LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2478, 3 June 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities advise that the s.s. Wimmera, which is due from Hobart on Friday, is bringing Australian mails only.

The Poor of Great Britain, Ireland, and Belgium Relief Fund Committee, which recently discontinued its operations, desires to acknowledge the very valuable services rendered by Messrs. J. J. Curtis and Co., Ltd., in attending free of charge to the cartage and shipping of the extensive consignments of clothing, etc., which had to be dealt with by the committee.

The London Gazette of April 14, 1915, states that the appointments of Messrs. JVhvin Bechstein and Carl Bechstein (trading as Mr. C. Bechstein), as piano manufacturers to'the King, the Queen, and Queen Alexandra, havo been cancelled.

In the babble of reminiscence which filled the air at the annual reunion ofthe members of New Zealand's Sixth Contingent to South Africa, one heard rather a good sally. One knot of men was discussing close calls. "And what was the closest place you ever wa6 in?" a voice with a strong flavour of the heather was heard to ask. "Scotland," said the other, amid a good-natureil roar of laughter.

If a man is stung by a bee, has ho power to sue the owner? The answer lo the question is not very clear, and delegates attending the Beekeepers' Conference in 'Wellington hold different views. Some discussion on this point took place yesterday at the conference, when a remit was under consideration to raise a fighting fund for legal purposes One delegate thought that the onus of proof would rest on the prosecutor to' prove the particular bee that did the damage, while another delegate instanced a case where a man had complained of trespassing bees, and was told lie could shoot all a particular owner's bees, but would have to give legal notice before he shot any belonging to another owner.

Passed by the Public Works Department, the new tramway duplication between Cornwall Street and Mersey Street. Island Bay, is now in use. It enables the Tramways Department to effect a considerable saving of "dead'' time, and generally expedite tho service.

In the ordinary course of things, Saturday would be the day this week for tho observance generally of the halfholiday, but to-day's holiday has altered that arrangement, and most of tho shops TV-ill remain open on Saturday as usual. There are some firms, however, who intend to observe the King's Birthday and also close at 1 p.m. on Saturday. These firms wijl make Friday their late night—as it will be ordinarily for the future.

A small boy of twelve and a half years, who was caught stealing small sums of money from two newsvendors' mat pockets, appeared before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., in the Juvenile Court yesterday. The boy was convicted and sent to the W'ereroa Training Farm.

"As the result of reading the excellent notes on tho Zoo in The Domikioit," said Councillor Geo. Frost, chairman of the Reserves Committee, at yesterday's meeting, "Mr. Horton, of Hastings, nas promised to provide us with fifty of his nest rose-trees .for the beautifying of the place."

Tho Pahiatua- Borough Council has adopted the Wellington Electrical Engineer's report on the municipal electric light and power scheme. The engineer has becu instructed to prepare specifications' and call for tenders. Tho council obtained a loan of £10,000 for the scheme.

Our Napier correspondent reports that Diehard Rogers, photographer, of Hastings, has filed a petition in bankruptcy, and that the statement of affairs snows a deficiency of £206 10s. Bd. Among the creditors are Harrington's, Ltd., Wellington, £21 16s. lOd.; M. L. Lamp. Wangatvui, £155 10s., and Bennett and Co., Christchurch, £12 17s. 3d.

The following were elected to the Pahautanui School Committee for the ensuing year:—Messrs. A. Nicol (chairman), H. Tregurtha. (secretary,, A. Harris, A. Anderson, W. Harris, jun., F. Nicol, IV. Bradley. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Messrs. Veitch aud Allan, Johnston and Co., Virtoio and Co., S. Scott, and E. Brady for gifts for the children's races at the annual picnic. The secretary reported a credit balance of £7 18s. for the children's prize and picnic fund. It was decided to hold a minstrel entertainment to raise further funds for the annual sports and picnic.

Many of the volunteers for service at the front find themselves in peculiar positions as regards rank when tiiey got into the Army, says an exohange. An instance of this is shown in the fact that one man found it necessary to salute his younger brother. But a more extreme case existed in the Trentham Camp recently. A certain man carried on all important business in private life, but forsook this to serve tho Empire. On arrival at Trentham the duties assigned to him were those of an orderly to a lieutenant. _ This in itself was all right, but the lieutenant proved to be a young man who was a junior in the orderly's office before joining the forces.

A railway porter named Hine was arrested at Otaki yesterday by Constable Sutherland on a charge of stealing clothes from a commercial traveller's hamper. Hine appeared before the Court at Otalsi yesterday,. and was remanded to appear at Dannevirko.

During the course of somo remarks nt the animal reunion of the Sixth New Zealand Mounted Rifles (South Africa), at Godber's Rooms last evening, Surgeon-General Skeiman, who served with tho regiment iti South Africa, said that he thought that a mistake had been made in sending away with our first war contingent- tn limypr so miniv of our expert Imperial Staff Officers. These officers had had special training for staff work and Territorial organisation, and their services hi New Zealand in connection with tlie recruiting, organisation, and' training of our war contingents would have been of very great value, and might oonceivably have prevented mistakes and delays, ns well S3 difccts ija. our tccruKiiig methods.

Seme concern was folt yesterday even, ing by tho relatives of a young man aged 2.5 years named Gerald Leydon, who had been missing from his home in Lev/isville Terrnee since 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Leydon was last seen going in tho direction of Wadestown. The description of him is as follows :—Height, about oft. ltlin., stout iniild, fair complexion, clean shaven, wearing a grey suit and cap, and black lace- ii]) hoots. The relatives of Lejdon. will be grateful if anyone having seen a young man of this description will eomiiiuiiicate with the police.

Still 0110 more Itugby team Las gone under through the response of players to tho call for men. Iho Poneke Club bus withdrawn its fourth iifteen from the championship contest because some of its players have removed to Trentham, and the gaps in the team cannot bo filled.

A strange story comes from the Karapiro district concerning the remarkable experience of a Horahora man upon whom ill-heaith played a remarkable trick, says an exchange. Mr. Smale, who has the contract for gravelling tho Cambridge-Tirau Road, was out snooting over a Karapiro property on Sunday afternoon', and was passing sonio scrub when a man, half-dressed and without boots, jumped up and faced Mr. Smale. and asked the way out. He wanted to get to Horahora or Cambridge, and Mr. Smale put him on the track leading to Horahora. Later the same man visited Mr. Smale's camp at Monkey Creek, and after assuring himself that the men wore not Germans, decided it was safe to partake of a cup of tea. Suddenly he rushed out, saying that Germans were after him. Eventually he was taken back to his home at Horahora. En route the man showed where he got down a steep bank into the Waikato River, and said he swam down the middle of the river to the bridge. At latest advices he was making good progress towards recovery.

A creat white shark is among the recent acquisitions to the Canterbury Museum, having been presented by Messrs. Jenson Bros., of Kaikoura. The fish is about Bft. ]ong. _ There is already a similar specimen, in. the museum 12ft.- in length, but neither of these is considered as being particularly large, as specimens have been caught measuring as much a-s 40ft. in length. This particular species of shark is reputed to be exceptionally savage and is particularly dangerous. It lias been estimated that the average length of the teeth of a full-grown great white shark is 2}in., but at the Canterbury Museum there are teeth of these sharks measuring Sin. _ These were found in a fossilised condition in some Oainaru stone, and it is stated that these huge creatures sometimes attained the length of 80ft. in past ages.

A number of friends rnet last week to bid farewell to Mr.' Neil Gow, prior Lo his departure with the Expeditionary Force." Mr. Geo. C. Gibson occupied the chair. In the course of the evening Mr. Gow was .the recipient, of a handsome wristlet wnfcli and caso of pipes. An interesting programme of songs and recitations was submitted by Messrs. Maxwell, Kelly, Grover, Mackinlay, and Gow. A feature of the programme was a humorous address deliver, cd by the chairman. I

Mr. S. George Nathan offered three residential properties for sale by public auction yesterday afternoon at" the Chamber of Commerce. First was Mr. H. H. Ostler's eight-roomed _ residence and motor garage, Raivhiti Terrace, Kelburn. Bidding started at £1500 and the property was eventually knocked down to Mr. P. Davidson at £2200. Mr. Nathan next offered a nine and a seven-roomed residence at the corner of Pirie and Austin Streets. Bidding started at £2200, and the properties were passed in at £2700. They were afterwards put up separately; _ the mnercomed house was passed in at £1500, and the seven-roomed house at £1050. Both these properties are now open for private sale.