LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2608, 2 November 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Postal p.tit'horities advise, that tho s.s. MoerflTii, which is due from Sydney to-day, is bringing Australian mails only.

A correspondent writes:—"My son left New Zealand with the Rifle Brigade on Saturday, October 9, neglecting •to get his military number. I wrote 011 the. following Wednesday, October 13, to the Military- Records Office, Wellington, for tho information. Waited a week, and no reply. I wroto again, and up to tho present time no reply has been received. Can you advise mo if I applied to the right quarter—or is it possible to obtain it in Now Zealand. My letters have not been returned. Possibly I should have'enclosed a stamped envelope'." We have made inquiries on the points raised by our correspondent. It seems that the papers relating to the troops which left here on October 9 have not yet reached the Records Office. Probably application to the Records Office at Trentliam would procure the desired information. But why does not the Records Office at Wellington, when it receives such an inquiry, forward it to the proper quarter, and thus save delay and possible anxiety?

The machine-gun recently completed by the staff of the Petone Railway Workshops has successfully passed its tests, and, it is understood, has proved entirely satisfactory. ' Tho question of _ manufacturing a quantity is now being considered, the shops being capable of producing at least one every week.

The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) acknowledges the receipt of a cheque for £9 7s. 4d. for the Wounded Soldiers' Fund from the Wellington Branch of the Wairarapa Co-operativo Association, Ltd.; a cheque for £7 2s. 6d. from the ladies and members of the Hataitai Bowling Club (sale of a set of bowls and flowers); a cheque for £6 7s. 6d. from the Education Board's Staff and .Inspectors for the Wounded Soldiers' Fund; £1 from Mrs. Elliston, of Paparangi (Johnsonville); a cheque for £6 7s. (tenth instalment) from the Staff'of Uie Wellington Harbour Board, for the Wounded Soldiers' Fund; a cheque for £18 18s., the result' of the sale of a sea lion's skin presented by Messrs. Wilson and G'anham, and sold by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. at one of. their wool and skin sales; a cheque for £63 from the Victoria Bowling Cluh, the result of the salo of a set of bowls, for the Hospital Ship Fund; and a cheque for £4 16s. 2d. (twelfth instalment) from tho Staff of J. J. Niv'en, for tho Wounded Soldiers' Fund.

[ Shearing in the Wairarapa has been considerably delayed by the broken weather experienced of late. A vigorous recruiting sermon was preached in Knox Church, Masterton, on Sunday evening, by tho Rev. G. T. Brown, M.A. Tho preacher declared, that if a young man saved his life l>j shirking his duty, then he had lost more than his life—his honour. The terrible hardships to which British women married to Germans are subjected in Britain has, says the annual report of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children, confirmed tho urgency of an amendment in tho Naturalisation Act to enable women to retain their nationality on marriage with foreigners. Sergeant W. J. Dunstan, V.0., in tho course of a letter to the Melbourne Press, says:—"The Mayor of Ballarat, at the Town Hall on Monday, mentioned that he had opened a memorial lund ill my honour. While I greatly appreciate the spirit which prompted this act, 1 wish it to be distinctly understood that this is entirely against my wishes. I cannot see where there is any necessity for such a course. I only did my duty, and one does not wish to bo recompensed for that. I do not wish to' appear ungrateful, but I really cannot accept any such public offering. Beliove me, lam deeply sensible of the splendid wolcomo acoordod me by the citizens of Ballarat. which has amply ropaid me for anything I may ,have done."

"Your committee confirmed a. resolution which was passed by the Dunedin Hospital and* Charitable Aid Board, 'Requesting that) a united effort be made to procure such alteration in the law as may compel wife deserters and other loafers to produce by labour tho valuo of such relief as may be afforded to their dependents.' For many years the Dunedin Board has urged, and your committ'eo has confirmed, the noed of labour farms for .wasters."— Extract from the annual report of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children. A proposal that tho Government! should furnish for publication in the newspapers moro complete reports of rainfall in different districts was supported by tho council of the Wellington Chamber of C'ommerco yesterday. Mr. R. W. Waterhousß said that ho had been approached lately by business people, who wished to have this information, especially at such times as these, when certain districts had becu suffering from drought. The published weather reports were valueless for this purpose. The secretary was in-' st'ructcd to write to the Government on the subject.

A special jubilee service was held in the Methodist Church,~Greytown, on Sunday morning, when the Rev. Josiah Ward, of Carterton, preached.' A church parade of the local Defence Club members, Boy Scouts, and members of tho Borough Council was held, and all marched to the Methodist Church, and attended the service. ~.

i Speaking to a Dominion representative yesterday afternoon Captain M'lndoe, the newly appointed secretary of the Merchant Service Guild, who " returned from tho south 011 Sunday, said that he had been on a visit to Dunedin to meet tho officials of the Union Company. Several matters were discussed, the most important of which was the dispute between the company and officers of the Guild in respect to' conditions of work and wages. A deputation from t'lio Merchant Service Guild is to meet the Union Company 111 Dunedin 011 November 17. A wiroless message has been received by the local office of tho Union Company from Captain Collins, of the Moeraki, stating that he oxpected his vessel to arrive from Sydney at 4 p.m. to- ; day. j . • A special made by tho scholars of the Petone West and District High Schools on Friday next for the purpose of collecting patriotic funds. Last year the combined efforts of the Wellington, Hutt, and Petone school children resulted in £700 Being raised for tho relief of Belgian children. The Petono schools will be open to visitors from 10.30 a.m. to noon, and from 2 ta 3 p.m. Special lessons will be given during the visiting hours calculated to interest visitors, who in their, tum will have arnplo opportunity of showing their appreciation. Tho Masterton Homing Pigeon Clut flew an fold-bird raco from ; Timaru 01 Saturday. Messrs. Drake Bros, worn again successful. No fewer thau 37' motor-oycles and 37 oars were registered in Napier during October.- These figures bonstitute a record for Napier, and the record was brought about as the indirect result of rocent police prosecution®. The cold stores at the Waingawa freezing works are now almoßt empty, and operations for the season will commence in the courso of a few days. Over sixty mutton butchers will be employed.

Tenders for tho lease of the property for forty-two years held by the lat-e Mr. T. C. Williams, and on his.decease, by Mrs. Williams, known as No. 63 Hobson Street, close at the office of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board to-day. This property as it stands to-day is ono of the finest homes in Wellington, possessing spacious, well-laid-out grounds and a mansion of thirty rooms in a hidst desirable part of the city.

The gate receipts at the Hawke's Bay A. and P. Society's recent show amounted to' £585, as compajed with £766 last year.

Captain P. M. Wottoii, R.N.R., of tho British transport Royal Edward, which was sunk in tho Aegean Sea, was one of tho youngest commanders on the Atlantic. He was placed in command of the Royal Edward, one of.the wellknown. vessels of the Canadian Northern fleet, iii 1913, succeeding Captain Willian Roberts. Previously E8 had been chief officer of the Royal George, and has a splendid sea, record of over 24 years to his credit. He served on several first-class cruisers, including H.M.S. Monmouth, Argyle, Highflier, and Europa, and went through various courses of gunnery and torpedo practice.- Ho spent fourteen years on tho Atlantic, seven of which were in tho service of the Cunard Line, and ho was chief officer of a steamer when he was nineteen years of age. At a meeting of the Professorial Board of the University of Otago, the following motion, proposed by Dr. Gilray, and sefconded by Professor Park, was unanimously adopted:—"That members of tho Professorial Bowd cordially congratulate their colleague, Professor Waters; on his appointment, on probation, as captain of the Tunnelling Corps for active service abroad. Thoy rejoice that Professor Waters's patriotism has led him to place his valuablo services at the disposal of the British Empire at this crisis in tho world's history, and wish him a ploasant journey, gri-'at success in his important work, and a safe return to Now Zealand." A short time ago a Timani resident posted in Timaru a cake destined for her son, who is at tho front. Tho day after the cake had been posted advice was received (says the "Post") that tho son was invalided, and was returning to New Zealand in the Willochra. She then went to the post ofiico and asked for tho return of the cake, which had iKifc yet loft Timaru, but was informed thai'the cake was now the property of the Kfng, and would have to bo disposed df by pnblio auction. Chevrolet—Here is an opportunity for a reliable up-to-dalo motor-car at a reasonable price. Equipment includes oilly accessories of proven qualities, such asZenith carburetter, Connecticut ignition, Autolito self-starter, grey muffler. These arc only some of the splendid features of the iiimoiis Chevrolet car. Pull particulars will.be mailed you if you communicate with The Dominion Motor • > "Ahir'l£s,..Lt{L, 65 Cotirtfiaay. pJace,—Advt, l