LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 228, 21 June 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have received advice that tho R.M.S. Makura sailed from Suva ou the afternoon of June 20 for Auckland. She carries 191 bags of mails for Wellington. Tho Postal authorities have received advice from Sydney that the s.s. AVaihora sailed from Newcastle on June 18 for AVellington. She carries 35 bags of Australian mail, including 11 bags from the East and 5 bags from Africa. The s.s. Banffshire sailed from Sydney at. 1 p.m. on June 18 for Bluff. . She carries a small Australian mail. The second civil action arising out of the gig and motor collision on the Butt Road last October will be commenced in the Supreme Court to-day. The case is one in which the widow of AVilliam Huskisson, who died in the Wellington Hospital some time after the accident, asks for £3OOO damages against Guy Leslie Pulton, driver of the motorcar that collided with the gig. The driver of thu gig, F. AV. Croft, recently obtained damages against Fulton in the Supreme Court—-a jury case. The New Zealand University Rugby team returned from Australia by the Mnheno. who reached Auckland yesterday. The team had an enjoyable and successful tour.—Press Assn.

The Minister of Agriculture (Hon. AV. Nosworthy) stated yesterday that Cabinet had sanctioned some further expenditure on irrigation experiments by his Department in the area reserved for this purpose at Galloway, in Central Otago. Most successful results have 'been obtained already in various parts of Central Otago by irrigation, but information is still required on variqjis points, and the Agricultural Department is experimenting with the object of assisting formers to make the best use of the water when it is placed within their reach. To be invited to partake of a threepenny beer ns a reward for his honesty in returning a wallet containing £5OO. a steamer ticket, and a number of other valuable papers was _ the experience of a Ponsonby resident the other day, states the “Star." The owner of the valuable packet had evidently paid a visit to Point Erin Park, for it was there on a seat that the find was made. After perusing the contents the suburban man became acquainted with the owner’s name, and immediately set out, nt inconvenience, and expense to himself, to locate the intending passenger, his desire being to relievo the owner’s worry and place him in the position of making his trip. He made many calls, and ultimately located the former resident of the Dominion in a local hotel, and handed the package over. 'lhe owner was profuse in his thanks, and expressed his gratitude in the manner stated above.

An Invercargill Press Association message states that, the Electric 'Power Board is dispensing with its employees pending assured finance, which it is hoped-will be arranged. Tho expenditure to date annroximates £200,000.

n instance <>l the power ol the Audit Department to refuse the Government the use of moneys not voted by Parliament was given by Sir Francis Bell, Acting-Prime Minister, in an address to the Public Service Association delegates at their conference yesterday. The Government had the right, he said, io spend up to a certain amount under the heading of “unauthorised expenditure,” and afterwarSs account for it io Parliament under a report of the Auditor-Gen-era). Of course it was quite obvious that the Government', itself was a body which must not touch unauthorised moneys for ihe individual purposes of its members. The Governor-General was ihe head of ihe Administration, and the Imperial Parliament offered to the late Governor-General for his services, and with ihe approval of ihe New Zealand Government, three months' leave of absence on full pay. The GoverriYnent desired to pay tho amount reonired out of "unauthorised,” ’but found/that it could, not, ns ihe Auditor-General quite properly would not allow it to draw a cheque on the Treasury, because, as was obvious, the cheque might have been to any member of the Government for his own amusement. The result was that the Government had io wait, and have an Act passed to make the very small nrovision authorised by ihe Imperial Government and hy it.

On Sunday the Salvation Army Band gave a performance which was much appreciated at the Ewart Hospital for Conaumptivee. A collection was taken up for the Ewart Hospital piano fund.

There was not the slightest doubt about the manner in which tho school children onjoved the matinee of "50.000 Miles AVith ihe Prince” at the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. The spirits of the children wore away above normal, and to “let off steam” they made a chorus of each familiar tune played by the pianist, until the big building rang with their glad voice’. The two favourite section’ of the Prince picture -are King Neptune’s ceremony, find the fine views of H.AT.S. Renown dashing into a bucking Jvend-’ea wh’lst crossing the Great Australian Bight. It was reported the other day that Air. A. C. Gifford was the first person in New Zealand to observe the comet, Pons AVinnicke. The Government Astronomer (Dr. Adams) has now been advised that the comet was seen on June 7, some days before Air. Gifford made his observation, bv Air. E. L. Morley, pf Nelson, who, however, failed to notify the Government Astronomer at once. At the time of the observation the comet was near lo the star Zeta Cygni, the position being: Right ascension. 21 hours 18 minutes; declination. 30 degrees 55 minutes north.

Air. R. AV. Burbidgo presided at the annual meeting of the Roseneath and Oriental Bay Alunicipal Electors’ Association held last night. The annual report mentioned that many of the in’ provements which had been promised the district still remained uncompleted, buf ns soon as the ■'.present financial string ency was over the committee hope tv see an era of progress. The works fowhich loans had been passed included that to provide a lift to Roseneath, bu> none of the works had been commenced and unless they were started within two years the loan would lapse. In conclusion the outgoing committee recommended that the comnffltee be reconstructed and a new set of rules adopted. A new set of rules was adopted. They provide for a subscription of 2s. 6d. per annum. and vest the management of the association in the hands of an executive committee consisting of five members. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, Air. F. Downs; vice-president, Air. D. At'laren; secretary and reasurer, Air. C. Al. Turnbull; committee, Alessrs. A. J. Pethcrick and F. AV. Moore.

A curious explanation is given of the reason for (he recall and destruction of a, new fourteen centavos postage stamp recently issued by the Chilean Post Office. The main features of the design, printed in black and rosb, consisted of a portrait of Don Manuel de Salas, No sooner had the stamp been issued, however. says an exchange, than someone observed that the engraver had portrayed de Salas drunk. Supplies were hastily called in from outlying post offices by telegram, but not before 114 copies of the libellous stamp had been sold at Quillota. The remainder of the stock was destroyed by the Chilean Government. "There is nothing can progress in this World unless it gets into the newspapers,” remarked Dr. Thacker, ALT’., at a meeting at which the Christchurch local association of the Dominion Boy Scouts’ Association was formed. "It’s no matter whether it is getting mud slung at it,” he added. "or whether it is being lauded to the skies, if you don’t get into the pnp- i- people don't 'know what is going on." Lord Bryce has expressed a like view, but in rather different language.

Professor AVall, during tho course of a lecture at Canterbury College, said he could make a very interesting lecture on Iwer. He was referring to the frequent mention of beer or mead in the Pagan poetry of tho Anglo-Saxons, and said that the history of beer was very dignified, and played an important part in old English poetry, forming a large part of tho Anglo-Saxon vocabulary. As an instance, the lecturer said that in one oft-quoted poem, the panic into which a household was thrown by the appearance of a monster, was, described as "beer-famine,” the distress caused by the absence of beer.

A Dominion reporter was informed yesterday that the cases against the four men who are alleged to have assaulted Robert Charles Dick, a stoker at the Petone gasworks, on. Friday evening, will be heard nt the Magistrate’s Court, Potone, on Thursday morning. Approval of regulations drawn up by the Agricultural Department for the eradication of cattle tick was given by the Farmer*’ Union Conference in Auckland, after. Mr. A. R. Young (Director of the Live Stock Division) had outlined the scheme. The object in view, he explained, was to divide the infected area into two districts —one badly infected and the other not so badly infected—and to make it compulsory for cattle affected to be dipped every twenty-one days. ,He wanted to insist that all cattle leaving one area for another should be dipped. Seed was a carrier of tick, and he wanted to prohibit seed coming from Australia or any other- place where tick existed without it being fumigated before being sent to the farm. It was explained to the conference thzt the two districts would be as follows,: “A,” comprising all the country zorth ( of the AVhau Bridge, also Great Barrier Island. Coromandel Peninsula, and the Bay of Plenty; "B,” other parts of ihe province where cattle tick nas been found, but can be quickly eradicated if proper steps are taken by those interested. Lengthy discussion ensued regarding the proposed boundaries and other aspects of the scheme. It was stated that good results had been obtained as the result of spraying.