LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2488, 15 June 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Postal authorities advise that the R.M.S. Manuka, which is duo to-day from Sydney, is bringing Australian mails only. The Postal authorities advise that the R.M.S. Makura, which sailed from Sydney oil Thursday for Auckland, is bringing Australian mails and also an English mail via Suez. The Wellington portion will arrive by the Main Trunk express this morning. 'fiie wholesale price of butter has, says a Press Associaticn telegram from Auckland, been advanced from Is. 4Jd. to Is. 5Jd. The retail price is now Is. 7d. per lb. The by-election for Taumaninui will be decided to-day. For the past few days the campaign has been a strenuous one, and it may be presumed that interest in the district is keen. In the opinion of the chief electoral officer the result maj' be known shortly before fl p.m., but if .the contest is a close one it may be necessary to await the more distant returns to learn the decision. A sum of about £1000 has been subscribed in the Wairarapa, says our correspondent, for the erection and maintenance of a Social Hall at Trentham Camp for the Salvation Army. As has already been announced a draft of reinforcements to the Maori Contingent is shortly to go into training preparatory to leaving New Zealand. It has been decided that the camp is to be located at Takapuna, near Auckland. Captain Peacock is to be camp commandant-, and the officers and non-commissioned officers are now in training at Trentham. The Maori force will go into camp oil July 1. Owing to pressure of Court business in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, the application for the rehearing of the case of Matthew Livingstone, who was fined £25 for betting in Lambton Quay, Was adjourned to Monday next. Mr. P. TV. Jackson is making the application on Livingstone's behalf. A charge of assaulting females at Wadostown will this morning be preferred against a man, who was arrested yesterday by Detcctivc-Sergeanfc Lowis and Detective Dempscy, For the military buildings at Tren- . tham the Government has placed an , order with the Maitai Sawmilling Com- | pany, Owhango, for over 250,000 ft. ol ' 'timber. Mr._ Gunson, Mayor of Auckland [ speaking at a crowded meeting in the J Town Hall in connection with Sunday's demonstration, said, according to e ■ Press Association' message:—"We hav< 1 seen the_ first mouths of the war, anc > the position to-day'is more critical thai ■ at the outset. At the beginning of Maj ) we thought it was a matter of months ■ but we are beginning to realise that w< , are in for a long, protracted struggle.' . Altogether, -for patriotic purposes, Allele , land had raised during tlie'year £200, 000, but what was that compared witr tho wealth of the country? Exports from the province of Auckland alone hnc increased by £1,000,000 since tho wai , had broken out. He suggested that foi ' adequate relief purposes a capital fund of £100,000 should be raised in-Auck- ' land, and a system.of monthly contribu- • tions should be adopted by clubs air ; other bodies. Some said the Govemmenl - ought to do this work, but- surely i 1 > was Auckland's privilege at the outse 1 . to care for her own men? As a result o: t the demonstrations the Wounded Sol , fliers' alid Dependents' Fund will benefr ! by £312. The balance-sheet of the st-h and 6tl p Reinforcements' Canteen Fund has beei ' issued. _ It shows a total of £1618 4s 6d. received by way of rents from thi 1 camp canteen, shops, etc. This ha: > been distributed mainly as follows • Sports' gathering, £230 os. Od. j b; [ cheques to officers commanding unit: i sth Reinforcements, £841 16s; 9cL; hal aiice for Gth Reinforcements, £529 19s 3d. The amounts received by the various >ous units of the sth Reinforcements fo: i their own expenditure were as follow | A Squadron, £39 4s. 9d.; B Squadron j £39 4s. Bd.; C Squadron, £39 4s. Bd. D Squadron, £89 4s. Bd.; A Company 5 £110; B Company, £110; C Company 1 £110; D Company, £110; Artillery > £171 19s. 4d.; Engineers, £41 14s. > A.S.C., £20 Bs. Bd.; Veterinary Corps i £6 os. 9d.; Headquarters Staff, £2 18s . Bd.; Headquarters Staif M.R., £1 16s > Sd. Total. £841 16s. 9d. i Colotiel Logan's weekly report froir t Samoa runs"Health of troops good . Corporal TV. J. rheumatism. { Privates TV. H. Hislop, colitis; R. S Midgley, septic sores; G. C. Johns strained knee." New Zealand pears (states a Presf ; Association message, "Times" and S.vd ' ney "Sun" services) are being retailec in the West End of London at fron one shilling to fifteen pence each. General Booth has directed that the Sal- ' vat-ion Army throughout the world shall observe Thursday of this week as a day 1 of intercession and prayer in connection ' with the war. Commissioner Hodder, • assisted by Lieutenant-Colonel Powlej > (the C)hief Secretary) will conduct the 1 meetings at the Vivian Street Citadol ■ from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. A -postal ballot for the presidency : of the Wellington Grocers' Union closi ed last evening, and resulted _in the election of Mr. James M'Kenzie by a i fair majority. Mr. M'Kenzie has been president of the local union for the past two and a half years, and is a member of the trade. The report of the Labour Department , for the week ending Juue 12 shows that 22 married meii and 49 single men applied for work. Fourteen married men [ and 40 single men were placed in enii ployineiit, twenty-seven in Government work and the siime number in private 1 employment-. Out of the seventeen un- ' placed, nine married men will proceed 1 to-day to Government works at Te Roti, ; near Eltham, and a party of ten is now being selected for work at Sandy Bay, near Nelson. The following additional unions have registered under tho Conciliation and Arbitration Act: The Auckland Aerated Water and Cordial Factory Industrial Union; Grey and Bullor Coal-Mines Deputies' and Underwriters' Industrial Union; and the Gisbome branch of tho Amalgamated Society of Engineers (including motor mechanics) Industrial Union. - At Levin and elsewhere where military camps havo been hold the local storekeepers and others havo complaincd through Mr. TV. H. Field, M.P., to tho Government that tho local people were not getting a fair share of orders for supplies, and submitted that local tradespeople should havo a preference where tho tenders and other conditions were equal. t Mr. Field communicated .with tho Minister of Dofonce, and after investigation it was found that in individual instances there had been cause for complaint, hut generally speaking the regulations had been strictly complied With, nnd the lowest tenders accepted. The Department will in future follow the regulations closely, alid see that ho iujustiefc is done tn Ideal trades-