LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 47, 20 November 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

the House of Representatives met yesterday afternoon there were twenty-six members present, including eight Ministers. x The Prime Minister said it was not possible to proceed. Eighteen members were ill and others were ut home uwing to tho sickness of members of their families. 'J ho Konso adjourned until 11 a.m. on Tuesday next. The Legislative Council, which had also a small attendance, adjourned until '.;.'ucsday afternoon.

At tho instance of tho Hon. tho Minister of Education, His Excellency the Governor-General has forwarded to the Secretary of Slato for tho Colonies ilio following mcssago on behalf of the school children of Now Zealand:—"To all tho Umpire's fighting forces auu" to those of our Allies, the school children of New Zealand wish to express their feelings of admiration and gratitude for the glorious victory for justice and freedom which has now been finally won. AYe are proud that our Dominion has been privileged to take part in liberating tho world from the dragon of Prussianisni. Though wo mount tho loss of dear ones and share tho grief of our bereaved kin • dred across Ihn seas, we realise that men have never fought nr died in a greater or nobler cause. Their devotion and heroism will ever inspire us to be worthy of tho unfettered and magnificent future won for us by their immortal sacrifice."

A seaman named Lamb, one of the crew of the steamer Kittawa, (lied on that vessel yesterday from a cause other than influenza and its complications, 'flic vessel was anchored in the stream at the time, but later came to the wharf,

[n the Legislative Council yesterday .iftornoon the Hon. C. H. lard nskeii the Leader of the Council (Sir .'''rands Bell) if he would inquire from the Minister of Public Health whether steps would be taken to have bank notes thoroughly fumigated or sterilised. Sir I. I 'rands uSell replied that he would bring the matter under the notice of the Minister.

The Base Records OHice announces that a correcting telegram has been received from the Defence Oltise, Auckland, stating thai 2i,l!)G Frederick Ernest Morris died on November 7. Deceased's next-of-kin is his brother, Mr. A. H. Morris, Kingsland. The previous message stated that deceased was 20/591 Firauk Ernest Morris.

The voluntary workers on behalf Of the inlluenza patients in Auckland during the week-end included a couple of the police force, who put in their Bunday making a round of the orchards in the WaUakere district collecting lemons on behalf of the sick in the various city and suburban hospitals. After they had established their identity as genuine helpers of the sick they found the fruitgrowers of the district willing to help on the good work by letting their lemons g* at a reasonable price, and the result of the expedition was the acquisition of about DIHI lemons at a cost of a little under three-halfpence apiece.

His Honour (ho Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) yesterday morning beard a petition by a returned soldier, Albert Charles Gleeson, for a divorce from Elizabeth Gleeson on the ground of adultery. Mr. P. W. Jackson, for petitioner, stated that during his absence at the front his wife falsely registered Ins name as the father of a child bom to her. A decree nisi was granted subject to the lodgement of a marriage certificate and a letter referred to in the evidence.

•V private IcVcer from an Aucklandor who is visiting the United Slate.-, refer* to the prevalence of influenza all over the Californian coast (states the "Star"). This was written before the last tnj< across of the Niagara. Amongst _ other matters the writer states tbat m 0115 camp'. 17,01)0 American soldiers were attacked with influenza on the same day.

Leslie Kenneth Taylor was ordered to pay 275. fid. a week towards the maintenance of his wife and child, and Mrs. Taylor was granted a separation order by' Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning.

The conference of local bodies with the Wellington City Milk Supply Committee fixed for to-day has been indefinitely postponed, owing to the epidemic.

The "Inglewood Record" has had to temporarily suspend publication as a result of the epidemic.

The disposal ot army horses at the end of the war is one of (he curious problems that are perplexing the experts at the Reconstruction Ministry, who are making schemes for utilising army stores. The distribution for civil purposes of buildings, stores, and materials is a comparatively simple matter, because there will be an enormous demand for every kind of raw material, and everything will be made ur-e of. The explosives in unused-shells, for instance, can, I believe, be extracted and converted into fertilisers. There is a special difficulty in regard to the horse. To sell all the army horses at once .would have a disastrous effect upon the market, and, on the other hahd, it would 'be a very costly and wasteful business to keep tho horses eating their heads off ( in miHtnrv establishments. A scheme is suggested by which a large number of army horses would be hired out for use in agriculture, transport, and so on, while the test hoises are used for breeding purposes to help the depleted future supplies. I In the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before Mr. F. V. Grazer, S.M., a coloured man named Louis Masters was charged with using threatening behaviour in Tory Street, whereby a breach of the peace was occasioned, and a soldier, named Iveeley was similarly charged. From the evidence given it appeared that the two men were in a Chinaman's shop when a row occurred over spmo remarks made by Masters, which led to a pugilistic encounter, Iveeley -was drunk and making a nuisance of himself. The charge against Masters was dismissed, and Keclev was fined ,£1 and costs.

A dramatic incident occurred the peace procession at Kaitaugata on Tuesday evening (reports tho Clutha Leader"), and it was "touch mid go" for trouble. Two young fellows had the; foolhardiness to appear in the motor procession living the red flag. In a trice their motor "and side-chair was surrounded by a body of returned soldiers, the red flag was torn down, and trampled in the dust, and cries arosra from the crowd to "roll them in the gutter"'and "duck them in the river." Things looked very ugly for the two "Reds," but eventually for tho sake of order and for their own safely they were requested to leave the procession, and get out of public view. Neither needed to be told twice.

It is learned on good authority (says the Melbourne "Argus") that over 45,000 tons of wheat, or more than halt a .raillion bags, will bo shipped from Fremantle to ports on the Mediterranean shortly by a fleet of steamers which are now on their way to Australia. That the wheat is urgently needed to relieve' the famine conditions now threatening some of the European peoples is demonstrated by the composition of the fleet which will move it, and also by the fact that none of the steamers will come farther east than Premantle. The vessels have been hastily diverted from other important trade routes their nearness to. Australia being the chief factor governing their inclusion in the southward-'bound group. \niong them are freighters belonging to the British-India Steam Navigation Conipanv, and detached from service in Indian waters to make the trip; two German steamers which were requisitioned hy the British Government on the outbreak of war; a steamer flying the lag of the Tatem S.N. Company ot Cardilt, and cargo carriers of the International and Bllermann and Bueknall lines re. spectively.