LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2529, 2 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A wireless message lias been received from tho captain of the Ulimaroa, stating that ho expected his vessel to arrive at Wellington from Sydney at noon to-day. Sho is bringing an Australian mail only for Wellington ahd southern offices. The Riyerina, which is duo at Auckland from Sydney this morning is bringing mails for Auckland only.

'A sharp shock of earthquake was experienced in Masterton at 10.20 o'clock on Saturday morning, telegraphs our Masterton correspondent.

Tributes of a glowing character wer® paid to those members of'tho teaching profession of Wellington ivho had gone to the front by various speakers at tho meeting of tlie Wellington Hoadmastcrs' Association oil Saturday morning.Mr. W. T. Grundy, president, expressed the fear that such men would, possibly bo prejudiced by their absence in promotion. Instead of that being so,' ho was of opinion that tlioy should receive preferential treatment. Everything that could be done for them should ho done, arid a resolution was passed (and authorisod to bo sent on to the Education Board) that tliey should receive favourable consideration ill promotion to positions as tlieso became vacant.

At the request of Mr. L. O. H. Tripp, Consular Agent in "Wellington for Italy, the Mayor,(Mr. J. P. Luke) states that lie will be pleased to recoivo any donations of money to the Italian Red Cross Society. Almost at the same time as New Zealand decided to prohibit tho export of sheep and cattle, except under certain restrictions, comes news from Australia that the Federal Government has made a regulation requiring that before cattle may bo imported into Australia from New_ Zealand they must undergo a tuberculin test here. This test must he certified by a qualified surgeon. The Now Zealand Government is. communicating with the Commonwealth Government • concerning tie matter. One case of scarlet fever occurred on hoard the Tainui on the voyago out. The patient is _ a young woman, who arrived in port in a convalescent condition. , As the full six weeks' period of segregation demanded by the regulations lias not run its course, the youug lady and her mothor will be kept in quarantine somowhero until the period lias elapsed. In tho course of a circular letter from the headquarters of tho Overseas Club, London, it is "stated that so far members of the club have £30,000 to the Tobacco Fund for the men at the front, which moans that 30 tons of tobacco and 30 million cigarettes have been purchased. With tlio letters are being circulated collecting sheets, which notifies that every shilling subscribed represents a 4-ounce package of tobacco, 50 cigarcttes, and a supply of matches for a soldier or sailor. Tho reason why the club is nhla to buy 6o well is that' by an arrangement with the War Office the parcels are sent out duty and carriage freo. A feature of the scheme is that every package contains a postcard_ addressed to the donor, so that tho recipient may thank his benefactor porsonally.

Work has been commenced on the enlargement of the present Wool Wharf in order to mako it suitable for tho permanent berthing of the WelhugtonLyttelton ferry steamers. Dozens of piles havo been prepared, and part or the present structure has been removed so that the new portion may be joined on. Tho driver is expected to be at work this week. There wore throe bankruptcies in Wellington (luring the month of July, one more than for the same month of 1914. The total for the first ■ soven months of tho year is 11, against 7 for tho first seven months of 1914. Lady motorists will welcomo tho ladies' boudoir and special catering provided by tho Dominion Motor Vehicles, Ltd., in their fine new garage—tl'.o largest in tho Dominion—just off tlw Conrtonnj- Place wood-blocking in Tory Street. Special ladW runabouts—electric self-starting and lighting, of course—arrive in throo weeks Catalogues and photographs mailed on rwucet-. yaraß9 hours—7 a.m. to midnlshi.!" tq 10 a,m.i 0 tn U.p.w, Sundays,

At the annual general meeting of the Society of Musicians, Wellington, held on Friday, evening, tlie- following ollicers for the ensuing year were elected:—President, Mr. JJoniard l'\ Page; vice-presidents, Messrs. Robert Parker and Lawruiico Watkins. Mus. Bac.; hon. secretary, Mr. 11. Temple White; lion, treasurer, Mr. Leo. Buckcridge; council. Misses Kennedy, Segrief, and Watkins, Messrs. 11. G. I3low, L.R.A.M., Cli. W. Kerry, and Ch. W. Stephens.

The export of sheep and cattle from New, Zealand to any destination has been prohibited, save with tho consent of tho Minister of Customs, such .consent to bo granted on condition that tlie exporter, or his responsible agent, servant, or representative shall mako a statutory declaration as to tho ultimate destination of tho sheep or cattle so to bo exported.

Trentham Camp is still a hive of industry. Carpenters aro at work in fair numbers, and a largo number of carters and labourers aro employed in the motalling and gravelling of tho place. The camp is totally unlike what it was a while back. Alniost all the tents liavo disappeared, and the number of hutments has increased. The roads, which but a little while ago were in a deplorable condition of bogjpness, aro now dry, and in most cases metalled. Tho ground in general, also, is dry, probably owing to the absence of recent rains. A railway has been run into tho camp from tho Hutt lino, and on tliis the gravel and metal aTO carried. The large number of dairy factory appointed chaplain t otlio 6th lieinforcoeiliployees wlio have already enlisted apparently lias not seriously affected tie number of men still available. Recently the manager of a dairy.: company advertised in this journal for a couple of assistants. Up to the present he has received one hundred and thirty-one applications, and lie says they are still coming in. Rehearsals for the Wellington Musical "Union's second concert are now in progress. Tho works selected are Gaul's historical cantata-opera, "Joan of Arc," and Stanford's setting of Tennyson's poem, "The Ilovenge," a ballad of the Fleet. Tho conductor (Mr. Claughton) will meet new members to-night in St. Andrew's Hall. The Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. MassOy) paid a visit to Trentham Camp Hospital yesterday. Speaking to a reporter later die stated that everything is going on very well there, and the' l'odaictioli in tho number of cases is very marked, the average now with the numbers of a month ago being about olio to five. The patients aro all hoing carefully looked after, and cach day sees the list of sick men reduced. The hospital reports published elsewhere show that the authorities have got the epidemic well in hand, and tho decrease in the number on the sick bulletin during the past week has been very great. Tho Trentham Camp sito is also improving rapidly owing to tho spell of fine weather that' has been experienced!

Suva is in a bustling mood. That is the impression gathered by Mr. James Rolleston, who returned'to Auckland oil Monday morning (says the Auckland "Star"). Allowing for the tropical climate, ho told an interviewer, business was decidedly brisk. Of course, the islanders feel the effects of the war, but it is not so much due to a falling-off in business as to the loss of men who aro_ fighting for the Empire. After his arrival by the Niagara, Mr. llollestoii witnessed the departure of a batch of reinforcements, numbering about CO men. They were neatly-imi-formed soldiers, bronzed and hardened, having been through ■ a' preliminary training before proceeding to Vancouver, en route to England. The islanders were proud of the part they were playing oiv tlio-side of the Allies, aiid were determined to assist to the end. While at Suva Mr. Eolleston visited the sugar mill, and found it to bo working at its full .capacity. He found, the hotel conditions comfortable, aid predicts an increasing tourist trade.

Great hopes have been built up in Fiji on tho possibilities of growing rubber. Those who should know said that the hurricanes which ,are characteristic of Fiji would be ruinous. So far the trees have withstood tho blows admirably _ The "Western Pacific Herald," in giving an 'account of a visit to the Waidoi plantation, near Suva, owned by two New Zcalanders, Messrs. T. Crosse and C. D. Kennedy, says it is expected to send away £30,000 -worth of rubber from the 450 acres under cultivation. Rubber is much more profitable than either bananas or copra, and if the initial success is followed up, there is no doubt the colony should benefit tremendously by the new industry.

A very, enjoyable _ "free and easy" was given by the Wellington pressiften at the Burlington on Saturday evening in honour of visiting journalists who are-in town for the Parliamentary session. Mr. F. J. Earle, president of the Wellington Branch of tho Journalists' Institute, prosided, and associated with him was Mr. 11. V. White, chairman of the Wellington Reporters' Union. Euchre, minoni, songs, instrumental, items, and gramaphono selections (records kindly lent by, tho Bristol Piano Company) filled in a pleasant evening.

"The situation at Achi Baba tends more and more to resemble that with which wo have become familiar in France," writes a correspondent of the London "Times." "The enemy has im ideal defensive position —a narrow peninsula traversed by ranges of high hills or small mountains, every inch of which cau be entrenched to advantage—with one flank—his left—safe from attack by sea, and both incapable, of being turned by land, as they stretch down to tho water's edge. Achi Baba, tho barrier in front of us, although far less rugged and steep than, for osamplo, the ridge oil which tho Australians and tho New Zealanders, to their eternal honour, succeeded in establishing themselves, will doubtless prove no less difficult to assault. It may be even worse; tho Australasians' ridge is like Majuba or Elaudslaagte, So steep that men climbing it would ofM'U be out of reach of otJiers firing down it from tho crest. Achi Baba, on the other hand, so far as ono can judge from the nearest accessible point through a field-glass, is a series of smooth slopes, terraced at intervals,'which will be much the same to mount as tho glacis of an oldfashioned fort.'