LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IV, Issue 239, 23 September 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Fiji Government notify wireless charge Irm Suva to Tutiula is old per word with minimum of ten words.

The Government Meterologist at Wellington announces that he expects good general rain over. the whole of the Dominion soon. —Press Association.

The Mayoress of Pafnatua and other ladies are arranging street collections on behalf of the Hnntly distress fund. The Mayor has already opened a fund. A meeting of those interested in securing the return of Dr. McNab as member for Hawke's Bay will be held in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Market street, Hastings, on Thursday. 24th instant, at 8 p.m.

Postage rates from New Zealand on all matter (including parcels) for Samoan territory, recently in possession <;f. Germany, are now the same as for inland, except for letters. Leiters will remain at on? penny per ounce meantime.

A social ami dance in aid of the picnic and prize fund of the Meanee District. School -will be held in the Meanee Hall to morrow (Thursday) evening. .Excellent music will be provided for the- dancing, and the evening should be most enjoyable.

At tbe Hastings Methodist Church this evening the choir will render the cantata “Daniel." The choir under Mr. A, R. Don and Mr. Voimg as organist, have been practising assiduously so that a good night's entertainment is assured.

A very enjoyable social was held last night by the St. Andrew’s Church Bible Class. A varied musical programme- was rendered and games indulged in. The funds will be devoted to provide writing ma-te-rial and hymn books for the Hastings contingent of the expeditionary force.

The sum of ten shillings was donated towards the Hnntly DisasterFund in the evening service at the Salvation Army Citadel on Sunday, ■and Ensign Wain has posted a postal note- for that amount to the Mayor of Huntly to be allocated for the relief of those afflicted by the recent disaster.

A final reminder is given of the sacred cantata “Daniel’’ to be rendered in the Hastings Methodist Church by the choir this evening. As the name implies the work is taken from the Book of Daniel and several well known incidents are set to appropriate music. The choir will be under the baton of Mr. A. R. Don and Mr. J. B. Young will preside at the organ, A start will be made punctually at 8 o’clock.

Most people (says the Christchurch ‘'Press”) know that this has been a remarkable dry season, but few probably realise how little rain Christchurch has had lately. As a matter of fact, between June 27th and September 20th, a period of twelve weeks, the total rainfall has been only .US of an inch

At the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington Mr. W. G. Bussell, S.M., awarded Samuel Strachan £93 6/damages against George Bradley. The action arose out of a collision and his honour upheld the contention that the accident was due to negligence and reckless riding on 1:lio part of defendant, who was mounted on a motor cycle. A very successful social was held in the V'.ALC.A. last night in connection with the boy department. There were about 60 boy s present. The general arrangements were in the hands of the boys’ cabinet and tin' maimer .in which the young fidlows arranged the lea. etc., prove., that they know their join Agm A programme of games interspersed with a recitation, a dialogue and a solo was greatly appreciated by the boys. The boys own two _ goats as pets and mascots. Last night they decided that one of the goats should be sold by auction and the proceeds given to the Belgium Fmid. Ihe goat will be sold by Messrs. Beard and Bullen on Saturday.

The date of the exhibition of fur niture to be field at Wellington by the Furniture Makers' Union is not yet fixed. The scheme is an entirely new one, the idea being to exhibit artistic furniture of hundreds of years ago, together with the latest tvpes of comfort. The union will probably supply the timber required for the construction of furniture re presenting all periods, and it is anticipated that the exhibition will give a much-needed impetus to the furniture manufacturing trade. The workmanship will be of the best, and will demonstrate what a high-grade article can be turned out in this country. As the outcome of the exhibition it is possible that the union may establish a factory of its own. The New Zealand Executive are instructing the other unions to hold similar furniture exhibitions at an early date.

One of the reasons advanced by Denniston miners for their refusal to work on pay Saturdays, when coal was so greatly wanted by the Admiralty, was an alleged refusal of the Westport Coal Company to employ an increased number of men. In a statement read by Mr. 11. W. Hudson at the Patriotic League’s meeting at Auckland on Thursday, the Coal Company’s manager, Mr. C. G. Curtis, wrote: “The company would only be too glad to secure more men. Denniston mine lias been short-handed for the past year or two. and the company has been trying lately through the Labour Department to secure more men. Advertisements have also appeared in the various newspapers throughout the Dcininion. asking for men. At the present time there are vacancies for about 100 practical miners at- the two mines, but few are applying.”

Of iwenty-three centenarians who died last year in the Commonwealth, eleven were residents of New South Wales and reven of Victoria. The oldest centenarian on the list which is included in a return issued by the Commonwealth Statistician (Mr. G. H. Knibbs), was a grazier of New South Wales, who had the misfortune to meet his death through a fall when Jl2 years of age. He had li\'ed in tlie ('oininoiiwe.alth for ninety-six years. Two women, aged respectiv.-l.v l<»8 and 102. succumbed to burns. One of them had resided in Australia for nine!y-three years. The longest residence in ihe Commonwealth was 107 years, 'by a groom, who was born at sea, and lived all his 107 years in Australia. Of two Australian natives, the oldest wa ; ltd years. The total number of years of the t wenty-three centenarians was 2364, but only in thirteen - ca«es was senility given as the cause c.t' death.

The increasing importance of the poultry industry is emphasised by the fact that the Government has recently been advised by the Trade Commissioner at San Francisco that one of the large American firms is sending a representative to New Zealand to be present at the beginning of the egg season, states the ‘•New Zealand Herald.” Owing to the dislocation of trade through the war, it is considered that an extensive trade will be possible with London, as the imports of eggs and poultry from foreign countries into the United Kingdom during 1013 amounted to nearly £10,000,000, the bulk coming from Denmark, Germany, Russia, France and Italy. It is considered that New Zealand ought to be able to help make up the shortage that must be felt in the United Kingdom, and the Auckland Poultry Keepers’ Association has formed an export committee, which is taking the matter in hand. “The stupid artificial division line in the railway service lias not long to live” (says tin: “’Railway Re view”). The wonder is that it has survived so long in a go-ahead conn try, where a man’s qualities of brain and hand constitute his only passport to success in commercial and industrial life. Wft are much more hopeful of a transformation in the railway service after reading’ the General Manager’s special report to Parliament upon the whole system. Mr. Ililey concedes that we have been asking for- incessantly—the de finite provision of actual opportunities/for Division IT. men who have ambition to rise to posts of executive responsibility. We "hope Mr, Hiley will quickly get to work on the lines he has laid down. He may have to wait with extreme patience for the three and a-quarter millions neees sar.x to bring equipment and stations up to the mark, but it will cost very little, save some clear-headed sympa thetic organisation to start his Second Division promotion scheme.”