LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2522, 24 July 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Mararoa, which sailed from Sydney for Auckland on July 21, is bringing Australian mails, and- also an English 'mail -viaJSuez>\ Tho K.M.S. Makura, which is due from Suva, brings American and English mails via Vancouver. Tlie Wellington portion of both mails' will arrive per Main Trunk express on Tuesday.

Tlio Telegraph Office advise that day's Bay has been reduced to a receiving office and bureau. A receiving offico and bureau has been opened at Muritai l'ark, whilst Rona Bay has been closed.

"It will bo a marvel if I get as much money to spend this year as last year. I hardly think I will," said the Minister of Public Works (tlie Hon. W. Eraser) in reply to an Auckland deputation yesterday. "I am, however," said Mr. Eraser, to take authority-so that if I can get the money I canspemHt." tho votes, lio said, would be about equal to last year's, and iu som<j eases probably a little more. ,There might be some difficulty in regard to the labour available. He supposed that fully 10,000 men who had been engaged in connection with the primary industries had gone to the war, and it was likely that when shearing aiid harvesting time caine there would be a demand for laboiir. If siicli were the caso lie would have to relieve men from public works as the gathering of the, harvest was of more importance than the construction of railways and roads. He would not, however, take nien from works in tho north to send them to ■ harvest work in tho south, but there would 1 probably be a certain amount of farm work in the north to be dealt with.

The heavy flood in the Ruamahunga River on Thursday resulted in.four piles of tlio Ruamahunga Bridge at Te Oro Ore being washed away. The bridgo is, in consequence, says our Masterton correspondent, rendered : unsafe for heavy traffic. Tho cost of strengthening tlio structure will bo fairly- heavy. The New Zealand championship for Working hoiner pigeons at tho Masterton Poultry and Pigeon Show, was won by Mr. J. Dixon.

"I have seen men of tbo First Expeditionary Forco with three pairs'of socks on in order to fill their boots out," stated a witness (who is a bootmaker) at tho Trentham Camp Commission yesterday. . Witness added that the ill-fit of many, of tliei boots caused a lot of soro feet.

The shipload of New Zealand soldiers has yet to bo discovered has_ not produced iii sorno form or other a. jour-nal-souvenir. The most enterprising of these literary efforts which has so far come to hand is "Tho Orari Tattler," a magazine chronicling: and commenting on tho events that took place, onboard H.M.N.Z.T. s.s. Orari, one of tlio "transports of tho Main Body. "Tho Tattler" is a particularly well-produced magazine, well printed and bound, and contains, besides numerous cartoons and photographs, some articles and- narratives of moro than ordinary interest. Tho journal was printed at Cairo at tho conclusion of the voyage.

Mr. J. M'Combs, M.P. (Lyttelton), intends to move in Committee on tho Shops and Offices Amendment Bill a new clause to the following effect: "The provisions of the. principal Act shall' apply to premises licensed for tlie salo of intoxicating liquor, as if such premises wero a shop within tho meaning of that Act; provided that no such premises shall bo kopt open for .the sale of intoxicating liquor after six o'clock in the afternoon of any day."

Tho .social rooms for soldiers, tho arrangements of which havo been tho object of an enterprising committee of Wellington ladies, have been re-opened, tuul are now ready for use. Tho rooms—the Sydney Street Schoolroom—have been suitably furnished, a gymnasium being provided. Tho committeo havo fond hopes that tho institution will ho very beneficial to tho soldier community, and it is desired thaigifts will bo sent along as timo goes 011. Mrs. J. W. Salmond, 155 Tho Terrace. who is the secretary, will acknowledge any contributions.

Mr. Richard Howell has received a reply to a petition mado by him to tho Queen of ,tlio Carnival, praying that copies of his verses "Tho Call of tho Empire," might bo ordered for distribution among tho troops in camp. Her •Maiost.v has boon plowed to order fivo ■Hnted .goaksJor .diatrib.utiQtti ■

_ The Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers' ciation, according to our Napier corres* pondent, intend sending a trial shipment of pears to North America.

This week's storm has meant a good dealonc way and another to many peo-* rile in Now Zealand. Initially it was responsible for a disruption of the shipping, which could not work cargo in continually teeming rain, and several poople who had made arrangements to to Sydney on Thursday by tho Moeraki have been seriously embarassed by bavins to loso practically two wliolo days in "Wellington. On top of that conies tho news that the floods on tho Main Trunk lino liavo declared a very solid kind of hold-up, and no expresses which left Auckland or Wellington on Thursday evening reached their destinations yesterday, and people travelling between tho two chief centres are stuck up at Frankton, Te Kuiti, Pukotutu. and Taumartinui, until such times as tlio floods subside, and the tracks aro deemed in bo reasonably safe. Tlio meteorological statistics for this week over tho whole of New Zealand should be more than ordinarily interesting, as the rain storm was ono of tho heaviest and longest experienced for a decade. As far as Wellington was concerned, the fury of the stornv was qualified by tho strange fact tliat the wind was warm oven to mugginess on Tuesday and Wednesday, and visitors from tlio Wairarapa report that therohas been very little snow on tho Ruahine and Tararua Ranges of lato, though at this time of tlio year they, aro usually heavily coated.

Mr. Hugh D. M'lntosh, tho prominent theatrical manager, is negotiating to take a team of expert Maori liaka and-, poi dancers to Australia to do a twenty minutes' turn in his vaudeville theatres. Mr. M'lntosh witnessed part of the Maori performance on Thursday evening at tho Town Hall, and has conceived the idea that with a little compression and acuto . stage management an attractive and novel act ooultt be built up on the performances of tho Maoris—tho whole to last not longer, than twenty minutes.

The Prime Minister is continuing his efforts' to assure regular ' supplies of printing paper from Canada. He has received tho following cablegram from the Minister of Trade and Commerce, Canada.:—"Shipping company is taking 415 tons of paper, per Karamea, for New Zealand. Will do host possible thereafter. Service likely to continue."

At a meeting of the Lower Hutfc branch of tlie W.C.T.TJ., hold yesterday, an interesting address was delivered by Miss Powell. At the conclusion it was unanimously decided to manufacture 100 sand-hags for tlie uso of the Expeditionary Forces at the front. '

In accordance with tho King's request', that spccial services should be held in . the _ churches in connection with the 1 anniversary of tlie war, His Worship the Mayor is arranging for steps to bo taken in Wellington. i On inquiry yesterday it was ascertain-; ed that there was reasonable prospects of the Pateena obtaining a crow to take' her from ' Wellington to Sydney and Melbourne to-day. The Monowai; which has'relieved the vessel in the ferry service, .will leave .Wellington, for Lytteltoii at 11 p.m. to-day. Tho Moeraki left Lytteltou at 8,10 p.m.-yesterday for Wellington, and she should arrive hero between 9 and 10 o'clock this morning. The Moeraki Will b'e dispatched for Sydney-this afternoon,

A coincidence has befallen Private W, 0. Cookson, tho well-known Christ, church swimmer, and liis brothel "Clem." W. Cookson left for t'rie front with the Canterbury Infantry Battalion of the Main Expeditionary Force, whilst Clem departed with tho Fourth Rein-. forcemeftts. 11l a letter, dnted May 13, just received by their'brother, Mr. L. Cookson,, Walter states that tlie Wo nro in the samo section. "Clem and I liavo scraped through so far," he says!' "Clem joined us a few days ago, and ~ was placed in our section. Life -is full of excitement, but we live Well, and lack 'nothing, except soap, wlrioh is very scarce. ,