LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16013, 3 September 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Union Company advise that in view of the steamer Victoria leaving Auckland for Sydney to-morrow evening it has been decided not to despatch the Mararoa to Sydney on Monday next, September 6. The Mararoa was withdrawn from the Auckland-Sydney service nearly a month ago owing to the firemen demanding an excessive wage, and she has been lying at anchor in the stream ever since. According to the new time-table, announced by the company some time ago, the Mararoa was to leave for Sydney on Monday next. The Niagara will make the inward connection nest week, being due to arrive here on Monday morning with mails, passengers, and cargo. It is expected that the Victoria will return here from Sydney about September 14, while the Riverina is due to arrive on September 12 from Dunedin and Lyttelton, sailing for Sydney tho following evening.

A brief account of the work in which Dr. Arthur Marsack, of Auckland, is engaged is given by Mrs. Marsack in a letter to a friend. " Dr. Marsack is doing all be can, and his time is fully occupied," Mrs. Marsack writes. "Two weeks after we arrived in England he received a commission as captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and is at present stationed at Fort Pitt Military Hospital, Chatham, attending to wounded soldiers and prisoners of war from the front. Their injuries are terrible, and fresh batches of wounded are constantly arriving. He has had only one day off in a month to visit us, but he is contented, and loves his work. It was a very sad sight when we went to the War Office to see the hundreds going in and out, some sobbing, some in deep mourning, all inquirers for relatives or friends at the front, dead, wounded and missing. Wo had an exciting time coming up the Channel, being chased, but not over- '. taken, by a submarine on the evening of May 20. We were most lucky, as half-an-hour before we passed a cargo boat i was sunk on the same course." i

The income tax case, John. Chambers and Son. Ltd., as alleged agents for Babcock and Wilcox, Ltd., England, versus the Commissioner of Taxes, an appeal under the Land and Income Assessment AH, was continued before Mr. Justice Cooper yesterday. Mr. J. P. Campbell and Mr. R. McVeagh appeared for the appellant company and Mr. W. J. Napier for the commissioner. Continuing his argument for the respondent. Mr. Napier submitted that Babcock and Wilcox were carrying on business in New Zealand and ■were really physically present in New Zealand by means of the local residence of their agents John Chambers and Son. To-day. Mr. Napier intends to deal with the question of jurisdiction and to contend that the taxation of British firms carrying on business through New Zealand agents was not ultra vires of the New Zealand Legislature.

A poll on the proposal to raise £17.000 in connection with a roads improvement scheme was held in the Waiuku town district yesterday. The loan was carried by 149 votes to 55. There are 245 ratepayers on the roll. Addressing the ratepayers after the result of the voting had been announced, the chairman of the Town Board said the occasion was a redletter day in the history of Waiuku. Satisfactory arrangements have been made with the State Advances Depart ment for the raising of the loan.

The military authorities require three men from Auckland to act 33 wardens of rifle ranges during the period of the war. Applicants should have some knowledge of rifle range duties and musketry stores. The men selected will be given the rank of corporaL The names of those desirous of obtaining the positions will be received at the district Defence Office, Rutland Street.

A meeting of the Newmarket branch of the Auckland Women's Patriotic League was held at the Council Chambers. Newmarket, yesterday afternoon, the Mayoress, Mrs. McColl, presiding over a large attendance. It was reported that the Newmarket school children were to co-operate with the league in regard to the supply of leather waistcoats for the soldiers at the Dardanelles. The meeting resolved to hold a street collection and a house-to-houeo collection on Friday /week. Several subscriptions were handed in and a subscription list was placed at the Council Chambers.

A reply has been received by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, to his telegram to tho Attorney-General, the Hon. A. L. Herdman, in which he maintained that clause- 19, section a, of the "War Funds Bill, was indefinite in its meaning. The clause in question, it was feared by Mr. Gunson, might be used to give the Government power to interfere with the Auckland Patriotic and War Relief Association's funds and other similar funds. In a telegram forwarded yesterday the Minister stated that ho would be glad to make the clause quite clear when the Bill is in Committee.

The offer of the New Zealand Insurance Company to donate to the city an up-to-date electrically-driven clock to take the place of the old town clock was accepted by the Works Committee of the City Council yesterday. The new clock, which will be erected on brackets at the third floor of the company's new building, will have three dials, each from 4ft to 6ft in width. An of*er to provide a temporary clock on the Victoria Arcade was also made by the company, but the council— the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, explained yesterday—had already made arrangements with the Bank of New Zealand for the placing of a clock on the front of its premises. This clock, which will have one dial, will be erected nest week.

The Melaneeian Mission steamer Southern Cross is to leave Auckland at 4 p.m. to-day for her periodical cruise to the mission stations at Norfolk Island, New Hebrides, Solomon Islands, and Banks and Torres Groups. A number of passengers have booked for Norfolk Island, and Nurse Sand«rs will also be a passenger. A Holy Communion service will be held in St. Mary's Cathedral at 7.50 am. to-day, and at All Saints' Church at 10.30 a.m., when the sermon will be preached by Bishop Wood. The Southern Cross is expected to return to Auckland about December 20.

The application of the Hospital Board for permission to utilise the horticultural building and the tea kiosk in the Exhibition Grounds as an auxiliary military hospital and nurses' home respectively, was considered at a meeting of the Works Committee of the City Council yesterday. After the meeting, the Mayor. Mr. J. H. Gunson, explained that the horticultural building was the property of the Horticultural Society, while the land was the property of the council. The meeting had decided to inform the board that it would render it every assistance in securing the hall and, further, decided to assist the society in securing other accommodation for its shows, should it decide to surrender the hall to the Hospital Board. The application in regard to the tea kiosk, he oxplained, had been abandoned, as the council had just recently leased tho premises. Mr. Gunson added that the council will also inform the board that it is quite prepared to allow it the use of the large building at present .used by the National Reserve, should it be required. To this suggestion the National Reserve had willingly agreed.

An official visit will be made next Sunday night to the Onehunga Congregational Church By the Mayor, Mr. J. Rowc, and council, and the Onehunga Fire Brigade, to attend a memorial service to the young men from the church who have recently been killed in action at the Dardanelles. The names of the young men are : Troopers Niel McMillen and A. M. Urquhart, both killed on August 7, and Sapper Lawrence S. Jones, killed on August 11. Special interest attaches to the service, as a roll of honourthe first in Onehunga. will be unveiled during the service by the Mayor.

The Takapuna Borough Council's £52,000 loan for road improvements and council chambers has been placed with the Australian Mutual Provident Society, at 54 per cent, interest. The Mayor of the borough, Mr. W. Blomfield, regards the terms of the loan as satisfactory, in the present state of the money market. Another local body, he points out, recently had to pay 5j per cent. The works for which the loan was raised are to be put in hand without delay, and the collection of the requisite supply of materials for the road construction has been commenced.

A livelv interlude occurred in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon during the financial debate. Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh (Wellington South) was girding at the farmers and was interrupted once or twice by Mr. G. V. Pearoe (Patea), who finally said, referring to an allusion by Mr. Hindmarsh to the Labour Party, that Mr. Hindmarsh had never done a dav's work in hie life. In a flash the two members were railing at each other over the floor of the House, and Mr. D. Buick (Palmerston) became embroiled. An angry informal duel between Messrs. Hindmarsh and Buick followed. The crescendo had assumed considerable proportions when Mr. Speaker succeeded in restoring order. Mr. Hindmarsh .threatened to renew it later, accusing, amid laughter, one of his farmer opponents of having " grunted" during his remarks. But the rtorm blew over.

The High Commissioner has advised the Minister for Defence that the New Zealand War Contingent Association has decided to provide accommodation for 200 more patients at the Felixstowe Military hospital, at Waltham-on-Thames. He also reports that a great number of wounded are arriving. Every man is seen and his wants attended to in the hospital. The men are content and happy. The Chamber sitting of the Supreme Court, which was to have been held today, has been postponed until Tuesday at 10.30 a.m., when Mr. Justice Cooper will preside.