LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2519, 21 July 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities advise that the s.s. (Maitai, which is due-to-day. trom'''SydAey;' is bringing 'Australian mails only.

This morning the Court of Appeal (first division) will deliver- reserved judgments'in the' following cases: — M'Caul v. Fraser; Brogan v. the Public Trustee; and Connell v. the Phoenix Aerated Water Co.

Three men—Privates M'Guinness, Shaw, and Jones —of the Snmoan Relief Force reached Wellington yesterday from Auckland, having arrived by tho Tofua on Sunday. Tho men, who were accompanied by Private John (Ambulance _ Corps), of tlio original Force, wore in ohnrge of Lieutenant Roberts, and have been returned as medically unfit-. Privates Sharp and Alexander, who wero also invalided home,, remained at Auckland.

A visit was paid by som,e enthusiasts to Ward Island during tho week-end, and Arbor Day was celebrated there b? planting hair a dozen j;oung fir trees and one lcaraka. Attention was given to the trees already planted on tho island, and which appear to'he.doing well.: .These consist of cabbage tree, poliutukawa, ngaio, karaka, kow'hai, rangiora, ake alio, kupata, pinus muricata, aud pinus pinea. Rabbits are still in evidence there, but steps are to bo tr.ken shortly to get rid of them, wheil the plants that have maintained tho struggle for existence during tho past two years will have a fairer chance.

In regard to the Nelson case of tho King v. Peter Francis Rogan, argued before tho Court of Appeal on July 12, and on which judgment was reserved, the First Division of Court has decided that owing to the character of the case it must be re-argued before, both divisions, and September 22 next has been fixed for that purpose.

Two childrpn ' in indigent _ circumstances appeared in the Juvenile Court yesterday, and were committed to. the Upper.Hutt Receiving Home.-'

Tho manner to which overlapping in the administration of funds could occur cropped up in a case brought before tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) yesterday. Mr. Luke was confronted with an appli. cation for monetary assistance by a returned soldior, who stated that he had been in Australia when the war broko out. and had enlisted in tho Australian Light Horse. Ho was' a resident of Deep Creek, near Blenheim. In a quandary, Mr. Luko telegraphed to the Mayor of Blenheim, who replied, asking Mri Luko to afford any relief that Was actually necessary, and that tho case would be fully inquired into by the Blenheim Committee. This lias been done. ' The Nelson "Colonist" states that thero has been mucli activity at ' tho Sandy Bay marble quarries since tho Government has taken over tho property. Another batch of men went over on Thursday, aud thero will be a hundred men at work there shortly. A tramline three miles long -is being laid to where the experts expect to secure tho large blocks requiied for tho Parliamentary Buildings. So far it has lieen impossible to get these blocks free froiu flaws. A correspondent writes to say that ho has received a letter from a soldier friend at the Dardanelles, dated "'Midst shot and shrapnel, . Gallipoli Peninsula, May 14." In the course of the lotter the soldier in question stated that on May 14 he had received 13 letters and papers from New Zealand friends. Further, he stated that a week before a wry large mail had arrived at the Peninsula.

A slight error crept into an acknowledgment published yesterday, when the Patriotic Sockty was thanked for gifts of tobacco and cigarettes for the men ill camp. It was tho Mayor's Patriotio Committee that forwarded the tobacco and cigarettes, tho sum of £240 being expended, in that direction for tho sup ply of all four camps.

Tho City Councillors who held office bfc. foro the prosent Council, passed a resolution endorsing the proposal to approach tlio Government with tho request to have tho watershed of the Orongorongo River, or that portion of it which lies to the oast of the Wainui watershed (tlio greater part of which is a Crown forest reserve), vested in the City Corporation for all time, as a guarantee that the Wainui supply • could be supplemented from the Orongoronco whenever tlie necessity arose. When consulted yesterday on tho matter, the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) stated that the Prime Minister had been so very busy during the past few months that no attempt had been' made to approach him on the matter, but as soon as there is tho slightest chance of gaining the ear of the Prime Minister the matter would he followed up. Until some definite agreement regarding tho land was come to tlio council could do no work, and it was desirous that a start should be made to pierce the hill during tho oomiug summer, to provide an aqueduct through wliich to bring a supply, of water from the Orongorongo River into the Wainui basins.

The Wellington Zoological Society, representatives of which waited on the Reserves Committee on Monday with the information that .the Government Tourist Department was prepared to hand over to the Zoo on loan an interesting collection" of thirty bifds and animals from tho" Rotorua Zoo, desires to acknowledge their indebtedness to the Hon. R. H. Rhodes for his interest and assistance in tile matter.

Evidence of the difficulties caused by the recent short-age of the munitions supplies is given in a letter received by. Mr. Charles C. Dacre from his 6ister (says an Auckland exchange). Referring to her son, a colonel in the Hoyal Artillery, the writer says; "Henrywent out a fortnight ago. He is in command of two brigades of-, artillery, and has quite a little staff of his own. The guns of one of his batteries are the biggest that have been sent out jet. He had been home from India ten weeks, but he could not go to the front for eight weeks, for though the guns and all the men were ready they could not get ammunition. I think you must be shocked to hear how badly some' of our workmen are behaving; one could not have believed that Englishmen, could ho so unpatriotic." , A curious prediction made by Samoan Islanders was mentioned by Miss Jean E. Begs, in Christchurch, in the course of a talk dealing with Samoa, on' Saturday evening. Some years ago the natives there under German rule used to tell her that the English King was going to send his armies to Samoa and that they would all be Britishers soon. Miss Begg would contradict them, and say'that would never happen, but they insisted that it •would. "I can tell you,". she added, "they are very pleased indeed to ha British." >

At Thursday's meeting.of the Hospital and Charitable Aiu "Board the Rev. H- Van Staveren mil move: "That the establishment of an orphanage for this City and district be taken into the serious consideration of the board."

. The University of New Zealand is furnishing quite a number of graduates as officers for the Expeditionary Forces. Many have already gone from our halls of . learning to the front and others are on their way. It is worth noting that iu all the companies of the 7th Infantry now in camp at Waikanae therefore graduates who have distinguished' themselves, m .degr.ee work and in athletics. In A Company tliore aro Captain Herman, LL.B.; Second Lieutenants Taylor, M.A., and Senior. 8.A., of Auckland; ■ in B Company, Lieutenant A, B. Sievwriglit, LL.B., Sergeants Gerald Fell, LL.B., and G. S. Strack, M.A., ■ all of Victoria College, Wellington; in 0 Company, Lieutenant Merton, LL.B., of Canterbury, College; in D- Company, Lieutenant C. Smith, M.A., Otago. ' The institution of the 0.T.0. in connection with the New Zealand University Colleges is responsible for the military spirit and efficiency of these officers.

Tho Island steamer Amra, which went ashore ou Vuua Ktof, in the Fiji Group, at'tho end, of June, and which subsequently floated off at high., water under her own .steam, returned to Suva on the morning of July 4. No damage of a serious nature was done to the vessel. The Amra. was proceeding from Levuka to Taviuni at tho time, and struck the reef at midnight. A Marine Board held an inquiry into the circumstances of the. accident at Suva on July 5. The board decided that the Amra was properly found, that the stranding occurred off Namoli, owing to tlie captain mistakiug the lights of the town of Namoli for those at Mr. Tartc's plantation, ancl that a formal investigation was not necessary.

A' shiny now 181b. shell was a novel "exhibit" produced by Mr. R.-M'Cal-lein iii the House 'of. Representatives yesterday. The. shell, as lie explained, had been made by Mr. George Birch, of Blenheim, and he asked that the shell should be tested in the presence of members of Parliament, Defence officers, representatives of tho Press, and others. As Mr. M'Callum explained, tho maker, of the shell admits that it is- not made of tho special steel required by the Imperial,,specifications, but contends that a serviceable shell can be made with ordinary steel. The Minister., of Defonce 6aid that the shell seemed to him to bo beautifully .made, but as to whether it would prove serviceable lie could not say. He would bo very pleased to havo the shell tested, and if honourable members cared they could bo present at lie trial. Mr. Allen, said that he had been- in communication with the Imperial authorities on the snbjcct of manufacturing shells here, but up till tho present ho had received very little encouragement. Tliei special steel and also the machinery, required for the manufacture of shells wore, ho- was informed, very difficult, if not impossible, to obtain. It is expected that tho Public- Service Association' Conference will sit until Friday next.' On Thursday it is intended to entertain the delegates at a dinner to be hold at the Town Hall Concert Chamber. *

. A mechanical applioance for the. re- % lief of soldiers wounded in limbs was the k subject or a question addressed to the Minister of Defenoe by the Leader of the Opposition yesterday. Sir Joseph AVard eaid that Sir. F. W. Thompson, of Christcliurch, had invented o ri>markable mechanical apparatus—a kind of ; splints made of motnl, to holp soldiers who had lie en wounded in arm or leg. It had been te6tod in his presence, and he had been favourably impressed by it, and he, suggested that , it should bo placed in the lobby of the House for the inspection of members. Anything of tho kind was worthy V , -of a trial before medical men. Mr. si,- - --- Allen said that he had not had l tho < apparatus sent for his inspection, but m soon as he received it he would submit it to tho medical authorities. A search of the Hiitt River was made i*. by the Lower Hutt police uiitil a late >i. hour on Monday evening' for a body ' that was reported to have been seen by two men on Monday afternoon. No trace was seen of it, however, and owing <to.'a., substantial rise iu the river, consequent upon tho' recent heavy ram, searching operations have been temporarily abandoned. The stock of Virol" presented to cohvalescent soldiers by Messrs. W. and G. Turnbull has teen distributed by the ! Mayor (Mr.. J. P./Luko) between the Camp Hospital at' Trontham, the Golf . Club House at Heretaunga., tho Kiosk,. Oriental Bay, theßowen Street Hospital, and Levin and Co.'s store at Kaiwarra. • . ■