LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2458, 11 May 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The mails which left Wellington on April 1, per R.M.S. Marama, and which arrived at San Francisco on April 21, due date, reached London on May 8, sis days late.By the Government training ship Amokura, which arrived back from the Southern Islands last week, the Wellington Zoo received l two very fine king, penguins—birds of unusual size and striking plumage which are 6aid to be obtainable only at one rookery on Macquarie Island. The fees received from tho Municipal Crematorium during the year amounted to £71 16s. Bd. After an unusually long spell of beautiful autumn weather, the conditions changed on Suudav, when a boisterous northerly gale and a gloomy sky gave warning ol worse to follow. Sleety rain fell on Sunday evening, and yesterday mornin'g the gale gathered double force, and, accompanied by sweeping showers, made things the reverse of pleasant throughout the day. The break-up of our "Indian summer" may be taken to be a rude harbinger of the winter. A witness who appeared in a truancy case at tho Christchurch Magistrate's Court on Friday, said that her son was working, and she did not want him to go back to school. "He's such a dunce that I don't think he will ever get through tho sixth standard,'' she continued, "and as he is earning good money I would rather pay the fine than send him to school." The Magistrate said he would adjourn the ca-se for two months, and if the mother did not send the lad to school he would inflict a heavy penalty, "Well, I suppose I will have to work hard and save up the money to pay the fine, when the case comes on," observed the mother as she left the Court. "He's nearly fourteen now, and I'll be jolly glad when the few months are past." The seizure by the Customs officials of 437 tins of opium, found hidden under the coal bunkers of the s.s. Invertay on her arrival at Auckland from New York on Friday, will not be followed by any action by the Customs Department against the ship. It is frequently the case, where a ship carries Chinese as part of the crew, that provision is made in the articles guarding against the hiding of opium in the ship by a clause making it obligatory on the Chinese to pay any fine that may. be imposed on the ship in consequence of the finding of opium hidden in the vessel. the fine thus falling on the Orientals who had worked in the part of the vessels where the prohibited drug was found. There were nineteen Chinese working in the engine-room of the Inverts.}',. but no suoh provision as that mentioned had been made in the ship's articles, consequently any penalty would fall on the ship. The discovery would probably not have been made had it not been that the coal bunkers had been absolutely cleared of fuel during the voyage, owing to unexpected delays, Under the circumstances the Minister of Marine is satisfied with the preventive effect of the confiscation of _ the large quantity of smuggled _ opium, amounting to 1641b., and has informed Mr. J. P. Ridings, Collector of Customs for Auckland, that no further action will be taken. The . well-known Now Zealand lightweight boxer, Tim Tracy, has decided to como out again. Tracy's reappearance will be for a patriotic purpose. Recently lie expressed his willingness to once more take the ring in aid of soma patriotic fund, and last evening the Wellington Boxing Association decided to put on a match between him and young Taylor, who has been training in Wellington for some time._ The match will bo held in the Wellington Town Hall on June 10. The purse will be £50 (£3O to the winner and £20 to the loser). The sum of £10 will bo allowed Taylor as expenses, and Tracy will be allowed £5. The proceeds will be donated to tho Wounded Soldiers' Funrt. Speaking to the Technical College Cadets at- their weekly parade last night, Lieutenant Duffy recalled the great interest and untiring zeSd put into his company by their late popular commander, Lieutenant Hugo, who has so lately laid down his life in the Empire's service, and of the pride the members felt in their past association with him. Of the Technical College Cadet Company three had gone to the front, viz., Lieutenants Hugo, Voyce, and Hornig. Iu silence a vote of sympathy with Mrs. Hugo, Lieutenant Hugo's widowed mother, was passed. The Wellington Zoo is a most attractive and educative institution, and one that, judging by the receipts, is coming in favour with the general public. From the City balance-sheet it is gleaned that the fees from the Zoo received during the past rinancial year amounted to £1058 "2s. 4d., whilst the expenditure was £2199 Bs, 3d., a loss of £1441 os. lid.

That valuable property on Lambton Quay known as tae City Buffet Hotel, formerly owned by the late Mr. A. I*. V. Lodder, whose estate is being administered by the Public Trustee, lias beei* purchased outright through Mr. S. Geo* Nathan, as agent, by Mr. P, Gi'iffen,' late lessee of the Pier Hotel, and who recently purchased City property to the value of £24,000 from the Rhodes Es-< tate. Part of the existing hotel, tho ground floor of which is occupied by ; shops, is a leasehold property, and is' not included in Mr. Griffeu's purchase, but the freehold of the hotel proper, which carries the license, and has ai frontage to Lanibtoii Quay of 40ft. by & depth extending back to Wellington Terrace, has been secured by Sir. t>ntfen. The purchase was by tender, ane the price has not been disclosed.

For failing to answer when his name was called for the Grand Jury yesterday morning, William Turnbull was fined £3, but he subsequently attended and explained his absence, and the fine was remitted by His Honour the Chier Justice. Three common jurors were exempted by His Honour j the ground of exemption, in one case being a summons to report at Trentham Camp for active service.

The Education District. Boundaries Commission, which is Bitting in Nelson! at present, will proceed l liert to Wa« liganui, then New Plymouth and Auckland, and prnhaVly Napier. The final sitting will take place in Wellington towards the end of the month, and tna commission will then have time to present their report before Parliament sits. Yesterday was the last day for the filling in of ballot papers for the election of members to the Education Council. The count will be commenced after 5 p.m. on May 38, and tlie result of tiha election probably known the followingday.

After the casualty lists in the Dardanelles operations were received in New Zealand, the Minister of Defence (the Hon. Jas. Alien) sent out messages of sympathy to the relatives of those who'had fallen at the front. Numerous replies have been received by tho Minister, in many instances expressing the hope that the wounded soldier will soott be able to return to the firing line. One reply received by Mr. Allen is as follows: —"I have to thank you for youE very sympathetic telegram, referring to my'son wounded in action, and for youC intimation to forward any further infor-, million received. I tnist with you his wound may not be serious, and that he will again be able to take bis placa in the ranks fighting against _ our enemies, in honour of our Empire." Another reply, from a Taihape resident, is to the following effect:—"l sincerely thank you for your very kind and speedy message referring to the wound-<. ing of my nephew,_ Private -—, of thei Wellington Battalion. He is a bravet lad, and I sincerely trust that hia' wounds are such that will enable him ta again quicklv take his stand in the ranks to fight for 'his King and country."

An interim report from the Minister of Native Affajrs (the Hon. W. H, Herries), regarding the question of lani settlement, which has been received front the Prime Minister, states that the lasti blocks of customary land remaining ia New Zealand are now being clothed withj title, and that it may be confidently ex* pected that by the close of.nest yeaij all blocks of any size will have _ ascertained titles. Purchase is now being rej sumed iu the vast Urewera Block, ans interests are being acquired in the tremely fertile land of the East Coastjj north of Gisborne. )

The Petone mystery brought about bj the disappearance of three persons, reported in our issue of yesterday, cleared up yesterday, when the missing mother and her two children were uim. covered alive and well, staying witu;_ friends at a suburb not far from \\clV lington. It is believed that the of their leaving home was due to familjf. differences. j It was reported to the Wellington;) Boxing Association last evening that at the recent patriotic tournament held iu the Town Hall the gross takings amounted to £57 12s. The cost of any; trophies which may be awarded to com-* petitors will be borne by the Boxing As* sociation. j The cause of an accident to Mr. Wj Meager's motor-car near the Bridge on Friday was reported on Sat* urday to have been due to the caq getting out of control and swerving across the footpath and into a fence. A) contradiction just received states that the accident was caused when the cas was passing between two stationary ex« presses. One of the expresses, it is stated, was loaded with iron rods, which protruded some 5 or 6 feet over / Ine tailboard. As tie car was passing, t-hrn express is said to have turned rounds the rods striking the driver and smash-, ing the driving wheel, after which the car swerved into the fence.

The operations in the Dardanelles an<s tlio New Zealand casualty lists were re-, ferred to at the intercession service coiii,; 'ducted on Friday afternoon at St. Paul Anglican Pro-Catliedral by the Rev. A* 1 M. Johnson. There was a large con,J gregation. The service was characterise ed hy a simplicity and directness which!, made it most impressive and helpful.) It consisted of the Litany, with special, petitions regarding the war, with prayers for the Army and avy, j for the doctors, nurses, and chaplains*) for the sick and the wounded, the dead, and the dying, and for thoee who liav«. friends and relatives in the fighting lines. Special mention was made of the New Zealand troops now operating m tlio Dardanelles, and other aspects of the great crisis through which the Emniro is now passing. There was no ad* dress, the service concluding with th« hvmn "Peaco, Perfect Peace, and tlio Benediction. These services are held every Friday afternoon, commencing ao a quarter past five.

A sitting of the Conciliation Council is to be held in Masterton ou May 14, to deal with the general labourers dispute. WHAT DR. POERITT, OF WaNGAN? SATS ABOUT THE STUDEBAKE' The firm or Miams, Ltd., aoes handle second-grade goods. It holds agencies for the Silent Knight Mint car. the Huuibor car, the Triumph mc cycle, and the B.S.A. motor-cycle, last, but not least, it has added to list of agencies the Studebaker car,, lieving it to be in every way the best all American cars. During; the last i years some hundreds of Studebakers h'-. _ been sold in this country, and in ever*, instance the car has given perfect satis* faction. Hero is what a North Island Studebaker owner. Dr. Porritt, of Wanga. ntti, has to' say of his experience:— ' "Just a few lines to tell you how pleased I am with the Studebaker you recommended me to buy. As you know, I have got my second one now. I had the 5-seater a year, and during all that .time had some hard running, and never had the slightest trouble with it. I don't; wish for anything better than the 5seater as a tamily car, but for me, of course, in my doctor's work, the 8-seater is more convenient, and now it is hard to realise how we ever did without the self-starter and electric lights, neither of which have ever given me a qualm. I would always be glad to tell anyone hovr satisfied 1 have been with my two Stude. baker cars (I have had five different cars now, and so have had a little experience of them) if it is any help to you, but X imagine you don't want much helping, as they seem already to have established their popularity." The prices of the new 1915 Studebakera.., are:—2s h.p. Five-seater, .£345; 25 h.p« Throo-scater. ,£345; Six-cylinder Fiveseater, .£455; Six-cylinder Seven-seatcr, JMWS. Wo >ir« now hooking orders for Studebakers to arrive at an early date, Adams. Ltd., Studebaker Importers, Christchurch. District Agents;— Tourist' Motor Co., Hastings; Adams, Ltd.,-Pal. merston X. and Waagahni; Newton King, Taranaki; The Grovo Motor Co., Welling-, ton; Hutchinson BrCe., liketahuua; Tombs and Co., Hamilton; J. C. Mercer, Nilson-; E. A. Bamson, Dannevirke; A, and K. Donald, ■ Pahiatua; J, H. Little, MastAttan.—Advt,