LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2625, 22 November 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Wimmera, which arrived at Wellington shortly after 5 p.m. yesterday from Hobart .and Melbourne, brought an-Australian and a large English mail.

This week's direct mail from Sydney will not arrive till to-morrow.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Riverina, which sailed from Sydney 011 Novoinber 18 for Auckland, is bringing Australian mails only, the Wellington portion of which is due per Main Trunk express to-morrow. The sequel to a falso alarm of fire wliicli was given on Saturday evening' at I'etone, will be the appearanco of a young man before tile local Court this morning to explain his behaviour.

The Minister of Lands, tho Right Hon. W. F. Massoy, has advised the Manuiku Settlors' Association that Crown sections in that district from which milling timber has been removed Ms to b« tiirov.-ji t>pc4( for settlement im»ediatalj> <

Tho Rotorua Schools Queen Carnival, organised for tho Patriotic Fund, closed on Saturday, after three weks' strenuous campaign. _ The sum of £1318 18s. was raised by votes of twopence each. There were five candidates. Results: — Queen of Peace, Ruth Winiata, Convent, £'103 18s. 10(1.; Queen of tho Lakes, Ohinemutu, £282 Bs.; Civil Service, £231 lis. d.; Scouts, £222 Bs. 9d.; Maniaku, £178 lis. The declaration of the poll was received with enthusiasm by a largo orowd.—Press Association.

Auckland is in the exciting throes of a Queen Carnival. Up till Friday night 8,676,995 votes,, representing £108,462 Bs. 9d. in cash, had been recorded for the twelve candidates engaged. At that time airs. E W. Porritt, candidate for Auckland East, hold tho lead, with Mrs. Parkes, the whole6alere candidate, as runner-up.

The establishment of coal gasworks at Eastbourne is proposed by Mr. J. W. Blackmail, of Mastorton, who has applied to tho Borough Council for a concession. . He has offered to crecfc works and reticulate tho distriot without financial assistance from the municipality if granted the privilege of running the same. The matter camo before the council on Friday night, and provoked an animated discussion. Some opposition was shown,..to tho suggested policy of granting a long-term concession to a private individual or firm. Ultimately a committee, consisting of- the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Kelly), Councillors Morris and Pilcher, was appointed to go further into the details, and to report to the council.

Recently tho Minister of Defence received a request from the front for boots and waterproofs for the winter comforts of the troops. He asked for further details, and has reoeived the following reply from the Officer Commanding:— "Regret unavoidable delay. I have been communicating with General Officer Commanding the Government Ordnance .Department. Tho latter states that ample supplies of waterproofs, etc., have now come to hand." The Minister added that this communication should relievo the minds of people as to the care of the men during the Gallipoli winter.

The Anglican Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprott) conducted a confirmation service at St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral last night. About sixty candidates wore presented by tha vicar of the parish (the Rev. A. M .lolmson). Tliero was a crowded congregation. The Bishop gave a most impressive address. In the course of his sermon at the morning service, the vicar stated that evor since his coming to the diocese ho had presented for confirmation cvory year a number of young men as distinct from growing boys, but on this occasion there were only two mala candidates of military age. One was a'Chinaman. The otlier had been waiting to be relieved from his work, and was going into camp at Trenthara almost immediately.

The report laid before I'lie Eastbourne Borough Council at Friday's meeting by the Forry Board showed that the traffic last month had not been as satisfactory financially as the same month of the previous year. This was accounted for by the fact that the weather on Labour Day had this year spoilt the holiday traffic. A motion by Councillor Macpherson for the issue of season tickets upon instalment payments was defeated.

The rowing season in Wellington will be formally opened 011 Saturday afternooh next. There will be a procession of boats from the Wellington, Star, and Old NavaJs' Clubs, but no races will be held. The opening was to have taken place yesterday, but was deferred for a week 011 account of tho Gallipoli Day collcction campaign.

The Minister of Defence, referring to the National Register on Saturday, said that he has received from a number of people the names, gratuitously forwarded, of young fellows who have declared openly that they do not intend to send in returns, and these names he is submitting to the Hon. G. W. Russell, who is in charge of tihe Register, and who no doubt would have search made to see if the information was correct. To flout tho Act would prove a very serious business to anyone who had attempted it, said the Minister. II) was to be hoped that all information of this sort would be sent on to the authorities.

The seasons appear to have turned topsy-turvy lately. After a phenomenally mild winter and early spring, Wellington has experienced a long run of badly broken' weather during November, with a greater rainfall and more wind than in any one of the winter months. Gallipoli Day, which" was to have been celebrated in style, on had practically to be abandoned on-account of the heavy rain, and at noon or thereabouts the wind swung round to the south, and the dim pall which had missed dissolution on its voyago south was blown back to pour out its wrath on to an already well-soaked countryThe wind steadily increased in velocity during the day and evening, and in the early hours of yesterday morning it blew with the force of a fully matured pale, with an edge as keen as a razor. This state of things continued throughout' yesterday, though the rain held off, com-' pletely marring the week-end. _ As tho . result of these boisterous conditions all out-door sports on Saturday had to be abandoned. Incoming steamers yesterday report a southerly gale with heavy seas in tho Strait.

A movement is afoot in Reefton fittingly to commemorate the jubilee of the Inangahua goldfields. Reefton claims to be the first town in the southern hemisphere to be supplied with electric light. Quartz Teefs wero first discovered at Reefton in 1871, and the district has since proved one of the most important in tl;e annals of New Zealand mining. In 1872 Mr. Hawkins pegged off the Golden Hill and Caledonian mines, which for ten years yielded excellent returns. In night years tho Welcome mine paid £110,000 m dividends.

The thirty-sixth anniversary services of tho Vivian Street Baptist Sunday School wore held yesterday, and were well attended. The Rev. A. G. Brown was the preacher in the morning and evening, and Mr. Pennington conducted the afternoon service. Tho singing of the scholars and choir was a prominent feature of all the services. Mr. C. Webb was the conductor, and Mr. C. Collins .organist. The annual tea will be held to-morrow evening, and witl he followed by a meeting at which the prizes will bo presented, mid items and addresses wili.be given.

The Petone unit of the National Reserve hold its weekly parade on Friday evening There was a good attendance and Sergeant-Major Stewart .took charge in the early part of the evening, putting the platoon .through a vigorous course of squad drill in the Drill Hall. The section commanders then took charge of their various sections, and paraded in the open air. The rifle range for tho unit is almost completed. At tho last parade of the Hutt and Petono unit of the Railway Section (National Reserve) tlicro was a fair muster, Lie\itenant Jtillor being tho O.C. The platoon went through 6ome useful rifle work, in which great interest was shown. Tho ambulauco and signalling classes aro to bo commended on tho way they«attend and perform their duties. Arrangements have now been completed for the shooting. scries, and a committee consisting of Messrs. Cooper, Fay, and Bush has beon sot up for tho purpose of conducting all the business in this connection. Non-coms., in rotation are to_ bo in charge of each "shoot.'' • and it is hoped that alf members will take advantage of tho opportunity to use tho new rango at tie next parade,

I The Minister of Agriculture, th 9 Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, had (says th 9 Rotorua correspondent of the Auckland "Herald") a narrow escape from a serious accident on a motor journey from Rotorua to Whakatane in company with his private secretary, Mr. K. G. Chamberlain, and the cliainnan of the Rotorua County Council, Mr. H. S. W. King. When ascending tho Tikitere Hill tho car was about to pass tho coach, which it had overtaken, and the coaoh-driver, \uiaware of its presence, turned the horses in. In trying to avoid the horses, the car went over the bank, and, after sliding down for a considerable distance, its progress was arrested by some of the undergear being broughtup by the tea-tree. Fortunately, it did not upset, and tho occupants were unhurt. Horses were obtained from Mr. Wallace, and men and implements from. the Maoris, and. after a hour and a half's work with screwjacks aud other appliances, the car was put on the road, and tho Minister and his companions resumed their, interrupted journey. '

. The absence of auy branch of the Department' of Internal Affairs in Auckland caused a good deal of embarrassment on Thursday among men who desire to travel to Sydney by tho Rivertna early this week, says the Auckland "Herald." The regulations prohibiting any male person over the age of eighteen years from leaving the Dominion without the permission of the Minister of Internal Affairs or the UnderSecretary of the Department is now in operation, and inquiries, were made of the .Colleotor of Customs; the shipping offices, and even the Defence Office for ipermits, but in each case the only reply that could be made was that application must be made to Wellington. Tho matter was referred to the Prime Minister. Mr. Massey said that the Government had recognised the necessity for machinery to enable men leaving the Dominion for legitimate reasons to obtain permits without going to Wellington, and provision would bo made. Mr. Massey said he had telegraphed to the Mifiister of Internal Affairs, and expected that ho would he able to announce tho details of the arrangements.

Despite the fact that a large number of men liave left the district to servo their country, there are apparently some misguided individuals in the vicinitv of llahotu (writes the Taranaki "News") who 'find time hang too heavily cn thoir hands, and, not having the inclination or pluck to vent their surplus energy in destroying the property of self-respecting, settlers. A few nights ago several of those vandals visited the Kaliui Road, and for a distance of about three miles removed numerous gates, damaged several chains of .fencing, and put a milking machine out of "action. This week they again "played up," a resident on the Main Road being tho sufferer. On Thursday morning his garden bore evidence that- would have led him to the belief, had he lived in Bet irium, .that the Germans had paid him a visit. The wire fence thnt surrounded It was cut. evidently with pliers, in a very thorough manner, alongside each post. All his vegetables were uprooted, a cycle that he had been loaned tho nrevious night and that was in an outhouse was considerably damaged, while his horse was discovered later near the cemetery, with some fencing wire twisted round] its neck and trailing gracefiillv behind. Forfrinatelv. the animal had sustained no injury. The nijht was a rough one, and so the mftcreants were able to do their dastardly work unmolested.

When tho Government offered £5000 a month for the Home Belgian Relief and a.subsidy of £ for £ on. public contributions to an equal amount pro rata from each, the province of Canterbury (states a Press Association message from Timaru) adopted a system-of providing a ouota through the local bodies' rate funds. South Canterbury bodies have regularly sent contributions to . Christchurch. It became known that.some of the North Canterbury bodies, including the Christclmrch Citv Council, have nofc kept up their monthly oayments, and at the instance of the Waimate County a conferenoe of representatives of local bodies was held to consider the matter. The meeting decided to ask the Ohristcliurcli treasurer for a full statement.

Tlift acting-secretary of the Bible-in-State-Schools Leaauo (Mr. H. H. Robjohns), reports: "The General Assembly of the Presbyterian' Ohuroh on Saturday discusser! the report of the Committee on Bible in State Schools, and resolved to instruct the committee to avail themselves of the 'first favourable opportunity to carry out the declared policy of the Church on _tho subject of Bible in schools. It is evidently the intention of the Presbyterian Church when the war is over to forward the agitation to secure the introduction of tho Bible into the State schools of the Dominion, though, for the present, the Bible-in-State-Schools League is doing no aggressive work."

"Do the creditors pay for . keeping their debtors in gaol nowadays P" asked Mr. ""C. C. Kettle, S.M., in the Auckland Magistrate's Court, of Mr. A. H. Mowlem, who appeared on behalf of a creditor in a judgment summons case. Proceeding, His Worship said that in the old days a creditor paid 12s. 6d. a week for the keep of a debtor who was sent to prison. Mr. Mowlem replied that the Dominion was more_ magnanimous now. Mr. Kettle said he did not seo that the country should keep debtors in gaol at tho present time at the cost of the taxpayer. Mr. Mowlem pointed out. that a debtor was sent to prison for disobeying a Court order. The Magistrate observed that a lot or imprisonment orders were made in default, when people had not the means to appear. |