LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2724, 20 March 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postmnster-General announces that it has been decided not to require the payment of the halfpenny war taxpostage on postal packets addressed to soldiers either iu camp in New Zealand or on active service abroad. The cost of this concession, it is estimated, will approximate to £12,000, but the Minis.ter is decidedly of the opinion that correspondence between soldiers and their friends should be provided for on the simplest possible terms.

The sitting of the Court of Appeal (First Division) will commence this morning, when His Honour tho Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) will preside.

The first rehearsal of "Faust" by the Royal Wellington Choral Union will be held in St. John's Schoolroom tomorrow evening, under' the conductorship of Mr. Robert Parker. !

Tho returned soldiers who arrived in Auckland from Wellington by the Armva on Saturday afternoon received an enthusiastic welcome at the wharf.

'Recently an American traveller visited Wellington with a fine line of sample stockings. Ho showed his wares to the lady head of. a department in one of trie big houses, and she at once recognised tho stockings as precisely similar to those the house had for years before the war purchased from German travellers. She mentioned the fact at once that tho goods were of German origin, and tlie traveller showed her the neat little gold tag bearing the words "Made in U.S.A." In most cases this would have clinched the argument, but the young lady, who knew her business, excused herself for a few minutes, and went away to return with stockings exactly the same to the smallest detail, stockings that had been imported from a German manufacturing house, that had doubtless passed on the list of its New Zealand customers to an American house, and sent stocks through a neutral country witli which to supply orders. It was known that America had never supplied such a cheap lino of goods, and could not with her ruling rate of wages, and that the stockings must nave come from Germany and nowhere else.

A rather amusing story is told of a lady in the country who sent into town for a supply of bon-bons for a party sho was about to give, but particularised that on no account were the confections to have an enemy origin. Being after the Christinas season, bon-bons wore in short supply, but after a'hunt round some were obtained, and, after careful examination, wero declared to ho free of enemy taint, and were duly dispatched to tho lady. Two days later the head of the house concerned received an indignant letter stating that the bon-bons wero made in Germany and how dare he send her such stuff! It appears that both tho box and tho exterior of the bon-bons were free of any distinguishing mark, but inside tho packets were little coloured cards containing the information that the goods wero made in Germany.

Ladies, listen! "No-rubbing Laundry Help" washes all garments perfectly clean without rubbing or injury; ,£lO guarantee with every Is. package, sufficient seven washings. Wfllluiccon grocers.—Advt,

Mr. 0. C. Kettle, S.M., according to a Press Association telegram from Auckland, gave judgment on Saturday m the case of a chemist charged with supplying medicine after the hour at which chemists' shops are required to be closed. The prosecution admitted that the medicine supplied was urgently needed, but contended that there were no specified exemptions in Auckland. The Magistrate said the Act provided for exemptions to supply all night, but the word used was "may," not "shall." As there were no exempted shops in Auckland, he held that all chemists, were here entitled to supply at any time medical or surgical appliances urgently required.

A church parade for returned soldiers was held yesterday morning, when between 30 and 40 men mustered in (iroy Street under tho pommand of Lieutenant Valentine. Headed by the Mission Band, the soldiers marched via. Lambton Quay, Willis Street, Manners Street, Cuba Street, and Ghuznee Street to St. Peter's Church, instructions having previously been- given for Roman Catliolics to break off at Boulcott Street to' attend Mass at St.Mary's of the Angels' Church. The servico at St. Peter's was conducted by the Rov. H. Watson, M.A., special hymns being selected for the occasion.

A man, who was arrested by Constable Burnett on" Saturday, will appear in the Magistrate's Court this morning to answer a charge of theft from a building in course of erection at Karori. It is alleged that the man removed from the building carpenters'tools, which aro the property of four different owners.

A young lady who was holding the position of pupil teacher at Kaitangata last year has been the victim of ono of those peculiarly annoying Departmental muddles that frequently causa serious private loss and inconvenience. She tat for her D certificate examination at jibe end of last year, aiid as her, name was not included in the list of passes she concluded that she had failed and would be unable to enter the Training College as she had intended. Accordingly she_ accopted this year a position as relieving toachcr at Otapopo, but she had not been there more than a week when she received the followingtelegram from Wellington: "You were successful at Class D examination." Sha at once communicated with the Education office, and on producing the tele-: gram was allowed to give up her post-, tion at Otepopo and enter the Training College. A few days ago, however, the official list of passes was issued,' and it was, noticed that this young lady's name was not included in it. Inquiry mad'i by the Otago Education Board office has now brought back the definite information that she has failed,and unless this proves to bo yet another blunder she cannot be allowed to continue her course at the Technical Collogo. It seems possible (savs the "Otago Daily Times") that the Telegraph Department is responsible for the mistake, but those |who have noticed the large number of corrections that had recently to be made in matriculation lists will more readily credit it to the account of the Education Departnient.

According to an official at the Ngarua* wahia regatta, held on St. Patrick's Day, there is a danger of the most popular feature, the war canoe race, being abandoned. The reason given foil this possibility is that the old canoo builders are dying out, and the Maori of succeeding generations is neglecting to learn the art of *canoe building. There is also a difficulty experienced in obtaining near the river in the Ngaruawahia district trees of sufficient size fop the purpose of making war canoes, which are about 75ft. long, fashioned out of a single log. The Tangitckiwi, the finest war canoe at the regatta, was built 6even years ago, and since then at every Ngaruawahia fixture has been the winning boat. On Friday the canoe again carried the victors. Unfortunately the Tangitekiwi is now in a rotting state, and it is probable that it will not be sound enough to appear in any further contests. It is believed that there is only_ one canoe builder in the Ngaruawahia district who could build a successor to the victorious Tangitekiwi.

The usual Sunday night public meet-> ing of the Social Democratic Party was held .in tho Alexandra Hall, Abel Smith Street, last night. There was a good audience. A resolution in support of the Petone mill girls was passed. Letters of interest to the workers' movement, and conveying fraternal eroetings from the Internationalists of Britain, were read! from J". Ramsav M'Donald, M.P., F. W. Jowett, M.P., W. C. Anderson, M.P. and J: H. Thomas, M.P. The speaker for the evening was Mr. T. Brindle, and his subject was "Dominions. Diplomacy, and Democracy." During the lecture the speaker quoted from Edmund Burke, from H. ;N. Bradford's book "The War of Steel and Gold," and from Arthur' Ponsonby's, M.P., "Democracy . and Diplomacy." .

Petrol motor traction is advancing by leaps and bounds throughout the Dominw ion, and the forward orders for English' motor vehicles at present in the hands of the local Dominion Motor Vehicles, Ltd., are piled up, and now represent a capiial value of many thousands of poundsj The difficulty of deliveries is a most serious factor, and while ,wo thank our many oustomers for their patience and willingness to wait, we recognise that business must go on. We have, therefore, secured control of absolutely the finest Standard American Motor Lorrv, and have now on show a 2/3-ton vehicle, with every pos. sible equipment, and designed for heavy roads and rough work: Wo invite in-, spection by all. our present clients and , intending purchasers. The Dominion Motor Vehicles, Ltd., 65 Ccrartenay Place. -Advt.