LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2548, 24 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

— I —\o — - His Excellency the Governor has received advice by cablo that the Hospital Ship Malieno left Alexandria for Mudros Bay on Saturday last, August 21, en route for England. Mudros Bay is on the coast of the Island of Lemnos. about forty miles west of tho Dardanelles, and it is_ in this bay' that tho-liase hospital is situated. The High Commissioner has telegraphed to the Primo Minister that tho New Zealand mail closing at London on Auuust 17 was lost on'_ the Arabic, torpedoed by a German pirate off Fastnet Island. This mail should have como via Vancouver,. and was due in Auckland on September 19. A woman with 'two children was walking along tho Town Belt reserve, on the right of the entrance to the Kilbirnio Tunnel/ on Friday, afternoon, when .a man appeared, and snatched the handbag she was carrying from her. Tho two. children began to cry, and before the man had time to get away, the woman beseeched- him to take the small sum of money the bag contained (about 35.) and aive her back the bag. Whether tho mail was aotuated by a seuse of pity, or whether he thought the game was not worth while, it js "impossible to say—at all events, he handed back both the' bag and its contents to the anxious owner. He told the woman that he had thought she was his wife, and that as his wife had some money ' of his, he had taken the measures just adopted to get the nioney. Several other women have complained of being held up in the same locality, and relieved of money and articles. A special meeting of tho Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Political Reform''League on Saturday decided that all active organising work under the control of the executive should cease during the life of the National Government. and that the league's organisers should be withdrawn forthwith from such work. Three hundred pounds in gold and other valuable papers mysteriously disappeared from a box on board the cargo' steamer Chalister, which left here for Brisbane on Sunday. morning. The strange part about the theft was that the vessel lay out in the stream all the time she was at Wellington. This was due to the fact that she had on board some hundred tons of explosives, and ■her cargo for this port had to be lightered in consequence by several 'coastal steamers. A thorough search of the j vessel was made by the police, but without result. The crew of the vessol has been on board for two years. 1 Much surprise was caused at Petoue ' yfsterday when it became known that the missing man George Asplot had re- ' turned to, his home on Sunday evening, i It appears that Asplet, who had been ' recently suffering from a nervous break- i down, had gone into what is known as : Packwood's Bush at Korokoro, where for twelve days he remained under a 1 tree. During that period he had not ; tasted food, existing solely upon water. < On Sunday evening, upon hearing the i l'etono Salvation Army Band j play, the man's memory sud- ' denly returned, and after many | attempts, he managed to reach , his homo in an exhausted condition ] Jate in tho evening. As Mrs. Asplet '. had removed from her home temporarily, it was not till yesterday morning that it was learned ho had returned. Dr. Harding ordered his immediate re- ' moval to tho Hospital. ' The man's feet are badly frost-bitten, and he appeared i very weak from his lotig exposure. ( In connection with the selection of a ' successor to the late Bishop Grimes, of < Ohristchuroh, it is stated that an elec- i tion has already taken place, and the f names of certain candidates for tho c high office have beeA forwarded to Rome f For the final selection. It is not antici- i patod thas Roma's decision will be \ received before tho end of September of y tho beginning of October. i Giving evidence in the Arbitration ' Court yesterday, Mr. W. Allan, of ' Messrs. Yeiteli and Allan., 6aid that he I had always held the opinion that when ' a statutory holiday, occurred in the 1 week the employcos should also got J their weekly half-holiday. If that was not given the effect was to rcduce tho statutory holiday to half a day only. r Our Featherston correspondent reports that a Soldiers' Club has been £ opened in Featherston, tho Oddfellows' ' s Hall having been secured for tho pur- j, nose, and furnished with piano, gramophono, names, etc. The club is being t wall Dutrotilssd by. rtro soldiorj when on u leave. ,

f Tho New South Wales Railway Comi missioners are making preparations to e liandlo a (J0,000,000 bushel crop this I; season in Now South Wales. A Sydney T paper says:—"The Department is being * properly organised for a huge servicc in what it is hoped will be one of tho j biggest transport seasons on record." , . In seeking to point out tho duty of everyone, no matter in what walk of life they movo, in the present war 3 crisis, tlio Very Rev. Dean Regnault - at tho Hill Street Basilica on Sunday 3 stated that it was customary for those - engaged in tho coal mines and textile , industries in tho North of France to observe a holiday on May 1, somewhat.; on the same lines as we do Labour' P Day, but this year tlio Federated 5 Unions decided that no holiday '.was ' to bo observed on that date this year because their compatriots were fighting ' in the trenches for the honour and > glory of Franco and could not observe 5 the usual holiday. Tho speaker pointed ' to this action as one which typified tho 1 line spirit of unity that prevailed in J France—ollo that could with advantago 3 be emulated throughout tlio British Em- - pire with advantage to tho cause. > Mr. S. S. Williams, head of the welli known firm of cabinetmakers and furnr ishers, returned from a visit to Australia by the Ulimaroa yesterday, ae- . oompariied by Mrs. Williams. Mr. Wil- . liams states that tho war i 6 having a . detrimental effect on both the retail , and manufacturing trades in Sydney, ' and from pre6ent indications tho year | will bo a bad one. On© manufaouring ' house ho knows of which ordinarily 1 employs about 260 hands, recently had- [ to put off 50 hands owin'g te a falling : off in the orders. Recruiting seemed ' to be very brisk, as far as lio could i judge, and public enthusiasm was unas bated. He pays-a tribute to the spleji- ; did work that is being done by the '■ women _ of Sydney. They are , always some new means of raising money; and everywhere one wont, on , the streot earn, railways, and ferry ' boats, women and girls were to be seen ' knitting.* On the Friday before he ■ left Sydney, a "Pansy Day" was held. ' AM along the streets were hundreds of ' little stalls in charge of ladies selling i pansios, tho whole of the .proceeds being for patriotic purposes. Private Douglas Smith, well known in tlio Wairarapa, and who enlisted in the Main Expeditionary Force when manager of a, dairy factory in tho Taranaki district, writes to a Wellington friend saying that after being he was invalided to 'England, and since his recovery had been having a good ■ time ill London on extended leave. ■Then ho went to Teport himself for duty, and ho had to explain that ho had been wounded in the head. They examined liim with tho X-rays, and to his great surprise found that a bullet, or tho part of one, was still in his head, and on that account- ho could not go back to tlie' firing line as soon ho ho would havo liked. 'A doctor in 0110 of the largo hospitals in England, writing to a relative in Napier, says, when referring to tho war, "You people out there will got a pleasant surprise soon." The Hawke's Bay aeroplane fund has been' fully subscribed, ana the Overseas Club, London, has been notified that £1500 will be remitted to purchase a machine. A young man with a bad record wais sentenced to three months' imprisonnient. by Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., in the Magistrate's_ Court yesterday 011 a cliargo of obtaining boots to the value of £0 os. from Martin's bootshop by means of false pretences. Chief Detective Boddam 'said that tho accused (Robert Gray) had followed a career of crime sinco 1907. He had been previously imprisoned for dishonesty, was a racecourse guesser and a thief. | A meeting 1 of 6ld boys.of.the Auckland Grammar School was held last night. _ Mr. Barry Keesing (hon. representative of. tho association in Welling-, ton) presided. Dr. Barclay, superintendent of the Wellington Hospital, was cordially welcomed. Various matters of interest in connection with the Old Boys' Association were discussed. It Was decided to assist the "Comforts Fund'' for old boys at tho front, and a collcction was njado in -the room., It was decided that an endeavour should be mado to'obtain a complete register of former scholars now resident in Wellington, and hopes were expressed that a rc-union would be held at a favourable opportunity. The meeting resolved to form a subsection of the association, and the following were elected President, Mr. Barry Keesing; committee, Alessrs. W. S. La Trobe, V. R. Meredith, and W. 0. Thomas; • secretary, Mr. L. A. Teuteuberg. - The Wairarapa Rugby Union senior championship matches wero concluded on Saturday last, when. Dalefiekl defeated Carterton by one point, and secured the championship for the season. About 200 Italians are fighting with the Australasian forces. A total of 27 have joined the New Zealand force. According to the latest information there aro 172 Italians in the Australasian Imperial Forces. Seven subjects of England's latest ally served with tho New Zealand Forces in the South African War. I . ' . 'A hatleas, tearful woman appeared in tho Magistrate's Court at about.midday yesterday and admitted stealing oiglitpen'orth of bacon from a grocer's shop. Inspector HenSroy said the case was a pitiful one. Accused, who was a married woman, bad gone into tho grocer's shop, to make some purchases, and while there was seen "to take a ' picco of bacon from tho courter. The ' grocer, who had suffered previously 1 from such thefts, had given her in charge. 'Tho Magistrato convioted the , woman and ordered her to come up for . sentence when called upon. The Mastcrton Amateur Theatrical Society, which has been coached by Mr. Tom Pollard, will produce the opera "Tho Toreador" this week. Tlio proceeds aro to go to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. Fire partially damaged a four-roomed one-story house at No. 13 Harold Street ! shortly after 8 o'clock last night. The . brigade received the call at 8.5 o'clock ; and extinguished the flames after a , room had been gutted and tho rest of the house, damaged by''water and smoke. 1 The occupier of tho house, Edward Allan Banks, surmises that the outbreak was duo to the ignition of some inflammable article.during a search made by him for a key shortly before the fire was noticed. The building, which was owned by Mr. Charles §weeney, of Waripori Street, was covered by a policy for £200 in tho 1 Phoenix Office, and the contents for £100 in the North British Office. A man was arrested by Detectives Carney and Trioklebank yesterday on two charges of theft. It is not often the interest of digging ; tho flower garden is augmented by tho . discoverv of a cannon ball (states tho , "Akaroa Mail"). This, however, was - tho fortune of Constable Boyle, of Aka- 1 roa, the other day, who was digging his ; garden in Lavaud' Street. Tho old ; cannon ball is a 24-pounder, and it is ; almost certainly one from the French magazine, which, about.the year IS4O. , was situated close by on' tho site or tho Akaroa Courthouse. The ball is j identical with thosofound at Rod Point ! across French Bay, whero the French < men-of-war in the old days used to '< practice, and use the bright-coloured ' point as a target. Tho cannon ball has j now been deposited with tho town . clerk of Akaroa, as an addition to { tho borough collection of old-timo relics. ( Chevrolet.—Hero is an opportunity for a | reliable up-to-date motor-car at a reason- j able price. Equipment includes only' ac- J cessories of proven qualities, such as Zenith carburetter, Connecticut ignition, 1 Autolite self-starter, ffrcy muffler. These f art; only some of tho splendid features of the famous Chevrolet oar. Full particulars will bo mailed you if you communicate with Tho Dominion Motor 1 Vehiclce, Ltd,, 65 Courtenay Place.—Advt. I

.' "Anything known about accused?" ) inquired His Worship of Inspector s Henurey in tlio Magistrate's. Court yesj. torday. "Only that lio is shockingly, t dirty," replied tlio inspector. "Ho 3 would make a good advertisement for. 3 some one's soap." These remarks con-' cerned a swarthy and exceedingly voluf bio Syrian named Peter Zeiniuitt, who f had been discovered the previous ovenr ing on the promises of Booth and Co., I; and was then sleeping under the shelter , of some dirty sacks. Zemmitt protested 3 from tho doek that he had ardently , but unsuccessfully searched for work. 3 Tho Magistrate reminded Zemmitt that t : ho had made similar protestations durr; - ing a previous appearance in Court, j and remarked that tho most charit--5 able thing he could do for Zemmitt P was to send him to gaol for a month— , he could at least bo kept olean there; 1 A petition from 10G Natives regard--3 ing tlio proposed Taupo-Rotorua rail--1 way has been presented to Parliament 3 bv tho Hon. Dr. Pomare. Their co:n----i plaint is that in a certain other peti--3 tion recently presented to Parliament . tho signatories had "arbitrarily included" tho lands of these Native petitioners in computing the area of land that would be benefited by the line to Taupo by'way of Rotorua. Tho Natives do not agree that the proposed lino could j benefit them, and they state 'that it " would bo far more advantageous to them I to use the Waimarino-Tokaanu Road fcr the carriago of their .produce. Tho ! petitioners add: "We aro willing to bo r rated for a WaimaTino-Tokaanu railway : through our lands—when it is an aci complished the Govern- , taient undertake it." 1 The annual business meeting of the 1 Seatoun Presbyterian Church-congrega- . tion was held on Thursday evening in . the church, the Rev. R. Wood being in j the chair. The attendance was small, i Messrs. Rowntree and Forbes presented ; the reports, which were adopted. The I reports stated that the church attend- • anco had suffered through the failure of l pulpit supply and by removals from the district. The treasurer's report showed , an income of £95, and an expenditure of ; £1)1. The year began with liabilities ; to the amount of over £30, and iliese ' and payments to the building fund had been met by a sale of work and Sa'obatii ! offering. Tho chairman tailed special i attention to the important ivo'rk done , by Mr. Rowntree in conductin»the Sun--day School, and noted the <5-.tr/ work of tho treasurer, Mr. A. Forbes. The only two names mentioned among > the passengers on the White Star liiicr ' Arabic among the saved were Miss Stella Carol and Mr. Aubrey Gualter, of Wellington. ' Miss Carol is perhaps tho most > talented of tlio younger English concert sopranos. When in her early teens tho; girl, whose real name is Miss Lily Furliesso, was brought under the notice of. Miss Amy Sherwin (Madame Gorlitz),. the well-known London teacher of singing, and formerly known to Australia; and New Zealand as "the Tasmanian' Nightingale." Miss Sherwin at once per-' ceived that tho girl bad a beautiful natural voice, and took her in hand. When only fifteen years of ago she made' her debut, and created something like a; , sensation. She toured England, Scot-' land, and Wales some three years ago, . still under the aegis of Madame Sher- , win, with a concert company of which Miss Mina Caldow, of Wellington, was' a member. It was during that tour that Miss' Carol deserted the company and broke -her contract with' Madame Sherwin, who had engaged her for a term. *of years. The case went to the Courts, but was settled by compromise. Miss Caldow described Miss Carol as a young girl, now not moro thfi.ii nineteen or twenty years of age, with a beautiful lyric soprano voice. She was highspirited and wilful, even as a girl of sixteen, and on one occasion on appearing at; a concert where Royalty was present sho was. told that she would have to bow to-the Princess as well as to the audience. Sho declared that she would liot bow to anyone under the rank of a King or Queen, and she did not bow to the Princess Royal,'who was present. She has sung before the King and Queen several times, and is a great favourite with concert audiences in Eugland. "These men were apparently unde- ' terred by the heavy penalties imposed. by Your, Worship on Saturday for similar offences," said Inspector Hendrey in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, referring to the cases of Arthur Wilson, Henry Wilson, and Richard Thomas Harrison; who admitted taking liquor into Trentliam Camp. The Magistrato (Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M.) doubled the penalty imposed on' Saturday, fining each of the accused £10, in default! two months' imprisonment. "The life'hero is not bad at all," writes Sapper A. T. Bradley, of Christchurch, to his mother ; "and now that wo have settled down to things we do not have a bad time at all—plenty to eat and a good snug bed at night. It is surprising how comfortable ono can make things by going to a littlo trouble. I have just enlarged my little house, -and raised the roof to make it more, roomy, and it is now . 10ft. long, "4ft: high, and 6ft. wide, with a roof of oilcloth; so you seo we go in for style. -The furniture consists of three biscuit tins and a box for a table. The cupboards are let in to tho side of tlio walls, and the sides aro projected from shrapnel by sandbags,. so I don't care whether it rains, blows, or snows. I hope you' did not' worry over me getting a bit of , a crack' It was nothing, and if wo all get off ai. lightly as I did, we need not worrji. much. I was able to bo back ;n thefiring line in less than three weeks. .W« havo mado our position very strong here, and it is wonderful to see the tren. ches we have constructed. _ You can walk miles along communication trenches from one part of the lino to tho other in perfect safety.' I have got y now addition to the dug-out now—ele<w trio light, if you please. I rigged it up myself with the aid of dry cells. A verv interesting film, entitled ing Shell and Shrapnel," was shown before the Hons. Jas. Allen and A. Myers anil Colonel Robins and party at the show room of the New Zealand Picture Sup : nlies yesterday afternoon. Messrs. lyynocii a lid-Company's factory was shown in full . swing manufacturing the big n, " m .". IU ; tion which is supplied to the Britisft < Government; every, phase in j ll6 m j : the bombs was shown vividly, and tlio , manner in which the bombs are.made and tested leaves no doubt that the British workmen ai;e masters of the art of liiHon making. Tho film will shortly bo • exhibited publicly. .