LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 65, 11 December 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

According to a Press Association cable message there is a heat wave throughout tho Commonwealth. Bourko (N.5.W..) tops many high registers with 115 degrees in the shade.

The following message has been received from Sir David Beatty in replv to a congratulatory message from tho New Zealand branches of the Navy League:— "Congratulations of tho New Zealand branches of the Navy League greatly appreciated and valued in the Grand Fleet."

Tho residence of the late- Dr. Cahill, on Wellington Terrace, with the section of land having a frontage of 66ft. to Wellington Terrace by a depth of 117 ft. to Bolton Street, was offered for sale by auction, by Mr. A, Tj. Wilson ye.-i----terday morning on the site. The bidding started at ,£IOOO, jumped to ,£2OOO, and then rose by ,£IOO bids to ,£2600. when it was passed in. A few minutes later it was announced that the property had been sold privately to Mr. A. A. Gellatly as agent. The purchase price was i>3060. A man named Joseph Brown, aged ?5 years, and living at Bristol Street, Petone, was wheeling a truck at the Hutt Shingle Company's works when he was knocked down by a trolly, the wheel of which passed over his foot, crushing it. He was taken to the Wellington Hospital, being admitted at 5 o'clock lastnight.

Judging by a report presented to the Methodist Synod at Wellington yesterday, ,the Board of the Wellington Methodist Charitable and Educational Endowments intends to make a start very shortly to erect an orphanage at Masterton to accommodate 30 children. Afterwards a , second orphanage (also for 30 children) will.be put in hand. Plans have already been prepared and adopted by the trustees. The Synod expressed pleasure at J the good work in connection with this \ matter, and expressed the wish that in view of the great number of children rendered orphans through the epidemic the orphanage should be erected as speedily as possible.

A Press Association message from Sydney siates that bush fires are causing great damage in numerous parts of the country. *

The Inspector of Works to the Hutt County Council (Mr. J. W. Cudby) reported to that body yesterday that in his opinion auy sum less than ,£liO spent on Phillips Road would bo. of little use until the worst parts of the road had been formed and proper water channels provided, no did not recommend the -expenditure of any money on the road bridge, as it was whut was known as n bush bridge, and to redeck it .would cost over £18.

The Hutt County Council decided at its meeting yesterday to provide nameplates for the various roads in Day's Bay. Mr. J. W. Cudby, Inspector of Works to tho Hutt County Council, has been jnyen power to prohibit the erection of all tents on the roads or beaches at Day's Bay, York Bny, Lowry Bay, and Plimm'crton.

■ Tho Taita Cemetery Board wrote to the Hutt County Council asking that tho cemetery be closed for - burials. The council at its meeting yesterday decided that it had no jurisdiction in the matter.

It is a striking fact that five Taranaki blacksmiths have recently succumbed to the epidemic (states an exchange). In every caso tho smiths suffered from heart-strain—a. fatal weakness when pneumonif-inllueiiKi attacks.

The Otago Education Board yesterday considered a suggestion by the Department that the schools should reopen on January 21 (statos a Press Association message). Tho chairman said the Department apparently overlooked tho l'out that the teachers had been working very hard during the epidemic, mid that, the younger teachers would be going through examinations till January 20. Tho boarl decided to reopen schools on February '.

A Press Association telegram from Oamaru states thnt the Oamnru Harbour Board yesterday voted ,8100 to the fund for tho men of tho mercantile marine.

An outline of a bold, aggressive scheme in connection with the Methodist Central Mission at Wellington was unfolded at the Synod at Wellington yesterday. The scheme embraces the purchase of a property fronting Cuba Street, at a cost of ■£19,300, ami tho erection of n large block of buildings, comprising three large balls, gymnasium and games room, kitchen, etc., together with four large shops, the whole scheme to cost J335.000. Synod heartily recommended the proposed scheme to conference for favourable consideration.

Some details of the last days of Lieutenant Desmond O'Sullivan, son of Major .Jnmey O'Sullivan, of Wellington, are contained in a letter received by the last mail from the Rev. Father Segnef. He say*: "After eight days'leave to Paris I weiit back to the Yprns salient, with tlip newly-formed Entrenching Bnttalion, which was feverishly employed constructin" lilies and wiring against the coming at'tnek of (lie enemy. Our Ist and 3rd Battalions came down in a rush 'to tho Somme, while the 2nd renin ined' north and got into heavy and costly nphtin? at Meteren, and later at Dickebusch. where many were cut off and many killed.. It v.-as there that Desmond O'Sullivan joined up, and was ?iven command of a big company. His first days in the lino were snciit in a desperate stni?«rl« to delay Hio crushin/? onslaught nf the Boche. Poor old 'Das' did splendidly in the crisis iiiul was conftratiilntpd , on his handling of the comnany. Ho still retained bis commnurl when' bis battalion—the 2ml—came smith. Then ho wont to the let Brigade Wlipn out on he wns sniped in the abdomen. Fe linirered a jVw days, then collapsed and died, and is buried at TMllpnf." i Offins to the disorganisation caused by Iho influenza om'demic the annual conference of the New Zealand Institute of Architects has been further postponed until January 15, IC, and 17. Inferring to the recent influenza epidemic the Mayor of Karori, at the meeting of the council last .evening, pointpd out that if the city wished to relieve the congestion that had been found to exist it should endeavour to provide n shorter tram route between tho city and Karnri, instead of worrying about going to Kaiwarra and other places. There was plenty of <rood level building land in Karori to mnet all the requirements of the city. Tlie cramping in the city was entirely the fault of the Citv Council. If a shorter and more direct tram service were provided, and several schemes 'had bepn submitted to the Citv Council, settlement would nrogress in the direction of Karori. The Hutt County Council decided at its meeting yesterday to pay all its permanent hands who were laid up with influenza their wages until t'hey are able to return to work. The Camp Commandant at Fentherston acknowledges with thanks receipt of one case of booics from the Auckland Women's Provincial Patriotic League, which have been placed at the disposal of the troops. Strong exception was taken by the Wellington District Methodist Synod last night to . the frequent secular Sunday concerts held in Wellington. It was stated that many of these concerts were held for money-making purposes, and also that in no other city of New Zealand was this sort of thing allowed. The Synod unanimously passed a resolution strongly protesting against the holding of secular' Sunday concerts in Wellington, and that tho Council of Churches be approached with a view to united action.

In the Legislative Council yesterday tho Hon. G. ,1. Garland asked 'the Government whether, seeing that there were several hundred Germans interned in various parts of the Dominion, they would inform the Council whether they had considered the danger to which Germans would be exposed when liberated from internment equips when peace was signed; and, whether they would coneider tho desirability of placing those Germans on a ship and landing them in thoir own country on the day upon which peace was signed. The Leader of the Council (Sir Francis Boll) replied that the matter of dealing by release or otherwise with the interned prisoners of war was not one with which the New Zealand Government could properly deal without consulting the Imperial Government. "We must to eome extent be gujded by the decision of the Imperial Government," added Sir Francis Bell, ' and partly also by the ultimate terms of the Peace Convention."

The passing of the Legislative Council Amendment Act was referred to by the Leader "of the Council (Sir Francis Bell) last night, when moving the adjournment of the Council. The constitutional position of the Council, ho said, had been very gravely endangered by a section which ho was foolish enough to agree to when he was younger, and believed and hoped that he was about to see the fruits of the labours of his first three years in the Council. They were )'Ow happily free from the bonds which had been created, and the Council was free to go back to its old constitutional position. They were now fo-ee from the danger of very imminent extinction. Mr. B. W. S. Eoso, who for some months pnst has been engaged placing before members of the Presbyterian Church throughout the Dominion the Assembly Special Appeal for increased capital for the Beneficiaries' Fund, has practically completed his task, eays a Press Association telegram from Christchurch. The result of the'appeal is vory satisfactory for the fund will benefit to the extent of over ,£25,000.