LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16567, 16 June 1917, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Ookpldientabt references were reported in recent cablegrams to have been made by Sir Douglas Haig to the commander of the New Zealand troops engaged in the latest successful fighting on the western front. Asked yesterday whether be could, state to which officer this eulogy applied, Sir James Allen, Acting-Prime Minister, replied in the negative. All he could say was that Major-General . Sir Andrew Russell was the officer in charge of ; the New Zealand Division. The late Brigadier-General Brown must have taken a prominent part in the capture of Metsines by the New Zealanders, having led the attack and been killed in so doing. General Sir Alexander Godley was still the commander of the New Zealand ExSeditionary Force, in which Major-General , tassell's Division was included, and Sir James believed he was in France at present. General Godley's command, he explained, comprised the whole establishment of the New Zealand force, including the men in Egjnt and Palestine, as well as those in France.. The itinerary for the periodical tow by the First- Auckland Military Service Board in the northern part of the province has been tentatively arranged. The board will continue to sit in Auckland, if necessary until next Friday, on which day it will leave for Whangarei, where sittings will be held on June 23 and 25. The ward will sit at Russell, on June 27 Mangonui on June 28: Kawakawa. on June 29; Kaikohe, on June 30 and Rawene, on July 2. The board will return to Auckland probably on July 3. Eighty-four appeals have been set down for hearing during the board's visit to the North. An answer has been received by the City Council from the Lands Department to ite inquiry as to which of the volcanic peaks it considered the City Council is despoiling. The Department states that the recent letter on the subject referred to a quarry on the southern side of Mount Eden. The city officials state that the quarry is not worked by the City Council but by the Mount Eden Borough Council, which has a statutory right to take scoria from it. The following acknowledgment has been received by tho Minister for Defence, j Sir James Allen, from Brigadier-General E. W. 0. Chayter, in reply to a message conveying the Minister's" congratulations to the eeneral in reference to his appointment as an additional A.D.C. to His Majesty the King:-"I appreciate your telegram offering congratulations on the honours conferred by His Majesty the King in recognition of the magnificent work done by the brigade that I nave the good fortune to command." The late Gunner G. T. Browning, who died suddenly last Wednesday, will be accordod a military funeral to-day. The funeral will leave the premises of Mr. 0. Little at 11.15 a.m. A firing party will be furnished from the Narrow Neck training camp. The arrangements are being made by the Returned Soldiers Association, and the expenses are being paid by the Claims Board of the Patriotic Association. An inquest regarding dinner Browning's death was held by Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., yesterday. After taking evidence, including that of Dr. Si A. Stride, the coroner returned a verdict that death was due to natural causes. Twenty-five applications from returned soldiers for further assistance were dealt with yesterday at a meeting of the Claims Board of the Auckland Patriotic Association. Mr. V. J. Lamer, chairman of the board, presided, and there also were present Messrß. H. D. Heather, C. J. Tunks, E. Phelan and J. F. Ewen. In 24 cases a continuation of assistance was given. In the remaining case the board regarded tho conduct of the man as very unsatisfactory, and it declined to grant any further assistance. The monthly meeting of the Lake Takapuna Board of Control, which was to have ■ been held yesterday afternoon, lapsed for want of a quorum. Only two members, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Mr. H. M. Skeet, and Mr. J. P. McPhail, Jiayor of Birkenhead, were in attendance.

The supplement issued * with to-day's Herald contains a number of special articles on subjects of current interest. Tohunga writes under the heading " Jack and the Passport." Lieut-Colonel A. A. Grace, N.Z.F.A., Res., writes of "Messines Ridge." Other contributions are:— "Of Certain Savage Gods." by Frank Morton; "Soldiering and After,' by 0. G. Nicol; "A Waikato Idyl," by Te Pana; and "Nature Notes," by J. Drammond, F.L.S., F.Z.S. ( Two cartoons and a photograph illustrative of the war are other special features of the issue. Further evidence was taken in the Magistrate's Court yesterday in the case in which Mrs. Rosa M. Hannan (Mr. F. D. McLiver) sued Ernest Edwards (Mr. Hall Skelton) to recover £14 4s, value of damage alleged to have been done to a house in his occupation. Defendant made a counter-claim for £7 12s 6d, comprising £5 lor alleged wrongful distraint, 30s for repairing a fence on the property, 10s for fitting two water taps, and 12s 6d for tram fares alleged to have been wrongfully paid to defendant. After hearing evidence as to the general condition of the house at the time of defender's entry, the magistrate, Mr. E. C. Cutten, adjourned the case until Tuesday. Largo numbers ,of visitors continue to he attracted to the annual display of the Auckland Society of Arts, and a steady stream of patrons was maintained yesterday afternoon and evening. Winners in the art union held in connection with lb* exhibition selected their prizes yesterday, and a number of outside buyers effected purchases. The exhibition will be open again this afternoon and evening. In questioning an offender in the Police Court yesterday, Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., elicited that accused was faced with the problem of supporting a wife and three children on a weekly wage of 57s 6d. "It seems to me," remarked the magistrate, " that it is time the best brains in the country sought to solve the question of the disproportion of the wages some people earn and the soaring cost of living. A single man, Charles Jones, aged 56 years, was yesterday found dead in bed in a house in Grey Street. Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., conducted an inquest in the afternoon, when evidence of identification was given by Ellen Lynch, who said she had known deceased about twelve years. He was ' a lodger at her house, and at intervals in the past fortnight had complained of feeling unwell, but did not consult a doctor. He returned home on Thursday morning, but made no complaint. On Friday, when she went to his room at 9.30 a.m., she saw deceased leaning on the bed. She spoke to him, but received no answer. She then sent for the police. Dr. S. A. Stride said death was due to heart failure, due to pleuro-pnenmonia. The coroner returned a verdict accordingly. The Auckland tramcara, in the opinion of the Hon. W. Fraser, Minister for Public Works, are not nearly so noisy as they were a fow years ago. He stated yesterday that they are not half so noisy as before the control of the tramway systems passed from the local bodies into the hands of the Government. Legal argument has been heard in connection with the civil action Archibald Clark and Sons, Ltd., v. the Union Steam Ship Company and Hnntly Dryden, master .of the steamer Arahura, a claim for alleged damages to cargo shipped by the plaintiffs. The case now stands adjourned sine die. An ancient landmark at Takapuna is about to be removed from its abidingplace of the last 35 or 40 years. The vestry of St. Peter's Anglican Church has lately acquired a more central site for the church, between Hurstmere Road and the Foresters Hall, about quarter of a mile from the present situation. The church and the parish hall are to be removed shortly. The question of overcrowding in tramcars was touched upon by the Minister for Public Works in his interview. with i representatives of the City Council yesterday. It 'was not, said Mr. Frasei, a trouble that was confined to New Zealand. The British Government and the municipalities that controlled the tramways in England, had over and over again tried to cope with it, but in vain. The only way of meeting it was to have a large stock of surplus cars available, to be brought out in " rash" times, > and these could not at present be provided, because it was impossible to obtain tho necessary undergear from England. The conference between the Auckland Metropolitan Committee and delegates from country racing clubs, concerning the Government s decision to reduce the number of race-days, has concluded. It is understood that a decision was reached as to which meetings should be abolished, and that this decision will be embodied in a recommendation to the Racing Conference. In the meantime the details are not available. Judgment in a case arising out of tho recent voluntary liquidation of the Dominion Mortgage and Finance Company, Ltd., was delivered by Mr. Justico Stringer at the Supreme Court yesterday. When the list of contri'outories was being settled, application was made by Coradine and Noble (Mr. Anderson), solicitors, of Master ton, to be struck off the list, on the ground that they had taken shares in the company on condition that they were appointed solicitors for tho company in the Masterton district. In support of their application they stated that the company had already appointed another firm of solicitors to act before Coradine and Noble took up the shares. His Honor stated that the contention of the applicants had been satisfactorily proved, and he ordered them to be struck off the list of cantributories. Mr. H. P. Richmond appeared on behalf of the liquidator, Mr. J. G. Restell. The Scotch concert, given by the High land unit of the National Reserve and tho Auckland Pipe Band last Saturday, i was very successful. A donation of £100 lon account has been sent to the Bed ! Cross Society, for whose benefit the concert was organised. In respect to the proposal of the Government to apply the provisions of the Military Service Act to the Maoris of the North Island, it may be mentioned that half-castes are included in the designation of " natives." A separation order from her husband was yesterday granted to Mary A. Denni-. son, by Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court. Maintenance at the rate of 12s 6d weekly was allowed. Several judgment summons cases were also dealt with by the magistrate. A very useful artificial arm has been [ invented by Mr. P. H. McKay, who explained it before the Claims Board of the Patriotic Association yesterday. It is a demonstration of the proverb that necessity is the mother of invention, for it was due to him losing his left hand and a . portion of his forearm that caused Mr. McKay to think about remedying his loss. The arm is fitted with a hand, the thumb of which can be moved by muscular pressure on a cord which fit 3 round the shoulders. In this way objects may be picked up without recourse to the other hand. Tho hand, however, j is not the principal feature of the inven- 1 tion. ' When slipped off it uncovers a j socket at tho " wrist into which tools i with specially-made handles may be in-' sei'ted with ease. The members of the board were much impressed with its ; practicability and ingenuity. An inspection of the Government offices in Auckland has been made during the last day or two by Mr. W. S. Short and Mr. James Hislop, members of the Go- , vemment Buildings Office Accommodation . Board. The object of the inspection was to ascertain how the convenience of the public and the officials can be best served in a re-arrangement of the offices of the various Departments. An expression of condolence with the relatives of the late Dr. T. Hope Lewis was recorded last evening by the Council of tho Auckland Acclimatisation Society. Mr, C. E. Whitney, deputy-chairman, referred in feeling terms to the death of Dr. Hope Lewis, who, he said, had been a very active member of. the society for. many years, and had been a president of i the society. I