LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2893, 4 October 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A mischievous rumour has been in very general circulation that the transport Tahiti has met with disaster. Tho Tahiti is believed to be on her way back to New Zealand. The Defence Minister stated yesterday that he had no news of any mishap to the Tahiti or any other New Zealand transport., Ho believed that tho Tahiti was safe; and on her way back to New Zealand, having landed her complement of troops at their destination. The Minister of Internal. Affairs advises that a cablegram has been received from tho 'Canadian Government stating that passports aro not neces"sary to enable passengers from New Zealand to enter the Dominion of Canada. "I am satisfied that, if wo aro to hold our own against Germany and against America after this war we liavo got to see that our boys and girls, receive vocational education, .such as will fit them for their mature years, and take, tho best out of them in their mature years/' remarked tho Hon. J. G. W. Altken at last.ovening's meoling of tho Wellington Technical Edu-

cation/Board. Tlioro aro between 1800 and 1900 students attending the Wellington Technical School, • ..

, Representatives of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Club and the New Zealand Natives' Association have conferred during the last days concerning the proposal of the association to establish a club for returned soldiers as a memorial to the men who have fallen at> the front. The conference did not reach a basis of agreement, and the following resolution lias been adopted by the committee of the existing club:—"That the committee of the Returned Soldiers' Clubhouse Society, whilst recognising the admirable work , done by the.Now Zealand Natives' Association, and sympathising with the idea of providing a memorial to our soldiers, are of opinion that the comfort and •convenience of the returned soldiers will bd better answered by the public support being extended to the club now in existence, which has already done sucli good work in the interests of tlioso who have returned from the war. They regret, thorofore,-that they cannot see their way to work in co-operation with the New Zealand Natives' Association so far as that association's proposal involves ' a scheme in the nature of a club for returned soldiers." ■ , "We have had the Ministers' sympathy several times, but we have never had their cash," said Mr. 6. Frost, chairman of the Wellington Technical Education Board, last night, when the board decided to again place before the Minister the fact of the "disgraceful Tack of accommodation" at the Wellington Technical School. The Hon. J. G. W. Aitken romarked that. ho had noticed a. statement which indicated that the Minister intended to increase the number of technical students. In Wellington there was no accommodation for more students, and if the Minister increased the number he should be j*iven 'to understand that he must provide a place for them. The disappearance at sea ou Sunday afternoon last of an able seaman of the cargo steamer Waihonio, from .San Francisco, was reported by the captain on arrival at Wellington yesterday. The man was R. H. Owen, a Welshman, about 80 years of age, andi he was last geen alive at 3.15 p.m. on Sunday. The ship was searched but without result, jjnd it is tho opinion that the unfortunate man fell overboard and was} drowned. During the voyage through the tropics deceased was in.the habit of taking sun baths, and in consequence he was badly burnt. It is thought that ho had a touich of' isunstroke, as his conduct shortly before his "disappearance was somewhat strange, although in. talking to 3iis mates ho appeared perfectly rational. . >. ' Those in touch with tho matter of providing stenographers and typists for the business houses state that at present -there is a great dearth in Wellington .of girls capablo of filling such situations. Councillor A. W. C. Palmer intends to move as follows at the next meeting of the Onslow Borough Council"This council give its support to any movement that will bring_ about _ legislation to give municipal bodies tho power to inspect interiors of houses for tho purpose of keeping such in-, terlors in a sanitary, condition." Colonel Logan reports on the health of the troops at Samoa as follows, under date of Soptember 29:—"Privates W. Alexander, ventral, hernia: W. Young,.vertigo; Bathbone, colitis." On Monday last, 60 years tober .2, 1856 —tlia wooden barque Strathmore, of 450 tons, arrived at Port Chalmers, after a voyage of 98 days from St. Katherine's Docks. She carried I§o passengers, among whom were Sir Joku Richardson (afterwards Superintendent of Otago), Dr. Hulme (for many years hospital • dootor in IJunedm), ; .Mr. _ Colin Allan (who became immigration officer in Dimedin), and Dr. John Hislop (afterwards Secretary.'of Education). 1 - -. A. soldier at the front writes as follows to relatives in Christchurch:— '"Bhoy l will'seem" to you reading the lists to be very heavy, but everything goes iutq the casualty- report. A fellow.has t-o be careful of a stomach-ache from over-eating, as, if he dares to mention it, : someono will report him sick, and it- will cost him a cablegram -to Now Zealand to say 'lie ain't.' I_ came across 1 one of the funniest incidents the other day. A bombardier in tihe sanie. batch as I am in, who has some Maori Wood in him, was incorrectly rumoured to have been killed. Ho was'very popular and well known, and some of the Pioneers (Maoris)' held a tangi in his honour. A few da-ys_ after, one of the lads who had done him honour met him face to face _in a trench, and went quite wild to find him still alive, as he had done .14 days for getting tight, and all to no pui^ose."

The capital entertainment- given by the Savage Club in the Town Hall oil Saturday evening last vneldM the gross total of £140, which, will.be equally divided between the Mayoress's Christmas Gift.Fund for Soldiers, and the. War.Relief Association. -

.. Ernest Charles Jewell Devoin, who was on Monday found guilty of manslaughter, will come up for sentence m the Supreme Court this morning before Mr. Justice Chapman.

The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr. "W. H. Sagger, has left for Blenheim to hear the Marlborough Agricultural and Pastoral Workers' dispute, and the Marlborough Farm and Station Employees' dispute.

The Principal Medical Officer at' Featherston thanks Mrs. (Lieut.-Colonel) Adams for the gift of a piano for the use of patients at the Featherston Military Hospital.

North. Island'fanners will be represented at a meeting which is to be held in Christchurch to-day for the consideration of matters connected jvith the commandeering of New Zealand meat by the Government. This meeting has been called by the Canterbury Sheepowners' Union and the Worth Canterbury Sheepfarmers' Freezing Company, and resolutions will be proposed calling upon the Government to secure increased prices for New Zealand meat, in view of the large difference between the price paid the-New ?, eal S d ./ a ™ e f a ? d tbe retail price in the United Kingdom. 'Similar meetings are to be held in Timaru and Dunedm shortly, unless the prices paid by the Government are increased. No confirmation-was available in local commercial circles yesterday of the report that an increase in prices has been decided upon, though there appeared to be a general expectation that the Imperial authorities would consent to some changes in ifavour of the produc-

A refutation of an Auckland report regarding the appointment of the Military Service Board for that district was made by, tho Hon. J. .Allen yesterday. "Some people in Auckland seem to havo the idea," said Mr Allen, "that' the names of the Labour men lvoro not considered because of'tlie deputation which came to me in Auckland, and of the subsequent attitude ot the Labour people there. • I want to say that this is quito incorrect, iiio two Labour men were considered, m",. probability one of them would have been appointed but for the fact that botli of the men whoso names were submitted to us were of military a - -They, therefore did not' comply with the conditions wo had laid down. The two men wero Messrs. Edward Phelan, of the Timber "Workers' Union, and George Davis, secretary of the Drivers' Union in Auckland. AVo could not appoint oitber of them for tho reasons I havo-given." ■

Statisticians have calculated thai: tho people of Now Zealand drink 600 million cups of toa in a year.- Those who enjoy their ton. most drink Desert Gold, tho Quee'n ot' Teas, and tho best va.luo obtainable.' Your grocor sells Desert Gold Jl'eai—: Adyt.

. Seventeen men belonging to.H.M.S. Pyramus, who are on leave, returned to Lyttelton by the Mararoa 'yesterday. - They received a hearty welcome at tho port from Mr. W. Radcliffo, the Mayor, and a, large crowd 'of friends and relatives.—Pross Association. ,

Owing to a fracture of the wheel shaft outside the power-house of tlie Karori-Kelburn Tramway Company, the cars stopped running at 3.45 p.ru. yesterday, and as tho result many Kelburn residents had to walk up tho bill, either through the tunnels or by road last evening. It is anticipated that the icars _ will be running again this morning.