LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3119, 25 June 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Bepresentatives of tho hiitter and cheese producers met the Board of Trade at the week-end and r discussed matters connected with tho Orders-in-Council concerning bnttor. Tho confereuoe adjourned until July 13 without reaching any definite decisions. It is lioped that in tho meantime additional information bearing upon tho matters under discussion will become available.

A Press Association cablegram from Brisbane reports that a fire at Bundaber? destroyed the Bundaberg Hardware Company's store and an adjoining building. The damage is estimated at .£15,000. Replying to a deputation of his constituents, says a Press Asaooiation telegram from ChristcliuTch, Mr. E. Heaton Rhodes, M.P., said that whatever happened he was going to rote for a very considerable curtailment of hotel hours. Some time, ago ho had urged the head of the Government to give the House a lead on the question, and there was a probability this might be done. Aβ to Tacing, he thought' it could have been cut down by one-half instead of onethird, but ho did not believe in abolishing Tacing. ' .

The ferry steamer Maori was prevented Ly tho stiff southerly wind yesterday from making her usual smart entrance into her berth at the Perry Wharf. Tho vessel arrived in the harbour at five minutes to soven a.m., but the heavy gusts of wind and tho narrowness of the berth made H difficult for Captain Manning to berth his ship. On one occasion, the Maori was in position for berthing when a squall forced the ship towards the wharf, and she had to speedily withdraw , to- avoid damage After threo hours and a half of unsuccessful efforts the Maori was berthed at tho King's "Wharr. She will sail tonight from the Ferry Wharf as usual.

'A scheme is under way a Press j Association telegram from Dunedin) for providing a Presbyterian Homo for tho Aged A site of ten acres within tho city .limits has been given by a member of the Church, and £1100 has already been collected for the building. In one of the training camps recently an officer instructed ono of tho men to go and fetch some empty Backs. On tho soldier's return, empty-handed, ho was asked if ho found any. "No," was tho reply "-No, what?" the ofhee-r asked sharply. "No sacks," was tho complacent answer. Mr X). Buick, M.P., of Palnieraton North, wben asked by a deputation on Thursday to present n petition to Parliament urging tho closing ot tho hotels at six o'clock, said (according to an exchange) :—"lt will give mo groat ploasuro to present tho potitiou, which I contador my duty, but I cannot promise to support it, as I niu pledged to keep tlio liiiuor laws as they are. I havo always kept my pledges, and I. always will. As tho iiightwatcliman was doing hw rouuds at tho Waingawu freezing works at '' o'clock on Thursday morning lie detected smoke issuing from the wool room, and'instantly Bounded an alarm. IHo company's Bre brigade wufl quickly on tho spot, and soon suppressed the llamre, which had » complete hold oi the partitions. The lire evidently started in some old wool packs, and but tor .the m'ompt action of the brigade serious results might havo followed.

Tho faint call for help from a drowning man reached tho cars of a member of tho Harbour Board's ekff early on Saturday morning, and through las quick work the man was saved. Mi. Jeromson, tho officer in question hist card the call, and in a foir mimi lie the man was found under tho wharf at ,lervos Quay. A boat was obtained, and M Jeromson, assisted >y Conetablo Connor and Messrs. Larkm and J3ro« , reached the man in time to catch him as ho slipped from tho beam li « holding. Ho was in a weak condition, but li recovered sufficiently to bo, rcmove his home. Had tho night been Serous it is possible that the man's cries for help would not have been heard. ' ■ According to tho annual report of the Fire Brigade Superintendent the cost of tho brigade for tho year onded March 31 was =£9531. The personnel of tho brigado consists'of the superintendent, <loputyfiiiperintondeiit, third oliiccr, one senior station officer, two ntnlioii olhcers. seven auxiliary foremen, one motorman, three senior firemen ;ind motor drivers, 25 first, second, and third-class firemen, bli auxiliary firemen, Jffl officers and mombcre of 'tho Volunteer Firo Police Corps,

Tim National llcn«l(|";irli'ifl of tho Y.M.C.A. Imu iw.im-wl I'i'Oiii Mr. r,. S , . K. Kolly. ol' Krlbiiru. a Inn:" 11 m tn<(i eii K riiviii|f of (Juwn Victoria al SI. I'l.ul >■ on (hi* minion of licr Dniiimrid Jiibilir lor Ilin iisi) of lh» Kuldimw" tub aI. 'IVl'llUnlll 'I'III' il-S-/MtlllH'll I'lHO lII'kiioivliiV'M ii <lonul.ioii «>l' XI fur it-* War Fliiliil Iron, To iMorrliu.

In lli« ffoiiw.. »f lii» ""i"" ,1 n> "" r '; U, . (1 Kiii|>i.riiitcii<lnMt of Ilio Wellington Municipal Kim HriKii«l» hlii,l<« llml Hi.. Mimuled loss of property m>l rav.iwl bv insimiiin- duriii" tlio year en<l<xl March 111 1;,«|; wan .JU77; Uso estimated low ..I property <ovenxl by insurance- wuh -L/b.410 ami tlio (stiinuted value «)f properly uii which liri'rt occurred was -^W , ':' "II is pleasing t" record," Hays Mr. 11. Tail; "that during the J™;] , .""/ , ?-*' f"' oils lire ban occurred. 'I liw (not. "(«- S in connection wiLh inotorMßi* and motor-cycles, otc."

Fires occur moro frequently ."> *!"> summer months than in -winlor m Wellington. In tbn course of lim rninual report tho Superintendent of the brigade (Mr. H. Tait) irivw) a monthly BiimjranrT of fires and iilurms (an alarm does not ahrap moan <v lire). Of tho 201 alarms received during tho year ondc.l March 31 102 of thorn were recorded in tho months of December, January, February and March, and of these J4 irero concerned with gorso and rubbish fires. <; In tho eummaTy of causes of lire, unknown" heads the list-with Iβ; match thrown down, 10; epnrks. 10; defective ohimncy, 5; defective fireplace 5; and fusion of electric win*. 4. Ihreo fires wcro caused through back-fiTo on motors, four through airing linen near a fire, and only ono ira.s proved to, bo tho work of an incendiary.

On necount of the oold and elormy weather which prevailed yesterday tho band performance that wna to have been given by tho band of tho Wellington Patriotic Society'in aid of tho widow oiid family of tho lato Mr. W. P. Fitzgerald was postponed. If tho weather suits tho performance will tako placo at JNowtown Park next Sunday afternoon.

A demented Earotongan woman, who rooontly arrived in Wellington was Inkon ehargo of by tho police last evenine pending her committal to a montal hospital. Tho unfortunate woman reuontly lost her husband, who IB understood to havo boon lulled at tho front. At t'ho Alexandra Hall last ovoning Mr M'Donnoll delivered art address on Ibsen's play, "An Enemy of the People; which ie a powerful denunciation of municipal crookedness in a Norwegian town, and is a lesson ftat al in tho manner in whioh veatedintorests can work thch->will in tbojteoth ofthat ■which is inimical to the good of tho people may read with pront. The speaker mado the argument of this notable play one which .may apply in to . latter-day where a good deal more is at stake than tho ill &at arose out of tho. infected public baths of Ibsen's imagining.

Officially rabbits are a peat in Australia. ' Squatters..settlers, and various other citizens are in agreement that the title is well deserved.' There ie, however, another side of the question, and according bo'a man in tho rabbit export trade bunny has become ,a great asset. A Sydney "Evening Note" reporter was informed that in IMB New South Wale, sent to England- 9750 crates, containing about 22-t,OOO rabbits. The ,1917 estimate for export is 1,230,000 crates, representing 2 500,000 dozen, or ■ 30,000,000 rabbits. These are intended for the United Kingdom, and will go forward if the ship Bpace ie available. In money it is claimed that these rabbits alone are worth a million sterling to New .South Wales. Eabbit skins is another industry representing an additional quarter of a mil-

lion. ( . . The brayless mulo is one of the scientific developments of the war.. Large numbers of mules have. been ™f™L from America for use at the front, but their habit V braying at inconvernent moments had to bo remedied before they could bo used to tho best advantage. Tfio veterinary exports (rays an American exchange) wero called in, and after a little experiment they discovered that n slight operation .on the nostril-had the desired effect, and all. tile sent to the front are now made mute by tnis process. * . ■ A statement was recently made by the Australian Minister of Home and Territories, Mr. Glynn, after a visit to Canberra that altogether .£1,500,000 had. + al- ' raadv been epeni on the Federal capital, of which a little under £1,000 000 . was accounted for by works and administration, the remainder having been spent in tho purchase of land The Military ColIce had cost, roughly, about £2SO,W>, the power-house about .£100,000; brict works about .040,000; temporary buddings about .£50,000; waterworks, between ,£260,000 and .£270,000; and the sewerage scheme about 4-10,000. The balance was made w> in roads and surveys. «• Glynn sta-ted that tho money epent on the sewers would probably all have to be ITcriiJ Ho added that there were no city buildings, properly speaking, yet erected at Canberra.

'A comparison between the losses due to war and'to mortality among theinfent life of the nation D A. Welch, in an address to the recent conference in Sydney -m infant and child welfare. "Throughout- tietoo and a half years of war, to the end of WIG, AusSia had boon losing her best men at tho-rate of twenty lives each day, he said ''During the same period she has &*&££&*?£ wari of ago, wo find that we aro losingsmall population every <lay. Such 19A«»tS prosont effort to.mako good the losses of liar linost men.

A peculiar position has iirisMi in con r ncotiSn with'(ho HIT.IT of u> TVaitaki Hiwk' llu-h -School o=nji> "in Oamaiu -Mail") At tho IWKinninit of the your Mr W M. Ultloy. one of, the assistant niters'. volunteered for active service, paUl >»> Aledical Hoard's lamination. Z\ wont into th* traimnis-oump. Jho Board of Governors granted Mr. Ullloj Sot abm>nco ; during the ourrenoj ol llio war, and temporarily tilled tho posit on. But after the lapse ol some mouths tho medical authorities at Wellington l.ivo pronounced Mr. Uttloy uufit for "orvico i» the field, aaul. wi hout any nrior intimation, he has returned to 0 man' anil reported for duty under .tho board There is a full complement o techers in the school, and the W has not tho financial means for. moreasii.fr the staff, even temporarily. Mho subject was befoTO the board Inst 1 10*davand the chairman was authored to consult with the rector and report to a special meeting of tho board. The valuo of swodo turnips as a vogetablo is not generally known. xVii'hnglish nannr received by tho last mail says: "Swede turnips have been for many years tW most, popular vegetable among the working classes of Scotland. Wales, ami the North of England; and during tho past three or four months people all over the kingdom have ~been using it ki-'flly Indeed, eo great has been the demand for swedes lately that they have been selling at no less than threo-half--I.DHCO a pound in West End shops, and .at as much ns a penny in provincial centres. Growers have been making as much as .£G a ton net. Tho Food Controller has fixed tho maximum price of Hiree-hnlfpencc- per pound on swedes, so that tho latter may bo said to have attained tho dignity of a food product of first importance. As a taWo dish the swiklo is undoubtedly a lone way the best of all tho turnips. It is more nourishing that tho garden varieties ot tho latter, moro appetising in flavour, and contains less waste matter in the form of water. Boiled and served in thick slices (or mashed) with gravy or bntter it makes a delicious dish, nnd one that diirins; tho present potato shortofre has proved n boon to tens of thousands of families."

A ffiwli mirlli-HiHl. Kiilk v»i I»l'»wii»k Iμ Auckland mi Katiinlny. miv.vm ii I'rfi'i A«Biic.iiil.ii.il IHifßi-iiiii. «i«l ft ""I "•"* ' '"' iL wn« ninni.i). Several eirinll vr-urnU f-, liiniwl Ln poll, mill i>l her hlikllitc,l in dm K iilf till ycifeiduy rrit.niim:, ivlii'ii Iho weather iimhli'Mlhl. 'llik h> A nun "ailed for Wellington <m Saturday, l.ul. sucttnwd fill yentciduy iiiorin»KA <lu|.iiliil.iuii rcproi;mitin}> nil lilifldM ni oniumii wailed ../. 11-"'- A- *'■ Mv " cm.oii Katunluy in rcfc.nc, 1., Uμ- ..•.*» ol' l.l»> yoiil.li iiiidcrKoiiiß licnleiico tor "lliuiiuliid iniirditr. who iva* recently "pc>tttwl (.11 for l.rain prcH-mm, W'Vrt «■ Ij"ws Atwoc.iation telegram from Aucklunu- nin deputation protested wjniniil. tlm MiinoviU i,f tin. youth from lionpilal (without (■(iimiilUntc II'" opiMutini: Hiirgoun) to piiol, and urged Hint Im bis Kent back In I ho former iimtiluUon in order tluiL l!i« Hurgcou who operated might have, nil control of the «iw, and that *U«I nursing iitlonlion might bo available.

Sir. .1. It.. Tc.mplin, electrical cii'.uenr, Christchnrch, n K rn<Hial.n of tho Uiiivcrflily of Ohio, liiis jccc-ivcd a circular troin the Oommnndiinlj of tho Ohio State IjhiTeruitj Military Ucp;i.rtrocnt, BottiiiE ont the need for ollicors in tho United States Army, and tho \sn:\. that tho .country 8 fiiniflo , big Boiirco of ready niutonal from which t<. supply the. shoring of array officers at tho prosent timo is from th« graduates and fix-students of colleges where military instruction liae been an obligatory part of tho curriculum. Mr. 'J'omplin has replied that if tho authorities dcom liie presonco necessary he will loso no timo m placing his. services at America's disposal. Speaking to a Chnstchurch "Star"" reporter Mr. lomplm stated that at 'this and similar btnto land-grant universities a two-yearn' military course must be completed before tho student' is entitled to any degree from tto University, and this condition i? rigidly observed. This system has been in vopio for generations, and tho results must ho of great valuo to America.