LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16374, 31 October 1916, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The work of laying tfio new curves at the 'Welleslcy' Street and Queen Street junction oi the tramways is proceeding satisfactorily. It is probable that the line from the main thoroughfare into Weilesley Street East will be ready for use. by the beginning of December, in which caso the normal eastern outgoing truffle will be resumed. Meanwhile the new Upper Queen Street extension is in good working order, and the maximum number of care is being taken by this route. It has been found since the present arrangement of the services commenced that many people prefer to walk down to Customs Street and Queen Street to catch home-bound cars, and consequently the extra "specials" which were formerly sent out via Wellesley Street East have been diverted to the

Customs Street West route during the '"rush" hour. From this tormina!, between 5 p.m. until 5.45 p.m., about thirty ! cars for various destinations depart each I day. I The visit of the New Zealand troops to I Paris on July 14 is mentioned in a letter j written by Sergeant W. A. Knox. IN.Z.F.A., to his father, Mr. W. A. Knox, ;of John Street, Ponsonby. Sergeant Knox ! stated that he went down in charge of a j party of New Zealand artillerymen, who were detailed to take part in the cel'-Va-tions. They witnessed . many wonderful scenes, not the least of which was the i parade of the allied troop;, who took an hour and a half to pass a given point. I The New Zealanders were given a very i hearty reception, and to mention the word j ; Anzao meant that a crowd instantly collected, and asked all sorts of questions, | The creditors of James Beazlcy, labourer, j !of Houhora, who was lately adjudged j ! bankrupt, on the petition of G. P. Klinac, | were to have met yesterday, but at the j - | appointed hour neither the debtor nor a J I quorum of his creditors was nresent. The ' I official assignee, Mr. W. S. Fisher, read a ' letter from the debtor stating that he was i ; unable to attend, as he had no money with ; which to pay his expenses, and that the petitioning creditor had informed him that j 1 he was not pressing the matter further. ' I The assignee added that a bankrupt who II failed to attend the meeting of his credi- > tors was guilty of contempt of Court, but . if he had no means it would be useless to spnly to a judge for an order for his punishment, The debtor, it was stated, > was a gumdigger, and had a wife and I seven children to maintain. The meeting ; was adjourned until November 20. '• Several important resolutions in coni nection with the Y.M.C.A.'s work among soldiers were carried at the triennial convention, held in Sydney. It was decided that steps should be taken to allow the 1 association's secretaries to accompany re- [ turning, as well as out-going, troopships, while another important matter discussed was that of housing soldiers outside city 1 areas, the proposal being made that rest - homes should be established in both city ■ and suburbs. The opinion was also ex- > pressed that in addition to social work among soldiers, efforts should be made in an educational direction, and that re- ' turned soldiers should act as the association's agents in keeping in touch with the large body of returning men. One of the most interesting incidents in connection with the Y.W.C.A. convention, held iii Sydney recently, was stated yesterday by Mrs. Geddes, president of the Auckland branch, to have b#n the visit of delegates to a great mass meeting of ' over 5000 women held in the Sydney Town Hall, in connection with the conscription 1 issue. Mr. W. Hughes, Prime Minister, delivered a stirring address, and the ' meeting was most successful. "At the 1 same time," added Mrs. Geddes, "tho class of women who attended did not re- ' present the workers of the sex, a very ' large section of whom are bitterly oppos- • he conscription."

The tender of Mr. James Barrett,-to effect the drainage of St. Albans Avenue. Mount Eden, for £243 18s 8d was accepted by the Mount Eden Borough Council last night. The borough engineer's estimate was £232. Thrje tenders were submitted, the highest being £315 9s. The tender accepted was the lowest.

Complaints of inconvenience and damage from storm-water were again received by the .Mount Eden Borough Council last night. In three instances, in one of which the council was asked to remit rates, the matter was referred to the Drainage Committee. In three other cases, it was resolved to reply "That a storm-water drainage scheme is under consideration, and is the only remedv."

At a meeting of members of the Auckland Hotel and Restaurant Employees' Union, on Sunday list, the following resolution was passed :—" That this representative meeting of the Auckland Hotel and Restaurant Employees' Industrial Union of Workers are of the unanimous opinion that steps should he immediately taken to urge the Government to further reduce the prices of all New Zealand productive necessities of life, as in this meeting's opinion the dependants of those who are answering the country's call are unable to afford to pay the present purchaso price of these necessities. Failing any immediate action taken, that this meeting endorses tho resolution of the Auckland General Labourers' Union appealing to the seamen and waterside workers of the Dominion to meet, to decide upon such 'action as will prevent the continuance of such unpatriotic plunder."

Concerts in aid of the Red Cross Society are becoming increasingly popular on ocean-going vessels, and a most successful gathering of tho kind was held on the Malawi's recent voyage from Sydney, A good musical programme was given, and a largo number of souvenir programmes were sold by auction, tho total sum raised being £51. This will be divided between the Australian and New "branches of the society.

What it feels like to fly is described in a letter received in Wellington from Lieutenant W. Shirtdiffc, of that city, | who is a member of the Royal Flying i Corps. " What is the sensation!" writes Lieutenant Shirtcliffe. " Well, I don't quite know, for it isn't like anything else. On or near the ground there is a sensation of speed, but once you aro five feet up you don't seem to move quickly, and at above three or four thousand feet you seem to be just crawling along, and the earth looks very silly and small. In ; calm weather the general sensation of the pilot after half an hour is ' bored to tears,' and in rough 'overworked.' for you are continually on the move. In ' bumpy' weather you get one wing suddenly drop, say, the left, and you ' hik tho stick over to tho right. Immediately after, tho right drops probably, and you reverse the process. Then the nose drops, and you ' yank* back, but probably just in time to push forward again, because the tail has found some thin air. However, all tho 'movements aro automatic, and even in bumpy weather one gradually learns to control the machine without thinking about it, just as one drives a motor-car."

Tho medical section of the National Re- • servo held its annual meeting last night. Mr. 0. J. Tanks presided, and 15 members were present. The report and balance sheet for the year two read and adopted, A long discussion took place as to the future of the section. ,It was generally recognised that the National Reserve as a Dominion organisation was doomed to disappear, but a strong desire was expressed that all the work done should not be wasted. It was suggested that the section could best be kept together by form-, ing a division of the St. John Ambu-, lance Brigade. The position in this con-1 nection was fully explained by the chair- j man, and it was resolved that a division , be formed of the St. John Ambulance: Brigade, to be known as the National Re-, serve Ambulance Division. Mr. J. V. i Davis was unanimously elected superinten-, dent, and Mr- K. E. Leaning, lion, secre- j tary and treasurer. At a future meeting . details of organisation will be considered, ■ A member of the New Zealand Expedi- j tionary Forces, wi'ting to his lather in Port Chalmers, says that ho wishes emphatically to contradict a statement that is being published in the Dominion— New Zealand soldiers go into the firing lino for a few days, then retire to rest billets, and from there go to England. " We have been lor over three months." continued the writer, ' within reserve bil- ; lets, and the front line, and I have about as much chance of getting Home to see my wife and son as I have of getting to New Zealand. From where I am now writing is the first rest we have had s nee we came to France. We have been here for a fortnight, and we will be back in ! the front lino again within a week." Attention is called by Mr. I. Hopkins, I formerly chief Government apiarist, to I the fact that the native plant wharangi I (Brachyglottis repanda)—from which is ' gathered the honey that has caused very ] serious effects on human beings on different i occasions at this time of year—is in full blossom just now. He warns people apainst eating honey taken from wild-bo nests in |or near the bush during the next two 'months, after which timo tho poisonous iproperties, being of a volatile nature, will have passed off. It is also dangerous to I eat honey taken from common boxes near i bush at this time of year. There is not ! tho slightest danger, Mr. Hopkins says. 'of eating Looey sold by commercial bee--1 keepers at any time, a? the season for : taking and tinning honey is well on in the I New Year. He has not known of any case | of bad effects from the honey of commerce. I In returning thanks to the Hon, Dr. McNab for Irs address at a returned sol- : diers' social at Palmerston. Mr. M. Cohen '; referred to the fact that the Minister had . been delayed by the train not running to ' time, and said he looked forward to the j time when they would have a fast packet service by sea from Wellington to Foxton, j | and then an express or electric train from j that port to Palmerston. .! At the last meeting of the North Can- • terbury School Committees' Association it ■was stated that the recent, amalgamation :. of tho North and South Canterbury and i; West Coast Education-Boards was cstimated to save £500 annually in teachers' •! salaries. Against that saving, however, i £100 annually extra had been granted tc tho board's officials for the extra duties they would have to perform, and it was also expected that the board members 1 ' j and inspectors' extra travelling expenses ,'would absorb another £500 annually. Thus the amalgamation would prove more costlv ■ than the earlier system.

The secretary of the Wellington 'Waterside Workers' Unior states that the. reason for the discontinuance of gambling on tho waterfront was that tho union recently passed a resolution that gambling should cease in (ho vicinity of places where labour is engaged. . The manner in which tho resolution has been kept, he says, is an object lesson. The resolution of members succeeded where all attempts of tho police and Harbour Beard officials to suppress gambling had failed.

Despite the advent of the. ten-shilling notes, half-sovereigns appear to bo in circulation to much the same extent as they were in the pre-war days, remarks a Christehurch paper, the frequency with which tho little gold coins are seen having been more obvious during tho last week or two. Another peculiar feature of current coinage is the number .if English-minted ' half-crowns, bearing this year's date, which have been released from local banks within the last few days. Those who mako a study of coinago will probably be able to draw from these circumstances their own deductions. Even to the layman it is apparent that the British Dominions have not yet reached the stage of a. universal paper currency.

The Minister for Defence has received from Brigadier-General Braithwaite, a German Mauser pistol taken from a German soldier who was killed during a raid on New Zealand trenches on July 27, 1916. Tho New Zealand troops engaged were tho 2nd Battalion, Wellington Regiment. The pistol, which is comparatively new, is encased in a serviceable holster made of tho best cowhide. The pistol will be placed in the Museum, at Wellington.

It is not necessary to go from home to find marvels of surgery and medicine, soys a Southern paper. Last spring there was put aboard a transport in Egypt the wreck of a once well known New Zealand athlete. It was his one chance. Three I days at sea would, so bis comrades said, I bring; him promise of life or a canvas i shroud. He was almost completely paraj lysed, the result of a wound in the spine. | When tho boat touched at her first New i Zealand port he was ono of the cheeriest j men on the ship. He could move his toe! And his delight wai childlike. But :he was weak, and terribly thin. A fewmonths ago he was seen in an open vehicle provided by friends to allow him and other convalescent hospital patients to witness a pageant. Today lie is custodian of a soldiers' club.

An invitation has been accepted bv Mr C. J. Parr, C.M.G., M.P., from the Mayor of Cambridge to give an address upon the war in the Town Hall at Cambridge on Friday next. He lias also received requests to speak at other centres c.tside Auckland, bat is unable at present to spare the time from his business. On Wednesday next Mr. Parr will give an address on " Britain at War" to his constituents at 'Mount Eden, when he will introduce a description of a spirited debate that he heard in the House (if Commons, in which .Mr. Asquith. Mr. John Dillon, Mr. John Redmond, and Sir Edward Carson took part. The annual concert tendered by the Orphans' Club to the inmates of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind will be given this evening, and Mr. Parr will take the opportunity as president of the club Of speaking to the blind peoplo of the good work that is being dono for blind soldiers at St. Dunstan's Hospital in London. Mr. Parr will also speak at Mount Albert next week.