LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2460, 13 May 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Minister of Defence informed a reporter yesterday tlint ho had sent a further cablegram asking the Imperial Government if it desires to accept the services of New Zealand mechanics to assist in the manufacture of war munitions at Home.

At a meeting of tho Auckland Rimby Union yesterday, says a Press Association telegram, it was decided to write to tlie Gamp Commandant at Trentlinm and ask him to permit the football team which recently defeated Wellington to visit Auckland and pluv a match against nn Auckland representative team, the proceeds to be devoted to tlio Belgian .Fund. On .fune -J there will bo held ail election of members of the. Victoria University Council under the new amending Act, which makes provision for a new council; there arc several nmv constituencies. and some of the old ones are dropped out-. Nomination* clone on fcU&y *u.

The advent of the Saturday half-holi-day in Wellington has killed Wednesday Rugby in the city. Last, season there were five teams in the fieldOriental, Tramways, Butchers, Artillery, and Petone—but this season Tramways was the only club able to put a team in tho field. Consequently the Wednesday competition was dropped. The players who would have composed tho Wednesday fifteens have thrown in their lot with the Saturday teamß.

The posting of well-printed circulars containing the latest- war news at tho General Post Office lias been so much appreciated that it has been decided to further improve the system, and now tho authorities intend to post the slips, as well as. lists of casualties, in the front of the Post Office, as well as in tho vestibule, and also to place further lists outside the old building facing the .Square.

. As evidence of the prolific rato at which the imported mallard duck multiplies, it is stated that the ranger the South; Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, when on the rounds of ttio swamps and creeks, lately found three mallards sitting. They had eighteen, twenty-two, and rliirty-four eggs in their respecti/e nests. He has also under his eye at the present time a mallard with eight ducklings and another with eleven. All the birds are in their wild state.

Several fine heads have been secured by decivstalkers this season in the foothills of the Southern Alps. ■ In tho opinion of one sportsman, the red deer of the Southern Alps afford the finest sport in the world.

The death at the Dardanelles of Private David Shaw Baillie, of Dargaville, where he was well and favourably known, recalls a fatal drowning accident which happened in the Whau Creek 21 years ago, when Private Baillie was only three weeks old. ' A party of relatives and friends were out in a launch, which by some means was capsized. Mr. John Baillie, of Henderson, father of the deceased soldier, went out in a dinghy in an effort to save his mother, sister, brother, and friend, hut all were drowned. Deceased lias a brother, Private John Baillie, also of Darga-, ville, with the third reinforcement draft.

The Defence authorities stated yesterday that the following men from No. o Group (Wellington City and Suburbs) had been sent out to Trentham for No 2 Stationary Hospital:—P. Munro, C. Stovenson. T. Hazelwood, L. G. Lowry, E. W. Fulton, R. G. Jamieson.T. C. Parsons, A. Chambers, C. J. M'Hardie, (dispenser), 11. P. London, W. It. Langley, A. H. Latta, L. W. Green, R. Abbott, J. A. Biss, T. W. Wilberfoss, W. A. Hopkirk, T. Wright, G. A. Duncan (clerk), J. R. Sclater, H. Martin,* W. Skinner, R. Craig, F. J. Wilkinson.

The meeting of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association which was to have been held last evening lapsed through laok of a quorum. The-Busi-ness will be transacted at a meeting to be held next Monday evening,

The Minister of Public Health (the Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes) has returned to Wellington. He has been absent for some time in the South Island, and during his stay there visited Hanmer, Kaikoura, Nelson, and Blenheim, and received _ many deputations, mostly dealing with matters of local importance. Mr. Rhodes informed a reporter yesterday that he had the pleasure of inspecting his regiment, the 10th (Nelson) Regiment, two squadrons of which ho saw in camp, and the men looked very well trained and in good condition. At Blenheim ho was met by the Mayor, and inspected the new hospital there. Ib appears, he said, to be a well-design-ed and well-constructed building,. and should meet the requirements of the place for many years to come. On Saturday in the _ Council Chambers at Blenheim he received deputations from the council and the Chamber of Commerce, both dealing with local needs.

An interesting lecture was delivered by Mr. W. S. La Trobe before the Philosophical Society last night; on the general subjeot of technical education in its relation to modern industry. Sir. La Trobe showed that technical education was not the fad of a paternal Government. but the demand of evolutionised industry, and he considered that as industry was further evolved the demand would grow greater. The tendency of the present factory system, ho held, was to require a greater degree of technical education in the higher branches, aud a less amount of physical and, mental energy on part of the lower worker. This had in part been responsible for the decay in the apprenticeship system. Mr. La Trobe, by illustration, showed the gradual rise of particular industries,, and said that _ at certain stages the greatest , possible achievement of that stage was reached, and then the industry had to be revolutionised before any further improvement was noticed. This had been responsible for the introduction of much la-hour-saving and work-perfecting machinery into industries.-. The speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks at the conclusion of the address.

The services of several gentlemen well known in Wellington have been enlisted by Mr. Matthews, director of the Feilding Technical School, in connection with a winter course of lectures, arranged to be delivered at that institution The lecturers arranged for include Mr. Charles Wilson, the Parliamentary Librarian, Mr. J. W. Poynton, Dr Jl'Nab, M.P., the Rev. J. Gibson Smith, and Professor Hunter. Mr. Wilson proceeds to Feilding to-day . to deliver the opening lecture or the series. "France and the French, 1 ' which will be illustrated by lantern pictures.

The recent experiences of the three, men wlio became hopelessly bushed at Oiongorongo and who were found in an exhausted condition on Tuesday afternoon should be a warning to those in search of adventure in that locality. It recalls the tragedy concerned. with tho death of Mr. Andrews, a skilled deerstalker, who perished through being lost in the bush in the hinterland of the Wairarapa. One gentleman, who has had experience of the country at the back of the Wainui Valley, states that it is the height of folly for any .party to'venture into tho busily there without a compass, The Harbour Board's now miniature ritie range, situated in a. special buildin* alongside No. 3 shod at the foot crAhe King's Wharf, was formally opened last evening. Mr. H. E. Aicholls, secretary of the board, opened tho rrmge, and expressed the hope that it would be made good use of, as the present was the time Avlien all won should know how to shoot. ith the firing of the first shot by Mr. Nicnolls, the range was declared open, and desultory practice was indulged in by the thirty or forty men present.