LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2472, 27 May 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The writ for the Hay of Islands election was issued on Tuesday afternoon. 'Hie nominations close at noon on Saturday, May 29. Polling will take place on Tuesday, June S, and the writ is returnable on Tuesday, June 22.

The meeting of Parliament has been further prorogued until Thursday, June 24. This means that Parliament will meet on that" date.

The Government have received numoffers of suitable Wises and other premises for use as convalescent homes or hospitals for wounded soldiers. Mr. Charles Chamberlain lias offered to the Defence Department Ponui Island, in Haurald Gulf for any use to which the Department cares to put it. Mr. A. Levy 'has offered his seaside residence at Rons Bay; Mr. D. Thomas has offered his fine residence at Dunedin: Mrs. Edmond, of Dunedin, has offered her residence and grounds; Mr. John Buckley has offered his home, "Redcsstle," Oamaru : the 'Wellington Municipality has offered to provide a hospital : the Patriotic Committee at Stratford proposes to lease a suitable property and offer it to the Government, and the Marine Engineers' Institute intend to give two flats of their new building if the Department will accent the offer. ,

In our correspondence columns of yesterday there appeared a letter, signed "A Woman," in which the statement was made that the Public Service Commissioners are preventing officers from joining the Expeditionary Forces. On inquiry we aro_ informed that this statement is not in accordance with fact, as no officer of the Public Service has been refused by the Commissioners permission to enlist.

The Papawai Belgian Relief Fund Committee lias received a letter from Sir Walter Buchanan enclosing a checmo for £2 2s. In his letter Sir Walter Buchanan writes:—"lt is greatly to the credit of the Maori people that they are doing their best to help England and the Dominions in the great war now raging, not only with money, but also by sending a large force of their own race whose fighting capacities have been so well known in the days gone, by."

It is a coincidence that Ptfe. Albert George Rawbone, of the Auckland Infantry, reported yesterday as "progressing favourably" should have been taken to a hospital within a few minutes' walk of his father's home. Such, however, was the case. Private Rawbone. who volunteered for active ser-.'ice in New Zealand, is now in the Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, a few minutes' walk from Jaidey Wood, Birmingham, the home of his father.

At the Lower Hutt Methodist Sunday School last evening the anniversary sccial of the church was held, the Rev. "Wm. Beckett presiding over a large gathering. A first-class musical programme, arranged by Mr. R. Y. Shearer, was ' presented. During the evening the treasurer, Mr. 13. 0. arnes, read- the balance-sheet, which owing to urgent and necessary expenditure on improvements' showed a considerable debit.

The Napier Branch of St. John Ambulanco Brigade has received £208 towards tho funds for providing Hawke's Bay beds at the base hospital at tie front.

Steady progress is being made with the erection of the new Te Aro Police Station in Lower Taranaki Street. On tho street frontage the brick-work > is now nearly up to the level of the first floor, and a very good idea can be gained of the substantial character of the building, which is to supplant the Manners Street station, due for demolition a.» soon as the new station is ready for occupation.

There was fc good attendance of members at the meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society last night, when two interesting papers were read. Mr. B. C. Aston contributed a paper on "The Botany of the Kaikoura Mountains," and an interesting discussion followed. Mr. Aston had done some important exploring work in the mountains, and discovered some new specimens of plants, which he showed. Dr. Cockayne and Dr. J. H. Thompson, one of the exploring party, took part in the discussion. There was not time for Dr. Cotton's complete paper on "Fault Coasts" to be read, but he gave an account of the most important points, and illustrated Those by lantern slides and drawings. The contributors of tho papei-s were accorded a hearty vote oi thanks.

At tho Conference of Mayors and Patriotic Societies' delegates yesterday, Jlr. Tosswill, of Cliristohurch, complained that soldiers who had been invalided home from Egypt, 'had been discharged by tho Defence authorities witliout medical examination. In olio case ho knew of, a man with a ''queer" arm, who could not at present work, had to be kept by his family. The conference . decided to approach t'lie Government on the subject. A grant many wives had been left without sufficient means of support, an 3 the view his society had taken of the question was that no wife should receive less than 355. a week. That was to say, if a man left 4s. out of his os. a day wages, making '2Ss.. the society would add another 7s. If the man only left 3s. a day or less, tho society would make up tho amount to 3os'—they made tip the shortage.' He urged that the disbursement of the funds should bo made on a uniform scale, in order to avoid people making their domicile in the place that was perhaps paying out a triflo more than another. He further urged that secretaries of funds should advise other secretaries of the names and circumstances of those who are in receipt of financial assistance, particularly in eases w'liero a man may he concerned with two or more districts. The paymaster of the Torch had informed him of a case where, it was ascertained that a reservist's wife was getting money from three funds at the same time. In another ease a woman, whose husband had been in Toeemt pf half-pay from the Wellington Gas Com pan v since her husband wont into camp, had come upon the fund. They must seo that everv precaution is taken !o protect. the funds by the most- careful and exhaustive inquiry. Mr. Tosswill also urged that the provisions of the Pensions Art. \m, should he made mere liberal.

Tha Hawke's Bay Servian Fund now stands at, £1462.

The Australasian Institute of Marine Engineers at their meeting on Tuesday last decided unanimously to offer the institute to the military authorities for use as a hospital for wounded soldiers and sailors should it prove convenient as a hospital. If the offer is accepted, the institute will bo fitted up as a hospital complete with bedding and operating apparatus at the cost of the engineers.

Ducks are plentiful, but pheasants and quail are scarce. This, explained Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp at last night's meeting if the Acclimatisation Society, was the, general report- of shooting men. The .scarcity of pheasants and quail was due no doubt to the destruction wrought by stoats and weasels, which appeared to be on the increase. Tho difficulty was to know what to do with these animals, and if anyone could suggest a satisfactory method of dealing with them he would confer a great benefit on shooting men. Mr. \V. Andrew (Wairarapa), who spoke later in tho evening, reported that in his part of tlie district, where rabbits had been practically exterminated, the stoats and weasels had gone too. Ho did not know if it was because the rabbits had disappeared, but the fact remained that they had gone. Mr. W. G. Talbot said they should not be satisfied with saying at the annual meeting that stoats and weasels were on the inorease, but every license-holder should assist in killing them off. Otherwise tho problem of dealing with them would soon become moro serious.

Mr. J. M. Dawson las planned a' five-storv warehouse to be erected in Taranaki Street for J..8. C'larkson and Co., by Messrs. Sanders Bros. Tho new building will 6tand on a block which has a frontage to Taranaki Street of 16oft. by a depth of 172 ft., whilst the centra of the block can also be reached by way of Taranaki Place. The first part of the building is now under construction and tenders will be called for its completion at an early date. The new warehouse is to be' fitted with electric lifts and cranes, and there mil be an underground tank for motor spirit and the storing of lubricating oils in bulk. Nine of the oldest cottages on To Aro Flat- will have to bo removed to accommodate the big structure, and three of the cottages have already been demolished.

A cablegram received from London on Mav 19 announced that Major William Campbell, D.5.0., had been killed in action. Major Campbell was the eldest son of Sir Charles Ralph Campbell, Bart., of Auchinbreck, and Lady Campbell, of Cheviot Hills, and grandson of the late Hon. William Robinson, M.L.C., of Cheviot Hills.- He was iustautaueously killed in action on May 13 near Yptoa. Ho was born in New Zealand on November 26, 1879, and was educated at Eton College and Sandhurst. He joined the 14tu Hussars as Second Lieutenant in February, 1899, and went with his regiment to South Africa in December of the same year; took part in the relief of Ladysmith, and thereafter was on active service until peace was declared. He was twice mentioned in dispatches, and held the Queen's Medal, seven clasps, and the King's Medal, two clasps, and the , Distinguished Service Order. He was adjutant of his regiment, and promoted captain in 1903, and was for five years adjutant of the Lanarkshire Yeomanry. Ho visited Now Zealand at the beginning of last year, and left again in June to rejoin his regiment in India, but on war being declared, he was ordered to the front on November 28, attached to the 10th Hussars. Major ,Campbell married in 1907 .Maud Kathleen, younger daughter of the late Captain Davenport, of Westcliife, Bernbridgo, Isle of Wight, who survives liiin. Had Major Campbell lived, he would have been the twelfth baronet, as the baronetcy was created in 1628, the title being "Baronet of Auchinbreck. Scotland." The heir is now Captain Charles Ralph Campbell, who is Serving witli his regiment, the 2nd Life Guards.

Corporal W. Brass (Canterbury Infantry Battalion, killed in action at the Dardanelles) was the well-known Mount Cook guide. He was a member of the Scottish Garrison Artillery beforo coming ont to New Zealand, a man of superb physique and perfect health, says the "Christcliurch Press." He was a great favourite with Lie brother guides, who appreciated at once ' his strength, his fearlessness, and his "ood nature. .Ho was a personal friend of Richmond, the guide who was lost with Mr. King in the descent from Mt. Cook. Brass, with Mr; Turner, mads an ascent un the samo day, and tha two parties were to have met on the top. They passed over the avalanche which killed the others, tracing thoir steps down to it. Subsequently it was Brass who found the mangled body of Richmond, and his great strength v.-as a considerable factor in bringing it down to the hut in that terrible journey in which the guides bad to take it in turns to carry it on their backs down a moantain side in the dark, a feat which seems almost incredible when the place is gone over in daylight. Brass and Bob Young (the latter'e brother Norman Young, by the way. being reported wounded last week, and at latest advise as progressing favourably), another very popuki guide, came to Christcliurch to enlisti Young was "turned down" because some of his iceth required attending to, and Brass because Tie was over the prescribed weight. This curious_ double mistake was subsequently rectified by the authorities, and both were taken in. Brass at Tiniaru into the infantry, and Young into the mounteds, and left with the main force, Young being subsequently chosen as a special scout and Brass made ft corporal. Throughout South Canterbury, where Brass was well known, and by every visitor to the Hermitage, the death of an exceptionally brave and manly man will be deeply regretted, but it is certain that ho died as he would have himself chosen.