LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2641, 11 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

' The lostal authorities advise that the s.s. Mosraki, which is due from Sydney on Monday next, is bringing Australian mails oaly.

There was a change of articles on the ferry; steamer' Maori yesterday, with the result that the vessel was short of firemen' when the time came for her to take her departure for Lyttelton. An endeavour was made to procure the men Without result, and tlie Maori was delayed a'jout 35 minutes. It is stated that an offer was made to certain soldiers, te "firo" the vessel to Lyttelton, and they agreed to do so. The other members of the stokehold crew refused to work, the ship; and a deadlock ensued. Subsequently an arrangement was made by which it was decided to send the Maori to Lyttelton on two-thirds of her boiler power. To this, the members of her crow agreed, and the ferry steamer got away at 8.25 p.m.

Writing from London to Mr. H. P. Allen, of Wellington, Major (Dr.) W. Iv. Fy.ff(}, formerly organist at St. Peter's, who left Wellington with the Fourth Reinforcements, and was invalided Home from Gallipoli, states that since bin arrival in England he has put on two stone in weight, so that his friends will bo able to judge that lie is pulling round all right. "I have been wallowing in music," writes tho Major. "Luckily, the promenade concerts were still on when I got here, and I went every day. Sir Harry Wood's band is superb, and tie tone of the strings simply wonderful, but I fear some of .this ultra nodern stuff is too much for me. Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven are more in my line, and I am bound to say that their playing of these composers is beyond a'l praise. Do you remember William Murdoch, who was out in New Zealand? He is playing in London now, and has improved out of all knowlodge. ... I heard Rosina Buckmann in "Butterfly" tho other niglit. She was taking tho loading part, and was singing excellently."

"Eight-nylindor King cars may now be inspected at tho Dominion Motor Vehicles Garage, iust off tho Courtenay Place wood-Mocking in Tory Street. Equipment includes Zenith carburettor, Ward Leonard 6elf-startor, cantilever springs, foldisg steering wheel, etc.. etc. Write or '»hone for a demonstration,— Adrtt,

An instruction has been issued that the Government Statistician shall scrutinise the_ schedules of the unmarried men of military ago without dependents who have answered "No" to the qucstion asking whether they are willing to join the Expeditionary Force.

The following telegram has been received by _ the Defence Minister from Colonel Rhodes, at Cairo: —"Majority of goods consigned for distribution to the troops at the front arrive packed in cases which are too large. Please issuo instructions that such goods consigned must be packed in cases of suitable size for packing on pack mulos through narrow saps, and not to exceed 801b. grosß weight."

The following are the particulars to date relating to the working of the Miners' Phthisis Act, 1915 *. —Eighty claims for ponsion have been received, including two from widows. Of these, sixty, nine have_ been granted and ten are on hand awaiting completion of the necessary inquiries. One of the applicants has died. The total annual value of the pensions is £,216 10s.,

Mr. Arthur M. Munro, M.A:, of St, John's College, ' Oxford, Assistant Science Master at the Wellington Technical College, has been appointed head science master at King's College, Auckland. ,

The Very Rev. Father O'Connell has arranged for the fencing and putting in order of the old Roman Catholiq Cemetery in Mount Street.. There was a time when this cemotcry was considered to be in an out-of-the-way and almost inaccessible, spot,, but now it adjoins the Victoria University grounds, and has l ; the greater part of Kelburn oil fcho hills above it.

The Salvation Army's pioneer party for China was dedicated for 6ervice in that country in London recently. Colonel Rothwell, lately in command of the Army's work in. the West Indies, is in charge. At the same meeting officers wore farowelled for India, Korea, and Java,

The Government of Russia appointed a member of the Senate, Mr. Orbeli, to arrange an expedition to the Caucasus in order to assist the Armenians, who, aftor being driven over the Bussian borders by the Turks, die in hundreds daily in the deserts. This gentleman requested that Salvationists take part in the expedition, and consequently seven Salvationists, six women and ono man, will accompany him and assist with the distribution of food and other help to the people.

The Chamber of Commerce has, says a Press- Association telegram from Anekland, received a letter from the Prime Minister in regard to the operations of the D. H. and P. G. Company in Tonga, Mr. Massey said that, Tonga was not in any sense a British possession. It had a King and_ a Parliament of its own. It was a British protectorate, and was subject to a limited extent to the control of the High Commissioner for the Pacific, who was responsible to the Imperial authorities. Mr. Massey asked the opinion of the Auckland Chamber aa to whether it is of opinion that it should be made illegal .for firms or individuals in New Zealand to deal with German persons, firms, or companies in the IslariUs.

At Monday's meeting of the Petono Borough Council, Councillor List, will move: "That the necessary steps 1)9 taken to amend tho building by-law relating to tho brick area as follows:— By repealing sub-clause G of clause 8 and substituting therefor the following clause, viz.: 'Buildings to be U6ed exclusively as dwellings may be ereoted within those portions of No. 1 building district (as defined by clause 8 of tha Building By-law, 1814), (a) commencing at the eastern boundary of the "Hut-t Road and ending nt the western boundary of Petone Avenue, and (b) commencing at the eastern boundary .of Buick Street and ending at the western boundary of Cuba Street."

Recently the Raglan County Council decided not to keep single men eligible for military service in the employ of the council, and this resolution waa circulated to several other local bodies, It was considered- yesterday |jy tho Makara County Council, and councillors generally supported the ■ principle. "We've only one single employee, and he's getting married in a wenk's time," said ono councillor, referring to the Aftor a brief discussion it was decided not to employ any fit single men of military age during the war. .

Private Jolui Hamilton, who has been decorated witli the coveted Victoria Cross, is a son of Mr. W. Hamilton, juli., of Carruthers Street, Penshurst, and is barely 20 years of age, having been born at Orange on January 24, 1896. He won his decoration for conspicuous bravery at Lonesome Pine ia tile following circumstances: —At daybroak the Turks were seen creeping up the communication trenches to attack some captured positions, with bombs, Rnd Private Hamilton climbed to the top of the parapet. There he lay for some five or six hours in tho burning sun overlooking the trenches along which the enemy cams, entirely unprotected from shrapnel and snipers, shooting approaching Turks himself, and passing word of their movements to his officer below as they advanced. It was mainly through his bravery that the Australians won tho day. Private Hamilton has been in the trenches for live months, and his father' has- just received a letter from him, dated September 1, in which it was stated that a Bhrapnel shell burst and inflicted three nasty wounds in the head, though not serious. He had his wounds dressed, and then returned to the' firing line. The officer in charge noticed his condition, and said: "What aTe you doing here? You should be in hospital with these wounds." The young soldier's reply was characteristic: "I want to kill-some more Turks first!" Mr. E. Kennedy (an intimate friend of tho fam. ily) relates this story: "I said goodbye to liim at tho gate, and while I held his hand he promised me that, lie would not come back without tho Victoria' Cross. Ho nevffr forgot to mention that in all his letters."

Christmas is fust drawing near. The women folk should inspect our 'stock of nicely-finished silk handkerchiefs, with' initials, at 2s. 6d. and 3s. 6d. Geo, Fowlds, Ltd.'. Manners Street.—Advt.

Admiral Bcatty is one of tho best swimmers in the Navy. Ho learnt to swim wlien lie was three years of ago.