LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2758, 29 April 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The -Postal Department has been advised that the s.s. Riverina, which left Sydney on- April -27, brings an Australian mail only, and should reach Wellington on Monday next.

The Postal Department has been advised that the s.s. Makura, which left San Francisco, has an English and American mail. The mail should reach Wellington by the Main Trunk on Monday.

The State schools of the Wellington district are to reassemble after their Easter cum first term holidays on Tuesday next. "i. ■ ' ■ . ;

At Monday's meeting of the Petone Borough Council, Councillor List will move: —"That all single men in the council's employ who have not enlisted and presented themselves for examination for active service, shall be dismissed after May 1, 1916." s

The duty of naming an abandoned child was carried out by Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., in his room at the Auckland Police Court on Wednesday morning. The child was found when apparently a day old on a doorstep at Otorohanga, in the King Country, on February 11. It was brought to' Auckland in charge of tho police, and was placed in. the care of Mrs. Hutchinson, matron of the Door of Hope. Mr. Jones, relieving officer for the Auckland Charitable Aid Board, suggested the name of Albert King, and the fixing of the date of birth as February 10. The Magistrate adopted the relieving officer's suggestions as to the name and date of birth and committed the child to the Auckland Industrial School. The question of giving the child a fixed religion was held over until it had been satisfactorily adopted.

A Press Association message received recently stated that Mr. Clement Wragge had lost two tubes of radium at a recent meoting in Ashburton. It now transpires that.the second tube has recently been returned to him. The parcel was posted at Tinwald, being addressed to the Ashburton Post Office, and was forwarded on to Mr. Wiagge at Kaikoura. v

The Marine Department has instructed Captain Fleming) superintendent of mercantile marine in Auckland, to resurvey Port Waikato and have the necessary beacons erected. A regular shipping service is about to be established between ..the Manukau Harbour and the Waikato Eiver.

At a previous meeting of the Lyttelton Borough Council, it was decided to ask. the single men in tho municipality's employ to state their reason for not offering their services for military service. ~ Three replies wore received on Wednesday morning, two of which wore deemed unsatisfactory. After some discussion, the letters were referred to the works comtnitteo for consideration.

" In answer to a letter of inquiry, the Minister of Public Works has informed Mr. R.' A. Wright, M.P., that he has given instructions to have the vote Paekakariki Hill, £150 (£ for £) on last session's Estimates authorised to tne local body as soon as plans and specifications have been sent in. The Minister adds that, as to the Pukerua to Paekakariki vote of £150, free money, ho will attend to that later on.

Mr. J. Lewis, of the Patriotic Society, informed a representative of The Dominion last evening that a rumour was being freely circulated to tho effect that money is being taken out of the funds of the Wounded Soldiers Fund to defray the cost of the dinner to be given to returned soldiers this evening. Mr. Lewis stated that tliero was absolutely no foundation for the rumour, a 6 the dinner is boing paid for by special privato subscription. "At 5.35 p.m. yesterday, the Central Fire Brigade received a call to 140 Vivian Street—a five-roomed dwelling owned by Mr. John Wright, and occupied by Mrs. Margaret Watson. The house caught fire tbrough a spark from an adjacent chimney settling on the woodwork, and both- building and contents were badly damaged. Tiie contents wore insured for £100 in the Yorkshire office.

A powerful engine seems to be of the first importance to the successful motor lorry,' and this has certainly not been overlooked by the Makers of the Petrol Sfotor tony now oh show at the Dominion Motor Vehicles, Ltd., Garage, 65 Courtenay Place. These machines are built to look after an overload of 50,-pcr cent, on rough country roads, and 011 hills of 1 and 12 gradient. Tho chassis generally is powerfully built, and tho Makers havo not nc elected flexibility. Intending Purchasers should not miss tho opportunity of examining this excellent lorry now in stock.— Advt.

Choose your hat fancy from best makes of British, Italian, and American manufacturers. Soft felt, smooth finish, at favourito prices, Vs. 6d., ,Ss. (3d., 9s. 6d., 10s, 611.1 to 255. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street.—Advt,

An epidemic of bicycle stealing hai again sot in in Christchurch' (states the' "Press"). Tho sneak thief who maked off with this handy machine has neven been stamped out in the city, but during the last week Or two he has become' very active, and some very valuable! bicycles have been posted as missing.

New lighting orders for London wjiieh were to come into force on March lii (says the London correspondent of the "Sydney Morning Herald"), deals specifically with the householder. It says thai unless the lights in rooms o£ dwellings are shaded the _ householder may not any longer have light-coloured! blinds or curtains. , Also all vehicles must carry throe lamps, the rear one of which must bo red. The aim of all our lighting orders is said to be not so much-a darkening of us as a uniform! lighting of our city. However that may be, it is certain that theso new orders have in view tho more settled weather of spring and the probability of Zeppelin raids. That time is fast and sur&>' ly coming upon us. London by night remains a .gruesome place. The-gloom and desolation of it is aggravated by, the fact that all its blackened outside conceals thousands of brilliantly-lit interiors. We go out of shining rooms into the streets of London nowadays groping for place and foothold in a world of black mystery.

Prosecutions are to be conducted against those persons who have failed to answer the questions on the cards issued in connection with the PrimiJ Minister's appeal for men, and also against those who'have given untruthful, evasive, or insulting replies. _ The! various local recruiting committees (states the Melbourne "Argus") have been instructed to. send particulars of such cases .to the State Parliamentary, Recruiting Committee. A statement of the circumstances arid the available evidenfce against the accused person is required in' each case. The committee ! have also been informed that it is der sirable that such proscutions should bo undertaken promptly and successfully. Advice may be obtained from the central committee in Melbourne. Arrangements have been made for the Federal Attorney-General to carry out the prosecutions...

The whaling season at Whangamumu, which opens next month, is expected to be a good one. According to Captain Cook, of the whaler Hariauui 11 j.now at Auckland for overhaul, last season' was a poor one, and the following season is generally good. While _ the whales are moving to a warmer climate during tho winter, the whaling station has its harvest, and .when the whales return to the south later ; a further catch is made. There are about 20 workers on the station, aud one whaler. Owing to the war there has been some* difficulty in securing suitable men.

Comment 011 certain of the methods adopted! by the educational authorities in Germany was inade r in Auckland by the Hon. J.' A. Han'an, Minister of Education. He said the German schoolboy commenced his studies, at seven o'clock in the and remained at school without a break for "four hours. Before he left the school, moreover, ho was well laden with work to prepare for the afternoon's lessons. At tho close of the afternoon the' boy was given more won: to propare for t!i' next -morally. The German schoolboy received no holidays, not even a half-holiday in tile week. Bauk holidays and a stoppage of work for religious festivals -.ft ere practically unknown. Thus he got little or no time for amusement, recreation, or hobby. He received one day's"holiday at Chr'ftmas, and another at Easter, while the summer break was of about two wicks' duration. The. German schoolboy, lirwever, appeared to bin>e clioorfully ac- . cepted these conditions —they had grown up with him. Mr. Hunan added'that while he believed in instilling into school children a love for school work ; bo would bo' sorry to seo in'the. Dominion a system similar io the German."-

At the final meeting of the St. Patrick's Day Committee, it was reported that a net profit, of £107 had _ been made out of the. concert given in the Town Hall, and the sports cleared the sum of £23, making a total of £130 for the day, which sum has been paid to the Eoman Catholic Education Board. Since that board was established three years ago, the local St. Patrick's Day Committee has contributed £430 to its funds.

Some little excitement was caused on the Queen's Wharf on Wednesday last when a woman was espied by the wharf officials to be hurriedly divesting herself of her clothing, with the apparent object of plunging into the water. A' Harbour Board official stopped along, however, and the woman was removed from the wharf.. ■

F. E. Feist was recommended by the principal of Wellington College for the Turnbull scholarship. At the monthly meeting of the Board of Governors yesterday the recommendation was adopted.

The'latest jump in the'price of petrol brought it to 20s. 4d.' per caso of 8 gallons, and owners of motor cars, motor boats, and similar luxurious vehicles are wondering when that sort of thing is going to cease. Before the war petrol was about 15s. 3d. per case, and at that it remained until October last. In January this year there was a rise of 10d., while early in February another 2s. went on. Four days later a further 's advance, was announced, though shortly afterwards the price fell Is. Last week,'however, another rise brought tlie price up to 20s. 4d. Merchants and importers state that the rises are fully, accounted for by the freight charges, which have increased enormously during the past six months (says a southern exchange). The result of all this is that motorists are practising economy by cutting down their customary runs, and using their machines less all round. One well-known motorist told a reporter that he had to pay 235". for a case of petrol in Timaru a few days. ago.