LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2419, 26 March 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Telegraph attendance honrs on Good Friday will be for offices open on Sunday mornings, 9.30 to 10 o'clock j evenings, 5 to 5.30 as usual.

The annual convocation of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons in New Zealand « to be held in the Town liall on May 12 and 13 next.

The Arbitration Court will deliver its decision at 10 o'clock this morning on the question as to whether the hearing of fresh disputes should proceed forthwith or whether.the Court should adhere to its decision of Angnßt last to suspend the hearing of all disputes until more settled times.

Yesterday morning the parties to tha electrical workers' dispute met before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. I'. Halley) and arrived at an agreement which has yet to be submitted to the main bodies concerned for confirmation. Hie matter is one in which the Oily Corporation is concerned.

On Monday last Mr. J. B. Laurenson, president of the Industrial Corporation of New Zealand, received a letter from Mr. W. G. Wickham, Trade Commissioner to New Zealand, offering his help in tho establishment of a New Zealand Board of Trade. He states that in tho rough summaries of the committee's proposals, there are several points that 'nterest him and, possibly, the Board or Trade at Home. His office, he eays, is a branch of the Board's Commercial Intelligence' Department, and has been striving for years to attract the noticc and arouse the interests of the commercial 'community iu this Dominion. In conclusion, tho Commissioner offers to supply any information in his power. Visiting Wellington at present is a Japanese pressman, Mr. M. Tsuchiya, who represents the Tokio "Asahi" and Osaki "Asahi," both papers of influence m tho land of tho Mikado. The nsit-or does not think that there is any likelihood of Japan participating in the great European struggle on land, in view of the enormous demand for tonnage that would be necessary to transport an army to Europe. He imagines that there will be a big forward movement on the. part of the Allies in tho spring, and cannot for a moment contemplate any serious advance of the German forces into Russia, who has completely reorganised her army since tho Russo-Japanese War. ,

The State schools in the Wellington distriot will be closed for the Easter holidays from Thursday afternoon, April 1, until 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 7. The term holidays (one week) will begin on the last Monday in May and the first Monday in September.

Additional lists containing signatures of 2500 citizens were handed to the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) yesterday by Mr. A. J. Humphries, treasurer of the Wellington Saturday Half-holiday Association, praying that a poll be taken on election day (April 28). The validity of the signatures on the" lists _ already handed in is now being inquired into by the corporation officials. The committee of the Royal Wellington Choral Society have fixed on May 26 as the date for the performance of "Cavalleria llusticana" at the Town Hall. Mr. Sidney Kidman, the Australian "Cattle King," who was to have visited New Zealand about this time, including Nelson in his tour (says the Nelson "Mail"), has written to Mr. F. W. Fairey stating that he now expects to make his trip to the Dominion at the end of this year, afterwards proceeding to America,

An old South African war story, of which the Australians wore once the butt, is now being told at the expense ef the Canadians. It runs The commanding officer took up a position with the object of determining for himself just how the soldiers benave towards sentries, and whether the troops seriously recognise the position as regards pickets. Presently the tramp of approaching footsteps was heard. 'Halt! Who goes therer'" demanded the officer. "Scots Greys," came the clear reply. "Pass on, Soots Greys," ordered the officer. More footsteps. "Haiti Who goes there?" "Grenadier Guards," answered a respectful voice. "Pass on, Grenadier Guards. I '' Then in the darkness the steps of some more soldiers. "Haiti Who goes there? exclaimed the officer. "Mind your own business!" came the reply. "Pass on, Canadians 1" ordered the officer.

Under the auspices of the Wellington Presbytery a United Service of Intercession, in connection with the war will be held every Friday afternoon in St. John's Church, lasting for half'an hour. The first service will be held this afternoon at 3.30. It is anticipated that some 500 men will be in the military camp at Weraroa, Levin, next month, (says tie"Horowhenua Chronicle"). The camp will be held on the .racecourse. An inspection of the course was made on Tuesday by Majors Ashwort'i and Samuel. The Mayor of (Jhiistcliuich (Mr. H. Holland) has recently visited Huntly.. and he states'tbat those interested can rest assured that the widows and children there are being well cared for. Mr. Harold Trimble, chairman of the Taranaki Education Board, has, says a Press Association telegram from New Plymouth, been nominated as a member of the National Council of Education. The Board strongly criticised some of tlie conditions proposed by the Secretary, of Education for the payment of members' travelling expenses.

"That the time being unfavourable for the carnival, action be deferred sine die. and that tlio Mayor be called upou to conveno a meeting at a more propitious timej" was tlie resolution carried at a meeting of the sub-committee of the Wellington Citizens' Carnival Association held yesterday. According to the chairman o c Cattle Insurance Fund (says the Chriscckurch "Sun") there is a haiidsom award awaiting anyone who can devise a certain and practicable method of identifying cattle in rasped of which claims are made on the fund. At prosent there is 110 systematic method of identification of insured . cattle, and branding schemes which have so far been proposed have been considered so oumbroils as to be unworkable. No definite case of "ringing in" has been established, but under the present unsatisfactory condition there is often room for suspicion. ( A conscience-stricken assisted immigrant has forwarded £10 conscience money to tlie Hon. Minister of Immigration. By Gazette notice published last night the'Pititea Wharf Store No. 1, adjacent to the Pipitea Wharf, ii appointed a Customs examination shed. A Gazatto Extraordinary published last night contains a notification by tlio Governor of the text of the OrdPT-ill-Council issued by His Majesty's Government setting fort!) the procedure adopted to blockade the German coast, and to shut, off all imports whatsoever from Germany, by way of reprisal to the flagrant breaches of tlio usages of naval warfare by the German submarine pirates. The general idea of this Ordsr-in-Council ias already been Atutadtad, iu vabls oiCEiuuftt

A magnificent solid gold cup, wrought by Stewart Dawson and Co, to the order of Mr. Emeßt Short, of Feilding, is now to be seen at the firm's warehouse at the corner of Willis Street and Lambton Quay. The cup, which is a plain-surfaced, three-handled cup of graceful design, has been presented by Mr. Short to the Feilding Jockey Club for tho winner of tho Hunters' Steeplechase, to be run at Easter. The cup is nearly twelve inches in height and stands on a green onyx plinth. One side of the cup is beautifullv embossed with a representation of hunters surmounting a hurdle. Another line solid gold cup has been manufactured by Stewart Dawson and Co. for the Wellington Racing Club. _ This is a plain cup of classic design, with three handles, which is surmounted on a plinth of green marble.

The general secretary of the New Zealand Sports Protection League, Mr. R. W. Shallcrass, who has just returned from tho West Coast branches of tho league, reports having held successful meetings of the organisation at Greymouth, Hokitika, Reef ton, and Westport. Mr. Shallcrass states that there is a good broad-minded public feeling existing throughout the Coast towards all classes of sport, and the branches have not been called upon to combat any efforts at undue interference and restriction. The opinion was, however, expressed at the various meetings that should occasion require, _ strong support will always be available in favour of tho aims and objects of the league.

The Excess Insurance Co., Ltd., London. and also domiciled in New Zear land, has subscribed £5000 to the Red Cross Fund in London, and a further £5000 to Lloyd's Patriotic Fund, whilst the chairman of the company, Mr. Cuthbert Heath, of Lloyd's, has given a further £5000 to the Red Cross Fund and also £5000 to the Lloyd's Patriotic Fund. Besides this, forty members of the staff have gone to the war. Mr. Cuthbert Heath, whose father was a British Admiral, has two brothers serving on active service, one being the Admiral Commanding-in-Chief at Portsmouth, and the other major-general of the Royal Engineers. Mr. Cuthbert Heath was in New Zealand some few years ago, and made a stay of several mouths, making many friends whilst he was in tho Dominion.

Many new words are being coined, but, fortunately for us, most of them go into the discard as soon as.invented (remarks ail American writer). If this were not so, our language would soon become more unwieldy and cumbersome than it is now,' and, instead of being ablo to lift a dictionary by main strength and awkwardness, it would be necessary to employ a hydraulic lift from time to time some fertilo brain evolves a word which is really worth while, because it adequately expresses a thought or defines something which heretofore has needed, a more comprehensive name. "Shamateur" is such a word, and was invented by an.Englishman to designate a certain type of would-bo sporting man who, at games and raoes, pretends to know all about the iiiside or the affair without in reality knowing anything. All of us hnvc seen those wise-looking people—not the simple, pleasure-loYinj amateurs, but "Shaniateurs," the loud and important fellows who take particular pains to lot you know that they know all about it.-. Americans have an uglier term which has often been applied to such people, that is "four-flushers." Information has been received of tho death at Plymouth, England, of Mr. John Stacey, an old resident of Wellington, and one of tho first settlers at Seatoun. _He had been ailing for some timo previous to leaving for England last year for the benefit of his health, and had undergone an operation in a private hospital in Wellington. On arrival in England he was forced to undergo two further operations, and he died on February 10. His wife, who accompanied him, is returning to Wellington.

News has been received in Sydney of the death of Mr. Georges Morelle, a former wool-buyer, of Sydney. Mr. Morelle was one of the first to leave Sydney when war broke out, and served for four months with the French troops. He was only 25 years of age, and was wounded by shrapnel at Perthes, on the eve on his promotion to sub-lieutenant. He subsequently died from tetanus at the Clermont Ferrant Hospital.