LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3154, 4 August 1917, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

■ The gas supply will l>o turned on at 7 (i.in. to-day, and will remain on until 8 p.m. The Sunday hours will bo' 8 a.m. till 1.30 p.m., and 5 p.m. till 8.30 p.m. An unusual proposition was laid before tlifi Military Service Board yesterday afternoon, -when .T. P. Banco asked for permis&bir to return lo Australia to sco his parents, whom he had left, in 18111. Appellant said that his brother, a man of military age, and fit for service, was prepared to enlist voluntarily and go into camp until lie came back from Australia. The brother referred to appeared Before the board. "You raised this question of going to Australia before Ihe Canterbury Board, did you not?" asked Captain Baldwin. "Yes," was appellant's reply. "And they refused to grant you any leave beyond July," continued Captain Baldwin. The board decided to ■recommend the military authorities to grant the leave asked for on condition that' tho brother enlisted, as proposed, and that appellant lodged ,£IOO security. .. A suggestion that tho Defence Minister should obtain for publication in New Zealand a monthly report or bulletin about the doings of our Forces from ihe General commanding at the front, and from General Richardson, in charge of base details, was made in the House of Representatives yesterday I>y Mr, T. M. AVilford. Ho said that such a bulletin would be very welcome in view of the. paucity of nows coming to us about our.own men. Sir James Allen said he thought, that this could be arranged. Ho received occasional reports now from these officers, and it was his practice lo eive as much as. possible of them to the House or to the newspapers.

Owing to tho high prices being charged for galvanised iron, a firm of buildera at Greytown are splitting shingles for roofing purposes (says our correspondent). It is anticipated that as '-hingles are fo much , cheaper than, iron they will come once more into common use.

At Mount St. Gerard's, to-morrow the Feast of St. Alphoiisiis, the founder of the Kodemptorist Order, will be observed with special solemnity. There will be High Mass at 10 o'clock, which will be celebrated by the Bishop of Christchurch, the Eight Rev. Dr. Brodie. His Lordship will also preach the occasional sermon. Tho Bishop of Diiinedin, the Eight Rev. Dr. Verdon, will preside in the sanctuary. In the evening at 7 o'clock the Rev. Father Mangan, C.S.S.R., will preach a special sermon on the saintly founder, after which Pontifical Benediction will bo given. The altar and sanctuary will bo suitably decorated, and there wi'll be special music rendered for the occasion.

A timely ami useful gift of a pair of crutches and• ten .walking slicks for Iho use of convalescent -soldiers at Rotoni.i. was ■ received yesterday by the. National Committee of the I.M.C.A. from Mrs. Gladden, of Petone.

Last evening William Smith, who residea at 42 Martin Street, was admitted to the Public Hospital suffering from injuries to his right leg, receive/1, it is reported, through his being knooked down by ahorse at tho Queen's Wharf. His injuries are not eorioue.

Of one thing respecting the new taxation the public can bo quite satisfied. That is that on this occasion at least !)o one got an inkling of the direction' in which tho extra Taxation was to be imposed. . As for those engaged in tho wholesale liquor trade, they were rather surprised at tho estra duty being placed on wines and spirits, as it was generally understood among theui that none was to be imposed. The tqbacoo-men were token completely off their fuarri. Had they known what was to be done there would have been very big clearances made eaily in the present week. As it was the clearances of-cigars and cigarettes were only normal. "If it's any good to Sir Joseph Ward to know," said one wholesale man, "he caught us all napping!"

In tho House of Representatives yesterday Mr. W. Noswortliy (Ashburton) gavo notice of the following question to the Prime Minister:—"Whether he (or his co'lleague. Sir J. G. Ward) can rafute tho statement made by a-Roman Catholic priest at Waerenga-a-hika .m Sunday; July 2!)j to his congregation after the celebration of Mass, that 'when Jtassey and Ward were in England they were interviewed by Bishop Cleary, anil they .gave him their promise that the Jfarist Brothers would not'be conscripted?'"

In the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M.. three .youth's were charged with '•■ilfnlly damaging a public telephone at the corner of Part Street and Tinakori Tload, to the extent" of 10s. It appears that cne of the lads wished to use the telephone, and nil three sot into the box and closed tlife door. When they turned round to get out one of the lads broke a paue of glass. The Magistrate 'dismissed the information conditionally on the amount of damage being paid. Mr. H. V. O'Leary, who appeared for the' lads', said that they had been willing to pay the amount from th'e moment the damage was caused.

The children of the Muritai School have always been in the forefront in anything appertaining to the welfare of our soldiers. The chairman of the School Committee (Mr. Charles Russell), when the school closed yesterday, briefly addressed the children, and, after apologising for the unavoidable absence of the Mayor (Mr. P. Levi), introduced the Rev. T. Gardner, who gave a most interesting address on the three flags—St. George, St. Andrew, and St. Patrick. After singing-the first .two verses of the National Anthem, .the school flag was hoisted niast high by the senior girl scholars, and was saluted in due form. Cheers for the King and the chairman of the committee (Mr. Russell) brought a most interesting function to a close.

In the House of Representatives yesterday Mr. W. H. Field (Otaki) gave notice to ask the Minister of Industries and Commerce, whether he has yot made investigation into the question submitted to him by the member for Otaki some months ago, as to whether or not there is a combine in existence operating throughout a large portion of the North Island of New Zealand, which is alleged to have for its object the control of the bacon and pork industry throughout the area mentioned; and, if such combine'.is found to exist, whether he will take, steps to deal with it.

In the Magistrate's Court at Masterton on Thursday (says our special correspon. dent) the licensee of the Whalcatasi Hotel was charged with a breach of the War Regulations in having "treated" one David Stevens. Counsel for defendant urged that Stevens had been supplied with a drink as a friend, which did not constitute a breach of the regulations. The Lord Chief Justice of England, was quoted in support of the contention that a publican did not lose his citizen rights on account of tiie War Emergency Act. The Magistrate, Mr. L. G. Reid, reserved lift decision until yesterday, when lie fined the licensee of the hotel £2 and costs. He held that th'e case in England quoted by counsel did not govern. New Zealand War Regulations. The man who was treated .was fined £1 and costs. ...... Quartermaster-Sergeant Jeffries; of ])nnnevirke, fell down in a fit in Masterton yesterday (says our special correspondent) and sustained a scalp wound which necessitated treatment at the Hospital. A conference of area officers of 'the Wairarnpn district has been held in Mnstorton during the last few days, to organise a rounding-up campaign against men who have failed to answer the call. It is understood that until the Budget, proposals before the House have been ratified, the- Camp Commandants at Trenthani and Featherston Military Camps will not entertain any suggestion which may bo made in regard to increasing the price of any article sold within the camp bounds. Tobacco and cigarettes are t>till being sold in the camps at pre-Budget prices.

The continuous rain in Auckland caused an old resident to recall the fact that some 55 years ago, when the ship he was on neural the waters of tho AVaitemnta, an old sailor who had previously visited Auckland was asked his opinion of the .place. His reply fits the present season (says tho "Star"): "A very fine country if only it had a flytent over it."

Thero is every probability that the war canoe events, which, have boon a salient featuro of tho Ngaruawahia regatta in tho past, will be .missing from future programmes, owing to the apathy of the Natives (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The present canoes have reached that stage- when they should be relegated to the scrap-heap, and the Regatta Committee approached tho Maoris at Huntly with the proposal that they should build some canoes for the association, the crows to bo paid for manning them. The Maoris asked £39 each for building the .canoes, stipulating that when completed .they should remain, the property of the builders. Another attempt is to be made to persuade tho Natives to offer more reasonable terms, but tho members of tho association apparently are not sanguine of success.

Timber is continually advancing in price (states tho Dunedin correspondent of a Christchureh paper). Overseas timber has gone to very high figures owing to the shortage of shipping and the consequent increase in freights. Oregon, in particular, is becoming scarce- alld dear, and merchants Say it is likely to mount even higher. As" to New Zealand timber, the Otago and Southland Co-operative Timber Company have this week come to tho conclusion that a higher price is unavoidable. Tho Government royalty has been doubled, and the price of all stores has increased as a result of the war—wire rope from JMO to per ton, and spikes by 150 to 200 per cent. A rise •in wages was granted by the Court 13 months nso, and when the Jost price list was issued a. month later, • this did not take into account tho wages- increase. This will be adjusted in the/new'scale of prices just about to be issued. Pending the appearance of that list, details as to the advances cannot be given, but they will include a rise of Is. per 100 ft. on ordinary building red pine, and 2s. per 100 ft. on clean, whilst the prices for white pine, black pine, birch, and totara will also go up. The ehortage of labour is also a factor in the alteration. At the beginning of the war, the Invercargill Union had I'ioo names of bushworkers on its list; now there are only about 35(1, and many of these men are of the less expert class. Thei advances noted do not, it is said, meet all the extra' producing charges; in other words, the sawmillers were better off before the war than they will be after those increases are put on. The rises detorniined on in the south -will still leave prices there below the current rates'in the' North Island.

Messrs. Baldwin and Bay-ward, patent attorney.? and consulting engineers, of 215 Lambton Quay, Wellington, report that recently they acted as agents in tiling the following applications for letters patent of Now Zealand-.— J. Ball, Lower Hutt. cycle pump holder; J. C. Shute, Hastings, comb cleaner; D. Harvey, Box Hill, cultivator; E. W. Thurlow, Brighton, motor fuels: P. W. Wil-. son, Hawnra, brushes; C. Thornton, Auckland, medicinal ointment; Rudge"Whitworth, Coventry, wheel; G. T. Ritchie, Sydney, ventilating rooms , ; W. Perry, Jtasterton, protecting river-banks; ■T. M'Leod, Lyttelton, self-operating machine; A. K. O'Connor. Dutto, adjustable ploughshare; J. Anderson, Waitaha, milk cooler.

"It. acts like a charm. , ' That's what Indies say of "NO RUBBING" Laundry Help. It saves time, trouble, temper, labour—and money- . Your-grocer sells it. Shilling packets ■ with "Thinker" Note Book free.—Advt.

As a result of the additional duty on cigarettes, announced in the Financial Statement, which comes into force afc once, the tobacconists of the city announce that from date the price of the packets of cigarettes hitherto gold at 6d. is increased to. 7d., and-.the tins and packets of cigarettes previously sold .at ls. : will, now cost Is. 2<l. In addition to-the'extra, duty the tobacconists have also had to face ail increase in tho wholesale price of cigarettes and tobaccos, and it is-stated to be likely that the prices of many linos of tobacco will shortly have to be raised.

The National Committee of the Y.M.C.A. acknowledges the: following contribntione ■to - its war funds:—Oamaru Patriotic Fuiid, .£loo;'.Ladies' Patriotic Tea Boom, Wellington, .£SO; Sir Jamea Wilson, Bulls, £20 ; -Mr. -W. Callender, Wellington, .£ls; Misses Webb and Van, Stavpren, £b\ Mrs. K- I<snib, Wellington, £i- P.W.M.T)., Wellington. .£2 2«.; Sir Kenneth Douglas, Wellington, .CI Is.; Mrs. A. .Martin, Pahiatna, 10s.

Arthur Webster, a : conscientious objector, whose appeal came before, the Militarv Service Board yesterday, stated that he "belonged to the Church, of Christ, islced whether he would sign a declaration that-he would perform non-com-batant service, he replied: By doing that I would be an-accomplice to something 1 think to be wrong.' . Pressed further, he said he understood from a report to the House of Commone at Home that about 87 per cent, of the wounded men recovered and went back to tho nnngline. If he helped to send them back bv doing ambulance work he felt ne would be acting wrongly. The board dismissed the appeal. ■ .- ■ ■■■

At-yesterday's sitting of tne Military Service Board the chairman, delivered decision upon the cases of-about ntteen. conscientious objectors belonging to J-he Testimony of Jesus. He said that aftrc , careful consideration the board had come to the conclusion that the cases did not come within section IS of the Act. lne appeals "were therefore dismissed, the board recommending that appellants perform only non-combatant service.

Mr. W.' G. Eiddeli; S.JI., held an inquest 'yesterday touching 'ih6 'death of Samuel Radcliffe Hamsbottoin, aged -0. who "died" suddenly at his' •ssidence m Stotce Street. After hearing 'the evidence a'verdict was returned that death was due to lieart failure.

Kilbirnie or Crawford Park?.. That is the Burning question. with a. great number of Kilbirnie residents. ./When one deputation favouring the Park beingmimed after the ..late Mr. Couth Crawford waited on. the committee, it was informed that a petition had been received in favour of naming the reserve Kilbirnie Park, and suggested that a counter-petition might (be presentea. This petition, which contained lloJ names, has been presented to the Beserres Committee. It now remains iov the heserve* Committee to make a recommendation to the council on this iuomantou3 question.

The adjourned case of John Irancis Welsh, a Marist Brother, came before the Third Wellington Military Service Board yesterday. The chairman, slated that in future such appeals would be dealt with from an educational point or view i each case on its merits. •■ lhe appeal in question was adjourned to the first eftting of the board after September 14.