LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2578, 28 September 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Manuka! is due to arrive here from Sydney at about 4 o'clock this afternoon. A number of streams in the Wairarapa that are usually flush with water, aro already dry (says our Masterton correspondent), arid the need for rain is considered urgent. : It is feared that a great many people will be called upon to pay .excess postage during tho next few days owing to short stampage on inland letters. The new postal rates have been in force siyco Friday last, and already many hundreds of letters have been posted with a penny stamp only affixed instead of a penny halfpenny stamp. > To minimise mistakes as much as possible a notico lias, been pasted over each posting slot in tho General Post Office, warning the public that all articles, other than newspapers, must now bear an additional halfpenny postago. The most fsffectivo manner, however, in which the change in postago will be convoyed to many will be the indignant replies of those who have unwittingly been forced to pay excess postage at the other end.

Hapuka continues to be very plcnti-', ful off Falliser Bay. For some weeks r.ow local fishermen have not experienced any difficulty in getting big hauls? of this excellent eating fish/ and there are as yet no . signs of' any diminution in supply. Yesterday afternoon quite a little crowd of people watched the fishermen landing a load from the kcteli Libia, which had been operating yesterday morning off Palliser Bay. Hor load must have consisted, of about three hundred hapuka, averaging about 201b. weight cach. They are caught 011 lines in a rath or novel way. A long stout lino is secured, and from it is suspended about a hundrod hooks, each 011 a short lino of its own. One end of the line is anchored, and tlio othor is either secured to a bijj float or to the boat. It is dropped into tho sea at tho known haunts of the hapuka, and in a certain timo each lino is hauled up and relieved of its fisli and baited, again until a full boat-load is secured, when it is full speed ahead to Wellington.

With the transportation of so many of our sick and wounded to England instead of to Egypt, the work of tho offi-cials-'conncoted with tho Record Offico will grow lighter and Hjose of tho High Commissioner's Staff heavier. For some time past tlie replies to cablegrams of inquiry wore answered seriatum, but now answers aro boing received to messages sent 011 widely divergent dates, and it is judged tlint answers are being forwarded as soon as tho men aro located. The averago timo taken to got a reply to a message of inquiry is, according to the local bureau, about three weeks, but thoro nfo timosw lion a reply 'is received within four days. With tho 111011 scattered about in hospitals all over England, the tusk of loMttnjt'a Is wliaps uot so avit seems froja. this each ■

Mr. T. Clark, of Eskdale, has, says our Napier correspondent, given a motor-car costing £750 to be disposed, of by urt union in connection with tho Ha'wko's Bay Imperial pagoant, ' This year Labour Day will be celebrated m Wellington on Octobor 25 by .a big procession, and a sports meeting. Tho procession will travel tlio principal streets of the City to Newtown Park, where tlio sports will bo. held. Flower Day, held at Whangarei on Saturday, realised £200, £70 of which is for tlio Waistcoat Fund. Tho total, including the mock court proceeds, for (lie local Sick an<J Wounded Fund, is approximately £600.—Prcs3 Association. Dominion Day, which was observed as a holiday yosteruay by tho Govcrnmont, municipal offices, schools, lawyers, and banks, was as line a day as ono oould wish for in tho round of tho year. Thero was no wind, a clear sky, a hardworking sun, and with that touch of tho incongruous for which Wellington is noted, absolutely nothing occurred to mar tho day. Out of Wellington thero wero tho races at Otaki, which attracted a largo number of people who nro fond of a day's sport. The outing was a delightful ono.

Th'ere must always be anomalioß In tariffs. One occurs in regard to oon? veyor belts, which are used for various purposes connected usually with our primary industrios. Tho tariff imposes a duty of 20 per cent, on all conveyor belts, other than those used in mining. This means that should a timber-mill, cemcnt works, or manuro manufactory Wish to import a conveyor belt for the speedy transport of its goods from one point to another on tho works, it has to pay 20 per cent., but when it is for use on a mine it may come in free. Why all primary industries should not ha plaoed on a level in this regard is difficult for those interested to understand.

The Wairarapa Branch of the Teachers' Institute, at a meeting on Saturday last, resolved that, owing to the ease with which town, children can obtain secondary education, the awarding of primary scholarships to pupils of town schools is unnecessary, and should be discontinued. V Tfefc branch also passed a resolution urging that the report of tho Boundaries Commission should bo given effect to, as it seriously affects the status of teachers. Mr. A. M'Donald, of Hinekura, better known as "Ngakonui Mac," who lias been the leading spirit in the successful organisation of the Wairarapa for the provision of war funds, has (says our Jlasterton correspondent) registered for servico abroad.

A conference of tlie New Zealand Butchers' Federation of Employees opened in the Beehive Chambers, Courtenay Place, yesterday. Mr. S. Wilkinson presided over a good attendance of delegates, -with Mr. R. Breen as secretary. Preliminary business and internal affairs only were dealt with yesterday. The conference resumes this morning. A tribute to the fair fighting qualities of the Turks was paid by Major Arthur Hume, of Wellington, in a letter which he wrote just before his death to liis brother, Lieutenant-Colonel J. E. Hume, Auckland. "As regards our enemy tho Turk," he said, "I have a very high opinion of him. Many stories have unfortunately been told of his ill-ireating wounded, mutilating, etc. These are quite untrue, except in very exceptional eases. We collectively consider ne has every time played the game, and played it well. He is a good fighter, and a devil to dig out. .He has a very wEolesome dread of both the Australians and New Zealanders, whom he has nicknamed 'tho white Gurkhas.' In several instances thoy have sent to us to come and tako our wounded, and when wo have sent for. them we found them already dressed and attended to Jiy the Turkish medical men. Our food is good under the circumstances. Officers and men all faro alike, and so it should bo, and it is mighty hard to tell one from the other. Our clothing is only what we can carry. Some of the outfits are very funny, and 'shorts' are.quite the popular kit. We call it' The Ragtime Army,' and it varies so much that its description is impossible." The deputation respecting tho _ formation of a Highland Regiment will wait on the Minister of. Defence at Parliament Buildings at 11' o'clock this morning. ■ .