LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2878, 16 September 1916, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal" authorities' advise that tho mails which left New Zealand on July 27 arrived in London 011 tho afternoon of' September 13. The .. s.s. Moeraki, which sailed from Sydney at noon 011 Thursday for -Wellington, is carrying Australian mails only, and; is due here 011 Monday next.

For the first occasion for several years, a- heavy fall of snow occurred in Mastertoii on Thursday night.

Detectives Carney and Cox arrested a young man yesterday 011 a chargo of theft of llcsvt. of copper wire, tho property of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department.

In answer to the recommendation of the Dominion Conference of the Farmers' Union on the sale of ondowment lands, the Right Hon. 'Mr. Massey has replied: "I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the Bth inst., conveying a resolution passed by tho Dominion Conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Onion urging the Government to amend the provisions of the. Land Act. relating to National En-, dowment as suggested by Mr. J. M'Queen, and in reply to inform you that I do not see my way to deal with such a contentious measure at the present juncture of affairs."' ' ' '

It is not anticipated, says our Masterton correspondent, that there will be a shortage of shearers in the 'Wairarapa this season. Already a number of Australian - shearers have arrived. One settler states that he refused five applications from shearers by one mail.

Tho National Secretary of the Y.M.C.A., Mr. E. C. Brownell, has jubt returned to Wellington from the south, and reports that 6ix hutments are in sight from the various organisations and communities for the -work in France. These hutments cost £350 each, and for maintenance, supplies, and upkeep for a year £250 extra'. ' For the coming winter season in Flanders the providing of hutments oy t&e association for New Zealanders is a very practical method of bringing succour to. our soldier lads, and especially does it appeal to people for the Christmas season. Tlicso hutments take 011 the name of the donor or donors. The money is cabled by tho ; National Treasurer at once,' and the hutments are begun without delay.'

| A cablegram has been received by Commissioner Hodder from Genera) I Booth, expressing his hearty thanks for [New. Zealand funds for-Serbian-relief, and asking if it is possible for New Zealand to help towards the relief of [Belgium. In his cablegram,- General Booth states, that the need ofißelgium is urgent, and having had officers ac work in. that stricken country ever since the beginning of the war, ;the General should be in a position to speak witli authority. The fact that a network of Salvation Army agcncies already exist. in . Belgium makes the expeditious distribution of relief possible. Moneys for the above purpose may be sent to Commissioner Hodder, Wellington, who will remit all amounts to London promptly, from whence they will be conveyed to needy areas by accredited officers.

The Allan Wilkie Shakespeare Company have presented the management of the Returned Soldiers' Club with free tickets for. each night during-their stay-in Wellington, also twenty matinee, tickets. This afternoon returned soldiers from Lowry' Bay and Victoria Hospital will be present at the matinee performance.- • ■ A clerk in one of the city warehouses was arrested last evening on a charge of having- assaulted a. girl '• aged. :l'a' years. He will appear at the Magistrate's Court t-his morning. In reply to a communication from the Masterton branch of the. Returned Soldiers' Association, the of Defence say-s: ( 'I have to state tnat the provisions, of- t/he. Military Service-Act do not apply to" men -who have', 'whether'' before or after the passing of the Act,: been discharged in consequence of disablement or. ill-health from, the ISxpedi-. tiona'ry Forces, 'or from any'other portion of His Majesty's' Forces, after service beyond the seas during the pre, sent war in that force or with such forces." ...Mr, \V. Wilson, a ..lawyer,.-aged ,3J rears, -was admitted -to. the - Hospital last evening, suffering from a, broken, leg. It appears that Mr. A\ilson, who resides at. the Civil Service Club, was walking downstairs when he fell heavily, with the above result. A waterside worker named Findlpiyson, who was working oil the steamer Rimutaka yesterday afternoon, : was struck 011 t'he head by a derrick hook. He was admitted to the Hospital, where it was-found that he was suffering from concussion of the-brain. The Y.M.C.A. Snapshots from Homo League, organised on the lines which have proved such- a. success in the Old. Country, is now ready to Carry out tho object for which it has been formed., namely, to supply free of charge, snapshots of relatives and friends, taken usually at their'own homes, t-o lie forwarded to the "boys at tho front." Amateur photographers throughout the. country have willingly offered their services, "and nothing remains to_ assure the success, of the movement-in New Zt'aland but. the hearty co-operation of the public.' Through tho courtesy_of. the Postal Department, application forms are obtainable . at • all. _ lettercarrier post offices, and in addition at all dealers .in photographic materials and local Y.M.C.A:'s. It is felt that once the work of the-.-league becomes known many of. those who have their, relatives and friends at the front will gladlv take advantage of the service placed at their disposal, and judging from letters' received from men at the front nothing is mom appreciated than photographs of those who aro left at home. In the Supreme Court yesterday His' Honour Mr, Justice Chapman i gave judgment for £122 Bs. ! 7d., a claim by Daniel Campbell, trading as Campbell Bros., of Wellington, plaintiffs, against Robert W. Cameron and ' Angus K M'Fayden, commission agents, of Svdliey,. N.S.W., defendants, in respect of a shipment of chaff. The. defendants were not represented, although affidavits of service on them had been filed. On May 20, 1915, plaintiffs sold 25 tons of oaten straw chaff to defendants. Twenty-one tons were sent across to Sydney by the first available steamer, and it was stated that plaintiffs were always ready to send the balance. Defendants, however, refused, to accept the chaif, or, it was alleged, meet the draft amounting to £118 18s. fld. Subsequently the chaff was sold in Sydnev on plaintiffs' account, and realised £G1 13s. !)d. Freight and other charges amounted to £56 Bs. id., leaving a balance of £5 ss. .2d. for plaintiff.

The total roll number at the Mas-tert-on Technical School is now ' 492. The average attendance for last term was 429.,

Tho following reply has been received by the New Zealand Farmers' Union from the ■ Acting-Under-Secre-tary to the Department of Immigration: —"I have the honour by direction of the Hon. Minister of Immigration to acknowledge roccipt of your letter, conveying to him a copy of the resolution passed at the Dominion Conference of the New .Zealand Farmers' Union, witli reference to the immigration of domestic servants, and in reply, to inform you that there is at present no intention to discontinue the system of assisting .this kind of immigrant to the Dominion. It is pleasing to note that the work of the Department is appreciated."

Acknowledging receipt of a letter conveying resolutions passed by the Dominion Conference of the Farmers' Union in connection with the rating of Native Lands, and the registration of Maori-owned dogs, the, Hon. W. H. Herries states that so far as tho first • resolution is concerned, the matter has had the serious consideration of the Government, but, as it was desired that no highly-contentious matter should be introduced during the period of the war, no action has been, taken. With regard to the registration of Maoriiowned dogs, the Minister says_ that provision has been made in Section '16 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1916, under • wTiich what the union asks can he done." "I always .look upon the Conciliation Council sitting as a place where em-, ployers and employees are brought together," said Mr. T. Harle Giles, Conciliation Commissioner, in the Auckland Coachbuildcrs and Wheelwrights- 1 dispute on Wednesday. "Many things," he continued, "were done at such sittings, removing little misunderstandings and small frictions, about .which nothing appeared in any award. Tho functions of the Conciliation Council extended a great deal further thau tho mere making of awards." Sir. D." Stausfield, one of the union assessors, said it was prophesied years ago that if employers and employees could meet together, one-half. -their difficulties-, would disappear. Tho proceedings of Conciliation Councils had fulfilled tho prophecy. • According to advice just received by Mr. AVesley Spragg,. of Mount Albert,, regarding his son, Lieut. W. Neal Spragg, Royal Flying Corps, the latter is making a rapid recovery r.from an accident which befell him in tho course of a flight from Yarmouth to Norwich. As he was nenring the Norjwich aerodrome, the engine , of -his. machine jammed, forcing the propeller off and breaking the rudder' control. Lieut. Spragg had succeeded in planing down to within 50ft. of the. ground, when the nose of the. machine suddenly dipped, and it dived' straight to : earth. Both the. lieutenant-and his ob. : server .jumped clear,, the former receiving injuries to one shoulder aud losing some teeth, as the result of his fall; The-machine, was completely wrecked, i and had the two men remained- in their seats they, would almost certainly have been crushed to death in the debris. Lieut. Spragg had another fall about two months ago. being.. thrown out of his seat at a height of about 15ft. He fell head first through the tail-planes of his machine, which broke his fall to some extent. He was wearing an aviator's . steel cap. which, saved him from serious injury. He saw service recently over the lines in France, and was present at the commencement of the Somme. offensive. .' Messrs. Baldwin and Rayward, patent' attorneys and consulting engineers, of 215 Lambton Quay, report that recently they acted as agents in filing the following applications-for letters patent in New Zealand:—W; L.-Fly,:Hunter-:, -ville, collapsible hamper;:-P. C. Warner,..Kai Iwi, saddle;. ;R-.: S. Finlay,;Carlton, side-cars; A. H. . Mullins, "Auckland,'burglar alarm;. P.-': Ellis;' Auckland, concrete post; W. J. Wellington, rifle guard;. A. Twiddle, Wliangarei, hand shears; L.- Hill. Nelson, bristle guard; H. H. Blade, Auckland, killing cockroaches; R'. Meihana, Manakau, capstan; W. J. Sellars, Wellington , button cleaner. Mothers .■should early instruct 'their ' daughters how to wash clothes clean, with "No Rubbing Laundry Help." -. Is.' carton does seven weekly washings.—Advt.