LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 48, 21 November 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Although no special announcement of the fact has been made by the authorities, some men have been released from the camps in tin last few days. It is understood that this system of release is to continue, except that a complete change in the influenza position might alter the state of affairs. The detention of the steamers Moeraki and Atua in Sydney,' through not getting n sufficient number of men to make up complete crewsj is likely to cause a serious break in the intercolonial sen-ice. It means that there can'be no mails from Australia this week, and will deprive New Zealand of an outward mail to Australia this week. Next week the mail boat is due in Auckland from Vancouver, and will be available to carry mails from New Zealand to Australia, but not until the Moeraki arrives and departs again from Wellington will there bo a direct mail to Sydney from AVellington. A few days ago tlio price* of orange 9 and lemons jumped up by 300 per cent, and the Government stepped in and fixed tho price. Since the.i oranges and lemons have scarcely been seen on public, sale. At about the same time there was a rush on rhubarb, and it became very scarce in the shops. Yesterday vendors wero offering to sell rhubarb at over three times last week's rates. For bundles which cost sixpence last week, Is. fld. was ■ asked, an increase of 350 per cent. In consequence of the reorganisation measures affecting the Department of Agriculture, tho Fields Division of the Department is about to be disestablished, the greater part of its personnel being absorbed into tho Live Stock Division. Mr. J. Brown, who has been Director of Hie Fields Division for tho past t.hreo and a half years, with headquarters at the Central Development Farm, Weraroa. Wis decided against assuming a new status ami responsibilities in the Department ■ when his division is dis. banded, and he will accordingly retire from the service shortly. The Primo Minister stated yesterday that ho was arranging to send to the High Commissioner a weekly summary of New Zealand news of the kind .that the representative of the Dominion in London ought ,to possess. This news would lie used by the- High Commissioner as ho thought advisable. The ■ Adelaide tram strike has ended. The men return under their old status.—Press Assn. The AVellington Waterside Workers' Union will hold a meeting this morning to discuss, it is understood, whether they will rei*'ra to work to-day after the seven days' spell, or wait until the epidemic has moderated. A Press Association cablegram from •Sydney states that 350 divorce suits have been 'filed for the final of the local Court. In yesterday's issue it was stated that there were fifteen cases of corobro-spinal meningitis in Trontham Camp, whereas tho paragraph should have stated Feathorston Camp. T'rentham Camp has been free of the diseaso for some months./ The Munition* and Supplies Department staff of thirty-two is now reduced to twelve, one member (Mr. Braddiley) having died on Tuesday. Mr. Stevenson, assistant executive officer, is now making good progress towards recovery, and Air. Alynier,.chief clerk, is similarly situated The Coal Control Branch and the Buying Branch' have had increased business to attend to owing to the many demands made on the office. Under these circumstances business houses will no doubt appreciate that only the most urgent of business can be attended to. The Telephone Exchange authorities aire having a large number of telephones rendered unserviceable by'subscribers disinfecting so freely as to spoil the transmitter. It is requested that subscribers should refrain from attempts at. disinfection of this nature, aa they effect practically nothing and cause complaints that 'telephones nro out of order, and tho Department has not the staff at present to remove the defects. The health authorities have indicated that influenza organisms die quickly after emission from the human body, so that there is little danger of infection from telephones. If people feel that they must disinfect the telephones, wiping the month-piece with a cloth slightly damped with disinfectant would not be objected to, and would be harmless. Mr. Hugh Morrison, president of the Wairarapa Farmers' Union, informed an "Age" reported that quite a number of dairy farmers were down with the influenza, and that unless help could be procured to continue the milking ninny herds would be completely ruined. As there are several cases among the Maoris at Whakarewarewa it was deemed advisable to establish a local hospital for their accommodation,' and in connection therewith Native superstition caused considerable embarrassJient and wasted effort. Tho caretaker's house, which has been untenanted since the death of the late Mr. R. Ingle, was cleaned, and prepared, and the necessary furniture and beddrog sent there. The house Is verv suitable for a hospital, having a «oo'd kitchen, sanitary conveniences, and water supply.' The Maoris, however, stronglv demurred to its being used ior tho purpose. Two caretakers, Messrs. Turner and Ingle, have died in the house, and they were convinced that if they went there they would die too. As anyone with knowledge of tho Alaori character' knows, they very probably would, and therefore the AVliaka Hall, not nearly so suitable a building, was transformed into a hospital.