LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 234, 28 June 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have received advice from Sydney that the R.M.S. Maraina sailed at I’l a.m. on Juno 25 for Wellington. She carries 14 bags of mails and sixteen parcel receptacles for Wellington.

The retrial of Te Kahu, for alleged murder at Ongaroto, has been fixed for August 2, at Hamilton —Press Assn.

An interchange of pulpits at Nelson on Sunday between the Anglican and nonEpiscopal Churches created a most favourable impression (states a Press Association telegram). The changes were: The Rev. H. L. Hlamires, Methodist, at tho Cathedral; Bishop Sadlier, at the Presbyterian Church; the Dean of Nelson (Dr. Weeks), at the Baptist Church; the Rev. Mr. Laird, Baptist, at All Saints’ Church; the Rev. Pring Rowe, Anglican, at the Methodist Church; the Rev. Rogers, Anglican, at the Congregational Church; Mr. Vercoo, Congregational. at Stoke (Anglican). The subject dealt with mainly was Christian Brotherhood.

1 The French five-masted barque France, the world’s largest sailing vessel, arrived at Lyttelton on Sunday, after an uneventful passage of 110 days from Newport, Wales. She brought 6924 tons of coal for the New Zealand Government. —Press Assn

The Mayor and councillors will pay a visit of inspection to the Orongorongo tunnel works, Wainui-o-Mata, to-mor-row.

The Auckland express, which reaches Wellington about 1 p.m., stops at Taihape at J a.m., but does not take mail matter. The Taihape Chamber of Com-ms-rce is agitating to alter ibis, as if letters were carried on that train, people here could answer by the return mail the same evening. The Taihape Chamber has written to the M’ellington Chamber on the matter, and also to the .Postmaster-General. I'lio aecrefary is to interview the Secretary of tho P. and T. Department to see if the Postal authorities cannot take advantage of this train as far as Taihape is concerned.

On Saturday last there wore on the books of the Employment Bureau in Ghuznee Strrot 306 applications for heavy work and 62 for light work. During the week 46 men wero sent to public works, two to other Government works, and It to private employment. Representatives of all shades of opinion were present at a civic reception to Mr. Andrew Fisher at Brisbane on Juno 13. Tributes to the guest were paid by the Mayor (Mr. J. F. Maxwell), Mr. Gillies, Minister of Agriculture, representing the State Government; Mr. C. Taylor, leader of the Nationalist Party, and others. Mr. Fisher, in the course of his reply, said he was proud of the establishment of the Australian Navy. On tho political side of things he would as soon drop a big balloon, down on a crowd and select tho men it touched 'is irrmbers of Parliament ns proceed in the way they carried on now. As *o the great and delicate question of finance he desired to say that, in England ho had found that the world’s biggest finanoiers were just much "in dreamland” ns were the people of Australia generally at the present time. Tho golden tluead running through the speeches was that our race had not deteriorated when the war found us, nnd it had not deteriorated since. Our ideals were much higher today, nnd ns a result of our sacrifices our children nnd our children’s children would benefit by the tragedy which had occurred. They would have higher ideals, nobler aspirations, and a more fixed determination that they would be just and true to other people, but that tl;?y would allow no other people, to touch our own affairs or attempt to suppress us in any wny.

An aeroplane ambulance, built by the firm of Vickers, has been tested in Britain with successful results. It has a speedi of over 100 miles an hour, and can carry four stretcher eases or eight "sitting up” cases, with an attendant and two pilots. There are two engines, either of them capable of driving the aeroplane alone. Th# body of the machine is designed so as to permit of stretcher# being lifted in and out easily and quickly, and the attendant can move freely among the patients. It has been suggested that machines of this kind may play an important part in hospital work in sparsely-settled districts, where the victims of accidents and sickness under present conditions may be days without medical aid. An aeroplane ambulance could bring an urgent, ease from an out-back district to a city hospital within a few hours.

The sitting of tho Second Division of tho Court of Appeal has been further adjourned, until July 4 next at 10 a.m. The sitting of First Division will be commenoc-d on tho same date at 11 a.m. The Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce yesterday supjjorled a protest by tht- Booksellers’ Association against tile proposal of the Minister of Education to supply school Ixioks through the education boards.—Press Assn.

During the past month a conference has been hold between the Red Cross Society, Salvation Army, and the Y.M.C.A., with the object, of standardising the work in the different: military hospitals. Concrete proposals have been made whereby, it is hoped, overlapping will be brought to the absolute minimum.

Tho National Executive of the Y.M.C.A. has received a report from its industrial department, which went to show that the interest in this side of the work was showing a marked increase. Ono of the most outstanding events during the past month was the opening of the recreational hut at Mangaliao. Similar huts are being erected at two work centres in the North Auckland, district.

An unfortunate accident occurred recently, which resulted in Mr. It. A. Hamerton, a civil engineer in the employ of the Tramways Department, sustaining a broken leg. Mr. Hamerten has for some years past l?een entrusted with tho survey work in connection with the tramway tracks, and was engaged in surveying the tracks at the junction of Ellice Street and Dufferin Street, when a motor-car backed against him and knocked him over. He is now making satisfactory progress towards recovery. For this reason the work of re-laying the tracks round the Basin Reserve has been unavoidably postponed, as the plans for the new tracks which pre to follow a lino altogether different to the present tracks have yet to be completed by Mr. Hamerten before submission to the Public "Works Department for approval. The Mavor (Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P.) is taking'a firm stand with respect to those chain prayers which are eent abroad by propio with an eccentric idea of the best means of spreading true Christianity. "I have written to tho senders,” said Mr. Wright, "telling them that it is useless sending them to me, as thev only find their end in the wastepaper 'basket. The worst of this curious business is that tho letters contain a s'rt of threat to tho effect that some dire calamity will happen if the chain is broken by tho prayer not being sent on This is positively pernicious, and 1 for one, am not going to encourage anything of the kind. Mrs. Wright also received a prayer, with the usual threat of something unfortunate happening if she did not send it on. She sent it on to the fireplace!”

At the invitation of the secretary of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, the national industrial secretary of the Y.M.C.A. attended the recent conference of the union and discussed with delegates the industrial work of the Y.M.C.A. At the close of his address, Mr. Edmond was thanked by the conference, and the representative of the Otago District Union requested that an effort be made to commence Y.M.C.A. operations among the mon working in the Public Works camps in the Otago district. It is hoped that something definite will be done for these men in the immediate future.

Some nurserymen in the northern districts have been pressing a claim against the Government ror compensation on account of tress that were destroyed by order of the. Agricultural Department, during the outbreak of iireblight. The Minister of Agriculture (Hon. W. Nos- ' worthy) stated yesterday that Cabinet had agreed to refer this cl ann to the Agricultural, Pastoral, and Stock Committee of the House of Representatives for‘consideration. The committee will sit during the next session of Parlia-

nwnt. The grounds on which charitable aid was granted to applicants last month bv the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board were inquired into by the supeiintendent. The result was as foil”™ Unemployment, 14; desertion, M; sick ness, 32; widowhood, 21; old age < , imprisonment, 3; miscellaneous, 4; total, 91At the last meeting of ths Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board a return was presented showing the respective cost of the dental departments attached to the Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch general hospitals. lb® disparity in several of the items is remarkable. Tn Wellington the dental surgeon receives £5OO a year, in Dunedin £6OO, and in Christchurch £4ra. whilst Auckland pays £558 for material. Wellington only paid £2Bl and Christchurch ,£660. Though the salary of the dental surgeon in charge was lowest in Chin-’-church, the salary account wiasth■ ■ highest, viz., £1523, as against Mell ngton’s modest! £B9B, and Aucklandls £1145 • but Christchurch collects in fees, Wellington only £728, and Auckland £625.

Reports which wero presented at a meeting of tho Canterbury College Board of Governors yesterday dealt with plans for the celebration of the college in 1923. A history of the college will be prepared and published, as well as a register of graduates,, with notes on their academic and professional careers. The Professor of Classics will be asked to draw up an invitation in Latin, to be forwarded to all universities throughout the world.—Press Assn.

At a special meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council, held in committee last week, Councillor A M'Bam reported that he had attended the conference of ambulance van delegates at Petono, and that as only one other representative was present the meeting had lapsed. On the niotwn of Councillor . Hobbs, it was decided that in view of tho laxity of the Petone delegates in not attending, the Hutt Council withdraw representation from any future meeting. There is no likelihood of a butter shortage in tho Dominion during the present winter, asserts the Auckland “Herald” There was a large increase in production during the season just closed, and substantial stocks are said to be held in the various butter-produc-mg districts. The position, as far as Auckland is concerned, is that a oeitai quantity of butter is still being manufactured and the bulk of it is going straight into consumption. The quantity held in th® grading stores after the last of the Imperial stocks have been taken by tho Maunari will be about 44,000 boxes. The new season s make will be coming to hand in weeks and the quantity held in store will be ample for all requirements in the meantime. Much less butter than usual has been sent to tho south this season, and the immediate southern demand is not expected to be very great. The decrease in the quantity required said to be due to the mild weather that has prevailed having made possible greater autumn production than usual. A sensational occurrence took place in the Court of General Sessions before the luncheon adjournment in Melbourne last week (states an exchange) } nl^. nt T Hvndes a former officer of the A ictorian branch of the Returned Sailors nnd Soldiers’ Imperial League of Austria Xu the foreman of the jury rrfuriied with a verdict of guilty against tom produced a revolver, which he dramatically turned to his temple, and pull nd the tri’gor. The cartridge, however, failed to explode. A warder and a constable ruslied nt the prisoner who was in (he dock, and seized him. Hynaw leaded not guilty to having on or \ <• TCnvcmber 27 1920, with intent to de’fraud, forged and uttered an authority t rrouest for the payment of money mirnorting to have been an authority ot request from John M'Kenzie president oAhe Melbourne branch of the league. Appreciation of the work done by the YMCA, among Territorials and Se Cndcte in the Trentham Training School has been freely expressed. Ihe 5. .M.C.Y National Executive has received a letter from Lieutenant-Colonel G. G. 1 ° wl “ s b ’ ivritten at the termination of the Bth voluntary 14-day course for Territorial, and Cadets, in which ho says: I would like to take the opportunity of thanking von for the great services given by the •Y.M.C.A. Institution in this camp. Your Iwo officers. Mr. Hicks and Mr. Chappell. have wholeheartedly devoted their time and the resources of your institution to the welfare of the boys. Or Mr. Chappell, whose special work has been with the Itoys, I cannot speak too highly. No service that he could render lias been omitted, and his good influence with the boys is most highly ap-, preciated by my staff and myself. . . ‘