LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2333, 15 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities advise that the s.s. TJlimaroa, which is due from Sydney to-day, is bringing Australian mails only. - . The Defence authorities have receive the following* wireless / message from Colonel Logan, commanding at Samoa: —The health of the troops is good. Battery Sergt.-Major J. Jesson is suffering from debility; Trumpeter F. Turner, dengue. Field Engineers—Private C. Jones, dysentery. Railway Engineers, • Sergeant T. Harrison, dengue; Sergeant V. Matthesori, carbuncle; Quarfermaster-Sorgt. Wilson, dengue. Sappers, G. Keeble, malaria; E. Smyrk, abscess; J. Shea, debility; W. Thornton, dengue. Auckland ' RegimentLieutenant Tole, abscess; Privates R. Cardin and T. Peek, dengue; H. Davidson, cellulitis; H. Harvey, injury to knee. Wellington Regiment—Colonel Turner, fractured leg; Lance-Corporal H. Foley, dysentery; Privates B. Legg, tonsilitis; J. Moore, appendicitis; R. Malcolm, 0. Scott, and H. Stubbs, dengue. Medical Corps—Privates W. Nirfin, dengue. All are doing well. Whilst angling in the Hutt River just above the Silverstream railway bridge on Sunday, Mr. D. 'F.. Neilson, of Wellington, saw a sporting rifle lying in the'bed of the stream which he recovered by wading out to the spot. The rifle, which was badly corroded, proved to be a' single-barrelled breach-loading gun of American make. •> As to how a sporting rifle should be found in the river at the'place in question can at present only be a matter for surmise. It has been suggested that the guii was the property of a Mr. Kitchen, who was drowned near Silverstream about eighteen months ago, when attempting to cross the river when it was .in flood. The late Mr. Kitchen is said_ to have been, out. shooting at the time, and would have had a gun in.his possession when he- was overwhelmed.

There was the prospect of an interesting political nrgument at yesterday's meeting' of the Wellington Central Ohamber of Commerce, when Mr. Atkin. on the'ground that.it was' a matter of general * importance, • said that the coercion exercised by four different bodies on candidates at the General Elections Had been so_ flagrant that it was high time something was done for tho protection of the public. The prosident (Mr. C. M. Luke}, said that the matter was one of sufficient political colour for. him to (insist that the Chamber's by-law, prohibiting . political discussions, should bo enforced. The .'natter was consequently dropped. Harry Tamm had had some liquor on Saturday, but he wanted more, so that when he entered a certain, hotel and saw Frederick B. Ward with a glass of ale at his mouth and a much larger supply of tho self-same beverage at bis feet in a stone jar, Tamm took advantage of the.preoccupation of tho ownerin tho elevated supply, and covertly made off with the stone jar. Tamm was imprudent enough to be m tho public street with the jar in his possession an hour later, so that tho police, who had been advised by the anxious owner of tho truant jar, apprehended him. Yosterdav Tamm appeared in the Magistrate's Court, and was charged with tho theft of the jar of beer from Ward. Mr. H. F. O'Loary appeared on Tamm's oohalf, and explained tho facts' detailed above, after hearing which tho Magistrate fined Tamm 10s., in default three days' gaol. Ward was fortunate, ■for tho jur was returned to him with the contents intact,

Captain Marshall, R.N., of H.M.S. Psyche, Senior Naval Officer in. New Zealand waters, has replied to the Wellington branch of the Navy League as follows: —"On behalf of His Majesty's Navy, I have the honour to thank the League for its congratulations on the splendid success achieved by Vice-Ad-niiral Sturdeo and Ms squadron. There is no doubt that the very gallant aotion/ of Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Craddock and that noble saorifice of life, wliich has now been avenged, led tho way to it. It must be a matter of immense pride for all in the . Dominion , that their gift ship, the New Zealand, - is at the decisive point, bearing her! share in tho important end most wear-; ing duty of .blockade, upon the success; of which depends the safety of the seas'' and the final result of the war."

A valuable record, compiled by Mr.H. G. Hill, General Manager for New' Zealand of the Bristol and Dominions 1 Producers' Association, showing all the butter and cheese factories of New Zealand,. with details : of their output, etc., was presented to the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce jester-' day by Mr. Hill. The record was in' the shape of a handsomely-grained map, with the looation of the factories shown Other interesting details in. connection with the Dominions' produots were in-' eluded in the. compilation. The Chamber accepted the gift with thanks. The Supreme Court vacation -com-'* rnences on December 20, and extends tattle end of January. During this per- ! wd no Judges will sit, hut the public 1 office will be open from January -10 on--wards between thehoursof 10 a.m. and noon. ■ \ The new block of workers' dwellings at Taitvjfle, which was described in an article in yesterday's Dominion las been thrown open to the publio for inspection, and a large number of people have made use of the opportunity to* see through the houses. Mr. J. W.f Collins, of the Laboar Department, has! attended for the purpose of giving in-) formation to those requiring it. Tho' buildings were designed by Mr. Woburn Temple, architect to the Depart* ment. . '. A Napier paper states that the cnaiiv) man at a political meeting at Tomoanall so far forgot the saored duty attaching to his high office as to leave the chair,; to administer personal chastisement to ! an active dissenter from the speaker's political views. .After the meeting had, concluded the chairman was handled gently but firmly by'- some members of '• the and frog-marched to thai lake, into which ho was heaved, "drcsß--. Ed in. his best suit of clothes." ! Before the business opened at the meeting of the Wellington Central, Chamber of Commerce yesterday, tie president-(Mr. C. M. Luke) referred to the British naval victory off. Falkland Islands. _ It was a matter of extreme satisfaction, he'said, that tie British' Navy had so established their superiority and effectively kept open the trade routes. They could have confidence in tho -Navy. The remarks were -greeted with.,- applause.. '

_ At last night's meeting of the Wei' lington branch of the Social Democratio Party the leading features of the recent elections were under review. Greal satisfaction was expressed at' the suo< cess of the party everywhere. The in, crease of nearly 50 per cent, iu ths Labour vote in Wellington North was* the subject of much Mr. ;H. E. Holland thanked his conn}, mittee for their efforts on behalf of biff, candidature. Arrangements were made' for a 'great extension, of the party's j propaganda work, including a systematic house-to-house distribution ' of/ literature. . .Preparations were put irt' hand for. a. course of lectures on his-1 torical, social, and economic subjects-, and the project of a Social Democratio. Debating Club was favourably received.)

At the meeting of tho Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday a letter was ' read from the Agricultural Department, v stating that the New Zealand Trade. Commissioner at San Francisco had reported that in connection with the importation of- New Zealand goods, into Canada consignees complain that' the failure of some New Zealand shippers to' complete tho invoice forms accompanying goods was still, causing difficulty to Canadian Customs authorities. In par-,, ticular it was preventing goods obtain-/ ing the benefit of preferential tariff, for which special invoices are prescribed* * Provided that the flag now flying oven this portion of Samoa stays unchanged, after peace has been declared (says the Apia paper) it is highly probable that some.of the young men now temporarily amongst us may wish to return and settle hero permanently. To provide some information as to what may,; be done here with our Samoan lands,; the following statements may be of uso:, *-We have just experienced an extra-. '; ordinarily good cacao year, and moat of the well-kept plantations have borne, enormous crops. Records exceeding iOOOlb.'of cured cacao beans per acre are ,very common indeed. Some records run up as high as 14001b. per'.acre. o£ the highest class cacao. , Hospital Saturday at Westport, saya-j a Press Association telegram, realised J , £74 in the town,- and the country col- i , lections have still to come in. :

Among the English firms which have j sustained a severe blow on account of, the war is. Thos. Cook and Son, the," well-known tourist agents.' Hostilities! broke out in the height of the Contin-i! ontal season, when, thousands of Eng.. lish tourists were either on -the- Gontinent or about to depart on various, tours, and consequently all plans were, upset. Some of the tourists who were, in Germany and Austria were able to get away from those.countries, not without <a great deal of difficulty, and, in some cases, not without enduring, suffering and actual loss. The whole of the firm's deposits in German and Aus-. triau banks are said-.to have been confiscated bv the respective Governments, of those countries, and naturally the. German and Austrian staffs of the firm, are at present either among the unemploved or are-at the front. The firm, notwithstanding the great loss it must' have sustained, is treating its staff with . great liberality. The positions of all' volunteering for service at the front are being kept open for them, and, in the case of married men going on service, the firm is paying £1 per week to the wife and 6s. per week for each child. On account of the big check the tourist traffio has received, the salaries of the Home staff have been reduced slightly, but tliis does not apply to those in the firm's employ in Australia and New Zealand.