LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2655, 29 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Colonel Patterson cabled as. follows on December 27 regarding the health ot the troops at Samoa: "Health of troops good. Corpl. Swann, enteric fever; Pte. R. W. Simpson, renal calculus."

The Town Clerk of Eastbourne has notified the officer in charge of the Soldiers' Club that soldiers on leave and in uniform may travel on the council's ferry boats' plying to Day's Bay ana Rona Bay for half-fare.

The hospital-ship Maheno is expected to reach Auckland on Saturday morning next. cyme doVn the coast, discharging the remainder of her complement at- Wellington, Lytteltc«, and Port Chalmers. At Port Chalmers she will go into dock prior to being recommissioned.

On Monday afternoon a youth whilst cycling near the Lower Hutt bridge collided with a- motor-car, and was thrown into the air, landing on the bonnet of the car, from whence he rolled on to the road, just missing one of the back wheels. He was picked up by tho owner of the car, who took him to his own home. The lad, who had a narrow escape from a serious injur}', was evidently trying to cross tho road to get on to his right side of tho road,. when tho car struck him. Tho bicycle was wrecked.

A correspondent, "Cheer-up," writes —"Better arrangements will have to be made in connection with the receptions to returned soldiers than those which obtained yesterday morning. As usual, the men were accommodated with 6eats at small tables, the. ladies in attendance served . tlienl with tea —then the speeches started. They were riot good speeches, still not a man touched his tea or reached oulj for a cake during their rather dreary progress. At length the Mayor (Mr. J. I'. Luke) noticed the position, and askcJ the men to drink their tea bofore it was cold, but ■by that time it was all cold, so some of the soldiers did not trouble, to drink at all, but sat motionless, listening to the speeches—the interminable speeches. The soldiers would far sooner be chatting to their friends to the music of a lively little string baud than be bombarded with such platitudinous heroics as those which they withstood with such fortitude yesterday."

Whilst at Kiota, Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Dawson, of the Lower Hutt, attended the coronation of the Mikado of Japan. With thp note which accompanied their tiokets of admission, it was requested that all should be in their seats, at 8 A.m., and tho Emperor would arrive at S p.m.; also that gentlemen should wear frock coats "and ladies the same." As seven hours was too long a wait for the New Zealanders, they did-not approach the Royal : park until'after luncheon, when they had no difficulty in gaining admittance. 1 That part of the ceremony which they witnessed was ii very gorgeous business, in which all the chief officials appeared in splendid robes of office, very similar to those worn at an English coronation, but the ceremony lasted an entire week, and parts of it, wore religious, so solemn in character that only officials of the highest rank and ministers were admitted, and not even the consuls were present. Millions were spent on tlie decorations, which beggared description, Mr. Dawson states, whilst the illumination of the fleet war vessels at Kobe .was an unforgettable sight. Mr. and Mrs; Dawson express the greatest appreciation for the courtesy pffown thorn in Jannn by tho British Consul-General, Mr. Conynghain Greene.

Mr.. T. C. Dawson, of Dawson and Maudsley, Ltd., who returned from the East on Monday, states that the captain of the steamer on which they travelled was under orders to rim without lights' for ten days after leaving HongKong. ; The reason for this precaution was the discovery of a vessel manned by Germans and carrying munitions of war (including 5000 rifles), which liad been fitted out 6ecretly by German agents allegedly' iife Java or one of the outlying islands. This vessel'had been captured by the British Navy, but it was' suspected that other vessels might have Le/ni equipped in tho samo way among the islands, and armed from secret Stores, so merchantmen steaming south from Hong-Kong aro taking no unnecessary risks.

In writing of the Gliurkas on active service in Gallipoli, Signaller Alf. Messiter, in a letter to his paronts at Ratoomba, says: "The Glmrkas here aro pr&ud of the Australians. They will do anything for us, and are always making us little presents in their simple v.ay. They are never happier than when near us, and, let mo tell you, 'Johnny Gliurk.i is a fighter and a worker —a littlo brown chap with a big wliito heart."

Silk Haiulkorchiefs, Dainty Ties, ttair Brushes, Fine Belts, Briof Bags, Collar Boxes. Suit Cases, and many other suit nblo Xmas Presents are stocked best and cheapest at Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street—Advt.

Tho latest eight-cylinder motor engines represent the nearest approach to the even running of turbine engines, and one cannot understand the beautifully sweet action of the latest S-cyl. cars until one has actually ridden in ono. Tho Dominion Motor Vehicles would be pleased to show intending customers, the latest 8-cj'l. Kill* wn, a shipment of which Jim Just armed..—Advt, "

On liis return from the East, Mr. T.C. Dawson, who came back to New Zealand on Monday, called at Port Darwin, and there-saw Dr. Gilrutli, now Administrator of tho Northern Territory. "Dr. Gilrutli is doing good work thero under many disadvantages," said Mr. Dawson to an interviewer. His secretary is Mr. Carey, late of the commercial staff of Tub Dominion, who , also holds several tfOvernment positions,-, including that ot I'ublic Trustee. Mr. Carey informed ine that a New Zealander, who came to tho territory from Tokomaru Bay witli Ins wife and nine children, was given land by tho Government for one shilling per square mile, the land to be his for life, after which his wife was to have 21 years in -which to realise on the prol>crty. The Government built him a homestead and stocked his holding with cattle, and all he had to pay . was per cent, on the money so spent."

The feelin" amongst returned soldiers regarding "shirkers" (says an exchange) was illustrated by an incident that occurred in Dwiedin the other day. Tlie principal characters in the incident were a returned soldier, who is recovering from two serious wounds, and a young man about twenty-five years of age, apparently eligible for service, The soldier had entered a shop, and, while making a purchase, was aocosted by Ins acquaintance, who commenced to talk about the war. Tho former however, showed no inclination to dlEcuss the topio with the first speaker, and broadly hinted as much. The apparently eligible young man. pursued the conversation by asking the soldier when lie was going back to the front. ''This exasperated the man in khaki, who replied i "Well, look here, if it't not an impertinent question, when are you going to enlist ?"

"Stone's Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki Directory," to cover the period September, 1915, to September, 1916," is now published and available. The publication as a directory appears to be complete, and certainly the classification and arrangement of the infor- . mation is in the most convenient possible form, for ready _ reference. As usual the volume contains a great deal of information, useful to the man ot business, about this country, and those " of its laws which more directly affect commerce. .