LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2350, 5 January 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The mails which left Wellington on November 20, per b.s, Manuka, &ind conneoted with the Naples dispatch per B.M.S. Orsova, arrived in London on January 2. The Telegraph Office advise that the restrictions on wireless messages in plain language to and from ships are now removed. ' The Hon. ,J. Allen, in the course of an interview- at Duhedin yesterday (States ii Press Association telegram), said it Was intended to have the 3rd and 4th Reinforcements -in camp at Trentham same time. They should have 3600 men there before long. Half those reinforcements will leave the Dominion probably in February. Whe\ they leave, more recrufts will be obtained to keep tho strength up to 3600. During the year just concluded 7421 criminal cases were dealt with at the 'ocal Magistrate's Court. On the civil side 5822 plaints were issued. Apropos a case heard at the Magistrate's Court yesterday in which five men were fined for gambling in a railway' train, it may greatly surprise many to know the very sovere penalties ftttaehed to gambling in public- places. Under the Gaming Act the utmost penalty is £100. Under the Police Offences Act tho maximum punishment is twelve months' imprisonment, and that without the option of a fine. "When, as in the cases heard yesterday, the prosecution is brought for an infringement of the railway regulations-, the maximum penalty is a fine of £10. \

The New Zealand authorities of the St. John Ambulance Brigade have received a communication 'from MajorGeneral Dalton, the Chief Commissioner at St. John's Gate, in which he speaks in very high terms -of the work which has been carried out by the divisions of tho brigade in this Dominion in oonnecton with the supply of clothing and material for Queen _ Mary's Needlework Guild, and the raising of funds for the work of the Order. General Dalton, writing to' the- Deputy-Commissioner, states, inter alia: "We appreciate greatly the kind contributions, financial and othferwiso, towards the colossal Work which the Order of St. John has taken on itself in connection with the care of the sick and wounded in the desperate Struggle we are engaged in. The Overfleas Brigade has come to the front In the manner we knew they would, and fre hear from all sides of the good work and cordial and loyal help, and in. no place more than in New Zealand, it Will take the Order all it can do to cope with the task it has undertaken, and this help from the Oversea Dominions will be most acceptable."

There haß beeU an increase in the tonnago of vessels arriving and departing' from the port of Auckland during the past year. Full details as to the year's shipping are not yet available, but data is to hand which shows that the gross tonnage of vessels entering the port amounted _ approximately to 3,254,000 tons, an increase, of 51,000 tons on the preceding twelve months. The net. tonnage of inward vessels showed an increase of 23,000 tons. The gross tonnage of the outward vessels represented a total of 3,254,000 tons, an increase ovor the preceding year of 98,000 tons. The increase in the not outward tonnage was, approximately, 62,000 tons.

In order to provido employment for as many local workmen a3 possible, the Glasgow Corporation proposes to accelerate work in connection with a number of public improvements for which sanction has already been given. Among theso is the new power-house at Dalmarnook, the estimated expenditure upon which amounts to £41,636, while mains extensions, for which £20,000 is required, may be pushed forward. Large amounts , are required for other public irorks, such as baths extensions, £28,406; erection of tonement houses, £6200; sanitary wash-hou6C, £20,000; new libraries for Govan and Partick; Oxpenditure of £25,000 at Knightswood Hospital; new hospital at Robroyston, £80,000; now public hall, £14,000; construction of boulevard, £10,000; and it Is suggested that work might oe commenced on any or all of theso projects." Most of them would involvo electric lighting, and some might create a power or cooking demand. The tramways department reports that it will bo employ 200 to 300 additional men during the winter.

A few inquiries made yesterday served to indicate that the plumbers' bill is 0110 which has perforce been materially increased since the outbreak of war, on account of tho all-rOuri(l increaso in tho prices of metals employed.' Belgium was tho liome of the tliin-sheet iron industry, on which the tin-plate industry of South Wales largely depended. It is not known definitely if this trouble lias been rw.tified by establishing that industry moro firmly in England, but in I view of tho fact that the price has only risen 2s, per ton it looks more than likely that the cutting out of Belgium supplies of thin-sheet- iron has 'been overcome. In tho case of other metals, tllo increase has been greater. IVain mid corrugated iron has advanced from £18 to £24 10s,'per ton, and zinc has. advanced from ,16s. 6d. to 455. Copper and plain brass, which was Is. Id. per b. a few months ago, is now Is. Gd. per lb. Lead rose very suddenly owing to tlio big demand made by tho ammunition factories. From £18 10s. per ton it roso to £31, since when it has drop-ped-down'to £27—which is still £-1 10s. aiiiivo the pre-war quotation. Planished and tinned copper has advanced from Is. od. to Is. 9d. per. lb., and Munta metal from lOJdi to la, Id. per Ifci \ j

The Students' Summer Conforonco at! Warmato continues its sittings, a ays a! Press Association telegram. Consider- * able emphasis lias beiin placed on the' necessity of social'service) and also on & tho responsibility of the Btudent move- 1 ' rnont for missionary effort. Responsibility of every kind has been tho key. note of the conference. ' i

On Saturday the boys of No. 42 Com' pany Senior Cadets (Kilbirnie) returned from a, week's camp at Mungaroa, ffuero they spent an enjoyable time, aild received an excellent course of instruc-1 tion. The work accomplished by tho' cadets and the display given by them on vt s n ay reflected the highest credit on tho oflicer commanding. Lieu-* tenant R. H. Nimmo ,and everv boy in the company. This was tlio first senior cadet camp over held in the Wellington; district, and . Was entirely financed under the supervision of Lieutenant <■ iNimmo, assisted by. Quartermaster-Ser-' S o '™' A- E. Sharp. _In their cooking and drill the Kilbirnie boys distinguish, ed themselves m a manner which was yeiy creditable. Soveral prizes were given by Mrs. Sharp and tho Y.M.O.A lhe prize for the_ cadet who showed most improvement in camp was won bv Cadet Hocking. For the smartest boy , m camp first prize wa ß awarded to Cadet' Houmani, and second prize to Bugler' Tobui. The prizes given by the Y.M.CA have not yet been presented. The company earned further laurels for itself" by coming second in the cadot teams'' match at the group rifle meeting. The property for the camp was lent by Mr. Burroll, of Mungaroa. Lunch and afternoon tea was provided by tho members ot the company, a general invitation having been extonded to the public.

A remarkable accident happened on 1 h Beach Road, Auckland, about six o clock on Friday last, reports tho otar. A motor-car, with three occupants, coming from the direction of the town was on its wrong side at Short btreet. lhe. driver put oh a 6purt and attempted to cross to his right side ahead of a tramcar bound to Parnell. He nnsiudged the pace of the car, and the butter of the tram caught the rear of the motor, l'ho taxi was thrown across the road and plunged through! the corrugated iron fence protecting the • railway right on to the railway line. Xt 3 occupants had a. truly miraculous escape, and tho. car itself when'lifted back to tho road by half a score of willing helpers was found to be practically uninjured. "Within a few seconds of its being got clear. of the lino a crowded race train passed over tho spot.

A little girl named Amiio Perry fell trom a ferry steamer into tlie Auckland harbour on Friday afternoon, and was plucklly and stnarfcly rescued by tu'b men. who went to her assistance. The child, reports tlie "Star/' was playing about on the deck of the ferry steamer Jiagle, which was coming to her berth 1 at the Auckland tee, when she'fell over) the side. A boat was immediately lowered, and at the same time a passenger namedl l'urceli jumped into th&>v water and prevented the child from! : sinking/ Ai this moment the Minerva,. ,which was following at a short distance; behind tlie Eagle, came up, and one of the firemen, a man named W. Bath, seeing, that there was someono struggling in the water, also went to the rescue, and brought the little girl safe- - ly on board the Minerva. The child ivaa immediately taken to one of the Devonport Ferry Company's rooms, and after ' she had recovered sufficiently from the elfects of her experience, she was 'removed to her home in Grey Lynn. Tha parents of the child have written notes .to the two rescuers thanking 'them for their .toave and prompt action in 6aving . the life of their child.

According -to a Press Association message from Gore, the Balfour Ladies' Patriotic League, as a result of their efforts at the Balfour Caledonian sports on Boxing Day, where they ran side shows and a refreshment tent, raised £220 for the Belgian-British Belief Fund. It is estimated that another £30 will be available, when all the returns are in.

Paris smiled one day in November at a merry little jest directed against the military censorship, which is • no less severe in France than in England. The "Temps/' one of the most serious journals in France, published half a column headed "Sensational revelations." In epit-o of rigorous censorship, which had apparently excised nine-tenths of the article,_ as \shown by blanks two inches deep, it was possible to discover between them mutilated fragments of Well-known passages - from' famous authors and tha Bible. "We regret," said the "Temps," "the many excisions which the censor has believed it to be his duty to make in this article, but the author assures lis that, such as it is, it remains clear." •

"We have been in the thick of it witH a vengeance. I cannot tell you details, 1 but we were told to hold, a certain position 'at all costs.' "We aid our job, as' the Royal Welsh Fusiliers always do, and the cost —— ? We were 29 offlcors A and 1017 of other ranks at that time, but when we mustered yesterday only, six . officers and 260 other ranks remained. AYe shall probably collect 50' men, but no lurther officers. The Ger- t man shell lire was awful, awful. The' colonel, adjutant, and myself are well, but the battle is raging all along the, line and on the flank. _ This is a rerfc for me for a few minutes in tie trenches. Our peckers are still up, and even our. little lot can make itself felt yet."—An officer in the l6t. Batt. Royal Welsh Fusiliers to'a'friend at Wcy,< mouth. . , v.

A Press Association telegram from Gisbome states that Frank M'llroy pleaded guilty yesterday to receiving £300 from Edward Hooper, law clerk, knowing the same to have been dishonestly obtained. He was committed! for sentence at Auckland. Our Belgian families have settled down to life amongst us, and as they -■ ccmo and go we' really hardly notice them particularly now, states a writer in "The Queen." They learn a little English, and some of the most unexpected of our residents' are learning a; little French. It is amsuing as dnb walks up the street to pass a. group of lads and hear one who has always had the reputation of being stupid and unteachable eagerly asking a Belgian boy, the French for something or other, and then reproducing the clear French accent in a rather heavy rustio broadness of sound. One hears remarkable stories of the, enterprise- that is being shown in small places. One village of peri, haps 400 people, nearly all on the landy ( has raised a guarantee fund of £8 a"\ week to keep .Belgians.