LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2855, 21 August 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An Australian mail only will arrive here from Sydney by the Manuka this afternoon. English and American, mails will arrive (via Vancouver) at Auckland ab 3 p.m. To-day, and the Wellington and southern portions of the mail will arrive here to-morrow afternoon. Tho Dominion Meteorologist (Mr. D. C. Bates) reported last evening that an Antarctic disturance had developed, and westerly and south-westerly gales, witii stormy weather, were due to follow generally. Yesterday, afternoon the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey) paid a visit to tho now convalescent homo for soldiers at Lowry Bay, the place which has Leon Landed over to the Government by Sir Francis Bell. Sir. Massey stated that he was -more than pleased with the now home, which should make an ideal place for tlie purpose intended. There is accommodation for 35 patients. Ho points out that the temperature is always higher on the eastern side of tho harbour than in Wellington, and for the summer time there is an ideal beach for sea bathing, whilst there are somo 250 acres of hush and hilly land surrounding the home that will be a splendid roaming ground for men who are beginning to pick tip their health and strength again. Sucli was tho success of "San Toy" at tho Grand Opera House on Saturday evening that tho curtain did not finally descend until 11.20 p.m. The late hour was duo chiefly to the insistence on encores by the audience—in somo cases where they wero unexpected. After the curtain fell, it was hoisted again, and the full strength of the company—somo eighty performers— joined with tho audience in singing the National Anthem. On and after tomorrow evening returned soldiers aro to'be admitted at half-price to the gallery and back stalls. Tho Navy League wreath, which has been encased in a block of ico preparatory to being sent to London for tho Trafalgar Day celebrations, is to be shipped this week. "In Saturday morning's issue, page 5, column III," writes Mr. J. T. Marshall, "is published a clipping from a Sydney paper of a Lone Pino story. In January, 1865, I was returning to England in the ship Conflict, from Calcutta. I distinctly saw my father beside me and awoke. It was 5.30 o'clock in tho morning and my going on deck so early was commented upon by tho officers of the ship, and was the subject of conversation at breakfast. On arrival in Scotland I learned that my father had died at 11 at night, the difference of time between home and whore I was being 6.} hours. I should add that I entered tlie matter in my diary, and the timo which I verified when visiting the ship in London docks.'' At the Orangemen's special memorial service, hold in Everybody's Theatro last evening, it was announced that up till a month ago 219 members of tho fraternity had enlisted. Of that number 19 had been killed or liad died on service, and 44 had been wounded. Reinforcements for the Tunnelling Company of Engineers will, according to a memorandum issued by headquarters, be required at quaterly intervals and at an increased rate. Tho registrations of suitable men will bo accepted for service in this particular unit, tho ages to bo 21 to 40 years. In addition to skilled tunnellcrs a small percentage of unskilled men will bo taken for each reinforcement draft, but if possible all should havo some practical experience in either tunnelling or mining. Coal miners will not be accepted. Tho next draft will bo called up about tho beginning of Octobor. During his eight and a half years term as secretary of tho Navy League Mr. C. W. Palmor, who has just resigned, handled for distribution 26Jtons woight of league magazines. "Poverty, misery, and wretchedness aro rather the consequences' than the cause of drink," remarked His Honour Mr. Justice Stringer in. tho Supremo Court at Auckland on Thursday. The case was one in which, it was claimed, 22 homes had been broken up as the result of .a woman's addiction to liquor, and a sordid story was rov'ealed.. The Now Zealand Federated Boot Trade Union is inviting unions that manufacture for tho local market to send delegates to a meeting in- tlie Trades Hall to discuss the question of petitioning Parliament to niako it mandatory that all Dominion manufactures bear the imprint "Made in New Zealand." "We are of opinion," states tho letter, "that tho present time offers a splendid opportunity of initiating such « scheme, believing that tho general feeling of the public is that the looal industries should recoivo preference of support, and such can he achieved only by the articles produced bearing a distinctive brand designating tho country of origin." Traffic on the evening mail train from Foatherston to Wellington has become heavy since Foatherston Camp was established. On Fridays and Saturdays tho train accomodation is taxed to its full capacity. Last Friday, to accentuate the. difficulty, a first-class car had to be shunted off th'o train, as it had developed a "hotbox." The passengers had to disembark, and in place of the first-class carriage a composite old-fashioned one, diviacd into four comparements, was put" "on. A good deal of discomfort to lady passengers was caused. AVith the increased number of troops now camped in the Wairarapa. Valley, tho civilian traffic on the line'is increasing, and there is a strong feeling among residents and others that more carriages sliould bo attached to the train in question, or that another train should pfecedo it, so as to relievo'the traffic by the mail train. . Once more "the little cobbler of Featherston" led the men of the Sixteenth Reinforcemonts through the streets of Wellington on Saturday afternoon. After the parade, tho hands of tho little bootmaker wero heartily wrung by hundreds of the men, anil ho was even pressed to share the good things that had been showered on as they marched through the city. Speaking to a Dominion reporter, Mr. F. V. Rutherford stated that the boys of the Sixteenths had asked him to lead them on the mnrcli, and he only wished that lie could load them across the fields of Flanders, such was his desire to bo with them, but, unfortunately, his ago debarred him from that pleasure. Ho had promised tho Fifteenths that he would not turn down any future Reinforcements that wished him to march out with them, and ho was proud to do it, even if it only had a heartening effect on the men, and that, he thought, was the case. It was not much ho could do, but his heart and soul were with the boys, and anything they wislicd him to do within his powers he i would do for the asking, subject, of course, to official sanction..

On Saturday a further sum of £SOO, making in all £4000, was forwarded by the treasurer of the Children's Belgian Belief Fund Committee (Mr. G. L. Stewart) to tho Minister of Education to be sent on to the Lord Mayor of London. There will not bo any more money sent until tho balance-sheet has been audited and the fund closed, when it is expected that about £600 more will be available. Mr. G. AY. Booth has been elected organiser of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, Wellington branch, in succession to Mr. U. Blatherwick, who has resigned. Various matters in connection with the harbour ferry service, came before the Eastbourne Borough Council on Friday. Tho returns showed a steady increase in business for July, 1916, compared with July last year. Tho return for tho quarter ending June 30 also showed a substantial increase in receipts compared with tho corresponding period of last year, whilst there was a decrease in the expenditure. Representations had recently been made to the Harbour Board for a wait-ing-shed on tho Ferry "Wharf. The proposal was _ favourably received by the board, which promised to givo the matter due consideration. Following fno usual custom, it was decided to issue school excursion tickets at reduced fares during the coming term holidays. In view of tho pending alterations to tho Day's Bay wharf, arrangements have been nla'de for tho steamer Duchess to tio up in town over-night during the carrying out of -such work. At the Savage Club kororo on Saturday evening the Chief Savage announced that the excoutivo of the club had resolved to invest £500 of the club's fund in tho five-year war loan. The decision' of the executive met with tho unanimous approval of the members present The Governor of French Oceania (M. G. Julien) has written through His Excellency tho Governor to the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luko) as follows:—"I have learnt from M. Spitz that you havo placed at tho disposal of our soldiers all the resources of the generosity and goodwill which so happily prevail between French and English, and which we hope will remain a perpetual pact. For all that you have done in the interests of 'our boys' from French Oceania, I pray you, M. the Mayor, to accept my most cordial thanks and tho assurance of the sentiments of lively admiration that we, the French, feel for England, our great and glorious Ally. - AVill you please accept tho assurance of my most distinguished consideration, and most devout sentiments." "The Government is to be congratulated," said the Rev. Howard • Elliott, of Auckland, in a recent address, "upon tho action which has been taken in regard to tho censorship of films. That a censorship of films is necessary has long been evident to picture-goers, not that tho general average tone or the films has been bad, but because the occasional picture of tho grosser, sometimes even disgusting type, has been a peril. Several questionable films have been shown recently, one in a provincial town, which was suggestive, and reflected in tho most gross fashion upon tho members of a certain Christian Church. Tho need for some drastic oversight is thus made evident. But the censorship, in order to bo effective, must not bo perfunctory, and tho proposal o£ tho Minister, as reported in tne Press, to appoint Civil Servants to this position, on the score of economy, will m all probability result in failure to fulfil tho intention of tho Act." A very interesting suggestion was thrown out by Mr. S. Hurst Seager at a town-planning lecture in Christchurch a few evenings ago. Speaking on the subject of workers' homes, he contrasted tho Christchurch homes with those of the English garden cit-. ies. Ho said that there shonld be cooperation among the workers. For instance, instead of dumping down the houses singly in tho ordinary style, they should build on garden city lines round a green quadrangle. _ Take _. 50 families living on* ordinary lines. Fifty wives got up and made 50 fires, and 50 wives did tho work in 50 houses. If they would_co-operate they could have a single kitchen and the cooking done for all by one or two : For instance, tho ship's cook and his mate cooked 'for Tour or five hundred people, and did it well. Again, the idea would result in an enormous saving. _ Commodities could be left in one delivery, resulting in a hugo saving in distribution. It would greatly reduce the cost of living. The Government arrangements did not do so. The cost of 'Iving was not reduced by raising wages, but by Teducing the cost of production and distribution, and co-opera-tion was the economic remedy. In the co-operative scheme he suggested there would he ample leisuro for tho wives and children, a kindergarten, a children's creche, and a co-operative laundry. The idea could easily be done wi'tn' a "Ktle effort on the part of the workers. A special service was held by the Central Mission in Everybody's Theatre last ovoning in commemoration of those members of the Loyal Orange of the district of Wellington who havo fallen in the war. The R.W., Bro. Budden, grand secretary for the Wellington district, was on the platform, and read the Orangeman's profession of faith, whilst the<niembers of tho Order, of which there were a good many present, stood up in the auditorium. Tho Rev. G. Knowles-Smith, in khaki, delivered an appropriate address on "Peacemakers." Madam M. Dempster sang the sacrod solo, "Calvary," and Private G. E. Ellis, of Hastings, also sang a solo. The Mission Band added to the solemnity of tho service by playing the funeral march, "A Garland of Flowers," and sounding the "Last Post."