LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2631, 29 November 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Manuka which is duo at 6 p?m. today from Sydney* is bringing Australian mails only. Tho s.s. Makura, due at Auckland, is also bringing Australian mails only, tho Wellington portion of which is duo per Main Trunk express on Tuesday. Tho Defence Minister wishes it to be clearly understood that tho question of establishing local camps in or near centres other than Wellington has been fully considered and definitely -settled. No departure from tho present policy will be niado by the Government. At 1.35 a.m. on Saturday tho City Firo Brigade received an urgent request for assistance to subdue a firo at a paint store at Kaiwarra. Tho call was answered, but tho conflagration could not bo chocked in time to save tlio building, which was totally destroyed. For'flexibility, springing, silence, power, and beautifully even torque, it is impossible to boat tho eight-cylinder King. This car may be inspected at tho garage of The Dominion Motor Vehicles, Ltd., 65 Courtenay Place, or 4£46 Tory Street. If you cannot call personally, write or 'phone for a demonstration or catalogues, whidh will willingly lw sent you free of cost.—Advt»

I _ Another euergetio recruiting campaign is to be conducted in tho Wairarajia, as there has been a shortage of recruits ■ during the past week, says our Masterton correspondent, Captain Donald Simson has applied to tho Government on behalf of returned soldiers for the grant of railway passes Until they are discharged. Mr. H. Brett, of Auckland, has repurchased the organ bnilt'for the Auckland Exhibition, afterwards given to the Choral Society, and has presented tho instrument to tho Jubilee Institute for llie Blind, together with £100 to cover the cost of re-ercction.—Press Association. At this evening's meeting of the Pot-one Borough Council, Councillor Cos intends to move: "That in view of the urgent need for mon for tho New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, the Hon: the Minister of Defence be aslced if it is correct'that approximately 70 per cent, of the men employed on tho staffs of tho various training camps established m New Zealand aro single men without encumbraiicos, -and, if so, will ho take steps to remedy this undesirable stato of affairs." Mr. James Craigie, M.P., has writ, ten an interesting letter in reply to the proposal that Parliament should be summoned to amend tho War Pensions Act, The member for Timaru sayß that he quite endorses Sir. R. Fletcher's desire for an amendment of the Act, but he thinks that it is not necessary to summon Parliament. "I would sug. gest," he writes, "that instead of waiting for Parliament to be called together, members of the House collectively and individually should assure tho Government in any way that may be thought desirable that they will ratify any stepß the Minister may deem necessary to broaden the administration of the Act and give effect to the spirit of tho' measure. Of course, if the Government considers it better to sum. mon Parliament to amend the Aot forth.with I shall be very glad to fall in with this arrangement, but it appears to me that what is required could be done in the way I have suggested without loss of time and without <iny serious expenditure.-. Tho money we could save would represent more than tho amount of the additional pensions." Route marching is gaining in popn. larity from week to week, and yesterday some 53 men took part iii the march, wliich is one of tlic opportunities ~ now offering to enable civilians to got fit in case they may bo called on to serve the Empire in a strenuous cam-, paign. A course was set from Boulcott Street via Mount Victoria to the Miramar Peninsula and back to the City via Evans Bay and Oriental Bay, where a resident of the Bay entertained the walkers at morning tea. Next Sunday a full day's marching is to bo un- ' dertaken through Karori to Makara and back. Those who desire to have the morning's' walk only will form a separate squad to turn back- at a given point.

Mr. W. J. Colley, tlio English artist and -picture restorer, who lias done uracil valuable. ivorl: in Now Zealand in a quiet way, will leave. Wellington tomorrow for Auckland,. en route to America. Mr. Colley states that ths war has a fleeted the art world considerably, and as there is not likely to bo much movement for a year or two he has decided to test America, whero there should bo plenty of work for th» restorer among the bi? 1 collectors •ot New York, Boston. Philadelphia. Wash-ington,-Chicago, St. Louis, and othor large cities. Canada, too, has an artistic cult, and is the rcstinc; place of many valuable works. It is Mr. Oolley'a intention to return to Australia later on.

Thero was a heavy passenger trnffio on the railways between the City and Trentham- and May Morn yesterday. Many visitors went out,to the canjps, while a large number of men came to the City, 700 coming from May Mom by special troop tram.' The trains running to-Trentham in the afternoon were of Unusual length, one of them consisting of 21 carriages. Yesterdav was tho Rifle Battalion's last Sunday at May Morn, as they move to Rangiotu oil Wednesday. . ■

Owing to Gallipoli Day having been hold on Saturday, the opening of the rowing season was postponed until Saturday next.

The usual Christmas excursion tickets covering the holiday period will Ixs issued by the Railway Department this year, but tho rates for return tickets will he- one and one-third times tho single fafe, and the ten per cent, war tax will be added. • .

Mr. D. 6. A. Cooper, S.M., held on Inquest at- tho Magistrate's Court on Saturday into the circumstances connected with the death of a Chinaman named Joe Wall, who was found dead at 27 Haining Street, on November 22. Deceased ..was a gardener at Ofcaki, and had only just- arrived in Wellington. The Coroner returned a verdict that' deu ceased (who was about 70 years of age) died of pneumonia.

The following cable message has iust been received from Cairo by Mr. Jas. Macintosh: "Aotea opened with 34 patieuts; official ceremony held 'Testerday." The cablegram refers to the Astea convalescent home in Egypt for Now Zealand soldiers, which home lmd its beginning at Waneanui, and _ is supported by people of that district, Palmerston North, and Wairarapa.

A little difficulty has cropped up concerning the erection of a social hall at Tauhcrenikau Camp. The Director or CanVp and Barrack Construction (Colonel E. H. Hiloy) agreed to pay half the cost of the building, but one of the conditions of his gift was that the hall should bo non-sectarian, and that no religions service should be held in it by any Teligious denomination. The arrangement made by the Wairarapa War Funds Committee, however, was that tho Y.M.C.A. should control tho hall, and to tliif body the stipulation regarding relisious services might not bo" acceptable." Tho sub-committee dealine with the matter is to interview Mr. Hiley about the withdrawing of his condition regarding religious services.