LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 29 November 1916, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A full account of the Australian coal conference, which was unfortunately indeterminate, is given on page 1 of to-day's issue, and general cablegrapbic news appears on page 4, including the latest development in the Australasian seamen's award. All the Government offices in New Zealand will be closed to-morrow in observance of St. Andrew's Day. The sum of £565 12s 6d has just been paid by the Northern Wairoa Co-opera-tive Dairy Company by way of buttertax, making a total of over £900 to date. A disease known as sleeping sickness, which unfortunately is somewhat common in tomato plantations, is attacking potatoes throughout the Dargaville district, and is causing growers more trouble than the blight. Tjndefended civil cases heard in the Auckland Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M , included that of E. R. N. Russell and another v. Henry Johnson, of Hukereuui, a. claim for £7 T2s 6d. Judgment was given for the full amount, with costs. The number of appeals heard in Whaugarei last Friday under Section 18 of the Military Service Act is hardly a circumstance to those which are said to be pending in the Wairarapa military area, where the whole of the 90 men served with notices are reported to hnve notified their intention of appealing. juAmong those who have been drawn hi the first ballot for military service is Ylr Peter Ramsay, president of the Cliiistehurch Conscription Repeal League. Mr Ramsay stated on Friday that it was not his intention to appeal for exemption. "The reason why T will not apply for exemption," said Mr Ramsay, "is because I have no confidence or belief that the board will •onsider my conscientious convictions on the subject or be influenced by them. As I cannot under any circumstance accept service it would be a farce for me to go before it, knowing that I could not. submit to it." «i-With a view to meeting the increasing annual demand for oysters, the Marine Department is interested in improving and extending tlie areas devoted to the culture of the bivalves, ft wijl be uecessary to replant depleted beds, and in this respect a considerable amount of work is to be done in the areas of the Bay of Islands, Port Fitzroy, and the Coromandel coast. It is also intended to commence replanting in Whangaroa harbour, where a large extent of rocky Tbreshore offers good ground. A number of years ago the oyster beds here had the reputation *'or the production of a shellfish on a par with the Bay of Islands variety, s>iid yet at; the present time it is questionable it' a single sack of good oysters could bo picked from this foreshore. The area is to be replanted with oyster rock from the Bay of Islands.

At the request of butter producers, an important conference between their representatives and the lions. W. D. S Mac Donald (Minister of Agriculture) and J. Allen (Acting-Premier) is being helil in Wellington to-day for the purpose of again discussing the butter-fat levy.

The name of a second offender, in the person of Edwin James Atkinson, was called at the Magistrate's Court this morning, on a charge of being found drunk in Walton street at 4.45- p.m., yesterday. In the absence of the accused a fine of £1, the amount of bail, was imposed by Mr E. W. Burton, S.M. With regard to the Parliamentary tour of the Northern districts in January next, it is now acecpted as settled that at least three Ministers of the Crown will join the party—the Hon. Sir F. D. Bell, the Hon. W. Fraser and the Hon. A. L. Herdman. There will also be about forty members) of Parliament, of whom the Southern contingent are displaying keen interest in the outing Special enthusiasm is being shown by the inhabitants of the districts to be visited in their arrangements for the entertainment of the visitors. No fewer than .148 men of No. '•'• Group whose names have been drawn in the first ballot will be medically examined next month. Of that number 72 have been notified to appear in Whangarei. They belong to the coun ties of Whangarei, Bay of Islands, Hokianga, "Whangaroa, and Mangonui. The remaining 76, who are resident in the Hobson, Otamatea, ami Rodney counties will l>c similarly examined in Auckland on December .15. There is a probability that Lieutenant-Colonel G. M. Scott, of the Auckland Special > District Military Board, will be in r charge of the Whaugarei examinations.

Mr W. A. Waters, A.A. J.E.E., of the National Electric Engineering Company, Ltd., will shortly be leaving Whangarci to take up the position of constructing engineer with the firm at its Auckland office. Mr Waters will supervise the firm's engineering contracts, which at present include the electrical power plants for Whakatane and the Wairoa (H. 8.) freezing works, the Eaetihi Town Board hydro-electric plant, the Newmarket sub-station for the New Zealand railways, and the electrical power installation for l the New Zealand Iron Ore Smelting Company, of New Plymouth. The Raetihi installation v.-ill lie the fourth electrical reticulation town scheme which Mr Waters has put through in a period of live years. Mr Waters will be succeeded in Whangarei by Mr Marriott, at present manager of the Tnvercargil! branch of the EFectrica] Engineering Company. aX-An item that appears regularly ou the Bay County Balance Sheet (says the "Luminary") and has been the subject of a good deal of comment, is one apportioning £25 to the County clerk for looking after the Russel! wharf accounts. The raison d'etre of this item was given by the County clerk at the Council's meeting on Wednesday, M'hen Cr. W. C. Mountain challenged the amount on the grounds that the clerk had nothing to do with the Russel wharf accounts. It was explained that in the dim past, before the present clerk held office, the Council considered the then County clerk's salary was inadequate, and instead of adding £25 to the salary paid, the Council "got round" giving the rise from the general funds by granting annually £2o from the Russell wharf accounts —justifying their action by saying that the Russell wharf account should pay n share of administration expenses. The practice has been continued, and the present Council followed the precedent by ap.aisi voting it for this voar.

Some misunderstanding appear-; to exist as to the tenor of Section IS of the Military Service Act, which relates to appeal procedure, and in order that there may be a proper comprehension of the position it should be noted that the Act provides for appeals to the Board being instituted by posting .to the Commandant of the Defence Forces at Wellington a registered letter containing the notice of apepal. Every such notice shall state the name, occupation and postal address of the appellant and the grouuds of his appeal, and may, if the appellant thinks fit be accompanied by documentary evidence or statement of facts which he desires to bring under the knowledge of the Board. It is pointed out that where the Board is satisfied by documentary evidence or statement of facts that the appellant is medically unfit, or that a mistake has been made as to his age and that he is over military a tie, or where the date of his marriage has been wrongly stated, the appeal may be disposed of without the appellant being called upon to appear before the Board.