LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2227, 13 August 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister in Charge of the National Provident Fund Department, lias announced that special arrangements will be • mads to enable; contributors to the National' Provident; Fund who are going on active service to retain tho benefits of the fund. In some cases employers are assisting their men in their alisence to pay tho contributions, -I and in order to encourage this patriotic action, tho Government lias decided to pay half tho contributions duo by these members. . , ... Biivid Alfred Dutton at the Dunedin 'Criminal sittings yesterday was acquitted on a charge of manslaughter. Dutton was the driver of the engine that came into collision with another engine, the accident resulting in tho death of fireman Donovan.—Press Association. • By the will of tho late James Crawford (says our Featherston the residue of the estate; after paying sundry legacies to friends, is left to the _ Town Board for public purposes. The estimated berefit to the town is about JE6OOO. Mr. T. H. Davey, M.P., t asked the chairman of the Education Comittee (Mr. G. M. Thomson) in tho House of Representatives last night whether it. was intended to continue and complete the joking of evidence regarding the petitions on the Referendum Bill. Mr. Thompson said that the Education Committee was at present engaged ■ upon the Eduoation Bill, and, as far as ne could see, they will be occupied in taking evidence on that Bill for the next two or three weeks at any rate. Unless anything intervened he expected that they would go> on, as they were doing before with the petitions presented on the Referendum Bill.' The committee appointed to raise funds for tlie acquisition, for the Dominion Art Gallery, of the picture "The Flight Into Egypt," by the late F. Goodall,_ R.A;., met yesterday in the Mayor's room', when it was decided to postpone further operations until a later and more favourable, time. The fixing of the date for the next meeting was letfc in the hands of His Horship the Mayor and Messrs. Gore and Atkins, who will also interview Mr, Baillie on the matter. A poll taken at Westport yesterday on the question of installing a sewerage scheme estimated to cost .£28,500, with JSOM extra for private connections, • was carried by a substantial majority—Press Association. Councillor John Fuller, who returned from a visit to California yesterday, says that affairs in that State appeared to. him to be prosperous, though times were said to be far from good both in San Francisco and elsewhere on the Pacific Coast, where money was inclined just now to be tight. The preparations for the Panama-Pacific Exposition were very far advanced when he left San Francisco, but he was afraid that; the great European war, would • considerably , diminish its chances of success, as, in all probability, there would be no prospect of any of the nations embroiled making the show they intended to. Mr. Fuller thought that municipally we had little to learn from America. There the Mayor or Commissioner, whichever. system was being followed, was given enormous powers, and the conduct of municipal matters depended entirely on the character of the man who held the position.' Mr. Fuller thinks Now Zealand would benefit, by advertising t more on the Pacific side of .the United States, where there as a good class of settler, who would, do well under the conditions which exist in New Zealand. j Here is "the unfathomable imbecility of war," says an Australian paper: 'Great numbers of foreign-born residents in.Australia, many of them: permanently' settled heraraiid'.(exooi)t onjoyin? all the benefit of government. and citizenship equally with the British-born, are ' hastening: .back ;.to.:,participate! : in : -- a war" 'auainst Britain, by which it is .hoped, by these soldiers'- Goverhments'toßeduce Britain to national impotence, and Seize some of her oversea Dominions. Notably the war would have paid for'itself if Ge'r-' manv obtained through it a foothold ,in Australia. And shonld victory go against our departing 'friends—and should they be unharmed, as we devoutly hope will lie the will.return to Australia to resume the same' amicable dirly relations as before they-took'up arms against us."' Speaking at the Inncheon, tendered to him by the New Zealand Club at Christchurch this week, Mr. Alexander Watson remarked that the general excellence of New Zealand speech—the even, low-pitch-ed, sonorous voice and the excellence of the accent—was probably due to the fact that New Zealanders were so vpry British—they were some of the real old 6tock. He pointed out that New Zealanders might do much towards preserving the beauty of English diction and the beauty of the sound of English speech. A juror, called to servo at the criminal sessions, asked to be excused from yesterday onwards as he bad a building contract in hand, and was under a penalty if it were not completed by' a certain date. His Honour Mr.' : Justice Hosking, after cfßestionihg the juror,'told him to remain,' and his application would be considered by-the afternoon. "I want to' get away this morning, your Honour," said the juror, "my niece is being married and she expects me ta give' her away." His Honour: "Oh, I suppose that' would not interfere with the contract. Well; you may go to tho wedding, but be hero this afternoon."