LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3086, 17 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A fire destroyed Wilson and Catthani's fellniongery at Panmure, together with wool belonging to the Government valued at £4000 (states a Press Association message from Auckland). The outbreak occurred some hours after the men had ceased work. In view of a-similar fire at Feilding, and a strange happening at another Auckland fefimongery, the circumstances are suspicious; and are being investigated by. the police.

His Majesty the King has appro zed of the Silver "War Badge, granted amder Army Order 316, of 1916, boing issued to officers and men of the British, Indian, and Overseas Forces, who have served since August 4, 1914, and who. in the case of officers, have retired or relinquished their commissions; or, in tlie case of men, have- been discharged from the Army on account of old age, -wounds, or sickness such as would render them permanently unfit for further military service, provided their claims are approved by the Army Council.

Masterton is still "out of bounds" so far as the Featherston soldiers are concerned, two or .three fresh cases of scarlet fever having been reported.

A bullock presented by Sir Walter Buchanan to the New Zealand Nurses' Memorial , Fund was auctioned by Messrs. B>algety and Co., Masterton, and realised £130. .

General Orders contain an , extract from Imperial Army .Orders relating to tho powers of courts-martial to deprive a soldier of orders in punishment for military offences. Formerly a Court could forfeit any order except the_ Companionship of the Bath or the Victoria Cross. The new rule protects tho soldier in possession of "an Order such as the C:B.j C.M.G., D.5.0.,- etc., or the following decorations: V.C., M.C., V.D, or T.D."

After several months spent in Honolulu and the United States, Madame Mclba has returned to Australia. She is accompanied by Lady Susan FitzClarexiee, daughter of the Earl of Hardwick.. In the course of an interview, Madame Melba said that from October next to February, 1918, sho would be engaged singing in opera in America. Everything after that depended upon ilie course of the war. If peace wore declared she would return to Paris and London; if tlie war continued, a number of stars would follow her lead lor opera seasons in Melbourne and Sydney. Her new operas would be Debussy's ."Pellas et Melisaudo," Mascagni's "Iris,", and Montemczzi's "L'Amore dei Tre Re." Her principal tenor would be Zonatello.

While tho piiblio debt of New South Wales is .year by year rapidly expanding, tho interest charges per head of population are increasing proportionately. In 1907 the interest per head amounted to £2 ss. 10d. In 1914 it fell to £2 2s. Rd. Next year it rose to £2 4s. Bd.; while in 1916 the charges reached £2 95., representing a total of £4.581,822.

1 A meeting of the geological section of the Wellington Philosophical Society was held in the Dominion Museum Inst evening. Dr. C. A. Cotton presided. Mr. P. J. Morgan submitted some mineral specimens obtained from various districts. Dr. Cotton delivered an address entitled "Across America by the Santa Fc Route." Tho lecturer screened a number of lantern slides showing geological sections of the country under review. A paper was afterwards read by Mr. Morgan on "Potash in New Zealand."

By permission of the Fuller management the members now performing at His Majesty's Theatre havo offered tlieir services to give an open-air concert in aid of the Crippled Soldiers' Hostel art union in Wellington streets at noon on Friday, May 18. Two farm hands were among the men who applied for work at the Government Employment Bureau in Wellington last week. Both of them were placed without difficulty, and work could have been found for other men of the same class. The bureau placed nineteen men during the week. Four others applied for employment, but refused to take tho work that was offering. The demand for labour is fairly keen in Wellington, but it appears to be slack in the South Island. Twelve men on tho books of the Christchurch Bureau were unplaced last week.

The appointment of a permanent tariff board composed of experts was advocated by Mr. S. J. Harbutt. president of the Auckland Industrial Association, at a recent meeting of the committee of that body. Such a hoard, he urged, would be much better able to deal with tariff readjustments than ihe members of Parliament, many of whom ha-ve no special knowledge of tho complex, questions involved in a revision of the Customs duties. On tho night of April 30 Robert Walker, licensee of the Prince of Wales Hotel, Church Street, llichmond, Melbourne, was stabbed, and died a few hours later. The City Coroner (Dr R. H.Cole) inquired into the affray, and committed a solider, formerly of Broadmeadows Camp, for trial on a chnrgo of manslaughter. According to tho evidence of several witnesses. Wnlkpr struck the soldier, who carried a, knife, and a moment later Walter was stabbed in the abdomen. The Coroner said that the provocation received hy the soldier was great, and it was doubtful if any jury-would convict him. He allowed bail in a personal surety of £50. . With an offer to piirchase the State roal mines on the one hnnd, and the statement of the Acting-Prime Minister that tho mines should he made to pav. interest has been aroused in the subject of State control of big industries and the moral position of, the

State in respect to l other, companies which have to make their business pay in order to exist. In this direction it is interesting to note that Sydney ■papers just to hand rword that the State brickworks at Botany, New Soiih AVblps, are being closed down, and that the loss since they have been in operation has amounted to 12s. per 1000 bricks.

The work of altering and rearranging the disposition l of the offices on the ground floor of the Education Board's building in Mercer Street, in conformity with the plan recently approved.by the board, is now being carried out. The new arrangement will bring the secretary's staff into closer contact than heretofore, and will give the board's architect and Builder a better lighted office than he has in the B'ailding on the Wakefield Street frontage. _ The. board room will bo in the interior of the block, and a Rreat deal of waste space will be utilised for office purposes'.

Before the First Otago Military Service Board recently, George Frederick Duns, of Dunedin. aged 35, said tba,t he did not appeal on religious grounds, as stated on the appeal form, but rather on conscientious grounds. He had bfen advised by the group officer at Auckland to appeal with a. view to boing drafted to the Ambulance Corps. Appellant described himself as a "registered speaker" of the Spiritualist Church of New Zealand, ami defined this for the benefit of the board as one who was able to conduct services' , and to give messages from the world beyond to this world. His engagement with his church would terminate qn July 15 next. The appeal was dismissed. A return conoerninc the courses of etud.v of students in arts and science was presented to the Professorial Board of Canterbury College, recently. It showed that students are more and moro taking advantage of the "intensive degree" established a few years ,in which a student may repeat either one or two subjects—that ie to say. take such subject or subjects already taken at the ordinary B.A. or B.Sc. standard to the higher standard required for senior scholarships,, a standard, roughly, half-way between the- B.A. and the M.A. (standard. The report showed that in 1917 41 per cent, were repeating one subject only, and 55 per cent, repeating two subjects.

1 case of some importance to pro-perty-owners and land agents was heard in the Magistrate's Court yesterday by Mr. L. 6. Reid, S.M., when A. M. Howitt, of Kilbiroie, for whom Mr. H. Van Staveren appeared, was charged'that not being a licensed land agent, he did hold himself out to be a land agent. The evidence disclosed tho fact that the defendant was acting as agent for Mr. Easson, who had given defendant power as agent for tho sale of his land. It was admitted that neither the defendant nor Easson were land agents, but that Easson was the owner of the land being sold by Howitt as agent. Inspector Marsaek, who prosecuted, contended that as notices of "houses to be let" and "land for sale" were exhibited by Howitt in his window, it was «. prima facie case against him. For the defence it was stated that Howitt had not received a penny of commission in respect to land sold. Tho Magistrate held that under the circumstances the case could not stand, and dismissed the information.

A gentleman, who is interested, bclioves that it would be a boon'to many soldiers in Trentham Camp if a library were established in connection with'the new Soldiers' Club. Reading matter is often very short out at Trentham, and if it were known that there was a good assortment of books to be secured for an hour or two in the evening (and not necessarily removed from the premises), it would tend to popularise the club and fill a big want.Were an appeal made for books he was sure that a wall in the social hall could ■very easily be filled by contributions from Wellington citizens. Were the idea entertained, it is suggested that text books on the French language should be included, so that our -men would he afforded the chance of getting at least a smattering of the lan-, guago of tho country they will visit before very long.

A small electric lift is being installed in the Town Hall near the Wakencld , Street entrance to facilitate the- work that is being carried on there continuously by the ladies engaged in patriotic work. The elevator will ascend from tho basement to the top floor, whero tbe custodian's quarters are situated. As thousands of cases and tens of thousands of parcels, bales, and packages of all descriptions are handled at tho Town Hall during tho year in connection, with the work of patriotic endeavour, as well as goods connected with City Council work and entertainments that are given in the Concert Chamber, the elevator should be a valuable adjunct to the Town Hall.

The. name of W. B-. Wingett was published in a recent Gazette in a list of deserters. A correspondent states (that- Mr. Winjrett enlisted voluntarily and is now serving with the Forces. After enlisting he was drawn in a ballot.

Mr. George Gray, the celebrated cueist, accompanied by his wife, arrived in Wellington by the Main Trunk tram yesterday, after an extensive tour of Canada and the "United States. Arrangements are now being completed under the auspices of Messrs. Alcock aud Co., Ltd.] for an exhibition tour of the Dominion- after -which Mr. Gray will return to Australia, to _ fulfil engagements already > entered into. Later it is quite probable that he will visit Japan and America.

At a meeting hold last night (ssys a Press Association telegram), the Greymouth Municipal Elections Patriotic Association, which was formed for the purpose of the municipal elections campaign, decided that the organisation continue, and the. name be altered to the Greymouth Citizens' League, so that should the necessity again arise ib would be ready for action. An executive of seven members was appointed, whose functions will be to call thecitizens at any or all times when it is considered the best, interests of the town are jeopardised by any section of the community. The chairman said that the result of the elections, which was a complete victory for the Patriotic Ticket, retrieved tho good name of the town throughout the Dominion, and ho expressed the hope that the name would be zealously guarded.

Pour games in the patriotic billiard diner tournament at Alcoek's were decided last evening. The results are:— W J Billman beat De Latour, jun., A; Johnson beat W. Barker, G. Bradley beat G. Goodwin, and A. Longmore beat W. K. Kell. Longuiore, in the last game, played very well, and although perhaps favoured with the run of the balls deserved his win. Four further games will be played to-night. A correspondent writes to the Auckland "Star":—"l would like to draw your attention to the performance of two pupils of the Auckland Grammar School. A boy (17) and his sister (14) arrived at Frankton Junction at 1.10 p.m. on Friday, and to go home in tho usual way they would have been obliged to wait nnd take a coach at 9.30 a.m. on Saturday morning. Owing to the shortening of ihe term holiday*,, and wanting as much .time as possible to spend at their home, they decided to set out on foot, a- journey of. 24 miles. Bv 7 p.m. they had accomplished about" 16 miles, a long mountain tramp included, and with roads wet. and very heavy. They called at a telephone office- to ring up their people, and surprised them by telling them to expect them later. A hrqther set off in a gig and met the children about four miles from their home. The travellers were obliged to tak,e off their footwear for tho last few miles of their tramp, as tho mud was so heavy to carry on their boots, and they were footsore. I think this speaks wellor" the grit possessed by some young New Zealanders." '•'■ . \

The buildings of the Y.M.CX were again crowded with men in khaki at the week-end. Between the hostel in Boulcott Street and the main building in Willis Street 379 beds were supplied and 525 meals served to soldiers. Fifty-three, men attended the men's meeting on Sunday afternoon, when tlie Rev. J. 6. Chapman gave an address, and afterwards forty-five men, including over thirty soldiers and visitors, wero entertained at the strangers' tea'. Many of the soldiers were present afc an after-church song service.

On May 25 and 26, £25 will be given j.way in "sums of ss. or 10s. to those who on request can produce a Crippled: Solders' Hostel 'Art Union t;cket stamped "Suratura D." ,