LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2800, 19 June 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Two Australian mails will arrive IB Wellington this week. One is coming by the Weslralia to Auckland, and should arrivo here on Wednesday. The other is being brought across by the Manuka, due in port from Sydney to-morrow afternoon. ' ' . ,

The 'Frisco mail boat Moana was scarcely itiore than three hours out 011 hor last outward voyago from Wellington to San Francisco when it -was discovered that the chief cook, A. .Weightman, had disappeared overboard. -No one saw the man actually go over the side, but the weather was very dirty, and there was a heavy sea running at the time.

An unexpected response was made by members of a deputation that waited on tho Prime Minister on Saturday in support of six o'clock closing of hotel bars. Mr. Massey, m his reply, took occasion to refer to the good work being done by tho women of Wellington in connection with the Soldiers' Club. The club, ho said, was in need' of more assistanoe. The deputation' rather surprised ' Mr; 3lasBey by taking him at' his word; and immediately there was a clink of coins on tho table. "I did not intend this," said tho Prime Minister, laughing, "but I nin very glad to receive donations on behalf of the club. It is my. first experience in taking round the plate, and it is a very successful one." The amount thrown on.'the table amounted to .£5 2s.

It is understood that tho ' Colonial Sufjar Refining Company has agreed to maintain the present price of sugar—.£2l per ton—for a further period of 1i months from the end of this month, when tho present agreement expires.

A reply to the request of the Potone District High School Committee that a sum. of money should" bo set aside annually as a school accident fund has been received from tho Wellington Education Board; to 1 tho effeofc that the was unable to accept liability in :tho circumstanccs described by the committee; nor could it sco its way to ap. prove of the creation of tho proposed iund. Tho committee has resolved to forward the board's reply, together with uie committee's resolution on the matter, to the Minister of Education, 'asking t& have set aside, a sum o£ money each year for a school accident fund. The cowimittec, upon the suggestion of Mr. Sciholfield, lias also decided to inquire as to- whether it has any statutory powers to_ laauguarate a savings bank at the school.. . -jr known that soldiers from Zealand and Australia are mads particularly welcome during their visits to iraglaud. All' classes of the comnuinuty seem glad to see them there, and; anxious to do everything possible to Bbake their stay pleasant. .A.member iof tho Australian Forces, writing from,.; London to his brother in Wellington, imentions that on one occasion 'lie' was with- a companion when a very gushibig individual, on being informed that : £liey. were Australiaiis, exclaimed: "Howv good' of you to come all this way to figfat. for lis and. our 'little country!" The Australian soldier looked hard at the EUiglish. civilian who evidently' had no of the British Empire as something- greater than Britain. Then exiW-odetf in wrath: "Damn you and your htftlo country," he exclaimed. "Wo came hare to fight for tie Empire." The civilian departed abashed. ' ' .

The H«tmaster-Geil«ral. announces- that in order 1 to secure compliance with tho War Olqce order that newspapers for neutral .'oountries aia not to bo dispatched exccf jl: throiih the office of the publishers op newsagents, the saute -practice will bo fallowed here as is followed in the United Itfrngdom. Newspaper publishers and-.agenisi who desire to send packets of nowepapees to neutral countries must apply to iho Chief of the General Staff, Defence •! Department, Wellington, for a permit empowering the dispatch of newspapers to peutral countries. Having received the jpermit, they will stamp and address packets of newspapers aa usual, and (post them free of postage addressed to the Deputy. Chief Postal Censor, Wt4 lington, enclosing in each, package a certificate in which the number of permit is to be named. No packets posted by other persons or titrepared in any other way will be accef tti id and forwarded toTientral countries. • - i , To>Mr: Paiil Dufaultis due the credit for establishing a new record at the Grand Opera IE louse. For Saturday evening's farewell concert every seat in those sections. ..of tho auditorium gene:cSvlly available Tbr. reserving was Rooked, and the management ;bad to siop the;sale of tickets, at the Opera Hovj}® at,ten minutes past 7. When the curttttui was-raised, at 8 p.m.. the vast audiaucii) that filled every part of the big theatre Keived a surprise. Foreseeing big busimj ss, tho management had greatly enlargedlthe enclosed portion of tho ;gtag'e, and ii. was occupied by about 300 ;people. So i\lose -were the front rows to' the tiny spacoif left for the artists that at times". the tea tor would • be observed making "an impmsrioned gesture within a couple of feet of open-mouthed admirors, and occasionally 1 i»3 had to be careful lest ho trod on his patrons' feet. The conditions prevailing), engendered a most gonial atmospheric' that finally led to a sceue of wonderful'/ enthusiasm. -"According to present arniiigements, the Dufault Company will leav o Auckland for Sydney on. Monday. Mr.' Ehifaulfs tour of Australia will last up $o the end of November, and lie hopes tt> bo in New York at Christmas, ready oommence a tour of the United States,.and Canada early in January.,

-'Margarine, mauuJSa ctured in. Wbllldjttoft, is . (says the C krietchurch"Press ) being placed upon'tl K> Christclmrch market at Is; per lb., a: In! canvassers report having found a ready* 'sale for it. On the wrappers tho margari iB recommended for culinary purpose^. and for this use it may prove a strong competitor .of tho more expensive factory butter. ■

The weather prophets are in a bad way. During:' the rains n fortnight ago (sayn Uio Chrmtcbiuch "S-c&O. they assured us ihafc all would Le th© couutry oext summer, as the st iB -soil had had sacti a thorough soalting the it no drought could possibly affect-the growing potentialities of the laud. This o;pUraism has been succeeded by lugubriou p predictions of a dry summer, oh accoiuAV'rf tho absenco of rain this last weelc or i5-yo, and fears of a drought, are freely tb ing given volcc. In the m'eantime, the jrross is growing freely and the willows toutinu© to meot" the water. in leafy embrace. The city man goes?"about his,business in thankful enjoyment of delightful as eather. and tho farmer, permits no dismal thoughts of an unknown future to disturb liis tranquillity. But tho weather pi are very cross alxmt it all.