LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17040, 23 December 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tho New Zealand Herald will not be published on Christmas Day. For the receipt of advertisements, tho Queen Street office will be open on Christmas Day, between the hours of 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

An Australian mail, which loft Newcastle on December 16, was due at Lyttelton yesterday. The Auckland portion, consisting of over 80 bags, will arrivo here probably to-morrow or Wednesday morning.

A slight outbreak of fire occurred last night shortly before ten o'clock at Islington Street, Ponsonby, in a house nvned by Mrs. Villion, and occupied by Mre. Larsen. The fire brigade was promptly on the scene and quelled the outbreak, which was confined to one room. Slight damage was dono to curtairft and clothing by tiro, and the contents of tho room were also damaged somewhat by water. Tho contents of the house are insured for £100.

A consignment of about 14,000 cases of apples was brought to Auckland by tho Makura and carriod on by that vessel to Australia, owing to tho quarantining of tho vessel in this port. At the request of those interested, the Minister for Customs, the Hon. A. M. Myers, endeavoured to have tho apples landed in Sydney, but ineffectually, and the whole cargo is being returned to Now Zealand. According to tho present law a duty of Id per lb is payable on all fruit landed here after the end of this month, but, in the special circumstances, the Minister has agreed to allow the consignment to be landed under the current rate of id per lb.

Two accident cases wore admitted to tho Auckland Hospital during the weekend. An elderly man, Mr. Herbert Healy, was admitted on Saturday sufforing from a fractured leg. A young girl, Ruth Basham, aged Bs, while playing at Onehunga yesterday, sustained a blow on her head, which rendered her unconscious.

Nearly all the invalided soldiers at Rotorua have gone to their homes for the Christmas holidays. There' remain only about six at King George V. Hospital and 20 at the Sanatorium.

A ceremony in connection with the acceptance by the Minister for Lands of the gift of an area of bush land near Kaihu, the property of Mr. James Trounson. of Northcote, will tako place early in January. A number of prominent Auckland business men will attend the function, leaving Auckland on January 9. Jhe gift, which includes a number of fine specimens of kauri, adjoins Kauri Park, an area of 60 acres, recently presented to the Government by Mr. Trounson.

Special Christmas services were held at a number of Auckland churches yesterday. The anthems and hymns were of an appropriate nature, and special Christmas addresses woro given. There were large congregations.

The majority of tho 31 passengers who came by the b.s. Port Sydney from Sydney to Whakatane went by motorcars to Rotorua, arriving there on Thursday night, and leaving for their various destinations on Friday morning. Among them were Mr. J. Hislop, Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs, the Rev. H. Cameron, chancellor of the Otago University, and Mr. D. W. McDiarmid, of New Plymouth, who lately returned, invalided, after three years' service as representative of the Australian Y.M.C.A. m the Soudan, Egypt, and Palestine. In order to permit of the steamer carrying tho passengers the Commonwealth agreed not to dismantle the accommodation provided for officers when she was employed as a troopship.

The escape of a girl, Rose Hunter, aged 24, from the Parnell Rescue Home, to which she had been committed on Saturday by Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M., was reported to the city police last night. The girl, who had previously been committed to the homo, made her escape from the institution on December 7, in company with another inmate. The escapees camped in a tent at Takapuna, and evaded caplure for nearly a fortnight.

The poll of ratepayers in conncctior with the proposed loan of £165,000 for street improvements in the city, which was postponed from December 4 on account of the epidemic, will be taken on January

The lack of equipment at the temporary hospitals established in Rotorua during the epidemic was discussed at the last meeting of the Rotorua Women's Voluntary Aid Committee. The opinion was expressed that much of this might have been avoided had the isolation hospital been better equipped, and a resolution was carried requesting the Public Health Department to take steps to keep that hospital fully equipped.

The Railway Department advises intending travellers to make their departure as early as possible, in order to avoid unnecessary congestion when citizens who are detained at business until the last minute desire to travel. Merchants dosiring to consign goods are also warned to send them forward at the earliest opportunity.

Govern assistance to the public libraries of the Dominion during the current year has been provided for on the Supplementary Estimates to the extent of £3000. Prior to the war tho amount usually provided for libraries was £4000 annually, but owing to the strain on the finances of the country as a result of the war, no vote was made in 1915. Tho following year the amount voted was -;2500. The usual application forms will be distributed to the various libraries in due course

A sad incident in connection with the recent epidemic in Wellington took placo at the Potono Magistrate's Court last week, when 10 bright-faced, intelligent, healthy well-bred children were committed to the charge of the Education Department. Thev were tho children of the late Mr. and Mrs. Jefferies, who were vidtims of the er.idemic. Some of the children will be taken charge of by the relatives, and tho others will remain under the direct care of tho Department.

A Wellington machinery importing firm received intimation by cablegram from Scotland recently, that steel wire ropes can now be exported from the United Kingdom without priority permits or other formality. It is inferred from this information that iron and steel wire may soon be exported from Great Britain without war restrictions.

Referring to Newtown Zoo affairs, Mr. J. Castle, one of the candidates at the Wellington by-election, stated that owing to the fence of the bear-pen not being kept in order, a child had had three fingers torn off one hand by tho bear, and the City Council had had to pay £150 as compensation. Tho item was passed in committee, so that it might not bo published. Again, tho drain to the sea-lion's houso had been allowed to be blocked for a considerable period, thus becoming a menace to the public health; and finally it cost £100 to have the drain cleared.

" There was one of the first colonists who had the unique distinction of coming to Canterbury in two ships," remarked the Rev, F. G. Brittain during a lecture in Christchurch recently. This was Mr. Davie, afterwards chief surveyor of the province. He arrived at the docks too late to join the Randolph, on which his wife arid family had sailed, to he shipped in the George Seymour, which had been delayed owing to its having to await an important despatch. On October 4 the George Seymour overtook a becalmed vessel, which turned out to be the Randolph. A boat was put off, and Mr. Davie was thus permitted to rejoin his wife and family, ~.,..