LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2541, 16 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Manuka, which is duo from Sydney to-da.v, is bringing Australian mails and also an English mail yia Suez. An Australian mail, via Auckland, is also due to-day by tho Main Trunk express.

Ail inquest will be held at tho Hospital at 4 li.in. to-day concerning the death of Maitland M'Anerin, who was fatally injured as the result of a motorcycle accident on Friday.

Further particulars concerning the motor accident lvhicli occurred on the Ilutt Road late on Friday night show that tlio car which was converted into a mass of wreckage by its collision with a telegraph pole on tho Ilutt Road, had" passed just a short time previous to the accident another car driven b.y a gentleman who was motoring in from Paekakariki. He states that the car contained three men, and was travelling nt thirty miles an hour. A short while afterwards lie heard a terrific crash, and on going back found two of the occupants of the car unconscious and athird dazed, while the car had been literallv wrecked. The three occupants woi'o conveyed to town, but there it was found that they had sustained no serious injury. A certain amount of mystery surrounds tho accident.

The Postal authorities advise that tho Auckland-Vancouver dispatch of Juno 15 last, which arived at Vaucouvor mi .Tul.y 2, one day late, reached London on July 17, two days late.

A wireless message have been received from tho captain of tho Manuka stating that he expected his vessel to arrive* nt Wellington from Syduej; at d K-nii to/daft ~.. •

A severe earthquake was experienced at Westport at 8.00 p.m. 011 Saturday, followed by lesser tremors during the evening and to-day, the direction lifting west to east. —L'ress Association.

A sailor from the s.s. Makarini was arrested yesterday by Detective Sergeant Lewis and Detective Wilson on a charge of cargo-broaching. Ho will appear at the Magistrate's Court this morning.

The ploughing bee is still a popular method of giving a now settler a, welcome in tile Tokomariro district. The other day such a fixture was lield in the Clarksville district, wlien twenty-three teams turned out to give Mr. William Allison, who had purchased a. farm in that neighbourhood, a good start. About forty-five acres were turned over as the result of the day's work. There were 101 horses at work (including some of the best Clydesdales in the district), and two experts assessed their value at £3000.

No printed list containing the names, numbers, and other particulars of the officers and men of tlia Fifth Reinforcements is yet available for use by the public, though inquiries for tlie information this list should contain are being mado daily in Wellington and in other parts of Now Zealand. It iB understood that the delay is due to rnsli of work in the Government Printing Office. However, the proofs of the list are now in tho iiands oi : the Records Department, and it is thought that the public should have the benefit of them very shortly.

Speaking at a "social" at Dunedin on Saturday night, tho Hon. J. T. Paul said tliat ho had been asked what was to become of the Liberal Party. Ho believed that the Reform and Liberal Parties would never exist'again as they did 011 August 4 last. It was not a National Government in office to-day. It was a fusion of two parties, because there wero three parties in the House. Two of the parties had decided to unite. It would have been a National Government if it had been composed of members of every party in the House. It was composed of members of two parties, and was therefore a which without any stretch of imagination might easily end in confusion.—Press Association.

The men's month'y meeting in connection with St. James's Church (Lower Hutt) was presided over yesterday by tho Hcv. A. L. Hansell. There was a good attendance, and a powerful address was delivered by tho Bishop of Wellington ■ (Dr. Sprott). ■ His Lordship based his remarks upon the 46th Psalm, and applied the rise and fall of aucient nations to the present day. In the evening Bishop Sprott conducted the service at St. James's.

The Earl of Liverpool's Regiment, in camp at Rangiotu, has now been shifted to a new site, about a mile away from the original site. The men are all in good health, and express satisfaction with the new camp, which is a model one. Heavy rain fell last night, but did not affect the ground. _ The weather is now fine--Press Association.

The plans for tho proposed bridge across tho Turanganni River (Lower Valley), which is to he erected by the Featherston County Council, have not yet been approved by the Public Works Department, owing to its difference of opinion with the council regarding the width (states our Featherston correspondent). The Department considers a breadth of 13ft. Gin. ample for ordinary traffic purposes, while the council has provided for a width of 16ft. In view of .possible changes in the form of vebiclo traffic in tho future, it was mentioned at the council meeting on Friday that bridges 18ft. wide might reasonably be required. As tho matter was considered one of importance to local bodies, tho chairman undortook to interview the Engineer-in-Chief oil the question.

When tlie motor-bridge across Abbott's Crock, at tlio foot of the Bimutaka Road, was ereoted by Wellington and Wairarapa- motorists, it was thought that the site was on private property, It lias since been ascertained that the bridge is on a proper legal road to the point now to be determined (states our Feitlierston correspondent) is the fixing of responsibility for any accident that may occur through noglect.to maintain the bridge, or from defect in its construction.

In respect'to the question of increasing the area of the Hutt River district, the Hutt River foard desires a large portion of the Petone borough, as well as properties at Nai Nai and Taita, to bo included, on the ground that these lands derive benefit from tlie river protective works, but contribute nothing to the cost. The chairman of the board (Mr. H. Baldwin) stated recently that if the river protective works had not been there Petone would have probably felt the effects of the river during the recent Hood. The Mayor of Petone (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) states th.it so far as Petone was concerned the proposal would be opposed, as most of tho borough was protected by the Potono stop-bank.. Mr. M'Ewan adds that although it is -unfortunate that the greater portion of this land is owned by tho Government, and so is not liable for rates, Petone. can hardly be blamed for that position.

On the last two parade nights B Company (Wellington East), Ist Regiment, has marchcd out in strong force from tho Clyde Quay school ground to the vicinity of the Post Office Square. Various company movements on tho march were well carried out. Tho courso of instruction given tlio n.c.o.'s on Monday nights includes tho use of strings stretched between left and right guides, who represent ' a skeleton sectiou, in charge of a sectional commander ._ Tho miniature rifle rango at the Wellington Working Men's Clob is well patronised by the company's members. A handsome trophy, in tho form of a silver shield, lias beon presented by Sergeant W. F. WatS. Keen competition for its possession is anticipated. In'addition to thei signalling class, a physical drill class, in charge of Lieutenant W. H. Jones, well known in physical culture circles, has been started.

Just now even more attention will be paid to tho superiority of water wireless ovor aerial wireless at sea in naval warfare. .The Marconi masts and antennae are exposed to the enemy, and may be blown or shot away, whilo tho oscillators arc .safe below the, surface of tho sea in tho ship's'hold. By the oscillator. too, the commander of a battleship can communicate with liis own submarines, miles away, direct _ their movements. and send out cruisers against ono Dreadnought after another. He can also toll ■ the position. of hostile submarines, and get out of their way. All this, of course, assumes that the enemy's ships' are not .similarly equipped. But at least there will no longer bo the constant dangor of a ship being blown up without a chance of saving herself. Water signals might liavo saved the three British cruisers that were sunk ,b.v the German submarine, and i>erhaps also the Lusit-ania. Oscillators have been installed on several American ships—the Wyoming, Delaware, Florida, and four submarines. Tliov wcro also to bo adopted by one of the Groat Powers of Europe, the name of which is not allowed to be made publie. This extension of wireless to water follows naturally on aerial wireless, but if it is not a sensational invention, it is nevertheless ono of the utmost importance.

The final toucli that brings perfection is to be found 011 tho "KING" Car. The latest model is now awaiting your inspection at tho Dominion Motor Vehicles Garage, 63 Courtenay Place, and 44-16 Tory Street. If you cannot call, write for a catalogue, or Ring for a demonstra-

AVitli reference to your telegram of August 7," cabled tho High Commissioner to the Government 011 August 13, "tho only prisoner of war reported is 12,705 liurges, advioe of whom was cabled on July 7. 11l addition to his wounds lie has had appendicitis, but is progressing favourably. He is in tho Gulkhane Hospital, Stamboul. Information sent by American Ambassador, Constantinople, to Foreign Office. With refcrenco to _ bureau will telegraph as soon as possible."

Writing under date June 21 to liis peoplo in. Christchurch, Lieutenant Wickens, of tho New Zealand Artillery, says:—'-'Wo have got a fine system of trenches dug between the guns now, and thero is no necessity for anyone to expose himself above the ground at all. Of course, when wo are filing there is a certain amount of risk should a shell happen to bit the gun, but our experience of Turkish gunners is that the guu itself is probably the safest place, as they seem to liit everything but the gun itself. One of the guu detachments has gathered up all tho Turkish shells which have hit their gun emplacement, numbering seven, and with the aid of a small Dutoh cheese they play skittles. Another thing which rather amuses us is tliat down on tho beach they aro building a small wharf, and for a piledriver' thoy "use a Turkish 9-inch shell which failed to explode. It is a hugo tiling, standing nearly two feet high. They emptied tlie bullets and powder out,' filled it with lead, and rigged it up as a- monkey, and it is doing fine work."

Ou Friday last, ill Auckland, William Richardson was prosecuted for distributing Prohibition leaflets in the street which bore no imprint.' The defendant pleaded a technical breach of the Act, but complained that the police were "ragging" Prohibition workers in Auckland.' He hoped that His Worship would make the penalty a farthing to be paid on tho Day of Judgment. "Today is the Day of Judgment, as far as this case is concerned," said Mr. F. V, Fraser., Ho inflicted the minimum fino of £5. and advised the defendant to apply to tlio Minister to get it reduced.