LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2512, 13 July 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Thorei were about 42 cases of sickness amongst tho Trentham Regiment at Palmorston_ North yesterday., Thero are about 27 sick men at Waikanae and Lovm,_and about i 0 at Tauherinikau. fliero is one serious case at Palmerston North, but the remainder of tho cases are mild. Tho sick men at Palmerston North are for the most "part affected by measlos. Tho patients of tho other centres ■ are suffering chiefly from influonza and colds.

i ®®Porting from Apia,funder date July 12, Colonel Logan states that the health of troops is good. • Wireless operator 11. Croucher is suffering from enteric. Sainoan Relief Offico: Privates W. Martin, nasale sinus trouble; W.-H. Shaw, otitis media; I?. W. Bazar, follicular tonsihtis; W. M'Guinness, rhinitis; H. » ■^ T t ' { ' nson j colitis; J. Sharp, neuritis; A. li. Gannaway, tonsilitis; S. Gnppy, not yet diagnosed. . All doing well.

Writing under date June 23 to his brother ill Wellington, one of the members of the Fifth Reinforcements, who is on board the Apiirima, states that tho vessel had encountered very heavy weather, and for, two or three days_ was in the grip of a violent storm! At the time of writing, ton horses had died. Tho horses generally have had a very uncomfortable time. The men's food is described as excellent.

. In • the local office' of Tlios. Cook and Son, ' tourist agents, may be seen an artistically-printed Roll of Honour, setting out the liamcs of members of' tlio firm's staff who havo joined tho colours since the: outbreak of the war. Tlio number of Cook's men who have taken up arms for King and country is as follow London, 343; other English oifices, 76; officers- belonging to Allied nations, 108; America, 9: India, 10; Africa, 10; Australasia, 2. One of tho latter is Sergeant H. Davis, of'the Sixth Reinforcements, now in camp here.

. It is not in battle alone that patriotism is rewarded with honourable scars. Whilst dressed as a, New. Zealand "Tommy" and singing the money-rais-ing- lilt "When the Boys Come Marching Home" at His Majesty's Theatre on Friday evening, Mr. Dan Thomas, • the well-known comedian, received a silver bullet in the shape of a. half-crown full in tho teeth. The coin, which was hurled'stagewardsfrom tho dress circle, cut tho singer's lip, and broke off oiio of Ills' side-teeth ill tho top jaw. Mr. Thomas was quite proud of the mishap, and states that ho does.not mind how many tcctli he loses if he can raiso tho £1000 for" the wounded sojdiers, tho task he has set himself to accomplish. Yesterday he handed in to Mr. _ J. M'lntosh (treasurer to the Patriotic Socicty) a cheque for £25 12s. 6d., making up tho suni of £65 12s. 6d. which lias been thrown on*'tho stage at His Majesty's during tho past fortnight.

The Hutt Borough Council meeting last evening resolved that a letter_ bo sent to the Minister of Defence, pointing out that in the opinion of tho council tba present Pensions Bill before Parliament does not provide, a sufficient scale of pensions, particularly, in the lower grades- ■ , ' .

. .At the Lower Hutt Court yesterday, before Messrs. Chapman and James, J.P.'s, Joe llawiri appeared to answer three charges of breaking and. entering. After evidence-had been heard, accusod pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for, sentence.

The Wellington Zoo lias been- presented with a valuable addition in the. form of a young liye_ "Haast" kiwi, a specimen from the big colony recently discovered by Mr. R. E. Clouston in the Nelson district. The kiwi in ques-. tion was presented to tlio Zoo by Dr. Thomson, curator of the Dominion Museum, who was one of the scientists' who visited the hinterland of Nelson for the purpose of seeing for himself the natural samtuary which Mr. Clouston discovered. The bird stands a -foot high already, and gives promise' of developing into a fino specimen.

Attention is drawn to an advertisenient.in this issue regarding the official tree-planting to. be carried out on Arbor Day. Tho Mayor and councillors will assemblo at Tiuakori Hills, Town Belt, on Wednesday next, at 11 o'clock, to plant some trees. After the ceremony tho Mayor aild Mayoress will plant a tree eacli in Botanical Gardens. The public are welcome to both 1 functions.

Tho i following additional . offers of accommodation for invalid soldiers havo been received by the Hon. R.. Heaton Rhodes, Minister of Public ,Health and Hospitals:—Mrs. J.. Campbell, Salamanca Road, Wellington, accommodation for two; Mrs. C. Carswell, Maraekakalio, near' Hastings, accommodation for three.; Mr. P. Cowlisliaw, Linwood House, Linwood, Christchurch, accommodation for two; Mrs. Iv. Coustant, Rotorua, tlio lease of Langliam Houso at a nominal rental; Mr. L. F. Gubb, Otana School, Kaikohe, accommodation for two; Mr. A. Hatrick, Wanganui, accommodation for four at Pipiriki House; Mr. 'I'homas Hearn, 14 Danube Stroet, Island Bay, accommodation for two; Mrs. A. S. Herbert, Kelso, her 'rp.sidenco and grounds known as "Toropuke," with eggs, butter, milk, etc., from Tier farm; Mr. L. 11. M'Haray. Napier (per H&wkc's Bay Hospital Board), bis bouse in George Street, Napier, with £500 a year towards upkeep; Mr. John Moore, WooiSands, Paukawa, Clarence Bridge, accommodation for one; Mrs. E. J. Morgan, 21 Gliuznee Street, Wellington, accommodation _ for ono; Mrs. W. Packard, Motupipi, Takafa, accommodation for one: Sirs. J. B. Payton, Seatoun Road, Kilbirnie, accommodation for two; Mr. C. H. Stephens, Hawkestone Crescent, Wellington, accommodation for one;! Wellington City Council; tea kiosk at Kelburn. A rather good story is told of tha Mnori Contingent at Malta. _S°nVo notabilities from Home wore visiting the island, and the troops were all paraded. The Maoris gave a liaka in approved stylo, and evidently created an impression. Some imuioonvres. were then gone through, including a charge in sections up to the spot where tho partv stood. Just before the turn of the Maoris came the inspecting General mentioned to Lieutenaiit-Coloiial Herbert that ho might let his men charge with rifles, and not fixed bayonets. There must have been an impression that fixed bayonets and Maori excitemont, as shown in tho liaka, were not altogether a safe combination. At a combined meeting of Friendly Societies held in Mastorton en' Thursday. ovcuing it was decided to recommend to tho individual lodges the holding of a monster carnival in aid of th&.WoundEun4t,

Shopkeepers who sell tobacco or cigarettes to boys under fifteen years of ago make themselves liablo to a filio of £10. A shopkeeper named Thomas Richard Oaplin, who appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, charged with such ail offence, looked surprised when tho information was volunteered to him by the Magistrate. As this was defendant's first, offenco in this respect, a, fine of 55., with costs 75., was Imposed.

Tho familiar fireman who is" constantly on duty at all picture theatres is evidently regarded as a costly luxury by tho picture managers of Christchurch (says an exchange), for they recently asked permission to substitute electric automatic fire-alarms for the patrolling fireman. The matter came before tho-By-Laws Committee last week. Tho committee has replied that it has no power to authorise a breach of the bylaws, and therefore cannot grant tho request: and it is also of opinion that it would not be to the interests of the public to abolish,the attendance of firemen at picture theatres.

This story is from Egypt. A little group of . New Zealand Battalion, defaulters had been set to work to dig holes in which to deposit camp rubbish, no easy task beneath the burning sun. The English Provost-Sergeant was called away for a time. "When he returned he was astounded to see our brave defenders sitting in the sand with pipes in full blast, and intently, concentrated on a game of t euchre. A gang of Arabs were shovelluig the sand and making the.dust fly. It transpired that their services 'had been requisitioned for one piastre (2Jd.) each to carry through the distasteful job. Tho Army Service Corps of the National Reserve held its weekly parade in K Shed, there being a good muster. The instructor, Sorgeant-Major Willis, put the company through squad and platoon movements, in which the wprk was a marked improvement. Arrangements for tho starting of a non-coms, class will be made next Monday l'ight, Officers present were.Lieutenants L. S. Drake and J. Munt. • ' ,

The general meeting of the Society of Friends for New Zealand was continued yesterday atßoulcott Street Hall. Both sessions were devoted to tho topic of "Peace." Searching consideration was given to the subject, and a pronouncement is being drafted which will be issued before tho meeting--sepa-rates. On Sunday evening, at tho Friends' Hostel, on tho Terrace, Mr. Alfred H. Brown, of, London,' gave an account of his trip to Japan, whilst last evening ho told of his visit to the aboriginals of Australia.