LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 155, 20 March 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Press Bureau, London, states that mails from Australia and Now Zealand containing a fow letters and many newspapers and parcels were aboard a ship which lias been torpedoed. The posting dates wero:—New Zealand: Letters, December 14 to 18. Parcels: December 12 to 17, 1917.

Tho question of the disposal of a gold watch led to tall words at a bankruptcy meeting in Wellington yesterday. The bankrupt's solicitor suggested that as tho watch was a present from bankrupt's wife and her sister he should bo allowed by tho creditors to keep it. One of tho creditors said lie would not like to tako tho watch away from the man. but another creditor said ho would take everything from him. The first creditor said ( that such an action would bo prompted by a spirit of vindictivoness. Heated words followed. Ono told the other to mind his own busuiess, and then appealed to tho Assignee on tho ground that ho had been insulted. The Assignee cautioned tho two creditors, but tho "dust up" did not cease until ho threatened to havo both removed from tho meeting. Tho gentleman who advocated tho rotum of the watch took tho affair in good part, but his opponent exhibited considerable feeling. A special meeting of the national executive of the Second Division League was held last evening, to consider an invitation from tho Minister of Defence for the nomination of a representative of tho leaguo for appointment to the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board, when it was decided to submit tho name of Mr. A. S. Mitchell to the Minister.

A Press Association telegram from Timaru states that tho special train carrying returned soldiers was two hours' late in arriving, and friends and car owners had a tedious wait in steady rain.

The demand for a tramway shelter in front of Parliament Buildings for the convenience of people awaiting tho noUoo-frequent Karori trams 1b being pressed by Northland ratepayers. _ At the annual meeting of the association last night this topic was. freely discussed, and the executive was instructed to take all possible steps to persuade the City Council and the Public Works Department to allow this building to be erected. The Timaru Chamber of Commerce Committee, at its monthly meeting last night, after discussion, resolved that the prices offered by the Government for the next wheat crop are entirely inadequate, and to ask that tho prices bo reviewed. The Fairlie branch of tho Farmers' Union (the first to deal with the matter) agreed that the prices offered would not induce production — Press Assn.

Mr. W. J. Courtier, Government orchardist, who judged the fr\iit section at the Kaikoura Agricultural and Pastoral Association's Snow, drew tho attention of a "Lyttelton Times'' reporter to an exhibit of dried apricots. "It is tho best oxhibit of the kind that I have seen," declared Mr. Courtier; "and tho reason I draw attention to it is in tho hope that dried apricots will become a greater feature of the homo products classes. Not much attention is given to prcparing > apricots in that form, yet it is quite a success for the home, and the fruit can be prepared without very much trouble." ' The exhibit was a Kaikoura production. The Wellington Patriotic Society's Band will play selections at the Basin lleservo to-night at 8 o'clock.

Mr. Caldwell,'of Messrs. Macky, Logau, Caldwell, Ltd., Auckland, has received a letter from Homo, -which incidentally relates the experiences of a British war prisoner in Germany. Tho letter states:—"We had a visit from Lieutenant , who used to be in A Squadron. R.F.C., and who was shot down and made prisoner ten months a"o. Ho has been released, and reached England with sonic hundreds of others, all disabled mon who have been repatriated. Ho has lost his-left arm from the shoulder. Ho was surrounded by fifteen machines the day ho was shot down near Lens. Ho was very badly treated, and bad no food for soveral days, and ho is certain with caro his arm could liavo been saved, but they removed it, and then the same night moved him on a rough journey to another camp. Ho nover saw a nurse, but was attended by an Australian prisoner. All tho bandages ho had w'oro paper, and ho hardly ever saw a doctor. Ho says the poorer classos in Germany aro starving, tho children looked pinched and white, and only weatthv people can procure proper food. Ho anil others who had money bought a goose ono day, and it cost them £13. Another day a dinner for a fow of them cost £23." ,