LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 112, 5 February 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The trans-Pacific mail steamer Paloona will arrive at Wellington on Sunday from San 'Francisco. An English parcels mail of 95 tons is on board the Commonwealth and Dominion steamer Port Hacking, which is due at Wellington to-morrow from London, via Australian ports. The Postal authorities advise that the mails for the United Kingdom winch left New Zealand on December 8 arrived in London on January 30. The Government is now preparing to Bo on with the now State fire office building Arrangements have been made for l;ho purchase of certain of the materials, notably steel, which hav.c been difhcult to procure in recent times, but no contract has been let for ho building yet. It is intended that the building shall be seven stories high. A valuable police horse was lost to the Department on -Monday night ns the result of injuries sustained iu an accident. The animal slipped on tho wood blocks in Jervois Quay on Saturday, and apparently sustained no serious injury, but Inter it developed symptoms ot distress, and died. The animal was a particularly well-conditioned beast, and comprised one of a number purchased for the Police Department by the late Commissioner of Police \}h: J. Cullen).

The Telegraph Department advises that inland telegrams may bo signed with a Christian name, or surname only, or with a pen-namo or tani'.har name provided tho telegram is endorsed with the full name and address of tho sender. Telegrams without a signature are not accepted. An unusual case of conscientious objection cropped up in the Supreme Court at Timaru yesterday, says a Press Association message. H. W Mann, a farmer, refused to take tho oath or make affirmation as a common- juror, ontho grounds of belonging to the faith of Israel, and that the Bible forbade him judging his fellow-man. The Judge threatened to deal'with him if he refused, and-eventu-ally he made the affirmation. He wae called for the first case, and was promptly challenged. According to the report of infectious diseases for the week ended at noon on Monday, made available by tho District Health Office yesterday,'the cases renorted for the Wellington hospital.district consisted of one case of influenza, three cases of diphtheria, three of tuberculosis, 'and two of scarlet fever.-. The single case of influenza referred to is the one which was chronicled in lire' Dominion on Friday last Reported at noon the previous day), and from which there have been no developments. The patient is said to be recovering.

, The mine-sweeper Tutanekai has yd not left port to start her work in the mine-affected areas on tho Now Zealand coast. As was reported last week her firemen and seamen are asking for higher wages than.those already paid, although tho latter arc bigger tl an men receive in the coastal mercantile service. It was only after the men had joined the ship at the rates offered that they manifested their unwillingness to go to sea un-, less substantial increases were given.

The Sydney "Sun" published recently an official statement of guns, trench mortars, machine-guns, and other equipment and materials captured by Australian troops from the Germans. On being asked whether similar information, was available as to the captures made by the N Z E F., the Acting-Prime Minister replied that the Defence Department hart cabled for a schedule, biit the list hnd not yet been received. The trophies would be distributed to headquarters of. units, and such headquarters would get into touch with the various districts of New Zealand for a fair allocation of guns Mid other articles. A .-epresentatiivo collection would'be in. the National AVar Museum, under tho Department ot Internal Affairs.

The oreanising secretary of the : Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association mentioned, yesterday the necessity for dependants of deceased soldiers supplying full particulars of their position when matin" application for pensions. In the case of a widowed Mother, which was brought to the notico of the-association V the Rev. A. E. Hunt, the full facts were supplied, and the pension-was immediately increased by the Pensions Board to tho maximum of 325. per week. In conveying to the, association the widowed mother's thanks, the Rev Mr. Hunt stated—"l would also take tins opportunity of expressing my personal appreciation of the courtesy, kindlv consideration and prompt assistance displayed by your association in dealing with the case, and would add my own =incero thanks to vou for the very valuable services your association is rendering to. our soldiers and their dependants, to whom we owe'so much. Wishing you every success m your noble efforts.

According to the .latest elect™ ligh returns tins lucrative department ot tli Citv Corporation lias piled up a bi| credit balance. As in the case of th tramways the working cost advance alarmingly- In December, 1917, the work toz expenses amounted to £3062, a figur which was exceeded by .£6OO last Decein ter The increase in working expense for the nine months ended December 3 was amount greater than Ji ncrease in revenue. The figures for De •ember are as follow (1917 figures u mrentheses):-Eevenne, (,£4772) vorking expenses, ,£3962 (.£3362); capita ■harees .£I4OO (.£1400); credit balance £133 (ilO); Wits sold, 331.250 (263,730). Sarah Mleod, licensee of the Grea Saltern Hotel, Riverton, was chargei nth permitting drunkenness on the preni ses refusing to- admit a constable, ex losing liquor for sale after 6 p.m. ta November 8 (states a Press Associatioi elegram from Invercargill). The charg' if exposing liquor was dismissed. M Leoi ras convicted on the other charges, am ined £10 and costs. ( hnrges against twi nen that were found on the premise rere dismissed. Speaking at Ngaio lost evening Mr. P Eraser, M.P., referred to the housing con i.itions that prevailed in Wellington Cit; o-day. He spoke of his experiences n he recent epidemic, and said that th ivercrowding and insanitary arrange nents that existed in some of the house r.ere a disgrace to the community. Ii he coming municipal elections the Lab mr Party, he said, would make specia eference' to the 'lack of housing accom aodation in Wellington. The usual fortnightly meeting of tin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty ti inimals took place last evening in tin ecretary's office; Customhouse Quay, Mr leadow'croft presiding. . Correspondent ras received from the Christchurol .rancli of the S.P.C.A. in regard t> ho slaughtering of sheep and cattle. Tli natter is receiving attention. A lette: ras also received from the same societ; n regard to tho holding of a conferenci if all S.P.C.A. societies within the nex ew months. Tho inspector's report deal i-ith three cases of lame horses, foiv. ases of ill-used horses with sores, twi nses of ill-used horses, and one case o horse which had been destroyed. Sub criptions received amounted to XlO 10s, ncluding a donation of .C 2 2s. from Mrs 7. Riddiford and one of £\ from Ml-. E iloore, jun. When sitting for the matriculation ex iiriinations at Wanganni on Thursday laster Allan MTnrlanc, son of Mr )avid M'Farlane, the well-known mej hant, formerly of Messrs. John Dutlm nd Co, Wellington, was suddenly seize< rith illness. An operation for acut ipiiendicitis was performed, and 1* >atient is now doing as well as can b ■xpected. The Rev. IT. T. Sloaley. Vicar of, St UiKUstine'e, Petone, on Sunday nigli nst referred to a gift which had tea nada to tho parish church. He Temindei iis heavers that they /had probabl: loliced nn improvement in tho tone o ho organ. This was the new Corno lean" stop that had been added to till iHtrument. It was, ho stated, the gift o: i[r. .1. G. Castlo (the vicar's church nrdon), in memory of his eon, Lionteiv nl .\rihur Cnstle l who fell in (he war. PhD vicav said that ho fell: sure that tin lavishioners would greatly appreciate the lift though they regretted tho loss ol iim in whose memory the ston had boon ■ivci The lule J.ioulenant .Arthur C'a3lle, leforc he left Petone, was particularly ond of tho organ. \ serious charge, that of conspiring nth others to procure abortion, is to be ireferrod ot tho Magistrate's Court this doming against a man who was approLonjed by. tJw.liolice at Hawera.

The Hon. G. W. Russell stated in Christchurch that a communication had been received by Lord Liverpool from the Governor-General of South Africa urging the notification of influenza and like diseases of all countries, o,s was donci in the case of plague nnd cholera. Mr. Russell stated that instructions had been given to the Chief Health Officer to make Che notification so far as New Zealand was concerned.—Press Assn.

A joint meeting of the members of the Greytown Borough Council and the Chamber of Commerce was held on Monday night to receive a report from the Hydro-Electric Committee, set up to inquiro into tie question, of supplying electric power throughout the Wamirapn. Messrs. J. C. Cooper, C. E. Daniel, and J. C. Ewingtou represented the committee. It was pointed out that if the Government did not immediately proceed with the North Island scheme it would be wise to adopt a local scheme, and one had been proposed with its head , works in tho Waiohine'Kiver, Greytown. Ilus would give ample power for the \Vairarapa at a probable cost of <C2OO,l)O0. the meeting pledged itself to support the local scheme, provided the Government showed no definite intention of proceeding with the major scheme during tho first session of the next Parliament. Similar meetings are to be held throughout the Yalloy. • ,

Tho four-weekly tramways return of revenue and expenditure (up to January 5. and including the holiday traffic) giyes a total revenue of ,616,660, compared with JCI7 793 for the corresponding period oi VStli-a decrease of ,£1133. This tailing olf may bo attributable to the. dull ami unpropilious weather winch, generaly chiiracClrisod the holiday period, but H is consistent with the two previous rer turns. On the other hand, the working expenses for tho same period rose by £U aud there wa* special expenditure chargeable to revenue amounting to AlJal a compared with .£358 for the «mo neriod last year. The not result is that ?he redft of JEBIS shown in January 1918, has been replaced by a debit of . Shortly after the commencement of the was done. vZI 3 J.'s. with the theft of a paw of tenced to 21 days , imprisonment.

vm down to the rescue Note, credit to a gentle dame.

Thn State schools of Wellington reti.n of influent. On the mom r»".i=.SoSr,Si| wo will reopen this morning. In he ca e of tho latter institution there » no difficulty this year of taking all the free-place students offering.

The fire brigade received a call to .No. 102 Vivian Street yesterday morning to upprees an outbreak of fire in premises occupied by Arthur B FoolW, plumber. Both the contents and the> building were badly damaged before the fire was got under control. The contents were insured in the South British office for JB2OO, iand the building, which was owned by Mr. B. O'Connor was covered by a policy, in the United Insurance office for £100.

The first meeting of the. Technical Education Board for the current year was held last evening. Mr. George 1 lost presided. The financial statement shoued final receipts on account of 1918, £\i<* 11s 5d.. of whioli J1430 was for capitation and JC43 Us. sd. payment by the Marine Department on account of Amokura classes. The expenditure for the past month totalled . JCB3I 12s. 7d., of which £TiO ISs. 10d. was on account oi of director of the Technical. College, several from Australia. The applications were referred to tho Standing Committee to present a report, and make a recommendation. Most of the boards work was done in committee.

A. good deal of inconvenience and worry has been caused to a number of people throughout the Dominion by the recent clmindeer by tlie Imperialautlronte of the berthage on many of ttadeep** vessels,(which were to have able for ordinary passengers. At the present time f erf passengers are being accepted bv the shipping companies engaged in tte frome trade out of Australian port., as the authorities are exerting then fullest powers to transport the troops jhwß have been engaged in Mesopotamia before the torrid summer commences m that country-about the end of June. « .believed that Now Zealand is more Ay shire sailing on February 18, has limited passenger accommodation, tne whole of which has been booked Ihe Enaliine, sailing on March 4, is lo v> up troops at Bombay for England, and will take second-clnss passengers only. The Buapehu. timed to sail about March lY will proceed via Panama, and will nke second and third-class passengers.

The Itcirotongan contingent at piesent in quarantine on Somes Island, mil leave Tor Earotoii"a by the Paloona, scheduled SK Wellington for Snn JPraaciKO and the Islands on February 15. A misleading impression is 3iaWe to bo »ivpn by a paragraph published in batuiaa\3^iLe I reßaV , iF ' he f m f ren° K ■ lies M'Lean, principal of the Wellington Girls' College. It was made to appear in the paragraph »\1 *fe* Miss M'Lean had failed to keep tho Board of College Governors apprised ot her movements. Such it sccnis was not the caEO. Miss M'Lean had booked hei return passage from America three months iiRO ny.tho Jfakura, which was due in Wellington on Jnnuory 15. On Umt dato, however, the Maknra was still in auarantino in Sydney. Before the moeUiiK of the college. Board of Governors, reported in our issue of baturday, the secretary of tho board lwd receiveil n letter from Miss M'Lenn, saying that as thoro were no sailings from Vancouver until tho Makura arrived ' there from ; Sydney, her return was inevitably delayed until February.

To-day ratepayers of Onslow will vote on the proposal that the borough amalgamate with the city The polling-boo he are the Public ■ Hall, Wiandnltah; the Methodist Churchroorn, Ngaioj the Melodist Clwrchroom, Kanvarra; and the Onslow Borough Office, Ballance Street, Wellington.

At tho Methodist Schoolroom, Ngaio, last evening, a well-attended meet ng »« K££r3s^a ors included Mr. P. l'rneer. M.P., and Mr. T. Fleming; vice-president, JM. £ Kayos' committee, . Me»i=. _•• gate, Mr. D. Smithed, but was probably not moie Uian| BHi eulogised the members for then timei}

when a signal on the ecuirn mSM3M afternoon. ".,,•1.1.1 Commissioner Hodder has decvded t ha mrnm iipi commend itself to all concerned.

, Tta first meeting of the WW» B* Itainlrv business, .concerning the duties of the board, was discussed.

The Auckland "Star's" Suva corre=Condentsays that when an Indian commits murder he usually cuts and mutiates his ■ffi? One Jowahari in wreakingvenseance on a woman called Maina. is aiW to have atrociously mutilated her. The woman died in hospital and Jowahari ie to stand his trial on a charge of murder.-Press Assn.

The Eastern Extension Cable Company has notified the Department that owinp to. heavy delay to all classes of traffic oue to increase of G°«™»«* merges and line .interruptions the com,,,mv regrets that it is unable to carry fnll-Vate messages either way with and via the United Kingdom. Deferred traffic however, is still accepted via Eastern Object (t» posting between Maiealle* and London.