LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2928, 14 November 1916, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities arlvisc that the mails which left New Zealand on September 21, via Australia, arrived in London on tho night of November 9. . Some time ago various rumours, supported by great activity on the. Stock Exchange, in "Union Steam," got about to the effect tbat the Union Steam Ship Company was about to enter a, shipping combine. A Press Association, message from Auckland yestorday states that Sir James Mills, who was a passenger to Auckland by the Niagara, asserts that there was never any foundation for the shipping amalgamation rumours so far as they concerned the Union Company. The commission appointed to inquire into the explosion of sulphuric acid on the steamer Monowai at Auckland on Soptomhor 7 last, by which a number of waterside wei'fce.rs were injured, commenced hearing evidence yesterday in Auckland. Mr. Kettle, S.M., presided. .A number of witnesses are to be heard. —Press Association,

A remarkable meteorological phenomenon was visible from Trentham Camp, above tho Mangaroa Hills yesterday afternoon at the time when Colonel Gibbon was addressing the Nineteenth ' Rcinfrocements. There was a heavy, blue-black thunder cloud above tho hills, and through its mass ran a thin grey streak, with a broad base and pointed apes. It appeared to be whirling as a waterspout does. Soon after it made its appearance a vivid flash of lightning occurred, followed by heavy thunder. Tho whirling cloud seemed to topple towards tho horizontal, but before it had moved far from tho perpendicular it's base burst in a whits ball.of cloud, while the twisting spiral- above it faded r..way. After a few flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, the rain poured down heavily for about half an hour. Tho following delegates to the recent Y.M.C.A. Conference at Sydney returned by tho steamer Rivorina on Saturday morning:—Mr. J. S. Baxter and Mr. J. B. M'Kinnev, of Invercargill; Mr. Wm. Moore, Milton; Mr. E. C. Browncll, national secretary, Wellington. There were twenty-one-re-presentatives from New Zealand in attendance upon tho. conference, which the delegates agreed was the most successful ever held in Australasia. The conclusions reached were important to the moment. Mr. J. S. Baxter, of Invercargifl, one of the Y.M.C.A. delegates to Sydney, who returned by tho Riverina on Saturday, received word while in Sydney of the loss of a second son at the i*ont. The remodelled Y.M.C.A. Institute building at Trentham will bo opened on Wednesday evening of this week at 8 o'clock, with appropriate exerefses. The Minister of Defence, Hon. James Allen, will bo present. Colonel Potter, Officer Commanding, will take the chair, and a concert party, under the leadership of Mr. Wm. Goudie, will provide the evening's ' entertainment. Mr. C. M. Luke is chairman of the committee, of arrangements. The Minister of Railways has notified the Petone Borough Council that he cannot depart from the decision already arrived at regarding the stopping of the 4.25 p.m. Lambton-Master-ton train at Petone.

The letter of the Minister of Defence with respect to the pay of men who have enlisted in the Motor Patrol Service to the Petone Borough Council failed to satisfy the councillors. The Minister stated . that the Government bad decided to bring the pay of married men up to the pay of the New Zealand soldier, rnd councillors could not see why the single men should be left out of the scheme, seeing that many of them have dependents. It was hold that 2s. a day was insufficient for the single men. ,1' ,

The ,Chris(church police prepare for a busy time when Carnival Week falls due, but this-.year proved to be the ''quietest".holiday from the police point of view experienced for many years. Cases of drunkenness were very small considering the circumstances, and pickpockets and other rogues practically ceased from troubling. The following statistics show the cases brought at the Magistrate's Court (luring Carnival Week, during the past throe years: —Drunkenness. 1914. 48; 1915. 43; 1916, 18. Other offences, 1914, 24; 1915, 24; 1916, 5. Totals. 19R. 72: 191.5, 67; 1916, 23. The lowness of the 1916 ficures constitutes a record at the Court for Carnival Week during recent years.—Press Association. The engineer to) the Petone Borough Council reported adversely last night to the council with respect to the application for reduction of the price of gas to large consumers. A reduction of lOd, per thousand feet would mean a loss of revenue of between £5 and £6 per month.

A letter in the local paper, says a Press Association telegram from Wairoa states that early after the outbreak of .war thirty New Zealanders metjin San Francisco to take steps to help the Motherland. Tt was reported at the meeting that 25,000 eligibles in California weTe willing to serve anywhere. The result of the meeting was cabled to New Zealand and Australia, but nothing was ever heard of it. The letter has been sent on to the Hon. J. Allen.

A largely-attended meeting of drivers in Auckland on Sunday discussed a telegram from the Hon. W. : H. HerWes, stating that a conference was to be held in Wellington of employers and employees affected by the award. It was decided to take no further action in the meantime.—Press Association. At tho meeting of tho Petone Borough Council last evening, it w r as decided to start a fund, as suggested by Mr. J. H. Jackson, for a memorial for fallen soldiers. '

The Masterton A. and P. Association has resolved to get an expression of opinion from an expert as to the feasibility of including a class for freezing cattle in. their show schedule, similar to the export sheop classes. During his recent visit to tho Nelson district tho Minister ot Education (Mr. J. 3". Hanan) attended the meeting of the Education Board, and in replying to the welcome extended to him by the chairman (Mr. G. H. Gothard) stressed the importance of thorough and efficient administration, more particularly during the present crisis (says an exchange). We were enjoying, no said, comfort, freedom, and ease, as a result of the suffering and privations of those who wero facing shot and shell, and whose sacrifices should be a shining inspiration to us to put forth our best efforts in all spheres of activity. It was therefore, the duty of those who remained at home to exert themselves to tho utmost, in appreciation of lb© bravery being displayed by the men who were fighting,abroad, and in these serious times there should not bo a. loose rem or slack trace on the part of any person in the Public Service. To ask those who remained behind to work more strenuously and concentrate the whole of their strength and energies upon their respective tasks was a small thing for them to do compared with what our soldiers aro doing for the country and for, us in risking their lives and enduring the i horrors of the battlefield.

In the island kingdom of Tonga where the temperature rarely goes be-

low 70 degrees or 80 degrees, the Rugby game of football is actually gelting a hold. Mr. R. N. Burns, principal of the Tonga College; informed an Auckland "Star" reporter that the playing'of "both crickot and football is boiiig freely encouraged at tho schools, with the result that some proficient teams are coming into existence. On the football field the island boys shine most in back play, this because of their great fleeiness. They do not take so readily to scrum work, as they have not yet acquired the knack of using their Weight in combination. However, they are improving in this department, and if ever a Tongan team comes to Now- Zeala.nd—as it might, very well do'in times of peace—Mr. Tluriis promises the Dominion school teams some very close contests. At cricket the islanders are particularly smart in the field, and they do well also with tho bat. j

Christmas cards are now showing in plenty, and tho wise ones who make earlv application will have the choice of first selection from a wide range, but later the designs available will be limited. Private greeting cards, with the sender' 6 own name and address, are always in great demand, and those who prefer ca*ds of this kind cannot do better than inspect t.ho splerdid sanmlc-book now ready at Thk Dominion- Office. Patriotic designs, with appropriate wording, are shown in plenty, and the cards are all •-* Ro'tic. u . j*~"tufa •