LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2711, 4 March 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal authorities advise that the J s.s. Moeraki, which sailed from Sydney -j at 3 p.m. on. March 2 for Wellington, is bringing Australian mails only, and v is duo here on Monday next. | The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), accom- ' panied by the Hon. J. G. W. Ait ken, . paid a visit to Trentham Camp yester- < day afternoon. Tho Mavor, acting for ] the Patriotic Committee, has placed 250 ( cases of fruit at the disposal of the men ] of the Tenth Reinforcements, and seen ; to their musical and .other .recreative needs. . For the eighth year in succession tho j liaghm County Council has collected the ( whole of its European rates before 1 March 31 ill each year. For tho pre- : sent year (1915-16), tho total of all : rate? due by Europeans was £10,383 i lis. 9d., for which rate demands wero : posted on October 1, 1915, and the last i lot of rates paid on March 2, 1916. Owing to the late arrival of a steamer 1 the Southdown and Horotiu Freezing ! Works (states a Press Association wossago from Auckland will be closed down from March 17 to 23, in preparation for next season. The company has decidcd to increase tho total storage capacity for moat from 140,000 carcasses to 220,000 carcasses. On a charge of the theft of £1 4s. 6d. from a city hotel, a man was arrested by Detectives Cox and Carney last evenin;;. Ho will appear beforo the Court this morning. "I do not look upon the Government as business men; tliey are politicians," remarked Mr. T. Ballinger at a meeting of business men yesterday. The Salvation Army authorities have just completed the purchilso of a line property ;it Temuka, formerly the residence of the late Colonel Hayhurst-. This lias been acquired for- .tho purpose of a Boys' Homo, in connection with tho stated intention of tho Army to provide homes in which orphan children of soldiers will have tho preference. This property is excellent in every respect for this purpose, well situated and surrounded with a line orchard, gardens, and grounds, and' in a fine district. This is undoubtedly a fino acquisition to the grand array of institutions controlled by the Salvation Army. A Commission lias been appointed, consisting of Mr. Poynton (Stipendiary Magistrate at Palmerston), Mr. Coutts (District Valuer), and Mr. Furkert (Engineer of the Public Works Department), to hold an inquiry into the question of tile boundaries and other matters affecting the Oroua and Sluggish Rivor districts,, with a view to tho introduction of legislation if it should be deemed necessary. "During a'recent visit toi Wellington, Mr. Craigie, M.P. for Timaru, made an unsuccessful attempt to induce tiro Railway Department- to abolish the charge of 3d. per head for admission to tho 'local railway platform. - Tho Department will continue to mako the charge, but it. has agreed to issuo quarterly tickets giving admission to tho plhtform at a fee. of ss. "If you wish to impress the Government, you must have, a largo deputation: numbers always count," observed a speaker at yesterday's British trade meeting. Some three weeks ago represeuta; tives from the Mayor's Patriotic. Coin- . mittee, the Patriotic Society, the War League and the War Relief Association met in conference to d'fcrss matters of common interest in connection with the work of each of those bodies with a view to preventing anything in the nature of overlapping. At that meeting it was decided that.each of the bodies concerned would be guided by a set of rules which would indicate clearly tile work, to he covered by each of- the bodies named. The '.work of ' drafting these rules was entrusted to Mr. H. F. Von Haast, and these will be submitted to a further conference to be held in tho Mayor's Room on Monday evening next. - The annual congress of the Salvation Army will tako place in Wellington on dates March Sil to April 6 inclusive. Extensive preparations have been, made for this, and tho Army authorities assure us that all previous congresses will ,be eclipsed. For the public meetings, tho Town Hall, has been secured, the Army's own lialls proving much too ' small, and gatherings of an impressive 1 and important character are. forcshadi owed. Several country hands have i«ado ; arrangements' to be present, and there ; will be also at least from 350 delei gates present from the various stations i in the Dominion. Further announcements will be published later. The St. Patrick's Day Celebration ;• Committee has extended an invitation to all the primary schools in Wellington to ! compete for a handsome silver cup at its sports gathering oil Friday, March ' 17- at Newtown Parle. The competition [ is to consist of a teams relay race of I- four, each to run 220 yards. The winning ' school representatives, besides receiving ! tho cup, will b'e awarded handsome trol p'hies. "The Britisher, or the New Zealander, will be a. very plucky man who first offers German goods to>thc public , opain in this countr,v." v observed Mr. J Aklerson at yesterday's British trade. | meeting. ' , A deputation from the Auckland Sol- ' diers' Club waited on the Mayor of Auckland yesterday, with a sample of i the armlets issued to returned soldiers. ■ They protested that -the armlots wero ; altogether unsuitable. Tho Maj T or ' agreed that the badge was a very poni ; symbol, and telegraphed to Wellington, I suggesting tho issue of a metal button » or a neat armlet. In reply, he rcceiv- . cd from Major Francis a wire: "Tele- . gram re armlet received; I will refer ( the matter to Brigadier-General Uobin> , Tjuc the armlets wero decided upon by ! the Recruiting Board after due consid- ' oration, and I fear, that alteration is ' now impossible. Tho English armlet J .is very similar." ' At a. meeting of commercial travellers s in Dunedin. tho All.For Empire League " was cordially approved, and the Mavor ' was asked to convene a public meeting, 3 with the object of extending the work ; of tho league.—Press Association. Thursday's issue of one of the Christ, s church dailies says:—The Soldiers' i Queen Committee of the Queen election ! claims to have a pre-emptive riccht to . tho word "Ansae." It resents its uso | by any other section in the contest, and when tho name appeared in large, bold letters oil a sign erected by |tho Public '■ Service soction below the clock on the ' Post Office buildings yesterday morn- ! ing, Mr N. Woods, oba'lrmair of tjjo i committee, protested to' the postal aui Ihorities that tho name belonged ex- ; chisively to the soldiers, and that no . other section had any right to use it. • Gotting no satisfaction, ho threatened lo paint the word out. Going into Cathedral Square, ho met several re- ; turned soldiers, who shared his indigna. 1 tion. It did not tako them long to obtain a pot of rod p>.int. It took less time to walk'up the staircase and dauh the sign ; The word is dispute has not i been quite obliterated, but it now- ap- ■ pears on the sign besmirched with red, a warning to all engaged in the queen election that- the soldiers will challengo i all claims to tho use of "Anzac" for advertising purposes._ At last night's meeting of tho Civil Service section the following motion was carried iiimnimcusly:—"That this meeting strongly condemns tho action of Mr. Nat Woods in attempting to obliterate the word 'Anzac' from tho Public Service poster on tho Post Office, and desires that tho group executive should tako immediate stops to demand an .apology for his very reprehensible conduct." „ Thipgs a soldier wants. Inspect our money belts, buckle or snake belts: oui\ : khaki shirts and handkerchiefs, writinir s'freot.—Advt!° ; * owlds. Ltd,, Mauners

At' the committee meeting of _ thet Wellington Amateur Operatic Society, held last evening, it was definitely decided to produce the comic opera "San v Toy" for a season at ihe Grand Opera House during August next. Rehearsals will commence next month. It was reported that Mr. Wolf, of Duncdin, had written regarding the hiring the "Les Cloches" scenery and properties, and after some consideration it was decided that l;is offer bo accepted. A' letter of thanks was received from the committee of the Soldiers' Hostel at Nowtown, thanking the society for the' gift of £100 to its funds. To Mowhai School, near To Awa- , mutu, is a very primitive institution* Mr. W. Auld described it at a meeting of the Auckland Education Board as having till recently been carried on ill. a cowshed, but bavins now been "promoted to a tent." "Wo should wake up the Minister of Education on this matter," said Mr. Auld, "and insist upon something beinp: done." The board took the same view of the matter, and decided to send an urgent telegram to tile Minister on the subject, asking that proper provision be made for a school building.