LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 78, 27 December 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The weather was very fine for tho holiI day, says a Press Association telegram | from Christchurcb. . Tho principal attractions were the Plunket Shield cricket "match and a display at the Flying School at Sockburn, which attracted a very large crowd. * Several passenger flights were made over the city for payment, and an aerial race took place between two of the instructors. A man named Thomas Withers came before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., yesterday morning on charges of insobriety and assault. It appeared that the defendant, while under the influence of liquor, went into a shop on tho comer of Cuba and Dixon Streets and assaulted the man behind tho counter. There was apparently no reason for tho assault and tho defondant said in Court yesterday that he remembered nothing whatever about the occurrence. 110 hud just returned from the front, and was suffering from shell-shock. 1 His Worship said that as Withers had just returned and had been locked up since Tuesday, lje would simply be convicted and ordered to come up for senteuco when cnlled upon. "This should be a warning to you," observedthe Magistrate. "If you had killed the complainant instead of merely assaulting him, you would not have known any more about it than you know now." A Press Association telegram from Westport states that the influenza epidemic is well in hand. Great numbers of people have taken advantage of the fine weather during the holidays to get to the taclics, where bathing lias been largely indulged in. AFlien the Northern Bowling Association wound up its affairs some six years ago in order to merge into (lie Dominion Bowling Association, thero was a balauco of J2220 in hand. Of that sum .£l2O was expended in paying the affiliation fees of North Island club 3 to the new association. The balance of XIOO was invested, and Colonel H. J. Collins and

Messrs. T. Bush, A. Veitch, C. Bary, J. S. Keith, J. J. Roberts, and the late Mr. William -Brunskill were appointed trustees. At a recent meeting of the trustees it was decided to pass over the money in hand for patriotic purposes. Of tlio sum (.£120), J!00 was given to the Y.M.C.A. for the benefit of Now Zealand soldiers (within Now Zealand) and tlio other .£6O hos been handed lo the Red Cross body. A man named Charles Urail, employed at'the Waingawa Freezing Works, fell from a bicycle and sustained a.'severe fracture of a leg (says our Masterton cor. respondent). A Press Association' cablegram from Sydnoy states that a firo has "destroyed the Backtown timber mills. The damage is estimated at ,£50,000.

There has been much comment latterly about tho shortness of the leave received by the returned Anznca (says the Melbourne "Herald"). But there is one who has no grievanco. Ho left Sydney in 1911 with a company of Field Engineers, went to Egypt, and afterwards to Gallipoli. In June, 1915, tho nerves of one of the engineers became affected, and tho doctor advised that ho should be returned to Australia as a mental case. But it was not considered safe to send him without someone to look after him, and an original Anzac was selected to be his cscort. Patient and escort'arrived in Victoria on August 8, 1915. ' Tho Arizac handed his charge over, and, as he lived near Sydney, asked for leave to visit his wife and family. It was readily granted him, a pass being made out to report for duty when called upon. That was in August, 1915, and he has not so far received any notification from the military authorities. He had his pass, and that was good enough for him. For three years his wife has drawn her full allotment and separation allowance, but her husband has allowed his pay to accumulate, never troubling to draw it. '"Ihree years' full pay!" the clerks at tho barracks were saying. "What a wad ho'll have to draw. Apparently they havo already decided that he was entitled to his years' leave. A number of them are old soldiers themselves, and they have seen his pass—"Report when called upon."

When tho Melanesian Mission steamer, the Southern Cross, arrived in Auckland from Norfolk Island, she brought with her a number of missionaries who have made the trip in most unusual circumstances (says the "jVew Zealand Herald"). Having attended a mission conference at Marovovo, in the Solomons, during October, they were on their way back to their homes and to Norfolk Island. On arrival at the latter island, however, the Southern Cross was quarantined owing to suspectcd influenza on board, and all were brought to Auckland. The passengers included 2i native scholars on their way from outlying islands to the central college at Norfolk, tho Rev, and Mrs. Durrad, the Rev. 11. N. Drummond, and Miss Hurse, of the mission staff, and three other members returning to Auckland on furlough. The Southern Cross is not due to leave on tho return trip until April, and ill the meantime, through the courtesy of the Diocesan Board, the visitors nave been accommodated at St. John's College, which for some time has been unoccupied, all the students having gone to tho front.

' It is stated that the price obtained by the Malvern County Council for cocksfoot growing on the public roads has been out of all proportion to tho amount received by the tenderer for the seed. At its meeting on Friday last, when it decided 'to cull for tenders for the right to cut cocksfoot on the roads and along the water-races in the county, the council made it plain that if a fair thing is not offered, it intends to make a proposition to tho Returned Soldiers' Association to work out a scheme which will bonefit members both in health and in pocket.—G'hristchurch ".Press." We have to acknowledge Christmas greetings from the Mayor, councillors, and official staff of the Wellington City Corporation, the chairman and members of the Harbour Board, Mr. Frank Dyer, Sol way College, Alastci'ton, The Vnhinhui "Herald" and the Woodville "lixamiuer."