LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2463, 17 May 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

—« An English mail (via Suez) and an Australian mail arrived at Auckland from Sydney by the Union Company's steamer Maheno at 7.25 a.m. yesterdav. The southern portion of the vessel's mails should arrive at Wellington by this afternoon's Main Trunk express. Tho Telegraph Office advise that soldiers' week-end telegrams addressed to Great Britain are from Saturday to be charged afc the rate of eiglitpence per word, the same as ordinary week-end. There i 6 no minimum cliargo for these messages. a The search afc tho police watch-house of n person arrested for drunkenness rarely results in more than a pound or two taken from the accused's poclsets—the capital "liquidated" in sufficient quantity to account for the arrest eenerallv accounts for this. When a s'oung man arrested for drunkenness was searched at the station on Friday meat, however, he was found to have £28 in his possession. The straii"e part about it, however, was that wheu charged with drunkenness the next morning, and fined ono fifty-sixth of tho amount the police probably saved him from losing, lie asked for "timo to pay." Common jurors nummoned to attend the Supreme Court at 11 o'clock this morning are notified by advertisement that they will not now be required until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday next, May 20. At the lmxt meeting; of the Hastings Borough Council, savs our special correspondent. Councillor L. \V. Fovlor will move that all single man in the council's employ who are eligible for enlistment and have not offered theme?i ? S| dismissed and their places ailed with married, tuea.

Residents of Moiling (Hutt) have been informed, through their representatives at a recent deputation to the alunster. that Mr. Hiley, General Manager or Railways, will receive a deputation urging improved train facilities.

Ihe decision of the electors that Satviim' vi *'l e day. for the weekly half-holiday 111 Wellington comes into force on Juno 5. lie King's Birtht ir C ,?. urs , 011 June ,3, and the grocers oMYeI iuston expressed a desire to observe the half-holiday on that day. and to keep open on the Saturday, The secretary of the Wellington Master tracers Association therefore wrote to the Labour Department on the subject, ?w 3S n\ eC % lr r d a re P'y 'ho iJsputy Chief Inspector (Mr W H Hagger), who says: "If the King's Birthday IS oberved as the shops' closing day during the week ending Juhe 5 tile shopkeepers are entitled to keen own on the Saturday. They can cbK m' V j ? lai c ' ay as late night, provided, however, that they have not observed a late night on any othor evening during that week."

Ihe quarterly meeting of the Publio Service Superannuation Board was held at the boardroom on Thursday, An application by a contributor to be allowed to oount railway service oould not be granted, such service being dobarred by law. Retiring allowances were granted to 18 by rea- « age or length of service, aggregating £1595 Ss. per annum. Five contributors, retired as medically unfit for auty, were granted annual allowances amounting to a total of £366 Is. Seven widows and ten children were granted tho statutory allowances, totalling £256 per annum. The meeting was adjourned until May-27.

Although the weather was cold, and Blight _ ram fell at intervals, there was a attendance of tlio publio at Aewtovm Park yesterday afternoon, when the band of the National Reserve (Jupp's) played a bright programme of musio. Inoluded among the selection was a very good arrangement of national and popular patriotic airs, reflecting the spint of the Allies, wnich is likely to become popular. The arrangement is published by Boosey and Co., who have managed to work in a 6ong tune or national melody, representing every section of the Allied, forces in the present war. A collection was taken at the gates in aid of the Zoo Fund.

The Hon. Dr. W. E. Collins, M.L.0., has received the following cablegram from tlie Hon. Huia. Onslow, at whose request he instituted tlie subscription list for the .supply- of anaesthetics to Ftench hospitals:—"Thousand thanks. I'lease say part contribution going Malta hospital, New Zealanders wounded Dardanelles.—(Signed) Onslow." Dr. Collins has already sent £360 to the fund.

An appeal to join the National flew serve is addressed to the people of Mira* mar, by Major F. Townsend, in the following words: —"ln view of the recent events in Europe the urgent necessity; for the best possible organisation of the National Reserve is apparent to everyone. The members of the local branchfeel that the movement has not bad from all parts of tho district the support it merits, and issues this appeal to all patriotic persons resident in the district to .join the. branch and make it one that lliramar may indeed be/ proud of. Hie members recognise that in such a scattered district some little sacrifice is entailed, but feel confident that the position has only to be placed before you to ensure a very substantial response. For the past three months the branch has been holding ( weekly: drills, and the effect of the training is already evident. As the Minister of Defence has stated, .the enrolment of the National Reserve has already assisted the Government considerably, and the constant depletion in the numbers of men available for defence purposes, due to the Reinforcements now being dispatched from the Dominion, daily increases tho necessity for an enrolled, body of men ready to 'serve their coun- - try whenever called upon. The next' meeting of the local branch will be held at the Town Hall, Miramar, at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, when the important task of selecting officers aud non-commissioned officers will be under, taken. A full muster of those already, enrolled is- asked for, and the members will be glad to welcome all those whd are prepared to join the ranks."

A fire from an. uncommon oause wag discovered in. Messrs. Oliver and Walker's tailoring shop in l Willis Street, at 12.30 yesterday afternoon. • The shop is above Messrs. Wallace and Gibson's. Smoke was noticed issuing from tba premises,' The Fire Brigade was called, and firemen burst open the door. They, found on the floor a largo electrio pressing iron, red hot, which had presumably, (according to the police report) been left on a bench all night with the current on. The iron burnt through tha bench, and dropped to the floor. Tha fire was quickly extinguished with a' chemical extinguisher. Some hats in the shop below were slightly damaged by chemicals, but £5 is considered a sufficient sum to cover the damage. Mr. A. H. Wallace is the owner of the! building, which is insured in the Commercial XJnion Office for £1250. Messrs. Wallace and Gibson's stock carries an insurance of £3000. Insurances on the tailoring business are not available.

An alarm of fire was given at Pot-ono yesterday, at about 4.45 p.m., tlie scene boing a house in Eastern Jackson Street, occupied by Mr. J. M'Kay. _ Very little damage was done, some window-blinds and curtains being destroyed. The fire was checked by some neighbours before the local brigade arrived.

A very unpleasant experience befell Mrs. Silk, an elderly resident of Sage's Lane, on Saturday. During the morning slie. fell down some steps in her house and broke her left leg; She ro> niained where she liad fallen all day, but was discovered in the evening and removed to the Public Hospital. ■