LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 153, 24 March 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Advice has been received that tho Ajann, with returning troops on board, will now arrive at Auckland at 7 a.m. to-morrow.

A. delay of four or livo days in tho transmission of cable messages to New Zealand is being experienced at present. If is explained by the Auckland office of the Pacific Cable Board that iiie dolay is due to an interruption in flio service of the Eastern Extension Company, as a consequence of whbh nil tl'at company's full-rate fa'aflio has been diverted to the Pacific route. The Pacific service has not suffered any interruption, but the extra traffic temporarily thrown upon it has led to the proseut congestion.

An eight-roomed .'louse in Onsloiv Terrace, occupied |jy Mr. P. J. Mack, anil owned by 'Mrs. Uiveu M'Ardle, was badly damaged by fire on Saturdiy mori'iiiK. Tho fira brigade was summoned at S.-U o'clock, iiiid un arrival a few minutes later it was found fb.it the flaiins had secured a strung hold on the rear of thepremises. "Within :i short lime the milbreak was «ot iituUr cc-nlrol. but a pood deal of damage was lo tho content? and to the Imildin" lUelf. It is n«l knoH-ii how the fire originntprl, but it is believed that it started on the outside. Tho house is insure 1 in ihe National ofKco for .£BOO, and the eunlents are covered bv ihe fame olVe for .siOT.

The soldiers on the troopship Athenic wero given an enthusiastic reception at Auckland, says a Press Association telegram. A hi'ph wind prevented the seaplane delivering a message, in the harbour and showering confetti on the shin as proposed. The Athnnic had a rather rough trip un the coast.

Spcakim: in Auckland, the Minister of Railways (Hon. \V. It. Herries) said that the whole system of fares and rates was boi'iip inquired into, and would bo altered enfiivly, liioiijfh lie could hardly hold any grail hope thai the two 10 per rent, incre.'i.ic.i wiiiuh had been put tn to meet war conditions would be taken (ill'. All depended on Ihe answer he would give lo railway servants in Ilio middle of April regarding the increase of their salaries.

"If is rumoured in well-informed circles," liavs the "OUigo Daily Times," "that Mr. (J. A. Wilkinson, the lieform M.P., for Eginonl, has a good chance of becoming the. lender of the new political parly formed in Wellington last week. Mr. Wilkinson at present occupies the position of chairman of the Industries Commission. 1,

A ten-year-old boy was charged before Mr. l\ 'V. Frazer," S.M., at the Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning with haviuK stolen confectionery and money from a dwelling at Lyall Bay. The lad strenuously denied his guilt in the matter, but tieveral other'boys who were with him at tho time stated that they had seen him enter the place, and that some of them had received a share of the spoils. Tho case against the boy was adjourned for a year, His Worship ordering that he should be under the supervision nf the .juvenile probation officer during that period.

Tho proceedings at the Jlaj. : strate's Court oh Saturday were presided over by Sir. Vi". Q. Kidtiell, H.Jf A f-eainan named Andrew Popp, who pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace on the Queen's Wharf, but who had received a very severe handling from lua antagonist, was ordered to pay <£1 Is. medical expenses for the treatment he underwent at the hospital. Thomas Laviu was ordered to pay 17s. (id. medical expenses on a charge of drunkenness, but ne was convicted and discharged for a breach of his prohibition order.

Fcatherston Camp orders state that 12/1033 Private R. J. Lambess, Featherston Details, found truilty of deserting His Majesty's service, and losing by »e----(,'lect his clothing and regimental necessaries, lias been t-entptieed to undergo imprisonment with hard labour for eighteen months.

AVelljnpton resident*; very rarely have the privilege of viewing n barque under full sail, and still more rare is the occasion when such a vessel enters the harbour without the aid of pilot and tug. Such sights were to be seen on Saturday afternoon, when the barque Dnrti'ord, sixty days out from Vancouver, (iime »|> the entrance under fuli sail, before a fresh .southerly wind, and made for an anchorage i.n the stream. Coming up the main passage she presented a (fraud sight. Passing Se.iloun, sail was shortened, and when oft' Po.nt Halswell she win approached by a local yacht which, kept her company for some little distance. Those on the yacht were siiiiieieiitlv near to be able to watch the crew ergaged in trimming the sails lo accommodate .the alteration iii the vessel's course. Following her withdrawal from the, overseas trade, the Dartford was utilised as a training ship, but when the war cloud "burst she vas recqmmifsioued once more to take her place in tho mercantile marine. On this voyage she left Vancouver on January 20 last, and experienced fair weather throughout the trip. On Thursday she was off Palliser, Bay, but adverse winds prevented her from making the entrance. However, on Saturday the wind veered to the south, and she was able to take full advantage of this, and sail right into the harbour.

A special uienting (if the tawer ITiilt Borough Council is to be held to-night for thu piirjioi'o >,)f luithorisiiii; the raising ot a.loii': of .1350 for the lHirelmse of <i .section in Kaulaua Kqiia'.c

Sir Aston AVebb, K.C.V.0., C.8., U.A., F.S.A., whose election as president of the Eoynl Acadenr,y has been announced, was president of the Koyal Institute of British Architects, 1802-1904, and gold medallist, 1905. lie has also been the recipient of foreign honours. More than n hundred years hiivo passed since an architect lias held the proud position of president It.A. Mr. Frank Peck, F.D.1.8.A., Ihe designer and architect of the proposed Wellington Anglican Cathedral, was intimately connected with him as his chief assistant for a number of years, and especially during Sir .Aston Webb's collaboration with the late Edward Ingress Bell, F.K.1.8.A., a period notable to architects for various great works at Homo and abroad.

An offer from the Y.If.C.A. to establish buffets, libraries, and reading-rooms on tho waterfront was rejected by the union at the stop-work meeting held on Saturday. The president of the union .said alter the meeting that there was a long discussion on Ihe question, and it was in tho end decided that the. union thank the Y.M.C.A. for the offer, but that tho union could not support tho introduction of such a movement by an outside organisation.

A baker's labourer, named John Pago, single, 53 years of age, residing at 27 Jessie Street, was employed in cleaning somo machinery at the Automatic Bakeries, Taranaki Streot, early on Saturday morning, when he had his right linnd caught in ono of the piirte. His thumb was severed, and he had to be "removed to the Hospital for treatment.

Yesterday was tho seventy-first anniversary of the arrival of the John AVickliffe with the pioneer settlers of Otago, and commemorative services, to which the Mayor ami members of (he City Council and all early settlers were invited, wero held morning aud evening in First Church, Dmiedin. The nnniversary will be celebrated this evening by a social gathering of the Otago Early Settlers' Association,

With reference to peace celebrations and the licensing referendum, the head office of the Federated Seamen's Union lias addressed the following; letter to Now Zealand steamship ou'iiors: —"1 am directed by resolution of my executive to respectfully , request that members of tho union employed on ships on tho days set apart for tho celebration of peace bo allowed the days off, .should the ship be in port tho full number of days, otherwise the mon to be paid an extra day's sea-pay for each day or portion of day not so allowed. Should the ship be at sea the whole of the days or during any part of them an equal number of days to bo allowed off in port or an extra day's sea-pay allowed for any day or portion of day nit so granted. This request is made in recognition of the valuable services rendered by the men of the mercantile marine during tho war period, and also in view of the fact that citizens generally will enjoy these days for the purpose for which they will be set apart. I am further directed to request that crows of siiips in _ port on licensing referendum day (April 10) be allowed four hours off during, the polling hours to attend to their electoral obligations us citizens. Trusting you may accede to those requests, and thankin;; you in anticipation of an early re-ply.-(Si(;ii«l), W. T. Young, General Secretary."

At: the meotii's of ratepayers held in Sealoun last week some of the speakers protested iiga'nM; the charging of doiihlo ij.ro within Iho liojoufh to nor.-tic-icpl-Iwldois mi Saturday afternoons amlSiiv dnys. One speaker said that such times were tho only chances some people liml of visiting the borough, and they were charged double fares. He did not think that was the way to popularise Miramar as a place for settlement. It was stated that tho double-fare provision was made to meet a cortain liability, and had never been reviewed. Tho new Ratepayers' Association is to consider whether such double charge is in the be6t interests of the borough.

A Press Association message from Christduirch states that the Hon. G. W. Bwssell (Minister of Internal Affairs) says that prosecutions have been ordered in nasi*) whore tho proprietor of a picture theatre had opened his establishment outside (he hours allowed by the Act passed lust season,

To meet the need for further accommodation the old Presbyterian Church at Soatoun hae been sawn in half, the. two parts separated, and twisted round to face one another east and west (instead of north and south ae formerly), and ii new section is being built to join the- two ends together again. The enlarged building will also provide room for a separate Sunday school. It is anticipated that the building permits issued by the Miramar Borough Council during the past twelve months will conslitiifo a record, despite the high cost of building.

Captain E. o'. Mousley, R.F.A., of Auckland, who graduated at Emmanuel (.'allege, Cambridge, in 1914, has now secured his M.A. degree. Hβ was taken prisoner with General Townshend's forco at Kut and returned to England as an cnvov of the Turkish Government.

The influx of Indians to the Dominion continues, every ship bringing its quota. Tlie Niagara and the Makura, which arrived at Auckland last week, each brought several, but the total was easily eclipsed by the Island steamer Tulune, which brought 25. Most of these men have been in the Islands for some time, mid so have acquired » fair knowlttfee of tlie English language, which should enable them to the education (eft with little difficulty.

Some little time ago burglars entered two schools in Palmeivston without nny clue being found in regard to the culprits to establish thejr identity, and on Tuesday night the District High School at Marion was broken into and i.'s taken from the headmaster's desk. On Wednesday night the headmaster's office at the Feihtlng District High School was broken into and a stop-watch, a cheque for £7, and some other articles taken away. The same thieves also visited the Technical School, leaving there the watch taken from the other school, and taking away some j£l2 odd, which was obtained by breaking into tlie cupboard us«i by the instructor in cookery.

A Palmerslon North resident, Mr. J. 'fate, is reported by an exchange to have passed through a terrible ordeal during the recent bush fires in the Dannevirke district. Mr. Tate, an employee of Mr. Clausen, was camped in the bush engaged in felling timber. He was awakened one night 'by what he thought at first to be the wind, but soon discovered that a fire was raging within a few yards of his tent. The position was extremely perilous. He at first contemplated escaping on hie bicycle, but found that it, too, had suffered from the flames. The only alternative 'was to iua.ke use of a shallow creek close by, and taking his billy he jumped into the water. By kneeling down and constantly pouring water over his boily, Mr. late wa-j able to survive the intense heat. When the flames had abated it was seen that the whole camp and equipment, including two tents and many valuable tools, had been lost.

The second serious wind tform in Carterton occurred in the wrly hours of Saturday morning:, when a. gale of cyclonic force ragtd. Fruit trees were stripped of their, yield, while in places sheds were blown about like pieces ot paper. Mr. R. N. Wallis, builder and contractor, had been engaged during the last few weeks in removing a house for Mr. Gavin Arcus from Dalefield Eoad to Wyndham Street. On Friday he commenced the removal, and successfully brought half the house to its new site and placed it upon the concrete piles prepared. On Saturday morning at about 2 o'clock a furious wina' arose, and Mr. Wallis went out to see how the work was standing. It was then intact and apparently safe. A few hours later the ' Toof was 'deposited some 200 yards away, and the walls collapsed. The building is an utter wreck, the only intact portion 'being the floor. The fierceness, of the gale can be judged by the fact that the entire roof was lifted off the buildin", carried up over the telephone wires (some of which were broken), and then deposited in two sections, one in one pndoock, and the other in a> further enclosure.