LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2527, 30 July 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dr. A. K. Newman asked the Minister of Defence in the House of Representatives yesterday whether it was ascertained by the authorities whether persons of German or Austrian nationality in the Expeditionary Force were truly British. He understood there was doubt about some of them. The Hon. James Allen said he knew of no doubtful cases, and if anyone else knew of a doubtful. case it was his duty to let tho authorities know at- once. So far as lio knew every one who enlisted was a British subject, and nobody but British subjects were accepted. In the Legislative Council yesterday the Hon. J. Dutliie gave notice to ask: "(1) Whether, as stated in the Press, the mail steamer Marania left San Francisco on June 22 without the European mails'; and why tho steamer was not delayed, if the mail was late, to prevent the great inconvenience which must arise through want of shipping and financial documents; and (2) has it been ascertained by what date, and which route the missing mails may now be expected." _

"That we representing the farmers of the Dominion now assembled and within a few days of the anniversary of the declaration of war, with a full sense of responsibility, do each hereby declare our fixed determination to steadfastly 'do all in our power to assist the nation in carrying on the war until suoli time as the ruthless power of our enemies baS been broken, and full restoration of territory and compensation for injury has been assured to those of our Allies, who have been so grievously wronged."—This was the text of a resolution submitted to the Farmers' Union Conference yesterday afternoon by the president (Sir James G. Wilson). The resolution was carried unanimously without discussion.

Messrs. Johnston ' and Co., Ltd., agents for the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, advise that a rebate of 10 per cent, on single fores will be granted by the Peninsular end Oriental Steam Navigation Company in the case of all passengers who are travelling Home at 1 their own expenses to join JI.M. Forces in connection with the war. The full passage money is to be paid at this end and the rebate will be paid in London on production of a certificate from the regimental commanding officer. The' Post and Telegraph .revenue for the half-year ended ' June, .30 was £346,8&8. -In the first half'of 1914 the revenue totalled £368,335. * In connection with the Chambers of Commerce Conferenco to be held next week, a. luncheon is-.to be tendered to delegates in the Concert Chamber of th eTown Hall at 1 p.m. on Thursday next. The. conference commences on Wednesday next. The horse and cart . belonging to Chrisiophor Neilson, who was drowned in a. stream near Mungaroa -last week, have been found, now that the flood waters have subsided. Neilson's body has not yet been recovered.

I In the Post- Office Savings Bank the excess of deposits over withdrawals during the first half of this year Was £792,431. In the earlier half of last year tho amount stood at £394,552. The deposits in the 1915 period were £3,475,690, and the withdrawals £2,683,258. * The deposits in tho 1914 half-year were £3,264,282, and the withdrawals £2,869,300. e At tho Mayor's .rooms yesterday afternoon'the two oil paintings'donated by- Messrs. Lawson and Montgomery to a fund organised by Mrs. Salek to provide comforts for tho Trentham sick soldiers wero raffled, and the successful numbers were: —First prize, No. 48,' owned by Mrs. W. Moult; second prizo, No. 254, owned by Mr. AV. B. Montgomery. The art union yielded tho sum of £10. Strange to say, the iviilner of tho second prize 'was the artist himself. The first prizo was" painted by Mr. Alex. Lawsoii. Mr. Geo. Read, chairman of the Brooklyn Municipal Association, was the spokesman of a deputation which waited on the Reserves Committee of the City. Council yesterday afternoon. The deputation called the attention of the committee to a small reserve at tho top of Apuka - ' Street that was to have been planted last year on condition that tho association contributed the sum of £5. The association had the money new, and would like tho work pushed on with at once, so-as not to lose_ another planting season. Other small improvements in Taft Street and AVashmgton Avenue were also asked for, and locations were, named for some of tho seats bequeathed to the City Council by" the late Mr. - John Newton. Mr. Geo. Frost (chairman) gavo the deputation an encouraging reply. An inquest will be held at 4 p.m. today on. the body of _ George Hall, which was found floating' in the harbour on Tuesday afternoon. To-morrow; morning' the Trentham Caiuo Commission will proceed to Trentham to- hear evidence by soldiers there who may wish to bo heard.

The latest Gazette contains a notification. that the line payable for a breach of any regulation made under the Coal Mines Amendment Act, 1914, shall be for a first offence not'exceeding £5, and for a second or subsequent offence not exceeding £10. A Harbour Board . employee named ' Francis Gartrell met with an accidentat the l'ipitea Store No. ' '1, King's Wharf, yesterday morning. • His leg was broken by a case of roof iron falling on him. After first aid was rendered lie was removed to the Hospital. Gartrell is a married man residing in Adelaide .Road. Writing on June 19 to a Wellington friend, Lieutenant Fred Cooke, of; Dunedin, who loft with the Field Artillery, 2nd.Reinforcements, says: "I am back here at Alexandria after a very exciting month at Gallipoli. We lost a good many men, and are back to reorganise, slid expect to go up again shortly. Very nearly all my old pals are mopped up, but good luck ,to them—tliey did their job well. , I don't know if I shall get through safely the second time, but anyway it's all in the game." Complaints are repeatedly being made that intending purchasers of motor-cars caunot obtain-reasonable deliveries. The war has seriously congested shipping, this being tlio main reason of delay," Arriving at the end.of this month, however, are eight and four-cylinder Kings, Cbevrolets, and Detroiters. The Dominion 'Motor Vehicles, 65 Courtenay Place, and 14-18 Tory Street are controlling agents .for those luies.—Advt,

Lieutenant Gibb, of the 3rd Bla>:k' Watch, now 011 active service in France, was before the war broke out, a resident of Auckland. He is the son of Dr. William Gibb, and held a commission in tlio 16tli Waikato llcgiment. Lieut; Gibb was holidaying in England when war broke out, and immediately offered his services to the Imperial authorities. The Dundeo "Advertiser," in a recent issue, remarks that Lieut. Gibb was back from the trenches 011 leave, and was in iho best of health. "He was attached to the 2nd Gordons for service," states that paper, "and joined that battalion just after its splendid stand at Ypres. Since then lie has received- double promotion. He lias been given a second star in the 3rd Black Watch, whilst he has been gazetted also to a majority in his Now Zealand regiment, which is now taking a gallant part in the struggle in the Gallipoli Peninsula. He has como unscathed as yet through the camgaign." _ Tho Press telegrams transmitted inly cw Zealand in the first 'half-year of 1915 numbered 112,434. Of these 53,852 wero- sent from Wellington. The ordinary telegrams numbered 1,521,307, of which Wellington sent more than any other office—l2,ss2.