LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3060, 23 April 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

, The staff-saving railway scheme originally proposed 1 to conic into force at the beginning of May provided for the two daily expresses to and from Dunedin, the only largo curtailment in the South Island express service being that the through connection to and from Invercargill in the ono day was to be abolished.. .The coal-saving time-table to come into operation to«da,v, abolishes one express train to and from Dunedin. From to-day the 8 a.m. express from Christehurch to the south will not run, neither will the nud L day express from Dunedin. This leaves only one express daily between Christehurch and Dunedin. The express from Christchurch will leavo at 12.5 piin. and the. one from Dunedin at 8 a.m. A soldier, Private Ausworth, suffered a severe cut on the back of his head by a fall at Lambton station on Saturday night. Ho was taken to the Hospital and sent to the Victoria .Ward. '■.•.-■ In'honour of the entry of the United States into the war, Saturday was celebrated as America Day. The Stars and Stripes wore flown beside the Union Jack- on all Government Buildings, and on the Town Hall. Tho Second Wellington Military Service Board will resume its sittings in tho old Parliamentary Buildings to-mor-row morning. The chairmen of the Military. Service Boards are to meet in Wellington this week, in order to discuss certain points that bayo arisen during the. hearing of appeals. A middle-aged l man was taken to the Hospital at 1.1.80 on Saturday night, unconscious. Examination showed that his skull was fractured, and that the injuries were serious, lie was still unconscious last evening. The injuries wore apparently suffered by a fall down some steps, but details are not obtainable as the man was alone at the time. His name is Male, and he boarded at 150 Sydney Street. : A Press Association telegram from Hamilton states that Harold Koves was committed for trial on three charges of cattle stealing.

. tii tlio\afliiotmceiticiit of reduced services mado necessary by tlie coal striko, the Railway Department did not make any special provision for. tho carriage of seed wheat iind fertilisers. The mattor has been tho subject of correspondence between the Minister of Railways iiud tllo 'Minister of Agriculture, and it is now officially stated that tho Railway Department will bo prepared to carry seed wheat if satisfactory evidence is furnished as to the purposes for which the wheat is intended. Fertilisers for use in the growing of wheat will, be carried under tho same conditions;

i According to tlie balance-sheet just issued with tho annual report, the incomo of tlie Wellington Chamber of Commerce last year amounted to £538 19s. 4d., less £49 19s. 10d., from tlie accumulated funds (drawn to make up for tho Joss o(i tho year's operations); Tho assets aro set down at £842 6s. 9d., which includes £502 13s. invested in war certificates and £201 10s. on fixed deposit. . ' . i In consequence of a complaint received from the Wellington City Council, tho police intend exercising special strictness in the enforcement of the by-laws prohibiting the use of glaring headlights on motor vehicles and the driving of vehicles past stationary tramcars at a greater rate than four milos per Lour. Numerous warnings have been given to local motorists, but they have apparently been disregarded. ' Matters are well forward in connection with having Feat-herston constituted a borough, and the commission appointed to investigate the claims for conversion from a town district is to sit at an early date, says our Featherston correspondent. • . - "I believe, that 19 out of every 20 dairy herds" could, be reduced 20 per cent, without decreasing the output of h-utter-fat, providing that systematic testing and culling were gone in for," remarked Mr. J. Burgess, of Warea, at the sitting of tho Appeal Board at New Plymouth. Mr. Burgess added that there were a lot Of poor cows that did not jiay for milking, and could easily be dispensed with. As the result of 10 years' testing, he said that he. had increased the yield of his cows by iOOlb. of hutter-fat each per annum.

Tho officer commanding the Twentyfifth Artillery Reinforcements-would be very, glad to receive books, games, etc., for the men under him. Articles left in the care of Messrs. Ferguson and Osborae, Lambtou Quay, will be nvuch appreciated.

The "Westport News" says: From coal-miner to brigadier-general I Charlie Brown, i wbo formerly worked in the West-port Coal Company's mines at Denniston, later developed his military genius in various grades of military services, took part in the campaign at Gallipoli, and in France is now a briga-dier-general. Tbis is a striking tration of the democracy of the British Army. Interesting figures in connection with the Auckland Hospital were given in the annual report of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board's operations for the past year by the chairman, Mr. M. J. Coyle. The nuinbei , of admissions was 5190, the average daily number of patients 416, while the largest number under treatment at one time, including those in the annexe, was 541. Cases, of infectious and contagious diseases totalled 908. The. number of major and minor operations performed was 2770. From figures so far available, it appeared tbat the cost per patient per diem had decreased from 6s. Id. to os. Bd., the actual cost of maintenance of tbe institution being less than last year by about £2000, notwithstanding that the number of patients treated daily had increased by 85.

The Acting-Minister of Finance (the Hon. A. M. Myers) made passing reference, in an interview with a representativo of the Christchurch "Press," to the announcement already made that it will be necessary for the House to authorise another loan for war pur poses. "I venture to say," Mr. Myers remarked, "that on this occasion it is tho duty of all financial institutions and firms, and of individuals, to anticipate doing full justice to their responsibilities by taking up as much of the loan as their means will permit, and by setting aside as much money as possible, except what is absolutely required for reasonable necessities. The sale of war loan certificates is proceeding satisfactorily, and, in the meantime, small investors will be able to take up such sums, through the Post Office, as their means justify. The same facilities for small investors will be provided in respect of the new : war loan." ■ ■ : ..

Visitors to' Clyde cannot fail to uotico a large patch of green growth ,on tho rocky hillside on the opposite side of : the Vive.? (says the Otago "Times").' This growth is the result of an experiment which has been conducted by the Agricultural Department. The intention was to ascertain whether, if the rabbits were kept off the land, it would "come hack" to its condition betbro the advent of the rabbit. ..Twenty-five acres of bare, rock? hillside were therefore closely fencecf with rabbit-proof netting. Some "plots"—if such a term could be applied to bare, hilly country—were artificially planted, while others were left to Nature. There was no irrigation, but it should be mentioned that Nature has been kind to the gqldfields district this season in the matter of rainfall. This advantage.. given in, the results of the experiment are astonishing. Native -bluA-mountain'-grass has sprung up; silver tussock is growing in fine stylo; cocksfoot —the seed of which has blown in—is three or four feet high; lucerne shows a good growth. Tho experiment has proved a convincing success, and an education to. thefarmers in the Central district of what can be dono through rabbit fencing.