LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2414, 20 March 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Maheno, which sailed from Sydney on March 17 for Auckland, is bringing Australian mails only. The Wellington portion is due per Main Trunk express on Monday. Eight doctors' motor-cars were drawn up outside the Supreme Court building yesterday afternoon. Tho owners ot the cars were engaged as witnesses in compensation cases being heard in the Arbitration Court. "Though I have, been fortunate enough in never having had a serious accident whilst a master at sea," said Captain H. Johnson, the retiring Wellington harbourmaster, "I cannot say that I have never struck a bar. I remember on one occasion, after a long hold-up in Greymouth, I pushed the Grafton, through a couple of feet of gravel. She was twin-screwed, and tho little assault on the bar left mo with only ono and a half blades out of tho eiyht with which to churn tho water. 1 had a good load of passengers on that trip, and it took us three days to get to Wellington. When 1 arrived the underwriters were so delighted to see me make port that they gave mo this gold chronometer watch and a flattering testimonial." 'A visit to tho local fruit market yesterday went to confirm the telegraphed report regarding the condition of the fruit landed cx the Taviuni at Auckland, the local portion of which arrived by the Victoria. The Auckland consigner's report of having to sell bananas at 2d. per case met a parallel when a line of seventy cases in very bad order indeed were offered for _ sale, and brought only 2d. k fair idea of the actual landing condition may be drawn from the following comparison. Present anticipated value of good green .fruit 12s. Gel. to 14s. per -case— I Taviuni shipment, highest valuo 4s. 6d. per ease. Yesterday afternoon the Mayor (Mr. ,T. P. Luke), the city engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton), and the assistant engineer (Mr. Morice) left 'Wellington to inspect tho Orongorongo Stream at tho place where it is proposed to tap these waters and use them as an adjunct to the supply now drawn from Wainni-o-mata. Tho party will return to tho city tonight- or to-morrow morning. The Court of Appeal sittings commence in Wellington on Monday next. A poll of the ratepayers on Thursday, savs a Press Association telegram, carried a iHOOO loan for the Wanganui Rivor Bridge subsidy, for roads in Taumnruimi Borough, and £3-13-l for drainage in the boioujjb, but rejected a £5500 loan for a municipal hall. John Barry, aged forty, lias, says a Press Association telegram from Auckland, boon aVrested on a charge of having fired a. revolver at a widow, Mrs. Jessio Diysdalo, in Queen Street. The woman was uol struck by the bullet.

The following motion will be moved by Mr. H. Nathan at Wednesday's meeting of the Harbour Board:—"(a) That, having regard to the rapid and continuous growth of the trade of this port, it is most essential that a contract for the erection of the wharf—to bo known as the Pipitea wharf—should be let at the earliest possible date, (b) That, with a vi&w to providing funds for the cost of such wharf, a special committee be set up, such committee to report as to ways and means to the Wharves and Accounts Committee at the next meeting of that committee." The Westland Land Board yesterday granted an application for the lease of 30,000 acres at Otira as a wood-pulp reservation, also an area for a special site for a power-house, paper mill buildings, etc. , The applications for the necessary water rights for power purposes have, says a Press Association telegram from Hokitika, been recommended by the Warden for the consent of the Minister of Mines. Exhaustive experiments have been made,' and expert reports obtained have proved the suitability of tlie timbers for the manufacture of wood pulp and papers, and a company is now being formed to establish the industry on the West Coast. The Legion of Frontiersmen, at present in camp at Trentham give a dinner at Barrett's Hotel at 7.30 o'clock on Tuesday evening next. Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp, Consular agent for Italy, desires to acknowledge receipt of the following further contributions to the Italian Earthquake Belief Fund: —Collected by M. Fosella, Levin, £3 9s. 6d.; N. Fernandos, £1 Is.; total, £4 10s. 6d. Messrs. Duncan and M'lntosh have disposed of their fine launch Taniwha to Mr. Jlonteith, of Palmerston North, it is understood that it is to be utilised for fishing purposes at Foxton. Mr. Robert Ballantyne, of Wellington, has received news from his son (the well-known local artist) that the Ohristchurch City Council has purchased a large oil painting from his brush. The subject is a landscape—a bit of Silverstream —marked by breadth of treatment and faithful atmospherio effects. In connection with the disappearance of the Commonwealth trawler Endeavour, the Ohristchurch "Press" Sydney correspondent states that several persons have urged that the search made with the appreciated co-operation of the New Zealand Government should be extended to the Royal Company Islands. It is asserted by some seamen that these islands may be found 200 or 300 miles south of Tasmania. But when the Federal authorities went iuto this suggestion they could not get any satisfactory evidence of the actual existence of the islands named. The Director of Navigation was asked to look into the matter. He states in 'his report tliat as the islands are not mentioned on the latest Admiralty charts, it may be assumed that there are no such islands. Perhaps (adds the correspondent) some of the seafaring men in New Zealand can help to clear up this matter. A pitiful London effect of the war is the spectacle of little children who stand outside_ bakers' shops through the long, cold winter's nights, waiting to purchase stale bread at half-price. For some years past, certain bakers in parts of London open their shops at 6 o'clock to sell the bread baked on the previous day, and in consequence of the recent war increases in the prioe of bread in England, there has been added distress in the poorer quarters of the great metropolis, and as a result the children's queues to obtain the cheaper bread have got much larger. Poor parents send their children to the shops in the middle of the night, in order that they may get a good place in the queue, and be sure of obtaining; the supply of daily bread for the family. These poor children can bo seen in the pouring rain or the falling snow, huddled together like sheep for mutual protection from the cold. Most cf them are in Tags and tatters, and frequently barefooted. The bakers refuse to alter their early hours for selling stale bread, because they do not want to upset their regular custom by permitting ragged children to come into their shops during regular trading hours, but the growth of the bread queue since the war started has directed public attention to the scandal of permitting children to spend nearly half_ their nights in the streets during the winter months. A special meeting of the Onslow Borough Council is to be held on Monday evening to consider petitions from ratepayers of tho catchment area asking that the council take a poll at tho earliest possible moment upon the gravitation water scheme outlined by His Worship the Mayor at meetings held at . Ngaio and Khandallah in November and December of last year. The main roll of electors in the City of Wellington prepared for the municipal elections contains 32,333 names. Tlia roll for Auckland City has only 18,493 names, but according to a- report made recently by the returning officer, Mr. G. Hogan, an abnormal number of deletions has been made, and the roll is now the most reliable that Auckland has ever had. . A unique way of recording votes was disclosed on a ballot paper in the recent Licensing Committee election in Chalmers, says tho Dunedin "Star." : This voter in question had evidently placed t'lie ballot paper against a pano glass to record his vote, for the striking out was done on thebackof the ballot paper. The voter's intention was only disclosed on again holding tho paper up to the light. The vote was informal. Mr. Malcolm, M.P. for Clutha, has been approached by a number of district farmers with a suggestion to relieve the food shortage m France and Belgium, more particularly in those districts ravaged by the Germans (says the Balclutha "Free Press"). Briefly, the idea is to use horses past their prime as food for the distressed people. Thero are thousands of these animals in Now Zealand, and in the coming winter, with oats and chaff at boom prices, it will be found difficult to feed them. Why not then, say these sagacious farmers, export them in a frozen state to tho Continentals, with whom 'horse flesh is quite a favourite dish? Mr. Malcolm thought so well of the idea that lie telegraphed to the Prime Minister, asking if there was any chance of an export trade in horse flesh being developed with France and Belgium.