LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3070, 4 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Defonce Minister has received advico that tho Twenty-second Reinforcements have; reached their destination.

A correspondent has written to The Dohinion asking for information regarding tho allowance that may be made to soldiers up to tho amount of £2 per week to defray such expenses as rent; intereet on loans, and life, insurance premiums. The correspondent had doubt as to whether the allowances were to bo made as free gifts or merely as loans. The question was submitted to tho Defence Minister yesterday, and Sir Jamos Allen replied that these special allowances were to be paid as gifts to the soldiers, and that there never had beon any intention of merely advancing the money as a loan to the reservist entitled to it.

Owing to the heavy calls made upon the staff of the General Post Office, it has boen decided to temporarily suspend the "special messenger" service that is ordinarily carried out by the telegraph boys. _ This arrangement does not interfere with the "express delivery service," that provides for tl o prompt delivery of letters within the city.

During the quarter ended March 31 last New Zealand imported goods to the value of £3,156,321 from the United Kingdom, £801,382 from Australia, £980,391 from the United! States, £91,593 from Ceylon, £160,152 from Canada, and £179,700 from Japan. Tho imports from Japan showed an increase of just npon £100,000 over the imports for the corresponding period of the preceding year. Tho imports from Germany for the quarter wore valued at £519, but substantial increases in the imports from such neutral countries as Switzerland, Sweden, and Denmark may be open to a- certain amount of suspicion. Trance sent goods to the value of £11,260, as compared with £31,404 for the first quarter of 1916.

Amended! regulations with regard to teachers' superannuation are published in this week's Gazette. . '

Replying to a letter of inquiry received by him as to the course being followed by the Department of Internal Affairs in regard to tho issue of permits to slaughtermen, tho Minister (the Hon. G. W. Russell) has made the following declaration of the policy to be pursued: "I have to state that Australian slaughtermen who have come to New Zealand for this season will be given permits to return to Australia. With regard to bona-fide New Zealand slaughtermen desiring to proceed to Australia for the season there tho position as regards those in the First Division already drawn in the ballot, is that they must appear before Hie militery service boards and obtain exempt tion. Permits to go to the Commonwealth will then bo issued. With regard to First Division men not drawn in the ballot, and Second Division men, overy application will be dealt with on its merits."

Mr. Joseph Arthur, of Masterton, according to our correspondent, was assaulted when returning to liis home on Wednesday night. He struggled with his assailant, who eventually got away. On entering his house, he found that it had been vinited, and articles disarranged. Nothing, however, was missing. The police have the matter in hand. The Fisheries Section of the Marine Department has been investigating the possibility of establishing oyster beds id the neighbourhood of Cook Strait, and at length it has been decided that an attempt shall be made to acclimatise Stewart Island oysters at the mouth of the Awatore River, south of Blenheim. The reason why this spot lias : been chosen *is that in the- first place it is near to the market of Wellington, and that in the second place it is a place where the bivalves will have the same conditions as to depth of water as exist in Foveaux Strait, whero are situated the big beds which supply the whole colony. The Minister of Marine (the Hon. 6. W. Russell) has given instructions that if the experiment at the mouth of the Awatere should bo a success other beds shall be planted, and that a report bo obtained as to the possibility of establishing a bod at ior near Lyttclton. A man who appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday charged with being a rogue and a vagabond, and sleeping out, said ho had no money and could get no work. Inspector Marsack: "That plea of no work won't do. There is plenty of work to bp obtained.", The accused: "There was the indignity of asking for work. I have asked four times, and. could got no work, and it is undignified to have to ask again." He was promptly provided with three days' work at the gaol without sufforing tho indignity of asking for it. The first ordinary mooting of the newly-elected City Council will bo held on Thursday week, May 17. Throughout tho winter tho moetinga will commence at 7.30 p.m.

Mio carpenters' and joiners' dispute was before the Arbitration Court at Dunedin yesterday. Tho union asked for a minimum wage of 2s. per hour, and objected to work overtime. The union representative admitted that if the demands were granted there would be a slight increase in the cost of liviug. Tho employers objected to any alteration in the old award. Tho Court intimated that decision would be given after tho Christchurch disputo had been heard.—Press Assn.

In tho course of argument in the Court of Appeal yesterday, Mr. John O'Shea had occasion to. refer to the variability of tho Wellington weather. "Is that a matter of which we can take judicial notice?" queried Mr. Justice Cooper. "I think we aro quite entitled to take notice of the Wellrau-t-on weather," said Sir John Denniston, while Mr. Justice Hoslunpj volunteered a referenco to "personal sufferings." "No insult to-Wellington intended," concluded Sir John Denniston, "but the variety here is charming—really charming 1"

Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., gave ins reserved judgment yesterday in the case brought by Leonard Cloake against the City Corporation to recover damages arising out of a collision between plaintiff's motor-oar and), a tramcar in Customhouse Quay. Judgment was given for plaintiff for £21 19s. Gd., with costs £5 6s.

In tho Juvenile Court yesterday, before Mr. L. 6. Reid, S.M., four lads, two of whom were aged twelve, and the other two thirteen, were convicted of stealing th« weights of. window sashes from various- premises in Weilington South, and selling same to a second-hand dealer. Tho lads wero each ordered, to receive sis strokes of the birch.'

No fewer than 373,140 ft. of films wore censored by Mr. W. Jolhffo during the monQi of Mnrch. Up to date the Censor has viewed 2,500,000 ft. of film (that is, siuce October 1, 1910. Fifteen films have been absolutely' rejected since January 1.

A visitor to Wellington during the week was Mr. Hill, a well-known aviation instructor at Hendon (England), who has come out to take charge of tbe Aviation School at Christehurcli. Mr. Hill, accompanied by his wife and child, has left for the south.

It has been decided by the Marino Department that in view of the evidence submitted by Captain Smith (Superintendent of Mercantile Marine) in connection with the collision in the harbour recently between the Queen of the South and tho Wootton, that no further inquiry is necessary.

Referring editorially to tho coal strike the "Railway Review" says: — "The miners have too, rough-and-ready a method of adjusting grievances. They were aiming at the profiteering classes when they downed tools, but tho first people to suffer were the wageearners, particularly those in inland towns, who would have been deprived of necessaries had not a decisive, step been taken to conserve railway coal supplies for absolutely essential transport of foodstuffs. Though slower and less showy, the contitutional method of redressing grievances is more effective and permanent."

The 12th (Nelson) Regiment of the Territorial Fqrce is to be known • for the future as the "12th (Nelson and jMarlborough) Regiment." The necessary notification is made in the Gazette this week.

At a meeting of business men held at Napier yesterday the following were appointed a Board of Trustees as required by the Efficiency Board: —Robert Williams, Nat Kettle, B. L. Paterson, and W. G. Garvis, the latter being the farmers' representative.

The Minister of Internal Affairs Btnted yesterday that the Government had received a'kineraatograph film descriptivo of the Battle of "the Ancre. Tho film, which is of 5000; feet, will be made available for exhibition throughout the Dominion shortly.

Mr. J. A. Frostick, National Efficiency Commissioner, has asked the Canterbury Philosophical Institute to supply information on the following subjects:—(l) Is an excess of young stock being killed, and, if so, what is the probable effect on tho stocks of Canterbury ? (2) The utilisation of sawmill waste (sawuust and offents) by distillation or otherwise. (3) The utilisation of the waste coal of Westland and Canterbury, and of the low-grade lignites of Canterbury. (4) Is a full apprenticeship required for routine mechanical processes in various industries? . (5) The treatment of liquors from woolscouring for the recovery of soap and grease. (6) The suitability of New Zealand sulphur-bearing minerals for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, etc.

At his installation as Mayor of Onehunga- on Wednesday, Mr. J. J. Boyd, somotime of Kilbirnio, said that he felt' his election as chief magistrate of Onohuuga to be a great honour, and that it carried with it a. great responsibility. ... He looked forward to a successful term of office, and instead of giving to ratepayers a programme of his futuro intentions, he thought it would be better to call a public meeting of the electors, say six months hence, to acquaint them of the work done by the new council up till then, and to invite a discussion of that work. "Air. Boyd asked the ratepayers to attend the ordinary meetings of the- council, and so become informed of their own business. . .

The Meteorological Office reports that March proved, an extremely dry month for most parts of New Zealand, the only districts having an excessive rainfall being Westland and Southern Otago. About tho 22nd and 23rd depressions of moderate intensity passed ■both north and south of the Dominion, chiefly benefiting the northernmost districts of the North Island and the West Coast, and southern parts of the south. On the night of tho 24th a small "low" passed in.the neighbourhood of Cook Strait, and was responsible for heavy, welcome rains generally. Some stations, especially in the north, reported severe thunderstorms on this day. The weather during the month was chiefly governed by anticyclones—fair, mild, and cal mdays and 'cool nights being the rule. Tho first frosts of the season occurred on tho 28th of tho month. . .

One result' of the measures that aro being taken in the United! Kingdom to increase the production of foodstuffs is the development of the farm tractor. Tens of thousands of acres of British park and common land are bein" broken up for cropping with, the aid of light and handy motor tractors. An Agricultural Machinery Branch of tho British Munitions Department has cooperated with tho Board of Agriculture and the Food Controller in tho promotion of the manufacture of agricultural implements in tho United Kingdom, and reports that have reached His Majesty's Trade Commissioner (Mr. B. W. Dalton) indicate that there is likely to be a demand for tho new tractors in New Zealand. They aro light and handy machines, with groat pulling capacity, and: they can bo used for hauling ploughs, harrows, reapers, etc., with economy and oaso. One small tractor has ploughed 25 acres in 20 hours, and this without expert handling. Tho demand for tho new machines is great in Britain at the present time, but it appears that the manufacturers will bo able to supply orders from abroad presently. Tho fault of most of tho existing tractors is that they aro too big, too complicated and too costly. Britain's own needs, at a time when all tho available > land had to bo brought under cultivation quickly with a minimum demand for skilled labour, havo produced the sort of machine that should suit the New Zealand farmesv.

TKe seventh annual festival of the Christchurch literary and musical competitions opened yesterday. The entries constitute a record, totalling 1244. —Press Assn.

An Orphans' Clul) has been formed at Napier, and at tho inaugural meeting 130 members were recorded.

It would bo thought almost impossible (says Wednesday's Auckland "Star") that a motor-car out of control could dash into Queen Street, dodge a tramcar, swerve round the corner in front of Kemp's establishment, and smash into a motor-lorry without anyone being injured, but such was the occurrence this morning. _ A mnn named Frank Borkahn was driving a car down Shortland Street, when suddenly tho back exlo broke, .with tho result that the brakes wore put out of action. The car gathered speed as it came down tho steep hill, but there was just a hope that the.road might be clear right across to leavo room for it to run up Swanson Street. The driver shouted to warn peoplo to get out of the way, and just managed to miss a tramcar at the crossing. He swerved the car up Queen Street, but just in front of Kemp's establishment came into collision with a motor-lorry. Tho impact was a hard one, and tho lorry suffered considerably, but fortunately neither driver was injured.