LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2317, 26 November 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

• The sports gathering which wae to have been held by members of the Expeditionary Force (in camp at Trentham) on the racecourse on Saturday has been postponed until Saturday, December 5.

. James Edward Morgan, a lettercarrier, pleaded tuilty at Oamaru yesterday to several charges of theft of postal packets, and, was remanded to the Supreme CSourfc for sentence (states a Press Association telegram).

Owing to the ill-considered criticism of candidates opposed to the present Government, who have been casting doubts as to the quality of the timber and the work employed in the erection of workers' homes, the Labour Department has decided to throw open for inspection next week those nbmes for workers that are in course of construction, at Taityille (between the Aro Street terminus and the Karori tunnel). Visitors will be shown over 'the premises, and all information as to capital cost, rents, etc., will be given. The houses at Taitville contain from four to sis rooms and are costing from £475 to £516. Information han been received from the Army Council that it has no objection to warrant officers and non-coni-missidhed officers of the British Regular Army, who are on loan to the New Zbaland Government, competing for commissions in the New Zealand Staff Corps. At a. patriotic meeting last night, says a Press Association telegram from Dunedin, about £1400 was\seoured in promises and donations for the Belgian Belief Fund. This brings the aggregate contributions from the Otago oistrict up to about £10,000. ' ' Another rise in the price of sugar totalling 40s. for the month of November is advortised' in to-day'e paper. Speaking on city finance yesterday, Mr.. J. 1 , . Luke stated that owing to the rate. demands being delaj'cd some months this year, the treasury was at present about £20,000 short of the sum that w,as in hand at this time last year. The Mayor made it clear that in the time that had elapsed the money had comb in "just as freely, as in the same length of time when the domands were issued at the usual date, but boing three- months delayed, some ratepayers required the same time as usual after ithe issue of the demands to pay up. It was. for. this reason that some of the proposed works hall riot been proceeded with. One of tho works that .was to have beetl drino this year was the cutting of ten feet off the front of that block of brick shops ih Willis Street immediately to the north of Mercer Street, and building new fronts to the proper street alignment. t As this work was a rather costly "riiie, it had beeti left in abeyance pending tho return of the city treasury to a state of health. At present just the ordinary services were being kept going. Presently a start would be made with tho wood-blocking of tho southern ciid of Feathnrston Street, after which the process of surfacing Molesworth Street would bo proceeded with. Tho case against tho seaman Jack Dillimore was again called in the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning. Dillinioro.is charged with womiding a seaman, Martin Boharrie,- and ho has already been remanded several times, as Behiirrie is still in the Hospital. Yesterday a further femaild was iisltod for. Accused, who had had to be assisted iuto tho dock, objected, as Beharrio was, ho said, dowii at tho wharf the day previously. .. "I am Buffering agony lip at tho gaol, and 1 don't see why I should bo remanded like, this." Chief-Detective Brobeig,. who .applied for the remand, replied that the last advice ho had from tlip Hospital was tliat Beharrio was.fjtill there. At ariyTiito, ho was not able- to go oil with the case thftt wnrnitijs, A further lumniid was grnuted,

At last evening's meeting of the Harbour Board the chairman (Mr. R. Fletcher) stated that some weeks ago the board had voted £100 to tho Patriotic War Fund and £200 to the Mayor's Distress Fund. In common with many other local bodies the board found that it only had legal power to pay money into tho War Fund until tho Validation Bill was put through ( the House. That Bill had sinco been put through, enabling moneys to bo paid to distress funds in. New Zealand and the British Dominions. The amount was on that night's schedule, and would bo paid over to the fund forthwith. In answer to a question, Mr. Fletcher' said that there wore no restrictions to the votes —they were straight-out contributions. Ho was a member of the Distress Fund Committee, which was, now dispensing help to those hi need. Tho fluid amounted to between £2000 and £3000, and there .was little doubt that it would all be exhausted in due course. The board was the first local body to contribute to the local distress fund, and had only waited for the propw legal authority before paying over tho money.

. Messrs. Alfred Linley and Geo. Stephenson, theatrical managers, have arranged to bring "Tho Climax," a very strong musical drama, to New Zealand. This play, which has a very ably writ-, ten vocal score, was produced succeed fully in New York and London a few years ago, and quite recently has been played in Australia by the company that is to appear in tho play in Now Zealand. Tho members include: Miss Florence Young, Mr. Reginald Roberts, Mr. Claude Bantock, and Mr. Edmund Sherras, all of. whom have been leading members of Williamson's Comic Opera Company for years past. The tour opens in Christchurch on Boxing Night. In the Magistrate's Court, Pahiatua, yesterday two Senior Cadets were finod for obstructing parade by laughing, jostling, aud talking. . . ' An auction sale of left and unclaimed goods by the Harbour Board was held yesterday. The sale was conducted by Mr. James Dykes in P Shed. ..The goods covered art extensive range, from perambulators and stoves to packets of dried fruits and bundles of old clothes. The sale was a great success, and bargains were about as numerous as "letins," but no big purses were discovered among the clothes disposed of. It is reported that the members of the Maori contingent at Avondale oontiuue to show marked improvement, the past week concluding the first month's training. Rifles have now been served put to all the men, and next week instruction'will be given in musketry exercises and shooting., Some cases'- of uniforms hayo arrived, biit as there were not sufficient for the 500 men in camp' none will be served out until there are enough for the whole force. On Sunday last there must have been at least one thousand visitors to the canip. The Avondale residents held a' "cake day" the previous Sunday, something over 3001b. of oake being contributed. Last Sunday tho' residents donated eggs, a good many dozen being forwarded. Tho Irivercargill "News" reports the death of Mr. William Young, a wellknown and popular citizen. Mr. Young died at his -residence, Earnshaw Street, Northend, after an illness of two weeks' duration. Deceased was the second son of William Young, of Craigallachie, Banff, and wae bom at Lossieniouth, Mdrayshire, Scotland, in 1343. The deceased leaves a widow —the eldest daughter of the late George Robertson, M.A., of Lonmay, Aber-; deenshirft—ttoce sons, and three daughters. . , .

The half-watt electric lamp—the most economical lamp yet manufactured— was, up till the outbreak of hostilities, solely a manufacture of Germany. A great many companies advertised the half-watt lamps, but it is believed that in nearly every case they were allied, with German manufactures. The war has given a big fillip to the electrical trade of Great Britain, 'and some of the larger companies have beefc compelled to manufacture that which. was formerly imported from Germany. Even those in the trade in Wellington have been deceived as to the origin of goods, which the war has indicated. The halfwatt lamp is now being manufactured at Rugby by the British T. H. Company. ;

,It is little more than two months ago' (says the "Electrical Times") that was referred to .the "wireless direcrtoisfiuder" of the "Royal George." We do not know whether this Marconi-Bellini-Tosi system fdiind a part in Mr. Marconi's interesting little feat in Rome the other day; but, however this may" be, signalling on an extensive scale obtruded iteelf upon the wireless authorities in Rome. Mr. MaTconi applied a. discriminating method of listening, and eventually traced this sending apparatus to a convent occupied by a foreign religious order. It seems that the good fathers had. been remarkably busy in conversing with .stations in Austria ; one gathers from the unsympathetic action of the authorities that the topics were not wholly devotional. Let us hope that other investigators, with discriminatory methods such as Mr. Marconi's, are not inattentive "to. any whi&? periiig from the Southern, or Eastern CouhtieSi possibly also from'the. Isle of Wight, though the many convents there are mostly of French sympathies.

The Auckland barquentine Ysabel returned to Auckland on Saturday morning, from .the Friendly Islands.., The Ysabel left port oii September 16 with a, full cargo of provisions; The vessel's voyage was uneventful. It will be remembered that the Ysabel's cargo was intended for the : residents of Tonga, who were reported at the time to be running short of the necessities of life. Although her shipment was needed ,tha steamer Navua, which left Auckland two days after, the Ysabel's departure, carried a sufficient quantity of foodstuffs to last tlie inhabitants of the island group for some time. On the Ysabel's arrival at Niuafou, however, Captain Ross found that stocks of food were very low, aud a large quantity of the vessel's cargo was landed there. Captain 1 Ross reports that the copra crop generally is plentiful,'but unfortunatelv the market is depressed. The Ysabel brought a cargo of copra, and fruit. After discharge she will remain at Auckland j until March of next year. The out- ! wArd trip from Auckland was made in : fine weathor, also the return ' voyage. While cruising in. the Islands the vessels encountered the tailond of a hurricane. The inhabitants of the Tongan group were naturally eager to hear the latest war news, biit as the fitavua is bow calling at the principal ports each month the residents are kept in touch , with the progress of events. 'A Russian subject, formerly an officer in the army, went to attend the Belgium Fund concert at His Majesty's Theatre lasi night, says Monday's Cliristchurch "Press," and found the building fully cccuj>ied. Ho placed a £1 note in the plate. "They are our Allies," he eaid. "and I want to help them all I can. This striking generosity secured for him a good seat, '-then being held in resorvo for another party. Sometimes people aro a little premature. An elderly man, charged at the Cliristchurch Magistrate's Court on Saturday with drunkenness, anticipated the Magistrate's decision, by_ stating that ho bad £10 in the Union Bank and would the Court allow a. constable to go rouiid to the bank with him to draw it? "You ddu't want mo to fine you £10?" asked Mr. H. W. Bishop, who was pu the, Bench. "No," replied the accused. ''Well, wait \intil 1 announce my decision. You aro a very lucky man, you are convicted and discharged." In the case ••under notice the accused was on remand on a charge of helpless drunkenness which led the Magistrate to , ask: ''Why should the country bo put to tho texpensp of keening these follows who get beastly drunk P." Nα one supplied the answer.

A persistent eleotor . oreated muob! amusement at tlie Takapuna meeting of\ tie Opposition candidate (Mr. H. o.' Towslej) for the Woitemata seat. The ; i eleotor took full charge of the proceedings and kept it for the space of ten minutes, notwithstanding the efforts of the 'chairman to oheck his volubility. Advanoing to a front 6oat about midway in Mr. Towsley'e Bpeeoh, the elector rose as if to ask a question, and* then 6oized ppon one of the candidate' s> points to make a speech on his own' account, in an exoited and High-pitched/ voice. After muoh expostulation thev interrupter subsided, but only to break in again shortly afterwards,' and to render progress by the candidate impos> sible. After various efforts, at persuasion liad failed threo members of the: audience advanced, and partly hustled, partly carried, the lively gentleman out' of tiro hall. Even this did not end the' disturbance, for he was then- heard! pounding upon the door, and vehement- , ly expressing his desire to re-enterd Aftor.a period of probation the trouble? some person was readmitted, on prom-} ises of good behaviour. Even then h/ was unable to restrain himself Trontf noisy lntorjeotlons, which, however, Were* now modified in consequence of thss timely arrival of tfco hoal polioaman. On a recent voyage the Elder Demp-i ster liner Bangara,- from Hamburg to West Africa, experienced a, remarkable adventure, recalling some of the episodes of schoolboy fiction. The ship was off the coast of Senegambia when a shook, was felt, and there was some difficulty' m navigation. There was no rook in the course and icebergs do'not"thrive in those regions. The mystery was solved when it was discovered that a. whalehad gone too near the propeller. His ' head had got caught by the blades and' was jammed between two of them and' the stem-post, so that the propeller could not be moved one way or the other. An endeavour was made to se-V cure the monster, and a wire was about'? to be slipped round him when he man-' aged to get clear and slipped away into! the sea. He is said to' have been'from.' 30 to 40 feet long and 15 to 18 feet ink ciroumference. „