LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 309, 18 September 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A hospital ship with a draft of sick and wounded soldiers, totalling 534 of all ranks, is due at Auckland late tomorrow.

A Press Association message from Invercargiir states that a sharp earthquake was experienced at 12.35 yesterday morning. The duration was about a minute.

The Merchant Service Guild has been informed that the Union Steam Ship Company is prepared to give the guild an assurance that the conditions of compensation to dependants as laid down in the new Imperial Government scheme will be observed with regard to masters and officers engaged on their vessels navigating danger zones.

Tho fact that considerable damage was done in the suburbs by wandering cows was referred to by Inspector Doyle durin" the hearing of a case at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, in which a defendant was charged with permitting stock to roam at largo. The Inspector stated that hedges were knocked down by wandering cows, and much annoyance was caused generally. Mr. V. V. Frazer, S.M., said that stockowner's must realise that it did not pay to let their cattle wander about and become a nuisance. "A city_is meant primarily for peoplo to live in, and is not a farmyard," observed His Worship. At 12.34 yesterday afternoon the fire brigade received a call to an outbreak of fire at 28 Matai Road, Hataitai, a •house owned and occupied by Mr. W. S. Gruar. Sparks had fallen from an adjoining chimney on to tho ronf, which was slightly damaged. Tho house is insured "with the Now Zealand Insurance Company for £400, and the contents are covered by a policy for £250 in the National Office. In the Divorce Court at Gisborno yesterday a decree nisi was granted in tho case of Ellen M'Carthy, of Gisbonie, versus Thomas M'Carthy, a soldier at Samoa, on the ground of desertion.-— Press Association. Medical men recommend Groats. Doctors' Cream O'Groats as a better and more nourishing food for children and mYalids.-Advt.

Ordinary sewing cotton, onco procurable, for I'd. a reel, is now being retailed throughout the Dominion at old. A retail merchant in Wellington who keeps in touch -with the English market declares that the profits the cotton manufacturers aro making arc. staggering. A.few months ago it was announced that one big firm's profits for tlio last financial year amounted to over £3,000,000. Tho latest "Drapers' Record" to hand gives a resume of tlie balance-sheet of one of the smaller concerns. This company made £'138,458 net profit, paid shareholders a dividend of 20 per cent.,, earned forward £191,416, and £50,000 to the insurance fund.

The Dunedin Tramways Committee will report as follows to the meeting of the City Council to-night:—ln view of tho fact that tho stock of rails -is now virtually exhausted, it has become essential that steps be taken to prolong the life of tho rails now laid in the tracks in order that the present service to tho public may be maintained for the longest possible period. The tramway manager reports that, in his opinion, there can bo no saving on the rails unless the use of the magnetic brake be prohibited. The cutting out of the magnetic brake will in turn necessitate a considerable reduction in the number of stopping places in order that ears may be kept to the time-table running. The committee is of the opinion lhat the remedy suggested by the manager should he given effect to without delay, and instructions have been accordingly given to that officer to cut out sufficient stops to permit of the use of the magnetic Drake being discontinued. By reducing the stops and lifting a number of rails on the loop side of the Tahuna section, it is estimated that the department will bo able to carry on for about two years.

Councillor C. B. Norwood (chairman of the Municipal Milk Committee of the City Council), with Councillors J. 0. Shorland and W. H. Bennett, Mr. John O'Shea (City Solicitor), Mr. H. E. Ward (assistant manager), and Mr. M'Bain (committee clerk), left for the Wairarapa yesterday morning, and met the shareholders of the Featlierston Dairy Company in tho afternoon, when the council s proposals to acquire the company's factory and its sources of supply for the benefit of the city were frankly laid before the shareholders, who will now consider the proposition made to them and later let the committee kilow their decision. On the return journey tho party met tho farmers of the Mangaroa Valley last evening, and once more explained the City Council's intentions and desires, and mentioned the very wide powers which had been vested in the city through the War Regulations recently gazetted. The results of the committee's negotiations so far are so encouraging that November 1 lias been fixed as the date on which tho scheme will be inaugurated.

Walking is not a very popular way of getting about the country nowadays, and the feat just performed by Mr. E. Allan, of Nelson, who arrived on foot, in Christchurch from Nelson on Saturday evening, is a little out of the common. Mr. Allan, who is 68 yearn of age, started from Nelson on September 7, and arrived at Havelock, which is about 50 miles from Nelson, at 8.20 p.m. The various stages of his journey from there were as follow:—September 8, to Blenheim; September 9, to Ward; Soptember 10, to Clarence Bridge; September 11, to Kaikoura: September 12, to Cheviot; September 13, to Waipara; and September 14, to Christchurch, 86 miles, a total distance of 319 nulos. Various directions in which women and girl labour could well bo employed to make up for the shortage of men arising from the war were mentioned by the president of the' Auckland Employers' Association last week. Mr. Spencer suggested that it could have been utilised to avert the need for curtailing the suburban train service and for shortening the postal delivery. Jho results of the employment of women inside the post office had been so satis-, factory as to justify tho further experiment of utilising them as lotter-car-riers, as had'been done clsewhereMvith complete succoss. The attitude taken up by the Postal authorities on tho question was characterised as absolutely scandalous and unbusinesslike. There soomed no good reason why women should not aUo be tried in the tramway service.

At a mass meeting of members of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants at Petone it was resolved:— "That owing to the failure of tho Government to deal seriously with tho everincreasing cost of living and its quite evident insincerity in the matter, this branch of tho society nrgo upon our executive the necossity of .combining with other organisations in an attempt to bring the matter before Parliament at tho earliest possible moment. That wo are of opinion that the Govornment will be entirely to blame if the loyalty of the railway workers bo strained to breaking point. Further, we urge upon the executive to persist in a demand for fin increase in. wages of not less than 4s. per day for all grades of the Service, to meet tho present cost of living." ____