LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2925, 10 November 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

. The postal authorities advise that the mails which left New Zealand on October 8, via Vancouver, arrived in London on November 0.

All Government offices throughout New Zealand will bo closed for the Christmas and New Zealand holidays on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, December 25, 26, and 27, and on Monday and Tuesday, January 1 and 1 2. ' The estimated population of Now, Zealand and its dependencies on September 30, 1916, was 1,154,944. But for the absence of more than 50,000 men on active servico, the total would have exceeded 1,200,000.

The Minister of Education (tho Hon. J. A. Hanan) ha® under consideration a proposal to transfer two or three of tho senior inspectors of schools in New Zealand.

Mr. S. G. Baughan, of Paraparaumu, who oame into Wellington yesterday, .reports that the road about three miles beyond Pahautanui and this side of Paekakariki Hill has been partly washed out by tho river. A large crack'exists

in tli© road, which has been undermined and is in danger of falling in. Mr. Baughan placed a log over the spot, and also marked it up in chalk, but the danger is not distinguishable for any distance, and travellers on this road should be careful until the road has been mended. Soma blooks of first-olass land in the Lamont Settlement, Southland, have been opened for selection by discharged soldiers. There are five blocks, ranging in area from 127 acres to 160 acres. Correspondence with a firm called the International Trade Developer, United States of America, is prohibited under the War Act. The yaobting iseason is to be opened to-morrow afternoon. ' Among the witnesses called at the Supreme Court yesterday in connection with a charge of cargo broaching was a labour foremaii, who persisted'in speaking in a, low voice. The Chief Justice repeatedly asked him to speak up, and the Crown Prosecutor also urged the witness to speak up, when His Honour remarked: "1 should have thought a labour foreman- used to ordering men about'would navel a voice like thunder."

A partial extension of the New Zenland Copyright Aot, 1913, to tho United States of America is notified in this week's "Gazette." The provisions of the Act are to apply to literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works produced by citizens of the United States, as if the authors had been British subjects, provideS that the term of oopyright within New Zealand shall not exceed that -conferred by American law. The United States Government has undertaken to give reciprocal protection to New Zealand works.

At the Auokland Police Court, Thomas Dawson Smith, licensee in connection with Wendel's wine shop, was fined £10 on charges relating to breaches of the Licensing Act in connection mill orders for wine received in Grey Lynn, a no-license area, by a canvasser employed by the firm. The canvasser, Harry Parry, was fined £2.—Press Association.

Mr. Arnold Lupton, an ex-M'.P. in Britain, who at the end of last month was summoned for publishing pamphlets prejudicial to recruiting, the headings being, "What are we fighting for?" and "Why don't we make peace?" has been fined £200.—Press Association. ,

A shock was received recently by the Old Age Pensions Department m this Dominion, upon noticing that a pensioner, 67 years old, had not drawn

'his money for over a year.. When it started to inquire if he had come into a fortune, or was merely dead, it was, according to an discovered that the ancient had enhsted as a youth of 44, had got' pa£t the doctor, scrambled through the training camp at Trentham, and gone away to fight at Gallipoli with the sth Reinforcements. He'lasted through tho famous peninsula until the evacuation, and is now probably in France fighting the fiermans. •

Mr. George Frost, chairman of the Reserves Committee of the City Council, states that there have teen further cases of vandalism in connection with the city reserves. >\.t present the committee is endeavouring to improve the .belt of garden round the Basin Reserve as much as possible in view of the fact that it is shoTtly to ho exposed to the publicview by tile removal of tho existing board fence. With an eye to the future the committee caused several fine young pobutakawas to bo planted about tbft northpast corner of the reserve (near EUice Street). Several of the trees have disappeared altogether, and one. was found milled up and lying on the ground. Such depredations are to he deprecated, and Mr. Frost liopes that, if tlie offender is apprehended, ho will bo severely punished, as the offence is downright theft from the_ public, and is puttine the beautification of tho Reserve back at least a season. The return's for the "Zoo" for tbe month ended October 16 amounted to £52 Is., as compared with £50 os, fid: for tbe corresponding poriod of last year. Tho present is an opportune time for the. public to visit the "Zoo," and see for themselves tho valuable beautifying work which has been done by the members of the Wellington Rose and Carnation Society and Mr. J. Langridge (the superintendent). What was formerly a gully overgrown with rank grass ,and distorted willow-trees has been made a beautiful rose garden, ft is a sunny, sheltered spot "where all tho air a solemn silence holds," a fit place,' indeed, for roses softly bloofhina. . • —...

A coal carter named George Basley, whilo driving a horso and dray in Biddiford Street yesterday, fell off t,h« dray, a. wheel of which went over his hips badly injuring him. Basley was removed to the Hospital. Tha dray contained about two tons of coal. The secretary of tho Y.M.O.A. who is in charge of the Soldiers' Institute at Featherston, is desirous of securing tha use of two or three violins, which will

assist in providing-an orchestra. There are quite a number of musicians in camp who would be willing to join tho orohestra if thoy had an instrument, and theY.M.C.A. will be glad-to forward any of theso instruments to tho camp if any parson who Ims one not in use that they would like the soldiere to

havo would bring it into tho association rooms or give instructions whero it may ho called for. Head 'hunting still continues to bo tho popular sport with tho natives of Olioisel (writes tho Suva correspondout of the "Now Zealand Herald"). That thoy do not' lack for entertainment of this sort is very evident to, any who happen to havo reasons for visiting this island. Villages aro practically wiped out, old men, women, and children slaughtered to satisfy the blood lust, gardens stamped flat,, mission stations that have taken years of strenuous wearying work to establish are made untenable or kept goinsi under conditions t-lint- are not at all peaceful. No official action has so far been taken to brine: peace and goodwill towards men on Choisel.-

The tenth Maori and the Tunnelling Company Ileinforcemont6,' who have' been in training at tho Narrow Ncck Camp for some time, paraded in Queen Street, Auckland, yesterday. The Maori section comprised one officer and 70 men, and the tunnellers section 2 officers and 137 men. The men were brought across to tho city by ferry steamer and after forming into lino marched to the Town Hall, where addresses were given, by the officer commanding the district. Colonel G. W. S. Patterson, and the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson. After the ceremony at the Town Hall the troops marched hack through Queen Streot and returned to the camp. Some time .ago the importation into New Zealand of soap manufactured elsewhere than in the United Kingdom or a British possession -was prohibited by Order-in-Council. The prohibition has now .been modified so as to permit the importation of soap manufactured in Franco.

The conditions under which _ subsidies will "be paid to puhlic libraries are stated in this week's "Gazette." The distribution of the sum of £2500 voted for this purpose will take place on Or, about March 31 noxl, and applications must reach the Secretary of the Education Department not later than January 26, 1917.

Two inspectors of gear for the Auckland -waterfront are to be appointed in accordance with a promise made by the Government to Mr. A. E. Glover, M.P., during the last session of Parliament. Tho Minister for Marino has intimated to Mr. Glover (6avs.the "New Zealand Herald") that the officers who are to fill the positions have been selected by the Public Service Commissioner, but that the' appointments will not take effect -until after the expiry of tho period of a month allowed for appeal against Public Service appointments.

"There is good evidence 'that the kauri timber burned in the Fuhipuhi Forest bad a 'worked-up' value of about £3,000,000. This figure represents many times the cost of a Forest Department for many years. _ There could lmvo been no serious fire in tho Puhipubi Forest with a Forest Department and ordinary fire organisation, declared Mr. D. B. Hutchins, the well-known forestry expert, now preparing for the Government a; report with regard to national State forestry for .New Zealand. Two aocidents have occurred on the wharf recently where the ambulance has taken a considerable time to arrive on the scene. The first was a few weeks ago, when a man fell from an overhead coal railway at the Railway Wharf, a.nd broke his thig/h. On that occasion, the ambulance was over two hours getting to the scene of the accident, and was then of no use. The 6econd was on Tuesday, when a seaman on the Maitai fell between that vessel and the wharf; ■ In this instance t!he ambnlanco took an hour and a half to get to the wharf. That the man was seriously injured is borne out by the fact that he succumbed to his injuries at the Hospital yesterday. This again bears out the seriousness of the need of a quick ambulance service.

The Department of Lands and Stir, vey set's an of frankness to land salesmen when it is putting land upon the market. Here is the Department's unvarnished description of the means of access to a block of endowment land in iffe Tutamoe district: "Full width dray- road to Arowhana station; remaking eight Jailes by road up bed of Wairangiora Stream for one mile' (at present in very bad state), and by eighfc-foot, track for seven miles, on T-mdh there is now a number of slips." The building on another block is described as "the remains of an old seven-roomed house."

The disused band rotunda which stands in Jervois Quay in front of the Central Fire Brigade station, is a rather picturesque structure, but owing to its position and the smudging effects of mid-city smoke, it had not appealed to many people as an architectnral ornament. It is, in the course of a few weeks, to be removed to Oriental Bay, when it will probably be painted white, relieved, perhaps, with some lighter tints. In -the clean air of .that locality, placed prominently on tha site that is now being specially prepared for it; it should be a feature that will serve both for use and as an ornament.

The treasurer of the Navy League British Sailors' Dependants' Fund (Mr. R Darroch) acknowledges the receipt of £2 2s. from the Newtown Bowling Club, (per Mr. J. W. Salmon), as a donation to the Dependants' Fund, which lias now reached a total of £13,262 19s. 4d., of which £13,100 has already been forwarded to the Navy League, London.

According to Sydney papers to hand yesterday, Les Darcy, Australia's champion boxer, has been missing sinco October 26. He was set down to meet Chip, tho American boxer, at Mel-; bourne on Monday, but evidently lie had not been found, as the result of tho contest has not been announced. Darcy came of age on October 31, and was liable to respond to the call-to-arms proclamation for home defence. Rumours were current a few weeks ago that Darcy intended to leave for America, hut he denied any such intention. Sinco then lie has not been seen, and hehas made no response to the publicity evoked by his absence. There were rumours that Darcy had shipped for Chile. James M'Kendrick, of the steamer Maitai, who was admitted to tho hospital on Tuesday evening suffering from serious injuries to the, lower part of the stomach, caused by being crushed betweon the steamer and the wharf, died in the institution yesterday.

Efforts are being' made to form an orchestra among the Nineteenth Reinforcements, to break the monotony of travelling. . Tho musicians are_ available, but there is a shortage in instruments. Wo Are informed that a cornet, several violins, and a gramophone would bo acceptable, and we havo been asked to make this fact known, in tho hope that the public will see to it that the men are supplied with instruments. Chaplain-Captain Bladen, 205 Cuba Street, would be glad to receive any .gifts of the kind mentioned,-