LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2605, 29 October 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal Authorities advise that the s.s. Wimmera, which is due on Sunday from .Melbourne, via Hobart, is bringing Australian mails only. Instructions hare been given to tho Customs Department to prohibit ships of foreign nations from loading coal m Now Zealand ports without a permit from the Minister of Customs. Asked Isst night what was the reason for this step, tho Prime Minister raid that tlie object was to prevent the enemy becoming possessed of coal mined in New Zealand or any other British possession. In addressing those present at the smoke concert held by the Associated Sports Bodies of Wellington at tho Town Hall last night, Mr. C. G. Wilson, president of the Cricket Association, said that in helping the Christmas Gifts Fund for Soldiers at Gallipoli, the sports bodies hoped to raise £10,000 in Wellington. Not only New Zealand soldiers, but all the soldiers of tho Allies who are at Gallipoli would, it was hoped, receive a gift of tobacco and chocolate; Taking the number of men at Gallipoli at 200,000, the sum mentioned would be required. Mr. Wilson announced that the chairman, Dr. A. K. Newntan, M.F., had just donated another £5 to the fund. Another picture theatre is to be erected in Wellington. Last evening the City Council consented to tho erection of a theatre between Cuba and Marion Streets, subject to tho strictest compliance with tho requirements of the City Engineer.

An access is to be formed to Section ■18 Town Belt, by the Corporation at an'estimated cost of £20, provided th'o Kelburn Bowling Club contribute £10 towards such cost, in consideration of die advnntaßM to be sained by the .club from .tho use of the track,

Sergeant Nelson, who was a participant in "the much-discusscd Suvia liny landing, speaks in tho highest terms of the. great work that is being done by t'he Ambulance men on tho Peninsula. These brave fellows take all sorts of risks in tho performance of their onerous duties, and were constantly under fire. The snipers were a source of great danger :o them—snipers on both sides, as incidents at the front disclosed. Sergeant Nelson states that tho "Fifth," who suffered so severely in their initial engagement, were not hurried into the lighting line straight away, though they had many casualties m moving up from the beach towards the | trenches. Sergeant Taylor was one, or j those New Zealanders who held Rhodo-! dendron llidge for nine or ten days, | until they were- relieved l by • a section of the Fifth Reinforcements. Tho Corporation employees have been granted a holida.v on November -7 to attend their annual picnic. Tho Wellington City Council proposes drawing the attention of the Department of Agriculture to the_fact that the fiorso growinc on the side of the Day's Bay Road is a serious menace to the valuable bush reserve, and requesting the Department to take immediate action to see that the weed is cleared by the owners. The following donors of gifts.to the Zoological collection are to be thanked by the City Council for their presentations: —Wellington Zoological Society, one pair of magpie pigeons; Canter* "fnir.Y Acclimatisation Society, 100 rambow trout fry; Master Noble, one hedgehog. Some assistance is being lent the Defence authorities by the Labour Department at the present time. It appears that there are a good many cases where men have actually thrown up their billets after registering as recruits, under the imprfession that they would be drafted immediately into camp. It has been found 1 impossible to do that, and as the result several young fellows havo found themselves stranded whilst waiting to go into camp. It is to find temporary work for such men that the assistance of the Labour Department has been requisitioned, with entirely satisfactory results. Tho Storomen's Union dispute,_ which was to come beforo the Conciliation Commissioner shortly, has been postponed till November 5. By tho last transports that sailed for Egypt half a ton of butter was sent to the* Philomel, comprising gifts from various donors. A ton of cheese has now been offered by the Waihou Valley Cheese Factory (To Aroha) for the forces at the Dardanelles, and has been gratefully accepted by the Minister of Defence. Arrangements are being made to ship it by one of the next transports.

A Taranaki member of the Wellington Infantry • llegiment who arrived back in Wellington by the Mararoa yesterday states that the regiment numbered about 870 men when it went into action in tho big advance made 011 tho night of August 6, and such was tho lieat of the action tliat there could not have been more than fifty or sixty men who came through entirely unscathed. He further added that the Turk, generally speaking, was a clean fighter, and a worthy enemy. "I think the Turks were better equipped than we were," ventured the returned soldier. Their Mausers are better thafi our rifles, and quicker in action. Our cartridges often jamb when we are s*o;tting them into the clip, but that is impossible in theirs, as "the rim of the Mauser cartridge is flusli with tho body, whilst both tho English and French cartridges have a protruding rim." This the speaker illustrated by showing all three cartridses. Tile British-made cartridge looked big and clumsy alongside the Turkish, which is the neatest of projectiles. The Frenoh bullets are coppered over.

A Press Association message from Ohristchurch states that the Hon, G. W. Hussell, Minister of Internal Affairs, has received £1000 from tho Hawke's Bay "Wounded Soldiers' Fund Committee for the erection of tho Hawke's Bay Pavilion at the llotorua Convalescent Home.

Bv Order-in-Council gazetted, tho Eastbourne Borough Council is mado the Domain Board, to have control of tho Eastbourne Domain. <

The Under-Secretary to tile Department of Internal Affairs (Mr. James Hislop) writes: —"I have the honour to inform you that advice lias been received from the High Commissioner that- the sum of £8P 55., collected through tin, medium of The Dominion and forwarded to this office in June last, has been paid over to His Excellency the Minister for Serbia in London, who requests that his sincere thanks and deep appreciation bo ccnveyeu to the donors for the noble and practical interest tlio.v have shown in tho distressed Serbians."

An Irish novelist writing to England rwently stated that the part of the country in which she lived had experienced heart-breaking weather for hay making and harvesting. Day after, day tlie cut hay lay in flooded swathes on lawns and uplands. Near the river and in the bogs the haystacks floated. Said a policeman, who came to her hall door "to'see the magistrate," on a.drenching day, "Suro it's terrible weather, glory lie to God, but it's well to have any weather ;it all, seeiu' the things chat's liappenin' in the world."

' A fire caused trifling damage yesterday morning at 9 Picton Avenue, a dwelling owned by Mr. J. J. Boyd, of Kilbirnie, and occupied by Mr. George Farrell. The outbreak was caused by some clothes catching fire when being dried by the kitchen stove. Tho lire brigade received a call at 9.18 a.m., and suppressed the flames without difficulty. The contents are insured in the Yorkshire Office for £100, and the building in the Victoria office for £200.

The' City Council lias granted the free use ot' the Town Hal! to the Wellington Rose and Carnation Club for the November show, in consideration ofthe proceeds being divided between the Mayor's Wounded Soldiers' Fund and the- Newtown Zoo.

The Harbour Board is to be informed by the Wellington City Council, in reply to its inquiry as to the rate at which the council will be prepared to supply current from tho tramway mains, in order to drive a refrigerating plant, that 110 redncton can be made on tho present scale of charges for current used during tho hours of traffic; but that a flat rate of IJd. per unit will be charged on all current used between midnight and 7 a.m. At yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Land Board, Mr. H. W. Galloway wrote, stating that he had enlisted, and had instructed tho manager of his section not to pay any rent while lie is away. The board decided to recommend . the Minister of Lands .to grant, him exemption while on active service. An ordor-in-Council published in last night's Gazette exempts from primage duty all goods imported into New Zealand, being the cargo of- enemy ships which were upon the high seas at the outbreak of war. This has reference presumably to the cargo of the German steamer interned at Java, concerning the cargo of which New Zealand consignees have had a great deal of tiouble. New regulations concerning telephone exchanges have been gazetted. Tho most important of which redeeming a promise made during the session by tho Postmaster-General is as follows: —At exchanges where tho number of paying subscribers exceeds thirty and does not oxceed fifty the hours of attendance may he from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., provided that no fewer than three-fourths of the paying subscribers, to such exchange agree in writing to the extension of hours. Wcll-linished high-grade iea(ly-!o-wear Suits are waiting, for your inspection at Geo Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street, 705., 7Ss,, So.<. Suits that bring return cus-1 torn,— Adyfc.

Tlie Wellington Bookbinders' and I'aper .Rulers' Society, at a special meeting held 011 Wednesday, decided to invest £300 in tlie Government £2,000,000 loan. i

The Island Bay Electors' Association is to be informed that the Cifc.v Council cannot see its way to purchase a section of land at tlie Island Bay tramway terminus for public reserve purposes, as recommended by the city engineer. Soino discussion arose at the City Council last evening respecting bath-ing-slicd accommodation at Lyall Bay and Kilbirnic. The Baths Committee asked the. council to adopt the recommendation of the City Engineer that another bathing-shod should be erected at Lyall Bay at an estimated cost of £150, and that tlie work should bo put in hand forthwith. Several councillors protested against further accommodation being provided at Lyall Bay until adequate provision was made at Kilbirnie. It was stated that many bathers at Kilbirnie undressed in tlio open. The Lyall Bay proposal was agreed to.

Large supplies of fish continue to arrive at the Municipal Fish Market. Tho manager reports very brisk business for the past week, owing no doubt to the large quantities arriving and the beautiful condition of the fish. For to-day a large consignment of flat and other kinds will arrive early this morning, and will be on sale immediately it is unpacked.