LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2410, 16 March 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

1— —i. The Postal authorities advise that the s.s. Moeraki, which is due from Sydney to-day, is bringing Australian mails only. The offices of the City Council at the Town Hall will be closed for holiday to-morrow (St. Patrick's Day). The Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Maesey) has acpepted an invitation to be the chief guest and speaker at a luncheon to be held by\the New Zealand Club on Thursday. Petectiye Abbott arretted a man in the city yesterday on a charge of theft of goods to the value of £2 10s. Some little time ago one of the City Corporation officials informed $ Dominion representative that, as any petition for a poll on the half-holiday question would require to contain onetenth of the number of signatures on the Wellington _ and suburban municipal rolls, the directors pf the Saturday halfr holiday movement would need to obtain about 4500 valid signatures to tjieir request to allow the people to decide the matter. Last evening the secretary of the movement (Mr.. Croskery) reported that the 4500 mark had beea reached in checked signatures, Altogether 10,000 names nave been obtained. It is estimated that 7000 of these are valid, hut so far only 4600 have been proved to the promoters'- satisfaction. The petition need not bo lodged before March 27. A Gazette notico published last night declares bank notes to be legal tender until August 6. The previous proclamation to the same effect expires on April 6 next. Lately some correspondence has passed between the Central Chamber of Commerce and the General Manager of Railways, on the subject of. the restriction of public access to the Thorndon railway platform at about the time of the departure of Main Trunk trains. At yesterday's meeting of the Chamber Mr. C. M. Luke said that the Railways Manager liad pointed out that it was necessary to prevent the overcrowding of the platform. Mr. Luke added that he liad since represented to the General Manager that, persons who came to the city from uoar-by towns and suburbs should have facilities to use the platform and waiting rooms until their I trains left on their return journey.. , The amount of wharfage that the Plinimer-Hall Patriotic Company would under ordinary circumstances have had to pay at Wellington was not cliaraed. The amount so remitted is beiris accounted for by the Harbour Board as a contribution to the Belgian Fimd. The Horowhcnua Fruitgrowers' Association, at .a meeting at Letiu, passed a resolution to the effect that a conference pf those interested in tlje extermination, of small birds be called to devjse effective means to deal with the pest. The members of the Wellington Hotel Workers' Union are subscribing to a specjal Belgiau Fund, It is es.pected to close the list at the end of til* wck. • ■ By yesterday evening #1100 . liad been coljactod,

By Order-in-Counoil published in th« Gazette last night the export of oats from New Zealand is prohibited. _ On a recent evening tlie town of Rotorua was visited with a plague of gnats. So great a pest did they become tliat several of the shopkeepers found it advisable to closo their Bliop doors, and paper treated with chemicals was burnt in the streets. In premises where there was a bright light tha insects congregated in such large numbers that floors, were covered . .to a depth of several inches. That familiar' item on the breaEfasfl menu—bacon—was the subject of discussion at yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce. The matter arose through Mr, J. M. Q'Hagan, of Woodville, complaining to the Chamber that pigs suffered through delay 'in railway transit. Mr. G. S. Hill,, a member of the Chamber) seized the opportunity to enter upon a dissertation on pork, in which lie said that there was very little proper inspection of pork at the present time. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt essayed to correct Mr. Hill by pointing out that there was a very strict system of inspection in existence, J[r, Hunt added a few words to the effect that it was a pity to disturb the public mind quite unnecessarily about the condition of the pork sold on the local market. A proposition which proved to ba rather too big for immediate decision was made to the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday by Mr. A. Leigh Hunt. Mr. Hunt's scheme was expressed in the following motion:—"That the council shall take 6teps to establish a Commercial Defence Fund on a voluntary basis to provide for—Bringing or defending lejjal actions ill ca6cs of general commercial interest; obtaining legal opinion for guidance of subscribers to the fund; assisting in bringing back to the Dominion absconding debtors of those who participate in the scheme." Concerning the first portion, Mr. Hunt said that everyone knew how difficult it was for individual business men to fight at _ law some of the big business corporations. It was the principle of some business corporations against whom claims were made to carry cases right through to the. Council,. and, unless an individual was prepared to.folloiy them that far, it was useless instituting action against them. Various.matters which appeared to be difficulties in the way of the scheme were mentioned by other members of tha Chamber, and after very brief consideration the proposal was referred ta a committee composed of Messrs. R. Hall, W. Smith, J. Reid, and H. G. Hill. Commissioner Hodder, of the Salr.v tion Army, left for the South Island last evening. While there he will conduct meetings at various towns in the Duuedin division, including Georgetown, Oamaru, Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Mos-< fiel, Balclutha, Invercargill, apd Bluff. [rs. Hodder will accompany the Compiissioner. The chief secretary (Lieuten-ant-Colonel Poivley) is due at Blenheim on- March 27. Brigadier CVmichael, commander of the Wellington division, conducts the services at Hastings on Sunday. . ' A meeting of all interested in a National Reserve for Waikanae was held on 'Tuesday of last week, Mr. S. Duncan presiding. Major H. F. Davis, V-Di, who was present by invitation, gave a Stirring address grid fully explained tha objects of the organisation, after which a branch was formed, with the following officials '.—Committee, Messrs. S. Duncan (president), J. T. Kent (secretary), F. H. Luxford, Austin, and W. Rickards. About 30 persons were present, a'nij at the close of his address Major'Davis jadvised the ljranch to get a' membership of 50 and thus form a platoon. A hearty vote of thanks to the Major for his splendid address and the singing of the' National Anthem brought the proceedings to a close. If the public generally would accept their bread ovor the counter, the 21b. loaf could still be sold at.4d. ■ The cost of delivery in Wellington is ejrtra heavy owing to. the biff grades to be negotiated, accentuated at the present time by the high prico of fodder. There is, at least one baker in Wellington South still selling bread at 4jd. per loaf over the counter. Curiously enough, as the post of delivering bread amounts to pbout Jd. a loaf, he is making more profit than the baker who vends bread at sd. a loaf. Colonel Robin, General Officer Com'' manding the New Zealand Military Forces! nas received from Colonel Logan the following report on the health' of the New Zealand troops at Samoa: —' "Health of troops good. Wellington Regiment: Privates G. D. Christie, septic eyes; P. Harlem, colitis; R. L< Mason, synovitis knee; J. H. Williamson, colitis; C. A. C. Woodford, ear troubles. Auckland Regiment: E. Mills, synovitis knee. Railway Engineers: 0. Standen, filariasis; E. J. Robinson, debility; D. P. Burke, debility R. L. White, sprained ankle. All doing well." The report is dated March 13. The Roll of Honour finds a place ia the annual report of the Brooklyn Harriers. The reference runs :—"The club desires to place on record its appreciation of the following inembers wljo are on active service:—Hori Mio, N. Cummins, T. Elliott, J. H. Robertson, J. O'Neill, E. Johnson, T. South, T. Tro, ward, W. Wakelin, A. Clapham. We sincerely hope that all tljese serve the Empire as they have served' their club, and soon return to take part in the good'old sport." According to a letter which has been, received from an officer on one of tha troopships that left Wellington with: reinforcements, canteen troubles no longer exist. "The canteen is a fine institution," he says. "No money is handled there, all sales bejne by coupons. which are purchased for 3s. The coupon is printed in spaces valued 2d., and when a purchase is mad 6 the. ticket is clipped to the amount of the. purchase. Almost everything, is below retail price. Tennis shoes, for which; one pays Bs. 6d. aphow are sold on ship for 55.; tobacco is. 5d., 6d., or /d, a tin—just half the price charged ashore. The only really expensivei articles are soft drinks, which cost sd. for a small bottle and 7d. for a lares bottlo. I don't know, the reason for this, but lierhaps it is to keep men from drinking too much. Drinkins anything at all is strongly deprecated, as the more one drinks the more one wants. All the profits from the canj teen devoted to a fund for the re\ lief of sick and wounded soldier?. - WANTED TO SELL-SHOP-SOIIED! MOTOR VAN. AT £50 REDUCTION. According to a. return of vehicles passJ ing the Bank of New Zealand, Christ church, during one day recently, prepared by the City Motor Inspector, there were 96 motor vans, and 124 horse-drawn "tradesmen's oarta." This ehowa that already 43 per cent, of the delivery traffio conducted by commercial firms is done by motor vehicles. If motor delivery did r.ot pay, it would . be impossible to induce traders to adopt it in such numbers. Tho experience of dozens of firms in this city is that motor delivery is a-first-class paying proposition.' This briijgs us to the fact that we have at pre* sent in our Christchurch garage a 20 h.p, motor delivery van, yith a capacity of half ton, with well-finished enclosed body, and complete protection' for both driver and goods against wind and weather.Tbis van lias been used slightly for demon? 6tration purposes, and is in gobd-asthew condition. The price new was i2?5, and wo are prepared to sell for .£245, a <£60 reduction. This is an exceptional oppor T tunity for a country storekeeper, baker with big delivery trade, or any other trader to whom ijuick and economical delivery of goods is an essential tp profit* able business. This offer, will nofbe open . long, as the bargain offered is a good one, and of kind that very seldoßi can be offered. Photo, and full specification .on application, or call and see the van. ana you vtill be convinced that tho pro. position is good one* Adatop, Ltd., \l<x, tor Importers. Garage, Tuanj Btjeet, Christxihurch,—Advt. ■-

Users of famous brands of Austrian lead-pencils will bo glad to hear that British firms are reported to be turning out huge quantities of very high-grade pencils, which it is hoped will take tho places on the New Zealand market of the enemy-mado article. This was stated ; at the meeting of the Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday to be the apparent position. Recently the Chamber was asked if there was a contract in existence between Johann Faber, the Bavarian pencil-maker, and the New Zealand Government for a supply of pencils to this country. The Chamber .made inquiries, and has been informed ■ that no such contract-exists. Some of the oJßcers in Kitchener's 'Army Tun up against queer snagß now and again. Tho other day one of them, finding one of his men was evidently a good class kind of chap, and, wishing to do him a good turn, suggested that he might liko to drop regimental routine for a bit and act as his chauffeur, to which the Tommy replied: "If you don't mind, sir, 14 rather not. I'm a bit fed up with cars and I want to learn my drill. But if you reaJly want a ohauffour, I'll get one of my own men to enlist, as I've got four of 'am at.home." Another officer, .looking through pay sheets, found that one man, entered as married, was not al- ' -wing his wife anything out of his pay, he told him straight that he wasn't doing the right thing in leaving her to get f.long on her separation allowance, ending up with, "Surely you can ."spare her a few shillings a week!" He nearly collapsed when the private said, "Well, sir, I don't think it would make much difference to her if I did. You Bee, I allow her £400 a year, and she has another £600 a year of her own, so . . ." And then the argupiant languished. ======= 1