LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2358, 14 January 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

■As late letters cannot now be, posted on board steamere leaving for places beyond New Zealand, an arrangement has been made whereby late letters bearing an extra rate of postage may be posted at the Chief Post Ofiice up to 15 minutes before the appointed time of departure of such steamers. This should minimiso any inconvenience to the business community caused by the new regulation.

"The position of New Zealand to-day compares favourably with that of any other oountry," said the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey) at the dinner tendered to Mr. A. M. Samttel last evening. The splendid position of tlje country had been remarked on by the Australian visiters lie had recently met, and tliey had said that one would hardly know there waß a war in progress if they were to judge by appearances in New Zealand.

Counsel for a youth oommitted to the Supreme Court for trial yesterday on n. serious charge pleaded persistently i 2? ' en gth for the Magistrate to allow the accused out on hail in his own recognisance. The lawyer in question (Mr. V. R. Meredith) argued that as hi 3 client, a youth of 17 years, not } n . position to advance the ordinary bail, it would be seriously detrimental to his character were ho kept in the gaol until his case oamo before'tJ|6 jury. ■l'i • ev ® r J' chance of being acquitted while in the interval he would he in the same yard as an alleged murderer, convicted thieves, and other bad characters. Were the lad allowed out on the. condition that he report himself to the police daily, he would be able to secure work and be in much more wholesome surroundings. After listening to counsel s statements the Magistrate at length agreed to fall in w)th the idea. ■It is with great reluctance I do it, though' was the' Magistrate's final remark.

Passengers by the Remuera from London yesterday totalled 476. Of this number 42 travelled saloon, 91 in the second-class, and 343 in. the third-class. The majority of the third-class passengers were women and children, who have ?°™ e to rejoin their husbands and rathers,' the latter- having already settled in various parts of tha Dominion.

Some time ago the Defence authorities stated that in connection with recruiting they proposed to issue enrolment cards. The cards are not yet available to the public, and Defence Headquarters 6tateß that it does not propose to allow the cards to become available until every military office in the Dominion is thoroughly prepared to work the scheme. If the cards were allowed out before' all the offices were ready, disorganisation "might result through recruits sending along filled-in cards (printed or home-made) before the reoord system was prepared, Meantime recruiting . will proceed on the lines which nave beon in existence all along. The women teachers' physical culture camp on the beach at Plimmerfcon was to have been broken up on Friday, but it has been decided to continue it till Monday. Everything has '»ohe well at the camp, and there' is talk of making it an annual' affair. : The women are getting very expert in 6wimming and "life-saving." On Monday evening' a fancy-dress parade was held, and a collection was taken up in aid of the Belgians. Last night the campers enjoyed a gipsy supper on the beach.

Christmas Day at sea was duly celebrated on the New Zealand Shipping Company's Remuera, whioh arrived at Wellington from London yesterday morning. A special feature or the festive season was a children's party, and tljere was a Christmas Tree, from nrhioh overy child received two presents.

The majority of the roads in Allendale (Victoria) are constructed of quartz and gravel, from the abandoned' mines of the Berry ajluvial field. On Christ? mas I)ay, immediately after the storni there abated, Donald M'Lean, an. experienced miner, pommene'ed a search of the road—for the wheel uraffiq crushes the material and -exposes the gold—and was rewarded by finding a lump of pure gold weighing 30oz.

A visitor Timaru who waa in the sea at CarpUne Bay during the Christmas holidays had the. misfortune to Ipse his false teeth when diving ofE the raft. The next day when strolling along the sands at'tha north "end of the bay he had the good fortune to" see his lost teeth wash up just in front of him, when he quickly reoovered them none the worse for their twenty-four hours' immersion in sajt'water.- :

The chequered career of & vessel named the Enterprise, employed as a hulk in Wellington Harbour, is about to undergo another change. She win bp of r fpffia for sale by' auction tpVmorrow. During her long service of about fortyfive years in New Zealand, the Enterprise has undergone many changes in ownership, her last purchaser being the New Zealand Government."' On the occasion of her first appearance in Wellington she created, much interest, being ihen looked upon as a really finp looking qraft. According to some of the pffi? on the waterfront who were in Wellington' at the time of the Enterprise's arrival, about the year 1870, the ship bore the spick and 6pan appearance of a yacht, although built apout three years previously in Brisbane, and was considered a' valuable addition' to the coastal traders. She wa6 brought across from Sydney by Captain Mowlem, formerly jnaster of tho ship EJectra, and ifhile at anchor in t]ie harbour was blown ashore by a nor'-west gale on to tho Te Aro beach, near tho Maori pa, the spot, on whioh Luke's Foundry and other places in the vicinity now 6tand. She waa, howeycr, successfully refloated without damage; and for some years 'aftorwards traded on tlie East Coast for Messrs. Leyin and Go. Captain James Campbell then had command, but lie aftorwards took charge of tho steamer Kiwi, which replaced tne Enterprise. The ship was - sold, and until about eight 'or nine years ago continued as a trader on the New Zealand coast, under several owners. Her conversion into a hulk took place when she was purchased by Jolm Mill, of Dunodin.

A public meeting was held m the Greyto\yn Council lifliambors op Tuesday night to consider tTie • question of making a further appeal to the Government to acquire ilia land comprised in the late J. D. Heagerty's estate for closer settlement. A deputation, consisting of the Mayor, Messrs. Udy, Cook, Orr, Hadkms, Feast, and Thompson, was set lip to wait on the Government and urge the purchase.

A parade was hold at the Drill Hall, Buckle Street, last night of tlie members of the Wellington Rifle Chibs' Reserve Corps. The Petorio Platoon and tho Garrison Artillery section also paraded at the same time. After the corps had bean inspected by Colonel G. B. Wolfe, tbey paraded through the city. Major H. Marshall and Lieutenant John Wood were ill charge.

Training is proceeding steadily at Trontham camp. The infantry of the 3rd and ith Reinforcements wore organised yesterday into eight companies as under, and tho officers named were appointed to command them: —Third Reillforcoments: "A" Company, Captain G. T. Watson; "B" Company, Captain W. S. Cooper; "C" Company, Captair Haulker; "D" Coinpiaiy, Captain D. White. Fourth Reinforcements: '"A" Company, Lieuteharit Palmer (temporary) ; "B" Company, Major Hume; "C" Company, Major Childs; "D" Company, Captain Wilkinson. Officers commanding companies hay?> been granted the powers of an otficcr commanding a compauy under the King's Regulations, thoy will deal direct with Camp Headquarters, and will be responsible'to the Camp Cqpimandant (Lieutenant-Colonel Potter) for the training, ' discipline, 'and wanwutleu of tfwir w&ijjiuii#*.

The members of the Valuation Com< mission, Messrs. T. F. Martin (chair-! man), Ewen. A. Campbell, and J. Gj Rutherford, hare returned from theirt toiir of the South Island. The Commis-i 1 sion will probably hold its final sitting! in Wellington next week.

Our .Napier correspondent telegraphs 1 thait at a meeting of delegates of local bodies held yesterday afternoon it wasdecided favourably to recommend' that Mr. 0. P. Eden be granted a coricesV Bion enabling a privately-owned com-! pany to carry out a tramway scheme id connect Napier and Taradaje. '

The Hawks's Bay Motor-cycle Clubt is donating £20 to the Belgian Relief! Fund.

The Union Company's popular Tahiti,; effectually disguised as H.M.N.Z.T. No. 4, came alongside at Port Chalmers: yesterday morning showing every sign of having had a lengthy spell at (says, a Dunedin paper of Monday). Painted a steely blue, and fitted fron? efid to end of every deck for the ao i oommodation of troopers and theii horses, she was quite unrecognisable as the trim passenger vessel Tahiti. The brief information that Commander Ff P. Evans, R.N., was able to give to a) 'Times" reporter was all good news,) and indicated that the voyage with.; New Zealand troops to Alexandria had', been a most successful one. He ex-' plained that, as servants of the Defence 1 Department, the officers are not per*' mitted to give information of any sort,'! but he had no objection to its being, l known that every one of the men arrived in Alexandria fit and well. There' was no sickness among them on the voyage, and out of 282 horses only three were lost. Good weather was experienced. The Tahiti reached Alexandria on December 8, and immediately dis- 1 embarked the men, sailing again on the. return voyage the following day. She-/ has come direct to Port Chalmers, and will shortly be docked there for the cleaning of which she is obviously in, need. •

Esmond Kime, a lad employed in th« General Post Office, who was injured at the result of a bioycle accident on Men-' day, was reported from the Hospital last night to be a little better in con'' aition. - The Canterbury representative cricket* ers, holders of the Plunket Shield; re- 1 turned to Christchurch on Tuesday; evening. I A yoiing African lion, which wag bora, at the Royal Oak Zoo, Ohehunga, two' years ago, 6ays the Auckland "Herald,"/ has been presented by the management of the zoo to the Wellington Zoo. The cub has fyeen jiamed "griton." The crew of a motor launch, on plea-? sure bent, were leaving the harbour the other day (says a Dunedin paper) when a loud report from the Heads batteries made them hesitate. Deeming it incredible that the Defence authorities' should be. adopting stringent measurer to prevent exit from the harbour, tin. skipper continued his craft on coursd. Almost immediately four more resounding reports followed in succes-J sion. Thinking they were being restrict-! Ed by the firing of big guns,'the plea-'. l sure party'headed their launch back tos the harbour. Subsequently they told their experience of the stringent regit;, lation aneiit craft quitting the harbotir., ''You're not serious," replied-a listened in khaki, and lie explained that Jjjjf supposed shooting, was really the test* ing of the fog-signal apparatus, which,having been out of order, had just been) overhauled and restored tp a state oft. efficiency. ■ The South Wellington Salvation Army Brass Band under Bandmaster Walker,' visited the Trentham military ramp last? evening, and gave a most interesting/ programme 'of vocal and instrumental piusic. Major Colyin, pf Ngtipnal Headquarters, •' presided. The were mosj; successful,- and the- prp; gramme wgs enthusiastically' received? by a crowded gathering. During the evening the chairman presented tiyo an?, struments, the gift of Commissioner; Hodder, to the hand, which is being formed to accompany the contingent t<j the front. The presentation evoked loud cheers. The Salvation Army, apart from the usual Sunday services, have been assiduous in their attention to the .-social and recreative.needs of the men' in camp, and have given entertainments of a similar character twice a week ever since the camps were first instituted. It is understood that the Wellington City (S.A.) Silver Band will he visiting the camp for Sunday services at the 'end of the present ijonth. ■ " .

Respecting the census of industrial' unions which is now being taken by tho Department of Labour, the Department reporte that the rpturns are .coming in freely, but that it is impossible yet to gather any idea as to what increase or decrease in strength will be revealed.

Voting for a, representative to fill thei employers' seat on the Court of Arbitration, which will be vacated at ,ths end of_ this month by Mr. William. Scott, is proceeding. The Department' of Labour has already received a large, number of votes f?iom employers' unions,. Between twenty and thirty Welling-, ton women and girls have been die-' patched to Nejson by the Department of Labour to engage.in fruit-picking. A few days ago it seemed that the demand for fruit-pickers was satisfied, but yesterday fresh inquiries came to band from the Nelson district, and the Department is how receiving applications from others desirous of taking employment in this branch of the fruit industry. Only women and girls are wanted for the work. .

The Prima Minister tpas surprised at a statement made by a member of a' deputation which waited upon him the other day to plead the cause of the timber industry, of rather of persons dependent upon tho industry, though not actually engaged in it! Tie statement was that a lot of . Oregon pine was being used in the construction of workers' dwellings at Kelburn. Mr. Massey was at first incredulous, but tlie statement was made so positively that he apparently accepted it as correct.

He has since iound out that it was not correct-. Mr. Massey referred the statement to the Head of the Labour Department, with instructions that if any Oregon pine was boine used in workers' dwellings tbe practice must be discontinued. In the course of his official reply tho Head of the Department gives Mr. Moore's statement definite contradiction. Ho states that no Ore-' gon pine is being used in the construction of the Kelburn dwellings, or in tbe construction of any other workers dwellings." .