LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2576, 25 September 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postmaster-General explains that the rates of postage'on parcels to members of tho New Zealand Expeditionary Force in-Egypt are reduced to a minimum, at lsJ'lJd., 2s. 7-Ul.. and 4s; l}d' up to weights of 31b., 71b., and 111b. respectively.' Tlssse amounts- repre-. sent what is actually paid out by tho New Zealand Department for transmis-sion-of tho parcels after they are put 011 board ship in the New Zealand port) and involves the loss of the wholo cost of inland carriage, which tho Postmas-ter-General has consented to forgo. . It also represents a substantial reduction in charges by oversea Administrations.

A fire occurred in the maids' quarters at the Wellington Hospital last night. The outbreak was caused by an elcctric iron wliich had been left switched on igniting the material on which it was resting. Only a chest of drawers was' damaged. The brigade received the call at. 8.12 p.m.

Four prisoners ! who have pleaded ■guilty in the Lower Court to different offences will appear for sentence in the Supreme Court this mornnig b6for<yHis Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout). They are: Samiiel White, breaking and entering and theft; William Keith, attempted breakmg and entCTincr- John William Presling, indecent assault; and Herbert Edward Ledge, intent to defraud.

Inquests will he held to-dav into the cause of the deaths of E. Or. Gaudin, who dropped dead in Mr. . Brittam's chemist shop on Thursday evening; of a boy named Leslie Taylor, who died after an operation the same day; and of a man named Sloan, whose badv *ra6 found on' Mount Victoria the same day.

At thePetone Police Court yesterday, before Mr. J. W.. M'Evran, J.P., an elderly* man named Jolin Edminston was fined 10s., in defa\ilt four days' imprisomnent, for drunkenness.

A few interesting facts concorning tlio mode of living adopted by a picturesque foreigner named Peter Lammit,who appeared in the Magistrate's Court, yesterday cliarged with being an incorrigible rogue, were revealed to the Magistrates by a few observing constables'! In the small : hours of tho morning Lammit could be seen pacing the Streets, pausing at intervals to oxploit the possiblo contents of a- restaurant's rubbish bin. . Other times Lammit would be missing, and 'neath the shelter of some sacks, perhaps under the roof. of a friendly outhouse, would bo sleeping soundly. Tho latter mode of passing the long. and weary hours'proved,Larainit's downfall, for ho was happened upon by a constable on Thursday niglit and 'arrested. Tho search at the watch-house of accused's pockots revealed 7d., and two pockets full of stale crusts and cheese. But I never sleep outside, I wa-s a-walking," oxplained this searcher of unconsidered trifles to His Worship'.' The Magistrate explained to .Lammit that he had already been given several chances, _ and sent him for threo months' imprisonment. ■

Chevrolet, a handsomo, powerful car, equipped with every accessory of proven quality, and bearing the' hall-mark of strength, trustworthiness,. and durability. Your inspection of 'the latest model —self-starting', of course—is invited bv the Dominions Motor Vehicles, Ltd., 65 Courtenay Place, wio. will be. pleaded to demonstrate to you the superior qualities of tie Ckeirolot car.—Adv.t, '■■■'• ~ -

"It's a pity Your Worship hasn't it in your power to havo him flogged," said Inspector Hendrey, in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, in referring to a man named-Alexander Thomson, charged with drunkenness, using obscene language, and persistent cruelty to' his wife. A separation order was asked for in respect to the last charge. ;Tho Inspector said Thomson had been guilty of unnatural and brutish cruelty to his wife. The .Magistrate severely cautioned Thomson, fined him 10s., m default 48 hours' imprisonment for drunkenness, £3 or one month for using obscene language, while tho separation order applied- for by tho wife was grauted, and defendant ordered to pay her 40s. per week maintenance.

Mr. H. J. Gladstone, a cousin of the late Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, died at Orari tho other day. He was bom in Liverpool in 1826, and was educated there. In 1854 lie jpnded at Lyttelton from tho Ashmere, and with the later Mr. Watson, who was at that time Resident Magistrate at Akaroa, as partner, purchased a run in what is" now known as tho Mackenzie Country. Ten years later Mr. Gladstone sold his interest in tho run and purchased a farm of 600 acres at Orari, which he retained and resided upon till the time of his death.

A cabdriver named Alexander Thomas M'Williams was charged in the Magistrato's Court yesterday with asking an excessive fare from a prospective passenger. The evidence showed that defendant had asked os. for a journey from Courtenay Place to/tlio Convalescent ♦Home, whereas tho fare provided for by tho by-laws was 2s. On behalf of defendant, Mr. H. F. O'Leary submitted that the fare,;2s., was very small for suoli a journey. The Magistrate agreed with counsel, and imposed a nominal penalty of Is., with cost 4s. Mr. J. O'Shea appeared for the City Corporation. • . At last-evopjng's parade- of thei Petone unit of the Native Reserve it was announced l that competitions would shortly be held for shooting, attendance, and drill combined. _ Addresses on rifle mechanism were delivered by SergeantMajors Stewart and Ryan. 1

The out-patients' department of 'Wellington' Hospital will be closed o» Monday, Dominion Day, but urgent. cases will bo treated nt the Main Hospital. : .

The Footwear Regulation Amending Bill, introduced into tho House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, provides that Inspectors of Factories Khali act as inspectors of footwear/under the principal Act of 1913. Provision is also made that legal proceedings under the Act may be taken summarily only before a, Magistrate. . The Wairarapa Presbytery: is erecting and equipping a marquee at the Taidierenikan Camp. '.Mr.- John Strang has donated £25 towards, tlio work, ana other liberal subscriptions have been received.

At the annual meeting, of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce yesterday Sir. Alex. Henderson was elected president for tlio ensuing year, and seven new members were elected. A resolution was passed pressing upon the Minister of Education the importance of_ instituting farm instruction the district, and pointing to the facilities offered in the Wairarapa for. establishing a farm' school: '

A Petitions Committee of the House on Thursday reported against a petition- ! t-o havo a dlock of 600 ; acres of land in the north end of the Taranald district acquired 'by the Government for subdivision . There were reasons against the purchase being made. In the first place it was stated that the price at which the land was" offered was more than the land was Worth. The, Prime Minister pointed out that tho objection to compulsory purchase of sucli a small area was that tho owner-of the land could retain 400 acres if the land were first class, aud if tho land were not first' class the Government coulil. not touch it. Doubt was also expressed as to whether the land was in effect firstclass land although it; was so classified.' But because the Government would not agree to the purchase they were accused of impeding, settlement.The Prime Minister thereupon mado a statement about settlement of land. Last year during part of winch tho Empire was at war, 50,211 acres were' purchased at a cost of £356.687. The year before the the Government •■ purchased £500,000 worth of land, and lie believed that it had all been settled. _ As to Crown lands, last year 913,205 acres had been ■ onened for sale or selection,of whicli 642,863 acres were-settled by 1315 settlers. . The total area of all clhsses of land settled was 957,049 acres and the area was occupied by 1880 settlers. '~ . . , •

• Dr. Maguire, late of Auckland Hospital, but now Superintendent of -the New Zealand General Hospital at Pont de Koubbeh, Cairo, ill tlio course of . a letter to ft Wanganui resident, thus refers to the hospital under his charge:— "It is the finest hospital of its kind in Egypt, and is very well equipped, having a good operating theatre, an excellent: X-rays apparatus, ari efficient laundry, and steam fumigating plant, The building is all lit by electricity. It is situated about four miles from Cairo, and about three miles further on is the great Australasian camp at Zeitoun, in the desert. We are in the barrack quarter,', and are surrounded by barracks of ail kinds. Tlie, hospital is equipped at for , 250 patients, but we aro rapidly extending its scope so that it will now_ take 520 patients, and is called the New Zealand General Hospital. : The floors,of the wards are terrazo,. which is composed of marble chips in contyete, well polished, and the floors of the passages Ind corridors are laid dbwn in : glazed, tiles, wMch give the building a very cool appearance. , . . It is extraordinary how tittle we hear of wMt IB going on at the Dardanelles. lou get far liloi'e iiows in the Ivew Zealand papers."- ■.'■■■ ■ - .