LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 77, 24 December 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Titr Dom'XTON will not be publication Christnws Day or Boxing Day. An innovation which should prove a boon to ladies and children travelling by train has been instituted by tlio Itailway Department. At. the main stations along the lino whore the trains stop for refreshments small and vorv neat "wagons" have been provided which <\ro provided with urns containing* hot. lea and coffeo as well as a supply of eatables. When a traiji comes in these are wheeled along the platform to the various carriages, and ladies and children can obtain refreshments without leaving their scats.- . The Eastwn Cable Companies notify that owing to congestion of traffic, causing ficrioiw delay to commercinl telegrams, they cannot accept during (his mid next, week Christmas and New Tear preetings telegrams. Intercolonial traffic between New Zealand and Austra' : a is not affected An anonymous donor line presented to tifasro University, reports the Press Association. The holidays that are beiny olwrved bv the Public, Service in celebration of Christinas and the New Year commence this morning, mid extend to the nioviiing of January 5. Tn some of the Deliartments that are essential for (he convenience of the iiublic reduced staffs will bo kept on. Fnr instance, in the Dnssport branch of the Internal Affairs Department the ofiieo will remain open on every day with the exception of Christmas Day. The Customs Department will also hnvo h staff on dniy every day except Chrislmns Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Thieves and pickpockets have been eperatinit i" th? city in the last few days. Some of tho men have been extraordinarily daring. Even in banks, where the chances for the "snntclier are supposed to ho slender, the thieves hjivo been working. In one bank in (Wellington this happened—a stranger snatched J!3B in cash off the counter; another stranger stole from tho pocket of a customer an open cheque, and rushed off to the bnnk of origin and cashed the cheque before the customer was aware of the theft. Other stories ore being passed ronml of private citizens having their pockets picked.

A. man named George Fleming for Mason) was found drowned at. Tuakau (reports an Auckland Tress Association telegram).

A ITawke's Bav farmer who is at present visiting Wellington says that pretty well the whole of the district is in a bad way for feed, and the outlook for January is the reverse of oheerimr. "The trouble i?," ho said, "that thu growth in the winter was much poorer than usual, and following that the spring rains were very light, and there was no recovery in consequence. Now the whole district i° suffering from a general dryness, which may becomo a drought before tho summer'is through."

It is reported that the Tongariro Sawmill Company is about to commence operations (says ■ tho Hawke's Itay "Herald"), nnd "intends to build mills capable of cuttim,' 'Ifl.OOfl.flflO feet of timber a year on a block between lvakahi and Tokaami- It comprises GB.OOO acres of bush with approximately 30.000 foot of timber per were, and 20.C00 ncres of bush with 2. r ).flnfl feet per acre.

Just before daybreak on Sunday a mnn named Henry Odium, who slept alone in a wharo In Jcrvcis Street, a somewhat remote part of Hastings, had ,i narrow escape from death by suffocation (says tho ITawke's liny "Iturald"). Ho retired ■ nlwut midnight after sinokinj? a pipe, and being tired quickly fell asleep. At. about three o'clock he was awakened through experiencing some slight difficulty in breathing. Finding the room full of einoko ho felt his way in tho direction of the door, but was unable to find it, and mado his exit through the window, falling outeido en hU head. He was found in an. unconscious condition by a neighbour just as thii building burst into (lames, and removed to tho neighl)our's houso, whero lie soon recovered consciousness.

HpjKirts from the hack country of tho South Island, snys nn Onmani pn))cr, are that the lambing season lias not turned out nejirly bo well as was expected. Indeed, in many direction* it in poor. On some of tho runs, includiiiL' thfl small grazing ones, increases of about 00 per cent are counted as good a= things have turned out, many returns Mug very much loivcr ii'nd dePWlidiiig lo alKint ll'i per rent. Tlie position its made worse by the fact Hint the ewes are. in poor condition oml Ihe liimlw small and weak. Thu lute bpiisoii and the fre<|iieut reourrenco of wintry conditions siro tho causes oV n aitimtioii that it is not pleasant lo contemplate. From to-day until Sunday, Becember 28, Hid ordimvry timc-tnblc for the Epstbnurno ferry sevico will bo fiuspended and a specinl time-table will bo carried out unices prevented by unforseen circumstances. Particular* ore advertised.

Tho depreciation of Iho English sovereign in the East is having a very disturbing effect, on missionary work, tile funds for which me supplied by New Zealand people. {In October i'l Mr. AVilson, Ihe (.'anion treasurer of I,he Presbyterian .Minion, adviswl Uio local inisjbion authorities: —'Tin shortages arc now greater than the nmounU realised, and cvo'.y month I have to pay members more than double the amount .received from Mr. Connie." On December 10 u cablegram ua- received from (.'union staling that the rate nf exchange on t.'hat day "as i.uily !l dollars S7 cents for each pound tin: ling: that: the funds were exhaiiflrd; I hat to makn the .tlltiOO grunted by the com mi I Ice s-uflicit'iit fur the. year's work in l;lu> field that work would have to be reduced by half; t;hat all building operations had been suspended; and that it was not possible to arrange for the release of fir. John Kirk, who could come in February if tho committee approved. The advices given above are that £1 produces less than four dollars at Canton and less tan nine rupees at. Jajadhri (India). That meant that for every oElOfl sent for salaries Mr. Cnmrio must send £2$ to Canton and .iIGS to Jarj-idhri,

According lo General Headquarters instructions just i.-sued by Jirigadiorfieneral Richardson, officer in charge of Administration, in view of the I'nct that it is nut possible io suffer a recurrence of Vincent's infection (trench mouth) after treatment and cure, of the patient, except as the result of. neglect in the care of (lie inotilli, it has been decided that the Depiulinent cannot recognise any responsibility in connection with application* made for further troalir.ent by men who havo been discharged as cured.

At a sr,cci:tl meeting of tho Board of Governors of St. Andrea's College, held on December S, Mr. S. H. Dickinson, M..V. headmaster of tho college, verb.illv intimated his intention of handing in his resignation at (he ordinary meeting of (he board on December 15, in eonsoonence. Mr. Dickson stated to a Christcliiirch "Prcfs" reporter, of interference, bv the Iward in tho internal iiunaL-eniont of tin? college. On being approached by a deputation from a. moetinir of parents of pupils attending the college. Mr. Dickinson agreed to withhold his resignation for a short space. The ho.ml has accepted Mr. Dickinson's verbal statement as tantamount to ;i written icsignatinn. and has advertised fir a sucrpssflr. A general meeting of narents held on Saturday evening unanimously rossed a resolution that the hoard be reoiiested to meet the parents at an earlv dale.

About .seventy fruitgrowers gathered at the Government's experimental orchard, in tlu! llarewood .Road, on Saturday, whon mi interesting af'.eriioon was spent insi'cchm: tho results of the spraying exneriment.s which have linen caried out lately under the supervision oi Mr. G. Stratford, the local Government fruit e*iiLTI (suvs tho Cluisteliui-c.il "Press"). It ivas ceiier.illv conceded 'hat the results nf the tests had been highly satisfactory, .■iiitl that Iho work roliected Ihc greatest nnssible credit on Mr. Stratford, who had orraniseil it i>ll. The spraying experiments were chiefly diiwicd against red mile and black spot, lied oil was found to be absolutely effective against red mite, iho orchard being entirely clear of this rest, innl so far as black spot was concerned. Bordeaux mixture and the lime sulphur spray were both tried, the latter uivimr Hie best all-round results, though Hie season has been an exceptionally bad one for black spot. Bordeaux mixture was very successful on (he pear trees. The tomatoes (twelve different, varieties), the potalws (sixteen different varieties), and Iho grapes, which were all growing on the property, looked very well indeed, find it is expected that a jjood deal of valuable da'a will lie gathered from the experiments as a whole.

The Globe Theatre properly in .Queen Street, Auckland (the I'rcss Association reports), having ;\ 3Hft. frontage ami MIT. deep, lias Ix'Hi sold to a Oisbornc re-ident for .£3I,SCO, or JJIO-15 per loot.

Considerable indignation li:»s boon expressed by many of Ilic Auckland public concerning the fact that J)r. 'J'. Endletsborger. who was recently released from Iho internment camp at Narrow Keck, has lioon supplied with a telephone over what nvo rrgurded as prior claims made by several hundred people months ago (says tlio "Herald"). It is umletslood that llr. Endlclsbergjer's name had been placed on tlio waiting list only very recently. It is stated that on Saturday nmrniiij, , « subscriber called for No. 1290, which appears in the telephone directory against the name of a well-known business firm. Jle was informed that tlio number ho required was mio which had liooii allotted to Dr. Endlolstager. Tlio Superintendent of Telegraphs, Auckland, was asked if he could give any information regarding the matter, He replied that he was unable to make a statement nt present. For ninny months the authorities linve had a great many applications for telephones from business people and residents, but on account of a ureal scarcity of instruments and material, due to 'war conditions, it lias been impossible to put in the number of telephone services for which applications have been made. It is understood that the claims of medical men are given prior consideration. Since Dr. Endletsberger was released from internment ho has resumed practice.

Further details are now available regarding the purchase by Hie Government of the four-lloor block of buildings in High SI reel. Auckland, known as tho Law Court Buildings. It transpires that the purchase also includes a vacant section in the vicinity. The intention is to provide for tho housing of Government Departments now using rented premises or in buildings too small for their requirements, such as tho Lands staff. As soon as the present tenants of the Law Court Buildings vacate them somo of the Departments will be transform! thereto but the ultimate intcution is to erect a'snb'tantinl building on the wholo or part of the block comprising the area of tho Deed* Office site, and tho land newly pufclhscd. This 'building will ho for General use for Government offices, but the chief aim is to have a building in which the Lands Oflieo can be accommodated close to the Deeds Office. Much time is now lost by these two offices being in different parts of the city.

A plea for more sympathetic treatment in the matter of pensions for war disabilities of soldiers was made by General Sir A. Russell, when speaking :,t a civic reception tendered to him oil Tuesday at Wanganui. He admitted that pension's should bo laid down on a broad but hard and fast basis, but ho pointed out that disabilities did nol every mnn tho same way. For instance, ho pointed out that tho loss of two fingers might not affect one man very much, yet it might mean that another, who earned his living with his lingers, would have io abandon his old occupation and learn „ new one. There were some though forImintolv not mnny, who had lost both Innd" " n<nv could men in tlint condition be compensated to a pension? General Russell considered that a tor all ho men who had been dealt will on (ho Zd and hard and fast basis, special rases should l>o dealt with by ft sympathetic board.

■I'ho I'JI'J number of "Blue and White, Iho marine of SI. Patrick's College, is ii,,'eswt»l-i«nalty well got-up school journal Tho printing and illus nuimis are of the highest quality, and Iho reading natter is inleresling. Besides the pages , "evototl to football, cricket, and other sport.-;, (hero are form notes and a large section dealing with the doings of old how In thu nl!,lter oC ni ' t,clcs thK marine is well oil. P. Emerson conI,.;),„{■(« t,v,, short essays, Political Crowlh of New Zealand" and Lileraliivn and Politics." and other special features ini'linlo- "Sonic Memorica of the T.ato Dean Hills." "An Old Moy Pionocr of New Zealand," and "Over tho Hills and Far Away.' ,

The Conciliation Council yesterday failed to achieve, a settlement of the dVputp involving ionw.mi, restaurant, mid oyster wilnon employers anil em'l'he ir.iitlw ,vi " tlififi'.no bo iflVrroil in 1010 to the Arbitration Court. Tn addition to those appointed lo the SlnlF Corps the following returned oliipers members of the Ci.K.Q. Instruction School nt I'raitlinm. have been appointed to the regiment of the Royal New Zealand Artillery to complete the prewar establishment, with-effect .is from October 1, 1919 i-Ciipt. T. I'arr, U. 5.0., M.C., dipt. C. N. Nowman, D.5.0., Qiptftiii A. B. Williams, D.S.O Lieiir. r T Gillespio. Jf.C. Lieut. V. Q. Jones, Lieut. W. PpUard.

A list of extra ears and tlio timetable for the holidays will bo found in urn- advertising columns. Serueaut 'hum Fama, of (he Diggers' Pierrot*, li.'is an idea which he thinks iiiinht be. fnvnunilily considered iu ollicial (IUiirICTK. D'iriiijj the vnr, wlion the wounded "Piters" froiii ( lie New ZeuIjukl Division were pouring across from Franco lo Jviisland, .'ind Hip hospitals Hero full everywhere, cerlnin well-dis-posed dpodlp furnished iheir names to the lliirh the. New Zealand War I,'onliiw-nt, and Y.M.C.A. as willing Id la!:e in cimvsilesceiils or men home on leave. Thiuisaiids nf New Zealanders look ml van law of this opportunity of swing souk tiling of English hospitality and homo life, and were iinmcnmiriiuly n-sfpil and bpneliiod l).v the pxperience. Soreeiuit Varna Bays that lists of the people wln> ("Due forward in Hip. manner slated, and kept it nu year after year, are. in oxiflonco, and ho siißßPsta that the (invoriinipnl should the. conntrv's imh'bVpdiiPss lo them by Pemiinp; Hipm p-u-li tin iilficial «oiivP!)ir of somp kind. ITp snßßpfts that tlio souvenir miu'ht takp Hi" form tit' a brochure of views of Now Zealand wi'.h • a suitable, suneivci-intiiin wliicli would refer to tlio erctittirtp of Hiosp oxilos from homo whom tlio reciniouU had befriended.