LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2439, 19 April 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An Australian mail and an. English mail,via Suez, arrived in Auckland from Sydney by the Malieno at 8.40 a.m. yesterday. The southern portion of tho vessel's mails will arrive at Wellington by this afternoon's Main Trunk express. _ The postal authorities advise that tha B.M.S. Makura, whioh sailed from Sydney on Thursday for Auckland, is bringing Australian mails only. The Wellington portion is due per Main Trunk express to-day. Judgment in the Hawko's Bay election petition will be delivered by tho Section Court Vi\ VVie Swpwaao Cwirt at 10 o'clock this morning. The Full Court will deliver judgment m the TauHianmui anil Bay oS ls\aw\s e\ect\ow petitions at 10.30 a.m., and tho Appeal Court will also deliver a number o? judgments.

Tlio address on "Slioppine 'Wfleli, to 1)8 n-iven at the Central Chamber of Commerce by Mr. AY. P. Ponder, of the National Cash Register Commny, -will take place this afternoon. Jfonihers of the public. aT6 urged not to -miss this opportunity of hearing the address una seeing the'lantern slides depicting some of the results attending a shoppings week in various parts of the United Kingdom. In another column the Chamber extends an invitation to members of the public, to attend the meeting.

On Saturday the Wellington Patriotic Society presented four pairs of binoculars to the Wellington officers of the Fifth Reinforcements. The hand in attendance at Saturday's parade of t.mops was arranged for by tho sau(o euercetio society

The case of a young man who at times boasts that he is Powelka was considered by Mr. Justice Chapman in the Supreme Court on Saturday morning. The accused, William Louis Boyd, had pleaded guilty to breaking and entering and theft and attempted mischief at Napier. Tie is a native of Napier, and is aiiout twenty-one years of age. He spent some time in the Burnham Industrial School, but was released from there about fifteen months ago, and for some time has been in Napier. It was stated in Court that owing to a certain dangerous tendency of the young man his father was afraid to have him back in the house. His Honour ordered the accused to undergo three years' reformative treatment.

"What do you consider is a living wage for the average working man?" Mr. A. W. Beaven was asked by 31 r. Hiram Hunter at the Court of Arbitration in Christchurch on Friday, and gave the unexpected Teply: "Just as much as he can get." Mr. Beaven added that the wages paid tramway employees, as compared with those paid other workers in regular employment, were very fair, and perhaps in excess. Giving evidence before the Court of Arbitration at Christchurch on Friday, Mr. Alexander, manager of the Dunodin Corporation Tramways, remarked that the extra traffic on wet days in Christchurch • was much greater than it was in Dunedin. "But," dryly remarked Mr. Justice Stringer, "is it not always raining in Dunedin?" Mr. Alexander could only reply by joining in the smile that went round the court.

The steamer Port Kembla, from New York, arrived at Fremantl© on April 6. When leaving New York one of.the wireless operators had the receivers to his ears when he was surprised to hear a voice come from the instrument calling "Hello, Philadelphia 1" to which the response came, "Hello, Boston!" followed by a further call from the first station: "Stand by for a little music." After a slight interval the sound of a gramaphone preceded the rendering of a song, Sister Susie's Sewing Shirtß for Sailors," which the operator could hear without difficulty, each note being recorded as though the gramaphone were in the wireless room. On the arrival of the Port Kembla at Bermudas the wireless operator learned that .other operators had experienced the same musical treat, and it was ascertained that the cause was that some experiments were being carried out by the wireless telephone station at Boston.

There axe plenty of roles in the drama where the presence of real blood would bo an asset —genuine David Belasco realism, but tnat of Sir John Maimers in "Dorothy o' the Hall" is not one of them. Yet never was a part so actually blood-stained as on the last night of the performance of that play in Wellington. Just before he made his first entrance, Mr. H. R. Roberts's nose commenced to bleed, and throughout the evening it defied all efforts to check or stop it. Tho play had to go on, and Mr. Roberts nad to stiok to his job, so the eight was presented of ail actor making love, defying his fate, and pleading to mock-royalty with bloodsmudged hands, and ever and anon he would sidle to the wings and exchange one crimson handkerchief for a white. There was so much blood in evidence that one lady in the dress oircle was taken out faint, and others left, unable to Btand the sight. On Wednesday, Mr. Roberts' ailment was medically treated, but his gallant effort to keep the show going under such distressing circumstances nad left him weak and shaky. 'He was unable to appear on Wednesday evening, but on Tnursday he was able to resume his place in the cast.

There was no more popular winner at Trentham oil Saturday than' Warstep. The great r&ord of this horse, and the knowledge that she wss being tried out against the best galloping blood in the country gave the race for the. Trentham Gold Cup special significance. There was magic in the name, too. Among tliose present were a thousand men from the Reinforcements encampment adjoining the racecourse, and 95 per cant, of these men judged that as they were taking war steps it was fitting tliat they should back Warstep, and they did. Proof of this was to be seon at the conclusion of the race, when half the claimants for the first-place dividend were uniformed in khaki cloth.

The supply of horses for our Expeditionary Force is not causing the purchasing officers the slightest anxiety at present, and it is not a fact, as has been stated, that the more recent drafts are inferior in. quality to those first purchased. The Prime Minister made Bonis reference to the matter in conversation with a reporter on Saturday. "I have had inquiries made," he said, "by Dr, Reakes and officers of the Department of Agriculture, and I am quite satisfied that a sufficient number of horses can be supplied without any difficulty to the end of the year, and perhaps longer. After that I am not in a position to say. how things will go. It must be remembered that young horses are coming on every day, although what we require are horses not lfiss than five years and up to ten or twelve years. In any case there are sufficient horses in prospect to keep up the supply for quite a considerable time. Next year, under the Remounts Encouragement Act, about , forty stallions will be subsidised by the Government, with a consequent reduction _of service fees by about one-half, with the object of providing strains suitable for military purposes.

In the opinion of the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce, an amendment of the Bankruptcy Act in the direction of making a. dissolution of partnership im.po&sible without a proper audit on behalf of the creditors of the firm's accounts, is necessary., in the interests of commerce. The Attorney-General will he approached on tho matter. — Press Association.

After announcing a band selection at the Salvation Army gathering ou the Basin Reserve yesterday afternoon, Commissioner Hodder explained that every member of overy band in tho Army played voluntarily. Not only that, hut they contributed to tho collections, bought their own uniforms, proyided most of the music, whilst the Army contributed the instruments. There are thirty thousand bandsmen in the ranks of the Salvation Army in all parts of tho world.

The burning down of the old White Horse Hotel at Nfjahaurangn resulted, 011 Saturday morning, in Charles Edmunds, 0110 of the men accused' of the arson, being sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Edmunds was arrested some little time ago, and confessed the crime. Two other men also were arrested, but tho.v pleaded not guilty, and are awaiting trial. Edmunds is twentyseven. years of age, and he has followed the occupation of steward and hotel The dotective in charge of the case states tlwt Edmunds says that he was not offered payment in advance, but after the firo was given £10. .Mr. Justice' Chapman remarket] from the Bench that Edmunds had taken part in a serious crime, which might hare been a great danger to the whole neighbourhood. H<) would not say that Edmunds was guilty in a sordid sense, though ho had taken money, respecting the fire, and he would sentence Vvm to the lightest term of imprisonment ho could —six months' imprisonment, with hard labour. For milk supplied to its various butter factories and shimming stations during March, the Thillanco Dairy Company's payments, at the rate of Is. per lb. hnttftr-fat, totalled £5970. Ona Individual's ohrque was for over £300. The total paid out to date this season, including the previous season's honns in September, amounts to £'51,410 (states our l'ahiutna correspondent). The company is holding a big meeting this ntek, when the. butter versus cheese question is to bo discussed.