LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 97, 17 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Cabinet decided yesterday that the minimum wane for married men in tho Public Service and also in tha Postal Department shall be £156 per year. No alteration is to b& made in the salaries of unmarried men. Tho effect of this decision is to pat the men in the Public Service on tho same footing as railwaymcn. The proposal came as a recommendation Irom the Public Service Commissioner 1o the Minister of Internal Affairs, who in turn submitted it to Cabinet. The Telegraph Department vas greatly surprised recently to find that the cable newly laid across the Strait had developed a fault. On inspection a shark's tooth was discovered embedded in the insulation. This had caused tho leak. A soldier who contracted fever in one of the New Zealand military camps was while in the Camp Hospital slionn a copy of the.Government Gazette in which he was posted as a deserter. The case of Bonnier, tho Kauangaroa murderer, is likely to be considered at a meeting of the Executive- Council which is to bo held in Christchurch to-dny. This man Bennior murdered bis wife on September 10, and he was sentenced to doath for the crime mi November 28. After tho trial doubts, were raised as to tho sanity of_ Bonnier, and inquiries were made in all the places where Rcnnier bad been known. Three medical officers who have snpoial knowledge of mental cases have bad Bcnnior under observation for sonje time, and their rcnorts are now beforo the Government. It is understood that the Executive Council will decide tn-ilay whether the sentence of death will be commuted. A shod; of oarthquako was felt in Wellington at about 0 o'clock on Tuesday night. Old residents assert, snys our Masterton correspondent, that there never was n season when orchards and gardens in Masterton were so badly affeced with blights and various forms of posts as this season. Hathere in open waters would be well advised to keep well inshore during tho present spell of hot weather, as sharks are reported to be plentilnl in the harbour. One of the liger variety has been seen doins sentry-go outside the Tliorncloti Ha lbs on two occasions during the week. It was expected that the appointment of the representative, or representatives of New Zealand to attend the Imperial War Cabinet would Iβ made, at the meeting of Cabinet yesterday, but the matter has been postponed for a week. '"NO RUBBING" Laundry Help, Is. "GOLDEN RULE" Soap, Is. 3d. "GOLDEN RULE" Candles, Is. Ideal for family use. Hill Bros., Cuba Streot.-Advt.

An American in Poking, Mr. S. G. Blythe, attributes the complete victory of tiio Republican Party in China largely to tho energetic loboying of a small band of Australasian and Americans in I'eking. It will bo remembered that Dr. Morrison, an Australian, formerly of "Tho Times," was about three years ago apoi'riled political adviser to tho President of the Chinese Republic. "According to a recent order," says tho "British Australasian," "all CI men of the Australian Forces aro lo be utilised for work throughout England, and imiie> of t.lie C class are to be returned to • Australia within the next six months." The Australian generals lack reinforcements, and cannot spare even the unfit men. H has been decided, after an inspection, to make cortain rearrangements in tho accommodation for prisoners of war on Ripa Island, and this means thai, a few days will elapso before. Count von Luckner, Lieutenant Kirchoiss. iind the German prisoner who will net as "batman" can be received at tho island.—Christcluirch "Press." A meeting of the committee of ihe Wellington Early Settlers' Association was held last evening. Mr. J. E. Jeiikinson presiding. It was considered inadvisable to arrange, for a celebration of Anniversary Day this year, owing; to war conditions, but it was decided to have , a gathering of parly settlers early in March. Mr. L. 0. H. fripp, consular agent for Jtaly acknowledges receipt of tho sum of £4 15s. 2d. for the Italian Red j Cross Fund front the Waikanae Patriotic Society, being tho proceeds of a. concert given by boy scouts, and also £2 2s. from Mr! h. Luoni. "I was a spectator on Sunday night of a rather plucky rescue (writes Prij vate J. At. Gerret, Trcntham). About J 8 p.m. at the Boat Harbour a boy foil ! into the water from a. .small boat. ! Seeing the boy could not ewini, Cor- ! poral J. F. Madden, who was standi ing near, promptly plunged in to the rescue and' brought him safely to the land. I. consider it wns rather plucky of the rescuer ns he wont into the water fully dressed and with his heavy nni'v h'nots on, which must havo made swimming exceedingly difficult. A returned soldier kindly lent him a dry unifora to proceed to Trentham in," in the morning. I havo taken ihe liberty of writing to you, as I'thought you should know of this instance." The walnut ciop at Akaroa this year will, says an exchange, bo much lelov tho average. This,is due to the ravages of the blight that has for some years now been'spreading through tho district. The blight is a kind of fundus that makes its appearance as a. black spot on the young nut, and f'radually develops until the stalk is n fieetcd," when sooner or later, tho nut falls. , . Following upon an offer made by tne Imperial Government, the Government of India has expressed a desire to utilise the services of His Majesty's Trade Commissioner in New Zealand in the interests of Indian trade. As a result of this arrangement, which is part of a larger scheme for fostering inter-Imperial trade, His- Majesty s Trade Commissioner (Mr. R, >\. Dalton) will be prepared to answer inquiries which he may receive regarding the trade of India and to communicate with the Government of India in cases where the required information is >:ot already available in his office. Inquiries may be addressed to His Majesty's Trade Commissioner, II Grey street, Wellington.

About 5.45 o'clock last evening a man named Jiones was i'ouud lying m Kent Terrace.' Ho was apparently sulfering from the effects of a fall, iiud was removed to the Hospital. Last eveniiK' particulars of tho accident were not available, and the mans exact injuries had not been ascertained. The Manawatu "Standard" reports that a collision occurred on the railway line near Awapuni station on Saturday evenin- between the late train, from Wellington and a railway jigger propelled by a railway carpenter named James , "Humphreys, who sustained severe injuries. The jigger was sighted by the fireman on tfic engine and the brakes were immediately applied but not in time to avoid the accident. After the impact the driver and nremau went round to tho front of the engine, whore they found Humphreys lying on the cowcatcher unconscious. First-aid was rendered by the guards on the train, and the injured man brought on to Palmcrston and conveyed to the Hospital, where it was found he had sustained a fracture or the right thigh and injuries to tho Iclt leT. The jigger, which carried no lights, was smashed to pieces by the force of the collision. ■ Tho Prime Minister speaks in high terms of the 6000 acres Gladbrook Ksfcate, at Middlemarch, Otago, which has been purchased from Air. John Roberts, G.M.G., as a soldier settlement (says tho "Christchurcii Press ). "The estate was looking' splendid when I saw , it," said Air. Mnssey, ' nnd it is the best purchase the Government e'vfer made. It should cut up into /o farms suitable for dairying. 1 wallced many miles over the property and I failed to s<* a rabbit or a bit oi Californian thistle." Two souvenirs of the Rugby maten plaved in Paris on April 8, Mi, l-c----tween teams of soldiers iron; tho i\e« Zealand and French armies, have been brought to the Dominion by iurs. A. Pliwe They are medajs of difterent design'and sias, made of argent (oxidised silver). The largest of tho t*o was presented to Lieutenant-Colonel A. Pluggo as head of the team. In a strtkmg manner, characteristic of the frt ofFrance, it represents Liberty in the form of the female head of .ua Marseillaise. The other is a considerably smaller and lighter modal, but is none the less artistic. Ii Pj>]> travs two footballers "on the ball. Each member of tho team received one. The medals were presented by tlie proprietors of the papw "Lα Journal, who assisted the French Rugby Union in the management of the mate l. i«ferrin" to tho New Zealanders , handsoiuo win, Mrs. Plugge said the people of France gave them a great ovation. The baitracke.vs exchanged hats, -and the style worn by the Now Zea anders, of four dents, was adopted by the French soldiers. •'I quite realise that some jobs in the harvest field, swli as driving a reaper and binder, and slacking. lieed skilled labour," said the Prime Minister to a Christchurcii "Press reporter, ""but there are many other tasks in the harvest field which Iβ people from the cities can easily tackle and in which they can make themselves exceedingly useful."