LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 86, 4 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Fire Brigade received a call at o o'clock last evening to the office of Mr. William Miles, No. 24 Grey Street. Tho office on being entered was found to be well alight, and before tho flames were subdued the interior and contents were badly damaged by fire, smoke and water. The contents wero insured.

A Press Association message from Sydney states that tho seismograph at tho observatory there distinctly recorded the Guatemala earthquake.'

For two hours and a halt' the members of the Wellington \Vutersitl<» Workers' Union who happened to be employed ceased work yesterday morning in order to hold a meeting, which, as advertised, was to receive the report of the delegates to tho Dunedin Coniereneo. This report was presented, and, it is understood, its recommendations were adopted. It was reported that a welcome back to the "Labour movement" was given to Messrs. W. T. Young and M. Howell (secretary and assistant-secretary of the Seamen's Union), who have recently served a sentence in prison. What is described as "a matter of great importance to waterside workers" was discussed. A printed report on this matter is to be supplied to each member before anything further is considered. It was decided to liold the annual picnic during the first week in February.

Women are very rapidly learning to adapt themselves to avocations never dreamt of before the outbreak of war. We have heard of lady bus conductors, and motor drivers, farmers, and window cleaners. Visitors to the Grand Opera House may have noticed that .for the first, lime in the history of the theatre, a lady 'drummer is being employed in the orchestra. She has a has l ; drum, two tympani, side-drum, and triancle to attend to. and does so in first-class style. Ladies are also being more, frcelv employed in the striiiL' section of theatre orchestras than heretofore.

The rainfall in Auckland during tho year 1917 established a record for the city, the previous year's fall, which stood as a record until three months ago, having been exceeded by 7.41 m. The total fall for last year, as registered in the Albert Park Observatory by tho official observer, Mr. F. A. F. Burnett, was 74.51 in., as against the total of 67.1 flin. in 1916, nnd />4.4Biu. in 1907, which was the highest annual fall recorded up till 1916. The average annual fall for tho G3 years puor to 191.6 was 42.03 in. Last year's fall thus exceeds the average by no ln*:!i than 32.43 in. The lowest yearly fall recorded in Auckland was that of leWi, when only 28.14 m. was registered. The total of 28.40 in 1914 is another of the lowest on record.

During the holidays the plastered ceiling of the office of the City Valuer (Mr. James Ames), which has been badly cracked by successive earthquakes, is being replaced by a light stamped steel ceiling, which _is not calculated to net quite so obviously as a seismometer when the earth rocks. The Town Clerk's office has also been similar]? treated, nnd looks all the better for it.

Commenting or. nublished informa- . tion regarding the difliculty experienced by small users of tin plate in secpring their supplies, the Commonwealth Minister of Defence announced recently that there is apparently no way of helping those concerned. Senator Pearce'said that, for some months past fhe Ministry of Munitions in Great Britain has definitely refused to permit the export of any tin plate to he used for the manufacture of household utensils, and further, will not allow any tin plate to be sent out to the order of merchants, certificated for export being restricted to actual users and for approved purposes. So. when local stocks are exhausted, no more will V obtainable for the manufacture of household utensils or _ for any other purpose for which the Ministry of Munitions will not allow export.. It is admitted that the matter is a serious one to small tinsmiths and others concerned, hut 110 action can he taken from this end which would prejudice the meeting of war requirements.

The house ino North Melbourne, ' where Julia and Mary Cummins, middle-aged sisters, were murdered on December 2, was broken into on December 7, and ransacked. The burglare, however, failed tf> find 11 (i sovereigns cunningly concealed in thn mattress of a bed used by one sister and 76 half-sovereigns in the bed of the other sister. This money was discovered by the police when they made their investigations. The sisters wero renutedlv wealthy, and this, no doubt, led to the house being broken into. John Cummins, brother of the women, who is accused of the 1 murder, has been sent to an asylum. 1 "Don't put a padded cell round anyono to keep him in that watertight compartment."—A mixed metaphor uttered by a speaker at the Teachers' Conference. The system under which pupil _ teachers are at present employed in the schools was subjected to rather strong criticism at the Teachers' Conference yesterday. One delegate admitted that in his pupil teaching days he was "a positive nuisance to the rest of the staff." Another said that if inipil teachers were required to attend a training college for two or three years and were admitted to liositions in a school merely as a sort of finisher, they would not be "the menace to tho children that, some of them are at present." Finally the conference resolved that pupil teachers, as well as probationers, should not count upon the staff; and that assistants should as soon as nossible he substituted for punil teachers. Mr. A. E. Ridley, who is severing his connection with the Victoria Insurance Co., Ltd., was tendered a send-off by the Canterbury Fire Underwriters' Association. Mr. I. F. Grierson (Viet.or'a) spoke in eulogistic terms of Mr. "Ridley's services for a period of over AO years, and nil the members present expressed regret that Mr. Ridley was dissociating, himself from underwriting circles.

Sir Joseph Ward, asked by a Christchurch "Press" representative if any definite decision had been arrived at witli regard to the ro-establishnieut of the train scrvico between Lyttelton and Christchureh, replied that he. had forwarded the resolutions passed at the public meeting lo the Hon. W. Hllerries, and while lie could not make any definite statement at present, lie gave tbe reporter to understand lhi'l the anxieties of Christeliureh business peoplo would probably be lightened in the near future.

Carl Seogner, who was arrested i" Auckland for breaking the tonus of his parole by leaving his residence, was Gorman Consul at Auckland from 1892 until the outbreak of the war. With his secretary, I/othar Hilander, ho was arrested on February 22, TOlfi, and interned at Fort Cautley, subsequently being removed to ilotuihi. Ho was released from the prison camp on that island on June IS)lfi. Sneaking in the House of Representatives on June 21, the Hon. A. L. TTerdnian stated that after the internment of the ex-German Consul it- was reported twice by Colonel A. 0. Talbot, medical officer, that if Seenuer were confined at Mofuihi lie would die. Ho was examined by Surgeon-General Henderson, and it was noon the latter's report that the Government decided that Reegtier should he allowed to go to his own home, where, said Jlr. TTerdnian, he would ho watched over, either by a soldier or a policeman. The Minister added: "The man is suffering from diabetes, and cannot recover. I do not know vhethnr the House, expects the Government to have humane fcelinss. At . nnv rate the Government lias decided that a man, if he must die, should b? allowed to die in his own home." Seetruer first came to Auckland in 1884. He was born in the south of Germany, and is Kixtv-niuc years of age. When the war liroke out ho stated that as he had been naturalised for tl'irty years, lie intended to assume his -iprhts as ,i British subier 1

Ono of tho most rcccnt recruits m South Australia is John Clyde Haig, a product of Quorn (north of Port Augusta), who joined up on his eighteenth birthday. Tho youngster is a second cousin of the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in Franco. Tho New Plymouth Hospital has achieved a record of work during tho past year of which any institution might well be proud (says the "News"). From the reports made by the medical superintendent it is apparent that the total number of admissions to the hospital for tho twelve months has been 1062, and the number of patients discharged 1059. A total of 585 operations wero performed, and the deathrate for the year—63*-nnist be considered low, representing slightly under 6 per cent, of the admissions. Tho daily average number of patients in tho'hospital was about 85.37, so that tho staff may be snid to have had a strenuous year.'

Examined in bankruptcy at Sydney, Albert Edward Nasli said that tho cause of his bankruptcy was that hfl had lost his head through drink. For many years he was general manager in Australia for Walker and ITall, Ltd. Since 1890 ho was an expert in gold and silver ware and silver-plated warn and cutlery. He was married in 1889 in England, shortly before coming to Australia. Ho had been living apart from his wife since February last. It was in that, month that ho was suspended from his duties with Walker and Hall. At that time his salary was £50 per month, and, in addition, £40 a month expenses was allowed him while he remained in Sydney. When he. left Sydney ho had £2 a day allowed instead of £■(() a month. Owing to excessive drinking lie became non compos mentis. Ho was at that time drinking three bottles of whisky a day. Sometimes ho was on a "spree" for as long as eighteen months. After opening the Queensland brunch lie contracted the habit of getting on the "spree." When lie was suspended thsre was no shortage charged or admitted. Hn did not know what he was suspended for. Mr. Nash was fairly well known in Wellington.

The occupants of premises in the vicinity of the Town Ilall at a few minutes before noon yesterday were alarmed on hearing a loud crash, mingled with the sound of splintered glass. A tramcar and a light draught horse attached to one of O'Brien and Co.'s lorries had collided. The lorry was proceeding eastward/along Wakefield Street, when it met a tramcar travelling down Lower Cuba Street. Both the motorman and the driver tried to pull up, but it was too late. The ear smashed into the horse, breaking its fore-leg in several places. The animal was destroyed. The lorry was only slightly damaged, but the whole of the glass screen in front of the tramcar was smashed by the impact. Both the motorman and the driver wero given a. good nerve-shako. hut though the latter sustained a badlvbruised knee, neither was seriously injured.

In consequence of the continued advance in the price of all raw materials and the abnormal cost of their coiiTevanee, the price of all lines of locally manufactured soap l (says the "Otago Daily Times") has been advanced as from January 1. Several advances have been made in the price of soap since the outbreak of the war.

One bankruotcy only was registered in Pahiatua this vear as against three in 1016. It ,should be noted that this year's insolvency did not iucludc any local creditors.

An Astonishing total of what waste of bread means is given by the "Church Army Gazette" .in tlie following supposed autobiography of a wasted slice of bread: "I nm a slice e bread. T measure three inches by two. My thickness is half an inch. 11? weight, is exactly one ounce. I am wasted once a dav by fortv-eigbt million people in Britain. T am the l»t left over, the slice oaten when really I was not wanted, I am the waste crust.. Collect me and hit companions for a week. and we shall amount to 0380 tons of bread. Two shiploads of pood bread wasted! —Almost as much as twenty submarines —if they had Inch —could sink! If yon throw me away, or waste me,- tou are as good as adding twenty submarines to the German Navv!"

The vital statistics of Dunedin for December, 1917, disclose that there have been 124 births, 61 deaths and 53 marriages. For the corresponding month of the previous year the figures were: Births, 147; deaths, 77; and marriages, 84. There have, therefore, been 23 fewer births, 16 fewer deaths, and 31 fewer marriages last month than ir. December, 191 G. The total figures for the year closing December 31, 1917, are: Births, 1742; deaths, till: and marriages. 45!). In 1916 the births were 1802, the deaths 051. and the marriages 613, tbe result being that, there have been in 1917, 60 fewer births, 10 fewer deaths, and 154 fewer marriages.