LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 230, 17 June 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

By Onlcr-in-Couneil gazetted the nwxi: mum price of milk in Wanganui Borough ttiid thei town dislricls of Gonville and Castleclm is increased from sd. to Sid l>tr quart. Two instances of bag-snatching vero reported in Wellington last week, the latest incident occurring on a Lyall Bay tnimcar 011 Saturday morning. The cur «;as proceeding up Adelaide, Koad at the lime, when a man was noticed by a lady cutting tho straps of a handbag which another lady was carrying. TJje ivould-l>D thief was wearing a faloj moustache, for on noticing what he was doing tho first passenger oeized it. and if camo off in her hand. The man, vbo was about, sft. Tin. in. height, of fresh complexion, nnd fair-haired, immediately made his escape, and up to the present has not been traced. Kelburn was the scene of tho other episode, One evening during tho week, about six o'clock, a young lady was returning to her homo when her handbag, which contained a. considerable sum of money, was suddenly taken from her by a man, who got clear away before Ihe lady could call for assistance.

About 2.15 p.m. on Saturday a. man named George W. Spear, who resides at a boardilighouse on J'limmer's Steps, was knocked down by a tramcar on Lambton Quay. Spear was carried to the Central Hotel, and Dr. Gilmer, who was sent for, found that ho was only suffering from suock. After a 6hort rest he was able (0 walk home. The prompt acTuii of Motorman Charles Howard in quickly stopping. the tramcar averted a more serious accident. "That's not an essential industry," commented Mr. H. AV. Bishop, S.M., chairman of the Second Canterbury Military Scrvico Board, on Saturday, when the application for extended leave of a proprietor of a blouee-making factory was before tho board, "The ladies must have blouses, sir," rejoined Mr. ,T. A. Flesher, counsel for the reservist. "They can revert to the old order of tilings," was Mr. Bishop's rejoinder.

A representative gathering of citizens (convened by the Mayor) met the members of the Press Delegation at the Council Chambers, Auckland, on Saturday, and wished them God-speed 011 their mission to Europe. The. Mayor (Mr. .1. H. Uunson) expressed tho hope . that Iheir visit would be pleasant and successful. Mr. G. Fen wick, chairman of tho delegation, made a suitable reply.

The. Jlioister-in-Charge of Hospitals (tho .Hon. 0. \V. .Russell) has arranged 'illat (hi; conference which is to be held between members of the Hospital Board or. the one hand and representatives of tlio contributory local bodios on the other with regard to the levies recently mailo 011 tho local bodies by (lie Hospital Board shall take place oil Tuesday, Juno 'Jo. Tho local bodies have protested against tho amount of tho levies aa being unnecessarily high, and it is tho Minister's idea that tliis round-thc-tablo conference of the interested parlies should bo held before tho appeals are dealt with ill the manner prescribed by tlio law. The Minister lias been obtaining a deal of informal ion to bo submitted to the conference. .

His Worship the Mayor has informed tho Minister of Internal Affairs that a. site in tho Knrori Cemetery has been set apart for soldiers' graves, and. instructions havo been issued for a portion of (lie ground to bo immediately marked oif and prepared for tho reception of bodies. It is expected that the ground will be ready for interments within a week from date.

There is no change to report in (lie position concerning the Pateena. A more convenient service than that of tho past week will be started to-day by the Anchor Company's Kaitoa, sailing at 1.45 p.m. for Picton' and Nelson. The email steamer Opawa, running under, the agency of Messrs. Levin and Co., will at 9 a.m. to-day make another trip to Picton. Until (lie i'atcena resumes the Anchor Company's Kaitoa will sail On Mondays, Wednesdays, «iul_ Fridays, at 1.-15 p.m:, for Picton and Nelson.

The Kev. Canon Curzon-Siggers, president of Hie Society for the Protection ot' Women and Children (says the Dunedin "Star"), has received tho following letter in reply to a resolution carried at tlio annual meeting of tho society"l have the honour to acknowledgo receipt of your letter of the Ith instant, covenug copies of the report of tlio recent liieeling of the Dunedin branch of tho Society for tlio Protection of Women and Children, for which I thank you. In reply to the resolution passed in connection with tho appointment of women as health patrols, I beg to inform you that the regulations referring to this niactei are now in the hands of the Department, and as soon as they are finally completed they will be gazetted, when steps will immediately he taken for the appointment of female P at ™ s for Dunedin—(Sgd.) G. AY. Kussell, Minister of Public Health. Wellington, June 10." ' "If there is any part of the Empire wEcli is entitled to unstinted praise for the organisation of its auxiliary war services, such lis tho care of its wounded, the provision of comforts for il> men. (he arranging of hospitality for those in England, and keeping track of its n.en in other services, that part of tli.Lmpiro is emphatically New Zealand, sajs the "British Australasian. From the muddles, omissions, and fatuities which have been conspicuous in| British ai d Australian management of the same piob lems—and which, thanks to the pi;wp efficient administration of the Austi, 1 wn Rod Cross, the Australian Gom ™". Fund, and Headquarters at Ttoad, aro no longer characteristic of Australia-New Zealand adnnnisliatio l, from (ho first, has been Mraparativelj free. The credit for this is larg;d duo to the High Commissioner Sn . lionus Mackenzie, and. to tho New Zealand at Contingent Association which ,insbeen assisted by sympathetic co-operation at New Zealand Administrativei Headquarters. Apart from the High Commissioner's office, where Sir Thomas Maekeuzio has been always alert to co-ordinate ati ivilios a ad smooth away diflorcnces. -the vrimMpnl cum of tho New on J iUU , soldier, whether lighting in the fie <1, at fise in P,inland, or sick m hospital, has fallen upon I ho _N ew Zealand War Contingent Association.' .Mr. K. C. Stiidlinlme, of South Cniiterburv, bus resigned, as from to-morrow, his position on the first (anterbuij Military Service Board, of which he has been a member since tho board was first appointed. Mr. Studholnie's resignation is duo chiefly to private reasons, ■

Tho Wairarnpa Automobile Association has passed a resolution calling upon the Railway Department to purchase a portion of land near a dangerous crossing in Featherstou for tlio purpose of carrying out improvements, jmd is asking the Department to place a man at each end of the Ngapattruru Bridge, near Woodville, it being contended that the existing arrangement moans a considerale loss of- lime to the travelling public, and that the changed conditions warrant greater attention at this bridge.

To bo perched on a suspended stage 50ft. or GOft. above the hanl bottom of tho dock, with nothing to break a fall, is distinctly dangerous. Such was the opinion of a witness who was boforo the Waterside Commission at Dunedin last week. This danger could be avoided, the witness held, hy painting the topsides of big steamers either before they went into dock or after tho.v came out. Ho would rather fall into the water than into tho dock. Although he could not swim, ho had a chance in tho water, but to fall to the bottom of tho dock from a high altitude, meant a "puss out." This witness said that, he no longer painted the topside* of big steamers in dock, as it was 100 risky. Tho guys fastened to dock sides in order to steady tho suspended staging could not effectively save their purpose, whilo the staging was above the level of tho topsides of tho deck.

An interesting item in tho current number of the First New Zealand Mounted Rifles' Association "Bulletin" relates lo tho "First's" initial orders in South Africa. Sir Alfred Robin has supplied the copy of these orders—the first ever given to New Zealand troops on active service. They give directions for Major Robin, comm.Hiding the New Zealand Mounted K.ille-, to follow in reconnoitring the railway from the 281 st; milestone up to Arundel on tho morning of Friday, December 8, 11)00. The orders arc signed "D. Haig, Major, C.S.O."—now the Commander-in-Chief of the British armies in France.

An unusual claim was embodied in an appeal by Harry M. Ulackie, third engineer of the liniay Freezing Works, who appeared before the first Wellington Military Service. Board at Wanganui on Friday. He appealed on the ground tlmt ho was a mariao and .refrigerating engineer, and i national asset. "s'oii mean a Dominion asset," suggested tho board, and tho appellant modified his claim to that extent. The appellant said lie did not object to going on active •service, ■ bill feelings ol' patriotism prompted him to remain at the works if they were to be kept going. An employers' appeal was also entered, on the ground of shortage of engineers. The chairman said if was time the freezing companies went into the question of the supply of refrigerating engineers, and adjourned the appeol to August.- The Wanganui Meat Freezing Company, also appealed for one of tneir engineers, and were given time to Snd a substitute.

A new system of marking'on rifle ranges has been invented by Mr. S. .1. Hartley, of Himatangi, and it is his intion to sn.bmil it to the Defence Department. says Iho "Manawatu Standard." Tho machine makes tho work of tho marker in (he trench much easier than it is by the present, method., and one marker has no difficulty in marking for two riflemen. The machine is net very large, and when in use it hangs just below Ihe top of the trench where it is well protected from bullets. It consists of five large iron plates, on which are painted numbers from fl to 5, which are tn indicate to the scorer at tho mound the result'of each shot, and also a plato to signify a miss. 'i>e plates are worked by means of a pulley, and after each shot tiie marker, by means of a lever, propels one of the plates signifying the result, above tho trench. The figures are of such a size that they can be easily seen by those at the other end of the ranget

An interesting exhibit at tho Taranaki "Winter Show was a tin of butter tinned in 1886—32 years ago, by tho Taranaki Butter Packing Company, and which bore a Taranaki brand. It is proposed to have the tin opened, and the contents tested by an official grader. It is said that a similar tin (about 2lb. in weight) was recently opened, and the contents proved to bo in very good condition.

"Blighty" tweeds are now on the market in Manchester, England. These nre cloths which are being made by crippled soldiers on hand looms, and every effort is being made to develop tho industry. Tho convalescent soldiers in the Canadian military convalescent hospitals are turning out a sister fabric on similar looms. There is a steady demand for t.lio Canadian homespun both in the Dominion and the United States. •

A Press Association message from Dunedin, published on Saturday staled that the Minister of Mines had arranged for a conference on June 19 between the coal mine owners and the Miners' ]fcderationi This is not correct.' No such conference has been arranged. Tho executive of tho coal mino owners is to meet tho Minister on June 19, but there is no arrangement for a conference with tho miners on this or any other date. The Minister states that the question of tho conference with the men will bo mentioned when the executive of tho owners meets him this week.