LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2896, 7 October 1916, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal authorities advise that the mails which left Now Zealand on August 10 arrived in London on the night of October 2. . The University of New Zealand has received a cablegram from the Secretary of the jßliodes Trust authorising the Committee to select an additional ;Ithodes scholar at the next election,, in December. This is to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Lieut. A. Hudson, the scholar elected .in 1915, who was killed in action as a member of the New Zealand- Expeditionary Forces. .

General -ltobiu, Commandant of the New Zealand Forces, has returned from the South Island, "-where* '*he- ,i! visited Chidstchureh-;- Du-netTmj- : inid other- centre, 3 for; the:-purpose. ofSftenduigz'ti) defence "tbtolocdl ■recruiting organisations-. He found agenerally satisfactory condition- of affairs with regard to recruiting. Some of the commitces in the South Island are disposed to demand the.immediate application of the powers of compulsion contained in the Military Servico Act, but for the most part the' committees are -continuing' their work actively, and the' rate' of-recruiting appears to hare improved to somo extent. Goueral Bohiii was able to explain why immediate compulsion was not practicable, and to urge that efforts to secure voluntary recruits should be continued in the meantime^

Inquiries were made at the Labour Department .yesterday on the subject of the demand for farm -labour.' The information given wa s to the effect that

there, wcro not many men offering in Wellington for farm work, but that the two who applied last week wore both plared. However,' though it-' has lieen stated that the farmers need'workers, the Department has not been so informed, and it thinks that if.-'nleu are really wanted in the rural districts the Department is the place where inquiries should be made. ''What we need in this country is to lra've bur political life, touched by, larger issues," said ono of the speakers Bt last night's Round Table meeting."Some of us felt shame a little while

ago when the main' issue "of our' politi; cal life was'''an iuvcstigatioii: into' the notes of a. student of German grammar. No more farcical discussion had been undertaken. by a body of men since ,_the Pielnvick Club. ,con ( sk]o^ftd : th¥-" , famous inscription* 'Bit'-Stumps; l ' Flis Mark.' " ' '

The most interesting section of the Southern Alps, shown .. in ■ pictures '-at - , the King's Theatre, yesterday morning, discloses the fact- that.iivnomenclature the district Jsa ■.-writable:-AustrorG exilian ''fatherland." Such names as "Franz Josef," "Hochstetter," "Mueller," and "Unser Fritz" appear to abound, and it was freely'suggested by several higbly-piaced Government officials present at -yesterday's exhibition that the names, ahonld be changed without further ado. It. was-suggested, by one gentleman that much more euphonious and significant appellations could be given the various peaks and-glacien were Maori names selected to replace the enemy titles they now hear.- To send o.ut such a film as that shown ve'sterday, • freely labelled with 'Gerinan names,, would have an effect the reverse of pleasing in other British Dominions .and the Allied countries.

■ Some fine .samples .of the Avocado pear, '(alligator'pear) .plants' in their infancy- were" brought, from. Papeete, bv the. Moana yesterday. . ..These 1 plant's liive an ornamental as-well as a bo tanical value .in these, latitudes, where, it is too cold'for thelii : to grow. The. seed is almost as big a_s a billiard ball-j but oval -in shape, and it is custnmarv' ■to; suspend it in a glass of water or a - vase, supported 011 each side bv small pieces - of wood. When placed half in and half out of the water the great seed gradually cracks at the end out of water, and a strong stem shoot«- up ; ,. sometimes two feet in. height, sending out. leaves at the top; The - avocado pear is a juicy,- -edible.-.fruit, - .'-' irlrieh' reaches the -size of' -our/large'st- ordinary pears. It is'found in-the West' Indies, Central America, -and hns been successfully cultivated in Tahiti.

Til the Magistrate's Court at Hawera yesterday, Atliol Fra.ser M'Lean. a letter-carrier, pleaded guilty,to a charge of having secreted postal packets, awl was committed to tlio '.Supremo Court for sentence— Press Association.

. "Washing your dirty linen in public" is a phrase that should sever bo used in refined society, unless it is expressly ■expressed, to impress the fact that "No •KußbiM- .Laundry Help"' washes 'all dirty 11 lion spotlessly:'cloatt nitliouV rubbing; or injury. "And so say all of us!" Wellington Grocers.—Advt..

" Messrs; A. L. Wilson aii'd "Coroffered' by auction at their land mart yesterday .■'afternoon a- property' situated at Hoxburgli Street, known.as No. 32,-hav-ing seven rooms, erected' on a' section witli an area of 25.3 perches." Bidding started at £700, and after keen competition the property was sold for the sum of £1100.

Miss Jessie Inglis., a Christchurch lady, who has spent, fifteen -years in India in .the .service of the- London Missionary Society," and' the Ret-. George J. Williams (the. society's Australasian organising agent) are this rear's deputation to New Zealand on behalf of the London Missionary Society. They will commence a series of meetings in the Congregational Churches to-morrow. Mr. Williams has recently returned from a nine months', visit to Polynesia'and Papua, arid hn-s gathered some ..interesting facts'-'.wi.th regard to the C-ook Islands, Samoa, and New Guinea.

During last week thirty-four men applied to the State Labour Bureau in Wellington for .assista.uc.o. .to. employment. -With the 'exception...of five.'..ail ""gfe general labourers. _ Altogether work was found for twenty-seven, and of these eighteen were secured privateemployment.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will move at the New Zealand Conference that the .unsatisfactory: state of the bankruptcy law ill New Zealand be'again .pointed out to the government, and that it be urged to ampnd the Bankruptcy Act by giving effect to the "recommendation of tho conference' of New Zealand Chambers of Commerce held in 1909.

The Bov. H. Cotton), of Pahiatua, was unanimously invited by the Methodist Church officers at tho quarterly meeting .on Wednesday to remain a second, term at Pahiatua. The invitation was accepted, subject to the approval of the annual conference in February next. Appreciative references were made to the work of Mr. Cottom since his arrival. Messrs. J. J. Boagey. and E; ,S; Hoklawav were appointed, delegates....to Synod, at Palmerstori , North',' next month', and tho substitutes. ' elected were; Mr. and Mrs. J. A.-Sinclair,-of-Ballance.

v ■ -^', e Magistrate's Court .yesterday, Albert William Westrupp",' 'John Carlsonj""and Fritz' BeiersenJ 'seamen-,--of-steamer Opawa,;.plqaded-guilty. ~to several charges of cargo-broaching, and \vere'committed t-o the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence. "

■ The Auckland Education Board has decided to send to the Education Department another fourth from the board —against the' anomaly by. which a married teacher who joins the Expeditionary Forces as an officer receives from the Department a'n allowance ' amounting to the difference beteen his military pay and one and a quarter times his salary as a teacher, while a teacher -who enlists as a private or non-commissioned officer receives 110 allowance at all from the Department. A letter was received i'rom the Department stating that it had been decided to make an allowance to married teachers with the Forces who were granted commissions after enlisting and before leaving the Dominion. This allowance would be tho same as in the case of the married teachers who joined as officers, and would bo paid from the date of the granting of the commission.

The Boy Scout troops of Wellington and suburbs will march from the General Post Office to the Basin Reserve to take part .in : the ■ gathering for the benefit of the Christmas Gifts Fund. Tho march will commence at 2.30.

Pupils of the Chilton House School for girls have forwarded the 6um of £20 to "Onr Day Red Cross Fund." The treasurer of the fund; Mr. James Macintosh, Accountants' Building, Johnston Street, will receive further, donations. -

Advice Was receiyecL yesterday',, by. a. x®. 'that lier husband. Mr,.Ernest' /Alfred: Le Croh, oii 'September 21. ,/'The deceased^'left New Zealand as quartermastci'-ser-geant with F Company, Tenth Reinforcements, and served with the New Zealanders through all their campaign in France. Mr. Lo' Cren leaves a wife and two sons, tho elder. Sergeant H. E. Lo Cren, Trentham, who, served ■with the Samoan Advance Party, being invalided home; and tho younger, Tro.opor L. W. .Lc Cren, who is serving with the' Forces in France, having left Now Zealand with B Squadron, Ninth Reinforcements.

• Mr. and Mrs. Andrew • Collins, of Island Bay, liave been advised of the deatli of their son Hugh, a gunner with tho Eighth Artillery, who was killed in action on September 20. Tiie lato Gunner .Collins was an accountant in Messrs. G. X H. Scales and Co.'s shipping office. . Mr. .Oollins and family have liad a series of misfortunes', all occurring within a period of a fewdays. In addition to the death above noted, another son, RicFiarJ, was. wounded in the, same action,'and is now in hospital-in London, and a. daughter-in-law, Mrs. J. W. Collins, died suddenly' while on a visit to' Christclnircli recently. . A third son, the eldest, is now en routs til t he front, with the Sixteenth Reinforce- | merits. .-•■ ,- ■ |

News has come through from the .front that Sergeant R..'W. L..Fox, Bth Southland Company,.' 2nd .Otago Infill; I try, has been killed in action.' The late Sergeant Fox was an officer of tho NewZealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Goi', -iLtd., in • Wellington'/ for .several years. He was oh'diity 'a'E' th'e'local forts for some months after the outbreak of war, and afterwards went 'abroad on active service.'. He' H'4's; deservedly esteemed by his feßow employees, who have learned of his decease with deep,- regret.-■ He .-leaves; a widowed mother resident in-Welling-; toil.

-.- Messrs. Baldwin and Rayward, pa.teul attorneys and consulting engineers,' ol 215 Lambton Quay, report that recently tbey. acted as. agents in filing tile following applications for letters patent in. jPfeyr ZealandJ. 'E.' Robertson, Palrrterston, administering drenches; E'. ;E. Lush, Featherston, dress hook; J. Rose, Melbourne,' weather boards; R; Fenenga, The Hague, check valves; F. Taylor, Auckland, resilient wheel; Frcngley and Prouse, Wellington, c:ilipliont; E. Roscoe, Auckland, stoppingplace indicator; J. S. Maclaurin, Wellington, treating kauri gum; J. Knowlson, Melbourne, concrete building; J. Pearson, Auckland, plough; H. Weatherall, Roxburgh, destroying rabbits; W. J. .Fountain, Auckland,'--displaying musio. ... ... . ..