LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2653, 27 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal authorities advise that the Ulimaroa, which will arrive at 8 a.m. to-day, is bringing Australian mails only. A small Australian mail is also due per Main Trunk express on Tuesday, ex Niagara, at Auckland. The number of mail bags and parcelpost hampers received and dispatched, and the value of stamps sold at the Chief Post Office, Wellington, ' from December 21 to 24 inclusive, was as under Mail bags received 3225, dispatched 4355; parcel post hampers received 2157, dispatched 2785; value of stamps sold £5787 2s. lid.

After the phristmas dinner at Trentharn on Thursday the men in Hutment 88, F 'Company,, 9th Reinforcements, felt, as they said, that "it.was up to them to give something to somebody for some purpose." . The hat was passed round, and thirty-four shillings was handed over to the lady in charge of the hut, who- is passing it on to The Dominion, for the Tobacco Fund, as desired by the men.

It is understood that an Anti-German League is about to be formed in Wellington. Two . of the planks in. the league's platform, it is stated, will bo a- movement to discourage the employment of Germans or people of. German extraction in any Government position, particularly military positions, as ilj is said to bo a part of tlio German creed to seek enlistment, and even commissions in -the Defence Forces wherever it is possible to attain ends not conducive to tlio success of our arms. Another plank will he the discouragement of trade with the enemy, and with firms established in neutral countries that are known .or suspected to be German firms or firms with a German backing. , It is-said that sufficient funds frill be available to appoint .a paid secretary, who will make the fullest' investigation into any suspect cases.

Steamer traffic in and out of Wellington ,during the holidays has been handled so far without accident of any kind. Large crowd's loft on Christmas Eve by the ferry boats, and! also by tho Picton and Nelson traders. Special trips were run and special boats put on to cope with the traffic. The Maori and tho Mokoia from and to Lyttelton were very full diips, and tho Pateona, Maponrika, and Arahura carried thoir quotas across Cook Strait. On Christmas Day the Mararoa was o full ship .both up and down, and the Maori, which arrived from Lyttelton yesterday morning, was crowded. Taken on the whole,, the crowds travelling this year compared favourably with previous years' figures. Ferry traffic across the harbour yesterday was taxed to its utmost, and extra steamers had to be used.

That i' is possible to successfully grow bananas in tho, open air in Auckland has been demonstrated by Mr. Clement Wragge.tho well-known meteorologist. In Mr. Wraggc's garden at BirkenKcatl he has growing several different varieties of the banana i;roe. Mr._Wra.gge is able to secure large' quantities -of fruit each year from the trees, which appear to be thriving exceptionally well. ' ,

A visitor to Lyall Bay yesterday remarked to a Dominion reporter that ha saw many pairs of binoculars in use there, and he trusts the owners , will not forget the appeal that is now being made by the military authorities for, glasses for the officers leaving with the next Reinforcements;..-'..■■■

Fifty members of the Hastings Orphans' Club are fighting at the front.

Instructions have been issued to; all branch offices of the P. and 0. Company to the effect that no women embarking by that line of steamors will be allowed to land in Egypt after December 20, 1915. •

A correspondent complains that tho tramway authorities yesterday failed to provide extra cars in the morning for the seaside resorts. Crowds, he states, were left at the different _ stopping places, and had to wend their way to Seatoun and Lyall Bay on foot.

The Hawke's Bay Kennel Club has donated a further £150 for tho Wounded Soldiers' Fund, making the club's total to data towards patriotic funds £350. '

Mr. W. H. Field, SI.P. for Otaki, is still concerned with respect to an alleged leakage of gold. coins front tlie Dominion. On several occasions during last sesson of Parliament he brought forward instances which seemed to point in the direction of an attempted corner in sovereigns and half-sovereigns by certain Chinese. Recently, Mr. Field lias been informed by. letter from a business man that the" Chinese obtain the gold, not from the banks, but by purchase from private individuals at a premium of one shilling to one shilling and sixpence in the pound. Mr. Field's correspondent expresses the belief that every Chinaman who leaves this Dominion to return to China takes from 100 to 200 sovereiens with him. Mr. Field brought the matter under tho, notice of the Minister of Finance, and has been asked by him to obtain particulars of any cases where it is suspected that Chineso have been accumulating and exporting sovereigns. The Government has already taken measures to prevent export of gold coins by Chinese, and if there are still cases where it is suspected that the law is being evaded, the proper preventive steps will be taken. Contributions to the -Hawke's Bay Soldiers' Club Fund continue to be received, and over £1210 is in hand up to the present.

A handy place to spend a profitable and enjoyable afternoon is tho Municipal Zoo' at Newtown Park, which is at the present time an interesting and picturesque retreat. Among the sights to be seen there are the three lion cubs, that ore just .now in the kitten stage, and every bit as playful as its distant foline relative. ' There is shortly coming to the. Zoo from Western Australia a pair (male and female) of camels, to replace the one that died recently at the Park. Some of the furred animals are at present shedding their coats, hut ali are in good condition, thanks to the careful attention given them by the custodian, Mr. Langridge, and thoso associated with him.

Mr. H. E. Holland addressed a numerous audience in the People's Picture Palace last evening on the now recruiting scheme. The scheme did not meet with much favour in the eyes of Mr. Holland. In fact- lie expressed a doubt that it would liavo any beneficial effect. If the Government would givo an undertaking that a soldier's rate of pay would he at loast equal to that which lie was receiving in civil employment, there would, Mr. Holliird believed, bo no dearth of recruits. H« also advocated raising the military age to sixty years.

Silk Haiuft-erchiefs, Dainty Tics, Hair Brushes, Fine Belts, Brief Bags, Collar Boxes. Suit Cases, "and many other suit, able Xmas Presents are stocked best and cheapest at Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street.—idvt.