LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2451, 3 May 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

t The postal authorities advise that the b!s. Maheno, which sailed from Sydney on Wednesday last for Auckland, is bringing Australian mails and also a small English mail, via Suez. The Wclltoigton portion.is due per Slain Trunk express this afternoon. Aa it is not possible for Dominion reporters to attend all school committee meetings this evening, secretaries of committees in outlying districts of the city and suburbs j are requested to make arrangements to send in by telephone a, brief precis of the proceedings and the names of the committeemen electa*. As chairman of the Patriotic Committer, Mr. H. G. Hill has been aßked whein view of the possibility of new 6 arriving of casualties amongst the New Zealand troops, it is intended to go on with the carnival., Mr. Hill wishes to let the public know that it is proposed to go on with the carnival, not, he adds, in any .spirit of levity, but because the promoters recognise that if a casualty list arrives it will make all the more apparent the need of serving the object which thay have in view. An Independent Cable Association message to Australi in papers, sent from Vanoouver on April 20, Montreal last night -Sam' Langford and :'Porky' Flynu fought an eight-round 1 contest, hut gavs a ver; - poor exhibition. The referee interfered, and stated that the men were liot trying to fight. The crowd thereujwn chased them out of the ring, footing and hissing at them." Lincoln Francis, about 17 years of age, left his home in New Plymouth on Jauuary i without saying good-bye to his mother, or even indicating his intention to leave, and, except indirectly,' bis mother had not seen or heard of him until last week, whe.i she. reoeived a letter from him dated from London. It appears that when he left home he had 275. 6d. in his pocket, with which he paid his fare to Wellington, where he obtained a berth on a steamer leaving for London, on which he worked his passage On arrival m London he .enlisted in one of Kitchener's armies and signed on for three years. He was a good lad of exceptionally fine physique, and was a member of a cadet company in New Plymouth. Knowing that his age barred 'him from volunteering for service abroad, also that bis mother would not consent to, his going Home to, enlist he went off without a word. There were no bankruptcies in Wellington during the month of April. During the same month last year there was one. • Tho price paid by the State Fire Insurance Department for the corner oi lind at tho junction of Lanibton Quay and Waring kylor Street was £25,500. Through a printer's error this apiount was made to reiid £22,600 in Saturday's paper- , . . Press Association message from Dunedin states that with reference to the prcpognl to establish hot water shower baths at Trenthaiji, " inquiries show that a few Dunedin citizens have 'rrivon a guarantee to provide £200 lor the purpose. 'So far name? of the (guarantors are unknown-;

May Day was celebrated at a public meeting held in Everybody's Theatre last night, under ilie auspices of the Wellington Branch of the Social-Demo-cratic Party. The speakers were: Messrs. H. E. Holland. P. Fraser, Bae, T, Brindle, and Mrs. Donaldson, ar 4 the chair was taken by P. Hicks.,: The following resolutionmoved by. Mr. P. Fraser" (national secretary ofi the Social-Democratic Party), and carried unanimously: "That this meeting, recognising that the war now raging in Europe is the result of the capitalistic aggression, militarism, secret diplomacy, and armament rings, and that the workers in the various countries now at war havei no quarrel with each, other, reaffirms the identity of interest between the workers or the countries, and ' believes that only by the triumph of tho international working class movoment oan war be abolished and permanent peace established." In speaking to the resolution Mr. Fraser denounced the action of the Englisli Government in looking after the interests of German shareholders in English 'armament firms, and stated that sheila had been picked up on the English' • coast after tho recent bombardment which bore the names of firms which were financed by British capital.

Residents of Kelburn and other parts of the City overlooking the harbour were puzzled about 5 o'clock last even-' ing by a curious phenomenon off Evans Bay. Despite the stillnoss of the evening two curiously shaped black clouds were observed to be speeding across the sky rapidly changing their Bhape as they progressed. One" observer in the fading Tight mistook .them for aeroplanes manoeuvring in giddy swir'lß and dives. It seems that the puzzling phenomenon was nothing more than two densely packed flights of swiftljs flying small birds—presumably starlings. "To find missing soldiers (perhaps prisoners) apply Room 76, British Red Cross Society, 83 Pall Mall, London, S.W Give name of man number of regiment, and country.' 1 This adrioe is foiwarded by Miss Emily C. Seymour, of Feilding, to whom it was sent by the Rev. Christopher Wordsworth, St. Nicholas's Hospital. Salisbury. A curious incident happened in Christoliurch on Thursday morning. An elderr ly gentleman, a fanner, was in a bank cashing a cheque when he noticed that he was being observed by a jroung woman. lie took no further notice at thai time, as the young woman went outside.As eoon as he went outside the 'door ha was accosted by the yojng woman and told that he was wanted by the police", because lie was the "nan of mystery."' She caught him by the coat -and "ar* rested" him, stating that she was going to take him to the police station. The astonished farmer tried to escape, but he was held too tightly, and a friend advised him that rather than create a scene he should go to the police'station. Firm in her belief that she , had the rigbt man, the young woman dragged the man to the detective office and told tfie deteotives that she had caught the "man of mystery." The deteotives knew the man to be respectable, and •felt that there had been a mistake, but the woman insisted that her capture was ''wanted." Inquiries were maae as to who the young woman wa6, and it was ascertained that she was mentauy, deficient. The "arrested" man was inn mediately released, and the young woj man placed in the care of the matron until further inquiries could be made afl to her identity.

• "It is interesting to note, says thd headmaster of tlie Terrace School, in his annual report, "that somewhere over fifty old boys took their places m the advance party of the Zealand Reinforcements (Samoa). I have found it quite an impossible task to collect tie. names of old^ pupils who went the' Main Expeditionary Force, _ and: with tlie various reinforcements since.Lieutenant Robert 'Gee, wlio left tlie colony about six years ago and who volunteered for active service on the outbleak of tlie war, was the first of the Old Boys to lose his life in the war."The annual meeting of St. Hilda s Church was held on Friday evening laEt, there being about 75 parishioners in attendance. Tlie annual report an<J accounts submitted to the meeting disclosed the fact that the finances had slightly improved over those of last Tear and showed a'small credit balance.' Tlie following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—Vicar's churchwarden, Mr. J- Gruar; parishioners'' churchwarden, Mr. A. M. ; Anderson; vestrymen, Messrs, Barnes, Bell, J. Ai Griffiths, Innis-Jones, Johnson, Hull, Parker, Tansley, Vear, M'Ewan; auditor, Mr. T. Proctor. A vote of thanks waßy passed to all churcli workers for, the past year. After the business meet* ing a social was held for the purpose of welcoming the new vicar, tlie Rev* J. V G. Castle, and Mrs, Castle. Scottish heather lias become accli«_ matised in parts of tho North Island, notably at Opepe, near Taupo. A Napier resident .has in his possession a! letter from Captain G. llair, of Berowhakaitu, Waiotapu, explaining how the heather first came at Opepe. "In 1870," Captain Mair says, "I received a case used for Portland cement full of heather sprays. Whenever I rode about the oountry I sowed the seed frpm the saddle, but it must have fallen on stony, ground or bush fires may have destroyed it, for there were no results in this district. I then sent a Native orderly named Haimoa to Major Scannell, at Opepe, with the bulk of the seed, and W July, 1871, he told me that he had entrusted Sergeant M'Cartney, who was drowned in the big Napier flood, with the sowing of the seed, TJp to that time it was believed that there were only two heather plants r growing in New Zealand, somewhere down south, end that all other attempts to grow the plant had failed, It is new evident that it' has become thoroughly established at Taupo. I. hope that grouse and partridge may come in time, but that will be a much more diffioult matter. •