LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3025, 12 March 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The grandstand at the Richmond Agricultural Show Ground, used for tho races, was destroyed by a firo of unknown origin on Friday morning. Tho building was insured for £500 in the Nation Office. —Press Assn.

In our issue of the 6fh inst. appeared a letter from Mr. 15. W. Arnold, appealing for sets of wood-carving tools for tho use of returned wounded soldiers now at tho Convalescent Home at Lowry Kay. Tho Tesponso has been prompt and to tho point. Mr. Arnold now gratefully acknowledges tbo receipt of two sots of tools from Mrs. Joseph Caselherg and Mrs. Alfred Casolbcrg, of Mastcrton.

"I would like to seo tho finish, but I'm afraid that is out of the question," wrote tho late Gunner D. K. Gibb to his parents, from Borrchurch Hospital (England). "As long as the-war lasts I want to bo in it. You can't understand it, but anyoncoftho old boys could tell yon." Fate willed it otherwise. Invalided homo to New Zealand, Guniior Gibb contiacted cerebrospinal meningitis while on tho hospital ship Marama, which arri 'ed hero on Wednesday, and died, in tho Victoria Military Hospital on Saturday.

A wooden dwelling in Governor Road l , Northland, occupied by Mr. Arthur B. Clark, and owned by tho Milton Porten Company, of Cuba Street, was destroyed by fire at an early hour on Saturday morning. The alarm was given at 3 a.m., hut it did not reach the Central Brigade until sis minutes later, and by tho time the motor reached the scene tho flames had seized the whole of tho building, which was totally destroyed. The house was insured for £500 in the Commercial Union office, and tho contents for £175 in the State office.

The annual picnic of tho Worser Bay State School children was hold at Day's Bay on Saturday in perfect weather. Tho children were picked up at tho Seatoun and Karaka Bay wharves by tho Admiral, and after a good day's fun wero returned, tired but happy, in tho same way.

Pair progress is being made with the arrangements for transferring the Eastern Extension Company's cable end from Wakapuaka to Wellington, but it is not oxpected that the new order will be established before about July of this year. The cottage at Titahi Bay, to which tho cable will be brought, lias been erected, but as the shore cable is not yet' to hand (though it is on the way) it has not been considered advisable to go forward with the trench-making, as tho trench is to be made alongside the road, and, if opened up, would bo a danger to traffic. The city offices of the cable company, to which tho cable will be Drought will bo the corner rooms on the top floor of Nathan's Building, which have up till tho present been used for the women telegraphists' in> structional classes.

Customs duty collected at tho port of Wellington on Saturday amounted to £4491 2s. Id. .

Captain L. S. Amery, M.P. for South Birmingham, who enjoys the reputation of being, as regards inches, one of tho smallest members of Parliament, owes his escape from tho Germans to the fact that ho was recently able to pack himself in a vory small space. "If I were as big as Mr. Ronald M'Neill, M.P., I should have been seen and captured," said' Captain Amory to a "Daily Express" representative "It shows tho advantage of not being too big." He was on board the Anchor liner Caledonia when she was torpedoed by one of the U 'boats in the Mediterranean. "Wo took to the boats after tho liner had gone down," ho said, "and as wo were rowing along in company we saw on the horizon what we first took to bo a steamer coming towards us. As it came nearer we saw that it was a German submarine on the surface. I.managed to stow myself away in the stern sheets of the boat in which I. was, so that tho Germans could not sco mo. I was •xmsequently unable to see what happened, but tho TJ boat came up and threatened to fire Upon us if wo did not stop. We accordingly stopped tho boats close to the submarine, and the captain of the TJ boat, in perfect English, hailed Captain Blail'dc. Ho thou ordered _ Captain Blaikio on board the submarine Captain Blaikie went aboard the submarine and tho German cup-tain then told us 'that if we. kept or, the- ocarso we j were incfcbng when he came up we I should fall in with a hospital ship. Tho I submarine thou cleared off, and soon after dark wo fell in, as tho captaiu had said, v/itli a hospital ship." Mr. Amory visited Now Zcslsmd about live or si:-: years ago. At the annual meeting of t)io Pctotio Woollen Workers' Union, Mr. A. Anderson was reappointed president, Tho i resignation or Mr. 13. Kennedy was received, und Mr. T. Leadbetter was j appointed in '".is place. It was decided i that tho unioa should affiliate with the i Labour Bepresuitation Committco, and I donate £!0 to its funds. The meeting 'decided to support the candidature of I Mr. A. A.aderson for the position of

Mayor. At Monday's mooting of the Auckland City Council, Councillor Michaels urged that the charges for tho us-.o of°the Town Hall be reduced, and quoted tho recent action of the Wellington City Council as a precedent. "Ho proposed to recluco the charge for the big ha!! tc £12, and moved that the Finance Committee's report on tho charges be referred back for reconsideration. The motion was defeated.

Tbo silent flexibility of the Hudson Super Six is a.'tlung to marvel at. This car is without exception (he most silent car on the road. Correct balance and weight distribution, together with a coach-built body and «n ideal springing system make tho Hudson Super Six tho easiest riding car on N.Z. roads. Tho dominion Motor Vehicles have tho lairs! model on view at 65 Courlenny Place, and »ill In; pleased to demonstrate, to you if you will call, •'phone, or write "thorn.—Ady.U

Tho Nelson district can boast of tho possession of a uinn who has a meticulous regard for official instructions. Ho had beeu called up for military service, ami ho had appealed. At Lho First Canterbury Military Service Hoard's rccout sitting in Nelson Uio man's appeal was dismissed for want of appearance. But when the board was just finishing its businoss a panting solicitor bustled in, with a diffident-looking man iu his wake, and, explaining that tho latter was tho missing appellant, asked that .tho appeal bo reinstated. Tho solicitor oxptainod tiiab tho area group commander had sent travelling and lodging warrants to the appellant, who lived at Collingwood, and also a letter instructing him as to when he was to reach Nelson, and that ho was to stop at a certaiu hotel. Immediately ho arrived iu Nelson lho man went to tho hotel and literally obeyed his instruction to slop there! It was only when someone who knew him remarked to him in tho hotel, later in tbo day, that his caso had. been struck out because ho had not appeared that be awoke to the fact that his instructions wero nob subject to such literal interpretation. Then he rushed out to find a solicitor and try to get bis ease reopened. It is a pity (says a contemporary) that a man with such a scuse of obedience to orders should bo lost to the nation as a soldier, but he was medically classified as fit only for homo service.

One of our warships will return to Now Zealand for a- spell during tho present month. His Worship tho Mayor, having .in mind tbo strenuous time tho officers and crow of this vessel has experienced during the past two and a half years, is making arrangements to fittingly honour her complement, which is largely composed of New Zealand ratings. A citizens' luncheon in the Town Hall, to he given on tho day tho vessel arrives hero, is being arranged, with tho assistance of the Mayoress and her cemmitteo. It is anticipated that 300 will attend tho woloome. Sir James Allen (Acting Primo Minister)' and the members of tho Cabinet will bo present to honour "tho Ms in navy blue."

The annual conforenco of tho New Zealand United Fire Brigades' Association is to commenco at Balclutha this morning. For tho past day or two members of the northern brigades have been passing through Wellington en route to the south to attoud tne conference.

Tho Worsor Bay Swimming Club is to bring its season to a close with a water carnival in the Bay on Saturday afternoon next.

Tho Mayor (Sir. J. P. Luke) received the following telegram on Saturday from Sir. R. H. Williams, Featherston, president of tho Milk Vendors' Association: —"Have arranged to have a full supply of milk, commencing to-day, independent of tho Wellington Farmers' Association."

Several members of the Labour Party's "ticket" for the coming municipal elections spoko at tho corner of Ghuznce and Cuba Streets on Saturday evening. Mr. J. Glover, who controlled tho meeting, in tho course of some introductory remarks, said that 80 per cent, of those entitled to vote at the elections wero workers, and yet tie workers were without a representative on the City Council. Other speakers wero Messrs. Road, Kennedy, and Cahpman. Sirs. Beck spoke as a candidate for tho Hospital Board, on which she said thero was a great deal of work for women te.do. For tho sake of tho women of to-day, and the children who would form the coming generations, she intended to work for better conditions for tho working people.

In the brief reference to Sir. J. Orchiston's proposals re the extraction rt nitrogen' from the air in Friday s Dominion, it was stated, that the American engineers considered that ±4U per annum per horse power was a fanproposition in considering hydro-elec-tric schemes, whereas it could bo done for £1 at tho Bowen Falls. Tins should read that when the capital cost of the hvdraulic portion of the work did not exceed £40 per horse power, the proposition was considered a fair one, and it was possible to produce a horse power on that basis at the Bowen Falls for £1, probably cheaper than could bo achieved in any other part ot tho world.

Any invention for preserving life m the present war, or any new equipment which will add to the efficiency of our armies is worth looking after. If you have an idea, see ns about it, or write for our freo booklet, "Advice to Inventors. Henry Hughes, Ltd., 157 Eeatherston Street, Wellington.—Advt.