LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2492, 19 June 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The mails which left Wellington Maj 27, per R.M.S. Moana, arrived in 'Frisco, en route to London, on June 16, due date. The Prime Minister stated yesterday that in the Lands Department difficulty was being experienced in getting the survey work in connection with land settlement schemes pushed on because so many surveyors had gone to the war. "We have to be caeful, said Mr. Ma - sey, "while wo are anxious that every officer who feels inclined to go to fight should get the opportunity, that the business of the country is carried op and interfered with as little as possible." Complaint was made to a Dojmnojf reporter yesterday that some persons had obtained recruiting cards and filled in on them names and particulars of other persons who vera totally unaware of the fact until their names were published. Iu one instance, at least, tho hoax caused much pa : n. The "joke cannot carry very far, as the person named on the card naturally fails to go to the examining doctor, and merefore the matter ends with the leceipt of the card by the recruiting officer. A tramway conductor named Pugh was knocked down by a v ~notor cycle in Courtenay Place last night. Beyond a svere shaking, he was nnhurt. Revenue from the Eastbourne Borough Council's ferry service for May, 11915, showed an increase when compared with that of the corresponding month of last year. This satisfactory state of affairs was disclosed by the Ferry Board's report, presented to the council last night. The hoard has recommended t'he appointment of a consulting marine surveyor for tho service. Both the council's steamers have nowcompleted their annual overhaul, and the regular Tunning has been resumed. Mr. G. R. Sykes, M.P., Masterton, remarked at last evening's meeting of the Patriotic Sooiety in Wellington that it had been said that the landowners wero not doing their share at present. The fact was, ne added, that too Wairarapa was not only giving freely of its men, but also giving freely of its Wealth. Ho mentioned that a flag_ had been sold there on Thursday for £7000, and that a flag was to be sold on cdnesday evening for a still greater amount. The final purchaser of ii\ c-d----nesday's flag would pay 3000 guineas for tho trophy. ' Tho person wba had donated a Waikato farm to ho sold for tho fund was a a Wairarapa resident. Mr. Sykes said that the Wairarapa intended raising £40,000 during its presont canvass. The district favoured a National Fund, and failing that a Provincial Fund. The Wairarapa was wealthy, and could afford to help men from less wealthy parts of New Zealand. Messrs. J. J. M'Grath and M. J. Donnelly interviewed tho Hon. R. Heaton Rhodos, Minister of Public Health and Hospitals, yosterday, and, on behalf of the directors, placed the Orieptal Bay Kiosk and Hall at the disposal of his Department for the uso, of invalid soldiers. They thought that the building would need very little, if any, alteration, and mentioned that Mr. J. Beuuio, their architect, had authorised them to state that ho would be prepared to do small alterations free of charge, so that the only. oxpeuse to the Government would he in connection with the staffing, Tfwy made the offer unconditionally. In thanking Messrs. M'Grath and Donnelly Mr. Rhodes expressed, on behalf of the Government, great appreciation of their eeriewia offer,

One of the many strange ways in fit • • ■ of[the war is being jolt is instanced by the fact that there is a shortage in Wellington of packing ' a ? ' Jeen brought, about 5? the that imports have decreased. 1 no) Mayor yesterday had to give orders lor packing cases to ba made to send away Relief articles which have been supplied by patriotic donors. In the past the drapers have supplied these cases, but the. importing firms cannot get all their goods Bent from England now and the supply of spare cases has run out. No fevyer 'than 521 •excursion tickets lor children were issued on the Eastbourne ferry steamers during tho winter school holidays. There is now a suggestion that those excursion fares should be issued every Wednesday and Saturday. A recent visitor to the Opunake RailWy construction works (according to, am exchange) states that good' progress is being made with the line at the present mine. The work is being proseouted with vigour from tho Kapuni Station towards the main line. The junotion will be at a point about 30 chains southward of the Te Roti station practically at the point upon By the R-ailway Commission and shown on the plan attached to the report. The platform at the Te Roti station is being lowered and remodelled and the line, duplicated to cope with the increased'traffic from tho Opunake line.' The German barque Freida Mahn, 'which was a constant trader to Australian ports for many years, will shprt!y arrive in Australia under a new name. At the beginning of the present war the Freida Mahn wae on her way from Hamburg to Oallao, and was seized iliy a French warship and towed to I Cherbourg.. Recently she was declared & lawful prize and sold to French ownters, who have (riven the name' of Bon Pueumer. Needless to say, the. Boii Pueunier was soon' chartered, a good, freight being secured for her in the carriage of rails from Maryport to o Queensland port for the Government. The Rugby contributor to tho "Otago Wtness" writes: "When the history of the war comes to be written it may be claimed with .every, sense of justification that the' victories were won on the playing fields of the , British Isles, and certainly if the Australians and the New Zealanders get their due, it 1 should be recorded for ,futuro generations to read that the Dardanelles was won on thei football fields and athletic t'racks of 'Australasia. Evidence of this is forthcoming in the reports of the magnificent charges at the. Dardanelles of the 'Australians ;\nd New. Zealanders, to •whom is attributed such wonderful'dash and elan as is gained in the rudimentary training and the dare-devil rushes on" the football field. If this were not ienough, there is the tragic ovidenco of the numbers of footballers and athletes who have fallen in storming tho Dardanelles heights. 'The football fields of New Zealand have .been an ideal recruiting ground for t'he New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, hundreds'of tho best players of the Dominion having pone into the firing line vith their Rugby training as a grounding for the inore strenuous military course. In nd- , Vooating the- playing of football, the , authorities evidently recognise that the trained player is the more readily converted into' the trained soldier, and bf such the great proportion of tho New Zealanders notr at the Dardanelles • and at Trentham are made."

The secretary of the Home for the ' Aged Needy calls the attention of friends of inmates of the home to the rule that visitors are only admitted on Sunday,' Tuesday, and Thursday in 'each week. The officials do hot like to have to' send away visitors, but it must be recognised tifaat in such matters there •must be rules made and observed.:

_ The Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Minister of Public Health and Hospitals, has received the following additional' offers of accommodation for invalid soldiers:— 'Mr, S. Adams, Cambridge, his residence "Waterside"; Mr. Alex Boyle, Christchurch, accommodation foi two, or four if necessary; Mr. Henry R. Bunny,. Ahiaruhe, Carterton, his house "Daleton,'' Carterton; Mr, R. B. Grange, Wellington, "Moufere House," Otaki j Dr. Horton, Dargaville, one bed at private hospital, and outdoor relief to others who can attend; Mrs. Hallyburion Johnstone,. "Elkholm," Howick, 'Auckland, accommodation for two; Mrs. Percy Knight, Kapuni, Taranaki, accommodation for one; Mr. W. Mills, Portage, Pelorus Sound, accommodation for two; directors of the Oriental Bay Kiosk and Hall, per Messrs. J. J. Donnelly, t'heir kiosk and hall. The Hospital Ship is to be provided with a motor launch, the gift of Mr. William Barton, of Featherston, who subscribed £350 for this purpose. With this sum the launch Veronica, built by Lane and Sons, of Auckland, and at present in the Wellington Boat Harbour, has been purchased, The launch, a very fine vessel of her type, will be put on board the Maheno when that ship arrives here from Dunedin. The following is a copy" of a letter Which has been sent by the executive of the Otago branch of the Navy League to Mr. W. Downie Stewart, M.P. :— ■"Dear Sir, —We, your, fellow members 3f the executive of the Otago branch of ■the Navy League, desire most heartily to express to you our appreciation and our esteem of your action in enlisting to serve the Empire in its hour of need and trial. Whilst others, according to their circumstances, have perhaps made equal sacrifices to serve their country, we feel sure that no one in your position, and with ydUr brilliant prospects, has renounoed so much so congenial and so dear to him, as you have in order to help the Empire and our cause. When we think of the exalted and. honourable positions you hold as a leading barrister, as a member of Parliament, •and in the navy League, University, and other educational circles, we are moved to the deepest admiration for your sacrifice. which is all the_ greater since you are willing to serve in no glorious or heroic position, but in the simple capaety of a private. _ We fee] confident that by your magnificent example others will be inspired to oome forward now and to make the great renunciation for Britain's just cause. Tho Navy League ■applauds and honours you for tho deep sense of moral and civic responsibilities and obligations that you have manifested, and, on behalf of its members, trust that'you will be spared to come through tho campaign with honour to the Empire and distinction to your self."

(THE B.S.A.—FAVOURITE WITH MILITARY DISPATCH EIDERS—AND WHY. It has sometimes been said, with much truth, that tie business test is the beat test of.any motor. War is the grimmest business of mankind, and the military motor-cyclist stakes his life, very often, !ut)on t&o reliability of his mount. Here io what Sergeant K. E. Schofield, E.E., s.uiior instructor of the Motor-cyclo Section ot Aldershot, has to say:—"Nearly »vny dispatch rider that has cone to the front has passed through my hands, and I am therefore in a position to judge how the different makes of machine are in favour. The B.S.A, is by far away the favourite, and it has yet to happen that a B.S.A. has failed to act up to its veil-earned repute. ... I fnay state that 50 per cent, of the machines here are . B.S.A.V A .motor-cyclist with the Second Cavalry Division, British. Expeditionary Force, writes in a private letter: "The roads are hellish. . . . ily B.S.A. is the goods. I never have to touch it. They aro the bikes, my boy. They knock tho -7— and any other make you like to mention into a cocked hat." There are plenty of other letters from the front, all to the saifle £ffeot. We aro landing 20 of tho latest model B.S.A.'s ex b.s. Marlborough this woek,' and can give immediate deThey are ideal machines for either solo or side-car service, and their reliability is famous. The h.p. is 41, and the three-speed countershaft gear is fook proof and wonderfully efficient. Adams, Ltd.. Chnstehumh, Wajjganui, Palmers? tbii Ntfth; Sutherland and Rankine, Wel« linßtoiJJ Tourist Motor Co., &mtin;3, A®ntrfer B.S.A, Hotoic.-iiv!;,