LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2922, 7 November 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The- Postal authorities advise that the s.s. Wimmcra, which sailed from Melbourne on November 4 tor Wellington is bringing Australian, also English nmils, via Suez, and is due hero on Thursday.

Private advices received by a cablegram, states a Press Association message from Auckland, contain information that Sorgt.i'W. Oldham, of Auckland, has been awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the recent advance on tho Sommo. Sergt. Oldham, who is n, native of Auckland, and about 35 years of age, was in the employment of the • Northern Steamship Company for eomo time beforo his enlistment.

Up to the present time tho total number of men in New Zealand Vho have been granted exemption from military service on tho ground of employment in some indispensable industry is 406, states the Hon. Arthur M. Myers, Minister in Charge of Munitions and Supplies. He explains further that the greater number of men so exempted will have their cases reconsidered at tho beginning of next year, as exemption is only granted till the end of the presont year. —Auckland "Star."

Two more cases of diphtheria wbtb yesterday reported in Napier, says our special correspondent. The epidemio does not yet show any signs of abating.

The total amount tallied by Mr. ,Tas. M'lntosh, treasurer of the "Our Day" Fund, up to yesterday afternoon was £5697 Is. lid.

The> census returns show that there are 1287 inhabitants dwelling in Masterton, compared with 1146 in 1911.

The Secretary, General Post Office, has been advised by the International Bureau of tho Telegraph" Union, that Central European time was reverted to in Portugal on November 1.

The Acting Postmaster-General announces that tho British Post Office agencies in China,., with the exception of that of Wei-hai-wei, have been with-, drawn from the Imperial penny postage scheme. AVei-hai-wei depends npon the separate posJ office of HongKong. The postage to all places in China, excepting Hong-Kong- and Woi-hai-wei, is now 21d. the oz. for letters.

"These men do not live; neither do they die: they merely exist," remarked Mr ; P. iW. Jackson in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, during a discussion of. what weekly payments should be entered against a man who had £3 per week to keep a family on.

Tho judgments of the Judges of tho Supreme Court who heard the buttertest case are to be delivered to-morrow morning.

Respecting the criminal session of tho Supreme Court which opened yesterday it is announced that all prisoners who pleaded guilty in tha Magistrate's Court will Be brought up for sentence this morning.

Notice has been given by Mr. F. T. Moore to move, at the next meeting of tlia Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, to the following effect:—"That no goods bo purcßased or tender tor the supply of same be accepted from any firm that has failed to properly execute a military contract."

"That the Government be urged to take immediate action for the regulation of enemy trade after the war" was the wording of a resolution recently passed by the New Zealand Employers' Federation, and sent on to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

The Defence authorities have informed the Advisory Board of the New Zealand Patriotic Societies that when relief is granted to a soldier an endorsement may be made on the book-cover of the paybook. The endorsement will be in a simple form, thus, "Wellington, November 1, 1916," and will not contain detailed information. It will be merely an indication that the man has already received relief from a particular district, and will help the various societies to check exploitation.

The circular-letter from the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce urging support to the suggestion that prison labour should bo utilised for the making and improving of arterial roads in the Dominion, came before the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday. After the letter had been read, Mr. W. Bridson asked: "What do they mean by prison labour —does it include interned Germans?" / There was no answer to the question, and it was decided to refer the matter to the conference of Chambers of Commerce, to be held later in the month.

Tho administration of the money subscribed for comforts for sick and wounded New Zealand soldiers, wherever located, has up till lately been in the hands of the High Commissioner and the New Zealand War Contingent Association in England. Now, however, comforts for Egypt are remitted from here direct, this being a reversion to the practice current when our soldiers were in Gallipoli. Some time ago the Defence Minister requested the High Commissioner to forward, if General Richardson approved, supplies of tinned fruit, meat, etc.. for the hospitals in Egypt. General Richardson did approve, and supplies were sent, Also £200 was cabled to meet immediate requirements.

The annual meeting of tho Wellington War Relief Association will be held in the Council Chamber of tho Town Hall on Dccembor 13 next.

When the House was sitting a good was hoard of complaints alleged to have been made by certain soldiers about tilts food on Transport No. 49. The charges were refuted at tho timo, but were repeated. The Defence Minister lias 311 st received tho following unsolicited letter 011 the subject from Chaplain Neil 0. White:—"As a chaplain not prejudiced in any way, I would like to say that tlie criticism about the food and the dininghalls is very much exaggerated, to my mind at least. Of course, there were bad meals, but the mon were well satisfied on tho whole. I base my judgment on porsonal observation, and ou thousands of letters censored by mc, 90 per cent, of which showed great satisfaction."

Messrs. Bnnnatyiie and Hunter nre wliolesnlo nrant.s for "The Thinkers' FaTourito" Writing Tablets, School Exerci6eß, and Note Books. The "Thinker" brand is now tho favourite throughout New Zealand.—Mrt.

Mr. W. H. Beetham has donated to the Wairarana Caledonian Society a handsome shield for Boy Scout competitions.

A deputation from Masterton will wait upon the Commandant of the Featherston Camp to-day and ask that Saturday troop trains be run to Masterton during the summer months.

About half a dozen local authorities have already intimated their intention of sending delegates to the conference to be held in Masterton on November 17 to discuss the question of a hydroelectric power scheme for the Wairarapa.

''The committee has met on nine occasions since the last meeting of tho executive, and has dealt with 190 applications for assistance," stated a report presented to the executive of the Wellington AVar Belief Association at a meeting held yesterday. "Numerous applicants find themselves in financial difficulties immediately the husband enlists, and require assistance until the separation and children's allowances and husband's first pay are received. With a view of arranging advances in certain approved cases against the Defence moneys, the chairman (Mr. \V. Ferguson) and Mr. J. Hutchesori interviewed tho Minister of Defence, who has promised to look into the matter." The executive was informed that the funds of the association at the present time amount to £80,128 12s, 9d.

A man named Ballinger, who is stated to have come from Martinborougii a few days ago; was knocked down by a tramcar outside the Bank of Now South.Wales at about 3.30 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The injuries received ivore of a severe nature, and after elementary first aid had boon rendered the injured man was removed to the Hospital. Later in the evening ho was reported to be in a semiconscious condition. 'A special session of the executivo council of the New Zealand Seamen's Union will be held in Welington towards the end of this month to receive the report of Ihe delegates who represented tho union at the Australian conference, and to decido on a course of action in accordance with the recommendations of that conference.

Roplyiiig to a complaint from tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce about inconvenience being caused through ' shortage of staff at the G.P.O. Savings Bank, the Secretary of the Department (Mr. W. R. Morris) has writen to say that two additional tellers were placed in tho Money-order and Savings Bank some considerable time ago, and that no change has been made in tho arrangement then made. "Taking into consideration the fact that the staff of the P. and T. Department has been seriously depleted by the absence of over 1200 trained officers," wrote Mr. Morris, "I consider that at the present time the service Tendered to the public by the Department is an excellent one, and I think in , view of this fact that your Chamber is hardly justified in alleging inconvenience to the public when the basis for thc_ statement is apparently the single visit of one of your members to the office. There must be times, at every busy counter, when the number of callers is more than the tollers can attend to promptly, but that would not be sufficient justification for the Department, at a time like this, to place a larger number of tellers at the counter than is required to cope with the daily work."

The., Official Year Book of the Commonwealth' of Australia for 1916, and 1 embracing statistics from 1901-1915, is to hand. The volume, which, as the years pass, is rapidly swelling, is now a fairly bulky tome of excellently ar-ranged,-interesting, and -informative matter, o-elating to all departments and activities of the Commonwealth. The Year Book is compiled by Mr. G. H. Knibbs, C.M.G., Commonwealth Statistician, and its general/arranger ment shows: —(i) The development of the individual States, (ii) The progress of Australia as a whole from the earliest times, (iii) The statistical comparison of Australia with otber leading countries of the world _ ; The present issue contains an interesting and useful account of Australian "Grasses and Saltbushes," while the section on "Mining" embraces a special article dealing with the distribution, qualities, etc., of the building stones of Australia.

A very plucky rescue -wag made by. a Marlborough Sounds young lady off the .end of the Havelock wharf one night last week (writes tie correspondent of a Marlborough paper). On Teaching the landing steps to Tetura. to her home, across the bay, Miss I. Hutchinson heard a splashing, and discovered that a man was struggling in the water a few yards away. She had a little girl of about six years -with her, but immediately pushed out in her dinghy to the rescue. Owing to the man's exhausted candition. she found tliat she could do nothing more than support his head ouf'of fie water. Getting no. response to her calls for help, Miss Hutchinson told the child to go back towards town and tell the first person she met of what had happened. The little girl went baok in the darkness, and carried out her errand so well that assistance was eoon at hand. The man ; was taken out of the water in an ex-! hausted condition, and taken to HaveJock. He proved l to be a fishermannamed Fred Baker. He had apparently fallen from his launch, and would 1 certainly have been drowned but for Miss Hutchinson's timely aid. ■

"The fishing season in the Rotorua district', which was opened last week, was well patronised. There was an abundance of well-conditioned fish, the percentage of spent fish and "slabs" being veT-y small. Some big catches on Lake Rotorna have been recorded, says the Auckland "Star," among which were the following: Messrs. F. C. Davidson and J. Munro, 27 fish, the heaviest sjlb., in two hours; Messrs. Edwards and Cross, 16 fish, the majority three-pounders, but one weighing silbs.; Messrs. G. Robb and J. Kokiri, 21. fish in three hours' trolling, the largest being a six-pounder; Mr. Boucher and Private Boucher, 12 fish in one hour's trolling. . The Government fish depot's launch took six boxes, four in Lake Rotorua, and two in Lake Rotoiti. The total weight of the catch being about. 3cwt., which is very favourable, compared with the first day of last season, when only about 751bs. of Abli wers taken.

A traveller back from an extended journey through the non-German parts of Europe said tho Allied Government had perfected the arrangements for discouraging international travel during the war. The ingenuityby which trains are caused to be_ most inconveniently late and connecting services disorganised proves that the official plans have been carefully elaborated. The most uncomfortable rolling-stock seems to be in use, and this, coupled with long delays, occasional spy hunts, a frequent examination of papers, make Continental travel to-day a pursuit for ■which athletic and diplomatic training is desirable.

Tho Rev. H. T. Stealer, vicar of Le-, vin, nronched his two "farewell sermons" on Sunday prior to his departure to Potono. St. Mary's Church, Levin, was crowded on both occasions. There wore 84 Communicants at the Holy Communion service in the morning.