LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2843, 7 August 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An Australian mail only will arrivo from Sydney by the Hoeraki, due this moflilng at about 8 o'clock.

A correspondent's letter published ia our issuo of Saturday last contained this passage:—"lt is well known in business circles that GfSrman firms, some of whom havo been prohibited from trading here, havo transferred their business nominal, ly in tho name of their English clerks, and are continuing trade as usual." We are informed that Messrs. Tlmrman and Burton, indent agents, regard this statement as being likely to injure them in fheir business, on account of -tho fact that they were for somo time in the employment of what would bo classed as a

"German firm." The letter, wo need hardly 6ay, was published by us in good faith, as a matter of public concorn, and with no intention of prejudicing the business of the firm in question. We aro satisfied from tho information placed before us that tho business of Messrs. Tlmrman and Burton.has no connection whatever with that of their former employer, but is conducted entirely on theiv own account. ' •

' After a hearing extending over nineteen days—a record for a civil case in the Dominion—tho jury disagreed in the Palmerston North case, C. H. Speirs versus P. P. Wall, a claim for .£14,000 damages to' plaintiff's flax property through fire allegedly originating at Wall's and spreading' to Speirs's property. Defendant dlaiied .that tho fire originated on his place, this being the mtiui point involved.—Press Association.

' This morning tho criminal sossions of the Supreme Court will be opened, His 'Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) presiding. It is anticipated that the session will bo a lengthy one, as over 20 cases, many of which are of a serious nature, have, been set down for hearing.

A. second burglary is now stated to havo occurred at Potono on Thursday, when tho shop of Messrs. Hannah and Co. (two doors from tho premises previously entered) was broken into. Tho same means wore adopted in this case, a pafle of glass in a back window being broken and the catch turned. So far nothing has been missed from the premises.

His Majesty's Trade Commissioner in New Zealand has received cable information from tho Board of Trade, England, to the effect that the following goods have been prohibited to be exported from the United Kingdom as from July 26: — Cast iron pipes, galvanised sheeti, galvanised corrugated sheets, iron plate, except tin plates, motor ploughs, and agricultural. tractors.

The police Teported last night that James Baldwin, who escaped from Mount CooE gaol on Thursday last, had not then been recaptured.

The chamois turned out on the slopes of' Mount Cook some seven years ago have got 'on exceedingly well. Several herds numbering from 15 to 20 lave, says an exchange, been seen, and numerous tracks, have been observed. The three thar turned out have also . increased, and their numbers are estimated to be about fifteen. The chamois were'tEe gift of the Emperor of Austria.

Respecting Lady Stout's statement, in her lecturo on l'hursday night, to the eifect fflat a woman seeking admission to a certain plaeo had been told by a po'liee officer that he was "tired of women with dead sons," Lady Stout says she wishes it understood that Bhe. did not say that tho occurrence took place in Wellington.

The Timaru Teachers' Institute on Saturday discussed the grading scheme. Complaint was made regarding anomalies, as teachers had asked for a Dominion grading and approved of the principle. It was resolved to ask Mr. Caughley, the compiler, to visit Timaru and explain the difficulties in the way.

A somewhat vague messago was received by tho Wellington polico on Thursday last stating v that a family of three lmd been killed as a result ot a fall of bush at Manakau. Further .details to hand show that the fatality' occurred oil the Levin-Waiopehu Lanu Company's land, situated 011 the hills some eight or nine miles, back from Manakau, in rough country. Edward Bates, formerly a resident of Petone, together with his wife "and two sons, one aged about sixteen and the other fivOijears, woro living in a tent, tut, on l account of the dangerous proximity of a huge rata, seven feet in diameter, it was deemed advisable to shift the camp. The eldest son and a number of busnfellers were preparing the new site, but had not shifted the tent. In the meantime, a heavy wind sprang up, and the rata plunred 50ft. down a hillside, burying the. entire country with, a quantity of spoil. The first news reached Otaki late on Thursday. Help was immediately dispatched, and, after vigorous work, the three bodies were recovered, that of the mother not being found till Friday (statos a Press Association telegram.)., Mrs. Bates has relatives in Featherston, where a married daughter resides. The country where tho accident occurred is very broken, a rough track, covered in mud and logs, boing the only route for about half the distance. The party experienced • great difficulty in taking the bodies into Manakau. Tho collection taken up yesterday- by the Zoological Society towards the cost of transport of the recently-purchased camels totalled -E6 18s. 7Jd. The society has decided to make this sum up to .£lO, for which amount a cheque is to bo forwarded to the City Council. This, with the previous donation of £10, will make a contribution of JC2O. The recent gale was tho heaviest experienced in the Paeroa district for many years. Several light buildings were Mown down, and in one instance a shed was carried several yards across the main thoroughfare., bringing, down several telegraph wires. At the height of thegalo many houses rooked, and the inhabitants in soveral cases rushed into the streets. A hoy named Arthur Simmons, son of the manager of Mr. Eodean's farm at Tirohia, wihdle riding home from school was blown off his horse and broke his leg. The lire brigade station and . other places' were considerably damaged. Chaplain-Captain King, lecturing at Balclutha, said that to most peoplo Egypt was synonymous with sand and deserts. This, however, was not tho case, as Egypt as a country was worth holding for its own sake. In New Zealand there wore cases of men giving such high prices as £60 and £70 an acre for land, but alongside tho railway line between Alexandria and Cairo tho land could not be bought under JE2OO an acre. Tho reason for this was obvious. Tho land could raiso three or four crops a year, the cotton crop alone being worth from .£35 to M 5 per acre, according to the year under rqview. At present this land was supporting 11,000,000 poople, but with drainage tho delta could bo made to support three times as many. In attempting to describe tho noieo of artillery fire, a Southland soldier, writing to his frtends, characterises the sound of 50,000 mon, armed with 50,000 sledgehammers, thumping on 50,000 iron tanks, as a whisper in comparison to an average bombardmonl.

A meeting of Native land owners on Friday voted against tho proposed expenditure on tho Wanganui Biver protective works. The Maoris held that tho Government should bear the cost.—Press Association.

Pheasants'are reported to be plontiful throughout tlie Northern Wairoa district', and many sports, '•ithout dogs, have obtained good bajs. The recent rains, however, have driven tho buds into the bush.'

Mr. C. W. Palmer, lion, secretary cf the Navy League, acknowledges a donation from tlie Wanganui Meat i\cezing Company of ,£250 for the Sailors' Dependants ifund. Tlie Wellington fund has Men closed, but odd amounts continue to come to hand. Tlic3e extra amounts ar °ti by drait, in addition to the sum of .£12,60-0 already cabled on the league's behalf, to its Central Emergency Committee, presided over by LoTd Charles Bcresford. As in the eases of Utago and (Canterbury and other branches, the Wellington branch is sending all its collections through this channel. The relief afforded by tho Navy League is quite apart from tho comparatively small ofiicial compensation provided for sailors' dependants by the alty regulations.

■ At the last weekly parade of the Hutt and Petone railway section'of tho National Keserve, Lieut. Simons was the O.C. A coursc of bridge trestle building, knotting and Splicing was executed,' ana subsequently the platoon went in for rillo practice at the Morris tube range.

Peatherston camp orders state that the following sentences imposed on three soldiers- have-been confirmed:—On one, for absence without loavo and drunkenness, 56 days' detention; on another, for failure to appear at the appointed place of parade, seven uays 1 detention; on the third, for absence without leave, 43 days' detontion. All throe were privates.

Inquiries have been mado regarding tho movements of the Naval Commission, who are going round the world, and the date of their arrival in New Zealand. Captain A. Whitney has received a -cablegram from the Admiralty (says tho Auckland "Herald"), and 'he announces for the information of tho officers, seamen, engineers, and yachtsmen, who are volunteering their services for naval work, that the Naval Commission will leave Vancouver for Novt Zealand in three weeks' timo.

Thcro are a good many returned soldiers in hospital at Dunedin, and, even though much is done to mako them quite comfortable, time does not always pass rapidly for them. The formation, therefore, of a toyroakers' association, with the,, object of instructing the soldiers in a congenial, and not too laborious, work will hailed as an excellent idea' (says an exchange). The' association has lost no time in setting to work. Already classes in basket work havo been commenced, and the roldiers are reported to have Teceived the idea with- enthusiasm, and havo already done good work. The doctors aro pleased with the now scheme, as it provides something which interests the men greatly land has tho effect of diverting their 'thoughts from their complaints. Later on tho association will endeavour to in- ( troduce tho work of malting tove, in which it is possible to create an industry. The outdoor patients will also Teceivo instruction a 9 soon as possible.

At the Petone Methodist Church the service last evening was conducted by Chaplain-Captain "Walker, assisted by the Eev. A. M'Bean. The building was filled to overflowing, ,and during tho servioo the church's roll of honour, containing 21 names of volunteers on active servioo or in camp, was unveiled. A similar ceremony was oonducted tho previous week at Lower Hutt Methodist Church, the Eev. Wm. Beckett referring to' the fourteen names on the roll of honour as those who had heard the call of God and Empire, and who represented the church on the battle front! The Eev. (Private) P. L. Frost, of the , Seventeenth Reinforecements, spoke from the text, "The trial of your faith is moro precious than of gold that perisheth." An appropriate solo was sung by Miss Knight;during the evening. z \ ! In the statement of New Zealand's expenditure in connection with War Expenses Account from the beginning of the war to March 31, 1916, which was presented to the Houso on Thursday last by tho Hon. the Minister of Defence, an item of -C 790 appears under 'the heading "Supplies Board of Advice.". In this connection, the Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister in Chargo of Munitions and Supplies, de-. sires to. point out that the amount mentioned represents the Expenditure involved in the running of the New Zealand Military Supplies Purchase Office, created to undertake the work connected with tho acquisition, etc., of military requirements. The staff of this office at present\consists of an officer in charge and four assistants, who have their timo very fully occupied with the large amount of business carried on. The board mentioned in the heading, however, is purely an honorary body, which was set. up at the request of the Government twolvo months ago, and the' members of which givo their service's gratuitously.

The Lower Hutt Borough Council has received the following reply from the Railway Department, in regacd l to a request to . have . the "Thomas ' • cur installed on the Hutt-Wellington- line:—

"With reference to your interview re- ? nesting that the Thomas Transmission !ar should be put into service on the* Wellington-Hutt line, I have tho honour to inform you that the car in question was designed specially for use on the Wellington-Joliisonville line. The petrol car is not sufficiently powerful to haul a trailer on the dieavv gradients between "Wellington and Jonnsonvillo and the steady increaso in tho volume of business renders it necessary to. utilise the moro powerful car. to cope with the traffic. The new car is at present running on the Hutt line, but this is merely to get it into working order before putting it into service. The difficulty in regard to the use on the Hutt line of a car such as the "Thomas" is that the trains are, in almost all cases, too heavy to bo dealt with expeditiously, having regard to the necessity for a smart start and rapid acceleration.. As a matter of fact, a careful review of tho Hutt timetable for the purpose of selecting trains in vhicli to try the "Thomas" car showed that there were only two . regular trains daily for which it was suitable."

A Manawatu farmer, who has a herd of 40 cows, has (says au exohange) solved the labour problem. in, a manner quite satisfactory to himself and all concerned. his man left him to go into camp, but bofore doing so stated that his fiancee, who was an assistant in a draper's shop in "Wellington, was most anxious to take up rural life, and to keep his berth warm while'lie was away serving his country. The farmer was naturally sceptical about employing the young lady, 'but at the earnest request of the employee he decided to give the girl a trial, and promised, at the same 'time, that sho'wtyuld, if suitable, receive I'tiio same wages as her soldier lover. The young lady duly arrived, and her first duty was to acquire a knowledge of the intricate working of tho milking machines, which she did in a comparatively fihort time. Tho .new assistant lias now been in his employ for over a month, and has given every satisfaction. One evening, m coming home rather late from a sale lie found to his surprise that sh'o had started the machines and had milked IS cows. The r farmer 6ays that if all the girls ore as game as this young | lady,' dairy fanners in the North Island need have no qualms about solving tho labour problem in the coming dairy sea? son.