LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2594, 16 October 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal authorities advise that the s.B. Manuka, which is due from Sydney on Monday, is bringing Australian and English mails. English and American mails via Vancouver ex R.M.S. Niagara at Auckland are also due on Monday next by Main Trunk express.

_ Poverty Bay is, says a Press Association telegram from Gisborne, presenting an oil launcli to the hospital ship funds, and lias also secured the purchase of an aeroplane for presentation to the Admiralty through the Overseas Club.

The installation, of hot and cold sliower-baths at the Soldiers' Club in Sydney Street lias been completed, and the committee desire publicly to acknowledge their deep indebtedness to tho Wellington Gas Company through their chairman, Mr. W. Ferguson, and to tho ttrm of Messrs. A. and T. Burt through their manager, Mr. AY. Egliu, for their' most valuable assistance. The Gas Company has lent the plan required, and flxed the beating apparatus free of cost to the club, and Messrs. A. and T. Burt have similarly supplied labour and material m the matter of plumbing arrangements. All this represents a most generous gift to the Through these public-spirited actions the committee is enabled to offer to our soldiers a much-needed comfort and convenience.

How London is guarded from aerial attack- was briefly described yesterday by Mr. J. A. Heginbotham, of Kilbirnie, 'who lias'-just returned from ail extended visit to England. The lights on every train, tram, and bus are shrouded at all times, and in crossing the Thames bridges.it is compulsory; to obliterate all lights: The same restriction extends to the lighting arrangements of shops, streets, and theatrtes, which tends to make the city very gloomy at- night. At certain points there are mounted long-range aerial guns, and captive observation balloons hang suspended above the murk of London's smoke, always in touch with the earth by telephone. Mr. Heginbotham was particularly impressed by the new searchlights, which do their work without shooting out those powerful rays that we -are accustomed to see in warship searchlights. All one sees awav up in the air is a floating cloud of light, jerking about from point to point, but as far as the eye can see with no ray-connection between it and the lens that is throwing the light. How this is managed he had not the remotest idea, but all through the night these isolated splashes of light could bo seen searching out the heavens in a manner perfectly mysterious to the uninitiated.

"Sheep are grazed in Hyde Park, London, and cattle and deer in- the open paddocks of Phoenix Park, Dublin." The remark was made, says n Christchurch paper, by Mr. James Young, curator to the Domains Board, in connection with the Riccarton agitation for the cessation of grazing. He added that the loss of rent would bo £300, and the cost of cutting tho grass would be another £300. It would be' impossible to burn the grass, because it would damage tho trees, and tho work of cutting would have to be done by horse labour.

"I am exceedingly pleased with tho work I have heard so far in New Zea-' land," said Mr. S. Myerscough to a Christchurch "Press" representative. Mr. Myerscough is visiting. Australia and New-Zealand to conduct examinations on behalf of Trinity College of Music, London. "The work, generally speaking," he said, "has been .excellent. I have examined some 1500 candidates so far, and only about 200 have failed. Tho schools have, on the whole, given excellent results of their training." Mr. Myorscough went on to say that what ho particularly noticed was the excellence of tho groundwork imparted to candidates. Their technique was splendid, "but," he said, "the higher work, interpretation—an intelligent conception of what their work really meant—was disappointing. Technique is_ ( only a means, an ossential means, it is tme, but the students seem unable to get beyond it. At tho end of my examination I like to got hold of the teachers and talk to them about this deficiency, and hotter results, I hope, will be obtained next year in this direction."

In tlie course of a recent visit to the United States, Mr. A. M. Ferguson, of Auckland, obtained a very good idea of what. the feeling of the average American is towards tlio war, and particularly towards the causo of tho Allies. ' A 'London correspondent states that Mr. Ferguson says his oxperioncs convinced liim tliat tlio Americans were quite in favour of tho Allies, with the exception, of course, of the GermanAmerican element, for whom lie could not speak. The average intelligent Now Yorker seemed to liavo "no time" for tho German-American, towards whom many of tliem expressed very strong and outspoken views. At one of the best known commercial clubs of New York, on tho morning of the sinking of tlio Lusitania. a. group of mombers were discussing tlio event when a prominent Germnn-Ainerica.il camo up and remarked: "I say. Smith, you must not look so glum. This is a bad business, hut yon must put a good face on it." Smith inado no reply, but the wliolo group turned their backs on the interloper, wlio bad nothing to do but to pass on. Acroplano Engines—Tho most perfect made—liavo shown tlio world that to obtain Ihe greatest possible power from an engine it' is necessary to use overhead valves. similar to those used on the famous Chevrolet cars. You will roadily understand the reason for this if you communicate with tho Dominion Motor Vehicle,', Ltd., 65 Courtcnav Place, who will b» pleased to explain fully thic> feature.— Advt*

On account of a quorum not being present, the meeting of cricket umpires called for last' evening bad to be post* poncd till a future date.

The Canterbury Jockey Club has voteij £500 to the fund for the preservation of Lancaster Park as a sports ground, says a Press Association tejegram.

"There seems to'bo an idea that the Lest way to popularise Hanmer is to lieathenise it" ; so declared the writer of a letter quoted at tho meeting of tho Cliristchnrch Presbytery. Tho writer explained that visitors attended tho Sunday services much better than was expected, in spite of the Sunday golf organised by Government officials and smiled upon by some of the committee of the Church.

The following recommendation from the Association of New Zealand Chambers of Commerce will be considered at Monday's meeting of the Central Chamber cif Commerce I "That conference, having affirmed the necessity for closer settlement in New Zealand, recommends individual Chambers to assist in movements having for their object the placing of more people on the land, and Improving the conditions of men on the land."

A correspondent writes:—"lt is stated that every German non-commission-ed officer is supplied with field-glasses, and that many privates also possess them. British non-coms, aro similarly equipped by the Government. Now Zealand practice is for commissioned and non-connnissioned officers to buy glasses out of their privato funds, or to have them presented, or to go without. It is estimated that three hundred non-commissioned officers in tho last Expeditionary Forco and'a number of commissioned officers left without a pair. Senior officers with active servico experience agree that the lack of field-glasses in an officer's outfit will result in ten casualties, and in the case of a non-com. four casualties at least, in this war. Tho cost to Now Zealand of this lack of foresight in the case of tho last contingent is estimated at £20,000 yearly in pensions. By the generosity of a number of donors of glasses and cash, the National Reservo and the Patriotic Society were enabled: to hand to officers of the last Reinforcements between forty and fifty pairs of prism and other field-glasses." A largo number of German vessels, which were interned 1 at various ports, have been released by the Imperial authorities, and are now doing useful duty as British merchantmen, says an exchange. The A. and A. Line have secured six of these vessels, and tlio following steamers will shortly load at Now York for New • Zealand ports, coming via the Panama Canal: —Parattah (ex Berlin), Conargo (ex Altona), Toromeo (ex Tibernious), Talawa (ex Wot an), Araluen (ex Scharzfels), and Dongarra (ox Stolzenfels). .

The following letter has been received by Mr. It. A. Wright, M.P., from tho Minister of Railways (the Hon. AV. H. Herries): —"Referring to the deputation introduced to the Hon. the Minister of Public AVorks by yourself and Mr. Field regarding the railway service between Paekakariki and Wellington, I have tho honour to inform you_ that an investigation of the business indicates that tho present servico between Wellington and Paekakariki is considerably, in excess of what the traffic warrants. Regarding tho statement tliat school children from Paremata- are u'nablo to attend school in "Wellington, I would point out such a complaint is not justified, as tho existing time-table enables children to reach Wellington at 5.44 a.m., and return trains are available from Wellington at 4.13 p.m. and 5.25 p.m."

Lieutenant A. Bunting, second son of Mr. T. Bunting, of Christchurch, who received his appointment as sub-lieuten-ant in the Navy in May last, was for somo time on patrol duty in the North Soa oil board H.M.S. Crescent. Private advice was received by last mail that ho has now been detailed for secret servico duty. Lieutenant Bunting, who was a well-known officer in tho Union Steam Ship. Company's service, received his training on tho Dartford, being ono of the first lads to join that ship for 1 training purposes.

The prospectus of the New Zealand Local Loan is advertised in to-day's issue. The prospectus sets out tho terms and conditions under which moneys may be invested on security of tho Public Revenues of New Zealand to provide the funds necessary for local purposes during tho present war.

A deplorable fate overtook 10,000 trout fry dispatched recently to Te ICuiti by tlie Auckland. Acclimatisation Society. A letter was received from the local' club stating that when the_ fry arrived safely and in good condition thov were left in. the tanks on the river bank for tho night-, as had been done previously. Tho next day, however, when the officials of tho club went to liberate them, they found most of them lyinc dead 011 the bottom of the tanks, 'j'licfflsli had a swollen appearancc, and, feelingly wrote the secretary of the club, "there is no doubt in my mind that some evil-minded wretch had tampered with tho cans, and had poisoned the fish." Tho society therefore regretfull.l inado an urgent request for a,further 10,000 fry. The "Military Mail" the fact that the Windsor (Canada) City Council lias decided to renew insurance on all men of that' city who are serving • with-the first contingent, and who have relatives depending on them. The council will also extend insurance to all other Windsor volunteers now in training or who mar enlist from the present time to the encl of the war. London papers relate the following A party of New Zealand wounded from Walton-on-Thames and another from St. Thomas's Hospital were taken for a drive to Leatherhead recently. At tea a soldier recognised another who had carried liira wounded off the field at the Dardanelles. Until that day be bad never since seen his rescuer or known his name, and the meeting was most touching,'the rescued man, with tears m his eyes, shaking the hands of Ins fellow colonial and thanking him most heartily. Men who like a fine plait straw will bo nleased to insDOct tho stock at lieo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street. Tho price 'Is 7s. 6tl. —Advt.