LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2392, 23 February 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

! Having received many complaints _of the non-delivery of correspondence, including parcels, addressed to the Expeditionary Force, tho Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Postmaster-General, last week addressed a telegraphic inquiry to General Go'dley in Egypt, stating the facts aud asking whether mails were received regularly.. Genoral Godley's reply is as' follows"All fully-addressed correspondence is delivered within a few hours of receipt. Up to the end of Januarv mails received weekly, but this month fortnightly. Parcels • received usually over month after addressee receives advice of dispatch from New Zealand. Probably complaints refer to latter."

The carrying out of the Imperial authorities' request that the New Zealand Government should obtain control of meat supplies, in view of their possible requirement by the English Government is entailing a great deal of work on the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey). A further conference was held yesterday afternoon by Mr. Massey,' with representatives of- the freezing "companies, and to a Dominion reporter later the Prime Minister said that-while the task was_ a big one, he was gradually seeing bis way clear. No details are yet available as to what steps are to be taken. A considerable difference in the aspect of Manners Street east is expected to be effected during the present year, providing the Government go on witn the erection of the new Police Station I for that part of the City.. The site for the , new station is the corner of Lower Taranaki Street and Wakefield Street (just opposite A. Hatrick and Co.'s i warehouse), a corner section which is at present heaped high with tho Tramway Department's coal. As soon as the Government erect the new station, the old one opposito' the Kind's Theatre will be demolished, and as tile result of taking a considerable slice of land off the Market Reserve, Manners Street I \vill be widened as far westward as the Koyal Oak Hotel, leaving a deal more roadway space for tho manipulation of traffic, which is shockingly congested at times, particularly when tlie theatres aro emptying of an evening. Tho Prime Minister stated to a reporter yesterday that the s.s. Horuelen, which is due:at Auckland shortly with a cargo of wheat from Canada, for distribution in tho North Island, lias also on board a good quantity of flour , on private consignment. The Hesperus, with 300,000 bushels, of wheat, should commenco unloading' in Lyttelton today. At' the quarterly meeting of the council of tho New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, to be held' on Friday night, the advisability of holding interisland championship meetings, will be considered, at the request of the Management Committee. The Dominion Council of the Now Zealand Catholic Federation will meet in the headquarters offices at Wellington en Wednesday morning. The delegates attending will bo the Rev. Fathor Coffey, and Messrs. Poppelwoll and Hussey (Dunedin) ; Very Rev. DeanHylaud, Rev. Fathor Coonoy, and Mr. Hayward (Christchurcli); Very Rev. Dean Power, Rev.* Father Daly, and Mr. O. P. Lynch (Wellington); Very Rev. Dean Darby, and Messrs. M'Lachlaii and J. P. Nirlieny (Auckland). Tho thirteen odd shillings that a first offending inebriate was ordered to pay in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday ontailed 6ome interesting litVle details. In the first place, the man in question was discovered lying, on the railway track hotweeu two tunnels on tlio Manawatu line. He was fojind to be ruffering from slight injuries anil from tho effects of drink. Ho was brought 011 to Wellington by train, and placed in tho Lambton police cells, after ho had .recoived attention. The fateful number of shillings totalled up the incidental costs. At a well attended meeting of the Wellington branch of tho Social Democratic Party held last evening tho following roxuliifinn .wns nminnnniiKlv

At a well attended meeting of the Wellington Branch of tho Social Democratic Party held last evening tho following resolution was unanimously adopted"That the Social Democratic Party delegates to the Labour Representation Committee be instructed to support the running of a Labdur candidate ror tho forthcoming Mayoralty eleclloa.'C

Mr. P. Lambert, the first professumai covered courts champion, of Dnlwich,London, has written to the New Zcar land Lawn Tennis Association as to the possibility of obtaining an engagement in New Zealandi Ho is to bo asEed by the association what terms he would quiro for an. engagement here. : Our own industries are often, unnecessarily neglected by those who should be the, first to help them. Without inquiry or question, the Defence authorities have in the past always procured their stirrup-irons from England. The article has been a good one and the pnco fair, 60 na one bothered any further about the matter. In the present emergency England is unable to supply, the regulation gun-metal stirrup-irons for the equipment of the mounted infantry, and necessity being the mqther nf, well, Bay • a second thought, the Defence Department decided to boldly, experiment in getting the irons made in New Zealand. Tlie admieeion is now. freely and frankly made that'the Christ-church-made stirrup"-iron is better the English and costs no more. Thediscovery engenders the thought that there may. be hundreds of articles thai*/ can be just as easily and economically]* mado in the Dominion ss in eeas country..

Something in the nature of an ideal 1 jacket for the use of soldiers in th« trenches during the winter has been' forwarded without any accompanying ex* planation to the Minister of Defence (Hon. James Allen) by a lady who gives her name but no address. Hie garment is a sleeveless jacket, made, of dressed; slieepskin, with the wool about half ans inch long adhering to the inside. Ths jacket extends tie full length of tha back, and in front is drawn in until itr overlaps with straps and buckles. Thai utility of such a garment in the European theatres of the present war' ia unquestioned, but as the New Zealand men will probably all go to Egypt on Southern Europe, it is not anticipated that such a garment would be necessary. One officer has already pointed out that the Russians actually have such a garment, but in their case hd fancies that the wool is worn outwards in order that the damp may not pene« trate through. The thought which prompted the making of such a garment and the forwarding of the same t<x the Defence authorities deserves recognition.

The clerical representatives from the Wellington district at the New Zealand Methodist Conference, which will open ill Christchurch next Thursday evening, will be the Revs. J. Dawson, G. S< Cook, J. Southern, W. Eecnett, Ward, G. Ivnowles Smith, P. J. Cossum, J. H. White, and possibly the Rev. Mra Perymah, of Jolmsonville.

Every saddle made under contract for the Defence Department is examined iu detail inside and out by expert saddlers before it is accepted. Even in rush times like the present, ■ when there is naturally ah extra demand be< ing madeupoft the officials of the Milix tary Stores Department, nothing i 3 done haphazard, io goods are accepted on sample, and no completed order is accepted finally until a thorough examine tion has been made. A Doinsiox re» porter was shown a couple of huge cased containing saddles that were about to be sent back to the makers. One naturally asked why, and was informed briefly tnat they were not up to contract sample. There on a saddle-tree was the sample, and each one was examined minutely in close relation to it, so that if the material, workmanship, shape, 05 weight did not meet the oontract con* ditions, the goods were at once refc jected.

Tho adjourned meeting of the Otagd High School Old Boys' will he held thia evening at 8 o'clock in Turnbull's auo« tion rooms, in connection with the fcAv mation of a unit of the National Be* serve. The committee appointed ati the last meeting reports good progress* Tho Old Boys, during their school days, all went through military drill, being members of the' noted Otago High School Cadets, and tho battery, with its • field service pounders, used to pnt up records when firing at White Island, off Ocean Beach. It was a treat to see the way "the boys" used to toss those guns about, and when a parade was called, a big muster of an admiring public was always certain to see the lads at drill. The call to arms of the Old Boys has caused great enthusiasm amongst them in .Wellington,

The applications to tie Mayor (Mr.J. P. Luke) for relief through, the local Patriotio Distress Fund, hare fen rather more numerous than before. The class which has_ been most insistent have been the wires and dependents o£ Army Reservists, who have been compelled to go to the front, and serai for praotioally a pittance, leaving t-hein wives and families to face the position! as best they dan. These people have a legitimate, claim on the fund, but each case is inquired into thoroughly, by the secretary (Mr. Osborne), and is carefully considered by the committeei before anything definite is done,. Even then the help afforded usually consists of orders for rations and assistance to pay the rent. There have been cases where Germans, released from internment 011 Somes Island, and. finding it impossible to obtain work _ owing to their nationality, have solicited assistance from the fund. The-committee of the fund lias decided that help can*, not be afforded in such eases, as the money was never contributed by the public to assist enemy subjects. There are. as a matter of fact,, plenty of well-to-do Germans in Now Zealand who might very'easily afford assistance to boir distressed countrymen by either providing work or means of subsistence for them during the period of the war. The Kawatiri (West port) Rowing Club is well represented in tho New Zealand Expeditionary Forces. The club has already sent this soascm twelve nion to the front, with more to follow, in the next Reinforcements., , The chib is having a roll of hoMmr put up in the shed for the members who have gone to the front,

The result of a pigeon race flows from Hawora, under the auspices of the Hutt Valley Homing Tigeon Society, was:—Whitehead and Booth's Torehy, timo 3hr. 19min. -IGsoc., velocity 953.99 yards per minute, 1; W. J. Smith's All Black, time 3hr. SOmin. 'lOsec., velocity 076.90 yards pov minute, 2; O. D. ana 0. Abrahall's Sarnoau, timo 3hr, 22nnn., volocity 965.54 yards per minute, 3.

_ 'The Hutt. and Petone Hibernian Clubs ■ intend holding a 6ports meeting on St;, Patrick V Day (March !?), in aid of the Belgian Relief Fund. The . meeting, which will be under tho auspices of the New Zealand Amateur Athlotio Association, will be held on the Hutt Recreation Ground. ' According to, Mr. Morgan, of the Geological Department, there. is little, hope of the Department undertaking a thorough geological survey of the north, -as the geological branch is understaffed. The Whangarci Chambor of Commerce, according to the Auckland "Star," has decided, to move again in the matter, asking the Department to reconsider the. appointment of an officer to survey their district,, aiid, failing the possibility' of a complete survey of the district, something to be,., done in respect of the, Puhipuhi district,, which was believed to carry such rich mineral and other de- ; -posits. " ' -''But for the snakes and my advanced • age, T should like to live in Australia," was the remark of Canon; Eccles, who is returning to Napiar after an .absence «if two months in Goulbnrn and Sydney.: ; The' returned clerio feuiarked to a reporter at. Auckland on Tuesday that on the second day of his arrival in. Goulhurn he conducted a funeral, and during \its - progress the mourners killed two euakes . in. the cemetery.At ; another funeral which he conducted no fewer than five snakes were put out of esistonce. His Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. P. ,Lnke) has received a letter from Melbourne from the Pliminer-Hall Patriotic 'Comedy Company informing him :of the tour that is to commence in Wellington on March 20, and the purpose of the organisers, in giving all profits to the New Zealand Patriotic Fund. In his letter, Mr. H. Plimmcr 6ays: "Our tour will commence in Wellington on March 20. The; Wellington season will lie for seven night®, playing 'Lady Windermere's Fan' and 'Peter's Mother,' both charming plays. :Your Worship may see fit-to acquaint the councillors with our determination, and possibly convene a public meeting,; so : that the fullest publicity may bo given to" the enterprise." Ihe Mayor and Mrs. " Luke have given the assurance tbait they will do all in their power to help the" project in, question. ' ■ The triennial conference of the Amal- . gamated Society of Railway Servants opened/ in. the offices of the society, Aitken Street, yesterday. There was an attendance cf seventeen delegates from all parts of New, Zealand, under the presidency of Mr. W. T. Wilson, of Palmerston North. After the delegates had been welcomed,' consideration was given to a number of remits, dealing with internal management and, affairs of the society. ' This morning the delegates'sit again, when some remits . of considerable publio interest , will be discussed. The conference, pribut a Press -Committee has been appointed, aud reports will be made ion matters of general interest. .'4/- . . ; — .; There is still no sign of 'Mrs; )Dixon, who has been missing from, the Foxton seaside since January 30. In this issue a reward of £20 is offered to any. person ;for the recovery of the body up to March 28. ' The Thorndon Ladies' Croquet Club paid a return visit to the Hutt Club, and proved tho winners by three point* to one. Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Ayson: (Hutt): beat' Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs.'G..Richardson; Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. G. Richardson (Thorndon) beat Mrs. Yates and Mrs. Jenness (Hutt)Mrs. Palmer and Mrs. Keesing (Thorndon) beat Mrs. Rishworth and Mrs.'Wibley (Hutt); Mrs. ; Johnston and Mrs. Richardson (Thorndon) beat Mrs. Young 'and Mrs. Holland (Hutt).