LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2920, 4 November 1916, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Two soldiers suffering from cerebrospinal meningitis ; and one man suffering from pneumonia were stated' to lie seriously ill in ,the military hospitals yesterday. Many cases of influenza had. been reported among the men of the Twenty-first Eeinforeements, now at Featherston.

Two deaths from diphtheria occurred iu Napier yesterday, says our Napier correspondent, one patient being a child and the other a middle-aged female. In addition a child "died from cerebrospinal meningitis.

; Am importph> step iii- the -direetion»of daylight saving ha.s- becn taken, by. tli6 combined wholesale soft goods, and woollen houses in Wellington-and Auckland. Without exception all the houses interested in these trades have decided to open their warehouses half an hour earlier in the morning, and close at 4.30 p.m. These altered hours 'will bo observed till March 31. Speaking to a Dominion reporter yesterday, a manager of a well-known, warehouse said, "It is to bo .regretted that tho Government did not pass a measure dealing with the question at tho time that daylight saving was adopted in Great Britain and parts of Australia, as the advantages from an economic and physical point of view are great. Tho action of the wholesale houses in Wellington and Auckland will be much' appreciated by many hundreds of employees." '

Tho rccent visit of a Japaneso training squadron to New Zealand ports is mentioned in a dispatch received by His Excellency" the Governor from the Colonial Secretary. "According to a communication 1 have received from tho Minister of' Marine," says tho Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs in a letter to the British Ambassador in Tokio, "this squadron enjoyed at each port at which it called in New Zealand great facilities, and was moreover tlie re-; cipient of enthusiastic welcomes from the local officials and populace. I should accordingly be glad if Your Excellency would be .good enough, to. take the proper measures to convey to the competeUt. authorities the. deep gratitude of the Imperial 'Government for the cordial 'response, of British officials and people in each of tho districts mentioned above."

As the s.s. Riverina. has been delayed in Sydney for some days heyond the advertised date of sailing, the Paul Diifanlf Concert Party will- not he able to appear on the advertised date's (November B,' 0; 11): ' Tho concerts are therefore postponed until .November 11, 13, and 14.

To suit the convenience of the public who desire to visit Trentham camp, tho Railway Repartment .announce that, commencing tormorrow, additional Sunday .trains for.Trentham Trill leave To Aro .at 1.25 and Wellington at. 1.33 and 2' p.m. Retuni trains will leave Trentham .'for .Wellington, .at 4.52 and 6.8 p.m. .

This year the net proceeds of the Napier Mardi Gras will he devoted to assisting the fund for the establishment of a Maternity Ward in Napier.

"N'o less than 900 deaths -from cancer were recorded in New Zealand in the .year-1915-1916," said Dr. T. A. Valintiiie, Chief Dominion .Health- Officer, in a letter- received from him-'by the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.* In asking for the co-opera-tion of the board in combating _ the dread disease, Dr. Valintins pointed out that the number of deaths was the highest on record, though it was just possible,;.he said, that'the a'bnormal 'inerease was moro apparent than real. Nevertheless it was desirable that there should lie united action between hospital hoards, the medical profession, and the Department with a view to stemming the ever-increasing mortality. . It would bo advisable to "draw' the attention of the public to the fact that the out-patients' department of hospitals of the Dominion were open to the public for the purpose of; consults-, t.ion and advice, as veil as for treatment. "Many a casfr," said the doctor'; • "could have been arrested ami cured had it been taken'in tirno. Jnconclusion, it was suggested that suit--able medical men shonldl be appointedto give lectures in regard to canccr. The letter was sent to the Finance Committee.

Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, the Coroner, held, an adjourned inquest yesterday concerning the death of Agnes Robertson, a single woman, who was found dead in a whare at Paremata. A postmortem examination was held, ana according to the medical evidence "Agnes Robertson, while stupefied by alcohol, was suffocated."

Owing to recent unseasonable wea-ther-having lm-d the effect of retarding the usual forwardness of flowering plants generally, the committee of the Wellington Rose and Carration Club has decided to postpone the date of the club's spring show, to bs held at the Town Hall, from- November 15 to Wednesday, November 22.

_ Some remarks "of interest'to the public as well as publicans were made hy the Magistrate, Mr. Hewitt, S.M.", when convicting a- AVanganui licensee in connection! with a recent anti-shouting-' prosecution. The.evidence showed that defendant had not posted notices in his bar, and His Worship said he consid r ered that defendant had failed in his duty. If he had -posted notices clearly setting out in type the provisions'- of the regulations in regard to anti-treat-mg, and also setting out the penalties l 'people were liable to, both the public, and the banhaid (who was convicted for permitting-'-'shouting") would have been warned, and that would have bad/ a tendency to prevent broaches of the law. In this case there was more than one bar, and it was less easy to'exercise personal control. His Worship, | fined the defendant £2, with costs (£3. I 35.). On tho application of Mr. Cohen, tho fine was increased to £5 Is., in order that tho judgment..might..be appealed against.

The Auckland City • Council has refused to grant a license to Everybody's Picture Theatre, one of the newest and most modern in Oueen Street, on the recommendation of tho Superintendent of the Fire Brigade and the Chief Building Inspector. This is the outcomo of- tho dispute in regard to .the refreshment lounge, • through which patrons have to pass when going from the 6treet to tlie picture hall.—Press Association.

The Pacific Hotel, tho first hotel erected in Grahamstown, was destroyed by fire early yesterday morning, states a Press Association message from Thames. It was a large wooden building, owned by Mr. Joseph. Howard, of Auckland. The licensee, Mr. J. Price, and his family had a narrow escape. Nothing was_ saved. It was calm weather, otherwise there-would have been a serious conflagration. The adjoining buildings'were only scorched, the .brigade's efforts.to confine the lire to-.its source'being successful.

At tho Christchurcli Magistrate's Court yesterday, -Arthur . Muchamp Waddington, charged with stealing gas from the Gas Company, was fined £10 and l costs. —Press Association.

7nSN T ovember 23 the Conciliation Council will deal with the Typographical Union's dispute. Yesterday, the Newspaper Proprietors' Union of Employers filed their claim with respect to wages and conditions. There is no alteration in the scale of wages, but the employers stipulate for forty-eight hours work a week- instead of fortytwo, and-that work on Saturday night editions shall be paid for at the rate of 2s. 6d. per hour on time, or at piecework rates at the option of the employer.

With a view to commemorating in Gome practical way the services rendered by Sergeant E. J. Carey (killed in action) to the Labour movement, it was decided at a recent meeting of the Wellington Tracles and Labour Council to approach unions throughout New Zealand. At tho same meeting a motion expressing regret at Sergeant Carey's death was carried. Sincere sympathy was also expressed with Mrs, Carey and other members of the family.

The misunderstanding which arose as to the date, oii "which Lord Nelson's one-time was wrecked, lias now heen cleared lip. Mr. 15. Bezar gave tho year of the wreck as 1797, citing as his authority tho inscri]>tion on a stick made of Foudroyant oak which is in his possession. The accuracy of his statement being challenged, lie examined the inscription carefully, and found that it in' fact names 1897 as the year of the wreck. AUt Bezar is getting on in _years, and Ise vision is not as clear as in tho days when he fought-in the Crimea and other • old-time theatres of war. This, with the fact that tho figures of the date in the inscription are not very legible, accounts for his mistake. Tt was only by making use'of a magnifving glass that he was enabled to read the date aright.

Amongst tho curios at the sMc of bottles collected by Duncdin school children was a cork-mouthcd stono ginger-beer bottle branded "Thomson and Co., Stafford Street,. Duncdin, 1866.".. TJiis its original owners secured for £10 10s., says the "Star." The "smallest bottTo in. New .Zealand," a tiny phial, with;-a holding capacity of, 9 minims, went to Mr. Arthur.Geddes for £2 155., and a. live-gallon jrlasß retort and recoiver (imported in the early davs_ as portion of the a'Ssay plant of a. mining syndicate proposing to work Harbour Cone for g'ftld), presented by, Jl'Pherson, ICemp and Co.. went, after keen competition, to Mr. Charles Speight for £16. Mr. bought a model ship enolosed in a whisky bottle for .CI. * * - * -

The spirit of economy was very' active at the last- meeting of the Lvttelton Harbour. Board. A member suggested that copies of .reports,- "supplied to members previous 'to meetings should bo posted in open envelopes, instead of m seale'd envelopes as at present. The secretary explained that the saving would be id. per memberper month, and when it was explained that some of the reports contained information that it might be wise to' consider confidential the board agreed to continue its-present policy.-•; ''

Representatives -of the Christchurch General Labourers' -Union-' 'aliil tho Builders' and , Ceritractors'''' Association met oti Tuesday evening to discuss claims' put forward, by the union- for a riew award. No agreement was reached, and the' union will "cite -tlie employers to appear before tlie Conciliation Council. December 4 has Wn fixed as the date of hearing. The minimum wage asked by the union is Is. 4}d. per hour, witb ail additional. 2s. per day for country work. -

Tli© season for Stewart Isljmd oystersclosed on Wednesday. "' The supply of.' shellfish from Fbyeaii k Strait lias', however, been very limited duririg'tlie past fortnight-, owing to the fact tliat the season has been an early one, and the oysters are not now in the best of condition for eating. The season opened on March. I—previouslyl—previously it used to open on February 1. Tlie rock, oyster season, which opened on May 1, : closed at the end of last mouth.

Invalided soldiers ivho have recently reached New Zealand are wearing on their shoulders, beneath the brass chevrons, a strip of r«l- ribbon. Somo rather extraordinary interpretations have been placed upon this ribbon by: people who are not acquainted with the facts, and a certain amount of annoyance has been caused to the soldiers in consequence. The red ribbon means simply that t-lio man has been declared permanently, unfit in the military sense, but has not yet received his discharge.■ It is a badge of -honourable service,, which lias long been familiar in the Dnited Kingdom. A blue ribbon Under tho chevrons is stated to mean that the man is temporarily unfit in conse-. quenco of wounds or sickness, but sincc only the men considored to be incapable of further services in the present war are returned to New Zealand theblue ribhon lias not made its appearance here.