LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2553, 30 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

'An Australian mail will arrive at Wellington from Sydney by the Moeraki at 2 p.m. to-day. The ltiveriria., which is due at Auckland from Sydney direct at i p.m. to-day,' is also bringing an Australian mail, tlie southern portion of which will arrive in Wellington 'by to-morrow afternoon's Main Trunk express. 1 The possible exploitation of the public in connection with the new kerosene and petrol duties has produced an interesting suggestion from a correspondent. It is that, all cases of kerosene, ; : pctrol, benzine, etc., on which '■duty''has been paid should be branded by the Customs with a rubber stamp or ■otherwise, and a clause inserted in the Act forbidding merchants and others to charge more than the present ruling rate for kerosene and motor spirts on which no duty has been paid. If a stiff penalty were imposed to prevent unscrupulous persons placing tins of oil on which the new duty had nob beenpaid in cases bearing the duty-paid braiid, and if consumers wore requested to destroy brands on the cases purchased by'them, any great exploitation of the public, our correspondent suggests, would effectually be prevented. In the People's Picturo Palace last night an inteiibsting debate took place' on the subject "Should Labour Join the National Ministry?" Mr. J. Payne, M.P., took the affirmative, and contended that Labour should .take every method to get to the top of the political ladder. By inclusion in tlio Cabinet they would have' the opportunity' of showing that they were capable of administering. Mr. Holland took the negative, - arid held that the , Labour Party should stand alone. The honorary secretary of the New Zealand Ladies' Hockey Association has extended an invitation through the Hon. Mr. Hcrdman, Minister-in-Charger of the Discharged Soldiers' Information Bureau, to all' New Zealand soldiers who lave returned from the front, to be present at the ladies' hockey championship of New Zealand contests, to be played in the Basin Reserve,' Wellington, from Saturday, September 4, to Saturday, September J.l, inclusive. A proposal that tlw Government building in the Exhibition Grounds at the Auckland Domain should be utilised as an auxiliary military "hospital in case of emergency has been submitted to the Inspector-Gencral of Hospitals, Colonel T. H. A. Valintine, in his capacity as director of military hospitals. In acknowledging a letter on the subject from Mr. M. J. Coyle, chairman of the Hospital Board', Colonel Valintine says that, judging by the reports furnished by Mr.. Coyle and by the act-ing-medical superintendent, Dr. A. M'C4. Grant, the building in question would do admirably for hospital purposes. The further advantage of its proximity to the. General Hospital was undoubted, and he would discuss the matter further with the chairman when he visited' Auckland. ' -*Uh> Wellington Patriotic Society-has made a grant of £100 from its funds to the St. John's Ambulance Association for medical comforts for. tbb troops at the front. It is xiuderstood that thegrant was the result of a letter forwarded by Major (Dr.) Fyffe, of Wellington; The half-day compulsory' piuado of. the Fifth (Wellington) Regiment took place on Saturday afternoon, when upwards of 400 men marched from the Buckle Street Drill Hall via Newtown to Lyall Bay. Xliere on the City Heservo the regiment was exercised in drill under tno eye of the officer commanding (Major'W. Simin), and wore put through bayonet exercise in squads, under the direction of Captain M'Laglon; after which the regiment formed up in column and marched back to town, headed by the Regimental Band. The parade was in all respects' a satisfactory orie. "Pelorus Jack," the bulldog which was presented to H.M.S. New Zealand when she was visiting the Dominion, broke his neck as a result of a fall just before the last mail left England. On Saturday a. chimney in the Town Hall Buildings chose to break one of the City Council's by-laws !.y catching fire. Beyond the violation of the civic law in this respect no damage was done. Chevrolet.—Here is an opportunity for a reliable up-to-date motor-car at a reasonable price. Equipment includes only accessories of proven qualities, such as Zenith carburetter, Connecticut ignition, Autolito self-starter, grey muffler. These ar 0 only some of the splendid features of the famous Chevrolet car. Full particulars will bo mailed you if you communicate with The Dominion Motor VohlclM, Ltd., 8S Ccurtonay PUm.—Advt 1

Early on Saturday morning a firo broke out in a two-story shop and dwelling in Jackson Street, Petone, owned' by Mr. W. C. Watson, of Wellington, and occupied by .Mr. Colin Campbell, fruiter. Messrs. P. Graham and H. M'Gregor, who were lodging at the place, and sleeping in a room at tlio rear of the, building, gave the alarm, and, being isolated by flames, experienced somo difficulty ill finding an exit, tho last-named being rather severely, burnt about the head. Mr. and Mrs.' Campbell, with.their family of sis children, managed to cscape, scantily clad, most of them getting • more or less scorched. The Fire Brigade suppressed the outbreak. Tho wliolo of the rooms at tho rear of tho building were gutted, the total damage beipg estimated at about £250. The building, which contained eight rooms, besides a shop used for the sale of fruit and confectionery, was insured in tho Government Office for £620. The con-',' tents were covered in the Atlas Office for £100, and tlio piano for' £25 in the same office. The stock, which was ', considerably damaged, was insured for £50 in tho Sun Office. About fifteen months ago a similar outbreak occurred in tho same building. The twenty-fourth annual smoke concert in connection with the Petone Defence Rifle Club was held on Saturday, at the Central Hall,. Petone. The president (Mr. R. Flaws) occupied tha chair, and thero was an excellent attendance, including representatives of the Hutt and Petone Borough Councils, tha Suburbs and, Highland Eiflo Clubs, and the Petone- unit of. the National Eeserve. The usual toasts wera honoured, and a musical programme submitted, Mr. L. Simpson presiding afe the piano. During the evening mention was made by several speakers of' the fact that upwards of one thousand mombers of rifle clubs had enlisted with j the Expeditionary Forces. . _ Tlio Lyall Bay unit of the National Reserve held their usual weekly drill parade on Thursday evening. There was a, good attendance, and Captain Hackworth' took the opportunity of announcing the names of the successful • applicants for the non-commissioned officers, which were—Corporals, Robinson, Jack, Mee, and Easson. . An officers and non-com.'s class has been form- - ed, and _ with the company under the supervision of Sergt.-Major Long, who ' lias kindly promked to give tho unit all tho assistance lie can, tho men are showing great improvement. /The unit was divided into two platoons,' and under their respective leaders went through some very useful platoon drill. After the parade it was announced 1 that Mr. T. Burgess had kindly donated n. trophy, valued two guineas, in tho 6hape of a pair of gold sleeve-links, to the first member of tho.unit scoring a possible at a match shoot, excluding tha match to be fired against the Customs • House team on Monday next. A 'sad reminder, that in these days one cannot enter into the spirit of such an event as we did in the past met the people at the gates of the Athletic Park on Saturday—the newspaper "extra" .containing. the latest list of New Zealanders who had been killed at the . Dardanelles. Bugby men, of course, had their places on that roll of honour,and one of the names noticed by all followers of the game was that of Stewart M'Farlone, tho Petone forward, what i represented Wellington on many occasions. As a footballer M'Farlane was admired, and as 4 citizen he was high* ly respected and was very popular. Hci was a man of magnificent physique, a! remarkably fine goal-kick, a good : allround forward, and a player wEbse good humour never became Tuffled ■ bythe hard knocks or tho ups and downs of the game. " Discussing the annual Teport of thq Public Service Commissioner, the "Public Servico Journal" says: "The wholel tone of. tho report, whether intentional or not, must convey to the public mind a-i impression that tho . Public, Servica was in a chaotic condition Mien tha Commissioner assumed control, that soma improvement has been effected, but that the obstructions of permanent; heads 'is retarding \the'- process.' "Wo read, that "the efficiency of the Public Smvice should be of the highest standard, and, while this is the. goal looked for by the Commissioner, a certain disappointment must be expressed at thej comparatively slow rate of improvement in some Departments," and so .on.-. Statements such as that amount to an' indictment of the whole Service, in t the absence of specific charges, and are vnot just, even if some degree of foundation . oil fact is admitted. The Public Servica of this Dominion claims to bo as efficient and conscentious as any other Public Service,' and it has been told— this more than once by Ministers of the Crown on the floor of the. House. Assuming that such a claim is made on general principles it is at least equal in value to tho Commissioner's goneral criticism." ' Tho representatives of the deputation.' ■ which some timo ago waited on. tha Minister of Railways, and also on tha General Manager, regarding better train services at Melling have now been informed by Mr. Hiley that on and after Wednesday, September-], the morning train from Mastertou and the 4.25 p.m.-, train from Lambton will both Btop «it Melling when' required to take up, or. set down'passengers. The starting timer of these trains from Melling will bo about 11.15 a.m. and 4.50 p.m. respectively. The General Manager also , announces that the times of the principal passenger trains' which stop at Melling will he inserted in the time-tables whenl they are, next-reprinted. The question of the provision fit a bicycle shed at Melling is being further considered.. "Trade between New Zealand-and the! United States," declared Mr. Robert Laidlaw, who has returned to Auckland from America, "is severoly handicapped at the present , time by tho liigK rato of oxchange. New Zealand buyers haro to forward an addition of '4 pes cent, on all remittances." Mr. Laidlaw" confessed himself disappointed at tha Dominion's showing at the Panama* Pacific International Exposition, 'as oompared with those of Canada and Australia. The Canadian display was "lie of the very best at the Expositions When the great fair opened, tlio administration expenses . came to thirty-two thousand dollars, approximately £6400 a day, but that sum was reduced by half by elimination of officials whose functions were not of a definite nature.. Mr. Laidlaw did not anticipate that tha Exposition would prove a.'financial suecuss, or that New Zealand would greatly benefit from it.

TTTT! B 9 A.—FA VOORITIO WITH MILTj tary DISPATCH RIDEES-AND! Tt has sometimes been said, with mucbi h-iith that the business test 13 the best iW'of any motor. War is the grimmesi business of mankind, and the military. , motor-cyclist stakes his life, very often, upon the reliability of_his mount. Hera is what Sergeant R. E. Schofield, E E., senior instructor of the Motor-cycle Section at Aldershot, has to say:— pearly every dispateh rider that has cone to the front has passed .through my hands, and ■ I am therefore in a position to judga how the different makes of machine aro in favour. The B.S.A. is by far away, the favourite, and it has yet to happen that a B.S.A. has failed to act up to its well-earned repute. . ... I'may state that 50 per cent, of the machines here aro B S A.V A .motor-cyclist Svith the Secj oiid'Cavalry , Division, British Expedition* nrv Force, writes in a private letter: "Th« roads are hellish. . . - My B.S.A. is ths ..cods I never have to touch it. They are the bikes, my boy. They knock ths and any other make you like to mention into a cocked hat." There are plenty of other letters from the front, all to the same effect. We are landing 20 of the latest niodel B.S.A. s ex s.s. Marlborough! this week, and oan eivo immediate d&j livery. They are ideal machines fo* either solo or side-car service, and their • reliability is famous. The h.p. is 4}, and the three-spaed countershaft gear is fool-' proof and wonderfully efficient. .Adams, " .Ltd., Christchnrch, Palmers* ton North; Sutherland ana Rankiue, Wei* lington; Tourist Motor Co., HoitLnnu ieenba fc*r 8.8.A. Motors,—Advt. 1