EVENTS IN NEW ZEALAND.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2246, 4 September 1914, Page 6

EVENTS IN NEW ZEALAND.

INFERIOR BOOTS FOR THE TROOPS

THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

IS ONE DOCTOR SUFFICIENT FOR 700 MEN?

A CHRISTCHURCH COMPLAINT.

LOCAL BODIES AND THE DISTRESS RELIEF FUND.

(By lele2raDh,—Sneofal Oovresrondent.l Palmerston N., September 3. For some reason undivulged the artillery six 18-pounder guns were unloaded again from the railway trucks to-day, and taken back to camp, where the battery has resumed training. All ■ arrangements had been'made for their safo transit to' Wellington, but it is now reported that they will be hero another ■week.' The general impression is that the change of plans is in somo way associated with the whereabouts of the'convoy. . A new feature of the marches out of camp is that the band now accompanies infantry sections. The sharp rattle of the kettledrums recalls memories of English garrison_ towns. One company possesses a bagpipe player, who always heads them on marches. . The entire, infantry brigade started early, this morning on a march to Ashhurst, one item of the programme being lunch by the roadside. The war news is keenly read, and it is having tho effect of increasing the men's eagerness to get to the front. As one man said: "we are chafing to get to the front." An electoral officer to-day was taking the roll of the men in camp, to enable them to vote presently in accordance with the new Bill before Parliament. " The Cycle Club has presented a. gold sovereign-case to T. Stubbs, now in camp, in recognition of his services to the club. Tlie Mayor of .Christchurcli, according to a Press Association telegram, informed a reporter yesterday' that complaints bad , been made to him that one <)f the transports to leave, Lyttelton with about 700 men was to bo provided with only one doctor. That meant '-flat the doctor would have to be on duty for the ,whole of the 24 hours, and in case of anything happening to him, or in the event of an epidemic breaking out, the position would be a serious one. He (the Mayor) understood that there were twelve or fourteen doctors in cariip at, Palmerston North, and there should be no difficulty in appointing another man. He had made representations on the subject, but the reply he had received from the authorities was that no alteration could be made to the arrangements already settled on.—Press • Association..

in his contract of services." "In my opinion," continued his Worship, "tlie distinction between the cases just referred to and this present case is this: In the case cited there was a distinct alteration in the character of the voyages by the owners—subjects of a neutral Pouer—carrying contraband of meii or the like for one or other of the belligerent parties then at war with each other, acts which were not contemplated 'when . the voyage was commenced, aJid undoubtedly exposing ship and crew to new and greater risks. Here there is a state of .war between our nation and other nations, and our Empire is itself a belligerent, _ a. state of things which of itself subjects all British ships and their crews to the risks of which defendant, complains. I do not think, therefore, that after the inception of the voyage the risk and danger has been materially altered by any conditions for which the owners are responsible. Kaipara's Fate Quoted. The Magistrate went on to say that in his opinion the whole question for determination was whether tho refusal of the defendants to obey orders was based upon reasonable grounds. In other words, could it be said that there was a greater risk attendant upon the voyage back to England by reason of ships carrying troops and horses in addition to their ordinary cargo alone, in view of tho fact that the country owning tho' ship was a belligerent or.e. Having regard to what is reported in the cable messages to have taken place with respept to the Kaipara," said Air. Cooper, "the risk of seizure by tho enemy of a British ship must be regarded as incidental or attending to every one of our ships on tho high seas, and in my'opinion the risk is not increased by the fact that the ships upon which defendants are employed have been requisitioned to carry, war material in addition to ordinary cargo, especially as tthey will be proceeding under a very ' strong convoy and. will therefore, be more immune from risk than if returnling, without 6uch protection and with s cargo of produce of such great value as it undoubtedly'will be to the enemy at the present time. In, m.Ve opinion, therefore," concluded the Magistrate, "the defendants were not justified in 'refusing to obey the lawful commands of their officers and must be convicted." "With reference to defendant Elston, I do not think there is sufficient evidence to record a conviction, in his case, and the information against him will thorofore bo. 'dismissed'." After a brief discussion it was decided to adjourn the question of the imposition of fines until Mr.. Dickson had had time to acquaint the men of the decision.' This matter will come before the ■Court to-day.

.'ACTION TO-BE TAKEN. A further inquiry regarding tho quality of_ the military boots issued to tho men in the concentration camp at' Auckland was addressed to tho Minister of Finance in the House of Representatives last-evening by Mr. J. S Dickson (Parnell). ' The Minister said that an - inquiry had been mado ,by the Defence Department, and it had ascertained that some of tho boots were not branded, and that those' boots wore not. equal to the required standard. "I think wo have dis-J covered the makers of ' thoso boots," said Mr. Allen. "Instructions have been given to the Department to take action against them at onco " Mr. Dickson: Were they mado in Auckland?, - ' _ Mr. Allen: No; they were not made in Auckland.

TROOPSHIP CREWS

RECENT TROUBLE IN THE TRANSPORTS

Notice of Appeal,

Later in the .afternoon Mr.- Dickson interviewed the men, and as a result it is understood that he intends to appeal against tho decision. Until-this appeal has been decided, the men will continue on with their work on board the troopships.

LINT AND BANDAGES

WHOLESALE PRICE UP 50 PER CENT.

On behalf of the ' Hawke's Bay .Branch of the British Medical Association, Mr. H. M. Campbell last evening asked the Primo Minister in the House of Representatives .whether he was awaro that the wholesale druggists had added. 50 per cent, to tlio prices of lint and bandages. He remarked that this was an addition to the usual profit •on .old stocks. Mr. Campbell said that the association was anxious also to know whether sufficient supplies of chloroform and- ether were being reserved to meet the requirements of tho Dominion. ' • The Primo Minister replied that the questions of supplies and prices of drugs had been referred to the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Commission.

. DISOBEDIENCE OF ORDERS JUDGMENT AGAINST THE MEN j_ Judgment was delivered by Mr. D G. .A. Cooper, S.M in the tratos Court yesterday afternoon in connection with the cases against tho nremen from the Orari and Limerick for allegedly refusing duty'on Friday last. Legal argument in connection with the cases was continued in the Court on Monday'last. Mr. J. F. " Dickson. appeared for the accused seamen, Mr. M. Myers for the owners of the Orari, and Mr. A. W. Blair for the owners of tho Limerick.: Facts Reviewed. _ In this case," 6aid the Magistrate in the. course of his.lengthy judgment, ''informations were iaid against defendants, members of the crow of the steamships Orari and-Limerick, now lying in Wellington Harbour, under Sec-, tion 135, Sub-Section (d), of the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908, ill that'on August 28 they did combine .to disobey the lawful commands after tho ship was secured in safe harbour. The fact that tho defendants refused to obey the commands of their officers is admitted, but it is contended oil their behalf that they were' justified it- so' refusing because the agreements under which they bad signed ou as members of the crew of their respective ships were broken, in that tie agreements were entered into to serve on such ships as trading ships,, but that the character of the ships had been altered by the fact that the masters or owners had now entered into a contract to carry troops and horses from this Dominion to England, aow in a state of war with Germany; that by so doing the ships would not now-be on their return to.England in their ordinary trading voyage, but ivould be engaged on an extraordinary .'oyago as troopships, and therefore the men would be subject to certain risk not contemplated by the agreements. It was not disputed by counsol 'or tho informants that the defendants lad entered into agreements for an irdinary trading voyage, and it was also idmitted that tho ships were to carry the Expeditionary Forces from New Sealand to England, but counsel contends that they are nevertheless ordiniry cargo boats as they are taking the jargo usually carried by them, and, further, that tho character of the ships is lot altered by the fact of their carrying troops and horses jin addition; nor ;oukl there be any greater risk involved to those on board by reason of their beng troopships." • War Risks. Tho Magistrate went on to say that 'arious authorities had been quoted by lounsel for tho defence t& support a loiitention that the men were justified n either breaking their contract for serrico in treating it as having been iroken by the masters or owners. The H'inciple of theso authorities was the ;encral rule expressed ill Halsbury's 'Laws of England," which said: "A :eaman is not bound to perform any larvicos other than those stimulated fog. 1

ISOLATED TONGA

FOOD SUPPLIES RUNNING SHORT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Auckland, September^. There was no more astonished man in Now Zealand /waters last evening than Captain Rosse, master and owner of tile bavquentine Ysabel, when the flashlight played npou him outside Tiri, and his boat wa6 lrang.up pending compliance with, the Defence Department regulations respecting the inspection of shipping. It was his first intimation of the existence of a stato of war., At Tonga and Niuo whence the Ysabel comes the residents knew nothing of the outbreak of hostilities, and it is exceedingly improbable that they yet know anything about it. That something is radically wrong, however, they will have realised by this time, for the white and native population of tho Tongan Group will be very'nearly starving. When Captain Rosa- left Nukualofa, the Navua' with food supplies was already long overdue, and as .the 6toamer in question is still at Auckland tho plight of the Tongans can well bo imagined. The Navua goes out this evening, but,her destination is Fiji only. Tonga lias been cut out'. The position in regard to food supplies in tho Tongan Group is a somewhat extraordinary one. The residents have almost entirely ceased to cultivato native foods—even yams are regarded as a luxury these days. Tho reason is that such high prices have been paid for copra that the natives havo devoted their attention almost entirely to this industry, and have depended upon shipments of food from Auckland. In fact, Auokland flour, biscuits, ami canned meat and American kerosene form the main items of Tongan imports. Up to tho time of the YsabelV departure thero were many conjectures as to the cause for the non-arrival of tho Navua with stores, but 110 one ever hazarded a guess that a'great European war was the cause of the trouble. Their continued isolation will be a matter for profound concern. . The Ys'ibel saw nothing of German cruisers on the way to Auckland. When the Ysabel left Nukualofa the flour and biscuits supply had almost run out, and. tho European population in particular was becoming somewhat alarmed at the non-arrival of fresh supplies'.

Gifts for the patriotic gift auction, to be lipid in connection with the carnival at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday next are reported to bo coming in freely. Among the articles that have been received by the secretary are a violin,' a gold watch, South African badges, stamps, a valuable chemical balance, a stuffed King penguin, in glass case, and a stuffed kakapo in glass cuss.