LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 54, 27 November 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho war regulations restricting remittances (it money from New Zealand have been revoked by an Order-in-Council.

Advice has liecn received by the New Zealand authorities that a number of German aeroplanes, naval trophies, and other war spoils are being cent out to New Zealand as trophies.

Tho total number of war gratuities paid up to November 22 was 25,175, tho amount of Ihe pnymouL-JiiMiig .£1,582.i):i5 3s. lOd. Tlio avernse number of claims passed through the War Expenses Office daily was 070.

Witty sloi'ies are often the order of tho day in Courts, says a l'ross Association telegram from Napier, and one which is easily in the first rank was given by His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman wiien addressing the jury in tho Supreme Court case in which licresford and Roberts claimed .£730 from G, Loyell, fisherman, for breach of contract in connection with the supply of fish. "This," said His Honour, "is a fish story. Fish stories have been popular since tho dnvs of Jonah. In those days the fish swallowed a prophet, but nowadays the public swallow fish and somebody else swallows the profit."

Life in the leper settlement i> t Molokai, Hawaii, is not so sordid or so frightful as tile world has been led to believe (says an exchange). The leper? go in much for sports, especially footracing, and they have their strong men who build "human pyramids." The settlement brass band is one of the features of life there, whilo their gleo club and ether amusement societies are all made up of the sufferers. About twice a week in the eveirJiß everybody attends tho moving picture shows, the reels being supplied from Honolulu, and in this way the iepers lenrn much from Hie outside world. Kataupapa is tho little administrative town of tho settlement where steamships make landings. Six or seven miles away is the little town of Kalawao, where many activities for tlio benefit of tho inmates aro carried on.

Germany is evidently not the crushed nation, commercially, that tihe is popularly supposed to Ik, but is making a. strong effort to capture tho world's trade. A Hamilton firm received a lengthy list printed in German, French, and English from a German firm by this week's mail. The' firm's knowledge of geography, however, is not as the address rends: "Hamilton, New Zealand, Australia." ,

Chinese and Hindus arrive from Aus- f tralia and the. Islands 'by almost every"' passenger steamer coming to Auckland (fays the ."New Zealand Ilemld"). The Ma'hono, which arrived from Sydney on Monday, brought 12 Chinese, and tho Paloon'a, from the Western Pacific, has fivo Hindus and four Chinese. Including those on the Paloona. 112 Hindus and 115 Chinese will have reached Auckland since January last.

Why should not soldiers wear their military decorations while in mufti? '[he subject was touched upon by Colonel li, Young, C.8,, C.M.G., Officer Commanding tho Canterbury Military District, when speaking at the King Edward Bcrracks in Chrisrchurch (says the "Lyttelton Times"). 110 said that tl\o King had approved of the, wearing of medals by soldiers in mufti,, but he had seen only one man doing so in Cliristchurch. Of course, returned'soldiers did not want to "swank," but they should all .fed justly proud of what they had gained, and their relations and friends in many Cises felt even prouder. Personally, ho was pleased to soo a man wearing his medals. It had been suggested ft Headquarters that miniature medals should fe struck, so that a m,ui could wear them' when ho went out to a danco or at tiny time when ho put on his "ghA rogs," without it boing folt ihat they were over-conspicuous. Ho hoped that those who received medals that night would set an example 'by wearing them.' x

An incident occurred during the presentation at tho King Edward Barracks of medals won in the recent wiir (states the "Fiyttelton Times"). Territorials and cidets'wero drawn up'in ceremonial alignment, when two youths in a gig camo into the barracks through the Montreal Street entrance, driving in among the troops. They wero ordered to desist by dffiyars, and were headed out of the Tarrocks. However, disregarding warnings, they turned batk and again drove about indiscriminately. This time they were, hold up while a policeman was summoned. As tho constable was _«Txnit to take the gig and its occnpp.nte in charge they made n dash for freedom, and succeeded in getting away into tho etreot. Commandeering the nearest available bicycle, which proved all too small for ifc) 'stalwart rider, the constable quickly gave chase, followed by a -military officer similarly mounted. The horse was checked nt the corner of Durham and Tuam Streets, and tho gig, drivers, and horso were taken to tho police station. Tho youths were lodged in the cells.

A clerical visitor from the States, in addressing a meeting in Dunedin, made passing reference to tho Mormons,. of whom ho foid there were .435,000 in the United States. Mormonism, he said, was not only a sect but a_ great political movement, and the political ramifications of tho Mormons extended beyond Utah to the adjoining States. That was ono reason why .Protestants folt anxious about them. "Their lives nro pure," fin id the speaker, "compared with many others, and they have a great reputation for integrity in business. Tho question of polvgamy has been largely eradicated, but there is no dnubt that it is still peing practised in some remote pkces."

Mr. M. J. Shcahan returned to Auckland by the' Maheno from Australia, where he went a month ajjo to attend the Irish Race Convention in Melbourne ns one of Mio seven Now Zealand delegates. Mi , . Siheahan states that there wene over 2000 delegates present, representing every State in tho Commonwealth ns well as Now Zealand, and liliat the convention was,marked by the utmost enthusiasm in supporting , the solfdftcrmination claim of the Irish people, in accordance with .(.Kβ result of lihe Irifili general elections'. Mr. T. .T. Ryan, exPrime Minister of Queensland, presided, and the principal resolutions wore moved by Archbishop Redwood, of Wellington.

. 'The Moderator of tho Presbyterian Assembly, speaking at lnvercargill in reference to Mie League of Nations, said: I count among my personal friends a young Chinaman of intelligence, ability, and insight. He has lately returned to the Dominion after a sojourn of four yoars and a half in China. Diiring that period ho visited many parta of his groat country. "What," I asked him, "is tho feeling: prevailing in China towards tho foreigner dwelling within its gates?" In no unmeasured terms ho poured out anivlilieina upon aliens whom I need not name. Bud he went on to tell me that the English everywhere nre accepted of his brethren. This is our day, and tln'a is the hour to go forward it' wo are. to bring tho so-called ihcalhen nations into the League. We shall only do it when we have led them by the hand into tho household of faith.

A singular incident of interest to cricketers took place during l'omonby's last innings against Shove, .'it Devonport on Saturday, says the Auckland "Star." Brinsdcn, one of the city-siiburlwu crack batsmen, went out with Ciilliniore in tho opening , partnership and the total was carried to the Inker's unlucky 13, when Briusdon faced Coates, Shore's fast trundler. The 'ball, a fast low one, appeared to clean bowl tho batsman, and to all intents and purposes it had, for Iho returned to the pavilion. No ono in the pavilion was heard to question the dismissal, but when, before he had time to remove his pads, the batsman again took his place at the creasej with the ■oxplanation from the field that the "ball die! not bowl him, that it had rebounded from tho wicket-keeper's pads, Wie crowd ira-s amazed. Wetherill in tho.meantime had taken his place at the vacant creasp, but had- to return. Tho sequel to dlie incident w,is a faultleSßly-cont'.'i-buted GO runs taken by the benefiting batsmen.

An KnijHsli officer, writing from Siberia h> a friend in Auckland, says: "There is certainly plenty of picturesque matter for a pressman hero. The battle for Omsk, which is now going on a littlo to tlio west, is full of very curious things, altogether different (o tho fighting in tho West, in fact, it is not fighting at all. Then there are sixty million 'roubles in gold lying in railway trucks outside my window, and the adventures of tho.'o ■trucks since they were seized by the Czechs last year at Kieff (they were being sent to Berlin by tho Bolshevists after the Brest Treaty as part of tho indoinnity). wnild fill a volume,"

A Preos Association telegram state that Mr. Thonins W. liriis* lias been elected chairnmii of tlio We.sUand County Council.

A conference was held yesbrday to consider the, regnhitiims jjoccriiijjf the. carriage of ,|>oiizi!i« cargoes un ti*t' steamers. Sir Francis Hell, AttorneyGeneral, presided, and the parties represented wore the Marino Department-, the shipowners, Iho Merchant Sen-ice ijiiikl, tliu Institute of .Marine Unijiiiuiirs, tlio Seamen's Union, th« Cocks and Stewards' u'nbn, ami more-hums who liiuuUi) benzine. Thj conference was not open to tlio Press.

Tlio AYolliiijjton Land Board jvitcrday dealt: with 109 implications irujii discharged soldiers lor advances to purchiise dwellings in Wellington city and district, also 75 application-) lor adviincos to acquire farms under the provisions of the JJiscliargod .Soldiers' Settlement Amendment Act, 191".

The. Arbitration Court sat_ yesterday morning to lieav an application by tlio Wellington tramway employees lor an interpretation of clause ID (a) of their agreement. The clause roads as follows: "A number of conductors (not to exceed twenty) holding; necessary certificates and qualifications, and taken m order of seniority, may be called upon to act temporarily as motormen. ' Conductors, wlien acting as motonuen, to bo paid tliird-gradc motormen's wages, and to bo known as first-class conductors. Promotions to uioturmim shall be made from first-class conductors." Particulars of the question wero set out iu the following- terms: "As soon ii 3 conductors obtain tlio Government certificate, they may bo, and have been, put on to act as motormen, but are not usually classed as lirst-class conductors until they have had three months' experionco. Should they, he classed as firstclose conductors immediately they are put on' to act as niolormeu ?" As it appeared that the dispute about the interpretation of the clause, hail arisen out of tlio exceptional conditions that provailed during tlio war, and was not likely to arise, again, tlio Court suggested that tho application be withdrawn. The union representative (Mr. ,T. Hutchison) agreed to this course. Mr. J. O'Shea (City Solicitor) appeared for the Wellington City Council, and Mr. K. T. Bailey for the Labour Department, i

The Wellington District Hepatization Board has decided 'that all trucks and motor -vehicles over which the Hepatization Department holds security shall bo covered by a comprehensive insurance policy. At tho last meeting of tho board, when Mr. T. S.- Weston presided. 14 applications for Jinancjjil assistance m tho establishment of businesses were approved, six were, declined, and three were deferred. Seventeen grants for. tho purclinso of furniture were agreed to and two ware declined. In 2-t eases it was decided to subsidiso the wages of disabled trainees, six applicants wore declined, and eight were deferred. Replying to a deputation in Christ' church, Mr. Ma-seey said ho agreed that tho Arthur's Pass lunivl, connecting Canterbury and WosUnml, had to bo completed. The war had not- affected that work to the same extent (is other railway works, but it had affected it, uovertheless. Had the war not como along, ho believed that the tuniio! would have been completed by now. He, and the Government with him. wanted to seo it completed at the earliest possible moment. He spoke as -a friend of tho tunnel, for he had stuck !>>• it riiiht through. Ko was honestly of opinion that that tunnel and that railway would pay as soon as they-were able to (tot tho through train. Despite much adverse criticism, he believed that Sir William Fraser had been v ono of the best Ministers of Public Works that this country had ever seen—a man anxious to do his best and to do justice to eveirv part' of tho country. Now that Sir William Frasor wa,s retiring, ho hoped that they might got as good a man to take over the portfolio. The Government' would do everything possible to brine about tho early completion of the line, with trains right through. (Applauso.) . .

Experts have eaid that a well-bred Indian Buiinar <luek is for t«"t> seasons or more probably the greatest egg producing machine of all species of bird lifo (says tho Auckland "Star").. Mr. L. W. Dniiiels'H No. 2 duck, at the Mount Albert laying contest, has now laid IS2 eirgs without a break in as many days, which is, as far as can be found out. a world's record for continuous Inymg, tho previous record being 174- The bird, is still going strong, and is simply a marvel in egg production. Mr. Daniels, who lives at Stanley Tiny,, has a section of loss than a quarter of i\n acre, keeps oniv six ducks at home, and is in no pen'se a poultry farmer.or poultry expert. His team lias for weeks held, the premier plnce, and shows what can bo dono-in a small way in a backyard of ordinary size against large poultry iarmer? and oxnerts who are in a big way, and make the business their one study.

Some sidelights on the character of tbo notorious Maori prophet, Run, were thrown by Miss E. Jack, ono of the missionaries of the Presbyterian Church, who was addressing the General Assembly at Invercargill (telegraphed the correspondent of an exchange recently). She described Rua as a man of brains, and a force to lie reckoned with, and illustrated his shrewdness with a story she told how a pakehn, thinking to hnvo some fun with l?«a, shammed ill and went (o consult him, telling him lie had consulted a lot. of paltohn doctors and they had nil failed him. "Now, , he rim ~ "cii'ii you tell me what is the matter with me " Run looked him over very carefullv. "Yes," ho said, "I will tell you what is the matter with you. You vo not got enough brains."