LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 30, 30 October 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The total funds collected in AVellington to date for the Red Cross and Blind Soldiers' and Sailors' Fund are, according to Mr. James M'lntosh, ; as follows:— War Funds Collection Committee, donations to date, including J21250 from the Bank of New Zealand, .£2G24 35.; Paddy a Market gate money, .£266 7s. 3d.; halfhour entertainment gate money, JISO ss. Id.; stalls, etc., lis. 4d.; Eastbourne and other suburban districts, £183 Is.; surprise packets, .£3220; Mr. T, M.,Wilford's war lecture, .ESSS 6s. to!.; Our Day," .£970 19s. 6d.; total, .£§B23 13s. lid.

' No difficulty is being experienced to get new crews for the coastal steamers recominissiomng. Tho wharves wore busy yesterday, and not enough labour could 'bo obtained to work the ships. About ten coasters needing workers called up all the available labour, and only ■ two of them wero rondy to sail last night. Tho others will complete their loading and sail" this afternoon.

The public examination of Arthur Waldeinar Schaef, who was recently adjudged a bankrupt on the' petition of Isabel and Gladys I)avor, "was mentioned befoTfl Mr. Jnstice Hosking yesterday. The petitioners, it will be remembered, obtained judgment for .£625 damages in an' action against Schaef for slander, and Schaef was adjudged a bankrupt upon his failure to pay over the amount of the judgment. He was ordered to be publicly examined, and the matter was originally 6ct down for hearing yesterday. Hifl Honour Mr. Justice Hosking adjourned it till Friday.

The Hon. Arthur Myers, Minister in Charge of Munitions and Supplies, informed a representative of The Dominion that he had ascertained by cablegram ' from tlie High Commissioner for New Zealand that none of tho applications which he had recently supported for liDseed oil were likely to be executed, the position being that the export of linseed oil from the United Kingdom was meantime absolutely prohibited owing to tho conditions of Homo supplies and requirements there. Tho High Commissioner also advised that -he is making further efforts in the hope of securing a small quantity, and has promised to cable the results. Simultaneous!y\ with the above information, advice has been roceived by Mr. Myers from the Director nf Munitions, Commonwealth of Australia, Melbourne, that there is little prospcct of supplies of linseed oil being obtained from that quarter, owing to conditions which prevail there at present. Special consideration, however, will be given to supplies of linseed oil, will be used exclusively for shipping purposes.

At tho quarterly meeting of the Wellington branch of the A;S.R.S. the following resolution was unanimously carried:—"That we enter a strong protest against any interference with the rights and privileges granted by the Government to raiiwaymen under the Superannuation Act."

The children of Hataitai, Poseneath, Kilbirriie, Mirftmar, Maranui, and Seotoim, and adjacent bays are being organised- by a band of patriotic citizens to make the celebration of Guy Eawkw Day this year f\ source of profit to benent the men of fchft Navy find their depertdants. Tho districts named will be energetically canvassed early on Saturday next by boys bearing effigies of _ Guy Faivkes, and wearing distinguishing badges, and armed with 'sealed collecting bnxre. At D.3A a.m. a further elTort will be made in the city by authorised boy collectors, mounted 011 motor-lorries. Thero will also bo a flower side during tho morning. In tho afternoon a sports gathering will bo held in Tulbirme Park, followed in the evening by a huge bonfire and display of fireworks. Jiefreshments will be oblainnblo at the park, it is hoped that a considerable sum will bo obtained from these efforts on behalf of our brave men of the British Navy and the widows and children o[ those nlio have been lost in Ihoir fight lor the Empire. The annual meeting of tho I'oard of Studies in connection with the University of New Zealand will open at 10 a.m. today in the Victoria University College. The following members are expected to attend Auckland University College: Professors Segar (chairman), Dtilmann, K"erton, Maxwell, Walker, Worley. Victoria University College: Professors .1. Rnnkino Brown, Gnrrow, Kirk, Sommcrville Mr. F. P. Wilson. Canterbury College: Professors Chilton, Hignt idenutv chairman), Coleridge I'arr, Snlnond. Mr. H. D. Broadhead. University ~f Ologo: Professors Benhum, bilray, Tnglis, Thompson, Mr. 0. V. Davies. Professors Segar, Garrow, fealmond, and Inglis are the chairmen respectively of the professorial boards of their colleges. Pvjamas for warmer nights. Striped twill, in*, fid.. wo>-en stripes 12s. M„ silk 225. fid. and 20s. Gd. George Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street—Advt.

On leaving Wellington last evening Miss Ada Reeve was played through the streets of tho city by the Trenthani Camp Band, which had received special permission to come to town for that purpose. Tho farewell was a most enthusiastic one —quite on a par with tho welcome jfivoii to Miss Keevo a fow weeks ago. Miss Reevo says that there is just a possibility of being able to arrange another brief tour of Now Zealand at the conclusion of her engagements in Australia. Sho is anxious to visit Rotorua. before returning to England, and may seize the opportunity of doing so about Easter next. I The cessation in tho running of the intercolonial steamers has meant that the local market has been denuded <f all supplies of Australian fiour, which is

very largely used by bakers in this country to mix with the denser New Zealand article. The last steamer that arrived

from Australia brought some thirty tens of flour, but it is understood that a quantity of flour intended for shipment to Wellington has been held up on the Sydney wharves for the past six weeks, and local merchants have not yet been advised of its shipment.

Tho death of Mrs. Neil M'Xcan, of Levy Street, oreates a vacancy cn the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. TMb will be filled not by on election but by a conference of representatives of thetoroughs concerned, in this' case Wellington, Mirainar, and Karori.

A battalion of Australian toldiers was being trained by a British officer who woro a monocle. Now, this monocle tickled the fancy of our boya immensely, bo one day they all lined up at parade, each -with his metal disc fixed in hlfj eye, just a 6 the officer wore bis monocle. The Britisher took in. the situation at a glance, and, feoiny the men, lie said: "Now, look here, you blighters, if ycu can do with your discs what 1 con do with my monocle I give you leave to wear them on parade each day. with this he gave Ms head a jerk, up went the monocle, turned a double somersault, and neatly returned Ito its place in the hollow of the wearer's noee. cheers from tho men, tho discs were immediately dropped, and from that moment they adored the officer. H.is spottiness about it all appealed to them.

The National Committee of the T.M.C.A. acknowledges the following contributions to its war funds Wellington Girls' College, J!20; H. Smith, View till, £5; R. H. Tod, Hunterville £>; V. A. Menzies, iyttelton, 2s. 6d.; W. BMacphail, Wainui, £2; Mrs. M. A. Mathison, Wellington (monthly), £1 Is.; J. Jl. Ilott, Wellington, F. Hope, French Pass, ili J. James, Wellington,-El; H. Fenton Raven, Urornri, 19s. 2<1.; Miss 1Willouphby, Pahlatua, 10s.; Miss J. O. Ol6on, Havelock North, 55.; Jack Selby, Porangahau, 2s. At a combined meeting of unions at Westport yesterday, it was resolved as follows;—' That this combined meeting of members of watersiders, general labcra'crs, and mechanics, the A.S.R.S. and tho Ij F and C. Unions, protests against the continued increases in the cost of living,'and demands that Parliament before rising shall make somo sincere effort to reduce the ever-increasing prices, so as to enable the workers to purchase sufficient' necessaries for them and their dependants."—Press Assn. To those readers who bombard us daily with inquiries as to the probable effect of peace on prices and markets, we- commend (says the "Financial limes ) the following appropriate and candid reply just .addressed by acautiousbroker to a clerical client:—"There be three thIDJIS which are too wonderful for me; yea, four which X know not: alio way oi a U-boat under the sea, the way of a wireless' over the waves, the way of a bomb in tho air, and —tho way ot prices alter the war."

A bright and pretty little girl of four years, who made her appearance before the Juvenile Court at Auckland as a child not under proper control, has had a somewhat chequered career tho "Herald"). Tho child's mother is a single 1701X1011 who went to work on a farm near To Kuiti, but became mentally deranged and ran away with the child into the bush. After two days a search party found tho mother ana child itt a very exhausted condition, lhe mother had to be seat to a mental hospital, while tho little girl was housed at tho district hospital* Here tho child captivated'the heart of one of the nurses, and also of the nurse's family. The result was that when tho police proceeded with the uflual course of naving the girl committed to an industrial school, they were ahle to recommend that 6be "be licensed out to the family, where she would have all the affection- and kindness of a renl home.

Trentham Camp ordere announced that four more sbldiora, having been convicted by District Court-Martial of disobeying tne lawful commands given by their superior officers, liav© been sentenced to imprisonment with laid labour for two years. Tho names of the men so sentenced are 62,808 I'te. H. Bryant, Tren-rj tlinm" Details; 48,865 Pte. I. 8. Aitkeii/ A.S.C.; 48.W5 Fte. J. Gray, A.S.C.; 48,997 I Pte. 11. C. Paton, A.S.C.

The congregation of a Christchurch church wore considerably horrified recently when they found the following notice tacked up in the west porch:— "The preachers for next Sunday will be found hanging in the north porch."

Tho Maori claim to ownership of the lakes of New Zealand has often, been raised but never definitely uettled. 'When the late R. J. Seddon was Native Minister the Eotorua Maoris once waited upon him and petitioned to be allowed to charge toll for tourists crossing the lakes. Mr. S'eddon'B Teply was a typical one. He reminded the Maoris that when ha asked them to allow their land to'be taxed to raise money for roading it, they replied that God had made all the roads tlioy needed in the lakes and '••ivers 'If that is your view," added Mr. feeaaon, "what right havo you to charge toll for roads made by God?" ' Now the general question of ownership of the lakes is to be decided by a full bench of the Jiidgea of the Native Land Court m Wellington next January.

When Native licensing prosecutions were before tho Te Awamutu Magistrate's Court on Friday, Mr. E. Eawson, S.M., commented on the fact that so many Natives led lives of idleness. It would be almost a good thing, he suggested, to take away their lands, so as to make them seek some more profitable occupation for their time than to idle about hotel corners. Senior Sergeant Cassells added tliatthelawlapplyingto the supply of liquor to Natives was so full of weaknesses as to make it impossible for the police to stamp out the enl. Liquor was finding its way in large quantities into the kaingas. People do not realise the extent of this traffic, nor did they understand liow difficult it is for the polico to local© offenders. It fv much more stringent law. The MngisfraJe concurred in this opinion. I'ines did not seem to have the least effect, ho 6aid, and there is hardly a sijtmsr of tho Court in the Waiknto and. Kin;; Country that does not deal with prosecution after prosecution. He liad steaMly inc.reased the fines, but this proved r.o deterrent, and lie agreed that tho l«u\ called for amendment.

The management of the .T. C. "Williamson Comic Opera Company announce thJit by special request '"1 he Pink Lfioy will he produced again on I'riday evening, in place- of "Tho Hod Widow*, whicli had been 6ct down for that evening.