LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 102, 23 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho holiday in Wellington was very quiot from a police point of view. No accidents were reported, and at K j o'clock last night only one man had been arrested for drunkenness.

A pickpocket, who may have companions in misdoing, is reported to have been operating in Wellington during the last day or two. A man who was travelling on a tramcar in Lambton Quay on Monday complained that he had lost £8 in notes from a hip-pocket. Some ladies have also lost money.

Several families in Masterton are, sa« our special correspondent, reported to be voluntarily rationing themselves.

Matters with regard to tho city milk supply and the clearing station have rut undergone any change. Yesterday's holiday was observed even by city councillors and milk experts, and th; date of the next meeting of tho Health Committee, which lias to consider the report of the three experts selected to prepare a schomo for runui.ig tho clearing station, is still uncertain.

Train arrangements for Trentham ncc-s yesterday were such that hundreds wore shut out of Lmnbtoii Station, as thoro was no accommodation for thorn in tho trains. Some of thoso who wore keen on seeing tho racing formed a queue at tho station as early as 6 o'clock in the morning. The motor-cars and motor buses did a roaring trade; so good, in fact, that one car driver refused £1(5 for a trip to Trentham. "Ho was engaged"; it must havo been a high-priced engaged.

Th,; Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Mounted Rifles proceeded from Featherstoi' to Fapawai yesterday for musketry.

A Carterton young, man was rejected for military service on account of his proportions. Ho turns the scale at 22 stone.

Mr. J. Glover, National secretary of tho New Zealand Labour Party, received on Monday the following cablegram from Mr. Arthur Henderson, leader of the British Labour Party:— "London, January 10—The British Labour movement has secured the Houso of Commons' agreement to its war aims manifesto. The British Labour Party is convening a further inter-Allied Conference at London on February 20, with a view to securing a general agreement on the basis of our proposals. It is impossible to delay tbo holding of the conference in order to include your delegation, but the liritish Labour Party would welcome your party's views by cnbln.—(Sgd.) A. Henderson." The matter is now under the consideration of the executive of the New Zealand Labour Party.

Tho following advertisement so amused a party of New Zealanders and others while at Siorra Leone that Miss Simcox, of Otaki, who returned with them, took a copy:—"Bungie, the sympathetic undertaker: genertl builder for tho living and the dead; general coni/actor— always on the spot. At Bungle's, tho sympathetic undertaker, you can always get a ready-made coffin from 10s. (3d. to 50 guineas. Bungie will wash, dress, and look after your dead till it gets to its last resting place. Bonnets, shrouds, knickers, etc., supplied; also a good quantity of coffin furniture. Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself. Remember, once you di;, and, after death, Bungio takes charge. Call at once at the refuge and refreshing bungalow, 15 Kissey Sti-et."

The Camp Commandant at Trentham acknowledges with thanks receipt of thi) following gifts which have been distributed to the camp hospitals:—Miss Teterkin, flowers; Salvation Army, fruit, cake, and soap; "Anonymous Donor," two boxes plums, 1 box lemons.

Thursday has again been fixed as tho statutory half-holiday for the boroiuh of Mastertou.

The Masterton Borough Council has decided to object to tho of 13 per cent, of tho cost of constructing tho Haw bridge over the Waingawn Eiver The British Eed Cross has cabled to its Australian branch inquiring if it can supply 20 drivers for Eed Cross motor launches, for service in Mesopotamia. Tho salary offered is £2 per week, with rations and clothing, rising to £3 per week upon completion of six months' service in Mesopotamia, Likely applicants are invited to call for further information without delay at the Eed Cross office, 4 Bridge Street,. Sydney. ■&$ Dunedin residents are proud (sa|s) the "Star") of the city's fire fighters,' as the City Fire Brigade hold a reputation of being most efficient and up to date. Tho brigade have supplied ;' a large number of men for the war, which, has 0 left their ranks considerably depleted. A circular letter just received from the secretary of the United Fire Brigades' Association of New Zealand shows that ihe Dunedin City Fire Brigade hold pride of place amongst tho Ire brigades in tho Dominion for enlistments for active service. The circular states that 42 active and exmembers of the City Brigade have joined the colours since the outbreak of war. Of that number 10 have been lulled in action or died of wounds, and 10 havo been wounded, while orn lias been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and one the Military Medal.

The CHEVROLET model, "FourNinety," always a dependable and trustworthy automobile, now is in n position to receive tho attention of those who aeBiro completeness in equipment with the minimum in price and the utmost in performance The advance 1918 model now offered, moro than ever bofore, is ontitled to the term Economy' Car, for it ombodies everything necessary for enjoyable motoring with the least expense. -Advt. .

There are ghouls iu New Zealand as well as iu Germany. One variety (says tlio "Tarauaki News") is tlio mcmo'rinm card dealer who searches the casualty lists daily, and sends along immediately a soliciting circular, and samples of lho work done to the berea.fd relatives. We were recently shown one of these circulars. It contained verses of doggerel that would ins:i',t the memory of any soldier. Attached was a portrait of some poor soldie? whose relatives had succumbed to tho importunities of the pushful card vendor. It is too much to expect a display of fine feeling or decency from th's class of people, but surely oven they could postpone their unwelcome obtrusion until the bereaved ones had a little- time to recover from their blow.

Speaking on Friday of the Government's necessity for importing wheat frj-Ji Australia (says the "Lyttelton Times"), the Hon. G. W. Russell expressed the emphatic opinion that Australia might very well have sold this million bushels of wheat to New Zealand ol the same price as it was sold to the Old Country. Australia had added another 9d. a. bushel; but the time might como when New Zealand would bo able to return the compliment, aud the Australians would find that there was a little human nature on this side of tho herring-pond as weil.

3he success of Mr. L. F. Ayson, chief inspector of fisheries iu New Zealand, in the acclimatisation in the Dominion of the quinnat salmon from the Pacific Coast of North America is the subject; of an appreciative reference in the Hobart "Mercury," which suggests that Mr. Ayson should bo asked to report upon the Tasmanian fisheries. Tie paper says:—"Mr. Ayson is the only man in tho world who has proved that salmon can bo successfully introducedinto alien waters. Many years ago the American Fisheries tiommissio?i tried to introdueo Pacifio salmon to the Atlantic. They failed badly, tho onlv result being that they obtained a limited success in a fresh-water lake. Victoria and New South Wales hare also failed in their efforts to introduce any kind of salmon to southecu waters.. More than that, it has been asserted • again and again that tho attempts made at enormous cost, and upon a big scale, to restock British rivers, where depleted, with local salmon, have proved of no use. New Zealand rivers now abound with the Pacific salmon,.and presently not only will there be joy for sportsmen, but frcia salmon will be -upon tho breakfast tables'." While proceeding to the Trentham races yesterday morning by train, Mounted Constable Wilson met with an accident which incapacitated him for the rest of the' day. Men between Petone and Lower Hutt he discovered that the door of the box in which his horse was being carried was open, and while endeavouring to shut it he received a severe blow on the head. Ho was attended to at the Lower Hutt Police Station, and was brought back to the city by motor-car.

At a meeting of tho Returned Soldiers' Association at Dunedin, soino Btr-ong criticisms wero directed against the condition of affairs at Quarantno lslan J, both as regards alleged lack of sanitary precautions and differentiation in tli& matter of pay between returned soldiers and men who have never left New Zealand, to the disadvantage of tlij former. A deputation waited on Sir James Allen, who informed the speakers that up to Wednesday last the island had been under dual control. It was now solely within his jurisdiction, and lie intended to visit the isla'iirj in company with the principal medical officer, and ho would inquire into the allegations made. Jf matters wero as represented Sir James Allen promised that there would be an alteration.

From a city of order Berlin'is beginning to become n city of disorder, as a long and bitter report in the Berlin payer "Tageblatt" clearly shows. In the railway ' forwarding -departments there is chaos, the paper says. Endless packages, trunks, parcels of all descriptions are stored there i hopeless disorder; many have been stolen or lost. The public accuse the now officials of stealing them; the officials say the thefts are due to dishonest cab-drivers and untrustworthy forwarding agents. A great Berlin forwarding agency declares that parcels' of all descriptions are stolen by thieves while the conveyances are passing through tho streets. The agency in all soberness makes tho astounding statement that Berlin is full of thieves and convicted criminals who havo been refused admission to tho army, serving to make the streets thoroughly unsafe. Another forwarding company says that it is useless bringing charges against the dishonest drivers, ns there are so many of them that tho Crown Prosecutor has given it up as a bad job.

It has long been said that tho Germans were in the habit of throwing poisoned sweetmeats from their aeroplanes for French children to pick up. So diabolical seemed such a proceeding that even the most bitter Bochehater could not bo induced to believe that a people even as depraved as the Ton to ns could be guilty of so hellish a trick. Whatever doubts those good folks entertained have, says an exchange, now been finally removed by an analytical examination of cakes, chocolates, and other tempting dainties found m various quarters of Calais after a raid. In every instance poisonous substances were found intermixed with pastries, some of these actually containing epidemical germs. If this is the way Germany is trying to force Franco into a premature peace, sho has a very distorted idea of the presont public feeling.

The Defence authorities recently decided to place Count Felix von Luckner, commander of the Herman commerce raider Steadier, and Second Lieutenant Carl T. F. Kirschciss, navigating lieutenant and second in command, on Eipa Island. This decision was followed by tho arrival of tlieso prisoners, and thoir internment on the island on Sunday, says tho Christchurch "Sun." It was expected that the prisoners of war -would be landed at tho wharf, but this course was not la'dopted. The Defence authorities evidently deemed it advisable to disembark them on to the Defence launch used as a ferry boat between Eipa and Lyttclton. About 10.20 a.m., tho Mararoa came inside the Heads. Five minutes later the Defence launch, flying the New Zealand ensign, with Captain Leeming, M.C., the newly-appoiutcd commandant of Eipa Island, on board, . as well as a dozen soldiers, put out and stopped right in the track of tho ferry boat, just off Eipa Island. Captain Cameron, of the Mnraroa, slowed down while the Defence launch made fast. A strong guard was also on the Mararoa, and could be seen at the 'side of tho ship. A ropo ladder was lowered and, presently, Count von Luckner descended, followed by Lieutenant Kirscheiss. As soon as they stepped on to the launch they went through to the cabin, out of sight of tho hundreds of passengers on tho Mararoa, who were interested spectators.