LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 88, 8 January 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Marine Department received word yesterday that the Hinemoa, which was sent to search for the barque Aryan's missing boat, arrived back at the Chathams on Monday night. The search was unsuccessful, but it was intended to resumo it yesterday morning.

In' the AVellington Health District, which included a population of about 400,000 people, ■ and extends over nearly ; half of the North Island, only . eight cases of scarlet fever were reported in the month of December, 1918..' During the same month, five cases of enterre fever occurred in the district. All of them were confined to that 'portion known as the Waiapu Hospital District, where the population consists largely .'of Maoris. Diptheria cases in the Wellington Health District were very numerous last 'year, and in one month 432 cases were notified. Last month, however, the district was freer from this disease than it had been in any previous month of 1918, only 66 cases being reported. Cere-bro-spinal meningitis cases for December totalled twenty-two.

■ The Milk Committee of the City Council sat last night to consider details connected with the milk supply. scheme shortly to be brought into operation. The regulations will come into force as from January 20 after which date the council will be empowered to tnke over the milk business. The date of opening by the council has not yet been decided definitely, but it will be soon after the regulations come into operation.

With the object of investigating the banking business methods in New Zealand, two prominent representatives of the Canadian Bank of Commerce are at present visiting the chief centres in the Dominion. They are Mr. S. H. Logan, supervisor of the foreign branch, and Mr. G. H. B. Heathcote, manager of the San Francisco branch. They were in Auckland'for , two or three days last week, and left for Hotorua on Saturday. After visiting AVellington they will go on to the chief centres in the South Island. They will ultimately proceed to Australia. '. . '

The Minister of Defence, Sir James Allen, was questioned in Christchurch regarding the details of the. scheme already outlined, to provide bonuses to eoldiers who have served overseas. The chief point which is now perplexing many soldiera who have held non-com-missioned rank, jis whether their field allowance will be reckoned as pay when estimating their bonus of one week' 9 pay for every eighteen weeks of service, in the case of single raoii, and for every thirteen' weeks m tho case of married men. In reply to a question, Sir James Allen stated that he could not give any detailed information on the point.. The matter is how under tho consideration of officers of the Defence Department in Wellington, who have promised that full information regarding the 'imatters of bonuses and increases of pay for officers will be made public during the week.

State forestry business occupied tho attention of the Commissioner of State Forests, Sir Francis Bell, during his visit to Auckland. Prior to his departure for Eotorua Sir Francis Bell said he had arranged for the railway sawmills to be taken over by tho State Forestry Department. During his visit to Eotorua he will discuss with the. Natives the question of the ownership of the bush at the edges of the lakes in' the district, and he will 1 also visit'the prjson plantations. Towards the end of tho week ho will leave with the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald far tho East Coast, travelling via Whakatane and Opotiki to Gi6borne, and visiting the State forests en route.

.A driver named liobert Martin, 32 yenrs of age, residing at C 8 Eden Street, fell off a lorry at Campbell's stables, Abel Smith Street, late yesteirday afternoon, and suffered an injury to his right.leg owing to wheel passing over it. He was removed to the Hospital, where lie was admitted at 6.30 p.m.

At tho Trades Hall, Vivian Street, last evening a ireetin? was held under the auspices of the Wellington Labour, Hopresentation Committee for the purposo of re-forming a branch of tho Now Ze,alnnd Labour Party, in the Wellington East electorate. Mr. A. Parlano presided over a good attendance.' It. was resolved that a Wellington Bast branch of the Labour Party be re-forrned, and provisional officers wero elected as follow: President, Mr. C. H. Chapman; vicepresident, Mr. B. Oroghen; sc.crotarytreasurer, Mr. J. Bowden; committee, Mrs. J. Aitken. Messrs. B. Ruddlo, 51. F. Cornwall, M. D. Sissbns, and J. F. Molloy; Labour Representation Committeo delegate, Mr. D. Sissons. Another meeting of tho , branch will be hold at the Trades Hall in about a fortnight's time. | j

According to the Westport "Times" "the Crown Prince of Japan is to visit IVestport after peaco is signed."

On Christmas Day a patient was brought into hospital from Moeraki, suffering from an attack of influenza, states the North Otago "Times." It provides nn instnnco. fortunately rare, in North Otago. of the difficulties of transport experienced at times, tho patient, who lives at tho buck of Mooraki, having to bo placed on a sleigh, and drawn by a hqrso ovor a cowtrack for a distance of one and a- half miles-.

A cricket enthusiast wrote to last night's meeting of the Wellington Crioket Association suggesting that steps be taken to oieot a more becoming building in place of the present pavilion at the Basin Reserve. Ho considered that the City Council ought to be approached to obtain their assistance,- and he antioiiMited subscriptions from private sources. The new building would take' tho fornr of a memorial pavilion to commemorate the part played b.y New Zealand in the war. It was pointed out during the short discussion which followed that a new pavilion was included in thp City Council's schcino for improving tho tp<">rro. However, it was decided to rriv ft the matter enrly consideration—tho need for ii nwo suitable building being fully rewsnised.

Some years ago the Caledonian sports meeting helcKretrulnrly on tho Biisin Hiosprvo on New Year's Day was a fpnture of the athletic ypnr. The gatherings nre to be revived in Wellington, tho Scottish Society having decided to hold a sports meoting here next New Year's Day.

Tiro did damage to the value of £M(I to Messrs. Cave Bros.' sawmill, Gisborne. on Saturday morning last. A new planinij and woodwork maohine, valued at JM. which had been used for the, first tim 6 mi Friday, was totally destroyed. The proinnt action of the Firo Brisado saved

It is rumoured, states the Poverty Bay "Herald," that on his return from Eng-liindMaior-General Sir A. 11. Russell is to be asked to contest the Hawke's Bay seat iii Parliament.

Advice has been received by Base Records that 9/565 John Petty," an undischarged soldier, died at the Southland Hospital from pleurisy on January 3. Deceased was 34 years of age and single, his next-of-kin being Mrs. J. Durnton, 11 Duke Street, Millfield, Sutherland, Durham, England.

A motor-ear, owned by Messrs. J. E. Fitzgerald and Co., and driven by \V J. Williamson, collided with a verandah at Ihe corner of Vivian Street and Kent Terrace sit 7.30 yesterday evening. Tho verandah was severely damaged, and the car also suffered. The driver wns severely shaken. It ig stated that tho driver of the car was endeavouring to avoid another car, but his brakes refused to act and this brought about the collision with tho verandah.

As compared with other districts having a similar proportion of Maori population, the Waiapu Hospital District (about 1 East Cape) escaped remarkably lightly during the recent epidemic. It suffered very little from pneumonic influenza, although it was extensively affected by the mild form of influenza'that prevailed n short time before the great epidemic broke out. \

An inquest was conducted bv the Coroner, Mr. W. G. -Biddell, S.M., yesterday, touching (lie death of Mrs. Winifred Maud Dyson, 26 years of age, who died suddenly at her residence, 64 Ghuznee Street, on Saturday. It appeared that deceased had been suffering from influenza a few weeks ago, and that recently she had again been unwell. Dr. W. Kington Fyffo stated that the autopsy disclosed that, deceased's heart was affected, death being due to ulcerative endocarditis and pericarditis. A verdict was returned accordingly . ■ The committee of tho Wellington Scottish Society met on MoiKay nifil t the chief (Mr. ,A. Campbell) presiding. It was decided to calibrate Jlurns's :iithdpy, and a sub-uom.a.ttee was aipoirted to arrange "a nieht wi , Bnriis.'"-, For some time the Scottish Hal), Couuci.ny Place, has been , , ihe rendezvous' i.f the members of the society, and it \"as decided to continue the gathering so that the Scots of Wellington may meet each other and enjoy their native music and dances. .. The proposal to form a New Zealand federation of Scottish societies met with approval, and stops are to bo taken to organise the various bodies.

A reply to the representations made by the Soldiers Mothers' League (Avckland) on behalf of solidres for a refund of passage money paid prior to .-lit! caseation of hostilities for the return of their wives to the Dominion has been leceived from the Minister of Defence (Die Hon. Sir James Allen). The letter sets out what the Department is doing towards assistiug soldiers' wives to return to\the Dominion. Except in the fcase of widows of-our deceased soldiers no free passages have been provided by the Department or nre authorised. In the cnee of wives accompanying soldiers returning to the Dominion, or those .ccming here to rejoin their tusbnnds, where invalided per hospital ship or otherwise, assisted passages liiive oeen provided in the past, and this course is being continued. The matter of refunding Uie amounts paid by soldiers in conl'ection with the passages of their wives has received full' consideration, Che Minister states, but he. regrets that it is not possible to adopt this course.

The position of the fruit market continues unsettled', with no prospects of relief in the near future, says the Auckland "Star." Tho weather has been very favourable to the depredations of black spot, and, as a result, a large quantity of fruit has been rendered useless. "This drastic wiping out of fruit has been accounted for in some quarters by lack of extra precautionary spraying measures on the part of fruit farmers. Pears havo suffered worst, growers of this fruit finding themselves without any this year in comparison with a Rood yield last year, despjte the spot. It will be another month'* before fresh bananas are on the,.market, and, with tho exception of plume, a few peaches, tnd green apples, the market is practically bare of fruit. ~

An uncompromising frankness is dieplayed by a Japanese trade journal in rebuking merchants for their carelessness in trade with the South Paoifio. Eemarking that the war has cast "a lucky chance"- in their way, tlu paper declares thajt "Japanese Inierchants havo been ."deceiving and robbing their cuetomejs," and cites Japanese matches, boot polish, and writing ink. "Such goode, on arriving at destination," it declares in its quaint English, "were found of no use to the users, and yet the dishonest Japanese never'stop to think the future of Japanese trade with the South Sens is at stake. Just make them imagine what fate will befall the Japanese exporters after the war ie over, when the Europeans and Americans will come- in flowing into the, South Seas market, taking in their arms superior goods, heralded by the banner of just and uprightness. It makes us shudder to think of the future." . .

The bankruptcies in tile Dnnedin district for 1918 numbered only four, and the estates were .ill of email amounts. There were 10 bankruptcies in 1917, and the seme number also in 1616.

The present, says an exchange, is perhaps the most unseasonable summer experienced in Taranaki. With the except tion of a few 'Jays before Christmas the weather has never been such as. to induce one to leavs off winter wearing apparel. This can be understood when it is mentioned that the average temperature so far has been 11 degrees below normal summer temperature. On New Year's Day the maximum temperature .was G5 degrees, and the minimum 50 dc-. grees. Last mouth snow fell on Mount Egmont on four days—quite an uncommon occurrence for the time of the year.

Selections will bo played by the' Wellington Pntriotic Society's Band at Nowtown Park to-night at 8 o'clock.