LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3137, 16 July 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In tho Supreme Court on Saturday, before tho Chief Justlco (Sir Eobcrt Mont), Mr. Justice Cooper, and Mr. Justice Stringer, Mr. A. W. Blair applied lor tho readnii&sinn of Henry Edward Mliott, Bolioitor. of Opotiki, who was etruckoft the rolls about four yenrs ago. Tho Auckland Law Society offered no objection to tho application. Mr. Blair pointed out that tho conduct of tho accused during the past four years had been exemplary. Tho application for reinstatement was granted. •' A peculiar phenomenon of the heavens was witnessed in Wellington at 10.55 p.m. on Saturday. At that hour the air was still, cold, and foggy, no stars being visible. Suddenly tho wholo of tho southwestern sky was lit up by a . bright bluish glare, more sustained than a nasii of lightning and covering evenly a greater arc of tho heavens. This was repeated at least four times, attracting the attention of a largo number of people who were out of doors at tho time, at is assumed to have been some kind ot electrical disturbance, probably a long war off. It will bo interesting to learn if tho phenomenon was witnessed elsewhere in New Zealand or at eea. At tho Petone Bovougli Council's meeting this evening the following notice of motion by Councillor M'kenzio will be discussed :-"Seoing that the General Manager of New Zealand Railways lias conceded an open convenience for ladies and little children at the Potone railway station, we ask that a similar concession be granted at tho ladies' offices, Lambton railway station, Wellington. Tho city tramwav authorities are makin" no secret of the fact that they are iimlin" it rather difficult to deal with the traffic during tho rush time between 5 p.m. and G.SO p.m., and any observer standing at the Courtenay Place stop-ping-place between those hours will grasp the naturo of tho problem at once. In view of the difficulties, the manager (Mr. \V H Morton) lias liad .a printed notice posted in every car requesting ladies iiid others not concerned in business to do their best to make use of the cars to reach their homes by not later than 4.00 in tho afternoon, thereby assisting to lessen tlio rush-hour trouble The president of tho Hawke's Bay Sheopowners' Union reports that at a conference between his executive and the representatives of tho shearers from all parte'of Hawke's Bay it was unanimously decided that the rates of pay for elioarere in tho Hawkes Bay district should bo -El, plus 7e. Gd. war bonus, per hundred, shearers to bo found; shed hands, Is. Bel. per hour and found. Both parties have agreed to confer again with tho object ot arranging a- round of sheds for each gan" in such a manner as will avoid delavs between sheds, thus making the fullest use of depleted labour.-Press Assn.

At a District Court-Martjal held at Wellington on July G, a private of the "Bth Reinforcements was found guilty of (a) when iu lawful custody attemptto escape, and (b) wilfully injuring public property. Ho was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for 112 days.

Since tho recently-stranded sailing ship was put on the Paten tSlip, many people havo gone round to inspect her. Yesterday somo hundreds of sightseers _ went over the vessel, first scaling the side by tho ship's ladder. A unique model of tho famous Italian "Lancia" Car—an automobile noted for rofined appearance, luxurious appointments, and mechanical excellence—is being exhibited at tho Colonial Motor Compiiny'e Showrooms, Wellington. It is a 35 ii.p. Touring Car-tlc-luxe, with complete- modern equipment, including electric light and eelf-starter. Price £1000, f.0.b., Wellington,, Inspection, jttvited.— ■JMi ' . .. ...

Tho steel scrow steamer Putiki, formerly engaged in tho Wellington-Wangn-nui eervice, is to bo sold by public auction by Messrs. Lovin and Co., Ltd., at the Chamber of Commerce to-day. Thoso interested will find further information in an advertisement in this issue.

iV witness before tho Military Service Board (says tho Hawera "Star"), while admitting that there wero good sharemilkers in the district, said there wero others to whom ho would not trust his herd. "I would rather sell my herd for beet' than give them to some sharemilkers," emphatically declared tho vitness. He added that the really fusr.-class share-milker rarely shifted, but remained in his position until ho was ablo to start out for himself.

Mean thefts nro reported from time to time, but one of which a Dunndin paper lias been informed reaches the lowest depth. A slirino wag recently erected on tho outside wall of St. Mary's Cliiiroli, Mornington, and in it is a tablet containing the names of men connected w:th St. Mary's who havo gono forth to Hie great fight now being waged. Included in this list are several who havo laid down their lives for their country. The custom, which is much appreciated, is to i havo a vase- of fresh flowers always u> tho shrine. On Saturday some choice narcissi which arrived from tho north were placed in tho vase, but on Monday they had disappeared, having been stolen early that morning or on Sunday m?ht. The shrine is well out of the reach of small children, so that it cannot be attributed to tho thoughtless act of anyone not old enough to know hotter. "I never knew a New Zealand soldier whom I did not consider equal io ten Germans," said Chaplain-Captain Burgin in the course of an address in Auckland. "At the Battle of the Somme I was engaged at a dressing station just behind tho front line trench, over which the men leaped to the attack. V'o saw them go over, and wo did no'.- aivo to vait long befo'ro wounded an-" prisoners commenced to come in. I saw ono New Zealand soldier bring in eight German prisoners, and all ho had in tbo way of weapons was a pair of scissors." Tho regulation of tho licruor trade is amongst tho subjects that Kwo lwen considered by tho National Efficiency Board (says the "New Zealand Herald ). In reply to a question, the Auckland commissioner, Mr. J. H. Gunson, stated that tho question had been investigated fully by tho board, and that its report had liccn submitted to tho Government, llr. Gunson added that tbo functions of the board were only of an advisory character, and that ho could say nothing as to the nature of tho board's report, which he believed would be made public in due oourse.