LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2966, 3 January 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Military Service Board for tlie Wellington district will resume tho hearing of appeals in the city to-daj, and will remain hero till Saturday, H'licu it will proceed to Masterton.

The secretary of the St. John Ambulance Association lias received a. cheque for £200 from tho Hanera St. John Ambulance and Red Cross branch towards tho further upkeep of the South Taranaki Motor Ambulance at tho front.

"I fool it my duty," writes a correspondent (G. King), "to place on record the excellent behaviour and promptitude of Motorman Spenco in averting a fatal accident to a small child who rushed across in front of liis car while proceeding down Kent Terrace at 4.30 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. My position in front of his car enabled mo to witness tho occurrence clearly, and I can honestly state tliat Motorman Snence- was rather to he congratulated for liis nerve than blamed for tbo accident."

A record wool load was brought into Gunning, New South Wales, a few days ago. It consisted of 75 bales; weighing 1.1 tons, and was drawn by 24 bullocks.

The tram takings on Now Year's Day were £'10 more than for tho first day of last year. Tho traffic was very heavy, but no accident occurred during the whole day. j Tho third, section of the Twentieth Reinforcements paraded on Waterloo Quay yesterday afternoon. The men, who hnd received more than the usual amount of training, looked fit and smart, and many friends and relatives took the opportunity to see them in their service uniforms and wish them good fortune. Very meagre news is available about the state of the stranded mail steamer Maitai, but all the news that has come here is bad. It is considered eitremely unlikely that the Maitai will ever ride the wave again. One of the difficulties of keeping touch with tho steamer is that her wireless is out of action. Tho reef-fringed shore is a very dangerous one, and the fact that the Maitai's cables parted shows that the gale which blew the ship on to the rocks was one of some force. Once on the roef the steamer would get the full shock of the heavy beat of the waves. Under ordinary circumstances the loss of. a ship like the Maitai to a. company like the Union Company would be an affair of very "little momenfrnierely an incident, more or less regrettable. -But now steamers are so scarce that they are all valuable, and it will inconvenience the company very much to have to find another ship for tho Pacific run. No arrangements havn y'pfc been made for Teplaciiis; the Maitai on the rim. Passengers have arrived from Australia booked through by the Maitai to 'Frisco, but the rest of ttior voyage may bo postponed for a. little lime. The'company lias not a. suitable steamer to spare for the San Francisco trade just now. The prolonged spell of dry weather has brought about drought conditions in some of the suburban areas where tanks have to be relied on for the supplv of water. Day's Bay is reported to be particularly short of water, many of the residents having no supply at all, and at Karori many who rel.v oil tank supplies are feeling the pinch severely. j

At the rental given recently at Masterton in aid of the blind soldiers and sailors, of St. Dunstan's, tho sum of £660 was realised.

The following temporary appointments have heen approved by the Camp Commandant at Feafchorston:—Corpl. G. F,: Hards, N.Z.M.G., <o he lmjcnsereeanb; Lce.-Corpl. J. Malcy, N.Z. M.C., to bo corporal. The secretary of tho St. John Anibulanco Association reports that Eltbara has given a motor ambulance from the town and district through the Now Zealand Government, also that Pahiatua has contributed a motor ambulance through the New Zealand AVar Contingent Association of London.

Attention lias recently been drawn in New Zealand to the possibility of utilising seaweed for -raanurial purposes, mid inquiry lias been mado whether light work for returned soldiers could he found in collecting and burning seaweed. Before anything definite could be said for such a scheme —writes Mr. B. C. Aston in the "Journal of Agriculture , ?—it is dosfraWo that information regarding tho available supply of seaweed and the botanical and 'chemical composition of it should he obtained, hut it is not. likely, oven if tho utilisation of seaweed were proved to be profitable, that the work would be "light" or suitable for returned soldiers.

A cable message in the Sydney "Sun" states that a heavy shell fell within 10 yards of General Birdwood on the Sonimo front, but, happily, did not oxplode. The Federal Government is considering a, suggestion by tho Committee on the Cause of Death and Invalidity in. Australia to co-operate with the States in endeavouring to eradioate tuberculosis, a disease which is costing the Commonwealth thousands of pounds annually in the provision of old ago and invalid pensions. Tho scheme which the Government lias before it provides for a vigorous campaign against tho disease in a selected locality in which it is more than ordinarily: prevalont. Tho Bendigo mining centre offers an exceptionally suitable held for such a campaign, as it affords opportunitios for attacking not only the genoral problem of tuberculosis ma municipal community, but also the special problem of tuberculosis in mines. It is considered by tho committee that the Commonwealth and the States, working in co-oporation, could put into operation all those methods of control known to be useful elsewhere, and could establish thoir general value, or discover modifications necessary for the conditions encountered in Australia. Tho belief is held that an attempt mitrhfc bo made, with reasonable hope of success, to roduco the tuberculosis death-rate in the Bendigo district by one-half in five years. If the Government adopts tho scheme it will he necessary to provido a laboratory fov tho examination of sputum anti minor investigatory work; a hospital into which advanced casos should Ikj encouraged to go; a. sanatorium for early eases; a dispensary for consultations and as a general administration for the campaign, and a emnll start or medical officers and mirsns. After tlio holidays it is probable that a- conferenco on tho subject will ho held by Commonwealth and Stato officers with a view to drawing up a concrete scheme for approval by tho Government's An official census of the Kronen civilian "active" population— of the adult lion-Uiobiliswl portion ol the nation—taken on March 15, 1016, shows that there were- 12,494,000 men and 7,71)5,000 women, or a total of 20,209,000. representing about half of the total 'population of France, t igures show that of this number 4,6*),000 men and 3,927,000 women wore at the head of thoir own establishments— namely, either as agriculturists, farmers, tradespeople, workshops, factories, or businesses. There woro 6,312,001) ronlo and 3,093,000 female workpeople and employees.

This is tho season of happy borne Batterings of families and friends, and hostesses, who wish to delight tlioir (jiieslfl with the tnoat dolicioue Txiverago should servo Desert Gold Tea. Its tempi- : jnp Aroma, and rich, refreshing flavour ore enperior to any other. Only the choicest young sroivtbs from f.lie imest. Covlon eardens are nsod for Desert. Gold Tel). -An eTcrjr ounce is pure an 4 fullflavoured, it is very economical in uee. .The 2a, grade is mosst jonulw.—Adyi, •