LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2465, 19 May 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Post Office authorities notify that lofTeK postage is now Id. per. o«. to captured German territory in t-lie Pacific; comprising New Guinea . (except Dutch .New Guinea), Bismarck Archipelago (including New Britain, New Ireland. i\'ew Hanover, Admiralty Islands, .etc.), Nauru, and Bbugainville, and Buka (Solomon Islands):

Tlie iiext sitting of the Bankruptcy Court will be. held iu Wellington on Aiigtfst 16 at 10 a.m.

It is announced (saya a Press Association telegram from Auckland) that the. sum of £10,000 has now been subscribed wherewith to purchase Sir. 11. E. Partridge's Collection of Lindaeur pictures for the Auckland Art- Gallery. At a function iu the Town Hall this week a. cheque for £10,000 will be handed to Mr. Partridge, who will pass it bn to the Belgian Relief Fund, and hand over the pictures to the city. It is only a few weeks since Mr. Partridge made liis offer, ami almost all the public bodies in or near Auckland have made donations towards the fund.

"We tender you our heartfelt condolence on account of him who was your dear son. a noble brother, and our most true comrade.", This was the text of a. telegram sent to Mrs. Frandi, mother of the late Captain Frandi (killed in action) by the Wellington Patriotic Society. .

In Wellington last week twenty-three married hieri aiid 43 single men applied to the Labour Bureau for work. . Fourten married aiid thifty-tßree single men were placed, two-thirds of them in private eihpldymeht. Work" is still required for nineteen of the applicants. Forty-six of the applicants were labourers. There are vacancies for some carpenters and drain-layers. The Department has authority to send twenty men to public works.

Chaplaiii-Captadn Guy Thornton gave a very interesting address on liis work among the soldiers in Egypt at the Y.M.C.A- last evening, outlining tiie effect that, the Y.M.C.A. work, at the front was haviiig oh the meh who tad been suddenly projected into a city reeking with evil temptations. A collection was taken up on behalf of a fund for the prosecution of tlie good work in Egypt and at the front.

Councillor Godber has given notice to move at the next meeting of tie coun. cjl: ''That in order that the new councillors may have an opportunity of expressing t'heir opinions with regard to the proposal to readjust the area known as the Basin Reserve (before the work is commenced), tho resolution passed by the council on October 9, 1914, approving the so'heme of alterations to the Basin Reserve as set out in the report of the, City Engineer, dated September 22, 1914, and shown on plans signed b,v the City Englheer, and dated September 21, 1914, be reconsidered."

A iarge meeting of. Kelburn residents was held in the Bowling Club's Pavilion last night; when it was decided to form k Kelburn Ratepayers' The following ofllceis were elected: —President, Mr. F. Meadowcroft; lioii; Secretary and treasurer, Mr. H. A. Gold; oommittee, Messrs. R. W. M'Villv, A. H. Hitching, Stewart, C. Fordliairi, Mainland, Manley, Kersley, Johiison, Pope, A. R. Meek, .1. F. Atkins, J. Priestley, and J. B. Dall. Various matters in connection with the improvement of the suburb were proposed, and after discussion referred to the committee for discussion. Amoiig the matters to be considered by the new association arc improved access to the city and better lighting.

\ sitting of the juvenile Court was held yesterday, when a youth who had stolen some boot laces and a small sura of money was severely admonished, and ordered to report himself ones a week t-o the Probation Officer. Another lad, Riiilty of petty theft, was similarly dealt with, and two boys, charged with the theft of goods and money from a coffee-stal], were remanded till tonorrow.

Mr. T. M. Wilford, counsel for the plaintiffs against the Taupiri Company !ii connection with the Huntly disaster, received word yesterday that the claimaiits have agreed to accept a settlement of their claims on a basis suggested by tiim and agreed to by the company. Mr. Wilford goes north to Auckland on Friday to attend the Supreme Court sittings there. The apportionment of the amounts to be paid by the company shall be settled by His Honour Mr. Justice Cooper. Some of the claims were by widows without children, soine by fathers and mothers Claiming on account of the death of sons, and in one case in which the largest amount of compensation is to be paid, and in which the Public 'l'rnstee is acting a« administrator, orphans only are concerned.

Last week a steerage passenger intimated to Captain Balk, of the Northern Company's steamer Rarawa, while that boat was approaching the Manukau Heads outward bound from Onehunga to New Plymouth, that he had seen a dinghy containing two men, who appeared to be in distress. Thereupon (reports the Auckland "Star") the captain slowed down, and prepared lines for throwing to the occupants of the boat. Although the passengers and crew kept' a look-out for the boat, no sign of it could be seen, ahd after manoeuvring about for a considerable tiuie the Rarawa proceeded on her voyage. When the Rarawa had crossed the bar the passenger informed a member of the crow that he could again see the dinghy. His actions aroused suspicions of his mental condition, and inquiries were made, which resulted in the passenger being handed over to the police for medical attention 011 the arrival of the Rarawa at New Plymouth.