LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2858, 24 August 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The war bonus of £15 for married men and £7 10s. for single men in the Public Servico is to oe paid to temporary employees, as well as to permanent employees. The bonus will to for tbo current year ending March 31, 1917, and temporary hands who aro not kept on for tho whole year will get that portion of tho bonus due to them proportionately to their term of employment in the year. Juniors under 18 years of age will receive £3. During tho early hours of yesterday morning tho unusually heavy ,s«» running at the Heads caused what remained of tho wreck of the steamer Devon at Penrarrow Head lo bfeaktip bit. by bit, until only a small portion of tho bow is now visible. The experiment of pnmping silt from Gisborne harbour and discharging it into the stream to ho carried away, has nroved successful, and rough soundings show that in two days tho average depth om- the whole channel lias been increased betwoon 12 inches and 18 inches.—Press Association. Big shipment of Ties opening this week. The latest designs at 2s. 6d. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street — A.dvt.

A North Taranaki settler lias submitted a scheme to the Government that is original if nothing clso. Ho is anxious to got away to the war, but he has certain encumbrances which prevent him. To got over the difficulty he wants the Government to permit him to rafflo his properties, four in number, giving a farm as first prizo and house properties for tho other prizes. Ho offers 10 per cent, of the Government valiio of his properties to the various patriotic movements. So far tho Government has not replied to him on the matter. In concluding his letter to tho Defcnco Minister, tho settler in question says: "I desire to go and help ray comrades in their glorious efforts to strike t the decisivo blow at those cursed and despicablo Germans who are a living menace to civilisation."

A lecture on "big guns" was delivered before the Philosophioal Society last evening by Mr. W. S. La Trobe, director of the Wellington Technical School. Mr. La. Trobo screened a verv largo number of diagrams, and explained in details the parts of the guns and their workings. In the course of his lecture ho remarked that the life of tho 12in. gun was very short; it was said that eighty shots would destroy its accuracy. He observed, also, that the relative values of the loin, and 12in. guns had probably been settled in the Battle of Jutland but wo had not heard the result. On tho motion of Professor Easterfield Mr. La Trobo was heartily thanked for his lecture.

A motor-car owner whose business took him on to the wharf last night had th'o lamps of his car stolen while ho was away from tho car attending to business on a steamer. As a result of tho theft the.motorist had to drive his car off the wharf without lights, and in doing so ho states that through lack of light he ran the wheels of tho car between the railway points at tho wharf entrance, damaging tho car severely. The driver himself was injured slightly.

Tho following extract's from letters received by Mr. J. W. M'Larin, of Kaimii Estate, Patumahoc, from his son Charles, who is with tho Now_ Zealand Mounted Forces in Egypt, is interesting, as shfiwing the routine work our boys have been doing before their recent encounter with the Turks. "We have been on the go night and day for the past ten days, so I have not had much sleep lately. Wo went for a three days' trek last Monday week. AVe left the camp at ten on Monday night, and travelled all the night. Wo halted at ten on Tuesday morning, and gave the horses' a rest that day. Then we started off again at dark, and pushed on till midnight. We surrounded a camp where we thought some Turks were. Half of our men went through it with fixed bayonets, hut there was not anyone at home. ' So we started off again, and came on a small camp of _ Turks at dawn. Everyone was feeling pretty sleepy after having been two nights without sleep, but after the first few shots were fired they soon forgot they had been without sleep. It was like old times to hear the bullets whistling around again. (The writer was in the trenches at Gallipoli). We got fifteen Turks and took two prisoners. Thcro was .only one of our chaps wounded, and one got the heel of his boot shot off. The Turks .cleared out. and one of our aeroplanes dropped bombs on them. After the excitement M'o had breakfast, and started back I again. Wofevelled all day, and got back to camp at midnight."

Injuries, not of a serious nature, were inflicted on Miss Parlane, of St Mary's Homo, Karori, by a passing express near Government Buildings as she was crossing the road to join a Karori car on Tuesday. Miss Tannifer, who was accompanying Miss Parlane, was also knocked down. The _ latter was removod to a private hospital in Bowen Street.

A call was received by the City Fire Brigade shortly before 11 p.m. on Tuesday to a dwellinghousc at the junction of Taranaki Street and Frederick Street, occupied by Mr. AV. O'Brien. Tho outbreak was caused by the overheating of a kerosene stove, and it resulted in both bouse and contents being badly damaged. The house was owned by Messrs. Baker Bros., of Uhristcburch. There was no insurance on the contents.

Tho Associated Amateur Sports Bodies met last evening, when a subcommittee' was appointed to consider the best method of raising a, fund to provide Christmas gifts for the New Zealand troops at tho front. The subcommittee will report the result of its work at a general meeting to bo held on Saturday, September 21

Thirty-six men applied for work at the State Labour Bureau in Wellington last week, and 24-wore placed in employment. Auckland bad 42 applicants and placed 13. Dunedin 26 and 19, Christchurch 25 and 6.

At the City Council meeting tin; evening the new by-law prohibiting goli being played on the municipal links al Berhampore will coiuo up for confirmation. , •

A Press Association telegram from Christchurch states that Dr. Chesson, to whom two swabs from the brain of David Cosgrove, who died at Lyttelton on Friday, were sent for diagnosis, has announced thattho deceased died of cercbro-spinal meningitis.

The distillation of kauri gum 0)1 from peat has been resuscitated after the lapse of years, says a Dargaville message. At Kaimaumau, and at other gum centres, satisfactory operations aro progressing, and those interested in the ventures express complete gratification at the results. The peat yields from 20 to 30 gallons per ton, and 25 per cent, of the yield resembles petrol, which can be, and is being, used to propel motor-cars and launches. The residue contains 28 different kinds of heavy oils, sorno of which make exceptionally good varnish material, nearly equal to the best linseed. In the Far North thero are extensive stretches of country which abound in molecular kauri gum. In some cases the beds of shallow lakes, which dry up during summer months, are abnormally rich in the deposits, and it is in order to exploit to tho full the value of the resin so situated the distillation of tho ancient forest residue has been resumed. _ Tho stills, or retorts, are veVy interesting in their working, and can be heated by gas obtained from tho poat. One- man- can attend to eight retorts, and it is anticipated that in the near futuro the produotion of oils mil employ a largo hody of men, and add considerably to tho wealth production of North Auckland. Over a decade ago the distillation of peat for kauri gum oil was started at Mangawhare, in tho Dargaville district. Somo prominent Auckland men were associated with Mr. A. B. Harding in the venture, and a costly plant was erected. Operations were conducted for two years, and considerable quantities of various grade oils wore obtained. The promoters of tho scheme in time recognised that more modern appliances and machinery wero necessary to ensure tho most payable results, and laid the matter before American experts. Unfortunately, owing to unforeseen circumstances, the expected development did not- materialise, and eventually tho plant was closed down after the expenditure of some thousands of pounds,

A man will travenso tho principal streets of the City on September 2 and present Half-sovereigns to persons who, on request by him, can produce an Anzac Art Union Ticket bearing the stamp, "J. and M. HERMAN" on tho back.»

Over GOO women secured prizes in the recent Desert Gold Tea Competition. A new competition is now under way, with in prizes, and also gift prizes. Drink Dosort Gold Tea and eavo tho "Camels." -Advt.

The chairman of the Harbour Board (Mr. 0. E. Daniell) reported at last evening's meeting of the board that the Controller and Auditor-General had awarded tho Wellington City Council the sum of £175 in full settlement of the claim for £200 19s. 3d. for cost of election of four members to tho Wellington Harbour Board by tho electors of Wellington City, in April, 1915.

"As an example of patriotism the action of a Masberton resident will bu hard to beat," stated Councillor Tcml>lo at a, meeting held on Friday night iu connection with the war loan. "This nian has four sons at the front, and m order that ho might subscribe to tbo war loan ho had borrowed money at the bank at 6 per cent, for which he will only receive 4J- per cent, interest."

An unusual caso was heard in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday when a young man named David Brocks Pin, noil, was charged with knowingly and wilfully making a false declaration foi the purpose of procuring a certificate of marriage. Accused is a young soldier belonging to the permanent staff in one of tho camps of the Expeditionary Forces, and he has been married to a girl 19 years of age. Tho man admitted the facts, and after hear. inJ; tho evidence, pleaded guilty through his. solicitor and was commit ted to the Supremo Court for sentence. A difficulty arose as to the question of bail, as accused was not known in Wellington. His Worship (Mr. L. G. Reid, S.M.) said that under the circumstances ho did not wish tn keep I'innell in gaol as that would be a hardship. After due consideration Mr. Reid said that bo would grant bail m accused's own recognisance of £25, provided that ho reported daily to tho police at tho camp at which ho was employed.

Major Gunn, principal medical officer, Featherston, acknowledges the receipt of a caso of lemons from Mr. G. R. Beamish, Wham Whana, Hawko's Bay, for use of .patients.