LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2503, 2 July 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

. Among the names of new streets in the town of Trentham aro Islington, Ranfuily, Liverpool, and Glasgow, the names of' four Governors of New Zealand. Amongst tho staff of the Hospital Ship, no more important personage than "Jock," t'he ship's mascot, is to be found. He. is a splendid specimen of the British bulldog, and was purchased by the staff at a nominal figure. Coverless, he arrived in camp, but through the generosity of Mr. Sidney Kirkcaldie, "Jock" struts about in a splendid coat. Mr. Wiggins, of Lambton Quay, presented him. with a collar, and both these gentlemen are* heartily thanked for their generous gifts. New regulations under the Coal Mines Act are 'gazetted. The patriotic funds are being appreciably supplemented as the result of money thrown on the stage by the audiencesat His Majesty's Theatre during the nightly "turn" of Air. Dan Thomas, whose patriotic song invariably brings a shower of coin. Last night a sum of £7 Os. 3d. was notted, making £28 14s. for the week. It is understood that Mr. Thomas has set out to-raiso a total of £1000. An important conference has been colled by the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) for this afternoon in connection with an endeavour to arrange some concrete scheme in t'lie matter of the disposition of monoys collected and donated for New Zealand wounded soldiers, sailors, and their dependents. Four out of five sons on active service is a record which is to the oredit of Mrs. Gr. K. Wakelin, of Blenheim. Private Walter Wakelin is at present with the Main Expeditionary Forre in the Dardanelles war theatre. Private Bert Wakelin (who was a member of the force which annexed Samoa) is in the Fifth Reinforcements; Lieutenant William Wakelin is in the C Company of the Seventh Beinforcenients, ' and Private Eric Wakelin (who was also with the Sanioan Force) is at present waiting to be called to Trentham for training.. An impromptu Bacchanalian feast in a railway dining car at Lambton station was rudely disturbed' by a railway porter on Sunday last. The gathering round the festive board comprised four young boys who, having squirmed, as only boys can, through one of the carriage windows, were freely imbibing the contents of a ginger-ale bottle. The unsuspected appearance of tho porter naturally caused some concern which grew to alarm when the revellers wera subsequently introduced to a police constable. Yesterday the four boys reach-e-1 t'he final chapter of their adventures when they appeared before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M. in the Juvenile Court to answer a charge of '"having entered » railway carriage used on a railway, without paying their fares." After being severely admonished tho boys were discharged. There were two bankruptcies in Wellington during tflie month of June, the same number as in Juno, 1914. For the first six months of J. 915 there have been eight bankruptcies in Wellington, while (luring the first six mouths of 1914-there were only four'. Drivers' Union delegates in Wellington next week to attend the Labour Conference will meet on Monday to consider various questions concerning their own trade. One of the principal matters discussed will be in reference to the .provision in the Shops and Offices Act permitting drivers who are classed as shop assistants to be employed for an hour a day in excess of fifty-two hours per week in attending to horses without payment of overtime. Drivers' unions consider that drivers, affected by this clause should be paid overtime'for the hours in excess of fiftytwo, and they will ask the Minister of Labour to 'promote legislation in this direction.

Four whales were seen in Queen Charlotte Sound' early Wednesday morning, two of them having come close to the harbour, disporting themselves near Mabel Island, about a mile from the -wharves at Pictou. Information was instantly sent to the whalers at the Tory Channel heads, and two boats were son up in search. One of the monsters was secured after a good light, causing some damage to the boats, one of which had its side ripped open by the whale's tail, whilst the other lost its rudder. The whaling lias been very satisfactory this season (says the "Marlborough Express") ./So far seven have been killed and four brought safely home, the other three having been lost by sinking. . It is understood, says a Press Association telegram from Napier, that Mr. Leslie M'Hardy has offered the Hawke's Bay Hospital Board his large residence in George Street ■as a hospital for wounded soldiers, together with a large sum for maintenance. The abolition of several State offices and the creation of new offices in their stead are notified in last night's Gazette. The office of "Assistant Secretary, Post and Telegraph Department" is abolished, and the office of "First Assistant Secretary, Post and , Telegraph Department" haß sprung up; "Inspector-General of Schools" has disappeared in favour of "Director of Education" ; and "Comptroller of -Customs" will be found where formerly sat the "Secretary of Customs."

Tile butchers in Pahiatua have raised the price of meat by one'penny per pound all - round. The reason is attributed to the high prices ruling-for fat stock and horse feed (states our Pahiatua correspondent). His Majesty King George has approved the request of the Society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children to style itself ' The Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children." Considerable progress in submarine signalling continues. to be mado in America, where opinion as to the future of this means of communication is not less sanguine than in Germany. For some years past Mr. Millet's apparatus has been in successful operation. An even more confident belief in submarine signalling is based upon experiments carried out with the apparatus developed by Mr. H. Christian Bergor. According to Commander F. H. Sawyer, of the United States Navy, his device consists of a steel wire or script set in longitudinal vibration by means of a friction wheel running in contact with it. A clear - musical note is thus obtained, enabling Morse signals to bo transmitted much more clearly than bv the employment of a boll. It has been ascertained that the length of wire can be selected i.r 4.» tn nlitajti t/Hs Huts whleh thn miei'cnboAS cm, owst readily sick ua>

Merriment reigned at His Majesty's Theatre yesterday, says a Press Association telegram from Auckland, when the members of the Williamson Pantomime Company held a mock court in aid of the Hospital Ship and war funds. Many well-known citizens were fined for various "offences," the total amount realised being in the vicinity of £600. The pony, saddle, and bridle, to be awarded to the person who guessed the correct weight of the whole outfit at the recent judging competition at the National Dairy show were won by Mr. Wm. Strang, of Gladstone. Tho weight was 7281b. In order to increase largely the applications of the spirit for technical purposes an international competition .-has been instituted by the Russian Ministry of Finance, with three prizes respectively of 30,000, 15,000) and 5000 roubles for finding out new denaturalising substances or for the. improving of tho existing methods of denaturalising, which substances or improvements should both secure a general use of the spirit and remove any possibility of using it as n beverage. The conditions of the competition are published in last - night's Gazette. Questions concerning the election of Harbour Boards will bo discussed when the New Zealand Farmers' Union meets here in July. Auckland will move: "That for the purpose of electing members of Harbour Boards, the counties should be grouped separately from the boroughs, each to have equal representation." Wellington proposes: "That in view of the great expense of Harbour Board elections, tho old form of election be reverted to; and that country districts have more representation on Harbour Boards, and with that end in view the conference recommend the G-overnment to keep country and borough representation entirely separate.'