LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 110, 26 January 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Yesterday a passenger ivho arrived in the city by the train from the Wairarapa fancied he saw a body clad in khaki floating in. the harbour close in-shore-near Ngahauranga. He notified tho police on reaching the town, and steps were immediately taken to recover the body. After some trouble the police succeeded in getting the object ashore, but instead of securing a body they recovered a worn-out mattress covered with an old military over-,, coat.

. A noticeable feature in connection with the arrival of overseas shipping is the absence of young stewards, so plentiful at normal times, their places having been taken by older men and youths who are te-o ypung to be of service to the military 'authorities.

A senseless hoax, in the shape of an appeal for assistance for allegedly marooned seamen, was perpetrated recently (says tho Auckland "Herald"), A bottle containing the following message was picked up recently in Australian waters:—"For God's sake, come and send help to \is. We are on an island somewhere within 100 miles of Melbourne, low and woody, two conical hills, exactly north and south. AYe are due south-east of Heads. "Wallace Reid, second officer, Seagull, schooner." The vessel mentioned was found to bo the property of the Leyland-O'Brien Timber Company, Ltd.. of Auckland, and the Commonwealth director of lighthouses, Mr. T. F.,., Ramsbottom, cabled the company a "copy of the message and asked the whereabouts of the ship. He also stated, however, that the document was possibly a hoax, as the description of the island was nothing like any of the islands between Victoria and Tasmania. The owners of tho Seagull replied that it was safe in New Zealand waters.

"You're absolutely at sea when you get on land of which you know nothing," was the somewhat ambiguous criticism made by a member of tho North Canterbury Hospital Board when discussing a proposed land transaction.

The establishment of a national school of horticulture is in contemplation by the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. D. S. MncDonald). lie stated in Christchurch that the Department had been inquiring into the question for some time, and he had inspected certain likely properties. The matter had not yet been fully dealt with by Cabinet, but would be submitted when in concrete form. Hβ believed that a suitablo central horticultural station could be purchased at a reasonable figure, to include fruit trees, forest and plantation trees. He liad also been requested to include a small poultry run and apiary. When the site had been decided on the whole matter would bo submitted to Cabinet. Such a place would be of great benefit to the industry, and would be most'instructional to visiting orchardists. The site would he tho most suitable possible, either in the North or South Island. .

Four skulls and a quantity of bones were unenrthed on the beach at Arkle's Bay, Auckland, by some workmen.' The bones, which lay at about high-water mark, were apparently those of oldtime Maoris, for a large number of flint chips were found amongst them. Mr. S. D. Cliilfis, who carefully examined tho skulls, says that two of them have absolutely perfect sets of teeth, another indication of tho Maori.

"A good business in human hair is being done with London and France, oven at advanced prices," writes tho British Consul-General at Canton. Most of this hair, it seems, is used in the manufacture of dolls. Britain and Franco are producing to-day tho dolls that used to come from Germany and Austria. Tho discriminating child demands "real hair,"'and China provides tho raw material in the form of coarse black locks that are bleached, dyed, and curled for the use of the doll manufacturers.

The Southland Education Board resolved to strongly protest. against the institute's recommendation that the appointment of teachers be taken out of the hands of boards and school committees and bo made by the Department in Wellington.—Press Assn.

Some time ago the German manufacturers oi toys formed an "Association for the Maintenance of the Common Interests of the Toy Industry." They have now combined in a "German Toy Union," which embraces the whole of the toy industry and trade, and is now preparing for ' after-war competition. The Germans are not going to let Britain capture the toy trado without a struggle, and they will try to push their toys into all'countries, New Zealand among the rest, as soon as the war is ended. - The "German Toy Union" lias a combined capital of many mjllions, and its productive capacity will be enormous. "NO RUBBING" Laundry Help, Is. "GOLDEN RULE" Soap, Is. 3d. "GOLDEN RULE" Candles, Is. Ideal for family use. J, Thawley ana Son, Upper Cuba " ' ■ Street—A4vt,

In tho Magistrate's Court yesterday a- young man named Archibald Gibson Horricks was fined £10 by Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., for making incorrect statements in his enrolment card. The defendant statements made it appear that he belonged to the Second Division, when as a matter of fact he belonged to the First Division. The Magistrate said that many single men and married men also had given their lives, and he was not going to protect a man like defendant. . ..'

Twenty-two charges of Sunday trading were preferred against sixteen persons at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., and a. fine of 2Us. with costs 75., in default seven days' imprisonment, was imposed in each case. The following were the offenders:—Neil Blair Austin (four charges), William H. Collins, Walter Rowland Gates. Benjamin Gardiner (three charges), Peter ticrondis, CI. A. Jnrgensen, Alice Martin, Jane M'Millan, Elizabeth Mary Nind, Mrs. Ness, William H. Owens. Charles T. Hossou, James V. Rice, (two charge a), Hugh G. Webb, Frank Clever, and Harry Davis.

Tho present position with regard to the city milk clearing house is that tho council has asked the expert (Mr. Olivert to furnish a report' as to the failure of the scheme. After receiving the report the council is to hold an inquiry into the causes of the failure. Meanwhile all ' constructive action is suspended.

A special meeting of the City Council is to be held on-Tuesday to deal with the milk question.

The Southland schools will (says a Press Association telegram) remain closed for another fortnight, with a view to checking Uio diphtheria epidemic.

"It took a solemn argument and deliberation on tho part of three learned Judges of tho High Court.iri England to decide that ice-cream was not 'meat' within the meaning of the statute," said Mr. 11. D. Acland, amidst laughter, in the Christchurch Magistrate's Court, when a number of cases involving charges of Sunday trading ■on the-part of shopkeepers were being heard.

A taxi-driver . ■ named Frederick George Read was fined 20s. and costs 17s. 6d. by Mr. S. K M'Carthy, S.M., in the Magistrate's -Court yesterday for overcharging a passenger.

The Officer Commanding the Canterbury military district (Colonel 11. A. Chaffey) has, says tho "Sun,? , confirmed the sentence passed-by-a -district court-martial on, Charles h. Warden and Arthur Borrows, found fuiltyof refusing. to obey the lawful commands .of a superior officer, by declining to parade for medical examination. Each reservist is sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour. There was some little delay in confirming and promulgating the "sentence, due to the form of certificate with regard to tho health ot the men. The officer commanding the district had to be satisfied that the men were fit to undergo the punishment, but it will be remembered tliat they had refused to be medically examined for that purpose. However, the difficulty was overcome.

'Hie Wellington representative cricket team left for Auckland yesterday to play tho northern eleven O-day, •Monday, and Tuesday.

Messrs. Harcourt and Co. report that I there was a good attendance at the auction sale held in their rooms yestcr-cla-v afternoon, when a Bect'on at the Upper Hutt, in the Palfrey Estate, and a six-roomed house and section on the Main Hutt Hoad, Lowe- Hutt, were offered under instructions from the Registrar of the Supreme Court; also a largo brick warehouse, situate in Harris" Street, on " the estate of the late 'Mr. Bendix • Hallenstein. The section and six-roomed house nt the Lower Hutt were first offered and sold to Mr. Joseph Smith for £155. Section 53, on the Palfrey Estate, Upper Hutt, was also sold to Mr. Joseph Smith for £49. The warehouse in Harris Street was next offered, anasonic spirited bidding was exhibited, tho bidding -starting at £1000 and advancing by bids of £100 till the figure reached £1500, when lower, bids were accepted, ilio property \mn% finally sold for £1925 to Mr. Howard Reid, of Messrs. Reid and Reid, the present occupiers. The case against Elizabeth M'Farlane, charged with keeping a house of ill-fame, was heard by Mr._ S. h. M'CaTthy, S.M., in the Magistrates Court yesterday. Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared for the accused, and several witnesses were called on both sides, and the Macistrate dismissed the information. The court was cleared during the hearing of the case.

The general secretary of the _ New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association has received the following letter from a corporal in the 34th Battalion A.1.1;.: "It gives me great pleasure to write to your association and the New Zealand authorities, thanking them for the kind treatment I received from _ them during my visit to my home and family after an absence of eight years. I am a, returned soldier of the Australian Imperial Forces, having; received one month's medicab furlough, which I spent in < New Zealand. i. was franked to my • home gratis on your railways from Wellington to Rotorua return, for which I was very grateful and appreciate very much. During my stay in Rotorua I was shown much • consideration and made welcome at all social functions and launch outings, and could not Have been treated better. Large numbers of Chinese aro travelling these days, making their way over to Sydney, where they will leave tor their various homes in China. A number arrived in Auckland recently by. an oversea vessel,- and all were successful in passing the education test. Hindoos are also rather plentiful on overseas vessels going to vaViouß parts ot tne Dominion and Australia, . . The New Zealand Natives' Association Band will play selections at Island Bay to-morrow at 3 p.m. In tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S M., h. Edilson, Cuba Street, was hned £o and costs for causing a female assistant to work after 9 p.m. Messrs. Baldwin aud llayward, consulting engineers and patent attorneys, of 215 Lambton Quay, Wellington, report that recently they acted as agents in tiling tho following applications lor letters patent of New Zealand: U Helps, xNuncaton, fuel manufacture and combustion; J. }V. Paton, Liverpool, rubbing aud polishing appliances; Submersible and J-i- Motors, Ltd., London, electric motors; Submersible .ana J-L Motors, Ltd., London, combined pumps and motors; C. Jensen, Sydney, toy animals; E. Morrison, Warkwortb, fastener for cases; K. Morrison, Warliworth, suspending fruit cases; loninghouso and Mills, Wellington, heating mid circulating water; W. Bultitude, Auckland, torpedo shield; A,- Thomson, Auckland, controlling vessels.