LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 277, 12 August 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A I'resj Association message from Ilokilika, stales: Sir .lames Allen concluded his visit to tho Wcstlnnd elector.ite on Friday evening. In (ho comito of his tour lie visited Kuiuuni, Hokitika. Ross, and the country districts, and received a very cordial reception at all points, being presented with several addresses at tho different centres. Ho expressed great pleasure in visiting Captain Seddoii's electorate during the latter's absence on important military duties, lib felt much heartened.and encouraged in his work by coming amongst such a loyal community. Several local requirements were brought before the Minister.

A shortage of methylated spirits exists in Auckland, and though tho market is not quite bare the position threatens to brcomo serious unless stocks arc replenished very shortly (nays the "Herald"). Local merchants attribute the shortago to the inability to procure, nufikient ship, ping space in vessels fvom Australia. Ample supplies aro said to be available in tho Commonwealth, where the production of tho spirit from the waste products of sugar is carried on lo a considerable extent. Stocks for New Zealand are awaiting shipment, but pending the arrival of consignments the local supply is being carefully husbanded. Up to March 31 last 147 members of thi tramway staff and employees had joined tho New Zraland Expeditionary Forces. The list of names appears in tho annual report published last week. "When you get up into camp you wilt find yourself a nonentity," said Mr. W. E. Leadley, speaking at a meeting of Second Division reservists in Christeliuroh. "You will learn that you are nothing but a unit in the great military machine. You men are married, and most of you have imagined jourself the 'boss' in your home." At first, said the speaker, a man might find it rather hard to knucklo dow-i, but if ho did his work smilingly lw would get on ail right, and find can.p life very interesting. The Board of Science and Art is to meet shortly to discuss the arrangements 'for the control of the TurnbuU Library. Tho Minister of Internal Affairs (tho Hon. G. W- Russell) stated on Saturday that the Parliamentary Librarian had examined tho directions left by the lateMr. TurnbuU, and had arranged to continue serials that were taken by tho donor of the library. The public will not bo admitted to the library until certain structural . alterations have been mado in the building, and the whole of tho volumes have been placed in cases for their better protection. Tho books are to be guarded very carefully, and no person will bo allowed access to them without a pass from the officer in charge. Common jurors who have boon summoned to attend at the Supremo Court to-day aro notified by advertisement in this issue that they will not bo required I to attend until 10 a.m. on Thursday. In referring lo the permanent way in his annual report, the tramways manager (Mr. W. L'. Morton) says that the renewal of the whole of the track in Willis Street and Lambton Quay .is a work which will requiro to be nndcrtaKen immediately matorial is procurable. Considerable quantities of fish were "ast up on several of tho Cook Strait beaches yesterday, the result, apparently, of a submarine disturbance.

"Thev all seom to have sick wives," said Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., in tho Magistrate's Court at Christchurch, in reference to the pleas put forward by (ho judgment debtors who had appeared. Yes," replied counsel, who was appearing for a creditor, "wo aro tho unhealthiest raco imaginable down here, according to them. They all have sick wives and half a dozen children to keep on less than 30s. a week."

A fino of 50 dollars (MO) may be inflicted on the management of any entertainment of any,kind given in tho United States, where such performance does not commonco with the National Anthem. As the result of this law quite ii number of Americans are picking up tlio air of "The Stnr-fipangkd Banner. It is noticeablo in AVelliugton that an audience invariably stands when "The Marseillaise" is being played or' 6inig, but on many occasions "Tho Star-span-gled Banner" has been played by the orchestra without tho audionco tnking the slightest notico of it, simply because they did not recognise the air. Now that America is carrying a big load in tho war, a correspondent suggests that the Mayor might request tho City Organist to play tho American National Anthem (at least as often as ho docs some of the music of German origin), so that tho public may gain an acquaintance with tho anthem of our latest Ally, and one to whom evoryono would like to show the respect which makes people start to their feet at tho first bar of "La Marseillaise." It is said by a musical paper that quite a number of Russian composers aro engaged in writing a new national anthem for that country, but probably none will bo published until the termination of tho war gives somo notion as to the nolitical sitimtion and tho aspirations of the new State.

Discharged soldiers are finding difficulty in procuring employment in Auckland, and the question of providing occupation for them is assuming proportions which, aro considered to carry tho problem to a scale beyond the scope of tho local Employment Committee. The Mayor of Auckland stated last week that whilo the committee had done and was doing all that was possible, it was a question whether tho matter should not be placed mi a wider basis, and a special repatriation committee appointed, representing both citizens and returned soldiers. Mr. Gunson said ho also thought that the retention in Government Departments of superannuated Civil Servants, who had returned to duty for % the war period, should bo reconsidered by tho Government, now that ex-soldiers were available, and that employers pmoraliy should regard it as a national duty, as well as a moral obligation, to make room for men who wero in their servico prior to enrolment.

Farmers in the King Country aro still complaining that tho weather continues rough and cold, and that in sonic cases stock is suffering severely. Shiny of the milking cows aro coming in early, but on account of the recent and continuous severe frosts thero is very little grass. Many farmers havo started on their last haystack, whilo tho turnips aro nearly done. One old Maori near To Kuiti, who was born and has lived there nearly nil his life, says ho has never seen so much snow as this season, and that tho nearest approach to it was in 1875, or, as lie puts it, the year when Sir Donal'l M'licnn, tho Native Minister, paid a Msit io (he old Maori King, and when amicable relations between the pakeh.i and Maori races were resumed, which Sir George Grey, the great friend of all wees, but more especially of tho Maori, cemented mure elosely when he became Premier two years later.

For some, time now .the planters of Fiji have been disunited, and each industry has endeavoured lo go its own way, without consulting the wishes and interests of tho others where those interests lay along common lines (says uu exchange). There are, broadly, three separate groups—the cane growers, conra producers, and banana srowers- Rubber also enters into consideration, but nt present those engaged in Hie production of rubber are not so numerous as Hicy will be in a few years, many bovine -plantations in the early slinres. A meetintr of nil planters is to lie held in Suva during the eid ef August to sre if some ecnbined lmdv to represent all interests cannot be formed. The opportunity will al=o be taken to discuss mnnv mnHnrs of le'ndrod interest. The whole of the isln>>ds will be Tenrcented nt the enncenficm. as it is called, and a rrnod deal l« hoped for from its deliberations.