LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3181, 4 September 1917, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

'llio Thirtieth Infantry Reinforcements will move from Featherston to Trentham Camp by special train today. Tho Hon. Arthur M. Myers, Minister of Customs, statos that the amount of Customs revenue collected for tho month of August was .£326,865, and,tho excise beer duty .£15,208. Tho figures for the month of August, I3TB, woro .£,740,252 and ,£13,302 TespectivoTy. \ Councillor John Castle has given notice that at tho next mooting of the City. Council lie will move: "(1) That seeing that tho Minister of Internal Affairs, with tho ovident concurrence of tho New Zealand Parliament, wants to establish a War Museum; and the Wellington City Council, at a time when the rooms of the Dominion Museum , are over-crowded, has, in the best situation in Now Zealand, a largo room whicli has never been properly utilised, the use of this room be offered to the Government for tho purpose'of a War Museum, pending tho provision of more suitable accommodation by the Government. (2) That the rhododendron plot; iu tho grounds of tho Wellington Zoo be planted, and kept supplied during all time, with some of the best rhododendrons that may be found or produced in tho world, as a memento of our heroic boys who fell at Rhododendron Bid"-0, on' Gallipoli, in one of tho most glorious displays of indomitable valour i n"niust tremendous odds that Now Zealand lias ever been represented in." \. meoting of the Sports Subcommittee, in" connection with the Citizens Christmas Gift Fund, was held at the Town Hall last night. Details were arranged in regard to stalls which will be organised by the Sports of Wellington for November 30 and December 1. Most encouraging reports were received as to the stalls likely to bo taken up .by tho. various sports bodies, most of which are enthusiastic in the scheme.

The Spring School in Agriculture, under the Wellington Education Board, opened in Masterton yesterday. Mr. 1\ 11. Bokewcll, Chief Inspector, addressed forty teachers assembled from the Wellington and' Marlborough districts, expressing appreciation of the fine spirit of thoso who had voluntarily given up a well-earned holiday to take advantage of tho instruction. Tho school is under the management of Mr. C. A. Cumming, tho board's instructor in agriculture. Just arrived tho latest in soft felt hats from Tress, Borsalino, . Stetson. The hats of the hour. Call! Geo. I'owlds, Ltd., Munuers Street—Advt.,

1 No further information concorning the terms on which the Imperial authorities will take over New Zealand's exportable output of butter is yet available. The Prime Minister stated yesterday that ho was awaiting a further communication from London on tho subject.

A dispatch received in. Rome from Zurich, at the end of Juno, states that both in Germany and Austria aeroplanes aro now being constructed the wiugs of which aro made, not of cloth, but of a special kind of paper, this being rendered necessary by tho great lack of textile materials. 'l'ho dispatch adds that great apprehension exists in German military circles 011 account of the colossal assistance promised to tho Entento by America in tho matter of aviation. In consequenco _of this the German military administration has commandeered several factories witli the object of largely increasing the output of aeroplanes.

Alluding in the French Chamber _of Deputies recently to the death in action at St. Qucntin of Baron Reille, a member of the House, M. Deachanel, _ tho President, said that when he was killed Ba.ron Reille was in command of a motor quickfirer section. By a tragic coincidence the password for the alight was "Reille," his ancestral name. "Thus," said M. Deschanel, "out of this valley of the shadows lie answered to tho call of his forefathers, adding fresh' lustre to the glory of a race of soldiers."

The annual prira-giving ceremony _ of the l Wellington, Sunday School Union wa9 held in ,St. John s Hall, Dixon Street, last evening. Mr. _ Alexander Johnston, president of the union, was in the chair. The prizes were preaefited by Mrs. W. P. Massey, and tho certificates by Miss C. E. Kirk. . The results of the examinations have already been ipublished. A special' vote of thanks was accorded the i secretary, Mr. H. J. Thompson.'

Some interesting figures were supplied ■by Mr. J. R. Real, K. C., in the Auckland Supreme Court during the hearing of the action' Ann Loekwood, of Oneliunga, v. the Auckland Electric Tramways Co., Ltd. Evidence to show that the practice of a motorman lookingTOund tho side of a car to seo' if all passengers had alighted or boarded the car had been adopted, after careful consideration, with a view to safeguarding the lives of the travelling public, having been adduced, Mr. Reed proceeded to substantiate the statement. He said that the custom had been in vogue for fifteen years, during which timo tho caTS had covered 37,000,278 miles and carried over 44,000,000 passengers. The accident which formed the basis of the action was the first serious mishap during that time.

That New serving at the front with other than New Zealand units aro not neglected in tho matter of gifts, is shown by a letter recently received from a New Zealander serving with a South African unit. The writer 6tated that ho had recently received from the High Commissioner a most -useful gift parcel, and lie expressed gratitude at boing remembered. It was'not so much the parcel as tho fact' of not being forgotten, he said, .that caused him so much pleasure. ' ' ;

A Dunedin soldier gives the following interesting iaßcidont which occurred In the early stages of the battle of Messines: "We saw a big lot of prisoners coming in just after the push started, and they wero a motley lot—boys of 14 or 15, and middle-aged and fairly old men. Most of them seemed very pleased that they wore out of it, but others appeared to tako it pretty bndly, especially the officers, among whom were a general and staff.' I believe they were caught asleep, and were taken in their pyjamas, so . you can guess how . sudden things were onee wo got going in earnest."

Evidently plain sheet-iron has run out in tho south, as offers have been received by local firms of as high as .£IOO per ton for any lots available (says an exchange). Corrugated iron is nowworth about ,£BS per ton, at which figure .it will sooii pay to pull down old fences and have the slieots regalvanised. As a matter of fact, last week tenders were invited for sale and removal of a corrugated iron fence round a suburban bowling green. It is almost needless to add that at .£BS per ton there is little likelihood of many buildings boing erectted with galvanised iron roofs. •