LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2249, 8 September 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Warrimoo, which is due from Sydljey to-morrow, is brmging Australian mails only. Members of Parliament are invited to make a tour of inspection of the troopships this nibrhihg at 11.30 O'clock. Afterwards they will be entertained at luncheon on the Maunganui. Ih view of the possibility of a war tax being placed on'wines, spirits, and tobacco. through the Customs,' some Wellington merchants cleared considerable stocks but of bond last weekmuch larger than is usually cleared at one time. ■• A few days ago it was announced f'jjat the two direct lines operating .between New Zealand ports and London-.had decided to raise the passenger fares. Word was received in Wellington to the effect that the increase had been cancelled, and that the fares will remain, as previously. It has been 'decided; however, to, make ah. increase on the pre-war rate of freight. Members of the Expeditionary. Force who did hot have an opportunity to vote on the election issues, at the poll held ,at Palmerstbn camp last week, under the provisions of the Bill passed by Parliament, were given an opportunity of recording their votes at the Defence headquarters yesterday. -. Some weeks ago the difficulty of 'securing sufficient coal for the transports and for the Admiralty_ was causing.the Government some anxiety, but at that time it was expected that the troopships would be. leaving for Europe at the end of August. 'The delay in the sailing of.the transports has allowed the stores of coal to accumulate, and how there'is : more than, enough.coal available to meet demands. The request .of the Wellington Chamber of to the Government to lift the .prohibition oh the exportation of wheat and. flour, has been replied to by the Minister of Customs (Hoii. F. M..8. Fisher), who states.that it has been decided that the .present time is hot opportune to tako the course suggested. Members of the theatrical profession ■throughout the world are being asked to' subscribe to a fund to provide a memorial to the late Mr. Laurence Irving, and his wife. (Miss. Mabel Hackney): who were drowned in the wreck of the Empress of Ireland. A report which was presented to the Finance .Committee, of the Auckland Patriotic, League yesterday morning by the Officer-in-Charge of the Government Labour Office in Auckland stated that during the past week there were 271 applications for work. ...Of these; 160 were married, and had 250 dependents. Work had been found for 68. , Of those auplying for work, 141 were labourers; 58 painters, 25 carpenters;-- 16 farm hands, 13 clerks and stbromeh.. Thirtyfdiir labourers and 20 painters had been sent to Government work, and five la-, boufers, four carpenters, and four farm hands to private work.—Press Association. : . .. : •

. Among the : acamuitauceships Mr. Harry Lauder ha6.Deen able to renew in. Wellington: is that with'Mr, James Dykes, of Gualter,: Dykes,-' arid 06; Mr. Laiicler relates .in his homely, unpretentious way'thai some twenty : three. years' ago ho was guilty; on occasions of singing in a small hall in Hamilton (near Glasgow),'where not infrequently his accompanist was Mr. Dykes— "the last man I expected to seo awny out in tins part of the world," says Mr. Lauder. : ' The Conference of Now Zealand Chambers of Commerce which the Wellington Chamber vas arranging for the end of. this moiith : .has been postponed indefinitely. _••■'■. ,_ ' - Oh a charge of stealing an overcoat ai.d a razor a man .was arrested by Detective Mason' yesterday. He will appear in Court this morning. ' A'member of the New Zealand' Expeditionary Force,.. Arthur ; Adams, was admitted.to the Hospital last night suffering from the return of an, old' ailment. His condition is reported to be not very serious. Adams, who hails from Auckland, arrived back from Samoa on Monday, No Germans.or Austrians need apply!. —At the next meeting of the Napier Harbour Board arid Borough Council motions will forward (telegraphs our Napier correspondent), asking that no goods made either in ,Aus--tria or Germany, shall be included in tenders, and.that neither bodies Bhall buy goods manufactured in those countries. "I nin keen .on parks," remarked the Mayor of Auckland at a meeting in' the Auckland Town Hall, assembled for the pu'pbs'o of presenting an illuminated address to Mr. G. Elliott. "I believe it is incumbent upon _ lis to . fiirnish 'lungs', for tho people/just as it is our duty tq provide tlieih with streets. The bulk ' of' our population, crowded into areas having as many as twenty houses to the aero, must bo provided with open, spaces. .Wo |,want ■to flood oiircity with parks; we want Auckland to be known as 'the city of parks.'" A party of sportsmen numbering ten guns recently shot ninety-six hares in the Lowcliffe district, Canterbury. _It is estimated that since the beginning of the shooting season between 10,000 and 13,000 hares have been sent from Asliburton and surrounding districts. One party claims to havo forwarded 1100 hares. . According to tho report of Inspector T. H: Gill on the working of the Hamilton High School, there is such a paucity of, students in tho home science course for' girls whoso tastes and capabilities are connected with house-craft, tliat the course has' had to be combined with that for those who wish to engage in commercial pursuits. , A' man named Storey was admitted to tho Hospital last night suffering from cuts about the head. It is understood •vliat tho injuries were caused by. a fall over a cliff at Karori. Storey's hat blew off and in chasing it he blundered over tho edge. He was discovered at about five o'clock on Saturday morning. '" Tho Government has decided to appoint a . Commission consisting ' of Messrs. Burgess, S.M., of Thames, and P. G. Ewington, of Auckland, for tho purposo of conducting an inquiry into the tenures upon ivhich tho Eotorua township lands aro.held. The Commission is also to report whether Eotorua should romain under Government control as a State township of whether its residents should bo granted the ordinary powers of local govornniont. A beautiful manuscript book, 'bound in red African goatskin, containing the roll.of those who died for their country in tho w-ar in South Africa, • 1899-1902, which is to be enshrined in tho Cathedral Churqli of St. George, Capo Town, was recently on view to the public at tho Royal United Service -Institution, Whitehall. Tho list of names includes a number of Australians who fell in tho war. It was compiled from records supplied by tho War Offico and Colonial Governments, and was submitted to various regiments for correction. Tho illuminated tail piece, showing tho flora of the countries representing the British Empire, has a splash of golden wattle, and tho bosses of the cover of tho volumo are of the famous Now Zealand greenstone.

, Ail interesting display of native curios is at present to be seen 'in Mr. L. M'Kenzie's' pharmacy, on. Lambton Quay. Tliey.were secured by Mr.. A. 11. Griffiths when on a recent trip to tlio New Hebrides, the little-known Anglo-French Condominium, near the Equator. One of the trophies is an extraordinary ceremonial head-dress from Malekula, which was secured by a party from H.M.S.. Torch when on a recent punitive expedition to that remote island. There are also some curious native fims, long bows and arrows (used for killing fish), a hillock of enormous palm seeds, .and a porceana beau about 16 inches in length). The curious are well worth inspection by anyone interested in the,products of.,an interesting and little-known group and people. "Patriot,'?,, writing to the.Auckland .Star," states that, in conversation with an arnly man on the question of complaints as to footgear," as a general recommendation" he advised roomy boots and the use of boracic, acid sprinkled in tho socks Before starting out on a march. "A very ready ana soothing remedy is ordinary soap," writes "Patriot!," "damped and rubbed on the socks both inside and. out. This ifrictidn. and consequent heat wonderfully. This remedy is within the reach of all. The German War Office, .among the many .detail orders, issued,, by'them, recommended the free use of 'oil for the feet, even to* using commoner fats, advising .tihese in lieu of socks.as ah experiment..; There can-' not be any doubt as' to the efficacy of oil. Writing as one having had .many years' experience in the care of ere' feet, I would earnestly draw the attention of our lads to the above recommendations." ■ It was stated by Mr. 0. W. Jones, chairman of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, at yesterday's meeting of the body, that some New Zealand-im-porters are waiting to see what is .going to happen at the foods Commission. In the hardware line, Mr. Jones said, prices in England had advanced 50 per cent, in some, instances,. 6o with this and additional freight and insurance '_ rate's, the importers were of the opinion that they, required.to : make a little extra profit oh present stocks in order to avoid ultimate heavy loss. The Government was .being asked to make some announcement as to/what thepowef of the cbmmission is. It was stated that the commission's power was such, that if a firm did hot, 6ell at tho price, named by the commission; the goods could be taken and disposed of to the public. , A firm of Wellington tradesmen wrote to the Wellington Chamber of Cdihriierce recently to .know if they\ ought to pay a . sum of £40-. which they owed tea local firm of Germans. The- chamber, considered'the letter■: yesterday, and, while';some'were of the opinion, that all debts should be paid, others doubted if a payment would : be right_within the terms _of_ a certain proclamation. No answer wis decided on, but it is not unlikely that tho question .will', be referred to onei of the City jankers, and . $hat his advice will be sent' on to the" firm which is seeking the information. An Inquest was held at Petone ye&; terday concerning the death of the three and a hall months old son of Mr. Cecil Larseii, who .died early on Sunday morning. After the evidence of Dr. Harding had been -taken, the Coroner (Mr. D. G. A.CJpoper) returned a verdict that the child died from an attack of -syncope,, following upon inflammation of the lungs. A deputation of contractors for the supply of stores to; the Government waited upon rthe_ Prime Minister yesterday. They pointed out that prices had risen since they entered into business, aud that now,, instead .of making a profit, they were making a "serious loss. They, asked- that the Government should take.the matter.into consideration with a ..view,- of affording theni -relief; • The Prime Minister promised to bring their representations bor fore Cabinet, and to inform them of Cabinet's decision in a few days. ■ The following story, illustrating,.the dominance of the military caste ih Ge'i,many,, is told by the, London correspondent of an Australian newspaper: —"A large number of Australians who have been oil this Continent have hastened, back to England. T . They .found that they were not very welcome iii foreign countries'; and they are mighty glad to be.here. A Victorian whocame through Hamburg went into a saloon to get .a glass' of beer.. The counter was besieged by hien three deep. In the door strode a corporal of th 6 gaily parisbhed XJlilans, who pushed the Victorian and other customers roughly on one side, observing: 'A soldier take's precedence of of,civilians.' That is the military spirit which is permeating both Austria and Germany."-