LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 79, 27 December 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A man who spent the holiday in the streets of Wellington, varyirg the monotonv with frequent visits to sundry hotels, decided late in the afternoon to visit Day's Bay. He zigl sagged down to the Ferry Wharf in time for tho six o'clock boat. In attempting to board the steamer he appears to have matin a miscalculation, for instead of landing on the vossel be fell into the harbour. He was quickly fished out and taken by a constable to the Lambton Police Station. Ho will appear m the Magistrate's Court this morning on a charge of having been found drunk. The mortgages registered during the month of November last numbered 1640 and the amount was £1,390,868. The mortga"es discnargal totalled 1345, and the amount £713,811. The mortgages registered in Wellington were 371, representing £305,418, and tho mortgages discharged wero 317, the amount being £177,727. A party of New Zealand cadets from Duntroon Military College have returned to New Zealand for the Christmas vacation.

Plum pudding and tho Christmas luxuries featured the prison menu at tho Wellington Gaol on the day of days. In the afternoon an entertainment was given to the >. women in tho female division. Selections were played by Professor Vadala's orchestra, songs were sung by Miss Muller.'and recitations were given by Mrs. Cundy and Mrs. Sid Tingey and Master Teddy Stringer. Some of the female prisoners sang and played in excellent style. The piano was kindlv lent by Messrs. Beg" and Co. Each woman received a bag of fruit and a bag containing a large piece of cake, and the matron had tastefully decorated the place with flowers and evergreens.

An extraordinary theft was revealed recently at Melbourne during an examination of the cargo of a vessel that had arrived from New York. Included in the cargo were 13 oases which were supposed to contain valuablo fancy leather, but on opened the discovery was made that nine of them were packed with old newspaper and blocks of granite similar to those used for street paving. The theft had anparentlv occurred before the vessel left America, for the newspapers bore New York headings. The manager _ of the firm has informed the authorities that the original offer was for 18 cases, but five were 'dispatched by another vessel, and had been delivered. The cases were not insured against loss by theft, and the value of the stolen leather is estimated at £2000. A cable message was sent to the New York firm 'that supplied the order, and an investigation will be made by the authorities there.

Owing to the scarcity nf tmplate Australian manufacturers of dry goods, such as biscuits, foods'for children, powdered milk, and many other articles are offering to repurchase their tins, as they cannot secure material for now metal 'containers (says tho Adelaide "Advertiser"). With the exception of tins which have to be cut with an opener, they are nearly all worth saving, and even jam tins are expected to have a value shortly. A lnrge manufacturing firm in Victoria has communicated with the Adelaide wholesale houses asking them to repurchase undamaged tins which had contained their wares. Other linns have, adopted similar measures, but it is feared that onlv a proportion of the old receptacles will bo found suitable for refilling. Jammakers have been seriously handicapped because they could not got either tins or bottles, and there docs not appear to be much hope of the position improving. Tobacco-makers will shortly have to use paper or cardboard packages. j