LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2886, 26 September 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

. The draft of naval ratings returning from, H.M.S. Pyramus and Psyche are" due at Wellington on September 30 in the e.s. Wimmera. which will berth at Queen's Wharf, where the men ■will be addressed by His Worship the Mayor of Wellington. Passes for, admission to the reserved enclosure on the pier will be granted to bona fide relatives only, and may be obtained by written application, stating relationship, to the Commanding Officer, H.M.S. Torch, Wellington. It is anticipated that the men will proceed to their homes.on Saturday evening. "Can a man sue himself?" asked His Honour. Mr. Justice Denniston at the Christchurch Sur*eme_ Court, when a case came on for hearing in which the iplaintiff was also joined as one of the defendants (says the "Press"). The position was that the plaintiff was the tenant of certain land, and also one of the trustees. Mr. Alpers, who appeared for the plaintiff, said that there was no authority for joining the plaintiff as -one of the defendants, hut in doing 60 he had followed the usual practice of tho court. His Honour remarked that such a course was not allowable under the English law. However, he would not at present remove the plaintiff's name from the list of defendants, which Mr. Alpers expressed himself willing to do, nntil he' had further looked into authorities on the matter.

Motorists returning from the Otaki races last night reported that when they reached the hotel at Pahantanui the building opposite, a general Btore, had been burned to the ground. It was thought that the owners wore in Wellington at the time of the fire. A certain member of the New Zealand Parliament had been taunting enlisters with the fact that they had voluntarily taken on the position of slaves (says the Auckland ''Herald"). "Well," he said to one stalwart worker who had enlisted, "so you, too, have become a slave!" The worker retorted: "I had to choose between being a slave for my own country or being one for the Germans, and I ohose my own country." An unsalaried job in the service of the troops at the front awaits one or two oarpenters at the Town Hall. The Mayoress would be glad- of some expert assistance in the evenings in the preparation of the cases that are to contain Christmas gifts for the soldiers. Officers of the E. and A. mail steamer St, Albans, which recently arrived at Sydney, report the disappearance of an island in Eastern waters. On January 25, 1911, a new island appeared at 24.16 degrees north latitude and 141.26 degrees east longitude—that is, about three miles east of South Sulphur Island, in the Western Pacific. For some days prior to the appearance of the island a violent eruption took place in the neighbourhood. The highest point on the island was about 1000 feet above sea level, and it was about six miles in circumference. According to a report submitted to the naval authorities by the captain of the steamer Kayo-Maru, which is regularly plying between Tokio and the Bon'in Islands,, the island has now completely disappeared and no trace of it can be found. The Kayo-Maru passed between South Sulphur Island and the new island on June 29 last, but could discover no trace of the latter. From the fact that the sea in tho vicinity was of an ashy colour, it is presumed that the volcanio ash of which the island was formed has been swept away by the waves. In December, 1904, an island about three miles in circumference appeared at a spot fifteen miles to the north-east of where the new island has just disappeared, but it disappeared in the June of tho following year. Apparently, tho volcanic activity manifested by tho a_ppe.vanco and disappearance of these islands is constantly going on in a oertain area of the Pacific. Mr. T. Cassidy, of the Government Life Insurance Buildings, has now collected £212 7s. lid. for..tho fund for the purchase of walking sticks for disabled soldiers. While on his annual leave, which he dovoted to the purpose, he collected over £120 of the abovenamed sum. Of this amount he secured no less than £72 on the Riccarton racecourse during the progress of th« Grand National Steeplechase Meeting. A trophy captured from the Germans has reached Dunedin, a small piece of the Zoppelin that was shot down at Salonika. It if? an angle of aluminium, about 9in. \ong, weighing only 1407;., but tough enough to stand a strou" pull. This treasure is owned by Mr. W. Stewart, ' of Mornington. He received it from his brother, Mr. H. Stewart, who is on a transport that chanced to bo at Salonika when the troops wore guarding the wrecked framework. At a meeting of the Royal Scandinavian Archaological Society Profossor F. C. C. Hanson, who'has been investigating a. mummy which lias been in Dragsliolm Church for centuries, declares his belief that it is tho Earl of Bothwell, Mary Stuart's husband, who was a prisoner at Dragsholm, and who died in 1578. The professor lias compared the mummy with an old, authenticated picture of tho Earl which has continuously boon in possession of the Bothwell family. The professor stales that it is impossible definitely to prove that tho mummy is the Earl of Bothwell, but ho is personally convinced that it is. The professor's speech has created a great sensation in scien- j tifio- circles in Soahdinavia. • A famous war correspondent ha 9 said that the soldier's mainstay is tea—the beverage that always delights and refresh ps. The most, delicious and refreshing of all teas is Desert Gold, nnd it is vci'v economical in uho. The Household Blend at Is. Bd. and FamMy Blend at Is. 9d. are very popular.- • Extra Special Grades at Is. lOd. and 3s, are superb 1 aualitjj;.—Advt* 1

A memorial service to the late Sur-geon-Major A. A. Martin was conducted at the Opera House, Palmorston North, on Sunday evening. There was a large attendance of military officers and civilians, presided over by Mr. J. A. Nash, Mayor. Sympathetic references were also made in the churches. Mr. John J. Virgo, the national field secretary of the British Y.M.C.A., arrived in Auckland on Sunday on a tour of the Dominion. Mr. Virgo will lecture in the Wellington Town Hall on Sunday next, at 3 p.m. when he will tell of the Y.M.C.A. war work.. Their Excellencies the Governor and Countess of Liverpool will bo present at the meeting. The fact that no draft of Reinforcements has made Lyttelton its final port of call in New Zealand was commented upon by the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr. H. Holland) at a rcoeut meeting of the City Council. The Mayor was authorised by the council to write fo the Minister of Defence, the Hon. James Allen, with a request that sonis future draft should bo permitted to depart finally from Chrisfcchurch. Mr. Allen passed through ChristchuTch on Thursday, and,, referring to the subject, remarked that lie regretted $iat no definite promise oou.ld be given in the matter, much as ho would like to see Christchuroh. mado the final town of call for a future draft. Mr. Allen added that it had on one occasion been found necessary to disappoint Auckland, after that city had been promised part of one draft, and. lie did not wish to seo Christchurch similarly disappointed. JJ it were found possible for a Reinforcement, to leave Christchuroh, such a course wou!3 be adopted, but as far as the present "time-table" went he could give no promise. That things are not always what they seem was illustrated in a somewhat amusing manner in Christohuroh. - A well-known. solicitor-criokoter-patriot was sitting in his office talking with a couple of bosom' friends when he received a telephone call. _ Puttine the receiver to his oar he listened tor a few moments, and then said, "Very well, I will take five' bob's worth." The two friends sniffing a.good.double, and knowing their sporting* friend waa generally possessed of "inside information," chipped in hurriedly, "We'll take five bob's worth, too ——." —— (quickly dropping to the mistake) lost no time in. breathing into the transmitter, "Are you there, ? You may send round fifteen.. shillings', worth." " Needless to say -— '■ lost no time in executing the order, and in a few minutes-the three friends received a parcel containing fifteen shillings' worth of picture show tickets for a benefit to the Riooarton Cricket Club. The two visitors parted with their five shillings each, and, being good sports, thought the ]oke was cheap at the money.

The sale and .display of -miniature ensigns was again a feature of the proceedings when the second, half: of the Seventeenth Reinforcements- marched through the City yesterday, and one that imparted a bright touch of colour in scenes both in the streets and at the wharf. As on the occasion of, the march of the last draft, the Citizens Soldiers' Christmas Gift Fund Committeo arranged for the sale of flags, Ihe actual work of the sale was undertaken by the.staff of the D.I.C. through the agency of Mr. Sraim, manager of that firm.. The total number of flags sold was considerable. Nearly every soldier had one, and they were carried also by a large'proportion of the onlookers, partioukrly.the children. As one result an appreciable action should bo. made to the fund for Christmas gifts'; "Washing your dirty linen jn public is a phrase that should never be used in refined society, unless it is WW"? expressed to impress the fact that Ho Rubbing Laundry Help' washes all diity linen spotlessly clean Tflthcut rubbine or injury. "And so say all of us! Wellington Grocers.—Advt.