LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2834, 27 July 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Minister of Education (tho Hon. .T. A. Hanan) stated in the House yesterday, in reply to a question by Mr. If. A. Wright, that iie hopes to be in" a position to make, appointments of school nurses early in tho recess.

It is understood that n transport, with sick and wounded soldiers from Ugypt, will arrive at Port Chalmers during tho first week of August. A notice in a Gazette Extraordinary, issued yesterday, prohibits tho exportation of sheep-skins (with or without wool), pig-skins, and pelts.

"further experience impels ine," says the General Manager of Railways in Ins annual report, "to again refer to tho urgent necessity that exists for proceeding witli tho various works referred to in my special report of 191-1 and railway report of 1915 without any further delay. At tho outset I stressed tho point that the larger works would take live years to complete, and that before that time had elapsed the business under nor-. niHi conditions will have attained a magnitude that will compel provision of.additional accommodation. Much valuable timo has already been lost in making a commencement with tho scheme, formal conditions have not prevailed, vet notwithstanding tho disturbing element* created by tho war tho railway business has expanded considerably. Tho operations of the Department are already being carried on at tho main centres with difficulty and under most disadvantageous circumstances. The time lost cannot be mado up, but if further delay occurs in making a comprchcusivo start with the works there will bo grave risk of tho railway facilities proving unequal to the strain put upon them by the new I business offering before -the works aro completed."

Since Mr. Hanan succoeded Mr. Allen as Minister of Labour soveral members of Parliament havo urged him to revert to tht public sclool cadet system, dropped by Mr. Allen. Answering a question on this subject in the House yesterday, Mr. Hanan said: "Apart from tho fact that tho cost of any reinstatement of tlio Junior Cadet system, in addition to the cost of tho system of physical training Which has superseded it, would under oxisting circumstances bo prohibitive, I am not prepared to take tho steps indicated by tno honourable member, and thus rovorso a decision which was arrived at by my predecessor in office after full consideration of all tho merits of tho scheme and its corresponding drawbacks."

During the year a considerable number of railway men havo volunteered for service with the colours abroad, says the General Manager of Railways, in his annual report. "The total number who havo enlisted to March ST was 1725. Fiftytwo members have, fallon in defence of the Empire up to that date. |Up to the present it has not been necessary to place any restriction on enlistment "by mem. bors, although the reduction in numbers in certain grades is now creating a somewhat serious problem."

The Railway Department has installed automatic warning bells at six level crossings, and the work for Summons is in hand.

The Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. 6. W. Puiissell) said' in the House yesterday that legislation was to bo introduced to make it possible for a complete register of the doaths of all soldiers on active sorvice. It was desirable that a record of. this kind should bo kept in this country, and as tho deaths could not be registered in the ordinary way'a special register would be prepared. The 'necessary particulars for the record would be supplied by the Dofenne Department.

Through Dr. Orchard, an anonymous donor lni9 given .BlOOO.to the Canterbury Hospital Board for the purchase.of surgical beds and other -requirements for the Hospital, aiid .£IOO for the purchase of suTgical instruments.—Press ' Association.

Tho Castlecliff Hotel was biirncd to the ground early yestortlay morning (states a Press Association message). The inmates Shad a narrow escape, xn'e stock' and furniture were insured'for J350 and tho building for dE7OO. Plans for rebuilding the hotel were approved at the last licensing meeting. ,

.A. meeting of the Wellington City Council Municipal Housing Committee was held in the Mayor's room yesterday afternoon. There were present: 'J'iie Mayor (Mr. J. P. Lake), Councillors W. Hildreth, J. Hutcheson, It. A." Wright, W. H. Bonnett, G. Frost, and the City Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton). One > difficulty that will be met is to get suitable sites for homes at a, reasonable price, but already several offers of land for sale have been made. It was furthor decided that the buildings would have to be solidly built ia materials that have considerably advanced in price since the outbreak of the war. Only preliminary matters could be discussed, but it is-, thought that something feasible might be done towards a definite prosecution of the scheme when conditions generally are easier.

The Sharland patent medicine cases, which were adjourned last week, will come on for hearing at the Magistrate's Court to-day. -

An immense number of rabbits lias been Tailed from Central Otago: to the freezer this season. ItabbiteTS aro hot getting lOd. a pair on the fence, says a southern paper. On, the Maniototo Plain a four-horse team iit to run in any coach servico has been, bringing rabbits down •from tho Styx, between 20 and 80 miles from the railway. The Alexandra freezing works are dispatching largo quantities of rabbits ready frozen.

Dr. A. G. Maitland, dentist,- at tho Christchurch Court yesterday, was fined .£5 for employing an unregistered man to do dental work.—Press Association/

During the present week 150 cases of fruit have been placed on transports at the instance of the Mayor's -Patriotic Committee

The weekly labour ropoTts from various districts" throughout New Zealand havo been received, and they show that with tho exception of Wellington, thero is not a. great number of men seeking employment. In Wellington 10 married and 23 singlo men, who applied for work, were found positions, and there are still vacancies for good l farm' hands. Several men in the City caled at tho Labour Bureau, but did not register. Private work is reported to bo fairly quiet in Christchurch, but tnnnelmen for Bealey and ballast-pit hsmds for C'tilverden are required.

Mr. G. E. Tolhurst, of Grant ,Koad, who is a member of the committee of the New Zealand War Contingent Association, has forwarded to the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) some illustrations of the New Zealandcrs' Hospital at Walton-on-Thamcs. In a- letter covering the reproduced photographs, Mr. Tolhurst says:—"l wish to state that while it (the hospital mentioned) is pronounced by the British military authorities, as the model hospital in England, wo have the recent assurance of our chairman of executive, Lord Plunket (answering criticisms and inquiries by a member' of a patriotic society here) that the hospital is run at the same cost as other hospitals, and that the only' advantages tho patients enjoy aro tho result of the committee's internal management. These advantages are also enjoyed by patients at Brockenhurst, another hospital for New Zealanders with over 1000 beds. Besides this tho comforts of all our men are thoroughly looked after by numbers of Now Zealanders—niojibers of the New Zealand War Contingent Association, throughout tho Kingdom,-whether they were hospital patients, convalescents, homo from France on leave, or thoso no longer able to return to tho front, and who aro being, sent back to New Zealand. More I need not say at present, because those patriotic societies who are remitting funds to the War Contingent Association in England will shortly be furnished with the fullest information as to tho administration of those funds.'

An unprecedented number of letter orders has been received by Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd.', in response to their Half-Yearly Sale Catalogue. They take this opportunity of informing their correspondents that their prdcrs will bo dealt with as early as possible, but that some little dolay will bo unavoidable owing to pressnro of business.—Advt. The Proprietors of "Dosort Gold" Tea do not claim that "Desert Gold" Family Blend at Is. Sd. is equal to "Desert Gold" 2s. grade, but guarantee it to bo the Best Value- at Is. 9d. in New Zealand—Advt.

Wherever you seo a bright, prosperous happy grocer, you can bank oji it that "No !R/übbmg Laundry Help" has played an import-ant part.—Advt. _.

Advico has boon received by the Detente authorities that. Mr. M'Gill, fifth engineer of tho transport Waihora, was injured in tho head while at work in Iho cngmo-rooni. 110 was landed nt Albany and sent to hospital.

A. complaint regarding the receipt of an anonymous letter from Dunodin in reference to the War Regulations Bill was made in the nouso yesterday by Mr. Honwby. lie said that the letter was unworthy of attention, but he-asked whether the habit or sending anonymous letters to members could not bo stopped. Ho suggested that tho police should be instructed to tnko action in this cose. The Attorney-General (the Hon. A. L. Herdman) said that if tho lion, member would hand him tho letter he would cxamino it and ascertain whether a breach of tho law had been committed. Of course he police could not act unless, the law had Oeen broken.

No decision has as yet been arrived at. by Cabinet regarding either the rebuilding of Government House at Auckland or the disposal of the silo for University purpose.

Preliminary arrangements are being made for a tour of the North of Auckland by a southern Parliamentary party during the coming recess, probaiily in January. Mr. J t S. Dickson and the members representing tho North. Auckland districts nro interesting themselves in tbe matter, and various Chambers of Commerce in the north are co-operating. The present proposal as that tho party shall travel from Auckland to W.hangarei and the Bay of Islands, and return to Auckland by way of the Kaipara district. It is possible that the Bay of Plenty may also be visited. A large number of southem members have already signified their intention of accepting tho invitation to mako the trip.

Anxiety concerning tho safely of the beautiful bush on tho shores of Lake Waikaremoana was expressed by Mr. George Hunter in the House yesterday. He asked the Prime Minister whether his attention had been called to a paragraph in the "Hawke's Bay Herald" stating that a large party of Natives had crossed over to tho west shore of tho lake with tho object of foiling the bush. He urged tho Minister to take stops to prevent the destruction- of the bush, which was among tho most beautiful in the Dominion. If it were destroyed it would be a standing disgrace to the colony as a whole. The Prime Minister said that he had seen tho paragraph referred to, and a telegram had been sent to the Commissioner of-Crown Lands at Napier instructing him to make inquiries, and report to tho Lands Department in Wellington.- If necessary steps would be taken to prevent the destruction of the bush.

The paucity, of playing ground accommodation at "the Ten-ace bchool was the subjeot of a petition presented to the House yesterday by the Hon. \, L. Hardman. The petitioners, after pointing out the difficulties under which tho school lias struggled in this respect, suggest that the tennis court now controlled by tho Hospital and Charitable Aid Trustees shall be secured for the school, tho trustees being compensated by Government land elsewhere, to which course thev are said to be agreeable. Legislation empowering this to be done is asked for. . ■ .

A statement that the making of a road from Waimarino-to Tokaano by prison labour had been discontinued was referred to by Mr. W..T. Jennings in the House yesterday. He asked the Minister of Justice whether the statement was true. -Dr. M'Nab replied that no decision to this effect had been arrived at in regard to this matter. It was not suggested that tho work should be stopped, but this year it would be necessary to exorcise economy. \ Gazette announcement under the War 'Regulations Act provides that tho wife of an alien enemy shall be deemed to be an alien enemy; and that tho wile of an alien enemy, who is not lnmselt a natural-born British subject, shall be deemed to be -an alien enemy who is not a, natural-born British subject.

A Gazetto notice under tho War Regulations Act provides that nd-malo .person over the age of eighteen years shall be shipped as a, member of the crow of an oversea vessel unless ho produces to the Superintendent of Mercantile Marine: (a) A certificate of discharge in New Zealand from an oversea; - vessel .within tho immediately preceding twelve nlonths, or discharges for at least twelve months' service in vessels in the coasting trade of New Zealand; or (b) a permit to leave New Zealand issued under the War Regulations of the 15th day of November, 1915, and Ejtill in force.

The Orchard Tax Bill, which was introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives yesterday, proposes to impose a tax of one shilling per acre upon the o.ccupiers of orchards "u6ed for the growing of fruit trees and the production of fruit for sale." Tho tax will be assessed as at September 30 each yenr, and become payable on November 1. If tho tax remains unpaid at the end of three weeks a fine of 25 per cent, shall be added. The minimum payable by any one person is 2«. 6d. The sum collected shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund, from which the Minister 1 of Finance may, on the recommendation of the Minister of Agriculture, pay the money to the National Fruitgrowers' Federation to be expended by them in aid of the fruit-growing industry under regulations to be imposed by the • Governor-in-Council.

The Consul for Japan (Mr. T. Young) lias received advice that tho Japanese Government' has . charged Consul Satotsugu Ukita. with tho mission of making trade investigations respecting Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Ukita, left Japan in April, and, after visiting the Bast (Butch) Indies wiil come on to Australasia.

Major Gunn, Principal Me/lical. Officer, Peatherston Military Hospital, desires to thank'"the Wellington Patriotic . Society for the gift of one hundred flannel shirts and gramophone for tho use of patients under his charge. Considerable' mystery attaches to the great Bible which Sua kept at M&ungapoltatu in the cubicle known as "The Ark of the Covenant," and when Constable Cummings, in tho Supremo Court •at Auckland on Monday, said he had seen it, His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman was moved to curiosity. "Does it really weigh 771b.?" His Honour asked in reference to a statement which accused had made in evidence. Constable Cummings said he did not think the Book was so heavy. The ono he saw was about ICin. long and.llin. wide. . Mr. Lnndon commented that that would not bo tho Biblo in question. His Honour said ho had never seen a Biblo of 771b. weight, except possibly in an old English church, where thoy used to chain tho Bibles. Mr. Lundon explained that the Bible had. belonged to an English churchman residing in Eotorua, who presented the Book to Rua. Mr. Tolo declared that the old tomes in the • Sir George Grey library would not weigh 771b. Witness, further questioned, said the caso for holding the Bible in the "Ark of tho Covenant" was about 3ft. long and 2ft. wide. It was a rough case, and, by the look of it, was made in Manngapohatu. By way of experiment. Mr. Tole handed witness a' legal work, which the officer agreed was about the samo length and width, but only half the thickness of (he Biblo which he saw. The volume weighed 111b.

Tn the statement about the disposal of Now Zealand moat at Homo (published yesterday) tliero was a typographical "error. It was mado to appear that over a period the result of the sale of mutton was id. per lb. profit. The profit actu.lily was -Jd. per lb. Mr. Tearco also was made to say that tho farmers of New Zealand had mado a present to somebody of 2,000,0001b. of meat. Mr. Pcarce actually said that tho farmers had make a present to somebody of .02,000,000.