LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2239, 27 August 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A sitting in Chambers will be held at the Supreme Court at 10.30 a.m. today. ' , The New Zealand Moderate League's petition for the postponement of the general elections is now being exhibited at street corners in the city, where the signatures of the public are being invited. .-, Tho booming of the big guns at Wellington forts on Wednesday could bedistinctly heard at Whnremea, thirty or forty miles beyond Masterton, says our correspondent.. Some of■. the settlors were considerably alarmed. In consequence of tho difficulties arising through . tho outbreak of hostilities, it has been agreed.by the Wellington Harbour Board to extend tho time for the receiving of tenders for Pipitea Wharf till 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23. At the Supremo Court yesterday, Mr. Justico Hosking, in the divorce petition of Alfred Ernest Osborne v. Annie Maria Osborne, granted a decree nisi to bo made absolute in six months. Lord Dcsborough, who is president of tho Imperial Air Fleet, in presiding recently in London at a function arranged in connection with tho presentation of an aeroplane to the Commonwealth Government, is reported to have stated that the gift of an aeroplane to New Zealand had caused the Government- to build an aerodrome and establish an aviation school at Christehurch Delegates to tho Canterbury liquor trade provincial council on Wednesday passed a strongly-worded resolution protesting against recent statements made by the Prohibition Party, and also regretting that _ the Prohibtion Party proposed to continue its propaganda at' the present juncture.—Press Association. Captain D. J. Watson's scheme for the acquisition of n catchment area for i. water supply for tho Harbour Board lias boon withdrawn owing to the prosent crisis, but Captain Watson stated last night that ho will take the opportunity of bringing the matter before tho board again on some future occasion. "It is a mere superstition that a witness need hold tho Bible with elie bare hand in order to be properly sworn," said Mr. Justice Cooper in the Supreme Court at Auckland, as a- female witness in a divorce suit made hurried efforts to Temovo her right-hand glovo. "Personally, if I had to handle Court Bibloß, I should prefer to have a glove !on."

Tho annual rogorfc of tlie WaUgantli River Trust, which was profeented' to Parliament last evening, Btated tliat during the past working season the energies of tho Trust had been mainly in the direction of keeping the river channel opon for the ever-growing traf.< tio on' tho river and securing ft. safe passage for steamers and launches at larepokiore, which httd always been a, menace to navigation. Most of tho £1000 subsidy had been expended heroj and the place was now safe for traffio Under all conditions of tho river. Moreover, largo steamers could now negotiate tho rapid. It was estimated that during the 1914-15 season ovei 2000 baJob of wool would pass through Taroponore, and that in ten years 10,000 bales must travel down tho river.

The annual report of the Marino Department was presented to thri Houso of Representatives last evening by tho | Hon. F. M. B. Fisher. The Superintendants of Merqantile Marine and their assistants were commended in the report for tlieir satisfactory work, and especially for their tact during tho strike. During the twelve moritliß, 22,230 seamen were engaged at the ports and 21,718 were discharged, and £30i5 was received in fees. Thy figures for the previous year wore:—-Engagmonts, 20,554; discharges, 20,378; fees, £2801. As to masters, mates, arid engineers, ifho examinations had been satisfactorily carried out. In all 408 candidates passed, and 132 failed. Tho percentage of passes' in tho whole number of exainiriations was 60 i, which was a better result than last year; but in tho foreign»going examinations tha percentage was only 47J, which was' not quite so good aslast year,'arid this was no doubt due to the new and more difficult problems, connected with tho o'hart work which' were adopted. On' December 31 last there were registered in New Zealand 225 sailing snips of 31,619 toiis, and 391 steamships of 127,691 -tons. Seventy-six inquiries into casualties to shipß were held—7o preliminary. 6 magisterial. Tho number of Eves "lost was 5, as compared! with 83 in the previous year. One life was lost in the explosion which destroyed t)he Moa, off Wanganui,and 4 in the auxiliary'fishing cutter' Iris, at Bluff.

Aa' enlisting volunteer from New Plymouth, whoso sweetheart is not so patriotic as he is, inasmuch as she-.is-sued an ultimatum that the engagement would bo declared off if he placed _. his country before her, had an ' exciting motor-cycle ride an evening or two ago. He had only about an hour and a half of civilian life left him, but he resolved not to submit without a struggle. He commandeered a motor-oycio, rode out to see his fianceo. and as the result of the interview induced her to see the error of her ways and revoke- tho edict. Happily he thon wended his way back to New which ho reached a few minutes before "lights out." He had to cycle fully 55 miles in all.

In Kawhia, as .elsewhere—amongst Natives as well as'amongst Europeans •—says the Auckland "Star," there is a spirit abroad which impels people to forgivo and forget past quarrels and differences, and to make friends again on account of the great national trouble which is threatening us. To settle the ownership of. a. valuable horse, two Maoris recently n had a law case, which was not settled at last Court day. The litigants havejiow decided the question by handing-tho horse to the Defence Department to help to fight the country's battles against the common enemy.

"I have to thank the Salvation Army and. you .persona'ly. I think ypli have probably saved, this man," said Mr. Justice Cooper to an officer of that organisation m the Supreme Court at Auckland. ...An had been' committed to'the carb of the Army was formally brought before !his Honour to obtain ■ permission to. proceed to work in tho country. Tho Army officer stated that the erstwhile prisoner's conduct had be9n> satisfactory during his period of probation, and the Judge'in.'giving tho necessary permission earnestly- advised the man to abstain from drink, which ho was. convinced! was tho cause of his downfall.

Tho Minister of Marine states, in his annual report, which was presented to Parliament last evening, that tho plans and specifications have been prepared for the new steamer to replace the Hinemoa, and he recommends that a vote should be taken this year towards the oost of tho new vessel.

Dr; R: I. Sutton, who has just return ed'to Napier, after a seven .weeks' visit to the South Soa / Islands, including Samoa, informed a "Telegraph" reporter that it was not until arrival at Sydney that they knew anything about, the war. At Samoa there was no sign of military operations, and in fact he did not see a soldier all the time he was there. Of course, as he points out, this was up to July 19, on which date he left. It was reported that part of the China (British) squadron was to visit Apia (Samoa) in about a week's time from that date, but whether /they ever arrived he had not heard. Dr. Sutton says the Germans have a very powerful wireless station at Samoa, with a radius of 3000 miles.' Tho station was too powerful for the steamer on which they were travelling, arid they would not tone it down so as to get in touch. Had they operated at full strength they would' ,have destroyed tho wireless apparatus on the vessel.

"Can anything be done to .minimise the ridfise made by the.dredge in tie eaTly morning?" asked! Mr.- R. A. Wrinlit'at last night's meeting of tlio WelFmgton Harbour Board In putting the question, Mr. Wright, explained that he had heard numerous complainte from residents of the annoyance • caused by the dredge working at such early hours. The chairman (Mr. R. Fletcher) stated amidst laughter that lie had frequently been called up by telephone m the middle of the night and told u> shift the dredge. The only thing he could do was to refer the complaints to the Harbour Board engineer, and he advised Mr. Wright to do the same. ' ,