LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2530, 3 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A phenomeual wash-up of trees and wood occurred at Ljjall Bay and Houghton Bay yesterday.' 'There were, also, 011 the boaeli three dead sheep, two cows, and sqme cases of benzine. All day yesterday residents in tho vicinity of the bays wero busy carting away tlie firewood. It is presumed that the wood and cattlo were waslied down some of tho rivers during tho recent floods, and tho general opinion is that the rivers between here and Wanganui contributed to the remarkable stock. Tho presenco of large quantities of pumice is taken as' an indication that the Wanganui, which taps tho centre of the island, was among the contributors. A good deal of drift matter was also washed up on tho Island Bay beach, tho collection including two dead horses. A Wellington man in the Second Battalion or tlie Trentliam Regiment, now in camp, at ltangiptu, states in a, letter to a friend in the City: "This placo is miles ahead of Trentliam, which I hope never to see again." Yesterday was tlie 624 th anniversary of the Swiss Constitution. An incident which happened near Fort Dorset in the small hours of Sunday morning should act as. a warning to those people who may be inclined to inspect the Defence Reserve there —or for that, matter any other Defence reserve. A man named William Beaver, who lives in Huntingford Streot, Lyall Bay, declined to stop when a sentry at Fort Dorset commanded him to "Halt!" Tlie sentry fired, and Beaver received a bullet in tho shoulder. It is stated that Beaver was unablo to give a satisfactory explanation for his l presence on the reserve at such an early hour. Beaver was taken to tho Hospital, and last night ho was reported from that institution to be progressing favourably.

The depletion of tlie farms of young men who have-volunteered for service is likely to have an appreciable effect on the agricultural and pastoral industries of New Zealand during the next few months. A Wairarapa farmer who was 1 iii town yesterday said he had come down for one object—to see if he could pick up somo men to replace tlie shepherds who had. enlisted off his mn. He stated that it was no use looking about up-country, as the other sheop-farmers were in the same plight as himself. There was an early lambing season—it had already started in the Wairarapa—' and there would be plenty of work oil that score during tho next six or eight weeks. "All the young fellows are leaving the farms," said; the wool-grower. "Thov got a taste for soldiering during tlie big strike, and are keen to get away as soon as they can. What will happen no one can say. but we will all havo to work a bit harder than we have done for some years to keep tho flocks in something like order and condition." Trooper Ken. Bishop, writing to his parents at Auckland, says:—"lf over I get out of this, I will never need a house again. Wo aro like a family of rabbits, all dug in the ground. It has been lovely weather sinco we have been here: it is nearly as hot as Egypt. This is about t -tlie healthiest life possible. _ Nono of tho boys havo had any colds since wo havo taken to sleeping anywhere. For the half-year ended Juno 30, New Zealand exported 379,204 quarters of beef, valued at £518,967, 2,070,383 carcasses of lamb of tho value of £1,377,235, and 1,372,900 carcasses of mutton valued at £1.375,241. Tho figures for muton and lamb are less than for tho corresponding half of last year, but there is a substantial increase in beef. The body of tho man who was killed as tho result ol' a traiiicar accidwit ill tho city on Saturday night has not yet. been identified. The Maslerton Amateur Theatrical Society intends producing "The Toreador" urn month, in aid oi tlw WouMed Soldiwtf

As tho conference of Chambers of Commorce commences to-morrow at 10 a.m., it was not considered necessary to hold tho usual monthly meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber yesterday. The employees of Messrs. George and George who are at present serving at tho Dardanelles are being paid by tho firm tho difference between their military pay and tho salary they were drawing at tho time they volunteered for service. The soldiers' positions aro being kept open until their return. During the period betw.een Juno G and July 7, no fewer than 72 perform-' ances of one kind and another which the public were invited to attend were held in the Concert Chamber and Town Hall —all for some patriotic purpose, directly or indirectly. For one period of seven days there were four shows a day. As all the performances wore for patriotic purposes, no rent was charged by tho City Council. A return is now being prepared showing what amount tho council has forgone in rent on account of the object of the performances, but it must bo remembered that many of the shows would not have been given at all had the council's charges for rent to be faced. Mrs. J. P. Lidse desires ns to acknowledge with thanks tho receipt of a cheque for £50 received by her yesterday afternoon from Mr. Joseph Joseph, i.o'be expended at the discretion of th? Mayoress where she believes there is the' greatest neod. This is tho second £50 cheque that Mr. Joseph has donated in a similar manner. During tho month of June 7232cwt. of butter, valued at £58,410, were shipped from New Zealand, as compared with 5823cwt., valued at £31,462, for Juno,-1914. Tho shipments in Juno last included 3619cwt. from Auckland; 1924cwt. from New Plymouth; and 1037 cwt. from 'Wellington.

The tender of Messrs. Watts Bros, has been accepted by the Wellington Charitable Aid Board for the erection of an addition to the Hospital store and garage. This tender was the lowest out of six or seven received. Mr. A. A. Iteuner has secured a- contract from the board to erect an extension to the siok nurses' ward. This is the ward between No. 6 ward and the main- entrance on the northern (front) side of the General Hospital building. The secretary of the New Zealand Freezing Workers' Union (Mr. M. J. Reardon) received a cablegram yesterday from the secretary of tho Freezing Employers' Federation, Melboumo, stating that the freezing industry is in a very bad way in Australia. This is set' down to the fact that a bad drought has been experienced in Australia, and that there is'an. uncertainty about shipping space. This is the time when a large number of hands from New Zealand go to Australia to obtain work in the freezing industry. At Brooklyn School on Thursday morning a ceremony will be held in connection with the completion of large additions to the school, rendered necessary through the largely-increased number attending the school. Tho exports of cheese in June show a tremendous increase over the figures for tho corresponding month of last year, tho totals being 57,161cwt., valued at £200,970, against 29,086cwt., valued at £82,972. New Plymouth exported 12,665 cwt. in June last, Patca, 14,557 cwt., and Invercargill 10,983cwt., the aggregate value of the exports from these three districts being £139,141. At their recent conference the Farmers' Union decided to set up _ district committees, to act in conjunction with the Labour Department, for the purpose of securing all labour available for harvesting. The branches of the Labour Department throughout _ New Zealand were last week communicated with to this effect, so that they will be ready at once to receive applications from nren seeking work.

Tho Railway Telegraph Gallery and the Post Offico Telegraph Gallery played a drawn game of Rugby last week. Tho Railway Telegraph Gallery now; hold tho opinion that owing to tho serious position in Russia at present football is out of place, and they have challenged tlio Post Office Gallery to a contest in military drill. The suggestion has been enthusiastically taken up. Mr. David J. Nathan returned from a visit to Sydney and Melbourne by tho Ulimaroa yesterday. Mr. Nathan states that the first of the new season's butter is already on the market in Australia, but they are still importing supplies from ..America. With the development of the season the price will recede, but it is not likely to go back _to normal, as the output will be restricted owing to the shortage of dairy cattle occasioned by the severe drought conditions of last year. Mr. Nathan states that tho weatiier in Melbourne was intensely cold and miserable, mid he was laid up there for a fortnight with' a chill. The: Mounted Rifles Regiment, now in camp at Featherston, will, says our correspondent, take with tliein as a mascot a white canary, presented by Mrs. John Martin, of Puruatanga, Martinborougli. . The Christchurch Meat Company havo let the contract for the refrigerating machinery for their new works to ba erected at Wangamii to Messrs. J. AVildridgo and Sinclair, Ltd., of Auckland. The plant is to include two steamdriven Linde ammonia compressors,-each with a capacity of 200 tons of refrigeration, and four large ammonia batteries for controlling the temperatures of tlio freezing chambers. This contract is. believed to be the largest ever let in tho Dominion for this class of machinery. Tho bv-products machinery will also he supplied by Messrs. J. Wildridgo and Sinclair, Ltd., who are to supply four of the Jargest-sized Stamp and Powell rotary vacuum dryers. The works are to be biiilt on a very extensive scale, and the plans are being prepared by the company's architects, Messrs. Walter Panton and Son, of Timaru.

xVt a special meeting of the Lower Hntt Borough Council hold last ovening, it was decided to call a public meeting for to-morrow evening, when the "war declaration" resolution will bo submitted. A publio meetijig is to be held in Main Street, Lower Hntt, on Wednesday evening for the purpose of passing the resolution in connection with the anniversary of the war. The Mayor will preside, and short addresses will be given by the Mayor, Dr. J. M. Mason, and possibly others. In the manifesto of the Land Values League of New Zealand, now in confcrenco in Wellington, there appears the following"We regret that an effort is being made to exploit the patriotic sentiment evoked by the present world's war for the furtherance of purely selfish interests. We condemn the suggestion that indirect taxation should bo augmented by the imposition of export duties and the increase of import duties, the elfcct of which nrast licccssarily ba to raise still higher tlio cost of the common necessaries of life. We object to import duties, not merely becauso tlicy hamper and restrict' trade and industry) but for the reason that they fall with undue severity oil the poorest of the people. Wo lilipwise oppose export duties as being prejudicial to the great producing industries, which are vital to tlio prosperity and progress of the country. Tlio Mayor of Miramar has called a public patriotic meeting of the Miramar residents for Wednesday next at.the Town Hall, Miramar. To moot the demands of local motorists for «n up-to-date tlio Dominion Motor Vehicles, Ltd., have erected in Tory Street—just oft' the Courlenay Place wood-blocking—the largest and finest garnge in the Dominion. Civility and attention to detail are assured patrons, and prices qre moderate. Permanent customers should avail themselves of the special permanent terms, Hours, 7 a.m. to midnighti 7 to 10 a.m., 6 to 11 »,w, IWdftMrsAdyt,' y ' "

The rainfall registered in Mastcrton for the month of July was 4.64 inches. Ifaiit fell oil thirteen days during, tho month.

The exportation of scheelite from tho Dominion to any destination is absolutely prohibited from date. This announcement was made by the publication yesterday in a Ga/etto Extraordinary of an Order-in-G'ouncil dealing with the .subject. A general meeting of' tho Wairarapa 1 branch of the Teachers' Institute was hold on Saturday. A motion was unanimously carried, emphasising the imperative need of a paid organiser for the Dominion. It was decided, in response to a request from northern teachers, to hold a meeting of tho institute in Pahiatua in tho course of a few weeks. Captain-Chaplain E. C. llaltjou, of Auckland, whe went to Samoa with New ■ Zealand's first Expeditionary Force, has been appointed to tho Trentlmm (Earl of Liverpool's Own) Regiment, l'rior to the war Mr. Maldoti* was on tlia staff of King's College, Auckland, where ho had as his associates Colonel I'luggo (0110 of tho first officers to bo wounded at the Dardanelles) and Major Stuckey, wiio 'has been missing sines the great assault. A visit to Grimsby for ooal and water enabled Mr. William Owens, son of Captain and Mrs. It. Owens, of Po'nsonb.v, to write a brief description of his experiences on a British mine-sweeper. "I could not write when wo were at nwi," ho explains, "and wo' have been there for the last threo months. Wo are with the North Sea Fleet," he continues. "We go ahead of tho fleet and explode tho mines. Two of us work together with a long wire from ono to tho other, and stoam full speed ahead. Tho wire tows after us in a half circle, and breaks the mine anchor, so thnfc tho mines float to the top, and, of course, we explodo them. llicy are all fast vessels, and tlioy have to bo to get away from tho Germans when they, chase us, but they never come near us when we are with the fleet. We have only two big guns, 0110 forward and one oft, but wo iiso them when we get a chance. A few weeks back we destroyed 180 mines in one day, and 0110 of the other ships captured a steamer full of them roady to lay them on tho first opportunity.

A remarkable story of luck is told by a Gisbome soldier, Private Arthur Aislabie, who, in describing the fight at Krithia on May 11, writes: —"We had to go across an open- space about three hundred yards. As Boon, as we started to move, tlio Turks put a machine gun on from some scrub, and just- mowed our fellows down. I got a little more than halfway across, when I felt sharp burns all over my body. Igot down under some cover, and had a look at myself. My lucky star must have been shining that day. A bullet had gone through my pants, and right knee. A small piece of lead was just sticking in ray chest. The _ back of my hand wns covered with little bits of lead, and a bullet went through ray left arm, just a clean liole through the flesh. I stayed there until it got dark, and then wont bask to the trenches. I stayed that night, 'and went back to the beach the next day, and was put on a ship with a thousand others, I do not know liow many of our fellows were killed, hut out of our company of 227 men there are 21 left —that is. up to the time that I left. Ido not know how they have got on since Well, I am all right now, and I expect I will be going back any day."

. "I believed before the war,", writes a New Zealand boldier. "that, it would be at a distance that engagements would be fought; but here we have trenches sometimes 50yds., sometimes even as close as 10yds. or 15yds. apart, and with this comos the revival of hand grenades. The next delusion was the 'fearful hardships' to be endured. In the type of action as waged hero everything possiblo in' reason, for our comfort, is done. We frequently have fresh meat, and now we are getting fresh' bread, the first, being given to lis yesterday, whilst new boots and clothes are supplied as required. It certainly is an eye-opener in the matter of organisation. Of course, for the first few days, and until: the machine could work, things were pretty rough. Water has to ho brought here, as there are no springs or natural sources of supply, so tank steamers are sent to meet the necessity. Even parcel and paper mails reach us all right; but you can have no idea liow short we are of magazine and other reading matter."

Some good stories of-the Turkish fleet are 'ourrent. One story relates how* a battleship that was imposingly anchored in a corner of the harbour at Smyrna had a pipe laid on to supply gas to tlio ship's kitchen and lamps. On another occasion a Turkish admiral was sleeping on board his flagship, when a noise disturbed him. Angrily he inquired the cause, and on being informed tliat it was produced ly tho. steering engine he ordered his men to "throw the silly thing into tlio sea"—an order which, apparently, was carried out with.the greatest satisfaction. But perhaps th® most amusing story; is typical of Ottoman ways. A cruiser was once sent, with several naval officers'on board, on an educational . trip in tlio Atlantic. They arrived well enough at Gibraltar, but somehow or other never sailed out into the ocean. Instead they steamed along the. African coast till the funds ivere exhausted. The captain wired to the Porto for money, and received no reply. A council was held on board, and it was decided to sell sonio machinery of little importance to a sugar factory; With tlio money thus obtained they proceeded to Liberia, where again two guns Tvero declared of small value to tho armanent of the cruiser, and consequently sold to the Liberian Republic. Further up, tho Sultan of Morocco bought the ship's searchlights snd somo other accessories.

' The members of the Petone Municipal Band lield their annual meeting last Evening,' the Mayor (Mr. J. M'Ewan) presiding. The following-tffi-cers were elected: —Patron, Mr. T. M. Word, M.l\; president, Mr. J. W. M'Ewan; secretary, Mr. \\. H. ttarvov; treasurer, Mr. J. Rose; committee, Messrs Dewhurst, _ Clood, Easton, Baoumgren, and Evison; auditors, Messrs. Wallace and llenme. Messrs, Baonmgren, Harvey, and Furnesswere appointed sergeant, corporal, ni'd l'l'rarian respectively. Tlie annual smokQ concert is to 'be lield 011 Friday. *