LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 292, 29 August 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho conference of Defence officers, which has been in progress in Wellington to consider of the Defence Expenditure Commission, was concluded yesterday. A report of the conference proceedings will be forwarded to the Minister of Defence.

The twelfth draft of recruits for the CI Camp is mobilising at Tauhereniicau this week. The men from No. o Group, somo sixty in all, paraded at Bucklo Street Drill Hall yesterday afternoon, and after being addressed by Major Cornwall, Group Commander, were given leave until this morniugj when they will proceed to camp. A man was arrested by DetectiveSergeant Andrews yesterday at Featlierston Camp on a charge of receiving ■the sum of £94 on behalf of another person and failing to account for tho money. T ! ie accused will bo brought before the Court this morning.. Ninety recruits were obtained iu the TJrcwera on the occasion of the visit to the territory by the Native Minister (Mr. Herries) and Dr. Pomare, Sir James Carroll, and Mr. Ngata. Rome fifty of tho recruits were brought in by Run. in person. At last night's_ sitting of tho Wellington Philosophical Society Dr. J. Allan Thomson moved "That an historical and literary section be formed.' After short consideration the resolution was carried, with the exception that the words "*>nd literary" were deleted. 1 . At a meeting of tho committee of tho Wellington Returned Soldiers Association last evening great indignation was expressed that 110 notification was received by members of its staff of tho time of arrival of the last draft of returned soldiers who disembarked 111 Wellington on Tuesday. The reception of these disabled men who had relumed after doing their duty abroad was the subject of much uncomplimentary comment. There was a very largo gathering in tho Kent Tcrraco Presbyterian Schoolroom on Tuesday night on jhc occasion of the Sunday School anniversary tea tnd entertainment. After tea a varied programme of music, etc., was rendered by the children and adult friends. Mr. W. M. Hannay P r^ R |d" oil. The schoolroom was tastefully decorated. The following items, each of which was loudly applauded, were well rendered Dialogues (in costume), Miss Maclaurin's class, Miss Forsyth s class; action song, Miss .Jones's class; recitations, Misses Vera O'Brien, Rita O'Brien, Audrey Glover, Jean and Ethel Tolley, Etlna Jones, Nellio Munn, Joyce Julian, and' Dorothy M'Farlano; songs, Miss Lena Harry, Mrs. King, Mr. Edmondston, Dorothy and Olive Sawyer, Master Sawyer; duets, Misses P. and E. Adams, Misses L. Barry. rlid L. Simpson, Misses K. Shcard and E Glover; pianoforto solos, Eileen Milligan, Nancy Reid, and Clariec Humphrey; male quartette, Glee Club. A Maori youth, 1!) years old, named Hon Kcrei, appeared before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S'.M., at tho Magistrate's Court yostcrday on two charges of breaking and entering, and one of forgery. Tho'charges against_ him were that on June 17, at Otaki, he forged tho name of A. Yclla to a cheque for £8 175.; that on July 27, at Otaki, be broko and entered the dwelling of Richard Winoerburn, and stolo clothing and other articles, valued at £10 Ms. '2d.; and that on July 29 ho broke into the bouse of Fleetwood Bernard Thompson, Otaki, and stola a number of things of a total value of £13 19s. Chicf-Dctcctive Marsack said the accused admitted tho offences, which wcitt only, a few out of nine or ten that could have been preferred against liifn. Along with three other bovs. Kcrei had been "running the rule" over the ilanawatu district for some time past, but the other lads bad been convicted and sent to Invercargill for reformative treatment. Kcrei was arrested in Ilawera. After the hearing of evidence, Kcrei was 'committed to the Supreme Court lor sentence.

It, is ofiicinlly stated that tlio report which has appeared ill several qunrters that Dr. David E. Hansen is to bo appointed Dominion Director of Technical Education is not correot. No appointment lias been made, uor has a salary yot been fixed for the position.

A movement for tho erection of a high school lias been inaugurated at Tauranga by local and public bodios in the district. The need for better

facilities for higher education in the Bay of Plenty district was emphasised at a conference held last week, and it was resolved to inako strong representations to tho Minister of Education for the establishment of a high school at an early date. Tho supply of oysters this season from both the liauraki and North Auckland beds has boon well maintained. It is anticipated that a full sup-

ply of bivalves will be available until tho end of the season. The bods in the Mongonui Harbour are now being picked, and tho oystors aro reported to bo of oxeollent quality.

Tho bore at tho Blenheim oil well at Now Plymouth has reached a mile in depth. It probably is the deepest well in the Southern Hemisphere.

A strong protest against tho admission of infants and Very young chil-

dren to picture theatreo was voiced by Dr. Floreuco Koller at a meeting of the Auckland branch of the National Coun-

cil of Women. On a recent Monday night, stated the speaker, a child in arms was taken by its parents to olio of tho Auckland theatres, and on tho following Wednesday morniDg died of diphtheria on its way to the public hospital. Tho presence of a child in such an advanced stago of dangerous disease at tho present time—thore were 110 patients suffering from diphtheria in the public hospital last week—was, in the opinion of tho speaker, a most serious menace to tho health 1 of tho community. A regulation forbidding tho presence of young children to these places of amusement would remove all such potential sources of infection.

Inquiries made at the Public Works Department at CJisborno last week elicited the information that more men are allying for work on roads and railways now than has been the case for twelve months past. There are a number of returned soldiers on the various works.

Samples of Southland timber are to be forwarded to Great Britain, at an early date, so as to determine its suit-, ability, for pulp-making purposes, and careful tests and trials will be made by a committee of exnerts appointed by the British Government. Similar timbers from th& AY<36t Coast, which were dispatched to Switzerland, before the war, and made into pulp, were reported to be admirably suited for woodpulp purposes.

The National Executive of the Second Division League held its weekly meeting last evening. Reports were received on a number of cases that had been referred to the authorities for adjustment with satisfactory results. The question df tile onus being placed upon the soldier to see tliat war risks on life insurance premiums are paid was again before the league in the form of a circular sent to a reservist by an insurance company, stating that the policy

was liable to lapse, and suggesting a payment of £10, in order to prevent this, the amount to be refunded Then the delayed payment by the Financial Assistance Board materialised. The

secretary was instructed to write to the Minister of Defence thanking him for meeting the leaguo'6 request that no man over forty years of age should be sent into the CI physical training camp, this new regulation being the means t>f preventing many cases of unnecessary hardship. Action was taken by the police at the Magistrate's Court yesterday against Robert W. Davis, manager of the International Importing_ Company, Cuba Street, on an information of having committed a breach of the Post and Telegraph Act by causing to be posted a noxious thing likely to injure other jHistal packets. Chief-Detective Boddam stated that on July 29 last defendant sent a parcel of safety matches through the post to Dannevirlte. This was in oontravention of tho terms

of the Post and Telegraph Act. • Some lime ago a packet of safety matches | ignited in a suburban post office at Wanganui. Mr. D. M. Findlay, who appeared for defondant, stated! that the parcel had been posted by ,an employee of defendant's. The employee was a returned soldier, and neither he nor the defendant was fully aware of the law on the matter. It was certainly news to counsel to hear that safety matches were dangerous to send through the pqst. "One of tlm difficulties of lato lias been to get them to explode', under any circumstances," remarked Mr. Findlay, amidst lauehter. "Safety matches are not so safe as the makers would have us think," observed Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., who added that there was an element of danger in forwarding them through the post. However, the present case did not call for a heavy penalty, and he would impose a fine of £1, with £3 2s. costs.

The honorary treasurer of the Wellington branch of tho British Red Cross and Order of St. John _ acknowledges receipt of tho folio-wing additional contributions: —Wellington Red Cross Shop, Lambton Quay, £2000 ; North Taranaki Patriotic League, Waitara, £500; Wanganui Sub-Centre British Red Cross Society, £250; New Plymouth Copper ; Trail Fund, £40; Hunterville Countess of Liverpool Fund and Red Cross Guild, £30; New Plymouth Branch British Red Cross Society, £10.

Several city properties wero offered at auction yesterday by Mpssrs. Longmore and Co. The properties included four six-roomed dwellings in Hawker Street, each having a frontage of 32ft. nnd depth of 100 ft. No. 54 was sold 'to Mr. G. Sidford for £1075, No. 58 to Mr. W. Duncan for £1000, and No. 68 to Mrs. Poters for £1000: The other house did not reach the reserve of £1050, and is now in tho hands of the auctioneers for private sale. A fiveroomed houso in Bru'mmond. Street, five-roomed house, Kelburn, and fiveroomed house, Brooklyn, were also offered, but none of them reached tho reserve, and they are now open for private sale, i ; Tho discovery of the child in a houso j a fow chains away from hor own home has cleared up a mystery regarding the disappearance .of Lily Clarke, the three-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarke, of Newton, Auckland, says the "Star." The child had boon missing sinco 1.40 p.m. on Friday, and she wns found early on Monday after; noon at a house on tho corner of the streot, where she had apparently been during tho four days. Acting on information Teceivcd Constables Ryan and Hunt, of Mount Eden, who were controlling search parties in tho vicinity, went to tho house in question, and found tho missing child in tho kitchen. She was quickly restored to her distraught parents, who had been a prey to the worst fears for her safety. A medical oxamination of the child showed that she had not suffered any injury during her absence from her home. On lieine questioned tho woman said tho child had called at her house that morning, and she had taken it in. Sho dirt lint know where it ctnne < from, or that there was a cliild missing. Tho woman's son, who is five years old, however, told a constable that ihe^ little girl had been in tho houso sinco Friday, and that she had had her meals ralli him, and had played with him. He also pointed to tho lied in which sho hud slept. Tho woman was again nuestionod. but her replies were contradictory, and she appeared to lack a full sense of her responsibility in the matter, nnd apparently failed to realise the anxiety caused to the parents nf the missing child. Over 1000 neople had been omploved since Friday in the search for the child. "Stetson." Tho hat of tho hour. Buy before the coming rise, September t. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street.—Advt.