LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 190, 1 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tlio number of bankruptcies registered in Wellington last c-onth was two, as against one in April last year. For the four months of the year there wcro nino bankruptcies as compared with two in tho corresponding period of last year. The ballot to select 200 i'irst Division Maori reservists in tho Waikato-Mania-polo district will take place, this week. The names of tho selected, men will bo gazetted next week. A telephone message was received from Otaki by tho polico yesterday morning to the effect that a man named Frank von GroUlfi, a Belgian, employed at tho Maymorn Estate, had left his homo on Sunday morning with the intention of going 'shooting, ;.nd had not boon soon since. It was feared that ho had met with an accident. Late last nignt news was received that tho man had returned to hip home, yesterday'afternoon. Ho apparently lost his way in a denso fog. An extremely heartless hoax was perfiel rated at Auckland on Sunday. Two adies in different! parts of tho city received telephone messages, alleged to be from Dr. Maguiro at tlm hospital, stating llint a serious accident had occurred and requesting fbo ladies to proceed to the the hospital without delay. Inquiry al the hospital revealed that tho messages •wcro bogus, oud the. natter wns immediately reported to tho polico by tho hospital authorities.

(,'oinniPiK-ing from Monday next, all cars In and from Seatonn will travel by way ot Hio Constable Street hill, a inncm\v llnil. is calculated lo tnko two ami ii I'iilf minulps longer l,li;m by way nl ilm .Mount; Victoria tunnel, tlio Mirninnr oars will continue to run via tho tiinTho hon. werotary of din Navy League adcnoivledgcs receipt of n. cheque for £M. tan-.? a further contribution from tlio War Funds Collodion Committee on account ot Xing Cicorgo's Fund. Tho main part of Iho amount received liah been subscribed by dairy companies who Tvero appealed to for assistance. 'Hie amount will bo.transmitted lo the proper authorities at Homo without delay. Councillor Windlny has given notice that ho will move at the next mooting of tho Maltara County Council tho following resolution: "That owing to tho heavy motor traffic on the county roads, find tho Government not having the timo to pass the necessary legislation imposing a tax on motors, the council's only alternative, to enable it to keep tho roads in good condition is Hip erection of a toll-gate as 60011 as possible." At the Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon, J.tessrs. S. George Nathan and Co. submitted tho residence of the late Dr. Martin to auction. Bidding started at _ .£6OOO and roso to at which prico tlio property was passed in. It is now open for private Bale. A property in Itolosworth. Street was also passed in. "When the police held up the crowd at fhe Magistrate's Court on Monday and demanded to see tho registration, certificates of those of military age, a man named Harry Richardson wag detained because his answers wero unsatisfactory, lie appeared in tho Magistrate's Court, lieforo Mr. S. E. M'Carthy. S.M., yesterday, charged with answering questions relative to his enrolment in a false and misleading manner. Inspector Marsack stated that tho man gavo tho name of John Edwards while his real name was Harry Jlichardson. He said ho was 51 years of age, whilo his real ago was 31 years. Ho also gave a false address. Why he gave this false information it was difficult to say, for it was known that ho was registered aa a reservist. Kiehardson was convicted nnd ordered to come up for sentence when called upon.

A deputation representing tho Labour ■Representation Committee and the Trades nmi J.ibour Council will wait upon the Cily Council to-morrow evening to pro(est against tho action of tho Finance Committee in refusing them tho use of the Town Hall on a recent occasion, and formally present the resolutions carried at a recent Sunday night meeting.

Tho work of duplicating tho tramway h'iick in Cuba Street was practically completed last week. A chance is being given the concrete in which the sleepers are buried to set firmly,- .after -which the first favourable opportunity will be taken to lay in the "special work" at either end of the new eecrion of track. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) says that fi\o completion of this length of new track tfill go a long way towards simplifying and easing tho services which take in Cuba Street. Not only will it remove a good deal of worry in regard to Rib' Wallace Street section, but it will improvo the through service to Newtown, which is at times delayed by the cars taring to wait for another to travel the length of single track ahead, a block at one point meaning a loss of that time right through. Providing the weather is fine, the "special work" will Ifc laUl to-morrow -night, when the work will be dono during the night hours.

4. striking feature of the sports meeting of tiie Thirty-seventh Itoinforcements at. Trentham.was the fact that tho threemile cross-country race was won by a ■soldier who had 'graduated from the CI Training Cnmp at Featherston, Private P. 'J. Johnston. He covered the dis*anco in lbj minutes, and also won the mile event.

"It is' thought," said Captain Cannichael, M.C., of Sydney, in his pre-Anzac Day speech, "that the celebration of tho day and all that it means, to Australia will be a sujh'icent inducement in itself to th'oso eligibles who are hanging back in fiio dark shadow of uncertainty and inaction to step forward into tho clear light of firm resolve and action. It is a good thin? to show appreciation of great deeus 'Gy hand-clapping and hatwaving, but iu times like theso a more tangible "iorm of approval is needed. Tile cTieerful and eager going forth of those bravo Australians lads of Gallipoli, to an imperative duty, calls not for mere appreciation alone, but for emulation as well. That is the test of genuineness 'of those fit and able men who stand in tlio streets and shout 'Bravo!' It is idle, hypocritical, and dangerously deceitful under tie circumstances to applaud are not prepared to go when you can and be likewise brave. The day presents a fine opportunity to the young men to raise an everlasting monument to the memory of the gallant I'cud on Gallipoli. Let it bo a grand memorial, not of marble, but of emulation. Do this in honour of the brave <'end and you will do something Immortal." ■ The fortnightly meeting of the S.P.C.A., which ■was held yesterday, was presided over by Mr. P. Moadowcroft, in the offices of tho secrotary, Mr. A. M. Anderson. There was a fair attendance of members. A !otter was read from a visitor to tho city from Auckland, who elated that ho had visited the Zoo ami eaw many things lie approved of, but ho thought that something might bo dono to improvo tlio condition of tho dogs who were confined there. Tho letter was ordered to bo forwarded to tho Reserves Committco of tho City Council. Tho inspector (Captain J. Henry) reported that ho had dealt with thirteen cases o{ cmelty. Fivo horacs had been destroyed since tho last meeting, nnd two cases of oruolty wero being brought before tho Court at his instance. Donations to tho nmount of £10 2s. Cd. wero acknowledged, including tho following nubscriptions:— Mr. Justice Cooper and Mr. B. K. Kirkcaldie, .fit Is. each; Mrs. Johnston, , CI; N.Z. Express Co., Ltd., and Messrs. Brodorick and Co., 10s. Gd. each; Messrs. Atkinson nnd Dale and Evans Bay Timber Company, 10s. each.

A caso of considerable interest was decided yesterday by tlio Registrar of Patents in tlio matter of an application for restoration by Baldwin and Rnyward on behalf of Coutts and Davios of their patent, which had unintentionally lapsed. The invention is un important electrical fitting, and used in considerable quantities by the Duncdin City Corporation anil others. Tlio corporation and A. and '!'• Buit, Ltd., opposed tlio application for restoration, but Inter on the corporation withdrew its opposition. Tho case, which was tho iirst of its kind in Now Zealand, was hoard by tho Registrar of Patents, who gavo his decision in favour of Coutts and Davies, with costs against the opponents.