LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 73, 19 December 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Postmaster-Genera! has received advice that the rate of postago for letters from the United States of America to New Zealand has been increased from two to three cents per ounce or fraction thereof. The incrcaso is the result of a similar raising of the United States inland rare. The offices of the Wellington Cincorporation will be closed from Monday next (Christmas Eve) until the morning of January 3. The State schools of tho Wellington Education District are to "break up" to-morrow for the mid-summer vacation. They will reopen on Ttiosday, February 5. The roll of the Second Division of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force is now complete, and the four volumes, containing the names of the married reservists in alphabetical order, may bo consulted at any post office. Tho reservists have been classified according to tho information at the disposal of the Government Statistician, and the classification is indicated by letters against the names. Each _ rcsorvist should satisfy himself that his classification is correct and also that his address is properly given, in order to save himself and the Dofonco Department trouble when his olass is reached in tho ballot.

An inquest has been oponed by Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M.. about the death of Frederick Sandolls, a_ chief potty officer who was drowned in a boating accident on Sunday afternoon. Philip Lawrence Hunt, of Ngahauranga, on Monday gave evidence that he swam out to where the deceased was floating, and brought him in. Sandells was then dead. The Coroner highly commended Hunt's bravery in attempting a rescue. Dr. Kington FyfFe yesterday said that in his opinion death was duo to shock from the rupture of an old gastric ulcer, the rupture being caused by strenuous swimming. Two_ other witnesses were heard, and the inquest was then adjourned till Saturday morning to onable a seaman named Oare-y to be called.

The Government has fixed the price for tho seed wheat sold to Wairarapa farmers at 7s. 9d. per bushel. The Claims Board of the Wairarapa Patriotic Association has decided to forward a sum of £100 through the chairman of the Advisory Board (Mr J L. 0. H. Tripp) for the purchase of gift parcels for men serving in Egypt. For some time past the City Council has had under consideration tho construction of a road that will give better access to Mornington and Vogeltown (by way of Brooklyn), and which will one day be the means of providing a tramway service to those hilly suburbs. So, far no route for the proposed new road has been definitely decided upon, but two routes have been sketched out. either of which would give a good working grade for the tramways extension from Brooklyn. It.is now tho work of the council officials to see which route would he JJie best from all points of view—access to the area be served, grades, cost of construction, and last hut not by any means least the cost of tho resumption of properties necessary in each case. One of the routes follows a curving line from the junction of Cleveland Street (where the tramway • lino terminates) with the Happy Valley Road, through, in on oblique line, to the head of Hayes Street, and the other, takes a lower route from the junction of Haves Street and the Happy Valley Road through ;, the block that is bound oast and west 'v Adams Street and the Happy Valley "" wl. The particular bit of suburban land to bo served presents somo difficulties, and it is not yet decided thnt either of the routes roughly indicated will he the one to be followed, but the growth of settlement in the locality is such that probably a decision will he arrived at next year, when, if tho con* ditkms permit, the. work will be gono on with.

Sir Joseph Ward (Postmaster-Gen-eral) has forwarded tho following telegram to Mr. T. K. Sidoy, M.P.:—"ln reference to your representations to me concerning certain postal employees who had recently left the Department and not received tho war bonus, for your information arrangements have been made to pay their proportion of the war bonus to those ex-officers of the Department who have ceased duty since April 1 last. Payment was held vp pending the decision of the Controller and Auditor-General." Mr. J. A. Frostick, National Efficiency Commissioner in Canterbury, has received interesting information from America dealing with the organisation of -undertakings and businesses in that country. Milk delivery is especially referred to. It is being controlled with a viow to economising labour and expenditure, in the interests of the supplier, tho trader, and the public. The Minister of Foods has announced that,

in order to save labour and petrol, it is necessary for purchasers to carry home all light parcels, up to 71b., in spite cr tho fact that tradesmen may express their "willingness to deliver tho parcels. Wo have to acknowledge receipt of Christmas greetings from tho officers of tho General Post Office, the chairman and members and executive of tho Wellington Harbour Board, the Australasian Institute of Marine Engineers, and from tho Sisters of Comnassion. The Claims Board of tho Wairarapa Patriotic Association decided on Monday to vote £500 towards assisting New Zealand soldiers on furlough in England. The monov is to bo forwarded at once to the War Contingent Association. The question of making supplementary grants was held over for consideration by the executive. Tho final meeting of the Athletio Parle Pretention Fund Committee took place last evening. Dr. P. F. M'Evedy presided. The secretary stated that the fund stood at £2037 12s., # with some, further amounts to come in. Mr. D. D. Weir, on behalf of the Wellington Pugbv Union, mado a presentation to Dr. M'Evedy and Mr. Wright (chairman and secretary respectively of the Retention Fund), to show the union s appreciation of tlieir efforts, which have proved so succossful.' According to Mr. Wright, who has been in charge of the native polico at Niue Island—the farthest outlying post of New Zealand's Island possessions—the greatest drawback to life on the island is its isolation from tho rest'of tho world. The only commimi■'•tion at present is ft sailing schooner of ninetv-fivc tons, which carries tho mails to and from tho Dominion under contract with the Now Zealand Government. Tlie death-rato amongst tho natives this year has been very heavy. Thorn lias been no epidemic, but for all lint the death-rate has been far above the average. All tho traders on the island, most of whom arc in prosperous circumstances, aro anxious for bettor shipping facilities, n'»l there aro good opportunities for other firms to do business in the place in the purchase of copra and other produce if the service was improved. Tho schooner makes fivo trips to Nino a year, and during tho hurricano season, from Deconibor to' April, lays up at 1 Auckland.

Since six o'clock closing camo into force a fortnight ago, there havo, says an cxclmngo, been only soven arrests in Dunedin for drunkenoss. Instalments of tho old-age, widows', war, minors', and military (Maori War) pensions for January will be availablo on Friday and Saturday. The .offlco of tlio Registrar of Pensions ivill bo closed during Christmas week. At an inquest into the cause of death of Mr. W. Henry, of Petono, held yesterday, a verdict was returned to tho effect that tho deceased died from poisoning, self-administered, in mistake for medicine. The bottle out of which deceased drank, was marked, apparently by the manufacturers, "non-poison-ous, hut not to be taken internally." Tho preparation was, in fact, poisonous. Tho bottlo had previously rotitained a cough medicine, the nomo of which had been worked into the glass of which the bottle is composed. An extraordinary theft was revealed recently at Melbourne during an examination of tho cargo of a vessel that had arrived from Now York. Included in the cargo were 13 cases which were supposed to contain valuahlc fancy leather, but on being opened the discovery was • made that nine of them were packed with old newspaper j>nd blocks of granite similar to those used for street paving. The theft had apparently occurred before the vessel left America, for iho newspapers horo New York headings. The manager of the firm lias informed the authorities that the original order was for 18 cases, i but five were dispatched by another vessel, anil had been delivered. The rn.s<>s were not insured against loss by theft, and the value- of tho stolen leather is estimated at'£2ooo. A cable message was Gent to tho New York firm tliat supplied the order, and an in. vestigation will be made by the authorities there.

Consumers of coal are notified that all the city coalyards will he closed for Christmas and Now Year holidays-on December 24, 25, and 26, and on December 31 and January I.'