LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2650, 22 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal authorities advise that mails from Wellington which were shipped per s.s. Moeraki.on December 16, including an English mail for transhipment via Suez reached Sydney on Monday morning.

The following holiday hours of tittendance will be,observed at the 'Wellington Telegraph Office on December 25, 26, and 27, and January 1, 1916: —Christmas Day. Office open from 9.30 a.m. to 10 a.m., and 5 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. (Only, those offices which observe Sunday nttendance opon oil this day at these hours). Sunday, December' 26: Office opon from 10 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., and 5 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. Monday (for Boxing Day): Office open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., aiid from 7 p.m. to midnight. All country offices open from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. only. New Year's Day: Office open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. All country offices open from 9 a.m. to 10.30' a.m. only.

The Christmas dinner to be tendered to all the soldiers in camp at Trentham and May Morn to-morrow will take place at 6 p.m.

It is expected that the new military camp at Fernside, near Featherston, will be completed by the Public "Works Department by January 10 (says our Mastertoii correspondent).

It was decided by Cabinet yesterday that no man of military age who is medically fit, and who has not enrolled as a member of the Expeditionary Force, shall be allowed to take part in a land ballot during the currency of the war. This year's Christmas holiday rush has set in early, and ■ vessels arriving and departing at Wellington have had their passenger accommodation _ taxed severely. Hie Maori, which is duo from Lyttelton this morning, is bringing 600 passengers, and tile Mararoa, Monowai, and Manulta, which left for Lyttelton last evening, carried 450, 250, and 150 passengers respectively. All day long tho Union Company's offices are besieged with intending passengers, and the clerks on the counter are having a strenuous time' coping with tlio rush. It is anticipated that the bookings during the next two days will be exceptionally heavy. There was a distinct shortage of firemen and trimmers at Wellington again yesterday. The Karamu was two firemen short, and her departure has had to be postponed till 10 a.m. to-day. The intercolonial steamer Manuka wanted six stokehold hands yesterday afternoon, and only two were forthcoming. Last night tho remaining four could not be obtained, although there were at least five men on the wharf . willing to sign on the ship on being given a certain sum for the run to Lyttelton. Subsequently were mado by which four men were signed on on board, two of whom, it' is understood, wore steerage passengers, and the Manuka got away for Lyttelton at midnight.

A conference of Dominion shipowners

is being held in AVellington to discuss, amongst other tilings, the recent request of the Federated Seamen's Union for an increase in wages to bring, tho scale into line with, the recent increases given in Australia. Captain Bradney, president of the Auckland Shipowners' Federation, is presiding.' - At yesterday's sitting tho question of granting an increase from December 1 of £1 ss. per month and overtime at a uniform rate of 'is. Bd. per hour was disoussed at length, and it is understood that the Seamen's Union demands havo been granted.

"Sixty returned wounded at Sanatorium grounds cannot get home for Christmas. Will you forward something which will be spent on tlieu\ entertainment ?" Thus ran a, telegram received from Mr. | T. M. Wilford, M.P., by the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luko) yesterday. Mr. Luke's action was prompt and effective. He at ouco telegraphed the isum of £15 to the medical superintendent of the Rotor u a Sanatorium for the entertainment of the soldiers at Christmas. Those who frequent To An baths regularly season after season have probably noticed that in 6ome places the bottom-is silting up, and that "dopths of water presumed to 6xist do not in reality do so. At that part of themen's baths nearest Fitzgerald's Point quite abeach lias formed, on which the youngsters disport themselves 011 a fin© afternoon. At that spot there formerly existed three or four feet of water at low tide. In 0110 corner where 7ft. of water is indicated there is said to be four feet of slime, which on a hot day, whon stirred up, gives off a perfume not to be hankered after. Mr. W. H. Morton (City Engineer) contemplates making improvements at the' end of the bathing season,' probably by tlio provision of several flood gates in the deepsea. concrete wall, to allow of the ingress and egress of the water, and so create a scour which docs not at present exist.

Mr. Bert Eo.yle, attorney for J. C. Williamson, Ltd., in New Zealand, lias received a cheque for £20 from Mr. Hueh J. Ward, of Sydney, to bo expended on toys at Christmas for the inmates of the Children's Hospital, in the erection of which Mr. Ward played so unforgettable a part. *

A vacancy has occurred on the. Masterton Comity Council by the expiry oi tho leave granted to Councillor 11. V 11. Bootliam, who is serving as a lieutenant in tho Expeditionary Force.

At the annual meeting of tho Petono No. 2 Building Society the directors report showed that the business for tho year had been steadily maintained, and according to tho balance-sheet tho society's funds were satisfactory. Two appropriations of loan by ballot were disposed of, Air. C. Strong (two shares) securing £300, and Mr. T. M'Arthur (one share) £150. Messrs. Strong, Leibeziet, Jenkins, Norton, and M'Artliur wero re-elected as directors, the first-named being appointed chairman. Sneak thieves arc reported to have been busy at t'ho municipal bathingsheds on tho Petono foreshore. A sum of money was abstracted from a visitor's clothing on Monday, but was traced yesterday.

Tho following instance indicates tho dispatch given to affairs by the War Pensions Board. A soldier belonging to Wellington died at tho front on Decomber 10 of this year, leaving a widow and two children. Tho War Pensions Board has considered the case, made all inquiries, and on December 23 the widow will draw hor first monthly instalment .of a pension allotted of £65 per annum for herself, and £26 per annum on behalf of her two children.

Silk Ifancllierohiefs, Dainty Ties, Hair Brushes, Fine Belts, Brief Bags, Collar Boxes, Suit Cases, and many other suitable Xmas Presents are stocked liest and cheapest at Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manuers Street,—Advt,

That there will- be no dearth of Christ* mas cheer for our sick and wounded aol-i diers at the New Zealand Military Hospital at Waltham Park, London, is mado amply manifest by a cable message received yesterday by the Hon. Jlr. Allen (Minister of Defend), from London, from the High Comniissioner for New" Zealand (the Hon. T. Mackenzie) stating that the High Commissioner has received sundry contributions for comforts tor the sick and wounded at Waltham -Pane Hospital amounting to «C 3-49, and also cheques from the New Zealand Shipping Company for ilOOO; Shaw, Sa\-ill _^ 01U " pany, JJSOO; and Allan Hughes, *100. It was' stated a few days ago that! the Government had arranged to ois* mantle the wireless station at ilaequar.rio Island (says the "Southland 'limes"). The brigantino Rachel Cohen, arrived on Monday with the members of tli3 staff, consisting of the wireless operator (Mr. F. J. Henderson), the meteorological officer (Mr. A. 0. Tulloch), and tho assistant (Mr. John Ferguson). These men had been practically isolated from the rest of the world for two years, and naturall.v were delighted to get back to civilisation again. Tha station is being closed in tho meantime on tho ground of economy, and consequently its value as a meteorological station will be lost. As a wireless station it had been a success, and could take messages over a wide area. Although repeated att-emps -had been made! to communicate with Shackloton's expetition in the far wim 1 - tlioy had been unsuccessful. The Itod on tho island for the sheep was surficient, although, not of a very fattening nature. Ihei penguin, oil industry, was proceeding, six men having been taken down -for the purpose of pursuing the work. Schoolboys from time immemorial have regarded it an easy and cheap, if somewhat precarious, method of perpetuating their names to carve them on tueir desks. In the most favourable circumstances -tho fame achieved generally) ends with tho renovation or scrapping of. the desk, and many old boys of tho Otago High School liad a larrow escape from the common fate last Thursday* says the "Otago Daily Tinus," .wnen, at a meeting of the Board of Gov<>rnors, a letter was received from tho recto? asking that the desks should be flared and varnished. Happily there weio o4 boys on the board, and one of tr em deplored the fact that t'he planing might , rdrnovo -the honourable scars dealt by The 20 and 30 years ago. A) search over the battered desks, he re- ; marked, might, reveal interesting re 1 its in the names of some cf the man,v prominent men whose alma-mate - this old school had been. One member sresteel that tho most intOTOS'ti'vj of tha ! desks might be on view at the annual dinner of the Old Boys 1 Association, ! crowned Vit!h laurel leaves; while tho rector, in jest, said that it would be a ' profitable transaction to present the old 1 desks to the association in exchange for [ new ones. Finally a jtib-commiUce was appointed to inspect tho dwks, vitk al. ' view to preserving anything of a his'

torical nature. It has been stated in a Gisborno papefi that a Gisborno syndicate had been formed to float a company to run $ ferry service between Gisborne and Napier, and that negotiations had been entered into with the Union Company fotf the purchase of the. Takapuna. ~On be* in£ questioned yesterday, Mr. D. A* Aiken, general manager for the Union Company, said that the Takapuna would not be sold. Th® vessel, winch has been, undergoing an oxtensive overhaul hero> has been placed at- anchor ill the stream. ' , ' ; It is stated that _ the whole of the) crew of a vessel which arrived in port vesterda.y gave the captain 24 hours ■ notice of their intention to leave.■ This, it is stated, came as a surprise to thai captain, and lie asked tlio men what their grievances' were. The men said thoy were perfectly satisfied! -with the ship and ill© working conditions, and subsequently* admitted that, they ' didn t want to go to sea till next luesday. Sergeant Harry Davis, of the Sixth Reinforcements, writing to a friend in Wellington on October 5 (from Lemncs) states that ho-has had .some curion* experiences. He, with a fatigue party, had to stay behind at Suez to deal up the WilWhra a bit, and the train they ultimately left for Zeitouu in was chock full of Ghurkas, French, Italian, and Egyptian "Tommies." We made a very merry party, but what- surprised and pleased mo was to find that they i could all speak English. Some of them: had been wounded, and were returning to the firing line, and they told me seme good stories of tlieir doings at tha front. All along tlie route were train* ing camps. I saw regiments of Indians and Egyptians training on the sand, and they made a grand sight. A fuiniy feature of tho journey was the way the Turks we passed in the streets would, spit and shake their fists at us. bergeant Davis, who was a clerk in CooK and Son's offico here, looked up the "firm" at Cairo, and was well received. In due course he visited the Pyramids, and in that connection writes: lh« <mide stated there had not been a ton* ik in Cairo for the' last nine months, and that he has been dome; absolutely nothing for that time. He told me he had been with Cook s for the last 36 vears, and knew-every inch of Egypt.", Writing of lifc at Lemnos, Sergeant Davis says: 'Wo have to walW half a mile for water and a wash in makes quite a route march hi the morainc. We only do three hours dull a day, and tho rest of the time wo lay about pestered with flies. 0» t island there are snakes, lizards, ® I the thousand, moles, and flies bj tha million that nearly drive one mad. . 'We have to acknowledge Christmas and New Year Greetings-from the oftn cers if the Public Trust Office the Telecranli Messengers, and the staffs « Feilding "Star" and Pahiatua Hon

Wirth's Circus orienfd at InvercargiH last niisht to capacity business. .A com-, ploto tour of New Zealand is to follow.