LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2238, 26 August 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities adriso that the s.s. Manuka, which is due from Sydney this morning, is bringing Australian mails only. On Friday of next week-the State schools pf tho Wellington Education District will "break up" for a-week's holiday—the ordinary ; second winter vacation of 'the year. In connection with the death of the Pope, solemn high pontifical ' mass will be, at the Hill Street Basilioa at 9 o'clock this morning. The celebrant will be Coadjutor-Archbishop O'Sliea. Many of the clergy from ali parts of the archdiocese' will be present, . _ • _ The fortnightly meeting of the Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to:' Animals was held yesterday. Mr. J. S.' Jamoson presided. A large number of cases of cruelty and neglect to animals which he had remedied were reported by Inspector Henry. Subscriptions were received and acknowledged as follow for the past fortnight:—Hon. J. G. W. Aitken and Mr. J. P. Luke, £1 Is. each; Messrs Dickenson, Veitch and Allan, and Gordon and Gotch, ss. each; Mesdames Moss, Orsbqrn. and Messrs. Ramsay, Wilson, "Two Friends," and J.J. and M., 'is. 6d. each; Mr. Hamey, 2s. j total,'£4 14s. The Karori Borough Council has de- • cided to connect Karori Park with the borfiugh office by telephone. _ The cost of tho installation, which will be oarrieM out at- once, will be about £20. ■ , Prospects are that tile transports commissioned to convey the Expeditionary Force to Europe wilHako Home a large amount' of produce*. Tho Prime Minister ' stated yesterday that cargo was coming- in freely and that he thought-it likely that the ships would leave fully loaded. Tho preparation of data for the information of the commission-• appointed some weeks ago to report upon the inland waterways of the Auckland Province and schemes for their improved meat has been' suspended and tho sittings of the- commission provisionally fixed to open late in December have been indefinitely postponed. The Minister of Marine (the Hon.-F. M. B. Fisher) explained yesterday that the inquiry was expected to ■ cost £6000, and it was regarded as an undertaking which could be postponed in the endeavour to economise the resources!of tho Dominion. . " On hoard the Remuera, which, arrived from London on Monday' night, is a quantity of goods consigned from Germany to .importers in tho Doniinion. The question has arisen as to what is tho legal-position of these goods. The Minister of Customs (tho Hon. F. M. B. Fisher) was asked yesterday ns to what would be done, Hc'.'.feplied that if tlie gobas^werS''consigned, to. a British allied or neutral subject, rf-hey could bo delivorcd to the consignees, but if the consignee was an Austrian oc a German subject, .the. goods would be seized. There might bo points of international law' involved, but these could bo settled \in the Courts after the war. With regard to • German goods consigned in German vessels seized in Australia, for transhipment to British allied or neutral subjects in New, Zealand, tho rule had been fixed that consignees must pay transhipment and\ transport expenses to Nsw Zealand from Australia. .

Somo emphatic ..opinions upon the war were expressed by Bishop. Cleary in a sermon at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland, on' Sunday evening. Speaking as one who had seen the devastation wrought by the Franco-Prussian War, said the Bishop, he hoped that a time was at hand when the nations would regard the man who deliberately raised wars like the present,one as an international criminal who ought to be suppressed. There were times, like the present, when the most sacred rights of a people must be defended with:the sword, and ho was proud, not only of the stand made by gallant little Belgium in the face of overwhelming odds, but of tho spontaneous enthusiasm with which the young sons of New Zealand were rallying to the support of the Empire. News of victories would probably bo received in time, and he hoped that there would bo no uriseemly exhibitions and dissipations. The present war had undoubtedly been forced upon the Em-' pire by a small, military coterie in Berand unquestionably it had caused tlio death of the- Pope. There had been no nobler victim of the war than Pius X, who, out of his overflowing human kindness, had done everything in his power to prevent it. Gorse is reported to be making great progress in the Karori district, and at last night's meeting of the Boroug'i Council it was decided to draw tho attention of the Department of Agriculture to the fact The Mayor (Mr. W.' T. Hildreth) stated that representations bad frequently been' made on tho same subject, but councillors considered that the matter could not too often be brought under the notice of the Department. According to advices received by, the local office of the Union Company, the North German Lloyd steamer Prinz Sigismund, which has been detained at Brisbane by the Commonwealth Government, js now discharging her cargo at Brisbane.. Local.consignees will, therefore, have to arrange for tho transhipment of their from Brisbane-'to Wellington, otherwise, it is stated, the goods will be bonded at their expense. Tlio Prinz Sigismund loaded at Yokohama and other Japanese ports. The Manuka, which is duo at Wellington today, will bring transhipments ex the German steamer Stokenfel, now at Sydney, from Now York. Respecting the shooting incident at Somes Island on Sunday (reported in yesterday's Dominion), Colonel Chaytor said he had no official report before lrira, but as far as he knew the boat disobeyed orders and deliberately made for the island, "I am very pleased the sentry did fire. He didn't want to hit anyone; ho wanted, to hit the boat. Tho sooner ppoplo understand that there is no nonsense about this the better. ' The sentries have orders to firo on any boat that refuses to obey instructions." In consequence of the "'outbreak of war, it has been decided to abandon the Taranaki circular road race round Mount Egmont.

At a. meeting of influential farmers at Pahiatua yesterday (says a Press Association telegram), a committee was appointed to canvass tlio district for fat stock,- foodstuffs, and cash donations to relieve distress in the Old Country. Tile local branch of the Farmers' Union is to bo asked to work with the Sports Protection League. Altogether five different funds in connection with the war have been opened in Pahiatua.