LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 9, 5 October 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Secretary of tlio Tost and Telograph Department informs us that the Department will not recognise any trafficking in telephones. The oiler to give up a relinquished, telephone to the -highest bidder, is invalid, and limy prove in-.'ll'twtuiil'--..- In any instance, a relinquished telephone may be wanted for a new subscriber already decided upon by the Department.

Influenza of a rather virulent character has been epidemic in Auckland for the past three or four weeks, but a. considerable diminution, of the com-, plaint is now reported, says ttie ''Herald." In many cases gastric trouble accompanied the attack, and it is stated that the after-effects of a particularly...bad- case: are "much worse than .usual.; . /-'Heavy, colds.and sore ■throats.-.ire often called, influenza," said an Auckland chpmist,,"but.during the last ifew -weeks the trouble.hfis'-ce'rtain-ly been correctly named..---There are -severM kinds.of 'influenza,,but :the present *s.one of the..worst."

To-morrow (Sunclnv) will lie , observed liytheWelhngtoiieliurches iis'a day of v thanksgiving for recent victories.. Sii James'.. Allen lias requested . the churches to "make recognition in some fitting manner of the mercies tllat have been vouchsafed to the Jmtioii in. the great successes that have 'Wen- Achieved' by bur arms mi the fighting-fronts." No specially organised ".pi , - cortbhwd 'form of 'observance' lias-been"a'nnouiiced, lint 'each congregation will'give effect to Sir James Allen's suggestion in its own way. .

A young man.named .Ashton Savage, employed' , By Messrs'. ;HV D. Dennett and Co., Lambtoii Quay, was riding a delivery motor-cycle up Moles'worth Street yesterday morning when his machine came into collision with a motorcar. . He was ..thrown to the ground 'and his,right-.leg fractured. . .Hβ Was ■admitted' to. the. hospital.',..... ' ;.,.

- The' Minister , of PuWif- Health (tho Hoii. G. W. Russell) is considering the advisability of employing a State dentist in the Palmerston North district, the cost to : be.-shared by the Government and the local • Hospital Board. The dentists in. practice at Palmerston North have , declined-to treat-children's teeth at an average fee of 4s; for extractions and fillings, as proposed by the- Minister, and have stated that tltey' require the usual fees for such work. Mr. Russell lias informed them that he cannot consent to pay the fees charged iu private dental practice.

Aryiiinpjits. for. the continuance nf -liorse-racirig durjiig the war-.were advaftced. by'.tlie '.'Hon.' E;'"\VY Alison, M.Jj.C, at till) -.annual meeting of tlio 'fakapnna.J(>gkey;Ctub o.ii Wednesday. Many people, lip said, were. , ,opposed to racing at- all times,.'-.and ridiculed the conteiitioh that tjte. breeding;, of the .racehorse, was.' an'.-'css'ijn'tial.. industry. Those, who-.held..such opiiiisn.s should study tho recent war news which dealt with tile miijjnifinent achievements of our cavalrymen in Palestine and Mesopotamia.- The' statement!) made by 'Mr. J. W'. Gerard. ex-American Ambassador to ' Berlin, and autiior of "My Four Years in Germany," ' were -' also 'worthy of consideration. ■ .Referring 1 •'-to the necessity for the establishment and maintenance of thoroughbred studs in. the-United- Stages- and to the attention given in•.■Gtmtnioiitffl- Europe to the breeding o>: the racehorse, Mr. Gerard said:—"This war is calling for horses as .\veir,as .fqr.-nien pf. fighting spirit." The. war .had 'proved the"; soundness o'r ..Mr. Gerard's -vicVs. ' Mr,,Alison said tbafno'KOod reasoii'liad beeii advanced foi discontfiiuing racing during war time. The sport contributed to cheerfulness and confidence, and it was ( necessary that this spirit should be -maintained. Battles were not won by depressed -pessimistic, soldiers, _ but by ■mgir..'of;-courage,- and cheerfulness, and'the spirit.>pf.;the, na-:.tioii-bQjiiu3,tlie'-.Ai;nj7...slioyJld,be maintained oil-those,-lilies. ' : .. ■■/■.■_■■•■

' 'Mr.' S: "S.' Williams,' of Wellington, who is wintcriiig''in'Q.ueen'sldiid, sends tlio' following cutting from' the ' 'Toowbomba Chronicle" of 'a recent date to the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) -.—"Tho mayor of an up-country town in New •Soutlr-Wales ..weilt to. Sydney and tar-, ri'ed'lb'ng*.' I' After being absent from three consecutive meetings, the rest of the council 'passed a vote of censure on 'him; .Next-meeting lie was in his place and did tbinps. After the reading of the minute's he asked fiercely, "Who proposed that censure?' Ididj said tone' of tlio alderm6ti/;and before he could' state the reason he ,was silenced by a , '-' heavy clout from ' the irate, mayor. No one' replied, all thinkbg discretion tta better part of valour. As the motion has not been seconded I,rule it out of order, , said the-mayor. .'Therefore the .minutes nre incorrect,' .he said, as he tore the leaf from the book." , ■•

A-yoinig Native, liamed Wiremu Ihak'aV alias Hori Hatana, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, in the Masterton Magistrate's Court yesterday for the- theft of two pairs of boots, telegraphs our correspondent. Accused is already undergoing reformative treatment .at-.liivercargill..

'.'The well-knowii'Auckland yacht.Mar- . aiitfi, which was recently- ; ' purchased by°Mr.'Berkely Clarke, of "Wellington, left at daylight : on Thursday "'for this port. . . ' ■ ...

A recent estimate of rents in North Island cities, says the "Herald," showed that a three-roomed house could lie routed in Auckland for 7s. Bd., and in Wellington tor 1 11s. Id.; four-roomed houses, Auckland lis. 4d; and Wellington 14s. 9d.'j five rooms, Auckland 14s. lid. 'and Wellington 18s. Id.;- six rooms. Auckland 17s. Bd. and Wellington 245. y.-:\ ,-.,■". .. •Representatives of thc ; Aiic'kland Red Cross Society are visiting Rotorua this week to : investigate the allegation that returned soldiers arc-not provided with proper facilities for work and recreation at the military hospital' t.liere. The delegation will also visit' the Cambridge Sanatorium, which-has; been reserved 'for tfie treatment of"cdnsunii)-' tive soldiers. The Minister of Public Health (the Hon. G. W. Russell) stated yesterday that lie had aeked his medical officers io ,give tho Auckland ■visitors all possible;, facilities to prosecute their:innuiries.• ■.; ~ -

'Officers, n.c.o.'s, or-meii on tlio electoral rolls of Tnrmiaki-ivill be granted leave "from.' camp during October' 9 toll to register tiieir votes -at the Taranaki by-election. Railway warrants will not be issued. . ■

, Dt\ W. B. Beiiham, ...Professor of Biology at Otago University,-. in an ad-1 dress-on the iuntara, .and. its.kindred, -before-tiie.Canterbury Philosophical In-, stttute, said that the tu'atara was the largest reptile in New Zealand. It was found in no other country. Externally itwa's'.'like.a lizard, hut its skeleton was so different from a lizard's skeleton that it liad to he placed in a separate order called the Beakheads. The earliest Beakhead known lived at a tinio when-the first terrestrial animals appeared in -the world. ■-Earlier still. , tlfr; -tuatarn's ancestors were newt-like animals, which live;) in the- water and were ■amphibians. Amongst-its x</ markable characteristics wore a high development of" tlio niiieal, or parietal,' eye. its teeth, ami the structure of its .skull and ribs. Tlio tnatara -rn-day represented the ancestors of all terrestrial animals., and for that reason it was deeply interesting to all mologists. . : . Owing to the wot weather, the. onening of the *Vi'llington Bowling Club greens- lias been postponed until October -12. •■••-■ 'Selection's will bo played by the Tranjways Military. Band at .N'ewtown' to-niorrow- at 3 p.ui, • ■ ' '-