LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 259, 20 July 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Minister of Defence has received advice lhat the Thirly-sevenlh lioinforcemetits hiivp reached iheir destination: {■liiit thi! Thirty-eighth J!einforceinents have lii'fii repiiried "All well,"and lhat ths" Tliirly-iiutli Iteinfmcemenls have reached a port of call without mishap. The hospital ship which was recenlly on the' New >'e:\land cousl: has been reported from a port of call "All well."

A private cable, messa;;;! way received iii yesterday fvnm .liidin slaiinpt thai rli'T'' , liiiil liecii iin outlit|Uiilvo in Bengal, ;;»([ 'bat Iho Baptist niission-sn-.v lions , .! in Umhniiinbiirin hail been de.ilroved, bill . all the missionaries were safe. The !-iecreli;iy of the General Post (Hliee has been iidvi-iwl lh»t, Ihp lej:-il huiir will b- , put biif'c one hour in tin: French zone in Muriioc.i fro 11 .Inly IS.

Thi) M'L'lrjfjrajjh Department notifies Mint Iliero is great delay In cable messages via the J'iicilie for Canada nml America.

Tile r'iro Hrigade. was called out at S.-S lust night to ii tire at No. 7 l.ewisville Terrace, a 7-nuinied . house occupied by Mr. I'utriclc ()'t'aib':-;han and owned by Mr. IVondeville, of Kiiruri. The contents of the building wore severely damaged. There was :in insurance on the furniture.

In th» list of results of the "Theory of Music" examinations, published yesterday, the nil mo Kalio Nash (St. Mary's Conve.nt) was Riven as "fto.tie Rasb/'

ArrnngL'incnls Imvo boon made for relatives of members of K. I l ', Ci, and 1L Companies, Forty-first Keiniurccnisii'ts, ami A, \i, C, mid I.) Companies, 1.-'orty-second lieinfovccinenl*. to visic the men ill Trcntlum Camp on Wu-dm'sday next. .\ .special I rain will leave Lambion Station ul ID.'Jfl a.m., ri'turniiiK from Titiilliiim fi( 4.it) p.m.

Tlio pu.vmeiu oi'. a lioniis from tho surplus proiits of the L J ul>liu Trust Ullico has been million.:oil. I'he net sunuis prolils, after the ollicu luu.l retained Xiai.UlM, amounted to JiUUill - .!. The l,iiiins, which will absorb i' 30,000, will bo ul the rate, ot oiie-;enlh of the total amount of i/ilere.-l received (luring liie yi'iir ended Murili 31 last from tho e/miiiioii fund by eiuh estate and account.

In the course of a letter to a resident of IfuHμtoii, his sisti-r, whose family reside at View Mill, supplies sonio iu-Ic-rejiliiig details of the. .recent snowff.oim. Under drde Siiturday, July «, (lie writer slacc=:—"\Vc liuve iuxn snowed in since Sunday. On Tiio.-dny, 1' and I took outtliv draught horsus'and ti'ieil to make n- truck to tho >heep. The h;n;k.-i'wero nor rfronc; enongli lo ljreasi the snow, u-hifih i." up !o my -houldcrs. Oil T!iiir.«liiy we tool; n'ven liorses out. to try.'ami, niaki' ;|. traolt, but it was no iisCi More sheep are vi.<il)lo to-day. As I v,os crawling iiUm« to reach my horse I came across a tiny hole. 1 looked rifnvn and there was a sheep. I. dug it mil with the live-shovel, which 1 carried in c,i?o 1 got buried myself. The birds are so tame nun can catch I hem, olid many are lying dead. On. .Friday F and'l rorle-again- to the .sheep, lo try mid jet them down , to the , stock, dmvn in tho pardon. II scpiihml an impossible (as);, weak as they were, ami snowed in for six days, bill we Micceeded in gotliiiS, iU) up io the Riu'den, iind hard work if, was. Many sheep are weak and ill. We brought two up to the lumse on our lior?es. I had boiled some milk, soul iaken it with me, in case of need. 1 (Ins; two out of the snow and save them the. milk between (hem.. ..It is a week since we had any bread. We have lived on potatoes, rice and porridge. We have linen out iifiJiin -willi the hor.-vs lo make a track to the other slie.op. A. few move were dead. We manaijeil to «cv twelve head of cattle up to the slack." On July 12, stated the writer in another letter, nn endeavour was lo bs mads to yet lliroush m Oxford for stoves.

Captain Barclay, organiser of "New Jh'Eiliiml'ri Tribute to Vranco," has bnen advised that the Hank of New Zealand, 'ihroiisrh its Hoard of Directors, lias voted" tlio sum of .5:2(10 to the French I'und. Otlior large donations arc expected to follow.

"Wo -didn't go into school until a quarter to eleven— because we had no luel." This statement was made by the hesidimii-br of the school in opulent Thermion at .the meeting.of the Teachers' Institute last evening; In the bitter weather it ua= I'onsidered wise to keen the children playing in tho grounds. Hu had thought it a great pity that there was not in the school any room in which the children could' play.

Special regulations published in this week's Gazette authorise the Wellington Acclimatisation Society to kill red deer on account; of age, iniirmity, or deformity in wrtain portions of the Wellington district. -The authority will operate for tho next two months. ... Tho society has sought this power in order to improve tho herds by judicious culling, sn-Nmen having report™! :n.i!fnrmcd 1t... in various parts of the district.

The Ministry of Finance has directed that a, fee. of ..is.. shall be ..paid on the transfer of stock under the New Zealand Inscribed Stock Act, 1017.

A circular lins been issued by the Wellington Harbour Board bringing under the notice of business firms that at the sitting of the Waterside Accidents Comlnitision evidence was given that a great ninny accidents were caused through jagged hoop-iron and nails sticking out of the casv. ]n future the board will refuse to receive enses bi>uiul .by jagged hoon-iron or with nails sticking out of the pack-

The fivo men who escaped from detention at Feathorston Camp-last Haturyay have, all Ineii recaptured. Two of them were taken within a- few hours of their escape, and the other three—Privates Peters., uwciijan,, and Kaumters— have since btci nrrJ ; t«j near Martinborough. '.1 hey slated after, their arrest (hist.'.they, had, walked,..ii,s'far, as., the c:y.ist, but lu(.. been unable to get. any ■assistance at thostri.t'on.-i'.'ch , fcintc'They were returnm?; inland when they eui.'ounlci'C'd Military police. Two of (lie wennees— Privates D. J. V. Costigan and L. Saund( , r9--werc awaiting promulgation of tho sentences of a court-martial when they esciui?d. '.I'lie .sentences hate now been confirmed and announced.- For desertion ar.d loss oi' er|i>ininent e Costigi\n is ?-intci)u-cti to 120 days' detention end stoppages of pay amounting to £3 IGs. 10(1., and Saumlers to 180 days' detention, and stoppages to £'3 ISs. !)il.

This whiter there is a serious shortage of milk in Wellington. It is contended in some quarters that this shortage has followed oil certain actioa 'on the part of the Board of Trade. The board undo, an even all-lhe-yea<r-roind price for milk, and the price \vllss a good one—-:) good that the- farmers at once realised that it would be to their advantage to liavc all their eoivs in profit in iliis snmnipr moiillw (when the working conditions arc best) rather than divide them up (0 spread over 'lie various seasons of the. year. The result, it is said, is that at present the -required amount of milk is not available, no nialtcr what railway facilities aro provided. This aspect of the ci'.so has ljeen gone into by Hit , City Council Milk Committee, which is to 'present..ils report at a special iiicctiiiK of the City Council 10 \v> held at 2.!5 p.m. on Tuesday next. This report liasr'iieeii looked for with •"•Merest for some time. ; ■••'■".

Writinj? from Jonlnu ValW". Jericho, in the early part of May., Trooper Hoy Hashes, of Maxwell, says: "We went for a swim in' the Dead Sea yesterday, and, oh. it i.s saelty! 1 managed to get a sip' of it. It absolutely 'stings your eyes." It's a peculiar sea altogether. First of all, where it gets its salt beats me,- unless there is u saU mine, wider it. Sext, it's 1200 fi-ei be]o'V sea level; iind, lastly, you cannot siifk in it. ll's (|uile true, you can sit np and put your arms around ynmr knees in the wnter; yoii just lie limp, 1111.1 you lloat like ;i log. There is , iio life in the sea. it beini; too sally, altogether. But Ihe Jordan Kiver is'teeming with fell. One has to wash in fresh water after bathiag in the Dead Sen, and you can I. stay in 100 long for it's too severe."

For Ihe year ended April SO the OtaßO Early Settlers' Association recorded 195 deaths oil old identities, mostly members of the association, all arrivals prior to IS6J-, and the average of the total ot their :iij<;s was a fraction over SO years. llessrs. S. George Nathan and Co. offcivd "for sale in the' Chamber of Commerce yosterdny afternomi three vcsidenliarpropertics in Seutoiin. under 111stniclion from Ihe trustees m the cshte of Iho late I'hoebe l'ul!er,.deefiised. lot'l was a dwelling of live rooms in Dumlas Street, on a section 81.82 links bv a depth of 13158 links, bidding ffarted at ,UloO and ro=3 to .C 575, at M-lrch price tliu property was sold 10 M'iV Darnell. Lol 1 was a dwelling 01 five -rooms and outbuildings, having a frontage of 40ft. to Munro Street by :j depth \if 125 ft. This iiroperly was sold to Mr. Carey fiir .£575. Lot 3 was :i four-roomed dwelling and outbuildings, i,l<ii in llunro Street, but as the,reserve wa. not readied it was passed in.- and is now open for private sale.

Owiii" to thu difficulties experienced-by the residents ul lVatnitai in respect ni li-i'iinviiy accommodation, together with the fact llial the City Coimcil is unable tn (livedo, to Hit>i:• repri'senlntiuns on »c----coiint of the shortness of niiiehiiicry which has been on order from England, for the pnsf three years, it was decided at a repent meeting of the locnl Ratepayers , Association ,to forward the following resolution to the City Council on the subject:—"tn view of the inconvenience caused to the residents of this district by the ineflicioiicy of (ho (ram service, slated by the civic authorities to be due to the wind of machinery awaiting shipment in Kngland for eighteen months past, Mite association protests against, the largo shipments of liqiior recently landed iii '-the Dominion, which us mi iii'liclc of eoninidreb is absolutely non-essential, and urgos the City Council to make an emphatic protest to the Minister of Munitions respecting the exclusion of .necessury machinery nrgenly rei|\iired for the efficient working of thfi electric, light and triiiiuvay systems of Ihe cily; and, further, that'it be represented to the Mayor that the- manifest of the., s.s.' -— alone, contained a t tota,l of 73,507 gallons'of liquor."

I Lieutenant-Colonel .1. L. Sleenian, 1 U.S., Direct of Military 'l'r;iinin{;, has returned tti> Wellington after an inspection of ! aje officers and' n.c.o.'s of the 'lemiw.:; slafl" w unili-r----goiiiß a u -Sise of iusiriiisoion at Wanganui.' lie is salitliv'd that very μ-ccd work is beinj? done in titling llio memliers of I in- I mining Muff for the duties they lii«vo to perform.

"A coiiunoii I'asi!, of i-hoplifiin;;" (takiii'i the police description) »i«i mentioned in the Court ycislenliiy. A iiU'inbei , of Mcftirs. IL-immh and Co.'s stall was working in nne of the shop ivindoivs when he savr ii man lifl a couple of pair of .boots off an outside stand, put; them under his emit, and hurry away. Tho shopman' eha?ed the iliief, caught him, and handed him over lo the police. The accused, a young married man, appeared in the j'olico Court yesterday, and staled that an overdose lic|uor was the cause of his act. The Magistrate- siißJtested (hut a prohibition order would'he a Rood Ihin;; for Ihe man, who agreed wilh Ihe idea. Thereupon a prohibition orik'r wns made, and Ihe defendant was convicted and ordered to come'up for sentonce when called oj).

Now I hat householders are forced lo buy a certain nmomit of slack (or coke) when ordering 'colli .before they can. get' delivery, it. might bo of assistance, to people to know how the slack enn be mnde. tn servo as fuM. If put on an ordinary fire by I he. shovelful the ehnncss are that i) 0 psr cent, of the slack will run through the five-bars, into the ash-tin below almost at onee, and if pok?d at intervals probably !i!l per cent, will be ' lo?i without, going through, the combustion .proecs? n.t all. To prevent.' this, some ingenious people have found (hat by slightly writing (ho slack, .lind rolling it up into balls with a wrapping of paper, <(iiite a serviceable fuel can bo created, and at the same lime the waste is avoided almost: entirely. ' As the coal shortage still holds, it is still compulsory for any householder ordering coal to i'ceept a certain quantity 'hf 6lack or coke.

"There is not a blacksmith on the Chathnms," said Mr. A. Peverill, in the eoiiioe of an interview in (.'hristchurch on his return from the islands. "The horses don't need shoes," lie added. "The roads are not formed at all. If a road gets too bad they lake down the wires and j.) 'through the psddpck to avoid the Jμd spot. 'I here is not one river brid?c-d. and children riding to To One School from Wnitangi have to cross a river that is impassable in flood, and up to the s.-uldlc-ilaps when it is not in tlood, providing the tide is in. Any bit of road that is not on the beach is up to your knees in mud at present." ■

At a meeting of the Ashburton Second Division League, says an exchange, a case of hardship on the part of an Ashl)urton married reservist was reported. Tlie reservist «•;>•■• under orders .to proceed to camp ill March, and a few days before he was duo to leave hu Rave up his employment. He was, however, informed that he was put back a month, and finally till July 5. In the meanlime he was out of work. His wife became- very ill. and this wee , .; was removed from the Ashburton County Hospital to Cliiistchurch to undergo a serious operation. Ho , recently-applied to Ihe Financial Assistance Board through a solicitor, and was granted an allowance of only five shillings a week for rent from the. date: of going ipto camp, ne made a further appeal lo the board, statins; his circumstances. . The board replied, adhering to its previous decision, and slated that: it could make him no allowance until he was actually in camp. On account of -his wife's health he has been granted extended time, and is still out of employment. The league severely criticised the attitude of Jhe Financial Assistance Board, and decided to write pointing out the exceptional circumstances in connection .with the case.

The fact that there is increasing loss through the pilfering of Roods arriving from overseas has been brought under thn notice of the council of (ha Auckland Chanib?r of Commerce by the New Zealand Marine Underwriters'. Association. It was stated that the experience of insurance companies covering the risk of pilj'iTa:.'c liad been uniformly bo.d since the outbreak of war, the reason probably bshiff the exposure of the goods for a longer period on the voyage, and. in stores, and also loss secure package, canvas in many instances inking the .place of zinc and wood. Unless there ,was a material improvement .shippers would be unable lo find tnver for the abnormal risk undertaken by some insurance compnni'.s. A complaint about Iha hisses suffered by Auckland importers from pillaged and short-lamled goods was also received lsy the council from an Auckland firm, which stated that all carriors, except shipping-companies, were obliged to deliver goods i;i the same good order as received, or pay the market price for them. It was that n short Bill should bs introduced into Parliament lo'plaee (he shipowners on the sumo level with oilier carriers in this matter. The council decided to recommend Iho Associated Chambers to (ifk the Waterside Workers' Union to incorporate in its rules a provision cxclndiii,! from nienib?rship a man convicted of pillowing cargo. Members expressed the opinion that waterside workers as a body were thoroughly'trustworthy, but one expert thief "could suffice lo discredit a port. The record frost for this winter oc-curred-un Wednesday moniing (says u (Jurisichurch paper), thu rcuiiing at the Magnetic Übiiirvatory showing 1U degrees. (July on five or six occasions during the past- fifteen years have so many degroM uf frost been recevded, tliu record being established one morning in .fune,' 190/, when 18 dcjjrecs were registered. Tht' first serious frost this year took place on May (i, when 10.1 degrees we're registered. ijulMciiuent notable readings have been:—Junu 0, I'll degrees; June 30, 13.8 degrees; Juiy 0, M.I degrees j July 9, 12.U degrees.

llrs. Kichardson, oi' Uroymouth. has received the foilo'.viuß from her sun. Corporal Charles Kiciiaiusun, wlw is interned in Holland:— "J list a few lines to let you know that J. have leit lleriiiiiiiy and am interncil in Holland. We had a gn-at reception all along the line. The people, gave us heaps ot chocolate and iooii, and on arriving at our destination wo had another great reception. Wo are in new barracks, built especially for us. The rooms arc large, with plenty of light. ''The beds are a trail, and we have every convenience, right at our hands. A bit different from what we had in tiiTiimny. j\u barbed-wire enclosures, rillerf or' bayonets. No need to thank them for \vhnt they have done fpr me. I ani saving all that up to tell yon when I come home. If 1 had put anything else in my letters they wouid not have got through. Still 1 am in pretty good health, and that is a lot to bo thankful for.".

Another instance iif cxpciisivq tram travelling came before rhs Jlngi.strale's Court yeslei'day. Alfred T.ORaii, an elderly man, was accused of failing to pay a tram fare. He denied the charge, but made no' defence. Against him it wns sworn that lie got into a ear lit; Stewart Dawson's corner, nnd travelled to the Wadestown junction in .Tinakori I'oad. Though the ennducior v.cnt through the car several times, witness did nut pay his fare. Defendant was fined £2, with costs .SI 17s. 10.1.

The honorary treasurer of the, AVellinston branch of the British lied Cross and Order of SI. .lolm acknowledges reeeipl of t!in following additional enntriliutions:—)VelliiiL'to!i I,'ed Cross Sliop. •Tifli); Taihape Sub-Centre British lied ll'ross. i'SCII; New Plyinoulli "Copjier Trail" I'li'id, A'-iW; Wairoa J.ad.v Liverpool and Hed Cross Society. XV:>; Daniievirko .Dranuh lied Crnw Society (Soulh Block elTorl). .£175; Patvintii: Shop, .till; Iliintervillf C'oiiiilet-s of Liverpool and llpil Cross (luild, .£53 Ifls.; Aiiiiganiu Siib-Cenlro British Itcd Cross, .i'sfl; Cuniily of lJgmonl. Patriotic Leapue, .C.'lfl; Mannknii Branch Red Cross Sociely, .KH); Moutoa Side and Wounded Soldiers' Fund, Ladies' (jnild. ,L'l7 ,is.; New I'lymouth Brunch British I'ed Cross, .lild; Slratford lied Cro«s (.■'uiTT/, .';;>; .1. Kaincay, per Newman Rod Cniss, (is. Bel.