LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2859, 25 August 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postmaster-General announces that Christmas parcels for tho Expeditionary Force should ho posted as early as possible, and certainly in time to reach London during tho first week or ton days in December, so that the men in the tronches and in hospitals may receive their parcels in time for Christmas. At that season of tlie yeai'j thcro is great congestion in tho British postal service, and the nearer to' the Christmas season tho dato of arrival of parcels in England, tho more likelihood there is of their being delivered too lato.

An investigation or an inspection is being mado by officers of the Public Health Department into affairs at Trentham Camp, with the object, if possible, of discovering reasons, if special reasons exist,, for tho recent sickness epidemic among tho troops there.

Mr. Duncan Rutherford has, according to a Press Association telogram from Christchurch. leased tho hall at Hanmer Springs and completely fitted it up as a place of amusement-for the soldiers convalescing at Queen 'Mary Hospital.

Tho City Council last night agreed to ,tho following recommendation of tho By-laws Committee:—"That tho provision_ in tho building regulations requiring hotels, boardihghousos, rosta.urau.ts, ( tenement houses, etc., containing more than 30 bedrooms, to have all partitions covered on both sides with .approved' fireproof material, and all ceilings similarly covered, bo amended to make this restriction apply to such premises containing in all 15 rooms."

Ho was such a small boy, and lookcrt bo pinched with the cold, that the good lady of the houso, after taking her quart of milk from tho boy's wee can, called him into tho kitchen, and insistml 'oil. him drinking a oup.of hot tea. "You'ro a very small hoy to bo workins, aren't youP" she said kindly. "How old are you?" "Eleven years, please,", stammered the boy, mnSi awkward by his surroundings. "Slid don't you go to school?" asked tho iitfy. "Oh, yos," said the boy, "hut Tin not allowed to now 'cos my two sisters are ill with the raeasleßl" And ho was delivering milk. Here is one of tho risks the ,public will run even after a clearing-house is provided.

One. of tho first applicants at ,tho Dunedin Post Office for War Loan Certificates was a Chinoso market gardoner, who 1 invested the whole of his savings,'amounting te £40, in this way.

.Referring.to the case of tho Caoiquo. and tho discussion which took place at the meeting of the Harbour Board on Wednesday evening, respecting tho risk of explosion from that vessel's.Boo tonu of explosives, it appoars that very special precautions were taken with ■ttio'j mooring of the vessel. As soon as tho vessel camo into port, the Harbourmaster (Captain Dawson) and tho board's explosives expert went off to her, and found that the dangerouV part of her cargo had been "maga-. zined,"'i.c., shut off from tho general cargo _ with strong battens of Oregon pine, in tho same manner as is insisted on in the case of a British ship carry-1 ing explosives. As to tho position in , which the Cacique is moored, Captain Dawson, in viow.of the very largo quan»' tity of the ship was carrying, dropped anchor a mile outsido tho rocogrtised powder-ground (in thei stream), and the vessel's agents resented his action strongly enough to question whether ho (Captain Dawson) had the power to act. as ho had done./ But in tho.interest of the safety of the port lio had taken a stand. , .

By Order-in-Council gazetted, it,. is decreed that tho limit for interestbearing deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank shall not apply to deposits made by societies or trustees ihcorpora'ted under tho War Funds Act, provided that a copy of tho conditions of control and expenditure of sucb deposits bo forwarded, to the PostmasterGeneral. ,■,"'■"

The Prime Minister has received from Mr. J. S. Har.dTside, of Napier, a ch'cque>for £2000 contributed by his brother, Mr. Hugh Handyside, late of Tautane, Hawke's Bay, and now residing at Dun-Aluinn, Aberfcldy, Scotland, as a donation to the War Relief Fund..

Tho Court of Appeal (Second- Division) was yesterday adjourned by .the Registrar to Monday, September''ll, at 10 a.m.

Yesterday the Napier Branch of the Anti-German Leac.ue telegraphed' to the Minister of Deferico asking him to publish tho name of the New Zealand soldier who deserted to the enemy in France, stating that, this would provent, suspicion falling on innocent persons.

An. inquest concerning the dea'th of Trooper C. A. Fisher,"a returned soldier, who was found dead in his bed at Thornleigh House, Boulcott Street, on the morning of August 23, was held yesterday.- Deceased was a chemist's assistant, aged 23 years. Mr. W. G. Riddell, Coroner, conducted tho proceedings, and after hearing tlie evidence,' said that deceased had evidently suffered severely as, the result of tho campaign, as apparently. ho was depressed in spirits, and had suffered from heart trouble's. His health had oeon bad, and apparently he had been in the habit of taking morphia to relievo his sufferings. ' Tlie poison.'and tablets were found in his room, and it was evident that he had taken air overdose of the drag the previous evening. The verdict would be that' deceased died on August 23 from morphia poisoning self-administered.

The City Council last night passed without comment a resolution adopting tho by-law prohibiting tho playing of golf on 'Sundays on the" municipal golf link's at Berharnpore.

A circular from tlio Recruiting Hoard regarding tho. enrolment of tho Expeditionary Force Reserve, was licforp tho City Council last night. The Mayor moved that tho council agree to do everything possible to assist iu tho carrying out of tho proposals of' tho Recruiting Board—a resolution which was agreed to as a matter of course. Tho Mayor' suggested that ho might call a public meeting, but Councillor Itutchesou raprcssed emphatically tho opinion that somo measures other than public meetings would' bo necessary to influenco men who refused to register. The Mayor then said that he would call {lie council together to have a talk round tho tablo on tho matter, and this proposal was generally approved. Thero wore other suggestions made, ono that AVollington might adopt '.'Auckland's methods of recruiting—with a central station and a brass band in attendance—but those who know declared that there was nothing wrong about tho council's recruiting office.

Tho last report received by tho Minister of Publio Hoalth shows that on August 17 thero woro 271 sick and wounded soldiers in hospitals in New Zealand, and that thero woro 92 soldiers who woro outpatients, a total of 363 .soldier At the hospitals at llotorua there arc 78, and at Haumer 21. Considerable use is now being mado of tho convalescent homes. In tho homo at Epsom (Auckland) thero are 25 soldiers, at Lowry Bay 19, and at Dovonport 13.

Big shipment of Ties opening this week. The . latest designs at 2s. 6d. Goo. Towlds", Ltd., Manners Slrcot.— Advt. ' '

All inquiry as to what was being ctono to extend the {'ram lines to enable a service to be run to the Ferry Wharf was made by Councillor R. A. Wrightat a meeting of tho City Council last night. The City Engineer said that; apart from tho question of cost, there was a difficulty about getting rails, but this, he thought, could be got over. Tho real difficulty was that tho council had to niako an agreement with the Railway Department to get permission to cross the railway lines witli tho car tracks. He bad discussed the matter with tho Department, but the conditions put forward, verc such that ho could not recommend tho council to go .on with tho extension of the tram lines. Tho conditions would bo so vexatious, and entail so much expense, that tjie lino would not, bo workable. Ho hadliad another interview with tho manager. With tho object of obtaining some mitigation of the conditions first prescribed, and ho expected a communication from tho Department in reply. No communication had, however, yot coino to hand.

Tho.New Zealand Natives' Association held a meeting in their hall on Wednesday flight, for tho purposo of forming a Social aiid Dramatic Club. Mr. Byron. Brown'was in. the chair. Tnb following motion was carried. "That a Social and Dramatic Club bo I formed. in. connection with the New /ealand Natives' Association, tho object of tho club to he tho fostering of art, literature, elocution, music, and song." The' following oflicors were elected to. govern tho interests of the club, which it is hoped will bo a Success :—Management committco, ' Mendames Mueller, Cording, and' Windsor, Messrs. C. Palliser, J. Windsor, C. 1 Morris, and M'Keon; programme and entertainment committee, Messrs. Culford Bell and L. W. Hanlon; treasurer, .Mr. P. Cording; secretary, Mr. C. M'lntyre. ' A party in, » launch at Ngiragurn, Auckland, had a very unpleasant experience tho other day. Near Mangrove Island tho v craft ran upon a bank and tilted over, upsetting- a' kerosene lamp pii to half a tin of benzine. The ladies, to save themselves, jumped overboard. Fortunately, tho water at' this point was. only about 3ft. deep. Ouo of the,men aboard,was then able to throw tho blazing benzine-tin over the side, and with the aid of somo sacks, the fire in , tho bottom of tho launch was stamped out. Tho blaze attracted attention from tho shore, and a resident pulled out in his boat and rescued the party.

The reason why magistrates so often toll persons accused of offences in which: excessive drinking of intoxicating liquors is concerned, to go out to the country was explained by Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., in tlio : Auckland Polico Court, _ when dealing" with a case in which it was shown that a person had kept sober in tho country, but had started driuking to excess directly lie Came to the city.. Mr. Frazer said he did not want to send men to the country if they were likely, to provo'a menace to the people there, but his experience was vthat as a rule men who wore always in trouble in the city through drink in the country turned but to be really decent citizens.

At the Conciliation Council in Christchurch j when the bootmakers' repairers'' dispute was under consideration, one of the assessors for the employees said that the boot repairing trade was a most unhealthy one. Statistics in.connection with tho Bootmakers' Federation of Now Zealand showed that over a period of five yearp 50 per cent, of thedeaths of those employed in the trade was duo to consumption. The public hardly, realised the lot of a boot/repairer; * He had to mend boots worn by persons affected by all manner of diseases, and he bad to deal with boots' of all classes of the community. Boots which came, from farmers, dairymen, slaughtermen, and stablemen,',in-, particular, had frequently to bo dipped and washed in turpentine before the repairers could commence work on them. It had. been found necessary behind the firinp line in France to'disinfect soldiers' boots before putting them in. the hands' of the ropaivers. ' It was just as- necessary -that ; disinfecting should bo done in thesi parts.

The City Council had some litigation recently about a contract to purchase certain motor buses. ,Tho total amount claimed against the. city under the contract was £4052 19s. 'The total amonnt paid or payable in settlement consequent upon tho litigation was £4067 3s. 3d., including legal and printing expenses amounting to £313 lis.- The litigation did not go in favour of,the city, for the council desired to break the contract, but as the figures,-show, tho council did not loso any .considerable sum of money by taking the'case into the Courts. ■ '

A London business man recently let fall some rather caustic criticisms of tho modem business girl. i'Ofi the whole I welcome the girl clerk in my office," lie, stated, "With this reservation; that when slie is good she is very good, but whe she-is bad; she! is— welll I have of ton'noticed that many; of my little tyjoistcs rather presume on their sex, and expect preferential.treat'mont over men. Only; tho other day a little miss of eighteen practically demanded an afternoon cup o'f tea, and I had to point out that if slio had* tea I should havo to provide it for the twenty men clerks as well. Ido not soo.why, if girls propose to compete with men, they should expect the trials of office life to be softened for them. Civility and consideration they have a right to, but the fact seems to have escaped tho notice.of many girls that a busy mor. cantile office is not a drawing-room."

When a well-known Christchurch merchant's namp was called for jury scr-' vice at the Supremo Court, lie asked to be oxcused on tho ground that ho 'had another appointment with tha Board of Trade Commissioners, now sitting in Christchurch. His Honour Mr. Justico Denniston said that- Hi* Majesty the King had. also -issued aj> invitation to attend, aud that appointment must tako precedence of all others. His Majosty must como first, and the juror must serve.

Tho following is from the annual report of the Rougotea. Dairy Company: "Your directors desiro_ to p]aco on record their deep appreciation" of the efforts of the National Government to obtain adequate shipping space for New .Zealand products consigned to tho ' Homo inarkets._ Considering that so largo a proportion of the shipping has been commandeered by tho 'Imperial authorities for war purposes, we believe that our best thanks aro_ duo to the Prime Minister and to his colleagues for the .strenuous efforts they made- to see that Now Zealand products reachr ed the Home market without any undue delay. M ln this connection wo also record our thanks to the National Dairy Association for the manner in which they havo attended to our shipments during tho export season. _ But above and beyond all, wo recogniso that tho success of the-past season could not havo boen_ achieved had it not been for, tho untiring vigilance of our great' Navy, which has, under Providence, been able to keep ceaselor.s guard over our trade routes, and has thus allowed our export trado to bo carried on almost as in times of pcaco ; "

On Saturday, 2nd Sept., a man will traverse tho principal streets all day carrying Anzac Art Union Ticket No. 01506. All persons who show Anzne Art Union Ticket stamped "Howo and Sowman" on tho back and asks the man carrying tho tickets, "Have vou Ticket 91.506?" will receive .fit.*

Over 600 women secured prizes in the recent Desert Gold Tea Competition. A new competition is now under way, with .£SO in pri7.es. and also gift prizes. Drink Desert Gold Tea and save tho "Camels." —Advt.

Como along, ladies: It gladdens ohr hearts to hear your cheery voices singing tlw praise of "No Rubbing Laundry Help" for washing all clothes clean ivith.put rubbinjr.or injury.—Advt; ■_