LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3168, 20 August 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Minister of Defence has received a cablegram reporting the safe arrival at their destination of tho Twenly-eixtli Reinforcements and the first portion of the Twenty-sevonth Reinforcements.

A -Press Association telegram received yesterday states that a Dunedin produce firm received a cablegram from Melbourne on Saturday, stating that all business has been stopped by the strikes. The Board of Trade continued its sittings in Christchurch on Saturday. Further evidence was taken regarding tho South Island price for Australian wheat. The Millers* Committee, consisting of Messrs. E. Milligan .(chairman), Lough (Dunedin), and R. Evans (Kaiapoi) were present. The board is expected to return to Wellington to-morrow. At the Patriotic Shop in Masterton on Saturday a sum of about £bOO was obtained in aid of the Aotea. Home. One cake alono realised .£253 at auction. Butchers have warned their customers tKat a rTse in tho price of meat will probably take plnco this week. If that is so, there will probably be a. movement in Wellington in favour of establishing a Stato meat shop on the lines of the one in Auckland anil that about to be estabTis'hed in Christchnrch. In the article on diphtheria, which appeared on Saturday, it was represented in one of the taMes that five cases had occurred in Muritai during the past month. Muritai should havo read Miramar. No casea were reported from Muritai. A marked movement towards unity among various sections of the Christian Church has been, witnessed during recent years (said the "Lyttelton Times" on Saturday). Schemes for Church union or federation were never more proliflo and promising, and co-operation and exchanges of pulnits amonj; ministers of different denominations which n, short timo ago wcro of unusual occurrence are now quite common. On Sunday Christchurch will witness a remarkable manifestation of this growing unity, when almost every \non-cpiscopal pulpit of tlio city and suburbs will be occupied for the evening service by a minister of another denomination. Mr. J. M'Combs, M.T?., delivered _an address under the auspiecos of tho Social Deiuooratio Party in the Alexandra Hall last night on the subject of the Budget. Hβ explained tho proposals of the Minister of Finance in detail, and protested warmly against the issue of the War Loan stock free of incomo tax. The effect of thia arrangement, he said, was to give the moneyed interests facilities for putting hugo sums of money beyond the reach of future taxation, and at tho same time to; give tho big investor a very substantia! advantage over the small investor, even when allowance had been made for tho extra half per cent, allowed the small investors.

"Tho mere fact that a man is a miner does not exempt him from military service." said the chairman of tho Second Otago Military Service Board at Diverton. "Ho must bo producing fivo or six tons of coal a day. Wo cannot afford to keep miners for development work. Such work should stand oyor in a timo like this."

A judgment recently given by Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., held that tho assistant manager of tlio Northern Shipping Company was not qualified under the Shipping and Seamen Act to engage seamen. In support of an appeal against tho decision (says a Press Association telegram from Auckland), Dr. Bamford contended that as tho owner in 'this case is a registered company appellant acted as owner and not as servant. Mr: JusiTco Cooper dismissed the appeal on the ground that tho substitution of Clauso 7 in the MO!) Act for Clause 39 showed tlio intention of tho Legislature to limit [Tib class of persons who might engage sen men to those specified.

Mr. J. Walker, of Okotulni, had a most unenviable «xporionpo aday or two ago (saj-8 our Wanganui correspondent). Whilst working 'in ono of hie paddocks in which wcro a lumilier of cows, ho noticed ono of the animals coming towards liini, but ho took no notice, as Urn cow was ono he knew to bo quiet, and ono ho can milk nnywhero. All of a sudden, however, tho cow' charged him nnd knocked him down. Tho other cattle in tho paddock, attracted by tho noise she wns making, came running up and stood around him, but they gave no evidence of viciousness. Mr. AVnlkcr was eventually able (i> gnisp the cow's horns and lwi.il her off, so I hat he escaped with severe bruises. Finally l.ho cow seSmcd to bocoruo normal ajjain, and walked away.

I'ividenco of the recent earthquake wlnctt did so mucli damage in tho Mμtei'toa ' district is (soys our special corresponaent) to bo seen at Patoa Heads, where there is a large fissure in the ground extending from Hie edge of the cliff near the river mouth to the (Tip in the cliff some distance back. The earthquake shifted portion oi tho new concrelo wall, and water was found to "us issuing through tho fissure. At present tlie cliff as it now exists constitutes ;i grave source of danger to the public using tho beach. Shortly after 2 p.m. oa Saturday inforest in the racing at Ricearton was entirely interrupted by the arrival over tho course of an aeroplane from the Canlorbnry Aviation Company's grounds. The big biplano flow over tho course in a steady breeze, and amidst tho cheers of tho spectators gave an exhibition of ilying, banking; high in turning until tho cart-wheel was nearly done, and nosediving, followed by a steady planing with tho engine shut oif. The machine circled round tU6 course several times, flying now high, now low. The' machine was put through its paces gracefully and easily. Several times the aviator passed up and down over tho lawn, and after coming low to wave an acknowledgment of the apnlaiuj, ho mounted again and made l>aclc to tho aviation ground at Canterbury Park, after providing at once an entertaining interlude, and a fine lesson of the'ease and confidence with wliicli the expert bird-man can fly.

Tho Anglican Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprott) held a confirmation at St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral last night. The candidates wero presented by tho vicar of tho parish (the , .Rev. A. ii. Johnson). The Bishop gave an earnest and helpful address, lnying elress upon tlic importance of faithfulness in small things. Ho said that in these days when the world was being thrilled daily with the record of great happenings and wonderful deeds of bravery, people were apt to think that tho performance, of the small <luties of ordinary life did not matter very much. Wo wero truly living in a time when tho future of tho -world largoly depended upon the achievement of great things, but in normal times it was the faithful performance of duty—work well done every day by tho thousands of average men and women in all walks of lifo that made lifo endurable and human progress possible.

Tho ToDgan Parliament is now in session, tlio principal, business apparently being connected with finance, l'lio TonKan correspondent of olio of tho Suva papers writes us follows: —"Members increased t'lio taxation by -\ P er ce "t- ad valorem- on tobacco, tlio dntv on Bpirits already being very heavy. Tho Government had decided thnt moro revenue must bo raised, and it was,agreed to put n, three-quarter per cent, export duty on copra, which will mean a considerable sum. The next day tho Government very generously decided to increase flioir employees' pay by 10 per cent. A total prohibition Bill was defeated 'by two rotes." There is, adds the correspondent, a very largo stock of copra «\ hand here, and no moans of getting it'away. This is a very serious matter for the •whole community in view of the financial position.

Speaking on tho subject of meat export nt the meeting of the Farmers' Union Executive in Auckland, Mr. A. A. Boss said matters were far from satisfactory, and he was of opinion that the proper solution of the problem was that the Government should take over the business. It was a common practice to talk of flio American meat, trust, but he believed that there wore as many British as Americans interested in the meat trust. The nomination system, wherebv persons at Home woro appointed to receive meat ■from the Dominion, was said to he grxxl for tho farmers; inasmuch as the farmers got some slight advantage, while the men at the other end were nmnssimsr fo-rhir"*. It would pay the farmers to forpgo the advantago thev might have, as the evstem was nutting into tho hands of the men at tho other end such tremendous .power that it would enable them to crush all opposition.

Jocund spring look a peep at Wellington yesterday. After a week of bitter RouHiorlies and nortlierlics, with the ."nip" added by tho snows of the Taranias, tho weather yesterday was full of ■the promise of spring. There was a soft balm in tho sunshine that gladdened the whole day, which seemed to bring reliof to many who have, tired of the rather cold and extremrfy wet winter we have experienced. The Natives in the country have reported signs of an early summer, one of the latest reports being that the pohutak&wa (the New Zealand Christmas treo) is already in bud, though as (v rule it docs not bloom until November.

Correspondence lias passed recently between the- AVellington City Council and the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board on the subject of the speed at which the' Hospital ambulance travels tk'e streets of Wellington on occasions. The City Council point of view is that considerable danger is caused by the pace at which the ambulance travels. Tile Hospital authorities think that the ambulance should at least have all tho privileges of tho road that is given to a fire brigade engine, as with them the timo in which a journey to the Hospital is cut out is often a matter of life or death. "There are cases of diphtheria," says the acting-secretary of the board (Mr. S. Robinson), "in which two or threo minutes' delay in operating mny mean death, and to my own knowledge I have seen a case come to the Hospital where the surgeon, warned by telephone, has been waiting at the door, and has had the child conveyed in its clothes direct to the operating-table, and has there performed tie trachc.il operation—cutting-, into the throat to prevent suffocation. Such cases do occur when the parents, not aware of the child's state, let things go too far, and call'in a doctor at flie last minute. In such cases who is to say that the ambulance should not be permitted to travel as fast as it can within the limits of safety? At the same time our man have been instructed to avoid such congested thoroughfares as Willis, Manners, and Cuba Streets altogether, except when such streets havo to be traversed."

An observant fireman, who has sailed in many ships and on ■many aeas, may be expected to have some interesting stories to relate. One fireman had a. keen sense of humour. His transport was met at the entrance to the English Channel by a destroyer. "The man on the bridge was, without a word of lie," said the fireman, "almost a block of ice. Imagine for yourself a roaring southwester, and the destroyer tearing through tho water at 40 knots." The destroyer ranged right up alongside the transport, wallowing in the seas, with her funnel almost under water. "Everything all right, Captain?" camo the question from tho man on the destroyer's bridge. "Yes," roared the transport captain. "Then follow me, and go like ." The destroyer forged ahead into the heaving rollers, and the nmrnen on the transport, working double shifts, heaved in Iho coal till tho furnaces simply roared. Almost the next moment the destroyer, which had left her consort far in the rear, swung round rapidly, and was soon again alongside. "Why havo you etopped 1" was the stentorian question hurled at the startled oars of the transport's skipper. "Shake her up a bit." "Wo shook her up. all right," said the fireman. "Put tho boilers up on tho foo'sle ihead," was tho instruction of the second officer. "Our old craft never got dealt with in her lifo before as wo treated her that afternoon." It was on the same transport that a v-irelef-s message was received giving the latitude nnd longitude of a German submarine. On the figures being worked out, it wns discvoered that, according to the information received, tho location of tho submarine should havo been about GOO miles inland from tho const of Africa. "Wo won't trouble about thnl." said the transport's captain. In one port tho fireman said one of tho latest Orient liners, with a gaping hole in her side, and her steering pear put out of action, was being dragged to tho bench by four big salvage tugs. In ordinary times they would have let her sink, paid ho, so badly was she knocked about. Tho fireman went up to Shields to sen his relatives, and while lelu.rning to Lou. don in tho train ho chuninirdup with a saHor whom he instinctively recognised as ono of tho craft. The fireman remarked on tho small size of his new friend's kit. "Yes," remarked tho other. "I've been blown out of four ships np to now, and I'm travelling light in readiness for tlii> next blow up." "No ifiibbhiß" Laundry Help is what i-s recommended for washing clothes dean without rubbing or injury to tho hands and fabrics.—Cieo. Thomas and Go. -Advl,

The Mayor of Wellington (Mr. ,T. P. Luke) and 'the executive of the Wellington Patriotic S'ocioty met the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. G. \V. Kussell) on Saturday with the object of nrraugiiig. a eclicuie for tho consolidation of efforts now being made by the various bodies concerned. A committee was set up, consisting of tho Mayor and Messrs. T. M. Wilford, J1.1'., J. CI. W. Aitken, M.L.C., L. 0. 11. Tripp, J. Mac iiitosh, and ,T, Ijewis, to woijk out ft scheme and report to the Minister within ten days, in order to prevent overlapping of effort. A meeting of the Executive and Legislative Committee will bo held to-morrow. Tho order paper includes the following remits:—Onraaru: "That uniform by-laws be passed by borough councils in respect of objectionable posters." Gisborne: That owing to a class of traders travelling from town to town with inferior goods, and disposing of eamo to the general public as bankrupt or assigned stock, the Government bo requested to pass li-pisla-tion dealing with same, theso traders to bo compelled to pay a license fee of .not less than ,£2O for each town, and also bo compelled to prove that Roods sold as bankrupt or assigned etoek aro ts described by sign or advertisement, and also to consider the advisability of similarly dealing with travelling auctioneers;" "That tho date of plectionsbe altered so as not to clash with Anzac Bay." Tnvercargill: "That where a, valuation is being made of any borough, and where in any one block the valuation made by the Valuation Department is objected to by V, per rent, of ,the land-owners in that block, tho Assessment Court shall bo bound to review the whole of the valuation it> that block, whether the owners have objected or not."