LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2773, 17 May 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Postal authorities advise that the t>.s. Manuka, which sailed from Wellington on Thursday, May 11, carrying mails for Australia, United' Kingdom, and Continent of Europe, via Suez, arrived at Sydney on, Monday afternoon.

Tho Postal authorities advise that tho mails which left New Zealand on JJarch 23 arrived in. London on the 14th instant.

"Another clean sheet," was yesterday's report for the Wellington Health District regarding infantile ( paralysis. A Gazette Extraordinary appoints theI'ublic Trustee controller of the foilo\r iiig businesses which have been declared t> be enemy businesses:—STarkwald, Son, and Ross; G. Hardt and Co,,' Eugene Sckroeder, Khodius and Co. (Limited), The Continental C. and G. Rubber Company.

"There's far too much indiscriminate credit given nowadays," said Mr. if. W. Bishop, S.M., during the hearing of a judgment summons case in Christchurch. "It's absolutely preposterous," he continued, "for a drapery firm to give JE39 credit to a working man. I shouldn't expect a firm to give that amount, even to me," After, investigation into defendant's earnings, the Magistrate-ordered him to pay off the debt at tbe rate of ss. a week.

Owing to a Brooklyn tramcar leaving the rails opposite the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel in Willis Street at 1.30 p.m. yesterday, the unusual spectacle of a string of cars extending the- full length of Willis Street was witnessed: The wayward ear was jacked back on to the track in about a quarter of an ihour, and the long procession of cars continued their 'journey southwards.

The Government has decided to extend payment of the "children's allowance" t<> tho wives, a2id also to tbo guardians of motherless children, of those n.c.o.'s and men of the New Zealand Expeditionary 'Force who are permanently attached to the various training camps throughout New Zealand, provided, however, that the, allowance will not ba paid where mi'cli u.c.o.'b and men are residing at their own homes.

A four-roomed dwelling and its con- i tents, No. 9 Lome Street, were severely i damaged by fire at 11.30 o'clock last night. The house is owned by Mr. Lewis, and occupied by Frank Thompson. The contents are insured for .£SO in the United Office. It is stated that the outbreak was caused by airing linen aver a fire. No less than fifty-two men enlisted at the Town Hall Hecruiting Office on Monday. This io nearly a record day's work tor the central'recruiting'office. Over forty answered the call yesterday. During last year tome fourteen members of the Pctono Ambulance Brigade gained certificates for men's home nursing. In order to complete the course a series of invalid cooking classes \x now being held at the Petone Technical School, and last evening there was o good attendance of those who are striving to became proficient in this unique study. A. suggestion was made tu the Minister of Defence by v Mr. J. Payne in the House yEsteiday that, in view of the large number of men rejected lor defcctiw teeth, the Defence authorities should accept such men and send them all to bo treated at the dental hospital in Feather, elon .Camp. He urged that tho Government could have the work done easily in tho institution at a tithe of the cost" that tho men would have to pay .for liaving tho work done by private dentists.' The Defence Minister said thut the question was one of no great urgency, and the honourable member should have given notice of it. However, he could inform the honourable member that the staff at Featherston dental hospital were at present unable to deal with the soldiers already received into camp, and that the staff was being doubled. The same was to bo done regarding the Trontham dental service. Some returned soldiers have been wondering what position they hold in regard to reinstatement upon the electoral roll. Mr. Witty raised the question m the House yesterday by asking tile Ministei- of Internal Affairs what the position was—whether such men bad to' ve< qualify by three or twelve months' residence. The Hon. G. "W. Russell, in reply, promised to look into the position, and if legis'alion were required, to sectire their reinstatement, the Government would immediately provide it. The conference of New Zealand Furniture Trades' Industrial Union of Employ. oi'S.is to be held in "Wellington on Wednesday next, not to-day, as/ waa inadM«itently announced. , The weekly report of tho Wellington Labour Bureau is not yet available, but the Auckland report shows that during last week there" were fifty-one applications for work, and only seven of them were placed in employment. Thirty-three of the fifty-ono were labourers, and the majority of those still unemployed are able and willing to do heavy manual work. At the I'almerston North Bureau one labourer ind one carpenter applied for work, and both were found private employment. One labourer was the onlj applicant at the Masterton ofiice, and his 'desire for work was satisfied. Waugauuj and Tiinaru scut in "nil" returns. Yesterday the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) received tho sum of £ 105 as the result of the recent Patriotic Apple Show held last week in tho Town Hall, as a contribution to the Mayor's Patriotic 'Fund. The amount represented the receipts at tUe doors. An exhibition of barrel pier building was given by the Hutt and Petone Section of the National Deserve, oh the Pefcne foreshore recently. The work was carried out under the direction of the instructor, Sergt Bland, and the pier was erected and dismantled in excellent time. That it .does "freeze some" in the Antarstic was made abundantly clear by Lieut. Stenhouso in bis address delivered at the New Zealand Club's luncheon yesterday/ The boatswain of .the Aurora developed a habit of bringing his commander a cup of tea, particularly when he wished to report any little thing which might or might not be of importance to the hapless crew of tho ice-gripped vessel. Owing to the exceedingly low temperatures it was dangerous to touch metal with the naked hands in those latitudes, and most of the things that had to be handled were covered "to prevent them sticking to the hands." Oh one occasion the boatswain dug his way through the snow that encompassed the commander's cabin,-and gripped the handle, which was minus its wrapping, with the result that the handle came away and stuck to the man's hand. Seeking to release the handle, the boatswain put bis hand up to his mouth, wilien the handle stuck to his tongue, in which predicament 'he offered Lieut. Stenhouso the cup of tea. The speaker said that he believed the boatswain was rather pleased with the occurrence afterwards, as fiir a month afterwards he was busy explaining to everyone exactly how it all happened. In summing up a Supreme Court case in Christchurch recently, Mr. Justice Sim gave it as his'opinion that most children are prone to petty thefts and to lying to cover up their thefts. "Children are not horn honest Mid' truthful," lis added. ' "Unfortunately, honesty and truthfulness have to bes taught them i.y their parents.-" After n brief visit to Sydney, the Trade Commissioner for Canada in Auckland . (Mr. W. A. Beddoe) states that the Now South Wales capital shows evidence of growth and prosperity. A good <leal of enthusiasm is noticeable in regard to recruiting, particularly siu'ce it ,;:« been known that the Anzacs are on the Western front. It was a practice not long ago to hold recruiting meetings in front of the Post Office, but these had not been necessary of late. The business men with whom Mr. Beddoe came in contact gavo the impression that despite tho war and the great expense entailed in tho sending of troops, business in Australia was exceedingly sound. Every city worker can !>e protected . against Winter's showers. We are showing 25-inch frame, horn, crook handle, silver-mount, gloria cover Umbrellas at Us. 6d. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd.-Advt.

Replying to a question by Mr. lb Fletohcr, M.P., in the House of Keen* sentatires, the Minister of Educatioa (tho Hon. J. A. Honan) said that a temporary appointment would be mndo to fill the place meanwhile of Dr. Elizabeth Guim as medical inspector of schools in the Wellington district. A call at Pitcairn Island, in the Pacific, was recently made by. a steamer. It is only onco or twice a year that any ves- ~ sel touches there, and her advent was received with delight by the residents. Notwithstanding the late hour at which the vessel arrived, the residents went out to meet her in boats and eagerly ashed for news of tho outside world. All the inhabitants were well. After a few provisions had been landed, tho steamer continued her voyage. "Of what use is a notice to those who cannot read, to the foreigner who doca not understand our language, or to anyone during darkness, wJien it cannot be Been ?" asJicd Mr. H, W. Holmes, chief fciigiucer of the Public Works Depart, nient, when dealing in Christchurch recently with the erection of bridges and limitation of loads to_l» carried thereon. "The law in England -requires local authorities to provide adequate structures for all normal traffic, tliey being held' responsible for all accidents which may occur through neglect, so that when .1 structure becomes unsafe the traffic must bo effectually controlled by barricades, either permanent or under the charge of on attendant. Then,. if anyone forces a crossing, lie does so at his owi risk. In New Zealand a notice is usually posted up, and tho traveller is left to his fate. Perhaps the local authority is not liable legally, but there is s heavy moral responsibility to safeguard traffic,-and to piovido for its constant maximum continuance iu tho interests of economical carriage of articles Jf commerce." A discussion on recruiting matters (obk place at the last meeting of the Knikoura County Council. Tho subject was brought up by the introduction pf tho following motion:—"That, as example is better than precept, in Vlio opinion of the council every member should offer his services to the State in any way they-are deemed of uso iu promoting Empire defence, as ■ Buch a course would the 'better justify councillors in appealing to young ir-en to answer the call to duty for furtherance of mutual help and support and Ihe preIcoi'vatiou of national and individual liberty." Tho motion was seconded, but was opposed by the remaining members of the council, and on being put to the vote was lost by ocven votes to two. The announcement that New Zei'nnd troops are now in Franco was b>rnjd to account in some, legal proceedings which came beforo Mr. Justice Conner at ih« Supreme Court at Auckland, when an application was made for a commission to take the evidence of a man at present on aotive service with the Rifle Brigade. Mr. H. P. Richmond, in making the application, said that the Rifle Brigade was known to be in France, and it might be possible to take the evidence of the' man referred to. His Honour remarked that it was, of course, impossible to take 'evidence at' the front, but the understood that- thero was an arrangement whereby men on service in Fiance were given weekend leave rrom time to time. Advantage might possibly be taken of this. He/would grant the commission, and woula. leave it to counsel t. as to who the commissioner should be, In regard to this, Mr. Richmond stated that a firm of London solicitors would probably be most suitable. Referring to his selection as a repre- ' sentative of the New Zealand Parliament ' to the conference to be held in the Homo- ' land in the near future, Mr. C. J. Parr, 'M.P., informed the members of the Auck- ! land Orphans' Club (of which he is pie-: 1 sident) on Saturday night that he would 1 leave New Zealand this week; as the representatives were expected to be in Eng--1 land in July, and would be back at the . end of August or beginning of September. For 35 days they would be the guests 1 of the Imperial Government, and they I would visit the Great Navy, the French I front; and the munition factories of the i greatest nations of the world. To visit 1 our boys at the front would give him the ! greatest pleasure. After partaking in the 1 of paramount importance to 1 the Empire, including peace problems and 1 the greater problems than war, ho hoped . to become greater equipped .for the discharge .of his duties as a citizen and a v 1 public man.