LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 240, 4 July 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An exceptionally heavy hailstorm occurred; at Opotiki at noon on Wednesday. The storm took a line about three miles from the coast. An area of severnl miles in length and of varying width was covered to a considerable , depth with hail. The bar was unworkable yesterday on account of a rough sen,—Press Assn. i;

The retirement of Superintendent Kcily, of Auckland, from tho Police Force on superannuation will make way for promotion among, senior officers of the force, and some transfers and promotions should be announced shortly.

On Wednesday last, in spite of tho restricted train service, tub Dominion reached New Plymouth,before 0 p.m., and was the only Wellington paper obtainablenorth of Wanganui. Powerful motor cars were used to transport tho papers, and notwithstanding heavy rain and a thunderstorm, covered the distance 'of 160 miles between Palmerston and New P.lymouth in the creditable time of seven hours, including stop 3. Palmerston was left at 1.50, Wanganui at 3.10, Jlawern at 7.5, and Now Plymouth was reached at 8.5 a p.m. The road followed ran through Sanson, Bulls, War.pinui, Pntea, Hawera, Normanby, Eltham, Stratford, and Inglewocd. This .service will eonlinuo daily during the interrupted railway running.

In connection with the bunrlary reported in Tuesday's issue of The Domimon, it appears that tho memises entered were those of Mrs. A. Phillips, second-hand dealer, situated opposite, the Terminus Hotel in Tnranaki Street. It is understood that the thief or thieves made a very substantial haul, removing property to the value of about ,£IOO.

A letter was received by the executive of tho Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association from tlie honorary secretary of the Conscientious Objectors' Fellowship, asking the association to receive a deputation from the conscientious objectors with a view of their explaining their attitudo towards conscription. The secretary .was instructed to reply pointing out that conscientious objectors luid already been dealt with by a commission of inquiry , which was set up by the Government, und as members of the association helped to win tho war without their assistance they did not wish to seek their help or advico now that tho war was over. Further, the executive of the Returned Soldiers' Association failed to see that the association could have anything in common with military defaulters now or at nny time in the future.

A Christchurch niuru'linni; stated that tho Government has made a remarkably Rood bargain with the Colonial Sugar Co., considering the price ol' sugar in other parts of tho world. He toCd a reporter that the vise amounted to .CI ss. a ton, which wns equivalent to a rise of 10d. per 701b. bag. New Zealand, he said, could not complain ut all about tho prico of sugar. Homo time ago ho had epoiircd a cypy of the British Board of Trado prices for sugar, which were from JKIS to «£37 per ton as against the latest prico of £>D 13s. in Auckland. Hi; pointed out that the prico in Melbourne was in the region of .CM. It was already fairly generally known that uiirclincd sugar if shipped from New Zealand to America, would return a better price than tho present-day refined, on the local market. Mr. Ford anticipated an increase in tho retail price of Jd. per 11).

Tho Auckland Watersiders' Union has carried a resolution ivhie|i_ is to lie forwarded to tho Acting-Prime Minister urging tho release of all political prisoners and the abolition of tho War Regulations and the Military Service' Act as tho most fitting method of co'ebrating peaco (states a Press Association inessage). Tho union further suggests that no useful purpose can be served" by tho further exclusion of aliens who previous to the war earned their living on tlifc wharves; and that, failing just clenienc.v by tho Government, drastic action should Iμ token by Labour to prolong the pence celebrations until all the political prisoners iiro released.

As to tho Hag which the citizens ot Le Quesnoy have had mailo for presentation to the New Zealand forces who relieved the town on November i Inst, Mr. W. H. George, the commissioner of the Y.It.C.A. who was asked by M. le Mairo to take charge of the hug, states that ho does not know what has become of it, but recommended when he left that it be «ent to Mr. Massey. It may be that the emblem was sent to the Prime Minister and that he is bringing it out with him. Till. George says that the gratitude of the i;w>plo of Le Qiicsnoy to the New Zealand eokliere is wonderful, and any New Zealander going to that place can rely upon having a good time.

Tho conl output from Grevinouth for the week ended June 30 was as follows:— Point Elizabeth, 700 tons lGcwt; Liverpool, 2989 tons 3c\vt.; Blackball, 1827 tons liiewt.; ]Jeeftoii, Si tons ISewc.; Brunuer, 83 tons 3cwt.; total, 5081 tons C lsc\vt. Westpori, for week ended June 30:— Westport: Coal, 13,312 tons 19cwt.; coke, 33 tons lrcwt.j Stockton, 3288 tons 9c\vt; Conl Creek Mining Party, 250 tons; total, 1G,855 tons aewt.

As many .soldiers who have recently returned to New Zealand will be disinclined to commence their journeys under the four weeks' free raihvny privilege ticket owing to the curtailed train service, the Railway Department has agreed to an extension of the period of availability of tho warrant entitling the men to the ticket. Those who have already taken out the four weeks' rail ticket cannot secure an extension, but men who have not vet converted their travelling warrant into the railway ticket will be permitted to do so 'within one month of the resumption of the normal awn service. The proceedinss at the Mount Cook Police Court yesterday were presided over by Mr. John Smith, J.P. For i ■ sobriety Joeejjh Buuno was inedlo.s.,m default 21 hours imprisonment, and Jαme Monro was fined 55.. in the alternative to nndereo 2-1 hours detention. A verv interesting collection ot Wman aiul is a im.<pt]t on view n Manners Street, lit s£fi forms ™rt of a collection made VLieutenant-GKHanna and i= attracting considerable interest. ■The superintendent of the central lire station acknowledges receipt of a cheque fir five "uhieas from the Salvation Army , tWitfes. as a contribution . towards the br sade's recreation fund, in recognitoiS of their services at the lire ,n he Army's tailoring department, Piouses building, on June 3. ; The Minister of Public Health (Hon. G W Russell) told a deputation yestei(i'av that the Health Department was endeavouring to have nurses trained as soon as possible to put them into he backblock* as nurses in charge oi districts. They could be given a small hospital, or even rooms and could undertake observation work, and be available in case of accidents or emergencies. The Department had no lack of applicants for training at St. Helens hospitals, but it preferred,nurses who had a surgical nursing certificate, so that they would be aviiilaßlo to take chargo 'if districts.

1 Owinc to the drastic out which has been made in the railway time-table inotor services are being inaugurated between the chief cities. The journey ironi Wellington to Auckland and vice versa can thus bo still accomplished in one day, passengers being conveyed by motorcar to Now Plymouth, where they will board the steamer Earawa and'torney to Onehunsa. These journeys will lie run on every day of tho week save Sunday, and the single faro will be £i. An advertisement appears in this issue announcing, tho times of starting frum Wellington. A daily motor service will nlso jiiiablo travellers to journey from Wollmuton to Wanganui in one day. Cava will lonvo Wanganui at 7 a.m., arriving iu Wellington at 1 p.m., and vice versa -V single fare will cost .-12. In (he South Island ft daily motor service will run between Christchurch and JDunedin. leaving the former city at 2 p.m. This service is to .commence on Saturday, while a special trip has been arranged for Sunday.