LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2944, 2 December 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A purse containing a few odd shillings was picked from the outside coat pocket of a young lady at the Basin Reserve last evening. Luckily, previous to her losing the purse, she handed the bigger money it contained to her brother. .'. This should servo as a warning that pick-pockets are abroad. ••■■.. The- dimensions'of the overseas tourist traffic to New Zealand during tho coming season again 'show a prospect of being seriously curtailed on account of tho war conditions (say tho "New Zealand ■ Herald"). Local tourist agencies wcro anticipating a largo influx of visitors from Australia, but now consider that owinsfto'the- string.eut Australian regulations in regard to passports' and permits, and the miners' strike, this section of the tourist traffic will 'bo greatly reduced this year. Discussing the position, Mr. Robert Angus, tho Auckland manager of Cook's Agency, stated that tho unsettled' conditions' were not wholly disadvantageous, for many people who would otherwise havo gone for trips beyond Now Zealand were visit r ing in increasing numbers tho health resorts in the Dominion, llotorua hotels, for instance, woco well booked up for the summer, ■ and some Louses could not guarantee accommodation for somo time ahead. A largo number of inquiries had been received in.regard to trips to tho southern cold Jakes and Mount G'oek- resorts, which wcro rapidly growing in popularity. ''Sir..Angus added that a correct estimate of this season's overseas tourist traffic to the Dominion would not be available ui-til.. early in January. He had noticed a growing inclination in recent vents for tourists to postpone visiting tie Dominion until after Christmas, which they were, evidently now.preferring to spend at home. . The recent floods in Nelson resulted in heavy losses of sheep- and cattle. Hugo logs are strewn in all directions, miles of fencing have been swept away, and thero_ have been washouts on tho roads, which aro a danger to travellers unless care is exercised. A house near tho Canvastown Hotel was practically demolished by a slip, the debris from which passed through the house. There wore between thirty and forty refugees at the hotel, their homes having been more or less wrecked by the floods and slips. More slips wore expected, as a' number of "creeps" were observed, somo of them several acres in extent. Wo m-B having u busy time bunding out U. cartons of No Rubbing Lnuwlry Help for washing clothes clean without rubbing ot injury to hands or finest fabrics; £W guarantee with -every package. Wavdell Bros, and Co.—Advt..~

"[ am a- sou of the Duko of Cambridge," was the rather surprising statement made by a man named Frank Augustus Fitzgeorgo, in tbo Christcbureh Magistrate's Court, when bis wife, Helen Marie do Ncpont Fitzgeorgo applied for a. separation order and maintenance. It was also stated that the-defendant bad been fighting in lSast -Africa.--Mr.-H. W. Bishop, S.M., issued a- prohibition order against the man, and adjourned the case for a week. Numerous mementoes of the war aro finding their way to Auckland. ■ Several small -portions of- the. Zeppelin that was brought down "in England in September, including fragments of tho aluminium framework, aro on viow in. a window in Queen Street. Soon after the outbreak of war, various stories were circulated -about super-patriotic-people, who invited all their friends'"" to "piano evenings," which resolved! themselves into orgies of destruction, in which every guest was provided with a hammer and the company made a massed onslaught on the household German piano. Perhaps some of those tales were true, the-pro-bability is that the majority of them wero hardly so. Be tliafc as ifc may, an organised "smashing match" which would havo delighted the heart of Hie most exacting small boy took place in Invercargill last week (says tho "Southland Times"). The kene of action was the back yard of certain premises in which was stored, in bond, a considerable quantity of light hardware of enemy manufacture: The Customs Department carried out the execution order in no uncertain manner, and at the end of half an hour of determined work chaos reigned supreme in that back yard. Advice has been received by Mr. Alex. Strachaii, of Wave'rley, that his son. Corporal' Douglas' HarperStrachaii. of the "Wellington Mounted Rifles, wlio went away, with the Main Body, and is now serving in Egypt, has'had "the Military Medal conferred upon him for distinguished conduct in tho battle of . Romani. Corporal Stracban was mentioned .in dispatches for gallantry on the Gallinoli Peninsula, as also was his brother, Trooper Laurie Stracban. Of tho tliree\other. sons in the family one has volunteered for service and a fourth lias been drawn iii the first ballot. Rules governing the procedure of. tho Native Land Court, under the Cook.lsland Act. 1915, are published m tms week's "Gazette." A notice in this week's Gazette, prescribes a close season for seals throughout New Zealand for three years from November 29, 1916. Members of tlie Wellington branch of tho Now Zealand! Educational Institute met last niglit- to consider remits -'for presentation to tlie annual meeting of the institute. Many points were discussed in detail, and instructions were given to the branch.' delegates. The Imperial Supply Board has issued a notice that it is intended to make an interim payment of 2d. per lb. on butter to factories that have. been;, supplying the local market, as distinct from the factories manufacturing for export. This is in view of the fact that Is. 4d. was fixed as tho price of butter at the factory door. An Order-." in-Council authorises the payment-of/ 'the 2d. per pound to bring the price re-' ceived by the factories •manufacturing for local consumption ■ more in parity with that'received bysfactories making butter for export. '. " The Wellington College "Old Boys' Association has everything in readiness for the memorial service for old boys killed in the war, to be held at Wellington College grounds at 3 o'clock ■this afternoon. After tho service there will be a march past and military imovements' by;■ the College Cadets. General Kobin'will take the-'[salute. Afterwards those present' will visit tho" college to inspect the photograph's [of, old boys'who have, enlisted.' ' : '■'•--'• . Mr. Henry E. White, the well-known architect and constructional engineer of Sydney and Melbourne, bas returned to Wellington after a year's absence. During that time tho Midland Hotel on Lambton Quay has been ■ completed, and within the next three weeks threo' of the theatres be ..planned will be opened—in Masterton, Napier, and Auckland. Mr. White recently altered the Palace Theatre, Botirke Street, Melbourne, for tho Fuller Company at a cost of £20,000. ■ • Ho considers the Palace to be one of the finest theatres iii Australasia. The same proprietary contemplate erecting new theatres in Newtown (Sydney) and Newcastle. A fire completely destroyed AV. Chalklen's bouse and contents_ on Tableland, Opotiki, on .Thursday night., l The building was insured in the State Office.—Press Association. ;.. • • The Rev... A. T. Thompson," of St. Andrew's . Church, ■ [• 'Cliristchurch, j outlined ■'. a scheme for . using tbe manse -for. a-' boys' -college in connection with the • Presby-. terian Church. Tbo matter 6E-trans-forming tho manso into a college will, be discussed by tho congregation - at a meeting on Monday next.—Press Association. There wore ■ twenty-six undefended cases set-down for hearing'in:tlie Divorce Court yesterday. The Coroner, Mr. W. "G. N Biddell, held an inquest concerning tbo dpath of Mary Winifred Wilhelmina Curry, aged twouty-tbrce, who died somewhat suddenly in a private bouse, 75 Hanson Street, on -Wedcnsday last; After hearing tbo evidence -of .several• wit-. nesses, the inquest was -adjourned sine die to obtain the report of the Analyst. , When tbe case of. Lionel Scoullar, who was charged, in the Magistrate's Court yesterday with'driving 'a motorcar in "the same direction as a tramcar in Adelaide Road with the object of passing the tram, contrary to tbe •by-laws, was called, Mr. A.- Mv Salek, who appeared for tbo defendant, stated ■ that Scoullar was a returned soldier, and was under 21 years of age. | He was an-extremely patriotic lad, 'andnotwithstanding ..the fact. that he. hada bullet wound in; the head and was unfit for further service he bad reenlisted. In order .to do so-he-bad-assumed- another name,- and his.fathor had only recently discovered this, and bad since applied' to the Defence authorities to release the lad. The matter was adjourned until December 8 \to enable the City:authorities to'inakc inquires. '