LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 163, 30 March 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

■ — __e . Sir ' Joseph Ward, Minister of Finance, advises that, as.the period al--lowed for receiving applications has been "somewhat broken into, by the Easter holidays, it has been determined to extend the date for the closing of the War Loan from April 8 to April 15. •Telegraph traffic to and from the. I South Island has been greatly delayed I during the week-end on account of two of the cables across Cook Strait being broken. . Under the present regulations funerals are not provided for soldiers by the Defence Department except iii cases where death occurs within six months after discharge. This time limit has now been extended, by instructions of Cabinet, until twelve months. . j Two different persons claim to have I seen an aeroplane on Tuesday flying I over the sparsely-populated back-coun- j try of Waingarara, says .the Whaka- j iniic correspondent of the Auckland "Star." In. one instance the noiso of the engines drew the observer's attention, to the machine, which, it is stated, camo from the direction of Wliitc Island, and. was /lying in a souther!; , direction towards Urcwera.. Another observer u mile away, from the first also reported having seen an aeroplane at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. ;Tho chiming machinery, of tho post offico clock, has, since Thursday evening, boon out of order, having got bohind to the extent of a quarter of an hour. For the quarter past the hour the clock chimes the full hour, and for the half past it chimes the quarter past, and so on for I lie round of the clock. Tho striking apparatus is working correctly. Two nominations have been received by the Eegistrar of Victoria University College for the vacancy on the College Council caused by the death of tho late Hon. A. T. Maginnitj. These are Mr. T. Forsyth, Wellington, and Mr. F. W. 0. Smiih, Hope, Nolson. An, election will be held on April 10. The finding of a District Court-Mar-tial held, lit Fcatherston Military Camp on March 15, having been confirmed by the Commandant, New Zealand Military Forces, is hereby promulgated:— No! 3fi.208 Private-Ernest Woodcock, of A Coy.. 30th, found guilty of disobeying a lawful command givon by his superior officer; sentenced to one year's imprisonment with hard labour. New regulations relating to the treatment of leprosy and certain other disoases in the island of Niue are published in tho Ga*stte/

It was stated by Lady Carroll at the Maori entertainment in Mastcrton on Wednesday that an effort was being made to raise £25,000 as a Maori Soldiers' War Fund. .Up to the present £21,000 of this amount had been collected, and it was hoped to raiso the balance- before tho end of the month.

George Siitcliffe, a single man, aged about 65 years, and a labourer, was found at his lodgings, 255 Riddiford Street, ab seven o'clock on Thursday morning with his throat cut. Medical assistance was summoned, and he was removed to.the Hospital, where lie now lies in a von- weakened and critical condition. His plight was .discovered by other persons living ui the house.

■ Amended regulations under the Stone Quarries Act are issued in this 'week's Gazette.

The abduction of a child, on March 13 between" the Waltbam Orphanage and the Waltham School was reported to the North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board at its meeting this week. The report stated that in December,- 1914, .a. child, then about eight years of age, was admitted to the orphanage, the mother at that timo being in the hands of tho. police awaiting trial. On March 13 the' child, with others, was proceeding to the Waltham School, when he was met by a man and a woman. The boy went to; school, but they evidently waited for him until play-time, when they took him away, giving no explanation to The matter lias Dceh placed in the nnnds of the police. Inquiries made' by a roporter showed that tho missing child is a bov named Archibald Parker.

"The cost of living in Fiji,-is-high, writes tho "Star" correspondent, "and this can be understood when it is realised that we are entirely dependent upon overseas shipping for most of our supplies. An Indian merchant recently imported some goods from India, tho cases measuring one. and a hap tons. They came via Bombay and Sydney,' and'the total freight, and shipping charges were" £51 17s. 3d. The actual value of the goods was just over.£loo, so that freight charges added about 50 per cent, to the cost." With reference to the'complaints of delays in transmission of cablegrams to New Zealand from soldiers at the front, :i correspondent of tho "New Zealand Herald" states that he has just received from his son f-.\ urgent cablegram which had taken 42 dftys in transmission. Another ■ correspondent writes stating that a cablegram sent from London oil February' 9 arrived in New Zealand'on March 22, while another correspondent relates how a cablegram asKing for money, dispatched on January 23, arrived on March 15, the same day as a letter making the samo request. This correspondent forwarded tho cablegram to Sir James Allen, but so far has received no'reply. All tho writers urge that the matter requires the immediate attention of the Government, and that measures should -bo taken to avoid lengthy delaye.

Those engaged in the coal trade are having considerable trouble of lato owing • to the shortage of railway trucks, which, of course, means loss of time to the miners as Well as'curtailment of supplies (eays tho Auckland "Star"). Work had to bo stopped on Monday in the Waikato mines on account of trucks not being nvailable. "This is particularly unfortunate at the present time with the Easter vacation close at hand when the mines will bo closed for a few days. Paet experience lias generally proved that work is not so vigorous after a vacation, nnd all this tends to increase the shortage. Local dealers hayo had to refuse customers .pending ..receipt of further supplies from the mines. The president of tho Auckland Cliamber of 'Commerce (Mr. Robert Burns) has again telegraphed to tho Minister of Railways regarding the shortage of trucks for the carriage of conl,-pointing out that, so far tho only reply t<) his firet mes-. sago was tbnt the. Minister was attendin" to the matter." ■•.;•■•■-..-; The 'N.Z. Natives' Association Band will play selections at tho Botanical Gardens to-inorrow, at 3 p.m. A well-known iSltham man, Mr. James Moir, son of Mrs. lloir, of tho fountain ltoad, was badly injured as a result of being caught in the terrible conflagration in vlic ttnctihi district, says the "Argus." He was working ill the bush hi the .Raetihi district, and he and a mate had camped a short distance apart on the Monday evening previous to tho outbreak. Mr. Moilhud been asleep some time when ho was awakened by the fire. Ho endeavoured to join his mate, but found this impossible, and then, set out to savo his own life. The fire spread and travelled so rapidly, bofore the gale that this also appeared impossible, and the fugitive fell, exhausted. Regaining ■some strength- while lying on tho ground, Mr. Moir fled once moro through the flumes, which bad by that time spread all around him. Despite severe .burns, he maintained bis suj preme effort until he bad-.passed through the fire and had reached a place of comparative security, and then foil unconscious, He was subsequently discovered, first aid was rendered, arid' he was dispatched to the Wangamii Hospital, where ho still remains. Mrs. Moir was telegraphed for, and found her son suffering/ from terrible burns and practically'blind. It is hoped, however, that this is only a ■■' temporary affliction: ' ' ' ' ' , : ' Messrs; Dalgoty Mid Co., Ltd., report having offered ft their rooms, Fea- . therston ' Street, the freehold • farm of acres on account of the Brent-, wood Farm. Company, near Upper Hutt. T!m attendance at the sale was good, and. although '.the property_ failed to reach the reserve by auction it wns sold imniediiitfily afterwards.to Mr. K. AV. Cottle. -The clearing sale of dairy stock on account of.' the vendors will be hold en the farm about the middle of April.