LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 114, 31 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

"When the next "War Loan is raised," sad the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald at Levin vesterdav, "Now Zealand will hare had" to lind"over £67,000,000 for war purposes alone." Mr. MacDonald used the figures to emphasise the necessity for development of the resource of the country. The country would have to do its utmost in the w r ay of production, ho said, whore so much money had to bo expended in destroyiiijc what labour in the past had produced. The State schools of the Wellington Education District are to re-open on Tuesday morning next. The office of' the Minister of Eailwajs ask» us to make it quite clear that the restoration of suburban trains promised in the recent statement oi the Minister w to be only a partial reinstatement of the week-day evening suburban services, and not a complpto reinstatement of all services running before ti!« out in trains was made.

Tho ferry steamer Maori arrived m "Wellington from the soutli yesterday morning at five minutes past ten, which is about three hours behind' her usual Wine of arrival. Tho delay was duo to the fact that when just outsido the "Wellington Heads on her way down to Lyttelton on Monday night the vessel cast a blade of tho centre propeller. The chief engineer, in conversation with a Cliristchurch reporter, said that the mishap could bo easily- accounted for. For six years the strain has been in the one direction on the centro propeller. There was no truth in the statement that the propeller struck some submerged object.. The vessel had to make the jouniev to Lyttelton on Monday and to 'Wrlb'ucton on Tuesday on the port and starboard propellers uii'Vr low uressnre. TV Maori will probably bo decked at LytteHon th'S nwnin". No chanpe was made in *he Maori's time of departure last niel't. An exnmiiation- or tlie "Ucrv-'s nropelier was w.ndp vpsln-inv nirinii'in: bv the TTnr- !;„„,. r)„„r'?I flivor.

A sitting of the Supreme Court in Chambers will be held to-morrow and on Saturday. His Honour Mr. Justice Hosking will have about half-a-dozen prisoners before him for sentence. During the hearing of a charge against a youth of letting off fireworks in Ohristchurch, on New Year's Eve, it was urged that the sale of fireworks should be prohibited, as they were a great souice- of danger, especially the larger ones. It was a breach of the by-laws to discharge fireworks in a public place, hut there was no by-law. restricting the sale. Ifhe Magistrate said that the matter was one for the Legislature. The plans for the new Fire Brigade Station to ho erected on the Town Belt at the top of Constable Street have been approved, and tenders will be called for its erection by the City Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton). How is one to tell the temperature? One Wellington citizen, curious to know what the temperature was at 10 a.m. yesterday, glanced at an array of ther urometers, all ranged beside one another in an even shade in a jeweller's window. One instrument registered barely 70 dogrees, the next one stated that the temperature was 72 degrees Eahr., whilst a third, warmly indignant at the other two, proclaimed to the world that the temperature was 74 degrees. When there is such an easy disposition on the part of thermometers to fall out about the temperature, who can be wise? As a rule the residents of Karaka Bay take their time roughly from the Maori. When the deep roar of her powerful turbines disturb the slumbers of those who do not take an interest in sunrises, they know that the time is round about 6.4! i a.m. This travelling timepiece failed the scasiders yesterday morning, as the ferry boat, with diminished dash, crept into the harbour at about 9.30 a.m., shorn of all the grace of action her speed gives the popular ferry boat. The reason for the steamer's'late arrival was' owing to the central propeller being out of action through its having lost'a blade on the trip'down to Lyttelton on Monday evenitm. Curiously enough, on that night the Maori was the cynosure of all eyes as she proceeded down the entrance owing to the pillar of naked flame which was shooting anything between 12 and 15 feet high out of one of her funnels. It is not an uncommon thing for flames to rise beyond the mouth of the funnel, but rnrnlv, if ever, have they "been noticed ascending to Mich a heisrht. Some time ago A. Howie brought an action in tho Supreme Court against the A.M.?. Society under the Mortgages Extension Act; and argument in the case was heard by His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman. Plaintiff, it was stated, ' had obtained £3000 on mortgage from the society, who called on him t') pay the amount or to enter into a new mortgage at per cent, interest. Yesterday His Honour gave judgment holding that Howie must pay off tho mortgage or pay the increased rate of interest.

In the Supreme Court yesterday His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman delivered' reserved judgment, on a point of law involved in the case of J. H. Hooper, land agent, Wellington, r. Edward Anderson and Co. Plaintiff proceeded against the defendant to recover £635, as commission alleged to bo_ duo on the sale of a property in Willis Street, and the preliminary point of law was raised as to whether plaintiff had authority it l -writing, as required by the Land Agents Act, to sell the property. His Honour held that plaintiff had no such authority, and he allowed costs according to scale. Sir. George Hutohison appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. T. F. Martin for defendant. In the Magistrate's Court yesterday Walter Henry Newman was charged with assaulting Charles White, who appeared with his head swathed in bandages. On the application of Inspector Marsack, the Magistrate (Mr. S. E. M'Carthy) granted a remand until today, i The karaka trees of Karaka Bay' are at present in full fruit, and a very pretty sight they present, particiilarl7 the grove in Overton Park, which presents a very attractive aspect, with the clusters of golden berries on which convoys of birds feed noisily. The karaka berry was considered to be good eating by tho Maori, but it called for special treatment,' as tho kernel (they ate the kernel rather than its fleshy covering) was apt to be poisonous under certain conditions. The Natives used to soak tho kernels in water for several days, and then bake or boil them, when they made quite nutritious food of very distinctive flavour.

China is apparently giving material aid to the Allied causo. Captain J. S. Watson, salvage expert of the Hong-Kone. Dock Company in Victoria, stated recently that ships are being built at Hong-Kong and all principal yards in China for British interests as fast as thev can be turned out. He says the Hong-Kong Dock Company has six steel ships, each of approximately 3i)Clfr-. in length, on the stocks at Hong-Kong. Whilo labour is cheap in the Orient, the steel shipbuilders tliero havo many obstacles to combat, the greatest of which is tlio shortage of steel

Every CHEVROLET Motor-car 'enjoys the public good-will in a broad way. This proves they havo performed their tasks with the unqualified approval of the world—a pleasinc prospoct to welcome the new CHEVROLET model "Four. Ninoty," now offered by tho DOMINION MOTOR VEHICLES, LTD., 65 Courtenay Place.—Advt.

It was reported during proceedings at the sitting of the First Auckland Military Service Board that slaughtermen were very short in New Zealand, and no doubt the position has been rendered tho more acuto by the fact that tho Australian slaughtermen are not coming "across the water" this season (says the "Star"). The secretary of the union for Auckland province stated in evidence that the union had modified its award in order to meet the shortage of labour which has arisen under war conditions. The modification consists of tho suspension of tho learners' clause, so that employers could take on any number of learners they could get. Mr. Sill said the shortage of labour was general. Tho executive of tho union at Wellington had adopted tho same attitude in connection with the clause mentioned, «nd the suspension would operate all over tho Dominion. This was taken io he preferable to gotting slaughtermen from Australia.

In an attack in the Somme district, out of 200 men who "went over'' only 32 returned. The story of how the courage of one youth failed him in this attack is told bv Captain David Fallon, M.0., in the following words:—"One man of the reserve company, who had been ordered to take bombs to me, was found in a dug-out, and when ho was asked why he hadn't carried up the bombs to my party he was frightened, and trembled so that ho couldn't speak. TTo was taken' to the rear, and eventually tried by field court-martial for showing cowardice in the oresonce of the enemy. He said he had attempted to carry these bombs up to the attacking party, hut that a shell had dropped in front of him, killinc; the men just ahead and splashing him with their blond. Ho didn't know what haupenod then until he was roughly handled by tho men who found him in the dugout. As the youngest member of the court-martial, I was allowed my first summing up, so that the senior members might not prejudice my decision. I appealed to the Court that the man was not responsible for his actions in running nwav. The boy was acquitted, and was discharged at once. 0

If tho world were ont at war, humanity would deem the tragedy, of the Yellow River tho greatest disaster of the-times (says a writer in the "Daily Chronicle''). China's Sorrow! So they call this mighty devastating torrent, which periodically ravages the land. Earthquakes and volcanoes claim their thousands and scores of thousands, but tho Hoang-Ho drowns millions. The Chinese had the cantilever bridge ages before we applied the principle, and thoy could have spanned this raging monster if it could be kept within its bed. But it cannot. With its tremendous volume of water it brings down and slowly deposits such volumes of detritus that it raises its bod. The Chineso embank and embank to keep it within bounds, but still the river rises. The race between river and engineers goes on from ago to ago, till boats sail upon a broad expanse of water up in the air, while men walk far below. Then the breach comes, and the far-flung flood, and the devastation and drownings.

The teachers'• summer school, which was opened at the Ruakura State Farm this week, was attended by about 95 teachers, representative of tho whole Auckland district. The gathering is tho first of its kind in the Dominion. The summer school scheme was initiated by Mr. J. P. Kalaugher, supervisor of agricultural education in the Auckland educational district. It has been taken up most enthusiastically by the teachers, who have given up the last week of their annual vacation in order to attend. The Agricultural Department is co-operating to make the present gathering a success. Experts are giving demonstrations and lectures throughout the week. What is said to he a record in longrange rifle shooting in Auckland was put" up on the Penrose range recently by Rifleman C. R. Harrington, a youthful member of the Ponsonby Defence Rifle Club. Firing on the 600 yards range ho compiled 48, and on tho 700 vards 49, thus making 97 out of a possible 100 points. On the 700 yards rango Harrington registered seven bulls in succession, following with an inner, and finishing up with two consecutive bulls. In 14 shoots—Harrington's only experience in marksmanship —the vouthful rifleman has compiled 1088 points. Ho has to his credit the Kohn"trophy, for five shots on the 500 yards range, gaining 27 out of a.possible 30 points. ' During tha year 1917 a total of £16,280 w:;? raised for patriotic and charitable purposes by the Auckland Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Club.

It is reported that complaints have been received from travellers on the Main Trunk express regarding the location of tnj special ladies' carnage, says the "Herald." The compartment is placed abou'» the centre of the train, | separating the first and second-class accommodation, and it is stated that inconvenience has been caused in some instances owing to travellers who, after leaving the train to secure refreshments, are compelled to board the tram hurriedly on a carriago other : than that l\ which they have been J travelling, and who are not allowed | then to pass through the ladies' com- | partment. The Railway Department ' officials at Auckland stated, when rcfi erence was made to the matter, that j no complaints had been received from i passengers, but the guards had'report- | cd incidents of male- travellers being ! refused passage through the ladies' ['carriage It was stated that the satisi faction expi eased by the ladies as to the convenience of the special carriage far outweighed any little inconvenience which might have been felt at denial of a right-of-way through the ladies' coirpartment. . Amplo time was given to procure refreshments at stopping places, and if male passengers were allowed the unrestricted right to pass through the carriage the privacy which hdy travellers,_ and especially those with' babies, enjoyed would be nullified. The annual meeting of tho Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute was completed yesterday morning. Several, matters of detail were dealt with, and there was a discussion in committee regarding scientific and industrial research, a subject on which the institute has been assisting tho National Efficiency Board. The election of officer's resulted as follows:—President, D\ L Cookayno; lum. editors, Drs. Cockayne and Cotton; treasurersecretary. Mr B. 0. Aston; lion, librarian, Dr. J. Alan Thomson. It was decided to hol, ( tho next annual meeting m Wellington.

Tho garrison (from New Zealand) were given a right royal time at Apia, Samoa, on Christmas Day. On that clay the Market Hall was secured by the Women's Patriotic League, and a great dinner was done full justice to by the men. The Governor (Colonel R. Logan, C.8.) was present, with Sur-geon-General Skerman, ltev. J. W. Sibree, and others. After tho dinner an impromptu concert was held, items being contributed by Miss Deal, Mesdames Wollerman, and J. Wostbrootc, Privates Fleck, J. Smith, 11. S. Moore, Sorj't.-Major W. F. Sadler, Lieutenant P., W. Westmacott, A.D.C., Rev. J. W. Sibree, Lieutenant A. L. Gee, Messrs. Wollerman, Walker, Fleck, and Smith. Tho wireless men were also feted.