing New Zealand officers on a more equal footing with those serving in other Empire Forces. The new rales of pay for the Expeditionary Force, abroad and home service, take effect as from Ist April, 1918. The former’s camp and field allowances are reduced, a notable feature being that all officers have been placed in a position of equality in this respect. More than 180 attendants at Ballinasloe Asylum went on strike recently at half an hour’s notice, leaving 1500 lunatics unguarded. There were in the asylum more than 280 cases of suicidal and homicidal tendencies. The committee (reports the Times) offered a 10 per cent rise on pre-war wages without the bonus, but this was refused. Fifty patients, several of the most danger-, otts type escaped. After six hours’ absence the staff were prevailed upon by a priest to resume work; The resi. dent magistrate, on his own responsibility, guaranteed the required wages. In view of the forthcoming municipal elections, the attention of persons qxtalified to vote is drawn to the necessity for lodging without delay claims for enrolment on the borough electors’ roll. The last day on which such claims may he longed is Tuesday next, and these must be delivered at the Town Clerk’s office by 5 p.m. 'on that day. In order to assist in this arrangements have been made as indicated by advertisement in another column, wherebv the main roll may be inspected and forms of claim, for enrolment obtained in various parts of the borough. It therefore hehoves all to use the short time remaining, and do what is necessary to ensure them having a right to vote on polling day.

Some concern was occasioned at the recent meeting of the Dominion Rifle Association at Trontbam by the bursting of the bo’rel of a rifle when the rifle was fired by one of the competitors; No cause, however, could be assigned for the unusual happening. The mystery has now been cleared up by the finding of a .303 gauge plug, which was picked up among fragments of the rifle stock alwut 10 yards in front of where the rifle was fired. It is con. ;sidered that the rifleman must have ’been testing his rifle for nickelling immediately prior to firing, and forgot to remove the gauge before using his rifle.

Some discussion arose at last night’s meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council, when Mr 0. Mortcnscn applied for permission to take up three sections at the upset price. It was explained that the sections had been submitted to auction, and had been passed. Cr Tidd was agreeable to the application being granted, but thought the Council should only let sections on the understanding that buildings were erected. There seemed to be a danger of trafficking in borough sections, and there had been much criticism in the paper. The clerk pointed out that there was a condition in the lease that within two years of the termination of tiie war the lessee should erect a building of the .value of not less than £3OO. Cr Tristram thought the article in the Times was very fair. They could not alter existing conditions at the present lime, but should take steps to alter them later. They should not allow their property to be speculated in by capitalists. Cr Tombs considered they should not plancc any obstacle lr. the way of people taking up the sections; houses were badly needed in Hamilton, and as long as the buildings were erected it did not matter much if tiie sections were taken up singly or not. Councillors generally considered that a building valued at .£3OO was hardly sufficient, but it was recognised that nothing could be done to increase the amount in existing leases. Finally it was decided that Mr Mortensen's application be granted in regard to one section, and that the question of the other two be referred to the Legal and Finance Committee.