LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2384, 13 February 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

lestorday morning the mounted men of tho Third Reinforcements marched aloii" Lambton Quay. Many people lined the streets to witness tho spectacle.

Ike price of oatmeal in Dunedin has advanced by £2 10s. per ton, and is now quoted at £10, slates a Press Association telegram received yesterday. Senders of cable messages are .warned by the Telegraph Office that in messages containing code words, only one of the authorised codes maiy be.used in writln any ono telegram. Telegrams written in plain language or in mixed plain language aud authorised code language, must, after the decoding of the latter, bear a clear, intelligible meanmg to the censor to ensure delivery, or in the case of telegrams for other destinations than the United iungdom in which code language may be used, to ensure passage forward from J\ew Zealand. Messages containing code language followed by groups of figures without Clear meaning to the censor will not bo delivered. All telegrams are accepted at sender's risk, ana are subject to censorship. No refund or telegraphic inquiry will be made regarding the non-delivery of any message. _ Majesty's Trade Commissioner in Wellington (Mr. W; T. Wickham) received advice yesterday that the Board °l Trade will hold a British Trade Fair at the Agricultural Hall, London, of samples of British manufactures exhibited by manufacturers in'order to place contracts. The exhibition is limited to toys, fancy goods, earthenware goods, glassware,_ cutlery, electroplate, clocks, common jewellery, paper and stationery. The exhibition will be opened on May 10, and will be kept open for fourteen days. Buyers intershould communicato direct with the Board of Trade, British Industries j-fcair, 32 Cheapside, London, E.C. . There oontinues to be something wrdng with recruiting in this province for service at the front," states the Dunedin Evening Star." "What that something is we are somewhat puzzled to understand. Is it the fault of the Defence Department, or of the methods employed, or of the young manhood st-ill in our midst, or of all three P The question should be examined calmly and without feeling. There may be 6ome deliberate shirkers in our'midst, but it is neither fair nor iust to indulge in passionate tirades against the youth of the community until we know beyond doubt that our young men are not coming forward as they should. Neither this nor anv community can afford-to send away all its qualified men. Some of them must stay behind, for the simple reason that someone must do that work in the absence of which it would be impossible to carry on the war at all. The youth or man who works in the factory, and dockyard and in,numerous Ikes of industry is engaged as truly in the service of his country as is the man- at the front. Food,: clothing, ammunition, implements, constructive, as well as destructive,' must go forward in a continuous, unbroken stream, otherwise that "thin red line" on which, in the last resort, everything we have and our existence depend would disappear." I A good deal of excitement was created at Johnsonville yesterday when it was known that -two brothers well known in the district had been arrested on charges of having insufficient means of support. It is alleged that they nave been -living on their mother for some time past, and have done no work at all. The j two brothers will appear m the Magistrate's Court this morning. The arrest was mado by Constable Cox. .

An example of the attempts which are being made by Germans to conduct trading operations through neutral countries has been discovered in Auckland. The daughter of a late resident opened a letter addressed to her father, in which a;quotation wa» asked for 30 tons of acroyides, which was to be shipped, to Copenhagen, this port evidently being the most convenient. The letter was sent by a Spanish firm acting as agent for Max Ziman, of Hamburg, for whom the goods were being procured. This article is extensively used in the manufacture of. explosives and is a product of Australia. The recipient! took ;the letter to a leading Auckland merchant, who, when he discovered the contents, promptly handed the letter to the postal authorities, who have forwarded it to Wellington.

As a result of a scrutiny of the Hutt Road last evening by tho Petone Police and the Borough Inspector (Mr. W. B. Gough), a number of cyclists will appear at the; next sitting of the Petone Court for riding without lights. At Monday evening's meeting of the Petono Borough Council, Councillor Forsyth will movo: "That the council approach the Wellington City Council for particulars regarding the Wellington Municipal Fish Market, with the object of establishing a fish market in Petone." The question of constitution of tho Arbitration Court as it concerns the fixing of City Corporation rentals is to be brought before tho City Council. Councillor L. M'Kenzie has giveu notice that at tho next meeting of tho council lie will movo: "That this council shall take the necessary steps to urge upon the Government the desirability of having the Arbitration Act amended 60 that in all cases a Supreme Court Judgo shall bo tho third arbitrator in arbitrations held to fix rentals undfcr Corporation leases." People who hose their gardens from tho ordinary water supply without a meter would, as Mr. E. 51. Beechey (City Council Solicitor) said in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, be horrified to be aocuscd of theft. "It is practically a case of theft," declared' Mr. Bcechoy, "as these people hose their gardens with water that is not theirs." The case of Walter Andrews, charged with failing to attend drill oil September 4 last, has beou mentioned-many I times eince that date in tho Magistrate's i Court. Doctors • have differeaod over this case as to whether he is fit for military sorvice, and Andrew's counsel. Mr. J. F. Wj Dickson, has submitted that in consequence tho charge against him should be dismssed. Rocont.lv, however, a military medical authority has pronounced Andrews as fit for drill. The case came before tho Court vested day, and the Magistrate dcoidwl that under the circumstances ho would convict and discharge Andrews, Applications to tho Labour Department for hop-picking work in the Nolson, Motueka, and adjacent districts are increasing daily, and tho Wellington and Nelson olficors of- tho Department have the namos of a fairly large number of women and girls available, most of whom havo had provious experience on the hop-fields. At a meeting of representative growers this week, at which an 'officer ot the Department was present, a linauimous resolution was passed to engage labour through the Department during this and future seasons. The Labour Department states that picking will commence about March 1, and the Department will probably arrange for a special steamer to convey pickers to Motuka at a rtduced rate of fares. No fees are charged by tho Department, and the full concessions granted are given to tho picker 5 waoiwi.

■J A youth named Herbert Hughes re-' oently had an unlucky day at trouihshiug in the Kaiwarra stream, and so as a last, resort he walked into tho stream and caught a few trout by the simple yet effective process known as ' tickling." Hughes had not landed many trout before he was landed himself by tho ranger, and 06 a result appeared in the Magistrate's Court, M'hero ho heard his trout-tickling characterised in the charge against him as. faking trout from the, Kaiwarra; 6tream in an unsportsmanlike manner." Hughes further heard the ranger say that the minimum fine for tho offence was £2. The Magistrate appeared surprised that the minimum firie was such a large one, and said that thore was' no option but to impose ft. This ho was sorry to do. Hughes was allowed) -i days in which to find the money.

I t mplo iVecs of the Gear Company's | retail branch, Petone, assembled ou iuesda.v to bid farewell to Mr. W. C. r( li who, after some thirteen years'' beenh-nn'f 1 tLe , O , Om P. ai iy in Petone, has, 5. to the position of chief clcik ill their Lambtou Quay branch. Mr. Crooks, on behalf of hit co-workers ■rated Mr Burd with a hSomo silver-mounted umbrella, suitably insenbed, and said -they all sincerely regretted his removal to Wellington. Others spoke on similar lines. The funds of the Now Zealand War Contingent Association in London on nf "Ann' p ks , fc ' I f tood , a t £6000. A sum of £500 for field ambulance equipment' SKI? t y - r 6 ? ssociati ™ from tlio Auckland Patriotic League. In answerto an advertisement put in the "Tim.es"' and other London papers by Mr. Nor-, man Dalston, tho honorary secretary of' the association, asking for newspapersfor the men with the Expeditionary i'orce in Egypt, immense quantities of i papers have been sent from all over' the United Kingdom. These are all then ; put into mail bags, which the P. and U. Company very generously takes out to Egypt free of charge. The editors ot the following newspapers and journals have kmdly offered to cheer the m j u ?, b y presiding 100 "Standards, 200. 'London Opinions," "Great Thoughts," 500 copies of "Henderson's cs ) , and 150 copies of "John ~ull each week. In addition to these, the London and Provincial Laundry has been good, enough to promise to wash all socks free of charge. Many further gifts in-kind have been received-.by the badies • Committee of the Now Zealand ii ar Contingent Association.

In acknowledging tho rcceipt from the Aucklajia Patriotic League of £500 which was sent Home for the benefit of sick and -wounded New Zealand soldiers in Lngland, the secretary of the New Zealand Contingent Association h rites as follows to the Mayor, "the chairman of the Auckland I Patriotio Committee:— 'I take this opportunity ot enclosing half a dozen Christmas cards, similar copies of which were sent addressed personally to everv individual omcer non-commissioned officer, and man of the New Zealand Expeditionary force m Egypt. We thought the little extra trouble in addressing each individual unit would be amply compensated by tho little attention, which we' hope nas appreciated. We have a large stock ol woollen goods, the work of the indefatigable ladies of the association and their-friends Wo are holding these comforts until the contingent is sent to the front, presumably next March. In the meantime the ladies have not relaxed their exertions.'' Week by week wo send to the men in Egypt large quantities of newspapers ana illustrated papers, l purchased by tho association, and sent in from all parts of the United Kingdom, in response to an advertisement. We are doin°; all we possibly can in the way of looking after our men. The most we can do is the least ' we can do." ' ■

At they present time there is a great demand for careo-sliips in various parte of tlie world—due to . the fact that so many vessels have been seized or interned in neutral ports, and that hundreds of steamers have been taken over by the British authorities for military, purposes (says, an exchange). The carnage of the wheat Crop from the Argentine will keep numerous vessels employed for some time, and the services of ecveral sailing ships have been requisitioned in this connection* Already several sailers have been chartered in Australia and New Zealand to carry wheat cargoes Home. The Italian ship Eurasia left Auckland on Thursday morning for Monte Video, in ballast, to load wheat for Europe. Unfortunately the vessel went'aground in the Firth of Thames, and' returned to port after being refloated.- It is expected that she will resume her voyage in a few days. The, barque Irene, which recently discharged a cargo cf guano at the Bluff from Maiden Island, left the southern port' on Friday last for Buenos Aires, where she will load wheat for a Home port. The Norwegian four-masted barquentiiu Ba, which brought a cargo of coal from Newcastle to Auckland some months ago, and which subsequently loaded a. cargo of cement at 'Whaugarei for Brisbane, has also been chartered. Tho Ba is now on her way from Brisbane to Buenos Airos to load wheat for Europe. Another charter announced is that of the Norwegian barque Cairnsniore. This vessel came to Auckland from Samoa shortly after the outbreak of the war. After docking she proceeded to Surprise Island and loaded a cargo of guano, which she is now discharging at Dunodin. On completion of, discharge, tho Cairnsmore will also prooeed to Buenos Aires to load 3 cargo of wheat for Europe.

For a heroic action in tho North Sea Lieutenant Edward de Fay© Renouf, E.M.S. Conqueror, has been awarded the silver medal of the Royal Humana Society. Tlio Second Battalion Squadron was steaming 13 knots in lino ahead 500 yards apart, whoa tho signal boy fell overboard from the Orion, the leading ship. On the Conqueror, tho second ship, coining abreast, Lieutenant Renouf sprang overboard, and a lifebuoy was let go, which the lad reached. On the Thunderer, the next ship, coming up a second lifebuoy was let go, and l this Lieutenant Retwaf got hold of. As t the ships were cleared for action all boats were inboard, and the davits down, and owing to the danger from hostile submarines it was a question whether any ship was justified in stopping to pick them up. Eventually, however, both were by skilful work picked up by the Orion.

Captain Chaplain Rev. Jas. Mthw, of Lower Hutt-, will conduct tie Pros-, byterian Ohnrch services at tho Trentham camp on Sunday morning at' 10, o'clock, •