LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2267, 29 September 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Marine Department notify that the low-level light at Pencarrow will be 'extinguished from to-morrow (Wednesday) until further notice. From tho same date the main Pencarrow light will be obscurer! on the seaward side, and will bo visible only from the harbour.; The fog-signal at Pencarrow will not bo fired until further notice., The Postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Moeraki, which left Sydney for Wellington on Friday, and is due here to-day, is bringing an Australian mail; A porter at Ngaliauranga. had "a somewhat exeitiiig experience last evening. ■ He adjusting a signal-wire, and turned tho green light to tho signalman. ■ Immediately he was pounced upon by six men from the fort, who alleged that he had been signalling in tho. Morse- code, and conveyed him to the fort. ■• After explanations and cautions, the porter was released. •» It is estimated that thoro is a surplus in labour of 500 or 000 men on the wharves at present. This, of- course, is inevitable after tho bustjc of the loading and equipment of the troopships. This surplusage of labour can only bo absorbed' in phenomenally .busy times. There were about 1100 men, including Harbour Board employees engaged on tho waterfront last week. Ihis shows a falling off from.tho number tho previous week.'

Particulars of the adventures of some of the German cruisers were brought to Sydney on September 21 by passengers on the Sonoma, from San Francisco. Tho American steamer arrived at -Honolulu a few days after the Nurnberg had left tho port, and the town was full of the cruiser's doings. "We were told," said Mr. W. R. Morris, Secretary of. tho, New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department, "that tho cruiser left Honolulu in a hurry, but that before she had done so she had taken up thirty-six naval reservists who were on the German merchantmen Setos and Pommern interned there, and that she had also had made a tremens dous iron hook to take up the cable at Fanning Island. Sho missed collaring one coal-laden boat by a day, but we were told that she_ had got another later." Mr. Morris added that they had had further news of the Nurnberg, and also of the Scharnborst, on September 11, near Apia. Tho vessels 'had been seen near there, and the Sonoma picked up some of thejr wireless messages. From observations which Mr. Morris made during his travels across America, he says there is no doubt whatever that, except in isolated cases, the American nation is distinctly antiGorman, and this even amongst Germans themselves who have become naturalised Americans. Mr.. Morris was on his way to attend the Postal Conference at Madrid, as tho representative of New Zealand, when tho war broke out. Tho conference being abandoned on account of the war, ho turned back from America, instead of proceeding to Europo. The Marquis of Lincolnshire (better known to Australians as Lord Carrington) has given orders (states an English paper) that no rents shall be collected during tho war from any of his cottages whore any adult member of the family has joined the colours or volunteered for public service. In tho Admiralty Court yesterday, when a witness made a. certain statement, the cross-examining counsel asked him if lie had given that pieco of information to the Collector of Customs, and the witness replied affirmatively. Counsel: "I suppose ho, took down what you said on that occasion ?" Witness: "Yes." Counsel:•'"How is it, then, that there- is no of it in . his notes —in your statement taken down at tho time?" Mr. Justice Hoskinu; (who presided in the Court): "I might say that I don't believe very highly in the taking down of official notes in that way. I think they sum-, uprise, and out out, and please themselves very largely." The wimling-up "social"'of the Petone Wesloyan Literary and Debating Society took place last evening at the Wesleyan Young; Men's Hall, tho Rev. J. J. Lewis presiding. Items were rendered by Miss S. Udy and Messrs. Chamberlain and Lockwood, and the chairman congratulated the secretary on winning tho banner and cup of tho Petone Federated Bible -Classes,

' At a meeting of tho members of the Wellington Wharf. Labourers' Union, to be held in the "donkey-room" X Shed to-day at 12.30 p.m., the proposal of the executive of tlio union to grant the sum of £100 towards the Huutly Relief Fund will bo discussed. The harbourmaster, Captain Johnston, and two pilots had a very busy time yesterday morning. This, of course, was mainly resultant on tho berthing of tlio eight transports. _ All this work was accompanied without mishap. They left tho wharf, at 0 a.m., and went on tho first ship at 5.30 a.m. She was brought alongside at 6 a.m. The eight transports were then brought into their various berths, and were tied up by 8.20 a.m. without tho slightest mishap. At the present tiino there arc, including tho transports, nine oversea vessels at the Wellington wharves, this number includes tho transports Athenic, Arawa, Orari, Ruapeliu, Hawke's Bay, Tahiti, and Maunganui. The steamer Waitemata from Sydney passed Cape Brett at 8.30 a.m. yesterday, effectually disposing of the rumour current last week that she had been sunk by Germans.—Press Association. Stained-glass work is a very beautiful and interesting art. Although modern examples are not to be compared with the great creations of the old masters (meny of which are now being destroyed by the ruthless Germans) still some exceedingly beautiful work of the kind is done to-day-, and even in New Zealand. An important department of Messrs. Smith and Smith's business, both here and in Dunedin, is devoted to tho painting of stainedglass windows for churches, and an example of their productions may now he seen at/the firm's premises in Lower' Cuba Street. This is a very chaste and lovely representation of the Virgin Mary, holding in her arms a cluster of Easter lilies. Great taste has been shown in the selection of. the colours,' and the rich vivid blues and ruby reds of the Virgin's robes glow arrestingly from the window. The tessellated floor, and appurtenances, and the scheme involved in the framing of the central figure is extremely artistic. The window has been dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Florence Sophia Card, late of Featherston, and is to bo erected in the'new Roman Catholic Church there.

The Government and municipal offices,. banks, and insurance offices, were closed yesterday in observance of Dominion 'Day—the seventh anniversary of the elevation of ,the country from the status of-a 'colony to. that: of a' Dominion. Streamers of bunting •trailed from the tower of the Town Hall, and all the public buildings displayed flags in honour of the day. The weather was exceptionally fine, if a little cool, and those who journeyed to the races at Otaki or made an; outing of it in other ways, had thoroughly satisfactory conditions as far as the weather was concerned. ' . Arrangements are being made by the Salvation Arniy for their good work ; in connection with the military camps to bo continued at Trentkam, or wherever the military . authorities shall direct. The attendance sat religious, or song services at the recent; Awapuni. camp totalled 8300: the total attendance in the marquee day and night was 26,520; and the letters written and posted, 11,722. l ' ■■'■■■ ■-■■■■■■ At yesterday's meeting of the Canterbury. College Board of Governors a resolution was carried on. the motion of the chairman, seconded by. Bishop Grimes, expressing the board's sympathy with the, authorities controlling the University of Louvain, at the destruction of the University buildings,, including the library building, .containing 70,000 valuable books, by German soldiers. The mover and seconder spoke in terms of emphatic protest against the act. of vandalism; committed by, a nation which professed to stand in'the forefront of culture and civilisation.— Press Association. . . '. . . ■

"Sixty years ago," said the ■ boatswain, "a steamboat called the' Old Kentuck blew up'near Trinity, at tho mouth of tho Ohio, by which accident a lady-rejoicing in the name of Jones lost her husband and her trunk, for both of which an action was brought. There was, strange to say, great difficulty in .proving that the late Jones had "been on the boat at the time of the explosion, .that worthy having been notoriously drunk on the wharf boat just as the stcanior left' Trinity. .Many witnesses were examined to prove I the fact, until' finally a Mr. Deitzmaf, .a, Germau, was placed upon the stand. Our friend, James Smart, was attorney for the boat, and elicited this testimony 'from Mr. Dcitzmar: . ! Mr. Deitzmar, did you' know-.the Old Kentuck? , 'Yali, I vas blown up mit her.' 'Were you on board when shs collapsed her ihio?' 'Ven she busted do b'iler? Yah, I vas dare.' 'Did you known Mr. Jones?' 'To be sure. - I took passage togedder mit him.' 'You did? WTieti did you last see him on board tha boat?' (Veil, I didn't see Mr. Jones on board do boat last time." Mr. Smart, certain that ho had won his case, with a triumphant glance at the jury,' asked: 'Yon did not? Well, Mr Deitzmar, when did you see Mr. Jones?' 'Veil, when de schmoke pipe and me vas goin' up, ve met Mr. Jones, comin' down.' "—"Mariners' Advocate. >Tho recent southerly gale loft its marl; on ft poriion of the newly-erected seawall on the Petone foreshore. Several of tho buttresses were undermined, and three large cracks are to be seen in a length of about 50 feet, leaving a section of the wall with a decided 'list to the eea. Among the uncertainties .caused by the war is the future price of tea. A cuble messago roceivod- Tiero 'from Colombo on Saturday stated that .tho prico of all grades liad advanced. It is believed that the sales have again been suspended, probably owing to the absence of Russian buyers, but private selling is taking place. '