LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Returned Soldiers' Association has written to the' City Council asking it to arrange for the holding of a Memorial Service on Anzac Day, 25th Aprill, and suggesting that only military chaplains be asked to officiate. Tho letter was Tead at last night's meeting of the council, and referred to the Finance Committee, with power to act. , . '

A remarkable concidence in regard to the recovery of a photograph has been brought-under the notice of the Nelson Colonist. Three Nelson lads proceeded' to the front, and after fighting for some time went together on leave to England, where they were photographed. On returning to France one was killed, another wounded, while the third is still " doing his bit." In hospital the wounded lad got into conversation with a wounded Tommy, who was in the next bed, in the course of which the English soldier mentioned that he had a photo ■which he had taken from a Boche that he had shot. On his showing tho picture to the wounded Nelsonian, it turned out to be a copy of the photograph of tha group taken -while on leave, which .the German had apparently taken from the Nelson boy who was killed.

Motorists and drivers,of vehicles generally have made a practice of cutting the corners on a recently-widened roadway round the Basin Reserve in their desire to save a fraction of a minute on their journeys, with the result that oncoming vehicles are endangered. The city authorities gre determined to put a stop to the dangerous practice, and police hava been stationed at the Reserve to see that the by-laws are complied with and to record the names of those who take the corners too closely. A second batch of offenders were dealt with by Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court to-day, and fines of 10s; with costs (17&' 6d), in default seven days in gaol, were imposed in the. following cases :— Leslie Baldwin, George Collins, Charles Grimmett, Erza Qrimmett, Frank Mayow, Bonald Howard Pigely, Henry Pm\w< fJiemas Willtefas, % >v, >v&.

By an Order in Council in this week's Gazette the Palmerston North Hospital and Charitable Aid Board is authorised to raise a loan of £43,500 and the Feilding Borough Council a loan of £7000. The maximum rate of interest is fixed a.t 5^ per cent.

In a recent letter to a friend in Wellington, Bishop Wallis, formerly in charge of this diocese, who is now in England, says:—"We are both wellthat is to\say, I am well enough to do what I have to do, and have had a busy autumn, with one or two specially interesting engagements, such as preaching at Gloucester and Canterbury Cathedrals, and a most successful and interesting conference of clergy here on the general subject of Reconstruction. The chief trouble with me now is that the petrol question hardly allows of my getting about at all, and in this part of Dorset the train service is not good at the best of times."

A few days ago the Auckland Star published a story, supplied by its Whakatane correspondent, that two different persons claimed to have seen, on Tuesday of last week, an aeroplane flying over the sparsely-populated back country of Waingarara. In one instance, it was said, the noise of the engines drew the observer's attention to the machine', which, it is statsd, came from the direction of White Island, and was flying in a southerly direction towards Urewera. Another observer a mile away from the first also reported having seen an aeroplane at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. That circumstantial story proves to have been groundless. The Hon. T. M. Wilford, Minister of Justice, told the Christchurch Sun that the Commissioner of Police had reported to him that enquiries had .been made into the story. The particular individuals who were supposed to have seen an aeroplane had been interviewed, and not one of them had heard or seen the alleged aeroplane.

Two ladies, members of numerous parties camped on the West Coast, discovered the other morning twenty-five whales, which had come ashore close to Bayly's reserve, says the DargavUle correspondent of the Auckland Herald. Twentyi-three of the whales were lying close together, while a short distance away were the other two. The length of the whales ranged from 22Tt to 45ft. Subsequently two male campers also discovered the school, and at once cut their brand on each carcase. Many of the whales were then alive. The male discoverers at'once took steps to realise oa their asset, and it is stated that they refuged tempting offers made by would-be purchasers. They have arranged for the necessary plant for boiling down the blubber, but it is stated that the original lady discoverers have since put in a claim as owners of the whales. During Saturday an.d Sunday hundreds of people from Dargaville and other river towns journeyed to the scene. Close to where the whales came ashore is a summer camping ground, where on are erected numerous bungalows, which are tenanted during the greater portion of. the year, .and the owners' are now faced with the possibility of being forced to terminate their camping season,- .owing to the odour which already is arising from the stranded whales.

There were some points of interest in evidence which was given by Mr. G. E. Harnett, Government Fruit and Pro,duce Inspector at Auckland, in a Supreme Court case a few days ago. The export trade in potatoes to Australia during the past two years, he stinted, had been practically ml. In the course of his work ho examined for! quality in the interests of the export trade and for disease in compliance with the regulations of the country to which export was being made. He had to examine 10 per cent, of each line exported. Potatoes infooted with rust could not be used for table purposes, and were not fit fnr hyman consumption. Rust showed no 6ign outside the_potato. The rust spots varied from a very small spot to the size of a pea. When suc'p a potato was boiled these spots became hard, and the potato was bitter to the taste. Bacteriosis, or brown rot, first started at the top of the plant, and rain would wash the bacteria down the haulm. This dis^ ease would Bhow on the skin of the potato, as wall as inside. One rusted potato would not affect another by contagion. There was imported into Auckland a large quantity of Islsnd fruit—if he remembered right the number was 300,000 eases in 1916—and he sometimes pat through 15,000 cases in a day. Auckland exported to the Islands potatoes and onions. The Dominion trade was increasing to the Islands. Roughly, in the year 1817 he passed 8000 sacks and bags of potatoes for the Islands—about 300 tons. The standard for exports *vas set higher than that for local trade. Unfortunately, New Zealand .'had no export regulations, but the standard was laid dawn by the country to which they were imported. ■

The end' of the protracted negotiations between the Federal and the State Governments with regard to the building of cargo ship.B at the Walsh Island engineering works was reached yesterday (says the Sydney Morning Herald of Thursday last). A contract has now been signed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Hughes, on behalf of the Federal .Government, • and by the Premier, Mr. Holmanj on behalf of the State, for the construction of six steel ships of a uniform pattern, each of 5500 tons dead weight capacity. The labour is to be engaged on the terms of the Federal Government's negotiations with the respective unions concerned. The Commonwealth will make regulaipayments to the State, according to the progress of the work, which has to bo done under the approval of the Commonwealth ship-building expert, Mr. Curchin. Various estimates, ranging from £175,000 upwards, have been mado of the cost of each vessel, and it is believed that the contract can be completed at an average rate of two ships each year. Mr. Ball, State Ministerfor Works and Railways, said last night that the work had already begun at Waleh Island. The industry would provide employment for a large number of men, and while the possibility of labour troubles could not be ignored, it was hoped that the agreements reached between the Prime Minister and the unions would smooth these matters out. considerably. Mr. Poynton, one of the new Federal Ministers, has been placed in ■charge of shipping and shipbuilding. Keferring to the general question of labour conditions for new construction work in shipbuilding last night, the Prime Minister 3aid that the secretary and another official of the Amalgamated Engineers' Association waited upon him thao day. They had asked that the new conditions, so far as Cockatoo Naval Dockyard was concerned, should be postponed until the result of the ballot now being taken by that organisation was made known. This would be about 14th May. Mr. Hughes told them that the Government could not agree to this. The. hew conditions will come into operation at tha Cockatoo Dock on Tuesday next. The next biennial conference of Oddfellows will be held at Auckland in 1320.

A short time ago (says a Pres& Association telegram) eight of the nine borough councillors at Waimate resignedl on the ground that they could not get on .with the Mayor. At the election yesterday five of the old council and three new men were elected. The Mayor, by his casting vote ( now has the decision in the case in dispute.

When a constable arrested John Kister coming out of the Gresham Hotel after 6 o'clock a few evenings ago, Kister admitted quite readily that he had gone into the hol^el to ob"tain drink, but said he had not been served. He asked the constable to "go easy with him," but his request was not..heeded, and, this morning his name was called at the Magistrate's Court. Mr. 'S. E. M'Carthy, S.M._, imposed a fine of £2, with costs 7s, in default fourteen days' imprisonment.

Mr. J. W. Tibbs, speaking at.the annual meeting of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, at Auckland, urged that blind scholars Should be placed on the same footing regarding free places in secondary schools as pupils with sight. He stated that two pupils at the institute hud been granted certificates of proficiency, and if they had had their sight would have been entitled to free places, but as they were blind this was not possible. Representations had been made to the Education Department that a grant should be made towards their higher education, so as to place them on the same footing as-pupils with sight, and there was reason to believs that something would ba done.

The member for the Bay of Islands. Mr._ Vernon H. Reed, with the district engineer, Mr. Wood, and the engineer on the works, Mr. Haskell, - recently traversed new construction works in North Auckland. Mir. Reed tolil an Auckland Herald reporter that the railway connecting the Whangarei-Kawakawa eectiou with the Main Trunk line, .at Waiotera Junction, is practically completed, with the exception of two miles between Portland and Oakleigh, and three miles and a-half between Tauraroa and Waiotera. One mile of the latter length has light lanes laid, and at the heart of this a steam navvy is doing good work. Waiotera Junction is between 106 and 107 miles from Newmarket, and! Huaiau station, to which the railway from Auckland is completed, is 92 miles from Newmarkot. _This leaves, roughly, 20 miles of uncompleted railway between Auckland and the Far North, on the route of which a certain amount of formatiou work has been done. During his visit in the North, the Minister for Public Works, Sir William Fraser, promised to put another 100 Slavs on this work'as soon as such labour becomes available.

"The inspiring and clarion, messages of His Majesty the. King and the i"rime Ministers of Britain and New Zealand," said the Hon. Arthur Myers, in Auckland, "should miike everyone recognise that while the wearing down of the enemy's man-power becomes more apparent, Mid we are more than holding our own on the land, at sea, and in the air, we are not justified in expecting to bring the war to an early termination unless the services of, every man njid woman in the Empire are utilised to the fullest possible extent. Into this struggle we must be prepared to put all our resources, so that iutur« generation? may live in peace, freedom, and honour, and in this hour'of supreme effort we must determine that there shall be no end to this war except a peace which is going to ensure security to all nations ' from the shadow, of Prnssianism and the development of' national life in the open light of freedom. An inconclusive peace at the, present juncture would be the most cruel blow to the cause of God and humanity. In a _ word, we must fight on to the end, gaining strength in men, moral, finance, and munitions, until the Allies are able to dictate their own terms.. Let us show hy our response to the appeal that we are mindful of the" issues at stake. Every man *who stands aside in this hour "of the nation's peril has no right to the name of Briton.'.'

The New South Wales Tourist Bureau has received information from the PanPacific Union.of Honolulu that a movement is on foot to convene a Pan-Paci-fic Conference, to be held in Hawaii as soon, as conditions will warrant, for the purpose of discussing and furthering interests common to every nation-of the Pacific. The Union's revised charter submits an outline for discussion and suggestions, which includes, inter alia, the establishment of information and education bureaux to promote mutual interests, tho maintenance of a commercial museum and art gallery, the organisation of an exposition of art and Jiandicraft, and the co-operation of all the nations and peoples about the Pacific in closer friendly and commercial relationship. The Union is convinced that the time is opportune to initiate a campaign of preparedness, so that, after the close of the war, a foundation may bei ready upon which to build up the commerce and traffic which will in future be carried by way of the Pacific Ocean.

Tuesday last was the 54th anniversary of the Battle of Orakau, the last great, though unsuccessful, stand made by the Maoris' against the British. On Ist January, .1864, General Cameron advanced up the Waipa about 15 miles from. Ngaruawahia, and- another force moved from Onehunga to Raglan, and thence crossed the to the Paterangi Pa. This pa waS too strong to be attacked directly, so General Cameron, on 20th February, made a nigEt march, and occupied, Eangiaohia district, from which ■the pa drew supplies. The Maoris evacuated Paterangi, were dislodged from a new position on the Te Awamutu road, and, moving to Orakau, built a pa, where they resolved to make a last desperate stand. Surrounded by 1500 soldiers, and battered constantly foy_ artillery, hungry, and perishing with thirst, Hley yet hela their position. On 2nd April the end' was near. They were asked, to send out at least the women and children, but the women proudly replied that they would die with* the men. It was then that Rewi Maniapoto flung back his 'memorable challenge : "Ka whawhai tonu matou. Ake! Ake! Ake!"—"we will fight on for ever and ever." The firing recommenced, and then the Maoris, in a compact, wedge-shaped mass, chanting their war songs, sallied out into the open, where the cavalry fell upon them and did terrible execution. A .total of 121 were killed, and 33 wounded and unwounded were taken prisoners. ,

The teller in one of-the Dunedin city banks recently received a surprise when he found included in a sum of money which was being paid over the counter a £1 note, inscribed "Commercial Bank of New Zealand, 2nd January, 1865." The note, which was in a capital state of preservation, was signed by J. Reid Mackenzie, chief manager, and countersigned by A. J. Buisson. It was apparently one of the earliest notes issued by the bank, as the number was 3000 odd.

In order to give districts power to establish Past Grande' Lodges, the following motion from Auckland was carried at the conference of Oddfellows yesterday : "Districts shaE have power to establish lodges of Past Grands, and such lodges may adopt any rules for their government, and any regulations for benefits that are in accordance with the 'spirit and principles of the general rules of the Unity: When Past Grand Lodges are established, notice of the same shall be forwarded to the O.S. of the Order by the Prov. C.S."

In a letter to the last meeting of the Nelson Harbour Board, the Secretary of the Marine Department stated that the attention of the Department had been drawn to the dangerous, practice which exists of men employed in wool stores being permitted to smoke. A case was mentioned where men working amongst open bales of greasy wool were smoking, and one man was actually smoking while crawling over the. stack. The Minister of Marine, it was stated, had directed him to suggest that harbour boards should frame a regulation prohibiting smoking in wool stores.

The National Efficiency Board held a conference yesterday with representatives of the various interests connected with the white pine industry—namely, sawmiliers, box-makers, coopers, freezing and dairy companies. The questions to ba determined are a 6 to whether it is advisable, by the prohibition of export or otherwise, to conserve stocks of standing white pine timber, as to whether' such steps as may be taken will be effective, and as to whether it is not possible to grow in this country other timbers which^are taeteles3 and odourless, and therefor? suitable for .the packing, of dairy produce and tallow. On these pointe the board will in due course report to the Government.

. The London correspondent of The Poststates that Mr. W. Acton-Adams has a long letter'in the Morning Post contrasting British and German methods of colonisation, giving numerous instances of the former's treatment o? the Maori, and of the Maori appreciation of British methods. Mr. Adams says: "We always treated the Maori as our equals in every way. They have fully reciprocated this feeling, and eagerly volunteered, and in fact insisted on- joining the Empire troops in this war, and many of them have fallen, both in France and Gallipoli. Let the world say which nation haa treated its natives and captives best, and which should' be entrusted with the government of -them. :>

Alfred Heiler, the record bone-breaker of Australia, has not yet got out of his habit of breaking limbs. The other night,. whilst walking home, he tripped and fell, which resulted in a broken leg. He was immediately taken to the local hospital, to be laid up for repairs. It is only a little over a month, ago since he was discharged from hospital, where he had been admitted with a broken leg, just before Christmas. He takes the breaks as if they were an every-day occurrence. One thing he cannot understand is that he has not broken his neck, as it is the only part that has never been broken. His total to date, without counting finger, toe, and a few smaller breaks, is 41.