LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2307, 14 November 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is understood that tie personnel pf the Valuation Commission —Wt no io inquire into the methods employed in valuing Wellington city property— been completed, and only awaiis lia Governor's signature before being lished. Mr. T F. Martin, solicitor, of Wellington, ivill be a member ci ibs Commission.

The laying-out of the nmnicips! gcK links on. tho. Town. Belt in the Ishai .Bay ristrict is receiving preparatory attention. A good deal of grubbing" has already been done, along tho line of the proposed course, and it is hoped thai the greens will be ready for autumn sowing, which is always tho most satisfactory sowing season for grasses in Wellington

At the close of Mr. J. P. Luke's political meeting at St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, last evening, a littlo girl attending tho Maranui School Landed up a doll to be auctioned. Tho proceeds which amounted to £2 6s. fld. have been added to the Mayor's Belgian Belief Fund.

■ „ ou . r swimmers have gone to Sa™o?-' sa ' c J , a leading swimming association official to a Dominion representative jesterday, and this observation seems to bo to a great extent true regarding the Wellington Swimming Club, for when some of tho older members assembled to hold their annual meeting last evening it was discovered that a quorum could not be obtained, chiefly because so many of tho youncer swimmers were away Empire-B'uildimr. those present, however, did the business immediately necessary, and will take steps to have it properly confirmed.

In conformity with' the policy of the wtj Council to do a certain amount of wood-blocking m the City every, sumrvrl? rt . w,n , shortl r be m ' adf > by tile City. Engmeer's staff. Tho particular section to be laid down in tho first place will be that part of Featherston Street between Lambton Qnav and Grey Street-Kme of the busiest parts ot the commercial area of tho Oitv ' 't is hoped, will be completed before the end of tho year. The Missra Thomson, of Inve'rcarCill. who aro working with the Bod Cross Society in London, writing to their sister in Invercargill, say"One ,? at JJ® ® Cross hap a cousin homo trom tho war minus two hands. Besides the shrapnel wounds, which prevented him killing the demons who out off his hands as he lay wounded. ■ • •There is a ereat shortaco of army blankets for recruits. Pooplo ill I ' ll 2 om and sending them to tho Uar Office. but' whilo our 'Tommies, are aoine cold these autumn nights the. convicted spios and other German prisoners in the concentration camps have at least two blankets, and tho Gorman prisoners aro boine: well treated, getting fat and strong, and when tho war is over they will go back to Germany, to build ud a new nation to fielit us later on. . . . Toll peo-

pie who send socks to wash them first, powder with boracic acid Doivder. and mangle to make a flat parcol. This is straight from Devonshire Houso, by request of Lord Kitchener."

His Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) has received the 6um of £1 Is. from the children of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Canney, 82 Palace Court, London, W.C. (pel- Mrs. A. B. Kemot, Wellington) for the buying of gifts for members of the Advance Expeditionary Forco at Samoa.

Tlie prisoner Hardwick, alias Hammond, who escaped from the train at- Te lCniti on Ootober 30, was recaptured yesterday at Atiamuri by Sergeant Eales and Constable Neil, and brought to llotorua, says a Press Association telegram fi'om Rotorua.. He mado no re-

A rather unusual case was set down for heariug in. the Magistrate's Court yesterday, but was struck out owing to tlio non-appearance of either party. It was a case in which a person was charged with wilfully disturbing a school and abusing the teachers within the hearing of the pupils assembled.

The Shaiv-Savill steamer Tainui, which left New Zealand last week, earned freight free, 40 tons measurement or warm clothing, consigned by the poor of Great Britain and Ireland and Belgium Belief Fund Committee to the High Commissioner, London, for distribution by the Prince of Wales Fund Committee among the poor of Great Britain and Belgium.

Already several applications have been rec ® by tho Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board for the posiwiV , me( !i crl ' superintendent to the Wellington Hospital, the position to be vacated by Dr. Hardwick Smith in uanuary next. A special meeting of tlio board to consider the applications is to be held on November 26.

cojiforcnco of master painters and the Painters' Union was held at Stratford on Thursday, when an agreement was arrived at for submission to the Conciliation Court. -It was also agreed that owing to the war no increase in wages should be asked for for six months, when the matter will be further considered at another conference* There was an amicable spirit between the masters and tho men.

, More defaulting Territorials appeared before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning. The charge in each case was failing to attend drill, and fines were inflicted on the following:— Alexander G. Wilson, Alexander Wright, Frederick Davies, each, fined 55., with costs 75.; George Webb Norgate, ordered to pay Court costs, 75., while the informations against George Hilderbeck and Wm. Irvine were dismissed. . On ,the facts' relating te his case being stated, Francis Joseph Dalton was convicted and discharged.

, The Defence authorities have postponed the fourteen days' voluntary re* fresher course for officers and non-com-missioned officers of the Territorials and the Senior Cadets, which was to' have been commenced in the Welling" ton district on Monday. The camp will; now be held in conjunction with tha, voluntary course of instruction in Janu-' ary next, preparatory to the February, examinations for promotion.

It is reported that recruiting in Netf. Zealand has been very satisfactory, and that an exceedingly fine stamp of soldier has come forward' offering for service at tho front. The Defence Do-; partment has secured all the men it! needs immediately for the present Tren- . tham camp; but will continue to enrol all who care to present themselves* More men will be required very soon,; and New Zealanders will be glad to; hear that there will be further oppor-' tunities given them of serving the Empire.

At the last Hawke's- Bay Education* Board meeting Mr. J. A. Miller, the; newly elected member, protested against, the principle of asking school committees to go round cadging money foil tho upkeep of the school buildings. Ha, considered the principle most unsound. .A motion from the Wellington Board,, prostesting against tho Department's' system of requiring boards to find a/ portion of the cost of school sites was; heartily endorsed.

Mr. William Perry, of Mastertos, hag' given £20 to the Hawke's Bay A. and P. Society towards the purchase of ai new 6how-ground.

Apparently there are still gardens aii Maranui thriving on the flow of water from , the garden - hose. The latest offender in this respect was Eleanor Ashling Clark, who with hsr servant, Daisy Newhrey, have hern hosing a large garden Tnthoiit -drawing -the water, tlrouifh a meter, Doth -were charged accordingly in the Modsfe-jite's Court yesterday morning. She tenner was Sued 10s., with Court costs "s., while the la.-fctsr ttjis convicted tud discharged^

■twin Me son Harold, *io is a ser-* csmii 5n tits Xfiia] Horse. Mr. E, C. 'Tsnnsnt. mn~.fi aa -:c iia Bsnk of 2ven SOTti 'Wsfej. IsrecsrcS, caa i» «hto3 a kfcrer ititt eeeialcs Eom« irtersrßT'g wftpL reeaxd to eTarUja stcii Africa. Wrftins: from Cij>e icTTS ceost Gate- October 6, Sergaasi rsestijsed that 3 small £-~y srjis being c-jbiEeed to to to Ger* ruse Siuic-West Afrks, and expected fe sail is sbaec- tec days' time. At time

of wrisins ti-vie were already some tSsacsscds or troops operating there; bai IsiWo fcsd been heard of their doings. Jest the dsj before 270 sick and hsd arrived back at Capo Tc~c by boat, and the list of killed was beginning to assume big proportions, The Natal Light Horse were looking forward to being in tho thick of the fightings It would appear from Sergeant Tennent's letter tnat there has been some fighting in Gorman Soutli-West Africa of which no news has been sent out by cable. It may, be mentioned that Mr. Tennent haa threo sons in the Natal Light Horse,' Captain Leonard Tennent, Sergeant!' Hugh and Sorgeant Harold, so • thai' tho family is strongly represented.

That tho enormous "silver bordo" of trout which tho uppor reaches of the Wangauui River are now teeming with; aro gradually working their way down to" Wauganui is evidenced by the fact that fino specimens aro frequently now being caught right down to Wanganui itself, and at Pipiriki (says the Wanganui "Hor.ild"). At tho latter place a; beautiful 61b. trout was landed just off tho river steimor wharf at Pipiriki last week. In periods of low water and fine weathwy when the river is clear, those travelling on the steamers can sea. tho fish quite plainly in the river. Trout is almost daily on the houseboat menu list.

The Defence authorities have decided 'to abandon tho naval !lnd military tour-; tiamont for this year. For years tho annual tournament drow volunteers [ (and, later, Territorials) from all parts of Now Zealand to Palmerston North for tho Cbristmas-Now Year week: When the Defence Department decided to take over control three years ago it was arranged to hold tho tournament iii successive years in each of tho four military districts. Tho first was held at Christchurch, and last year-the tournament was hold in i|iis vear it was tho turn of Dunedin, and the preliminary arrangements had been made, but it lias now been deemed advisable in all thfe circumstances to nban* don the meeting for this year.