LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2536, 10 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It is the intention of the Government to send a party of nurses with the transports leaving shortly, for tile purpose mainly of relieving some of the nurses now at the base hospitals.

The chairman of the New Zealand Overseas Shipowners' Committeo (Mr. J. B. Fimlliay) informed a Dominion reporter yesterday that arrangements had been made to replace tho P. and 0. Company's Banella 011 tho loading berth in New Zealand for Home by tho 0. and D. liner Mimiro. It will bo remembered that tho Benalla was damaged by lire off Durban recently whilst en route from London to Australian ports. Tho Mimiro has a capacity for 80,000 freight carcasses, and slio is duo to load in New Zealand during tho month of October. Tho other extra steamer—the "White Star liner Culic— is expected in New Zealand waters to load,for Home about the beginning of liextmontb. By the acquisition of the Mimiro the committee have been enabled to increase tbo output by about 20,000 freight carcasses.

Friday was a bad day for the dishonest milk supplier or milk vendor. In Otaki a farmer found guilty of watering jnillc was fined £50. At Gisborne several heavy lines were imposed. A dairy company was lined £-10, with £7 1-ls. costs, and three otlior vendors were lined £50, £30, and £30 respectively, with £3 17s. costs in every case. Olio of the Gisborne defendants was proved to have added 52.2 per ccnt. of water, and two samples of the Otaki milk, ordinarily retailed in Wellington at sd. a quart, showed 36.3 per cent, and 21.8 per cent, of added water. Fifty pounds is the maximum lino for the olfenco of offering for sale adulterated,milk, but it is not uncommon for Magistrates to impose lines very much below the maximum. On Friday tlie maximum was imposed in two cases, and very heavy lines in throe other cases. Perhaps milk adulateration may yet fall into disfavour as most other get-riclwiuick soliemea do.

Cigarettes are still in strong demand among our soldiers in the trendies, and in the baso hospitals, and tho Defence Minister states that the men are also very glad to got any kind ol wholesome sweets. These articles may bo sent from hero .or purchased in Egypt and sent on to the front in Callipoli. Burglars arc still operating in 'Wellington, and on Sunday evening a rosidcuco in Oriental Bay was entered, and goods, jo'wellcry, and money to ths valuo of about £25 were stolen. Reporting from Apia, under date August 9, Colonel Logan says tho health of the troops at Samoa is good. Major W. SI. Coekroft (phelbitis), _ Wireless Servant K. Cruncher (enteric fever), 'Corporal O. E. I'. Kelly (p.vlitis) Privates W. Martin (nasal sinus trouble), O C Johnson (antrum disease), M. E. Codd (colitis), M. J. Dunne (septic Iniroilis), H. Bennett (abscess), J. Kerr (tilnriasis), J. 0. Scrimgoour (hot yet diagnosed)., All doiflE wcUi

The Homo of Compassion at Island Bay benefited materially by the extraordinarily large quantity of driftwood that camo ashore in the southern bays last week. On Saturday afternoon tlio Island Bay section of tho National Reserve, under Major AVells, formed a working party, which gathered sufficient firewood to last the Home for the remainder of tho winter. Several tons were gathered, and carted to the Home by lorries, drays, and expresses, I'Jio use of Which was given froo of charge.

According to a return prepared by Colonel Stanley, Quartermaster-General of the Commonwealth Forces, there are now 16,892 men in training in Victoria and 7839 on leavo. Owing to the system of advance ordering, which has boon introduced in his department with regard to tho wants of tho citizen forces, lie is now in a position to equip 80.000 men in excess of the number authorised to leave Australia by the end of the year. A Magisterial Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the stranding of the Corinna at Wellington Heads early on Friday morning last, will bo opened at the Magistrate's Court at 10 a.m. today. Captain Chas. Lambert and Captain Gray, both of Wellington, have been appointed nautical assessors. Our Napier correspondent reports that the Napier Overseas Aircraft Flotilla Fund has reached tho sum of £326. A shooting match between teams representing tho Lyall Hay and Miramar units of_tho National Reserve was held in tho Jjvall Bay Drill-hall last night. The conditions were: Two teams, an A and a B team, from each unit; seven shots per man, making the possible score 700. The scores were as follow: A teams: Lyall Bay, 589; Miramar, SSO. B teams: Lyall Bay, 520; Miramar, 421. The aggregates were: Lyall Bay, 1109; Miramar, 1011. The highest scorers of tho match wero AVillis (60) and Kidd (07) for Lyall Bay, and Hull (67) for Miramar. A return match has been arranged for next Monday at Miramar. . _ AA'olliugton at tho present time is Mr. John Clegg, a much-respect-ed resident of Dnnedin, who in attempting to return to New Zealand from Europo last year, had, with his wards, the Misses M'Nicoll, a- most remarkable experience, which was related fairly fully ill these columns in December last. It may be remembered by our readers that the party was in Italy when war broke out, and acting under advice thev left there for Barcelona (in Spain), and from tlicrc went across tho Atlantic to Rio do Janeiro. Li attempting tlio trip from Rio to Now York, the vessel was captured, and Mr. Clegg and iiis wards wero kept prisoners on the armed German merchantman, tho Kronz Prinz AVilhelm, and from that vessel were finally transferred to another, ■ which landed theru back again in Rio—alter being five weeks at sea. On the next attempt tho States wore reached, and the way homo was cleared. In Dunedin, Mr. Clegg was induced to lecture on his experiences. and so successful w-as his effort that ho is now delivering the lecture on tour in aid of the war funds, paying all his own travelling expenses. Ho has offered to deliver tho lecture under the auspices of the local Patriotic Society on his return from Auckland and Napier.

The weekly report of tho Labour Department, giving the position of the unemployed in the city for the week ending August 7, shows that 175 men (61 married and 114 single) applied for employment. Of this number fifty married . and ninety-seven single men were placed, leaving twenty-eight for whom work is still required. Of the surplus, thirtcon are painters, and the balance mostly unskilled "elderly labourers. _ No fewer than 123 of tho men assisted were sent to Government employment, mostly at work at Trentham or Featherston. in connection with the military camps. The Department lias vacancies for all carpenters who care to offer for work in crectiug hutments at Featherston Camp. A proportion of tho City Corporation's rate demands for the current six months havo been issued during the past week. It is anticipated that the wliolo of tliem will be in the hands of ratepayers before the end of tho present month. Tho friends of tlio lata Captain Frandi are requested to attend' a meeting to bo held in the committso room, Town Hall, at 8 o'clock to-morrow evening.

Speaking at last week's conference of Acclimatisation Societies, Mr. ■L. F. Ayson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, stated that it was m 1907 that the qninnat salmon introduced into certain rivers in the South Island was first found to be returning from the sea to spawn. Since then thrty had been going up the rivers in over-increasing numbers. This year's run was the heaviest that had yet taken place. The fish were much larger than their average size in North America. The largest spawning had taken place in the Waitaki River a few miles up from the sea, right through its four large tributaries to the Cold Lakes of the Southern Alps. The largest fisli were seen in the Dobsou River. Two had measured 38J- inches and 36J inches respectively in length. The first would weigh about 501b., the second 10 to 451b.. In recommending that the Waitaki be. stocked with qumnafc salmon, Mr. Aysou said he was couvjuccd that the lish would find their way from the seas to other rivers north and south of the Waitaki. The fish had been found in abundance in the llangitata and Rakaia Rivers, and line fishermen have occasionally caught them in tho sea. Mr. Ayson said lie thought it better policy to thoroughly stock the waters of the southern rivers where they had achieved success before experimenting with the North Island rivers.

Tho Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce is making arrangements to hold a patriotic exhibition «f goods manufactured within tho British Empire, also of goods manufactured by our present Allies. Tho main object of this exhibition is to demonstrate to tho public that articles hitherto purchased from our enemies can be better supplied by British manufacturers. This exhibition, it is hoped, will have tho effect of opening the eyes of the buying public to tho fact that not only does their duty lie in the direction of purchasing within the Empire, biit that it is to their direct interest also. Tho Chamber does not propose to derive any profit from tho exhibition., nor is.it its intention to charge the public for admission. Tho ®upport accorded tho scheme by progressive business houses has already, it is stated, assured its success. The date of tho exhibition and full particulars of arrangements will bo advertised later.

The congestion of shipping in Now York has interrupted the deliveries of motor-cars to New Zealand. This has been felt oven by the Chevrolet cars, which are at present attracting a great ileal of public interest, and also tin envy of competitive agents. Now, however, supplies arc coining to hand in large numbers.' and the controlling agents—The Dominion Motor Vehicles, Ltd., 65 • Courfenay Placeinvite inspection of the latest self-start-ing and lighting Chevrolet, which sells at iXila complete.—Advt.