LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16760, 29 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Though the weather experienced yesterday was not in keeping with the summer season such did not stand in the way of a large concourse of racegoers proceeding to Devonport in order to assist-at the Takapuna Jockey Club's meeting. Tho racing throughout was of an interesting character, and everything passed off satisfactorily during the afternoon. The leading event of the programme— Takapunu Jockey Cluß's Handicap—was won by Mr. A. L. Raven's mare Fionnuala. During the afternoon the totalisator investments amounted to £47,698, which gave a grand total of £88,977 for the meeting, representing an increase of £13,762 10s on the sum handled in connection with tho corresponding meeting held last year.

Much assistance was given to the Anniversary Regatta Committee yesterday by the captain and officers of tho vessel placed at the disposal of the committee as a flagship. Commander Hooper was able, by his long experience, to give a great deal of useful advice, and as a token of appreciation tho committee made him a presentation. The committee also made a presentation to the officers' mess.

Two men named William W. T. Dunn and William J. Courtney were arrested in Auckland yesterday by Constables Hooker and Keaney 011 charges of collecting patriotic moneys without a license, in contravention of tho War Funds Act. They will be brought before the Court today.

It is reported that complaints have been received from travellers on tho Main Trunk express regarding the location of the special ladies' carriage. The compartment is placed about the centre of the train, separating the first and secondclass accommodation, and it is stated that inconvenience has been caused in some instances owing to travellers, who, after leaving the train to secure refreshments, are compelled to board the train hurriedly on a carriage other than that in which they have been travelling, and who are not allowed then to pass through the ladies' compartment. Tlie Railway De partment officials at Auckland stated yesterday, when reference was made to 'the matter, that no complaints had been received, from passengers, hut the guards had reported incidents of male travellers being refused passage through the ladies' carriage. It was stated that the satisfaction expressed by ladies as to the convenience of the special carriage far outweighed any little inconvenience which might have been f«»lt at denial of a right-of-way through the ladies' compartment. Ample time was given to procure refreshments at stopping places, and if male passengers were allowed the unrestricted right to pass through the carriage the privacy which lady travellers, and especially those with babies, enjoyed would be nullified. ■

During the hearing of a charge against a youth of letting of,' fireworks in Christchurch. on New Years Eve, it' was urged that the sale of fireworks should be prohibited, as they were a great source of danger, especially the larger ones. It was a breach of the by-laws to discharge fireworks in a public place, but there was no by-law restricting the sale. The magistrate said that tho matter was one. for the Legislature.

During' the year 1917 a total of £16,280 was raised for patriotic and charitable purposes by the Auckland Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Club. The amount was made up as follows: — Y.M.C.A. Trench Comforts Fund, £1250; Bay of Plenty Hospital, including Government subsidy, £3030; Whangarei and Northern Hospitals, including subsidy, £4500; Red Cross, £7500.

The Anniversary Regatta Committee adopted a new method of starting th» vessels competing in the power-boat racen at the annual gala on the Waitcmata yesterday. Each boat was despatched in handicap order, so that, therefore, the first launch past the finishing post was declared the winner. This saved the necessity of deducting times in order to decide which was the winning boat. The method has previously been, used in Auckland, but was employed yesterday in the Auckland Regatta for the first time.

Young boys at the Burnham Industrial School have been removed to the Stoke Orphanage, Nelson, in accordance with the Education Department's policy of classifying children in these institutions. In future, only boys 14 years and under will be sent to the Stoke School. Older boys committed by the Courts will be sent to Burnham or to the Weraroa Farm.

Something in the nature of a triangular contest is in progress between the Gonvilie Town Board, the Wanganui Hospital Board, and the Imlay 1' ree/.ing Works, the prize being a bountiful supply of water. The Hospital Board put down an artesian bore for a domestic supply, and the Town Beard bored for water for a supply for the baths. The third searcher for the water was the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, and when their bore tapped water the hospital bore gave out, and the effect was aJso noted at the baths. Recently the hospital authorities bored to lower strata, with excellent results as far as the needs of the institution are concerned, but the result at the Town Board's bore has been disastrous, so much so that it now takes 50 hours to fill the baths, or 20 more hours than previously. As all the bores are evidently more or less fed from the same source, it is probable that something in the nature of a conference will be arranged, in an endeavour to divide (he total supply that appears available.

Regulations under the Social Hygiene Act are being prepared. . They will be ready soon for submission to the Crown law officers before being placed before Government for final approval. A few days ago the High Commissioner sent a cable message to the Hon. G. W. Russell, asking what parts of the original Bill presented to Parliament had been deleted. Mr. Russell thinks that this shows the interest taken in the Act in England. Inquiries also have come from Australian States, with requests for all New Zealand literaturo 011 the subject.

The first number of the Science Journal will be issued by the Government shortly. Its contents will include an article by Mr. E. Parry, chief Government electrical engineer, dealing with the important matter of the preparation of carbides in New Zealand. The paper will probably prove to be a standard authority 011 many questions that are constantly raised by manufacturers and others, and it is intended to print a sufficient number of the journal in order to be able to supply the paper to inquirers, and thus prevent separate answers to individual inquirers.

In moving that the subject of agriculture be included among the subjects for the ordinary degree of B.A. and B.Sc., Dr. W. J. Anderson, director of education, sneaking at tho University Senate, said the Department was endeavouring to increase and improve tho teaching of agriculture in the primary and secondary schools. Teachers were encouraged to take up the subject, and he did not think that any theoretical view should stand in the way of including this amongst the ordinary subjects for the B.A. degree. There was not such great reason for it 6 inclusion in the B.Sc. degree, but if it was to be in one it should be in the other.

A scheme of reorganising the basis on which the Government subsidises hospitals with the viow of assisting the hospital boards in the smaller centres is engaging the attention of the Hon. G, W. Russell. He mentioned a few days ago that in one of these small centres in the Dominion the hospital and charitable aid rate was 2}d in the £, while the average rate over the whole Dominion was less than one-fifth of a penny in tho £.

Some strong criticisms were directed against tho condition of affairs at Quarantine Island, Otago Harbour, at a meeting of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers' Association recently, The criticisms were against the alleged lack of sanitary precautions and differentiation in the matter of pay between returned soldiers and men who had never left New Zealand, to the disadvantage of the former. A deputation waited on Sir James Allen who informed the speakers that up to Wednesday of last week the island had been under anal control. It was now solely within his jurisdiction, and ho intended to visit the island this week in company with the principal medical officer, when he would inquire into the allegations made. If matters were as represented the Minister promised that there would be an alteration made immediately.

China is apparently giving material aid to the allied cause. Captain J. S. Watson, salvage expert of the Hongkong Dock Company in Victoria, stated recently that ships are being built at Hongkong and all principal yards in China for British interests as fast as they can be turned out. He says the Hongkong Dock Company has six steel ships, each of approximately •350 ft in length, on the stocks at Hongkong.. While labour is cheap in the Orient, the steel shipbuilders there have many obstacles to combat, the greatest of which is the shortage of steel.

Whilst Mr. C. E. Hill, instructor of the Sockburn Aviation School, was making a flight over Christchurch with a passenger a slight defect in the engine necessitated a premature .descent. Mr. Hill had the choice of several good landing sites, and chose tho Addington Trotting Grounds, making a successful landing. The engine trouble could not be remedied on the spot, so the machine vas taken back to the Sockburn aerodrome on a lorry.

An amusing story of the experiences of three British officer? who escaped from the Turks is told by a relative of one of them. Eluding their guards, the thro" officers made their way across the desert. | Their first adventure came the day followI ing their escape, when they encountered ;13 Turkish soldiers. The officers rei signed themselves to recapture, but were astonished and delighted to discover, after some parley, that the soldiers were deserters fleeing from the hardships of the Turkish army to some unknown destination. The two parties thereupon joined forces, and were proceeding amicably 011 their way when a Turkish patrol appeared. There was no' doubt of the hostile intentions of this body. A sharp fight ensued, resulting in tho capture of eleven of the patrol. With these prisoners in their hands the British officers and the Turkish deserters marched forward, and ultimately reached a Russian camp, whore the British officers received an enthusiastic welcome.

While engaged in a motor-cycle race on the Levin racecourse, a man named John Miller lost control of his machine when rounding a bend, and crashed into a wooden fence, sustaining severe injuries to his right leg. •

A (iovernment official who was in Sydney during the conscription referendum week was amazed at the deliberate misstatements made by public speakers of tho "No" type. One speaker, who was apparently an educated man, told an audience that as a result of conscription hardly a white man.was to be seen in the streets of New Zealand at the present time, that work on shipping and on the waterfront was being wholly done by coolies and Asiatics, and that farming Was at a complete standstill. Another speaker said: — " We are going to keep every man in Australia that we can, for now that Japan is . coming into the waV'the British authorities will hand Australia over to the Japanese as compensation,"