LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 157, 22 March 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Advice bas been received (says a Press Association telegram from Dunedin) that a steamer belonging to theUnion Company, and under charter to the Imperial Government, has been torpedoed in the Mediterranean. All the crew were saved. . It was reported to the Wellington Hospital Board yosterday that in the month ended March 12 fifty-two cases of infectious disease had been notified from the city and the suburbs. Dotails were!j>carlet fever, 7; diphtheria, 39;. enteric fever, 0; tuberculosisj 5; septicaemia, 1; cerebro spinal' meningitis, 0. In the corresponding month of last year there were 51 nqtiiications. At 12.10 yesterday the fire brigade received a call to 26a Murphy Street; to a houßo occupied , by Mrs. Cooper.' A quantity of clothing and the paper on the walls and ceiling were destroyed. The cause of the fire was a defective kerosene stove. The contents are insured in the Royal Insurance Office for £125. The house is insured with the New Zealand Insurance Co. for £1000. A Press Association telegram from Wairoa states that the semi-cyclonic gale of Wednesday suddenly veered to the south-west and brought in the afternoon'a heavy bank of smoke, evidently from the Main Trunk fire areas. The smoke quite obscured Waikaremoana and the high leading ranges. The smell of smoke was quite distinct. A Masterton resident on Tuesday received a cablegram from his son (a soldier) which was put in at Edinburgh, on January 28. The message was just fifty days on the journey. Referring to the milk question yesterday, the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said that the report of the special committee set up to go thoroughly into the milk supply and inspection trouble would bo ready presentation to next Tuesday evening's meeting of the council. ■ He understood that the committee bad been at some pains to arrive at the root of the difficulties, and how they might be overcome, and hoped that as the result of the rewrt tho council would be able to solve what was a troublesome question. Bad debts amounting to £2340 were written off by the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday. "There are two things that should be done during the coming year," said Dr. W. J. Barclay (medical superintendent) to tho Wellington Hospital Board yestorday. The "two things" were: (1) Building a new pavilion for X-rays, electrical treatments, massage, and orthopaedic exercises; (2) building a porter's lodgo at tho main gnto of the hospital. . Tho board will discuss these proposals at a special meeting on April 19. To consider the suggestion of the Merchant Service Guild Unit a deputation be formed by representatives of the guild, the Institute of Marine Engineers, the Seamen's Union, and tho Cooks and Stewards' Union, to wait on the Government in' regard to the question of the maintenance of dependents of interned crews, a meeting of tho | head office of the Seaman's Union of New Zealand was held yestorday, ,when it was dccided to co-operate in the matter with the Merchant Service Guild and kindred bodies in the interest of all dependants. • ' As next Friday is Good Friday and a public holiday, - it has been decided that the next meeting of the City Council (which would in. the ordinary course bo held on- Thursday evening next) will take' place on Tuesday night. Gniel and biscuits mado from DOCTORS' CREAM 0' GROATS nourish tho children. Insist on this Now Zealand . brand.-?-Advt.

The transfer of the institutions used by invalided soldiers a.t Rotorua from the Health Department to tho Defenco Department is now being completed. Tho Tourist' Department is also concorned in tho arrangements, and tho three Departments have- been in negotiation in order to. place tho new arrangmeuts on a satisfactory ; basis. The Defence Department will undertako the erection of some now buildings at Eotorua. The existing institutions will bo retained, but the number of soldiers requiring treatment is. increasing, and more accommodation will bo required in the future. The _ new buildings will not bo expensive in design.

Advice received from the Bay of Islands states that the new Paihia wharf, which was partly destroyed by the previous gale, was completely demolished in Tuesday's storm. Very high tides were experienced on both coasts near Kaitaia, 'tho low-lying lands being flooded. A most unusual sight was witnessed at Ahipara Bay, Mr. Berghan's storo being lifted by the waves and carried up the hill some yards.. Other buildings in the vicinity were shifted, and a fisherman's whare, at the south 'end of the beach, was flooded by a. wave, the occupants, his wife and children, having to crawl out through a back window and seek safety on a hill.

The Prime Minister informed an interviewer in Auckland that the brief session of Parliament which is to take place early in April will be confined to the passing of'supplies and such financial legislation as is necessary pending the return to the Dominion of the Finance Minister and himself from the Imperial Conference. When the House meets it will be, of course, essential to pass the usual Address-in-Reply motion, but after this is disposed of it is not anticipated that the Houso will delay in passing the financial measures submitted to it. Mr.- Massey remarked that he and his colleagues do not anticipate being absent frbin the Dominion for more than four orj five months, and Parliament will be reassembled shortly after their return for the main business of the year, which will probably occupy tho legislators till Christmas or later.

'""On Monday next Sir Joseph Ward is I to deliver an address to members of the I Commercial Travellers and Warehousei men's Association and:their friends in 'connection with the Liberty l War Loan. The last effort of the association resulted in the handing over to the Treasury of £111,000 free of all cost. It is announced in the" Gazette that an open competitive examination for the' Indian Civil Service will be held in London, commencing on August 1, 1918, under the regulations now current a copy of which may be inspected at the office of the Director of Education, Government Buildings, fl elhngton. The number of vacancies to.ibe filled will be determined later.. The total Red Triangle Day collection in South Canterbury totalled £1595. " A youth named William G. Lawton, aged 18 years, and living at 220 Clyde Quay, foil off a- bicycle yesterday, and was admitted to the Hospital with a slight injury. A telegraph messenger named George Harris fell down some steps, at the I G.P.O. yesterday. He was taken to i the Hospital, where his injury waa found to be a broken arm. A, B, and C companies of the Thirtyninth Reinforcements and the Thirtyninth, Specialists, moved from Trentham to Featherston yesterday. D Company of the same draft is already at Featherston.

Mr. and Mrs. Harris, who have ■ a farm in the vicinity of Karioi, had a most unenviable experience during the bush fires, states. the Wanganui "Chronicle. , -. In the middle of the night they had to flee (accompanied by v two commercial travellers) from their house, clad in night attire, and stumble through thick sinoko to ■ the Wnngaehtf River, into. which they waded and stood' neck deep in the icy water for four hours, while the flames and ashes almost- blinded them. When they woro able to leave the water they found that their house was still standing. Mr. and Mrs. Harris went to Taihape on Tuesday night, and had their eyes attended i to, and left for Wanganui on Wednesday. Sentence of the court-martial was promulgated yesterday (says a telegram from'DunedW on Private 'William Baxter, the fourth of the.. Brighton family of conscientious objectors to be dealt with/in this way. Baxter was drawn in the ballot and refused to .undergo medical examination. .On .-a charge of disobeying a lawful command he was sentenced to eleven months imprisonment with hard labour. . : At Fordell Tuesday's storm was ielt in all its fury. Telephone lines came down alongside the railway, aud in places- along tho line trees were uprooted, stacks blown down, and sheaves scattered on hundreds of fences around, and the exceptionally dry country shows signs of having been severely dealt with by the gale. It was reported that the fire was burning fiercely at Kai Iwi, but the rumour proved to be without founda : tion. • There was no fire at all at Kai Iwi, though tho district suffered as a result of the violent gale. The wliolo country at the back of Maxwelftown ■was ablaze, and much damage was occasioned throughout tho'district. Mr. i Wm. Morrison's new residence, recently completely furnished throughout, was'wiped , out Mr. Fred. Moore's woolslifd was destroyed, nnd Mr. William )Birch suffered the. loss of from 150 to 200, , Lincoln ewes. '_ Many stacks were cither blown to pieces or burned.