LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3064, 27 April 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A notice in this week's Gazette states that Empire Day will be celebrated oa Monday, Juno 4, the anniversary of the birthday o£ King George. The day will be observed as a public holiday m the Government offices throughout Now Zealand.

"K. sfiock of earthquako was experienced in Masterton at 10.45 o'clock on Wednesday morning.

At a reunion of the Returned ' Soldiers' Association on Wednesday night, says our Masterton correspondent, it was announced that Mr. W. G. Beard had presented a site in Essex Street upon which to erect a Returned Soldiers' Club. Plans for a building had been prepared, and the work of crec r Won would shortly be proceeded with. 'A memorial of. imposing design, erected at Waikaraka Cemetery to veterans of tho Maori Wars buried there was unveiled by His Excellency the Governor yesterday, says a Press Association telegram from Auckland. Tho memorial bears the records of fifty-two veterans. Lord Liverpool remarked that the volunteers who fought with the regulars in the Maori, Wars displayed the samo Imperial spirit as actuated thousands of the young manhood of the present day.

Slot telephones aro a very great boon to thousands of people, but the instruments have not yet been brought to perfection by their'ingenious inventors. Tho Post Office authorities have to deal with a good many complaints in tho courso of a month, gonerally to the effect that telephones have been absorbing pennies without giving the expected conversational facilities in return. Sometimes the machine grows generous, and then officials are likely to bo left to discover the fact for themselves. Tho other day a slot telephono dropped three pennies into the hand of a man who had'made a call, and received the "engaged" answer. Another instrument, intendod to bo operated by the insertion of .two pennies, firmly refused to receive any pennies at all, but gave the connection as soon as a second attempt to insert a coin had been made.

It is proposed to erect a memorial stone in tho Featherston Military Cemetery in remembrance of tho soldiers interred there. The names of tii'o men will be recorded on the stone, and provision will be made for inscribing any additional names which may be necessary in the future. Designs are being called for; and are to be forwarded to tho camp not later than May 15. •

Gunner B. J. Ballantyne, who won the Brooklyn Harriers' championship at Miramar in 1914 and tho Scottish Harriers' championship at Miramar in 1915,- ran second in a seven-mile crosscountry team race at Harrowby recently. One hundred and eighty-five competitors, composed of New Zcaknders, Australians, and British soldiers, faced tho starter, and of this total the Scottish Harrier was second, for which ho recoived a gold medal. Ballantyne was blocked for the first three miles, and only, lost by fifteen seconds. The winner's timo was forty-three minutes.

In the City Council ballot paper on Wednesday tho name of Charles Henry Chapman appeared as William Henry Chapman, and before every paper was issued the poll clerks had to scratch out the nanio William and substitute Charles. Had the mistake not been discovered in time it might, it is considered, have led to protests as to the validity of the election. ,

Wellington merchants deserve « word of »ood .chocr. for their untiring efforts to keep all grocers well supplied with tho famous "No Rubbin?" Laundry Bolp, popularly known as the abolislier of wasji-board slavery; 6dnz. Thinker Noto Books freo witli every ciibo. of the cepuiiic "No Rubbing."—Advt,

The Rosencath School Committee recently decided to erect a memorial in honour of the old boys who have fallen iu the war, nml the project is meeting with unanimous approval of householders. The amount in hand and promised is £75. The City Council was asked to grant a pieoo of road reservation between the Church of England and the school gate, and has granted it. A design submitted by Mr. W. J. Helyer has been approved, and has been submitted to the City Council.

The "Watch Your Step" Revue Company will givo a. concert in tho streets at midday to-day on behalf- of the Crippled Soldiers' Hostel art union.

Hunting in war time was tho subject of some remarks at the annual meoting of the Pakuranga Hunt Club. The master, Mr. H. Bullock Webster, said that ho had corresponded with all the masters of hounds in Now Zealand, and the masters of all the principal packs in the Old Country, and each was of the opinion that hunting should be carried on during the war. He also said that English hounds had boen taken across to France, and that hunting was being carried on within sound of the guns. He had letters stating that nearly half the fields in some of the packs in England were comprised of men in ljhaki, and that, at every opportunity soldiers on leave had a day's sport with the hounds. The l'akuranga Hunt Club had a total membership of about eighty, and out of 'this number 80 had joined the forces and were at present fighting for the Empire.

The Auzac Day memorial service, which was held in the.Anzao Club, FoatTTerston, was largely attended by soldiers and citizens. Mr. J. W. Card, cliaTrman of tho Town Board, presided, and the Rev. J. G. S. Bartlett, Anglican vicar, conducted the religious service, and also delivered an appropriate address. Colonel N. P. Adams, JrTajor' Neville Newcoinbe, and several oTßcers from the camp were present. A feature of the ceremony was the sounding of "The Last Post" by a quartet of trumpeters. A number of vocal and instrumental items were rendered at the conclusion.

An area of 13} aores, being portion of the.old Showgrounds, has, says our Masterton correspondent, been purcTiased, upon which to erect a Methodist orphanage for the Wellington district. Mr. C.' E. Daniell is visiting various parts of the Dominion, and gathering information ; ■ regarding similar institutions, and it is hoped shortly to submit plans to the Church authorities for suitable buildings. A sheep donated by Mr. Adam M'Kay in aid of the Red Cross Fund was, according to our Masterton correspondent, sold by Messrs. A. J. Cooper and Co. on AVednesday for £24. An interesting sporting trophy was presented to the Waitaki. Acclimatisation Society recently by .Mr. M. Allen, of Kauroo Hill, in the shape of a wild boar's ttisk, measuring 16£ inches in length (says the Oamaru "Mail"). The grinder in the upper jaw -must have rotted away through age, and the tusk, unhindered in its growth, had grown into so complete a circle that the point had penetrated;, the flesh, of the lower jaw and had grown until it passed the root end and overlapped it by 2i incites. • The tusk ,forms a complete oircle.

A branch of the Navy League.was formed at the Marauui School yesterday morning, when the Rev. A. Hunt paid a visit to the school. About 200 pupils from the higher standards were addressed by Mr. Hunt, who spoke of the splendid, silent, and effective work of the British Navy, both at Gallipoli and in the North Sea. The fine work of the'submarines was mentioned, and the speaker then explained tlie significance of tho Union Jack —red for sacrifice in the cause of Empire; white, 'showing the purity all British'children should strive after; and blue, for the lovo of honour, which was a necessary qualilieation for.a good Empiro. As a rcsiilt of the address _ all the childrenpresent expressed their willingness ■ to become members of the Navy League.

In the course of an address given at the Auckland Diocesan High School, Bishop Averill congratulated the pupils on their patriotism and unselfish spirit in having given up_ their prizes, for the third year, in orcJJr to aid patriotic funds. "I have had qualms of conscience," saU Dr. Averill, "as to whether it were wise for pupils to give up their prizes in this way, and have come to the conclusion that in the years to come it will bo a great- satisfaction for them- to feel that they havo made this sacrifice in a good cause."-' The speakor particularly commended the girls for having given their money this year to aid the Bishop of Jerusalem's Syrian Relief Fund. The -bishop hart done very important work among the soldiers and New Zealand men in Palestine, many of whom bad been confirmed by him. Tho people of Palestino had suffered greatly during the war, many being homeless and starving, and they lookedi forward fervently to the day when their country would enjoy the same protection of British ■nuVas was now enjoyed by the people of Egypt. . '. ' Tho Dunedin "Star" of Tuesday says:—"Representations having been made to us, apparently backed up by sound evidence, that the Railways Department is carrying a lot of beer from Dunedin, and at the same time refusing to accept goods which come more oAess within the description of essentials, we to-day made a' formal inquiry as to tho facts, and the answer supplied is straightforward arid satisfactory. It is to this effect: that sincethe issuing of orders restricting tho goods traffic no beor lias been carried except ono or two barrels. Quite a number of largo consignments of beer have been offered, but the goods a£snt, acting according to the regulation, has refused to accept them in tho meantime. ... We are further told that within the regular hours, without overtime, tho hands at the sheds are busy loading up wagons as fast as the rolling stock comes to hand. In this loading first consideration is just now boiii" given to facilitating Hie working of our local coal pits. Such industries as freezing works aro also held to have a good claim." * A promising New Zealand offiaer, Lieutenant E. Ballard Dalby, R.N.R., and an oxtre-master of the Port of London, was killed in action at sea, on March 18 last, probably at the time of the German raid on Ramsgate. Serving all through H.M.S. Carmania's commission, and following the sinking by that vessel of the Cape Trafalgar, soon after war broke out, lie rosa to be second in command. He was then transferred to a warship. Previously the late lieutenant had seen considerable Rorvice under the New Zealand Shipping Company, which he left to report himself at the Admiralty. A brief while, ago lie was married in London to Dr. Marjorio Middloton, niece of Sir John Middloton. ' Sergeant-Major Charles Dolb'y, of the Main Expeditionary Force, Ist Wellington Battalion, since invalided homo to New Zealand, is a brother of the deceased, and met him while in England. There are other relatives in North Canterbury.

Si; , Francis Llovd. in opening an extension of the Y.M.C.A. "rest" for soldiers in Ecoleston Street, London, sniii that lie looked.'.upon every one of these institutes us .-mother nail in the coffin of the Germans. The reason was (hat these hostels protected the British soldier on his wny to the- front, and when coming from* it, from the temptations of the street.

A fund of £25,000 is being raised in tiio Auckland province for the Y.M.C.A. Trench Comforts and Military Work. Tflo olock yesterday stood at £20,000 and tHat means £5000 will have to be .secured by Saturday night. At Te Aioha tho nino candidates for election gave ffieir deposit fees of £3 each.

'Nature study and practical gardening constitute the science 'of most of the small country schoolsj and in work this class satisfactory progress is being made (according to the inspector's report to the Wellington Education SJoard). In the larger country schools a more advanced programrao in elementary agriculture is adopted. A three years' programme has been drawn u» combine experimental work insido tTio school with practical work in tlio The Senior Instructor in I Agriculture reports: "Tho course has beon working for three years, and has proved very satisfactory."

Tho Coroner's verdict respecting the death of Henry M'Cabe, who was found dead at the Auckland branch of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company on April 15, was. delivered on Tuesday by Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M. The deceased, the Coroner stated, in tho course of his employment, was using, or about to use, a flexible wire lead with an electric lamp attached. Tne evidence showed that such a lead was, under ordinary circumstances, perfectly safe to use, in using which it was not ordinarily possible to get an electric shock. In this case the lamp was found disconnected from the lead, which was connected with the electrical supply, with the result that a live wire was exposed at the end of the lead. The evidence. showed that 230 volts—i lie voltage used in the Auckland City Council's electric light supply—was not sufficiently high to be ordinarily dangerous to life. The post-mortem disclosed that the cause of death ivas shock, with symptoms w.lh death from an electric shook. The fact that death ensued when thft voltage was so low may It. explained by the deceased's extreme .sensibility In the effect of electric shock. Deceased apparently had disconnected the lamp, owing to its h« ; iig faulty, arid vis handling; tho wire vri'.h his hanus, the shock causing him involurtiivily to press it against his body, with the result that he received the ful' fqree of the current. The verdict was that death was due to shock through Teceivinp[ an electric current through V>Ss body. ■ . ' ■