LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2736, 3 April 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Australian mails only are arriving by the Moeraki from Sydney, due at <1 o'clock this afternoon. The Niagara, which was expected to arrive at' Auckland from Vancouver and Pacific ports last evening, has on board English and American mails, which, if the vessel arrives on time, will be here this afternoon.

Judgments will bo delivered in the Supremo Court this morning in the cases Rex v. Russell. Rex v. Carr and Adams, and in re Gillespie.

[ It is notified _ in Trentliam Camp Orders for the information of all concerned, that the leave and railway passes for three weeks granted to soldiers on return, from active service, "arc a concession to the soldier, and cannot bo claimed as a right. They may ho withheld or cancelled where there has 'been breach of discipline or misbehaviour, and this should be thoroughly understood. All convalescent soldiers are to he made fully aware of the"fact (lint tin' three weak*' railway ticket will 'only be issued to men,of good conduct,"

Post Office authorities advise that of 94 bags of New Zealand mails" which were on the Sussex, only about one-third were saved. >

A few days ago, it was reported, a live snake was caught among some driftwood on the beach at Mokau. On Wednesday last (says the "Taranaki Herald") some small boys killed one on the beach beyond Te Henui River. It measured about two feet in length, and, like the one found at Mokau, was almost black on tho back and lighter underneath, with a skin that had tho appearanco of being woven.

"There will be a leavening of Egyptian in the Australian vernacular after the war," writes Lieutenant Hector Binning to Miss Sugdcn, of Queen's. College, Melbourne, "ft will pernbit, and perhaps have a mighty etymological influence on, at any rate, the colloquial vocabulary. Baksheesh will !)<•- come a •universal term, not confined f,(i sketches of Oriental travel. There will be baksheesh lectures, baksheesh concerts, baksheesh 'joy' rides in the motor-car, baksheesh tobacco from your friends, baksheesh haranguing of the mob, baksheesh benefactions of a benevolent Labour Government, and baksheesh drinks. Baksheesh is merely one of the many grafted Arabic terms; but it will be predominant. 'Sa'edft will bo the street greeting (varied by the Sikh, Salaam, Sahib!), Feloose kitoer, mafish, min fadlak, taali hina, etla, and tho rest of'them will be household words. Other phrases, not remarkable for delicacy, will previid in I pot-house and stable talk. Both forcible I ejection from a company and* polite leave-taking will be covered by an Mmshee.' There will be classy ™shees and imshees that are undignified. They are sure to come to Australia."

Allusion to the phenomenal growth of the Auckland district since January 1, 1007, was mado by Mr. P. G. Harwood, assistant chief postmaster, at the presentation to Mr. M. D. Holdsworth, retiring chief nostmaster, on Friday (states tho "Herald"). Mr. Harwood said that in 1907 the Auckland chiet post office staff numbered 161; in 1916 the number was 351. The staff of the country offices in 1907 numbered 197, and in 1916 it numbered 604. During the period under review the number of •permanent post offices «had increased from 52 to 120, and the number of nonpermanent post offices had increased from 479 to 630. In the nhie years mentioned, the city population had increased from 82,101 to 114.287, and 'the country population from 211,223 to 287.789. There were now 573 mail services, as compared with 308 in 1907. During the last three years 75 rural post offices'had been established, and over 1000 letter-boxes had been erected. The question of urging the Government to introduce "anti-shouting" legislation is to be discussed at a mass meeting to be held in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening next. Bishop Avrill will preside, and will deliver an address. Monsignor Mahoney, Catholic administrator of the Auckland Diocese, will nlso speak. A large gathering is expected.

"You ought to be in khaki!" said a trooper, truculently, to a tramway conductor on a sotith-bound car on Thursday last. The conductor turned red, and then a deathly white, as he snatched out of his pocket a grey exemption badge, saying that "a-lot or you fellows are tooy fresh—that is the reason (showing the badge) why 1 am not jn khaki!" A similar occurrence took place on a car at Miramar not so long ago, when a man in khaki told a tramcar conductor < that he also should be similarly clad. In this caso there were no "beg pardons." The conductor hit out, and the trooper, who was carried into the Miramar waiting-shed, was wandering. in the mists of semiconsciousness for some little timeThere is real vitriol in the taunt, and tho public, even those already in khaki,, should realise that it is "loaded." '

Petrol motor traction is advancing by leaps and bounds throughout tho Dominion, and tho 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. capital value of many thousands of pounds. The difficulty of deliveries is a most serious factor, and while we thank our many customers 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 Lorry, and have now on 6how a '2/3-ton' vehicle, with every possible equipment, and designed for heavy roads and rough work. We invite inBpecion by all our present clients and purchasers. The • Dominion Motor Vehicles Ltd., 65 Courtenay Fiace. Advt. ' v