LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2507, 7 July 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

"I've forgotten what you call them — the india-rubber wheels that go round motor-cars." —Mr. A. H.- Hindmarsh in the House last night. Amidst., the laughter it aroused somebody helped him with-the missing word "tyres.' A return presented to Parliament yesterday showed tho consumption last year of certaiu articles in common use in New Zealand, as compared with the previous year, the figures of which are' given in parentheses:—Spirits,-887,116 gallons (87G,751); f consumption per head, 2.53 por cent. (2.48 per cent.); duty per head, £2 os." 7}d. (£ll9s; Bd.). Tobacco, 2,437,0301b. (2,365,8441b.); per head, 6.691b. (6.971b.). Tea,- 9,938,617 lb. (7,070,4301b.); per head, 8.721b. (6.231b. per head). New Zealandbrewed beer (calculating consumers as over 15 years of age) Total consumption. 10,356,240 gallons (10,001,200, gallons) ; por head, 13.4 gallons (13.0 gallons) ; duty collected £129,453 (£125,015); per head, 3s. 4d. (3a. 2}d.). Tlie Mohaka Maoris have, says ; our Napier correspondent, _ given 159 pairs of socks for the Maori contingents; ot Malta. A correspondent writes: "Just' two minutes before the 12.10 Lower Hutt train left on Monday a lady passenger, with four young children, was boarding the tram. She had,put two-of-the children on, and the third was just going to get on, when, without any warning, the train, moved, going back into the station at some' speed. Knowing that this might haVe resulted in a serious accident makes one wonder who is to blame."The Mayor of Masterton visited the 'Trentham camp on Sunday last, and conferred with the Wairarapa boys. Ho found them all cheerful, and although they had obviously enoountered difficulties on account of the weather, none of them had any complaint to make. ' ' . , ' . , Dr.. A. A. Martin, of Palmerston North, who has just returned from the front, will bo tho guest of honour at a New Zealand Club luncheon to-day. Dr. Martin will speak on what he 6aw in the lighting line of France and Flanders. v. A notice appears in another part of this paper in reference' to a' meeting of tho Wellington Accountants' Students' Society,'when Sir, J. L. Arcus will'lecture ou "Assets and Their Verification." At this meeting Mr. W. B. Hudson, who was at Marseilles when War broke out, wilj give some of the experiences lie encountered on his trip to Great Britain. The quarterly meeting of the Petone. Methodist Circuit was held at: the Jackson Street Chapel last evening, the Rev. J. J. Lewis presiding over s a representative gathering. , Tlie - report stated that the quarter had; been prosperous, and tho balance-sheet showed a credit of £3.165. \ The second son of Mrs. I. Salek, of Wellington Terrace, enlisted foi; the front, in Melbourne. ; In that city the mothers of sons who have gone to, the war are honoured with a neat little badgo consisting of a ,neat gilt brooch— 'an' emblazoned crown—from which is pendant an enamelled Union Jack,' with the words "Son with the colours" neatly lettered in the enamel. One of' these femblems has been forwarded to Mjrs. Salek, and has; created a'lively interest among the women here. It has also 1 been shown to some of the members of Parliament, and' it is not • improbable that a proposal will be made to do something on the same lilies in New Zealand for the mothers of our soldiers. ' .' ■ 1 The Napier-Hastings Serbian Fund now totals £2244. / ■ Somewhat reminiscent' of an incident in - the 'auction proceedings described in "The Wrecker," the stirring tale of adventure by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourno,. happened in 'a Christchurch land' auction room op Saturday morning. • An unseen bidder-was the cause of considerable curiosity ,on the part of another bidder. The auctioneer when he' got a bid turned to his right to ascertain if the bidder who, though .unseon to tho audience, was apparently visiblo to him, wished to make an advance. The'gentleman in the audi-, ence who was bidding, on oiio' or 'two occasions got up and endeavoured to get a sight of tho person who was.bidding against him; but was not successful. Even liis protest, that tho auction was not being conducted as a public auction made no impression on tlie'auctioneer. Ultimately the property -was knocked down to the gentleman in tho audience.- The explanation .of the mystery connected with the unseen bidder was that a lady ,who was anxious ' to. purchase the'land and who was equally anxious not to be seen was accommodated in a..side-room where she could hear the bidding. The lady, to make as certain 'as' possible of things, had put in. an appearance at the auction room at nine. o'clock and .waited three solid hours till the auction was held. ■

Yesterday Constable Anderson, of the Manners Street police station, arrested a mail on a charge-of theft from a dwelling. The allegation is that the man stole an overcoat, portmanteau, and other goods to the value of £5 from* tho Hotel Bristol. He will appear before the Magistrate this morning. A matter which, it is contended, involves a very important principle is at present being fouglit\ out between the Dunedin Hospital Board and the honorary medical staff. A patient, on 'tho advice of his medical man, was admitted to the hospital for ; an operation by a certain member of the medical staff, who, however, did not proceed with \ it, ■though it is hot disputed that the operation was necessary. The medical staff, in a report,'contend' that it was not a hospital case; but the. board, on tho other hand, say 1 that onco the patient was admitted the, operation should liavo taken place, and they have passed .a resolution to that effect. There tho matter rests in the meantime. More'is likely to bo heard of it.—Exchange.

im , 'li The executive of the Wairarapa Patriotic League liave instructed Mr. G. R. Sykes, M.P., to purchase £10 worth of comforts per week for the sick 6oldiers from Trentham now in various hospitals in and around Wellington. "The Napier Harbour Board, according to our special correspondent, is making rapid progress with the-West Shore East Coast railway embankment, which , is now 122 yards long.' ( At Thursday night' 6 meeting of the City Council Councillor Bennett is to movo: "That a- special committee be set up to confer with the heads of departments with a view of making a'definite recommendation to the council as to what holidays shall bo observed by the various departments under their control. The committee to report in on< montli." A blood stallion consigned to Mr. Farthing, of Canterbury, by A. Chisliolin and Co., of Sydney, arrived from that port by the Manuka last evening.