LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IV, Issue 430, 9 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ihe (Queensland Gov eriimenf proposes io commandeer unclaimed 1 ofalisat.or div idends frmii Ihe ‘‘tote" propriel ors.

Forty-cighl members <d flic slyf] of fhe New Zealand I iisiiram e Company have so far volunteered for active service.

The Napier Motor ( yclc Club will field its anniial reliabnty trial mi Labour Day. (he route chosen being to Dannev irke and back.

Thi-c cases of diphtheria, or diphtheric. thi'oal. have occurred at Ra ngil on camp. It is believed the cases are not considered serious.

There was a large exodus of visitors irom Hastings this morning to ('hristchurch for frue Gran l National meeting. Extra carriages had to be. requisitioned <il the local st;it ion.

I'.ie members of the Hastings Fire Brigade have issued invitations io a. huge number of ladies and gentlemen to an afternoon function on the occiismii of the christening- of the new motor lire cimim' at the lire station. M-irket street, on \\ edliesdav afternoon next.

The dav set. aside for the laying of poisoned wheat. Io combat the small bird nuisance is imxt, AVednesdav, J till August. At- the H.B. I ruitgrowers’ Association meeting on Saturday last, one orcliardist remarked to another "I wonder il poisoned wheat will do the birds any good

The new regulations adopted l>y the Borough Council in connection with the paving of subscriptions to the- Hastings public library, came into force to-day. Ip to Saturday 70 persons had paid llicir subscriptions. The subs, charged are 7/6 for one book, 10 two books and J2/6 for three books.

At Saturday night’s meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Veterans’ Association it was decided to remit to the central body a proposal that veterans able to qualify should receive the old age pension, in addition to the military pension, as most of them are unable to work find the r p<-n-.ioii is insnfiicient for them to live on. ’

Private Wel.li, ohe of l|ie Hast mgs wounded soldiers who rel nrnerl bv the Wil’cchra. and was has since been emifineil to hospital in Welling ton. ret urns to Hast ings this evening. He will be met .'it the railway siatioii bv the Mayor and other citizens, and will be given a filling reception. The Hastings Town Band will also tuin out and do honmil' to the returned soldier. I.tidies who inl.eiid taking baskets of j>rov tsjons to be used at I he social Io be held in tlm Drill Hall. Hast ings, on Wednesday in aid of the fled Gross Fund, are reminded that only cakes ;ind <>th<‘i' confectionery arc' required, as arrangements have already liet'it made for a stijiplv oi sandwiches. Three prizes will be given for best decorated baskets. At the sixth monthly, popular shilling cut el'l itiimicin, which takes place in the Princess Theatre on Friday. August 2'ith. lour i iny |mpiG of Miss Zelti Wellwood will dance, a gavotte. A Hastings audience will have tin opportunity, too. of hearing Mr. and Mrs. Caerlyon Bennett, the well known Napier vocalists, who are very kindly contributing'to the evening’s entei t a inmeni. The Napier Patnleis’ I nioii has passed the following iesohdion "That owing Io ihe hign < ost, ,o| living and taking into cmisidei a I ion that no rise has been made in wages for the past ten years (ata minimum rate of I per hoiir). I his union considers tin ad visami'l.'. of meeting the employers ol Napier to devise way-* and means of overeoming Iho extra, cost of living. The hoard - the members <u‘ which

arc giving (heir services gial nitously which has been set up Io llm Defence Minister to advise and diad with all military stores and supplies, will he separate from the. new portfolio of Munitions and Supplies over which Mr. A. M. Myers will have control. The lal.l< r ” ill deal more with tin* question of munitions of war and seeing to their provision. A deputation Irom the. fruitgrowers’ Association this morning placed before the Minister of Agriculture (lion. W. D. S. MacDonald)a. suggest ion that the Government should send two compel ent men from the orchard division of the Agricultural Department to (.alifornia to obtain first hand latest i ill urination. The Minister nave a sympathetic reply, but no promise, except to bring the matter before his colleagues.-- Press Association. The ('ommonw call ii Premier stated a few davs back that the ('abiiiel luivl decided, on the question of giving pretcrenee to British manufacturers. to extend a prelerence of 10 pei’ <‘(‘iit. to goods of British iiitinufactui'e. Ministers had. lie said, further decided to give preference where possible io goods Irom the countries of the .Allies over goods from anv countrv milside the Britisli Empire. The order of preference would be: Australia m made goods first, British goods second, goods from the Allied countries third.

r i')ie question of colnjiletillg the purchase of Maraetara Park was dis cussed at today's County Council meeting. ‘Cr. T. Mason Chambers said he would be very sorry to set; the matter drop through any action of ihe council's. He thought, they might go further and get other reserves till over Hawke's Bay. He proposed that the council grant .£-'>() towards the purchase of the park, and that t lie Napier Borough Council be notified accordingly ami asked what the position is. This course was agreed to. The Mayor/.Mt. \y. Hart) ha* :e--eeived from Mrs. Nikora. the secretary of a social evening. recently bv tiie Natives ot Paki I’akt. in aid of the Wounded Soldiers' j'tinil. the sum of ;t3l 23. It is a source of gratification to see our Native frit'tids doing their share in providing for our wounded men. In congratidat ing the loyal people of Paki Paki. we trust their excellent example x* ill be lollovved by qt-hei Native communities. The committee wish to thank Miss Stewart's Band, of Nanier. for ptoviding lite music free, aso Mrs. Nikora lor her efforts as secretary.

Fiji bits, out of its population of a little over HKJO Europeans, sent officially Illi men to the front. Another 130 at least, probably more, have gone independently, either to join the. Australian and New Zealand forces, or direct to England. The total is thus about 210. or one sixteenth of the total white poptda tiou. Fiji thus stands far ahead oi every other part of the Empire in this respect, as also in that of money contributions. And even now. in spite of the admonitions of Hie Sei: retarv of State, a third contingent hits been mooted 1 The art. unions in connection vyitli the motor ear, motor bike and sideear and piano, organised by Mrs. ('. P. Lound. are proceeding apace. ’l'he whole of the art unions have received sufficient support to cover the original cost of articles, and every ticket now sold represents profit. It. is desired to clear at least U60I) from these, sources, and the public are asked to give their support. Ihe car is on . view ;d K. Limbrick and Go.'s. the motor bike, and side ear at. ('. R. Stevens and Son's, and the piano at ihe. Bristol Piam> ('o.’s. All these firms have supplied the articles mentioned at absolutely cost- price, making no profit whatever, besides which they litive given the services of their staff's to assist in the sale of tickets. All art unions will be drawn on October Ist. HMS.