LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2751, 20 April 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tub Dominion will not bo published to-morrow (Good, l'riday), but will bo issued ns usual oil Saturday and Easter Monday. The public _ office will be closed at 8 o'clock to-night, and all day to-morrow, opening in the evening from (i to 10 o'clock. The following business hours will bo observed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday; — Saturday, 8.80 a.m. to noon, and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, G p.m. to 10 p.m.; Monday, 8.30 a.m. to 11 a.m., and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. A Press Association telegram from Duncdin states that the four members of the Paruamentary Association _to visit Britain in response to tho invitation of the British Parliamentary Association will be chosen at a meeting in Wellington next Wednesday. An outbreak of firo at 99 Courtenay Place resulted in the Central Brigade being called out at 7 o'clock last evening. . The lire started in a three-story brick building at tho rear, and extended to tho restauranfcr-a' two-story wooden building in front. Both places wore damaged beforo tho flames wcro suppressed, but. tho damage was not last night- considered to be vory serious. Certain articles are by proclamation gazetted added to the list of artiolcß absolute contraband: Gold, silver, paper money, and all negotiable instruments and realisable securities, metallic chlorides excopt chloride of sodium, motalloidic chlorides, halogen, compounds of carbon, starch, borax, boric acid and other boron cbmpounds, sabadilla seeds and preparations therefrom. A long time «go, before we had got used to the ways of the Hun, the V ictoria College Council passed a resolution protesting against tho sack ana destruction of Loiivain ; and requesting ' that the protest bo -communicated through the proper cliannfels to the German Government, and to tho Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. This protest was duly forwarded by the Now Zealand Government to His Majesty's Government A letter has been received by the College Council from tho I'rime Minister to the eifect that tho Secretary of State for the Coldnies has advised that tho_ protest has been forwarded to tho Belgian Goveiriment. "I am further advised, Jit. Massey's letter continues, that His Majesty's Government do not consider the time opportune, or that any useful putposo would be served; by making representations to tho German Government and the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hagu<i on the subject. The soldiers' sports meeting, which was to have been held at Featherston Camp oil Good Friday, has been postponed, owing to there being a large number of men away on extended leave and others going away on Easter leave. It is expected that the 6ports will be held at an early date. Representatives of the Wellington Working Men's, Club visited the Petont Cliib last evening for the periodica sports tournament. As a result th« Petpne Club won the Staples Shield or tho aggregate.. The sports consisted of cards, draughts, and Morris-tube shooting; ' / There is not yet apparent that diminution in tho amount of holiday travelling that might have been reasonably expected in this uncertain period. Tho Union Company's booking offico was yesterday literally besieged with intending voyagers. FrOm early in tho day until the time the office closed people were two and three deep awaiting attention! The Maori, for Lyttelton last evening, was declared a "full ship" ten minutes before her usual time of departure, and it so happened that there were quite a number of,periplc (some of whom had booked their pasSage earlier in tho week) left on the wharf when the vessel _ sailed._ The company Tiave riiade special provision to cope with the Tush .anticipated this evening, there being three boats—the Mararoa, Manuka, and Tarawera—set down for departure for the south. Trentham Camp will he closed to visitors from to-day till Tuesday. This decision has been come to by the authorities on account of the meri ; tieiiig granted leave for/the Easter holidays A parade gronnd for the Artillery has been cleared at Featherston Camp, and the stones gathered from the area used to form two low walls to mark the area. A steam road roller is now being used to roll the ground, so as to provide a level parade ground. Almost every senior Rugby footballer in Hawke's Bay, who was taking an active part in the game before the war, has enlisted. At a meeting of returned soldiers, held at Napior yesterday, a branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association was formed, Mi-. J. V. Brown, M.P., being elected president, and Messrs. F. Moeller and H. Latham vice-presidents. At tho? last meeting of tho ■ Otago I.and Board a number of applications for land wore made by discharged' soldiers, nnder the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, 1915. In the majority of cases the applicants had very little means, and required financial assistance to ta-ko up even a small holding. As the applications were mostly for runs at Benmore, it was decided to advise tho applicants that although the board ivas very anxious. to assist discharged soldiers to settle on the land, in their own interests it would be better for thom to give up the idea of taking up a Benmore run, and look at smaller areas. It was also resolved to recommend that the area reserved for soldiers in Benmore should be advertised as open for selection by soldiersj so that those tflio had means, and who had not yet applied, might be given an opportunity to acquire land. Dr B. M. Moorhouso has handed ov.ei his collection of New Zealaild . birdy eggs, and African, Australian, and Island curios, to the Canterbury Musoum. It is one of the liibst valuatiie diid extensive collections which Ims yet como into the possession of tho Museum authorities. As the result of contributions made by the passengers and officers of the steamer Niagara, during the vessel's voyage from Sydney to Auckland, various patriotic institutions in New Zealand and in Australia will benefit to. the extent of £517. Tho sum cf £150 will be apportifined among the Auckland funds. During tho past few mouths £1600 has been collected on the Niagara. . The trawler Cowan, recently bought in Sydney for the Auckland City Council, i boing navigated across the Tasliian Sea by Captain Hood, of Auckland; and is expected to arrive in the harbour on Saturday. On arrival she will go on tho Slip for overhaul, preparatory to starting work in the gulf. An ojectment order was granted against a Birmingham woman recently On the ground.that she did not cultivato her garden, one-eighth of aii aero iii extent. The chairman of the Bench said it was a most serious matter in these times to leave a garden uncultivated. The Central Recruiting Office at the Town Hall will he closcd from 6 p.m. tc-day (Thursday) until 9 a.m. on Tuesday next. Tho 2/3-ton Truck now on show at. tho Dominion Motor Vehicles. Limited, Garage, G5 Coitrtenav Place, is one of the best Amorican vehicles that has been imported to this country. This, lorry combines all tho best features of the highgrade English nnikes, and has many accomplishments which are rarely seen bu its best competitors. Inspection is invited, and it is really an excellent opportunity fov buyers to secure a very lngligrade lorr.v nt moderate cost.—Adrt. Have you seen our Khaki Shirts, with collars to match? Just thp shirt n soldier likes, Ss. Jld., 6s. (id., fc. lid. Geo. F.ovld?, Ltdo Manners Street.—Advt.

Tho big armoured cable that is to form tlio booster line for the new ;Crawford Road section of the tramways, and other extensions possible in the futuro to the east of Mount Victoria, has arrived, and - is now being entrenched along the northern side of Jlajoribanks Street. Heavily-armoured cable, 2{ inches in diameter weighing 271b. to tho yard, is being used as far — us the ton of Majoribanks Street, after which a uaro wire, suspended on hardwood posts, will convey the current obliquoly up the hill, and thence along tho crest of tho ridge to the top of Constable Street. Tho bare wire is already suspended, but the insulators have not yet arrived. It is hoped that they will be available by the. time tho work of entrenching the armoured cable is finished. This will take between three , and four weeks. It must bo remembered that in addition to tho new City section { over the hill, Wellington City is now supplying the whole of the Seatoun and Miramar lines with power, and a little later the big new oar-shed 6 in Onepu Road will havo to be wired overhead in order that the'cars map be manipulated. At Auckland yesterday Mr. Justice Ilosking gave his decision appointing the New Zealand Congregational Union trustees in the bequest by the late John Rout of a reversionary interest in property valued at £6000 bequeathed to a daughter into a life interest. The original .bequest named the Congregational Homo Missionary Society of Auckland as the trustees, but there is no such society. His Honour raised the ques% tion whether the' bequest was limited to the province of Auckland, and said it might be'necessary in further pro-< * ceedings to add the Attorney-General < M the parties.—Press Association. Tables showing war increases in the prices of foodstulfs are published in the Labour Journal. For tho March quarter, 1916, the increases as compared with July, 1914, are a 6 follow: — Three food groups: Auckland 15.41 per cent., Wellington 16.71 per cent.; Ohristchurch 16.21 per cent., Dunedin 18.04 per cent. Tho increase, so far as Wellington is concerned, is made up as ' follow; —Groceries 19.94 per cent., dairy- ' produce 13.16 per cent., meat 16.60 pel! cent. The Antarctic exploration, ship Aurora was towed up to Dunedin from Port Chalmers by the tug Dunedin. on Saturday morning, and was berthed along- / side a barricaded portion of the Rattray Street wharf, whero she was thrown open for public inspection. The vessel proved the centre of a great deal of interest, attracting throngs of visitors during Saturday afteriioon and _ the greater part of Sunday, the majority of whom were fascinated by the glamour of romance which cling 6. around the vessel. A great deal of trouble had apparently been gone to by the men in order to make a full • display of the various articles of interest on hoard, and these were labelled and laid out in an adjacent cargo shed, where they were closely inspected. .Captain Scott's 6ledge aroused' a great, deal of attention, as did also a pony snowshoe that had been left at Discovery Hut, while "among the exhibits was a sledge packed--. ready for ice-travelling, and another that had not been so prepared. The various specimens of bird and animal life that were brought back from the barren regions of the south formed an interesting feature of the display, and the descriptive labels saved the asking of a great many questions. A small charge was made for admission to the vessel, on behalf of the Red Cross Fund. The amount realised on the two days of the inspection exceeded £106. \ 1 In thd course of' his Annual addresß to the householders of the Island Bay district; Mr. J. 0. t Shorlaiid dealt with the general question of school_ Bites, and pointed his arguments with a breezy'- description of. the - cramped space whereon tlio Clyde Qiijly scholars are wont to seek their recreation: "Round the ground on two' sides, close to classrooms, back-yards of many houses, and the beautiful front out look over tie road—the porgtie. have 'senn examination questions-Ind-eral knowledge something like . 'How is a- Supreme Court conducted.'' One ought to be added: 'How is . Coroners inquest conducted? '—and I calculate a Clyde Quay ..school boT would get right away with the answer after the close acquaintance he must have with what goes on in the building over the road. Next door to the morgue, m this beautiful outlook, is the destructor. A magnificent site for a school the only outlook, death and destruction over the road, enough to break the heart of any youngster. I don't suppose_ a land agent will paint the outlook that wav when Clyde Quay School , Site hits to go, as .go it should. The Clyde Quay School Committee, ' like • other city committees, have done the best they could with the legacy handed them, but what can they do to alter things? It is the voice of the people that wants to be raised." . Mrs. G. T. Smith, of 11 Palm Grove, haS r&mvfed news that her son, Mr. Leonard Smith, has been promoted to sergeant-major .of the 6th Howitaoi Battery, N.Z.F.A. Mr. Smith left with the advance party to Samoa. On returning to New Zealand he again en« listed,' dnd went forward as corporal of the 6th Howitzer Battery, sth Reinforcements. A younger brother, Mr. Claude W. Smith, is with the llttl Artillery. Mr. 6. Brennimd, agricultural master • at the Palinerston North High School, has been appointed to the staff of the Auckland Grammar School.