LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15949, 21 June 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

.Mails from Europe and America reached Wellington yesterday afternoon by the steamer Maitai, which arrived from San Francisco and way ports. The Auckland portion of this mail will arrive by the Main Trunk express this afternoon. The Atua arrived at Auckland last night with mails from Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji. The Westralia is expected to arrive here this evening from Sydney with mails from Europe, via Suez, and the Australian States.

Numerous offers of assistance have been received by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, in response to the suggestion made by him recently that many of the staff officers could be relieved for active service if the Government would accept the services of civilians to perform many of the duties in connection with the Expeditionary Force. Mr. Gunson remarked on Saturday that offers had been received from business films in the city and the country who were willing to undertake duties in connection with the registration of recruits and similar organisation work. There were so many that he had not been able to acknowledge all of them individually, but he wished it to be known that ho had communicated with the Minister for Defence on the subject, and if he was advised that some such scheme could bo inaugurated ho would at once communicate wit'h those who had written to him.

The arrival at Aukland early this morning of the large cargo steamer Indrabarah, from London and Australian ports, will be welcomed by Auckland and other merchants throughout New Zealand. The vessel has on board thousands of tons of general merchandise, which is urgently needed. The Indrabarah left London on April 19, and was originally duo here about June 4. Her delay in the first place was due to the exceptionally long passage which the vessel made between London and Melbourne, and secondly, to her being delayed in discharging operations at Sydney by the recent stormy weather experienced in Australia. The vessel has also evidently met with bad weather iru the Tasman Sea, as she has made a much longer passage than usual between Sydney and Auckland. The Indrabarah will discharge 4200 tons of her cargo at Auckland, and the remainder at Napier and Wellington.

Tho chairman of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Robert Burns, has received a telegram from the Prime Minister, in reply to his message of Friday, asking if he could meet a deputation at Wellington on Wednesday, in order to go into the whole question of the shortage of ships with insulated freezing space. Mr. Massey telegraphed as follows " Telegram received. Will be pleased to receive deputation on Wednesday regarding shipping space. Hope all present at the meeting of Friday will come along. Please wire when coming, so that a time can bo arranged for the deputation." Mr. Burns will leave to-night, and he has asked all who possibly can to join the deputation and to let him know who is coming, in order that proper arrangements may be made. He suggested, in :i message to Mr. Massey, that the interview take place at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

The casualty staff at Eden Park were kept busy on Saturday aft ernoon attending to players who were compelled to retire from the game through injuries. No fewer than 'ten footballers received first aid from Dr. Stride and four ambulance men during . the currency of play. ..The most serious case was that 'of J. O'Hara, a- member of the Marisb Brothers Old Boys' fifth grade team, whoie forearm was fractured. ,J. Hardwick, of the Parnell senior team, was attended to for a severely lacerated eyebrow and eyelid, G. Sellars, of Ponsonby, for a cut over the eye, and Caseley, of Parnell, for a slight concussion. • The other cases consisted of minor injuries, such as strains and bruises.

Two men suffering from injuries were admitted to the hospital during the weekend. Samuel William Taylor, aged 65, carrier, of* Lancing Road, Edendale, had his right leg broken owing to his horse backing and crushing him between the cart and a wall. A Maori named Tabatahi Thomson was admitted at about 1 a.m. yesterday suffering from concussion. It appears that Thomson, who is a married man, and lives at Onewhero, was riding home from Tuakau, and was thrown from his horse.' lie was brought into Auckland by the late train on Saturday. Thomson is still unconscious, and his condition is reported to be serious.

At the outbreak of the present war it was not expected that it would be aecescary for the Admiralty to take the number of ships that were chartered during the Transvaal war. It will be found, however, when the full list is published, that considerably more tonnage has been taken up by the Government than in 1900. At the present time there are, it is understood, over 1200 steamers under charter to tho war authorities in addition to which there are probably 300 tugs and innumerable lighters, while over 40 steamers have been purchased. The list of transports at present under charter represents 112 vessels, aggregating 719,837 tons, 41 transports of 151,842 tons were taken up by the Indian Government, while 210 freight ohips were chartered to carry 974,257 tons of cargo and 3745 oxen.

The Anglican Bishop of Auckland, I>r. Averill, celebrated Holy Communion yesterday morning at St. John's Church, Northcote, where he also preached in the forenoon, and held a confirmation service in the afternoon. The bishop officiated at All Saints' Church, Birkenhead, last night. All the services were well attended.

The well-known Southern coastal steamer Stormbird celebrated her 61st anniversary on Thursday, June 17. The Stormbird, which has the unique distinction of being the oldest steamer in the world in commission, is a steel screw vessel of 217 tons gross, and was launched in 1854, byMessrs. Laurie and Company, at Glasgow. The Stormbird has passed through many hands in the course of her long and interesting career. Her. present owners being the Wanganui Steam I'ackct Company.

A very large number of letters and telegrams of condolence and sympathy have reached the Hon. James Allen, Minister for Defence, in connection with the death of his son, Lieutenant J. H. Allen, who was killed in action at the Dardanelles. Among the telegrams is one from the Keeper of the Privy Purse, expressing the regret of Their Majesties the King and Queen at the loss the Minister and the army have sustained. The commander of tho New Zealand forces at the front has cabled the condolences of himself and his command. On behalf of tho offices and mon iu camp at Trentham, the camp commandant- sent 'a telegram of condolence to the Minister, expressing their deepest sympathy.

Authority has been given to the general manager of the Tourist Department to arrange for the shooting of malformed red deer in the Rotorua district during the period from June 7 to December 31. I * • C

The Union .Company's steamer Atua arrived in the stream at Auckland at ballpast iiino o'clock last evening {row Tonga, Samoa, a.nd Fiji ports. The vessel was due in the afternoon, but was considerably delayed on the run from Suva by bad weather. Shortly after the Atua anchored the port health officer and the Customs authorities boarded the vessel, and she was berthed at the Queen's Wharf about ten o'clock.

A woman named Mrs. Margaret Reid was found dead in bed at her residence in Hepburn Street, Freeman's Bay, at „no o'clock yesterday afternoon. Deceased, who was 47 years of age, had been suffering from asthma for some time, but had not been attended by a doctor. She was found by her 11-year-old daughter, who states that she saw her mother alive at 10 a.m., though the woman was at that time breathing heavily. An inquest will be held at the morgue this morning. Deceased's husband resides in Opotiki.

According to letters received in Wellington from Egypt, Lady Godley is doing good service in tending to the wounded New Zealand era from the Dardanelles. When the mail left she had already been instrumental in establishing two convalescent homes, one at Cairo and the other at Alexandria, and had been active in getting many of her English friends to billet convalescents.

A passenger by the Atua, which arrived at Auckland from Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji last night, told a Herald reporter that there were indications of unrest among the Chinese coolies employed by the planters near Apia. Recriminations had been exchanged by two factions of the Chinese on several occasions, and it was expected that the dissension would result in open quarrelling, and possibly some fighting, on the Sunday after tho Atua sailed from Apia.

Being unable to secure places in the quota from their own district, two lads walked from the West Coast to Nelson to enlist. They started on their long journey without'first satisfying themselves that they could ultimately pass the necessary medical tests. On arrival at the Defence Office in Nelson they were promptly sent over to the examining officer, who eventually found it necessary to reject them, as they did not quite reach the stan' aid set by the military authorities. Tho Labour Department has found work for them on the railway.

During her recent trip to the South Sea Islands the Union Company's steamer Atua paid a visit to the island of fcanua' Lai, situated about 40 miles north-west o! Vavau, in'the Tongan Group. The vessel was tasen close in in order to allow the passengers to obtain a view of the volcano in eruption. It was found that although the volcano was still active and emitting columns of smoke, the excessive activity of a few weeks ago lias almost disappeared. Captain Wallis then endeavoured to take his vessel around the island, but' found that on the western side, where the chart shows from 180 to 270 fathoms, the water had shoaled for about two miles off shore, which was probably due to the recent volcanic upheaval on the island.

A competition among signallers of the Mounted Brigade Signal Service was held while the New Zealand force was in camp at Zeitoun. The competition was conducted by officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps, each of whom took a section of the examination. It was divided into seven parts, and covered all phases of a signaller's work. '...The first 'prize, a gold medal, was won 'by Sapper R. T. McElLgott, with 636 out of a possible of 700 points. Sapper McElligott was an officer of the accountant's branch of the General Post Office, Wellington.

When two verses of the National Anthem had been sung at the ceremony in connection with St. Paul's Cathedral at Dunedin last week, there was a pause, and the music stepped. But Bishop Julius would not permit the anthem to be concluded here. "Go on," he said, "sing the verso about .' confound their politics;' we must sing that one." Those present accepted the invitation, to the evident satisfaction of the bishop, who joined in heartily.

The statue of the late Mr. Richard John Seddon. recently "erected in the grounds of the Parliamentary Buildings in Wellington, will be unveiled on Juno 24, the day of the opening of Parliament. Probably the ceremony will be performed by the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. W. F. Massey, who will be supported by the Leader of tho Opposition, Sir Joseph Ward. The public of Wellington will be invited to attend the ceremony.

Reports received by the i steamer Atua, which arrived at' Auckland last night from South Sea Islands ports, state that the American two-masted schouner Manua still lies on the reef at Apia, Samoa. The vessel went ashoro during the rough weather which was experienced in the islands at the end of last year. The schooner lies" high and dry on the reef, apparently with her back broken. All the spars are still standing, and with the exception of the keel and garboard streak, which appear to be broken, the rest of the hull is intact. There is every possibility of refloating the vessel, and tenders are being called for repairing the Manua with that object.

A meeting of Morrinsville residents was held at Mr. G. Howe's residence last week to consider the matter of abstaining from intoxicating liquors during the war. The meeting was a representative one. prominent members of the Piako County Council, Town Board, Farmers' Union, Chamber of Commerce, territorials (mounted and foot), motor corps, etc., being present. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr. J. Bell, seconded by Mr. J. S. Reid, that those present agree to follow the King's example and abstain from all intoxicating liquor during the currency of the war. Nearly all present signed a pledge to that effect, the remainder being of opinion that their word would be quite sufficient, without signing a pledge. At the meeting of the Town Board on the following evening all the members agreed to join tie movement.

Through tho generosity of Mr. William Barton, of Featherston, the hospital ship Maheno, is to bo provided with a second up-to-date motor launch. Mr. Barton gave £350 for that purpose, and with the money tho Veronica, built in Auckland bv Messrs. Lane and Sons, and at present lying in tho Wellington boat harbour, lias oeen purchased, The Veronica is a very fine boat of her type, and will be placed oil board the Maheno when the latter arrives in Wellington from Dunedin at the end of the present month.

The Prime Minister stated in Wellington on Friday that in the Lands Department difficulty was being experienced in getting tho survey work in connection with land settlement schemes pushed on because so many surveyors had gone to the war. '• We have to bo careful," said Mr. Massey, " while we are anxious that every officer who feels inclined to go to fight should get the opportunity, that, the business of the country is carried on and interfered with as little as possible."