LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2506, 6 July 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Riverina, which sailed from, Sydney for Auckland 011 July 1, brings Australian mails only, tho Wellington portion of which is due per Main Trunk express .on Wednesday morning.' "The s.s. Manuka, which is due at Wellington to-day, also carries Australian raaiils only. The mails which loft . Wellington ob May 27 per R.M.S. Moana, which arrived at San Francisco on June 16, due date A l'esshad oil Jufe 3, .

His Excellency the Governor, who originated the idea of New Zealand furnishing a Hospital Ship for service in the war zone, visited tho MaJieno yesterday morning, and thoroughly inspected every department. ' Ho has furnished tho vessel with his officio! flag, which is to bo hoisted whenever lie visits the ship, which he hopes will bo a daily duty until she sails on Saturday afternoon next.

'fho Defence Minister (tho Hon. J. Allen) yesterday received advioo that the_ Fifth .Reinforcements had reached their first port of call. Tho message reports "Ail well." Thirteen horses wore lost on the voyage. Six men'wero put ashore medically unfit,-along with 0110 stowaway. Those ( men will 'como back to New Zealand in the Willochra.

Regarding medical students who have gono to tlm front, the Minister of Defence stated last night that tho Department bad asked that medical students should be sent back to complete their training. A- reply had been received that some were right at the front,, and could not bo sent yet, but as soon as tlioy could bo spared an effort would bo made to send them back to New Zealand. '

Tho whole of tho work, connected with tho setting back of that row, of shops in Willis Street just below tho Mercer Street intersection has now. been completed, and the new facade given to the block is a distinct improvement in the appearance of 'tho premises. Tho work of setting back the footpath is to bo gono on with almost at once, or as soon, as tho Telegraph Department can make arrangements for the removal of the two posts erected on the outer alignment of tho old sidewalk. ,• With this section of the road widened and laid down in wood-blocks, on© of the busiest spots in the-city will be given a measure of relief, as the rounding off of the corner premises will give wheeled traffic a convenient sweep round into Mercer Street and the comparativo quiet of Victoria and Wakefield Streets.

At the recent Carnival held at Eastbourne a sign was exhibited over the ferry wharf at Bona Bay to the effect that taiited money would not'be objected to. Correspondents wrote in a state of indignation to know the meaning of such a very peculiar notification. Mr. C. A. Marquis, the organiser of the Carnival, endeavoured to fathom the moaning of the'sign for us, but was not able to get hold "of the right man until last week, when an explanation was given of tlio device. / .What tlio originator. had in his mind was the story of Mick and Pat, discussing the meaning of tainted money, as applied to the enormous wealth of John D. Rockefeller. "What's tainted money, Mick?" says Pat. _; "Is it that ye want to. know, y' ig'ontnt Irishmantainted money? The maniug of it is that 'taint mine and 'taint yours, so it must be some other feller's, and the Rocky chap must have been round." In the case of the sign, the perpetrator, with such a devious sense of humour, figured'it out that all loose cash on Carnival Day was tainted, as ho reckoned it should all go to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund.

At a meeting of the Potone branch of the Social Democratic Party, held on Sunday, a resolution was. passed protesting strongly against the sentence passed 011 Alice Parkinson by .the Chief Justice as being directly opposed to tho jury's verdict. Alice Parkinson, was charged with murder and found guilty, the jury recommending her for mercy. She was sentenced to imprisonment for the term of her natural life. Tho Wellington branch of. tlio Social Democratic Party, passed.a similar resolution at a meeting hjld last evening. V Several Masterton young men who have joined the special mounted contingent which will accompany the Sixth Reinforcements will go into camp at Trentham on Saturday next. They are to be entertained at a farewell dance during the week'.

Mr. C. F. Vallance, of Kahumingi, is'(says'-our. Masterton correspondent): donating - £1000 to the Wounded' Soldiers' Fund.' Mr. Rupert Morrison, of Blairlogie, has increased his contribution from £500 to £1000.

The Prime Minister stated' yesterday that he hoped to have the results in l tho course of a few days-of the wheat census recently taken all over the Dominion. ■ .

. At'the Petone Court yesterday, before Messrs. Short and Coles, J.P.'s, Richard Carney, was charged with tho theft of 35., aiid also with attempting to obtain a similar sum by a false,pretence. As the evidence was not'considered satisfactory, both charges were dismissed.

There is urgent need for old linen for use in the' military hospitals. in Wellington, and people are asked to supply the want. Parcels left "with, or sent' to. Miss Bickncll, deputy matijon-in-chief of tho Nursing' Service, : Public Health Department, will reach their destination. .

Two more men from Trentham Camp died .on Sunday, Private W. Jewell, in Wellington Hospital, from meningitis, and Private Kenneth Galder in the Victoria Hospital, from measles. ' If wo were not so accustomed to marvels - in' this marvellous year wo should be speechless with astonishment, if any-, body /collected incidents _ showing how warfare has been revolutionised by tho wizardy of wiroless (writes a London correspondent). The battering at tho, Dardanelles over hills hundreds of, feet high and, from ranges of 10 to 12,, miles would" havo been impossible without wiroless signals- from .seaplanes hovering ovor tho forts admitting of high-angle firo of uncamiy accuracy. ..The aviators havo been ablo to toll the naval gunuers exaotly what effect, their shells wero having, as though 'they were.' in cjirect telephonic touch with the warship. The bombardment of the Belgian coast could only be successfully conducted by moans of wirolqss information from the skies. The approach of'the lurks agauist Egypt was queered by aeroplanes far out across tho desert telling ■headquarters of ©very movement of the .raiders. In evory naval battle tho singing spark has been of priceless value to our admirals, and here in London itself the War Office and tho Admiralty.can talk at,any.moment to I'aris or Petrograd. . And if tho War Office- wishes to shift troops -in 'saypt it employs the ether wa-ves to Alexandria, and if the Admiralty wishes -a collier to go from 1 Aden to tho Aegean it taps out the direction to the Aden •station. If the Germans do daro. to make* a desoent upon lis, it will be wireless that will forewarn our authorities.