LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2712, 6 March 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Australian . mails only are being brought by the Union Company's Moernici, which «s due from Sydney this afternoon. The Secretary of tho G.P.0., Wellington, has received the following from tho postmaster at Hermitage:—"Severe earthquake shook here at 1.16 a.m. today, direction east to west. No damage done." Supplies of guaranteed fresh eggs aro reaching the local market and meeting with good demand, others are slow of sale; tho former realise Is. Cd. to Is. 7d. per dozen, and others Is. 3d. to Is. 'id. Some amusement was caused m tho Polico Court on Saturday morning c-ver tho attitudo of a witness, who appeared to 1)0 in a felicitous vein. In • uswer to a question by Mr. D. 11. Findhy, the witness replied: "Are you trying to corner mo, Mr. Findlay?" "Certainly not; you arc surely not suspicions of me?" answered the legal goiitleman. "I am suspicious of all solicitors," was the retort of the witness. H Company, 13th Reinforcements, have been awarded tho Principal Medical Officer's Champion Cup for tho bestIcept huts for the week ending March •1, 1916. D Company, 13th, was second. Tli© condition of tho 13th lieinforcemoiitu' lines was bo excellent that tho ludcLns was extremely difficult.

The Hon. 6. W. Russell has lately received the sum of £20 from one of tho Auckland ladies' patriotic societies, for the establishment of two beds in the name of the society at King Georgo V Hospital for Convalescent Returned Soldiers at Rotorua. For months past it-has been alleged that persons of alien origin have been getting into our reinforcement drafts, that these men are or may bo spies for the enemy,'and that their presence in the forces is a danger to our men. Tiieso statements have been made with increased frequency and emphasis lately, and certain names have been mentioned. One gentleman who has been charged in eil'eot with being a spy is, or was, a junior officer in tho 10th Reinforcements. lie is not going on \\4th the Tenth just yet, however, but is remaining in New Zealand to tako such legal proceedings as may be necessary to vindicate his good name. The numbering difficulty having been got over, the Defence authorities propose to issue immediately arm badges to those men whose right to wear them lias been recognised. Tho Department is now reviewing its list of "unfits," as a large number of those were classified unfit on the old standard, which was more rigid than the present one. That is to say, a man -who might have been classified "unfit" undor tho old test might pass the present test, and therefore would have no claim for an arm badge. Another man to bo considered is the recruit Who wishes to onter his name for, say, the 28th Reinforcements, and desires, on the strength of that, to wear a badge. The issue of badges to the "unfits" will begin on Tuesday. The hearing of the case in which Hurray Angus was charged that ho travelled from Day's Bay to Wellington without a ticket, was continued at the Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning. The evidence of Friday showed that he had said to tho ticket collector, conveying the impression that lie was a monthly _ ticketholder. When challenged for his tficket, lie could not produce it; he was not a ticket-holder, though he had been for tho month of December his explanation being that lie had merely delayed to take out liis January ticket. In dismissing tho charge, Sir. Cooper, S.M., said that the case was one in which there was a very strong suspicion. Angus must have known that ho could have obtained a ticket on January 4, and when challenged on January 18 ho made out tliat lie liad his ticket. His intentions, however, may have been honest. The boy seemed to have borne an exemplary character, and he (Mr. Cooper) was inclined to give him tho benefit of any doubt there might bo. Ho hoped 1 that this -would prove a very severe warning to him,-and to others ■too. • The directors of 'the Bruce Woollen Mills have adopted the, course (says the "Otago Daily Times") followed by various other mills ■ throughout tho Dominion, to grant their employees a! 5 per cent, war bonus. ' A house, occupied by Mr. Frank Rothville and owned by Anne Geach, was burned down at Epsom on Saturday night (states a Press Association message). Tho building was insured for £400 and the furniture for £200. On Saturday, at 2.20 p.m., an alarm was sent to the fire brigade station to attend a fire at 39 King Street, Newtown, where a 6hcd was ablaze. The 6ro was promptly extinguished. The damage was not very considerable, and was covered in 'he Plioenix Company for £100. Tho property was owned by Mr. .Alex. Tyson. Later on, at 3.18 p.m., an alarm was raised at 3 Owen Street, where a gorse fire was in progress. This was very shortly subdued. Another call, to Highbury, proved to be another blaze of gorse, which did not take very long to extinguish. Yet another gorse fire was reported at .10.45 yesterday morning, but no damage was done. The extra grant of £1000 made by tho Macarthy Trustees to the Wellington Charitable Aid Board is an amount that lias been required by the board for the fitting and furnishing of the T. G. Macarthy Convalescent Home for Children at Belmont. The home was purchased about a year ago from Mr. F. J. Pinny, and stands on tho hi Lis above the Belmont railway station, in fine grounds that overlook the Hutt Valley and the harbour. The members of the board considered that it was useless instituting the home until they could make the oest use of the property, and that it was not possible with the limited means at their disposal. Thanks to the extra grant, the home will now ,1)6 ■ instituted, and should prove to be a valuable adjunct to the Children's Hospital in toivri. The official inspection of the Waikato River and its tributaries, which was to have beeu made by the Minister of Marine, the Hon, R. M'Nab, at the week-end, has had to be postponed. The Minister notified the board that ho had been called away to Christchurch for recruiting, work of an urgent nature. He was, therefore, compelled to put off his visit to the river works until next week. Probably the inspection will now take place on Thursday and Friday, March 9 and 10, but the actual dates will be fixed later. It is : stated that the -workers at the Wellington AVoollen Mills, Petone, have decided, practically unanimously, to notify the company that, if thc_ demand for an increase of 10 per cent, in wages is not granted by Thursday next, a week's notice of intention to leave the employ of the company will be givon. The company was approached, some time ago with a request tor ail incroasQ. At first a conference was refused, but afterwards the directors met representatives of the union, and offered them a bonus of 5 per cent. This was rejected, and shortly afterwards -operatives ceased working overtime. The secretary of the Wellington Woollen Company states his company ha 6 received no official communication from the union.