LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2783, 30 May 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Secretary of. the General Post Office has been advised I>y the International' Bureau of the Telegraph Union that legal time in Norway and Luxemburg has been put forward one hour up to September 30 next.

About GO Maori soldiers, who have been in training at Auckland, arrived by train from tho .north yesterday morning, and were inarched to the Drill Hall, Jsuokle Street, where they are quartered. Briga-dier-General Robin inspected them on arrival. The men, who aro all of splendid physique, and who have a smart soldierly appearance, have been attached to the Thirteenth Reinforcements.

Wellington Health District has been particularly free from infantile paralysis cases from May 22 ap till yesterday, v hen two cases wcro reported from Masterton. One of the children at tho latter place is six weeks of age, and the other is nine years old.

A heavy gale from the south, and ivith it heavy rain, blustered through tho City and made things decidedly unpleasant throughout yesterday and last evening. And so it was at sea. By reports received from the only two vessels that arrived in port yesterday (both from the south) the gale was raging along the coast. Cargo working on the wharves was considerably interfered with by the rain throughout the dfiy, and shipping generally suffered inconvenience.

The annual meetilig of the Mayor's War Distress Fund Committee is to be l.eld in the Mayor's Room at 10.30 a.m. to-day. At this meeting the Mayor will present ' an audited, balance-sheet: for the year euled March 31. This will show that 011 that date the fund had the sum of JJ2500 on fixed deposit, and a credit balauco (jtherwise of Xl 5 2s. 10d., making in all a total of .£2515 2s. lOd. Sinco that date, however, owing to the continuance of the demands upon the fund, and the fallingoff in contributions, tho amount formerly held 011 fixed deposit has been converted to current account. Still, the fund is in a healthy condition. It h the Mayor's War Distress Fund which has for eighteen months past been paying the house-rents of several Army Reservists' wives, who were left very short ivlien their husbands wero called up not long after war broke cut. The present woakl.v chargo under that head alone is .£!) 15s. Gd. The Foxton Harbour Commission will' sit in Wellington this afternoon. An innovation in connection with tlte very common practice of "shouting" for a friend or friends 011 tho tramways is to be introduced under regulations (says a Christchurch paper), and the conductors will be empowered to refuse to take money from passengers wishing to pay fares for. others, unless these can easily be identified. This rule Ims been rendered necessary' by passengers refusing to assist tho conductors to identify the person or persons they have "shouted" for. ' Tho recent heavy rain caused the Hutt River to rise over four feet yesterday. A launch, owned by Messrs. A. W. Wright and another, and moored to the Petone Wharf, snapped away, and sank just before midday yesterday. Stout soles in Box Calf Boots. Ideal for winter wear. 225. to 355. Geo. Few-Ids, Ltd., Manners Street.—Advt. . Commercial travellers are hauling in storekeepers' orders for No Rubbing Laundry' Help wjtli commendable zeal,' because it lightens woman's toil on wash-

The Timaru Harbour Board, at a meeting last week (says a southern exchange), decided to lay up their dredge for three months, as a measure of economy. The saving thus effected is computed at ,£2OOO. There is a greater depth of water in the harbour now than ever before, and it is considered that dredgiug can very well cease for the period named. The dredge was recently chartered to the Oamaru Harbour Board,. whore it earned .£4IOO for the Timaru Board. In the event of another charter on advantageous terms it will be accepted.

Some' local millers (states tho Otago "Daily Times") are now asking £12 per ton for their flour. On the other hand; at least one Dunedin miller is quoting JGII 10s. per ton. It is stated that flour is cheaper in Dunedin at present than in any other city in the Dominion. On May 27 of last year the price of flou,r in Dunedin 'was JEI7 10s. per ton, with bread at lOd. per 41b. loaf.

In his younger days Sir John Maxwell, whose nickname in the service is "Conkey," enjoyed a great reputation as a boxer. Itejwas said to be the hardest and quickest hitter .in the army, and on one occasion at least this quality stood him ill good stead. There was an outbreak of mutiny, quite a small affair as it turned out, but the now Egyptian army was in its infancy at the time, and there is no telling what might have happened. Maxwell, who was at that time aide-de-eamp to the Sirdar—his uncle, Field Marshal Lord Grenfell—was sent to inquire into the disturbance, and arrived to find the mutineers firing at all and sundry from the shelter of a thick-walled mud hut, before which, badly wounded x by their bullets, lay their English office?: There was no time to be lost, quite unarmed, "Conkey" took charge, and dashing into the hut in the. darkness, used his fists with such good effect that in two minutes the mutineers wiro almost literally pulverised and the incident was closed.

The Board of Trade, at its sitting in Auckland on Friday morning, heard evidence regarding: the fish supply. The principal witnesses were Mr. A. J. Eutrican, representing the City Council, in connection with its new fish'' supply scheme, Mr. A. Snnford, of Sanford, Ltd., Mr. F. Green, of the Oceanic Fish Company, and Mr. Adam Nixon. The members of the board inspected tho plant for freezing and smoking fish at the municipal market, and the two trawlers at the wharves. In '• the afternoon the board heard evideuce regarding a complaint by! local merchants about "scale" prices. An inquiry into the conditions of the butter industry was continued yesterday. Early this week numerous complaints as to the price of coal will be investigated, after which inquiry into rents will be made. Tho board probably will remain in Aiic!? land until the end of the week, when it expects to leave, for Gisborne.

At a meeting of the committee of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club yesterday afternoon, a statement was submitted showing that tho profits from the November, February, and April Meetings, which it was resolved should be set aside' for patriotic purposes, amounted to ,£3915 Bs. 8(1. This sum will bo handed over to the Patriotic Fund for the benefit of sick and wounded soldiers. —(Press Association.)

The secretary of the Wellington Harbour Board has received the following communication from Messrs. Murray, Roberts and Co., who acted as agents forthe liner Borda during her recent stay in. Wellington':—"Dear Sir,—On behalf of Captain Millington, of Transport A3O (s.s. Borda), we beg to thank you for the attention of your officers during tho stay of that vessel at your port. Also, Captain Millington wishes to state that he was much impressed by the wharves and tho up-to-date appliances." This, is considered a iotewortliy tribute, coming as it does from the master of a P. and 0. liner, who has ample opportunities for studying the, wharf equipment of the various large seaports of the world.

Most people will remember the 'iccounts of tho big Zeppelin air raid on Engli-id ou the night of March SI. It '.vas 'the (lay after that raid that Zeppelin. Llo wos found in ' a hopelessly broken state in tho estuary of the Thames, and her two officers and IB of the crew were conveyed to Chatham as prisoners of war. Yesterday _ a Dominion reporter was shown a portion of tlio wrecked Zeppelin, in the. form of a piece of perforated and crinkled aluminium, said to have been a portion of Lls's petrol lank.. It was forwarded by a Naval officer to Lieut. A. de Bathe Brandon,_ the Wellington aviator, who was credited with having brought tho big airship down. It is almost positively certain that Lls was the Zeppelin that.Lieut. Brandon damaged from above, as the leport of tho aviator is said to tally with the damage suffered by Lls. The piece of metal was sent along to Lieut. Brandon from the naval men with Iho hope that something more valuable would fellow. It did. Lieut. Brandon now wears the Military Cross.

Two years ago, on the eve of an execution at Melbourne Gaol, it was suddenly discovered that the services of a public executioner could not be secured, the holder of that office, an habitual criminal, having some little time before obtained his discharge from Pentridge and left the State (says the Melbourne "Age"). Tho then sheriff was very much perturbed, because, failing the securing of a liang- | man, he himself was responsible for conducting the execution. The night before the law was to be carried into effect two men visited the Melbourne Police Station and offered to fill the vacancy for a remuneration, but before the morning another criminal at Pentridge agreed to accept the vacant office. He carried out his woj'k well, and retained the position of public executioner and fiqgellator until a month or so back, when he 'completed his sentence of 10 years and was released. Last week two floggings'for prisoners became due. Other prisoners refused to wield the "cat," and the governor of the gaol was faced with the prospect of having ot flog the men liiinself. : At the last moment the discharged executioner was located, and for payment he fulfilled the unpleasant duty. It lias now been decided that he sllall be retained by the State as executioner on an. annual salary, provided he reports twice a week for any duty which may be requyad of Mm. The governor of Pentridge and the present sheriff have, therefore, been relieved of much anxiety in regard to future exeeii< tions and flajsllations.

Brisk'demand continues for "No Rubbing Laundry Help." Tho Is. package contains sufficient for seven weeks' washing. Contains nothing injurious. .£lO guarantee. Win. Campbell, Limited.— Advt.