LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2545, 20 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

—■ ——a For the month ended August 10, 27 cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis were reported in Wellington, 22 from camp.' There were also reported 55 cases of scarlet fever, 25 of diphtheria, and ona of enteric fever. The Defenco Minister stated last, night that tho transport Tahiti bad left. Suez on August 7, and the Ap annul, had left the same port on August 10. So far as lie knew tho Tahiti was the only one bringing wounded. He did not expect any news of tho wounded men ou board until the vessel reached Albany, but ho might possibly got a message if the Tahiti called at Colombo. , A new picture theatre is to be erected, m Cuba Street, near the White Swati Hotel. The work of extending the sea. wall at Oriental Bay is to be proceeded with, according'to a decision arrived at by the City Council last ovening. To-day _ a number of Napier ladies are. opening a Red Cross shop in the Main Street, and ali tho proceeds will go to the Red Cross Fund. Tho bov sccuts have offered their sorviccs to deliver goods purchased. "Please send some envelopes and paper. We can't get them here for love or money," writes Sergeant R.' Fear, of Wellington, to his parents, from Gaba Tepe. At present Messrs. Whitconibe and Tombs are exhibiting in their window an envelope "from tho front"that has been improvised from a piece of newspaper. As the • result of Ihe Dominion having called attention to the great lack of stationery among our forces at Gallipoli, a large quantity was posted away by yesterday's mail by Wellington people. Those who follow the sport of sculling will remember that • in the first Webb-Arnst race for tho world's championship oil the Wanganui, Wm. 'Fogwell, Artist's _ trainer, watched the race from a position high up on the mast of the umpire's steamer, which followed the race, and gave semaphore-like signals to Arnst to assist him in his steering. In the case of the WebbEannan race, to be decided on the same river on September 20, provision is made in the articles that no directions of the j kind shall be given, which means that each oarsman will have to steer his own race unaided. The price of milk is still sd. per quart. We have the testimony of, one milk producer whose farm is near Wellington that lie is at present receiving Bd. per gallon for his milk, whilst the retailers aro charging Is. Ba. per gallon to tho public. The margin between the wholesale and retail price/lie contends, appears to be out of reasonable, proportion, when allowing for tho cost of distribution and railage. One retail milk firm consulted understands that tho price is to be lowered by I'd. per quart on September 1. Authority was given by the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday for the work of erecting the annexe for wounded soldiers to he proceeded with. "And what are your wages?" inquired counsel of a judgment debtor in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. "£2 12s. 6d. a week," came the reply. "Are you married?"—" Yes." "Any children?"— "Eight!" Collapse of counsel. A memorial to the late Rev. W. FLong will bo unveiled by tho Bishop, of Melanosia in St. Mark's Church at tho morning service on Sunday. , A monster demonstration, organised by the Napier 30,000 Club'and in aid of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund, will be held in. Napier on Saturday as a send-off to tho Eighth Reinforcements. Tho procession will be about a mile long and seven bauds will participate. Perhaps it was somo strange sense of duty that called an individual with a hard lint into the Magistrate's Court yesterday, morning to answer his bail from the "night before." Everything would have gone all right save for ono little flaw—tho man with the hat had forgotten the lesson of the night beforo and bad again obviously taken of the self-same beverage that had caused his downfall on that occasion. And yesterday he stood in tho public enclosure clutching the rail that led to tho main body of the court. As ho swayed and swung he .caught the oye of a constable. The constable lifted the rail tho nnstahlo'person grasped, but the_ holder, instead of accepting the invitation gently subsided on to the floor in the opposite direction. Tho clerk of tho court had just cried "Silcnoe!" as the person with tho hat had been lifted from the floor and planted like a sack of potatoes in a chair. Even then trouble might have been averted had .not the person in tho chair, as though in default of rising-to tho Magistrate, placed bis bat on his head. He was given no more chances, and court business was suspended for a mcment while he was lumped by a constable out of the door that led to tho police cells. His uamo was callod in court shortly after, and on Inspeolor Hendrey explaining "that was the person just arrested" lie was remanded until to-day, when he will have- a braoe of charges to answer.

According to our Mnsterton correspondent a consignment of 300.000 brown trout ova was received on Wednesday at the Mastorton fisli hatcheries from Canterbury. Tito total nuinber of ova hatched for the season will bo 1,020,000, which is a record for tho new hatcheries. No fewer than 400,000 trout fry are to be liberated in tho streams "surrounding Masterton. A man named Artliur P. Potter was arrested at Tenui on Wednesday en a warrant issued from Auckland, charging liirn with deserting his family. He was remanded, on bail of £200, to appear at Auckland on August 20. The Hawko's Bay Fund for an aeroplane to augment the overseas aircraft flotilla has readied well over £1000. Most of the donations have been collected by tho corresponding secretary of the Overseas Club (Mr. O. D. Kennedy) and Mrs. Frank Moeller, of Napier. In some of the schools in Victoria returned wounded soldiers who are ablo to do so are giving lectures on tho fighting at Gallipoli. and giving instances of tho Iwvolo deeds of Uioir umny gallant .comrades.

Tho petition from the occupiers of grocers' shops in tlio city fixing tho hours of closing is to be certified to as representing the required majority, and tho seal of the Corporation has been authorised to bo affixed to it, and tho petition sent on to the Minister of Labour. The petition asks for the shops to be closed at 7 p.m. on the four ordinary days of the week, at 1 p.m. on the statuary half-holiday, at 10 p.m. 911 tlio late night, and at 11 p.lll. on Christmas .and New Year's Eves. A statement presented to the House of Representatives last night shows that the public debt of New Zealand on March 31. 1915, was £80,994,528. Tho sum required to be invested each year at £4 4s. 3d. per cent, compound interest. which would in seventy-five years amount to £81,000,000, tho amount of the debt for the purpose of the certificate under the Public Debt' Extinction Act, 1910, is £161,870. . In order to assist people on their way round Wellington, City Councillor J. Fuller suggested a while ago that threo sigmvr iters should be employed to rewrite the name-plates of tho City streets. Last evening tho City Council decided to take no immediate "action on the suggestion, in 'view of tho early completion of a contract for tho supply of plates, but should the supply not cover the wliolo of tho streets of the outlying districts,' theu tho suggestion will bo again given further consideration . By powers invested in him in tho provisions of tlio Rotonia Town Act, 1907, the General Manager of the Tourist Department is imposing a rate of tlireeoighths of a penny on the value of buildings in the Rotovua firo district as a fire-preyention rate. The amount becomes payable in ono sum on September!. , The question of salaries wais considered by the City Council last .evening, and it was decided that in regard to iiicreases only those officers , receiving less than £180 per annum should bs considered. It was pointed out that in the tramway pay- list ; tliero were anomalies, inasmuch as cortain linotormen received more pay thaii inspectors. Tho question* of adjusting such matters was considered. " Emphasising the recent Ministerial declaration against unauthorised raffles, the Minister of Internal Affairs publishes in tho current Gazette thoso sections of tho Gaming Act hearing on raffles, which, with the Minister's consent; may only take placc when tlio object to be disposed of is a legitimate work of art.

i The Rev. S. F. Hunter is gazetted ai officiating Minister under tho Marriag< Act. | City Councillor M. F. Luckio: "If w [ havo a watchdog (tho City Engineer i) ■ this instance) it is not our business t< , do our own barking." A councillor "Then what are you barking for?" ■ A notice in this week's Gazotto pro | liibits tho exportation of shore, drift 1 or mangrove oysters from the Dominioi savo with the consent of tlio Ministe: of Marine. Replying to Mr. R. M'Callum in tin Houso of Representatives last night ' tho Minister of Education (the "Hon. J - A. Hanau) said that tho report, to getlier with tho evidence taken, of th< - Education Boundaries Commission was now in the hands of the printer . but had not reaohed him yot. The Northland Municipal Electors Association is to be informed by th< City Council, in reply to a request fo: a bus service to their district, that wliei buses are available for traffic North land will be included in tho list of dis tricts in which a trial car will bo rui before any permanent service is decidet upon. A notice in the current Gazette provides for tho forfeiture of birds, animals, and skins taken from persons illegally in the possession of the same, Tho regulation made under tho Animals' Protection Aot reads as follows: —"It shall bo. tho duty of every ranger or other proper officer who has seized such birds or animals or skins as aforesaid, or into whoso possession they have coriio, to forward immediate notification thereof to tho Minister of Internal -Affairs, who shall give such orders' for tho disliosal of such birds or animals or skins as he thinks fit, and such orders shall immediately on receipt thereof be carried out by the person or persons tc whom they are given." A breach oi the regulations makes tho person convicted liable to a fine not exceeding £10. The condition in which the Thorndon Esplanade is now kept was referred tc some time ago at a City Council meeting by Councillor J. E. Fitzgerald. The City' Engineer has now reported that in his opinion nothing should be done iii this locality, except to keep the place in presentable order, owing to the possibility of future Railway Department activities, but that if necessary, the portion of the road which has been removed by action of the sea should bo fenced off in-order to prevent accidents. Permission to use Newtown Park on tho afternoon and evening of Saturday, September 4, for a military tournament, in aid of the New Zealand Wounded Soldiers' and Sailors' Fund, has been granted the Patriotic Society by the Wellington City Council. The City Engineer has been authorised to erect a golf house on the municipal links, at Berhampore, at an estimated cost of £200. ■ The widow of the late Corporation Forester (Mrs. M'Phorson) has been granted a compassionate allowance of three months' salary by tho City Council. Aii agreement has been come to botween the Corporation Engineer's Department and tlie owners c-f hired drays oil the question of rates of hir6, as follows:—Is. lid. per hour for single team (permanent) ;: 2s. per hour - for' dra-.vs (casual); 2s. lOd. per hour for double team (permanent). "Overcrowding on the Wellington tramcars will take place until ,we bavo more cars,"- said the Mayor at last evening's meeting of . the City Council, "and more cars are -being built as quickly as possible." The City Engineer lias been asked by the civic authorities to make a comprehensive, report on the proposal to form a reserve near tho Aro Street quarry. Tho Workers' Educational Institute is to bo informed by the 'City Council, 1 in reply to a request for the free loan of books from the Public. Library, that it is regretted that the request i cannot be acceded to. In order to enable the National Reserve to drill there, Kelburn Park is bo well lit by electricity. The question of the constitution of Tramway Appeal Boards croped up at last evening's meeting of tho Wellington City Council. The Mayor moved: 'That the town clerk of Inverca-rgill should be informed, in reply to his suggestion that an amendment should bo made to the Tramways vAmondment Act regarding the personnel . to Tramways Appeal Boards, that the council is of opinion that the amendment should provide for the magistrate of tho City to act, with two assessors co-operating with him, such assessors to bo appointed, one by the council and one by the. Tramway Union, neither of the assessors to be members of the City Council nor members of tho staff or employees of tho council." Several members spoko against tho departure from the appointment of experts as assessors on Tramway Appeal Boards, and tho motion was held over till next meeting of the council. Chevrolet.—Whereas. Chevrolet cars are equipped with enclosed overhead valves, let all people know that it necessarily follows that these cars combine lower fuel consumption, less heating, less carbon deposit,"more power tlmn any otlior car on--tho market—size of engine cons'dered. To obtain proof it is only nocesfinry to visit the Dominion Motor Vehicles Oarage, 65 Cqnrtenay Place, and ■ il-lG Tory Street.—Advt,

flie shortage of dootors ill Wellington sinco tho'war began lias on several occasions -been mentioned at meetings of tlie Wellington Hospital Board. At yesterday's meeting it was stated that it was-possible tbat the services of soma of the medical students who would qualify this month would bo obtained. The Hospital Committeo reported that, with a. view to co-operation in maintaining tlie resident medical staffs at the hospitals in the four largo centres, a communication had been. sent to tho Auckland. Cliristchurch, and Dunedin Boards, suggesting that a uniform scalu of salaries should bo adopted as follows •(a) Commence at £150 per annum. with £50 increases half yearly until a maximum of £250 is reached; (b) commenco at £200 per annum, with £50 increase at the end of the first year and two further increases of £25 each half-yearly. Tile report of 'the Koman Catholio Immigration Society, presented at tho annual meeting held in St. Patrick's Hall on Wednesday evening, stated that tiio war had interfered with tho stream of immigrants, but tho work of meeting them 'had not been abandoned, and was justified if only ono Roman Catholic passenger was found on a boat. During the year 23 boats -had been met, bringing 264 Roman Catholic passengers, who had been mot by tho society's agents at their ultimato destination. 'Wo are*convinced." continued tho report, "that tho lack of facilities for caring for girls from the start is the cause of a serious leakage from tho Churcli. 'The question of tho establishment of a Koman Catholio Hostel for new arrivals, women raid girls travelling, and girls employed in Wellington ana obliged to livo away from liqjne, has been tho subject of earnest conr sideration by tlio committeo. . ,'. j Prompted by tho success of the Christchurch Hostel, a suggestion was mado by tho Wellington Diocesan-: Council that a combined effort he mado. Consequently. a sub-committee lias been formed of members of the Diocesan Council Executive and the New Zen, land Catholic Federation and tho C.I.S:, and a Jchemo lias been devised." The election of officers resulted as foll? ws i —President,.- Mr. G. GirlingButcher; vice-president, Mrs. Cornisli; Joint hon. secretaries, Miss Ada Wheeler and Mrs. B. Ellis. Under the Footwear Regulation Act of 1913 anything in the nature of shoddy material beinq; embodied in boots or shoes was forbidden, except in such cases-where the material, other than leather, is plainly marked on the soles. The administration of this Act has been entrusted to the Labour Department, which lias appointed four, inspectors to keep an eye on all footwear offered for sale. Tho inspectors are: Wellington, air. F. Hooper; Dunedin, Mr. ,T. LondeiiAuckland, Mr. F. Wilson: and Cliristchurch, Mr. G. R. Whiting.