LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 71, 18 December 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In response to an inquiry yesterday it was learned that the wireless stations of 'New Zealand are still under the control of tho Niival authorities, and are likely to bo until after the treaty of peaco is signed.

Keports received from the camps yesterday showed that there were -W men in hospital at Featherston, including 38 influenza eases, and 35 at Trentham, including 22 influenza cases. Nine oases at Featherston were classed as serious. Tho camps are nearly empty now, and the men remaining in hospital represent mainly the aftermath of the epidemic.

Notices are being sent out to reservists summoned for camp next month, stating that they 'have been allowed leave without pay. None of the men set down for mobilisation next year will be required to enter the training camp, of coiirss, but the reservist l ; will remain nominally liable until the disbandment of the Expeditionary Force Reserve is,, announced after the conclusion of peace.

, All Wellington hotels will be closet; to-morrow owing to tho expected nrrival of a transport carrying returned soldiers.

Captaia Hull-Thompson, Naval Adviser to the New Zealand Government, reports that dS New Zealanders, who originally formed part of tho crew of H.M.S. Pyramus, and were transferred to H.M.S. Doris in March, 10.17, will shortly be paid off at Bombay, and will return to Now Zealand.

The will of the late Mr. Andrew W. Rutherford, formerly M.P., of Jlendip Hille, which has been proved for probate, is dated June 29, 1917, States a Press Association message from Christchurch. It contains a list of somo ten legacies to relatives, but most of these are revoked by a codicil dated September 18, 1917. Under the will and the codicil, us far as tho former is confirmed by the latter, the testator's wife, J3mily Rutherford, is given all the household furniture, china, class, trinkets, etc, at the homestead at Mendip Hills. The house at Mendip Hills and the outbuildings, with 20 acres of land, are left in trust to her during her life. After her death they will bo held in trust absolutely for the testator's son, Norman Rutherford, a junior. Tho sum of ,£sQflo is given to Isabel Scott Robinson, testators daughter. Tho trustees are instructed to realise from tho residue of the estate sufficient to pay certain expenses and the legacies, and to hold the. remainder in trust absolutely for Norman Rutherford.

Two gorse fires required the attendance of the Central Fire Brigade yesterday. The first call was received at 10.55 a.m. to attend an outbreak on the hillside at the rear of the Vacuum Oil Company's premises on tho Hu.tt Road. At 2.19 p.m. the services of tho brigade were required in MTarland Street .(off Roxburgh Street) to attend to a grass and gorse fire. Both outbreaks wero quelled without difficulty or much damage.

An inquest was held by the district coroner, Mr. W. G. Eiddell, S.M., at Lower Hutt yesterday afternoon touching the death of Evolyn Daisy Macindoe, fifteen years of age, who was drowned while bathing in the Hutt River, on Monday afternoon. The evidence pointed to the fact that the girl went in for a bathe near the Main Bridge, and waded into the water up to her neck. She was not a very strong swimmer, and the current proving too strong for her she was swept off her feet and .disappeared. Subsequently the body was recovered about 150 yards down the river by Mr. Thomas Flinn, butcher, of Lower Hutt. A verdict of "Found drowned" was returned. The following resolution was passed at the last quarterly meeting of the Wellington Musicians' Union -.—"Tluit this union condemns the action of fhol military authorities in allowing the Trentham liilitary Band and Orchostra (termed Hie Trentham Camp Orchestra) to play at .public functions, thereby depriving civilian musicians of engagements that they havo enjoyed in the past, seeing that the musicians have done 60 much for .patriotic purposes in the past, gratis." The Agricultural Department has been thoughtful enough to present, to the Crippled Soldiers' Hostel on Wellington Terrace a number of fowls of good strain and some Muscovy ducks, which have been accommodated in a spacious ami well-appointed run on the property. By this means some of the men who find sanctuary in this pleasant place for a time will be able to learn the rudiments of poultry-farming, and at the same time assist the institution in a practical way. Yesterday afternoon, in the Divorce Court Hi's Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Bobert Stout) heard the petition of Emily Fiveash for the dissolution of her marriage with Henry Fiveash, a sawmill hand, on the grounds of desertion. The parties were married in December 189", at Dannevirke, and had lived together l until 1907, when they separated, because of the respondent's cruelty and his neglect to snpport the petitioner. The petitioner stated in evidence that she had maintained herself ever since her husband left her, tut the respondent had contributed to the maintenance of her three children, who were with her mother in Dannevirke. Corroborative evidence was KJven by the sister of the petitioner. His Honour granted a decree nisi to be made absolute in three months. Mr. H. F. O'Lcnry appeared tor the petitioner.

Councillor Voitch intends to move at the meeting of the City Council to-morrow evening—"That all reports, statements of figures, etc., prepared by the corporation auditor (Mr. A. T. Clarice, C.A.), relating to proposed establishment ot a nre board in Wellington, be laid on the council table, nnd also that copies of same be forwarded to each councillor." Jinny thousands of New Zealand men can thank the military dental service for attention to teeth which might have been neglected in tho ordinary run of things " \n oliicial summary of the dentnl work in the N.K.KF. Corps for the tn-i'lv.' months ended November 30 gives the following figures:— Amalgam - restorations, 2310; amalgam fillings, ,5,322; coment. fillings, 1247; root fallings, 10,10 a; total fillings, 88,081; settlings, simple, C>l7• senlings, extensive, 1030; extractions, •11 iiV; dentures, full, 3070; dentures, partial, 1311; dentures, lepairs, 1221.

The Eastern CaWe Company notifies that the delay on full-rate ana deferred traffic is now normal. , ,

. The Union Steam Ship Company received advice last night that the ferry steamer Maori sailed fro.n Lyttelton at 8.15 p.m. for Wellington. Evidently no difficulty was experienced in obtaining a crew of firemen &£ the southern port. The vessel will arrive here early this morning, and is timed to sail again for Lyttelton at 4.30 ».m.

An eye-witness of the rescue from drowning of two girls of 13 r.nd U years of age at Day's Bay on Monday gives credit equally to Masters Dan Kawson (son of Native Land Court Judge W. B. llawson) and Barry Bhinrlell (son of Mr. Walter Blundell). The girls, who belonged to Petone and went to Hie Bay as membm-8 of the Gear Company's, employees' picnic party, were bathing, when one of them, who, could not swim, got out of her depth. She clung to her companion and both. sank. Young Dawson dived off the wharf, and went to their assistance, nnd 'both girls clutched hold of him thus retarding his efforts to save them. Barry Blundell, who is a. cousin of Master Rawson, swam out from the beach to the trio, and he and the other lad got the girls to tho wharf.

A wharf labourer named Tyorman, who resides nt 15 Normandy Street, was admitted to. Hie Hospital at 5.15 p.m. yesterday, suffering from a crushed tee.

With three fingers of his α-ight hand crushed, Edward Shissillion, a resident of Cuba Sheet, was admitted to the Hospital at 10.10 a.m. yesterda> . Shissillion is nn employee of the Wiiulsor Manufacturing Company, but no particulars were available as to how he came by the injuries. In the Divorce Court yesterday, before His Honour Mr. Justice Hoskmg, the petition of Emma Sl'Gill for the dissolution of her marriage with Darnel M'Gill was heard. The petition had been adjourned from December 6 for further evidence. Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared for the petitioner, and called several witnesses, who testified to the drinking habits of the respondent, ihe respondent was employed as a fitter in the Government railway workshops. His Honour remarked that he could . not understand how the man retained his position. "It ie the most remarkable case of habitual drunkenness that I know of. His Honour granted a decree nisi, td be made absolute in three months, and the petitioner was given the interim custody of the children. His Honour also granted a decree nisi in the case of Jane M'Phee v. Norman M'Phee, which was adjourned from December 6 for the purpose of having the petition amended. Steamers with New Zealand and Australian associations sunk by enemy action as enumerated in yesterday's issue credited tho Commonwealth and Dominion Line (Australasian service of the Cunard Line) with having lost five vessels. Mr. J. H. Hooper, malinger for New Zealand, informs us that altogether eight of the line's ehips have been destroyed in the four- years. The three steamers not mentioned in yostorday's list are:—Port Campbell (ex-Star of Scotland), 6M4 tons, torpedoed' in English Channel; Port Philip, sunk in collision in New Tork Harbour; and Marere, 6500 tons, sunk in Mediterranean by torpedo and shell-fire. Local picture men state that the managers of picture theatres in Auckland intend to run tiioir houses on the continuous plan as before the epidemic, in spite of I the clause in the Public Health Amendment Act that the hours iwe to be from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The view the Auckland proprietors and managers take is that the clause provides a restriction in hours so drastic that it fails to be reasonable, and would be regarded as such by the Court.

K Press Association telegram from Inve'rcargill states that John P. Hawlce, carpenter, aged 50, died suddenly on Monday while working at Makarewa. He had jast recovered from influenza, Hβ leaves a widow and three children. Mr. Isaac Barrow, of the permanent way staff of the City Tramways Department, was working outside tho Hotel Windsor, in Willis Street, on Monday, when he was knocked down by a motorcar. His left collarbone was fractured and his left leg injured. After" his injuries had been attended to he was removed to his home.

"It is very hard to get a slate roof to stand in an'exposed situation," remarked a witness in a building case at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. The witness, who was a builder of twenty-five rears experience, added that the asbestos slates which had been imported eince the war benn -were not so satisfactory as those of pre-war manufacture. They were what he termed "green," and being, inclined t(. curl up after bujng" placed in position allowed a. considerable amount of moisture to drift under them. Afterwards, as they became harder, they went back into shape, and all leakago disappeared;

At the mooting of the City Council tomorrow evening Councillor Norwood intends to move:—"That ii special committee bo set up lo investigate and bring down a comprehensive report upon (a) the housing Question in all .its bearings, with the r.estimated amount of money required to' overcome present difficulties; (b)'the best means of dealing with and, if possible, eliminating the slum arena within the city." ( , An officer of the Labour Department yesterday informed a Dominion representative that the Department had now disposed of the 140,0001b. of frozen fish that was commandeered by the Government shortly after the influenza epidemic broko out. The demands of hospitals throughout the province had been given first consideration, and the balance of. the fish had then been sold to the rotftilers to be retailed at not more than 101b. per lb in the city and lid. per lb. in the country districts. The fish was blue cod, obtained from the Chatham Islands and frozen, but the fact that it •was frozen did not apparently prejudice the general demand for it. The principal parties concerned in the transaction, when it was completed, oxpressed the greatest satisfaction at the businesslike way in which the Department had disposed of the fish.

At the last meeting of the committee of the Terrace School it was unanimously

decided to a6k the School Committees' Association to recommend to the Education Board the desirability of purchasing a power-driven vacuum cleaner to be continuously used in the city schools. Such a machine would, in the opinion of the committee, enable the 6chools to be kept in a very much better state than they have been, and would enable that part of the school which is seldom touched by the cleaners, the walls, to be entirely free from dirt and. dust. It is also considered that were the board to keep its own staff in connection with the machine that the cost of keeping the schools clean would be considerably reduced.

Colonel Maudsley has been investigating on behalf of the Commonwealth a farm and hospital where remarkable cures of nervous cases have been effected through the simplest psychotherapy (says a cable message to the Australian papers). Men who had not spoken for months recovered their speech after a single interview in which the doctor imposed his superior will-power. Limbs have been straightened and muscular capacity regained. Hypnosis is not used. After the wire the men stay on the farm, for varying periods, and are then discharged. Colonel'Maudsley was most impressed, and recommends 6imilar instruction to deal with such cases, of which at least 1000 . have been I sent to Australia.

On Saturday the Hon. G. W. Russell telegraphed to Mr. F. Kibblewhite, Mayor of New Brighton, stating that, provided the necessary consent had been given by the Harbour Board and the Marine Department, the Government would offer no objection to the establishment of a company for the manufacture- of. salt nt New Brighton. A condition was made that the company should consist of men of standing, and that a ; capital of .£30,000 should be subscribed, in order to ensure that the scheme should be pla«d on iv sound footing. The Minister added, as a large number of wealthv cempanaes operating in Christchurch had sent a memorandum to the Attorney-General supporting the scheme, there should be ;no thfticulty in getting the necessary financial support. It is announced in a London message published in Australia that the Foreign Office has leased an hotel in Paa'ia for the accommodation of the Peace Congress delegates and officials. A staff ot ■>00 officials and clerks, headed by 3lr. A. j. Balfour, Foreign Secretary, hns gone to Paris. A bank holiday will be observpd _on Christmas Day, Boxing Day. awl New Year's Day. The banks will nlsn. close on Friday, December- 27, and Saturday, December 2s, and on Thursday, January 2. Alterations in the Eastbourne ferry- ?ervico time-table for to-day nnd Thursday are advertised in this issue.

A reception to the Rev. T. Keith Ewen was held at the Bei'hampore Baptist Church last night. Mr. Ewen, after a long visit to the Old Country, has returned to again take up the pastorate of the church. Addresses of welcome <rere delivered by the Revs. S. W S. RollinE?, J. K. Archer, nnd Dr. Pinfold, and Mr. E. J. D. Hercus, MIA. Mr. Ewen suitably responded. A premutation on behalf of the church members wag made to Mr. Hercus, who has conducted the church services for some time past. During the evenine anthems wwo sung bv the choir, and Miss Osborne and Misa Tomlin sang solos.

The success achieved in the cultivation of New Zealand flax in St. Helena is indicated in a paragraph appearing in the ICew "Bulletin" relating to nlants suitable for cultivation in the British Env pire. During 1913 the quantity of flax exported from the island to the TTnitcd , . "Kingdom was 21.824 tons, of a value or. ,£IM!).17O. In 1915, Within the war period 14.512 tons, valued at .£397,858, were shipped. It is prated that phormium te/inx does not appear to have been grown in a commercial scnlo in any other part of flip Umpire outside New Zealand and St. Helena.

The "Providence Journal" of December 2 thus explains the cause of Mr. M'Adoo'e retirement from the sen-ice of the United States (kvermneiit:—"The basic reason for the withdrawal of the Treasurer, Mr. M'Adoo, from the Cabinet is not, as stated for publication, the fact that the SecretaryJor the Treasury found it impossible to live at Washington on hie official salary, but that he found himself in total disagreement with what he considers the President's set purpose to impose Government ownership or Government • control on all public utilities in the country. He was determined to remain no longer a member of a Cabinet which was fast drifting into that policy." .Tohn A. Arnold, farmer, of Alfriston, who was found guilty at the Auckland Supreme Court on Friday of committing an aggravated assault on his wife, was brought up for sentence on .Monday. Mr. Allan .Moody called three residents of the Alfriston district, all of whom stated that the prisoner was a sober man, and bore a good reputation among his 'neighbours. Mr. Justice Cooper remarked that the prisoner, though of gbod character, was a man subject to ungovernable passion. He would. be sentenced to not more than eeven years' reformative treatment, and , the Prisons Board would then be responsible for determining' whether at any time before the expiry of the- period he Could be released without risk of his committing any similar crime.

. Considerable progress has been made by Colonel J. M'N. Christie, consulting surgeon to the forces, and Mr. W. H. Montgomery with the arrangements for carrying on in Auckland the scheme for the training in crafts and education undischarged soldiers which was inaugurated in England by General Richardson, states the "New Zealand Jlcrald." It is understood that Miss Ayling will act as instructress in occupational training at the an-' nexe. Vor some time Miss Ayling has given her services at the institution in teaching the men basket work, woodArrangements are also being made to obtain the services of i\ number of women who have already given similar instruction at the annexe and the Ep?oni and Devonport Convalescent Homes. Tho officials of the Department hope to make arrangements with the Education Board so that elementary and secondary instruction may be given to soldiers in hospital who desire it. Mr. Vivian, a returned soldier on tho staff of the Survey Department, will hold classes at the annexe in levelling and surveying.