LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 70, 17 December 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The public who are in the liabit of telegraphing Christmas greetings to their friends in other parts of tho Dominion ara requested to do so towards the end of the week, so as not to place too great a burden on the operating staff on Monday and Tuesday next.

The steamer Navua, which arrived at Wellington froir. ,San Francisco yesterday, brought a- parcel mail for New Zealand besides two bags letters. ,

The issue of War Loan certificates free of taxation was condemned by Mr. A. Leigh Hunt at yesterday's meeting of the council of the Wellington Central Chamber c/f Commerce as "absolutely wrong and dangerous." It.should not be continued for one moment longer, said Mr, Hunt. Upon his motion,,the council passed a resolution urging'the executive of the associated chambers to consider the pros and cons of the question.

"According to regulations you should each pay for your own, but it seems that that's gone by the board," remarked Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when an accused stated that he- had "shouted" another man a drink.

With the end of tho war in sight there is now a reasonable prospect of the Telegraph Department being in a better position to push on with the installation of the automatic telephones in Wellington. It will be remembered that the opening of the Courtenay Place sub-exchange was just prevented for the want of a few email but essential parts. Mr. Hungerford (the Australasian representative of tho Western Electric Company) is now in America urging New Zealand's claims to consideration, and it is anticipated that the still-born exchange at Courtenay Place will be in working order before the end of next year.

Tho presentation of two . Military Crosses was made in Wellington on Friday by His Excellency tho GovernorGeneral. One was received by Mr. W. C. Millar, of Coromandel Street. Wellington, father of the late 2nd Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) A. C. H. Millar, and the other by Mr. W. M. Doughty, of New Plymouth, formerly of Stratford, father of the late Lieutenant Ralph Doughty.

Bravea-y of a high degree was shown by a young' boy at Rona Bay yesterday morning. Two girls, aged 13 aaid 11 years, got into difficulties, v.hile swim- 1 ming, and their cries for helj> were barely uttered before Barry Blumdell, aged 14 years and 9 months, who from the wharf saw their distress, was going to rescue them. They were over twenty yards away, and by the timo yo"ung Blundell reached .them their actions were violent. He, however, not-without some difficulty, managed to take the more violent girl to the wharf steps, and then returned for the other. The girls' condition after rescue soon improved. There were a large number of witnesses to their rescue, but they were not aware of what was happening until the incident was all but over. Barry Blundell' is the son of Mr. Walter Blundell, of the "Evening Post.'

The following cablegram has been dispatched to the Syducy oftice of tho Seamen's Union by Mr. W. T. Young (secretary of the New Zealand Union):— "Union Company Agreed to carry out improvements crows' quarters, as suggested by us, and require Mocraki and Manuka in New Zealand, for this purpose to commence alterations. Influenza opidemio now passed. Nearly all ships rccommissioned."

Tho Pacific cablo steamer Iris has laid nine miles of new cablo between Lyall Bay and White's Bay during the past week, 'i'liis was No. 4 cable, originally about forty years old, and the most venerable piece of submarine cable in these waters. Both shore • ends were renewed years ago, but the middle section, which has transmitted so many millions of words between the North and South Islands, held good until a couple of months ago, when senile decay sot in badly enough to totally baulk the (lying dots and dashes. The Iris picked the cable up, but it was so iveak and worn that it dropped helplessly to the bottom of tho terraced Strait when asked to carry its own weight. As tho result of this bolmviour nine miles, of new cable had to ba laid. The completion of this cable makes the whole six all sound for the Christmas rush which will set it at the end of the present week.

Several cases of drunkenness were dealt with by Mr. li. D. Hanlon, .T.P., at the Mount Cook Polico Court yesterday. A first offender, who pleaded guilty to having boon found drunk on Sunday, was fined it and costs, and another, who was arrested on Saturday, was fined ss. John M'Kinnon, a second offender, who had spent the week-end in the cells, was convioted and discharged.

Tho following contributions to the Mayor's Wounaed 'Soldiers, Sailors, and Dependants' Fund are acknowledged:— Amount previously acknowledged, ,tll),1t-l Os. 3d.; Employees of W. Littlejohn and Son, ,£2 Bs.; Jvarori district (monthly), dCIO; Dr. J. H. Kemp (monthly), £4 lis. Sd.; Karori district, ,£l3 l'2s.: total, .£10,174 6s. lid.

At tho monthly meeting of Ihe Ivilbirnie School Committee a motion was carried unanimously expressing to tho chairman of the Epidemic Committeo (Er. J. J. Clark) and bis associates the greatest thanks of the community for the very excellent work accomplished during the recent verv trying ordeal. Members of tho committee each gave expressions of appreciation, and it wns considered that tho Kilbirnie district hnd, through the great efforts of those responsible, been very fortunate compared to oilier districts. Truo patriotism war-' abundantly denionstrated by all workers, and the thanks of householders was expressed through the School Committee.

'Die Minister of Justice yesterday corrected an ' apparent misapprehension existing about the pfirposo and effect of the new Reformatory Institutions Act. It has been supposed by some persons that the Act will enable tho Minister offustics to remove girls from the control of the Education Department and to plnco them in other institutions perhaps' less desirable. The Minister made it clear that the Act did not affect in any way girls under the* control, of the Education Department. These girls were not convicted persons, and only with girls convicted of crimes bad the Justice Department to deal. Tho Act gives the Minister power to order a girl convicted, say, of her first offence, to be sent to a reformatory institution instead of to a common gaol, where she would meet women, of the criminal class.

Writing to friends in Wellington, Mr. Nugent Welch, the Wellington military artist, who is painting war pictures in France for the New Zealand Government, states that 110 has already had two of lus canvases accepted by the authorities.

The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) announces that at tho last meeting of the City Council authority was given, 011 the recommendation of the Finance and Bustness Committee, for the granting of an increase of Is. per day to the wages of all employees of the council who have not recently received an increase in wagea by means of awards or agreements. The steamer Navua, which was in quarantine at Papeete on Account of her crew being down with inlluenza, arrived at Wellington yesterday from San Francisco. It is understood that before the ship arrived at Papeete four of her native crew died of the scourge. A litt.t death, that of Mr. J. O. Penman, second engineer, was reported previously, ihe Navua, which is now a "clean" ship—she was before Papeete was left—will remain in quarantine in the stream for three days. She has again been thoroughly fumigated at Wellington. Most of tho employees of the Auckland Tramways Company who were incapacitated by influenza have returned to duty, and the service is now neatly normal, tho "Herald" states. The loss of profits as a result of the falling off in traffic during the epidemic is stated to be •£IO,OOO. A Taranaki country resident who prid,ed himself on his resourcefulness, not having a clinical thermometer to take the temperature of a patient who was sufiering from influenza, attempted to do so with a dairy thermometer, and rang up a doctor to report his achievement. "What was his temperature?" asked the medical man. "Two hundred and ten" was the reply. "Oh," said the doctor, calmly. "What you want is a fireengine, not a doctor."

The question of the retention of the German colonies was discussed at a meeting of the Auckland branch of the Hands Off the Pacific Club on Friday. A resolution was carried protesting against the return to Germany of any of her former l'acific colonies, and insisting that Samoa, now occupied by the New Zealand forces, shall remain for ever under the British flag. A copy of the resolution is to be sent to the Acting-Prime Minister, to be transmitted by him to Mr. Massev.

Oiie of Ihe most curious tributes ever rendered to the skill tnid courage of an. adversary whs paid to General Gouraud's infantry by a dying German officer on the battlefield. He was found mortally wounded .by some poilus in the captured positions. He asked them to bring a French officer. They brought the first officor they could find, and the German said to him, "Monsieur, you have fought magnificently. • I am a soldier, and I must pay you that tribute. Unhappily you will bo in my country by Christmas, but as a soldier I congratulate you." He asked the Frenchman to slink*! hands with him, and fell back. He died a little later.