LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2568, 16 September 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

'At a meeting of the Otago Education Board yesterday it was decided to emphatically endorse tho resolution passed by the School Committees' Association calling the attention of the Minister to displays of moving pictures ' depicting scenes of burglary, outrage, and highway robbing, and urging stricter censorship over sueli films.—rPress Association.

It was suggested by Mr. T. Buchanan, of Waitara, at the Patriotic Societies' Conference yesterday that tho War Pensions Bill should include a elauso to provide against unauthorised' people collecting in tho name of funds. Some money which had been given in patriotism would, he said', never reach n patriotic society. Tho Hon. A. L. Herdman, 'who was present, said that ho would take tho suggestion into consideration.

A suggestion was made some time ago that tfio Defence Department should 6ond forward to Egypt a draft of men unfitted by age for' military service to take care of the horses there, and so relieve for active service tho men now in chnrge of them. The Minister for Defence, replying to a question in the House yesterday, said that tho Defence Department had sent to Egypt a draft of mounted mon who were not fully trained. They were completing their training in Egypt, and were looking after the horses as well. When they had completed their training, another draft or partially trained mounted men would bo dent forward from here. He did not think there was any nted to send a contingent of civilians to look alter the horses.

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Tho Hon. A. L, Herdman attended tho conference of patriotic societies yesterday afternoon and explained the objects of the new State Department which lias boen created for the purjx-so of securing work for returned soldiers they have been discharged from the army. He said that it was necessary for tho Department to have the cordial co-opera-tion of the gentlemen who administered the patriotic funds of the country, and expressed the opinion that tho Department and the patriotic societies could bo of great service to one another. Mr. Hudson, of the Government life Insurance Department, had! already done an immense amount of work for the Department, and the societies would be welcomo to any information which tho Department could furnish. The Department had nothing to do with the dependents of soldiers. There were now only about 700 cases to be dealt with, hut later oil the workof the Department would be enormous. He had inspected some land near Wellington, and probably this would bo acquired, cut up into small areas, and given to returned soldiers, who would be advised on market gardening, etc., by officers of the Department of Agriculture. Other steps would be taken for the benefit of other soldiers.

The case' of a soldier invalided home from Egypt, and now discharged without any allowance, although quite unfit to work, was mentioned in the House yesterday by Mr. W. T. Jennings. Mr. Jennings said that a member of the Main Body took ill in Egypt, and was returned to New Zealand. He had been under the doctor ever since, was unfit to work, and having no means was supported by his brother. He had been discharged from the Force four months ago, and the official record: showed that his character was exceedingly good, but his lungs,had been affected in Egypt. The Minister for Defence 6aid that provision had been made for such a case. A mau, under such circumstances, was paid up to the time of bis discharge in full, receiving then all accumulated pay. Then he was entitled to mako application to the Pensions Board for a pension. If he desired work, he should apply to the Department now administered by the Hon. A. L. Herdman, which dealt with the cases of returned soldiere requiring employment. Tho Mysterious Pierrots, a hand of well-known Napier citizens, have raised £155 for No. 1 Stationary Hospital.

. Mr. L. M. Isitt asked the Minister for Defence in the House yesterday whether any provision for pensions had been made for the benefit of officers and men of the mercantile marine employed on transports. It was possible that these men might be wounded or killed in the event of a transport being attacked by the enemy. Mr. Allen said that no special provision had been made in our law for these cases- Application would have to be mado to Parliament, and Parliament .would no doubt deal with every case on its merits.

Fire damaged the dining-room' and passage of a five-roomed'house in Salek Street, Kilbirnie, at about 3 o'clock yesterday morning. When the outbreak was discovered neighbours rendered valuablo assistance in suppressing the flames with a garden hose. The house was owned and occupied by Mr. Charles Maxwell, of Butterwortli Bros.' _ staff. The house was insured for £400 in tho State Office, but tl\e furniture was not covered. ,

The folio-wing resolution, moved by Mr. R. W. Smith, M.P., and seconded by Mr. P. C..Wilson (Mayor of Marton), was carried by the delegates from New Zealand Patriotic Societies who met in Wellington yesterday"ln view of the fact that Ministers of the Crown have made it known that in future tho law in connection with art unions and raffles will be strictly enforced, the Government shall be asked to introduce legislation of a temporary, character, giving power to accredited Patriotic and Relief Societies under proper regulation to dispose of by way of art unions and raffles any property given to such societies."

Recently the Minister for Munitions and Supplies inquired of the Victoria University College as to its facilities for measuring high temperatures, etc. The Registrar of the College Council was instructed to write to the Minister assuring him of the lieartiest co-operation of the council, and furnishing him with a report on the matter supplied by Professors Marsden and Easterfield.

• The following is the copy of a letter that has been forwarded to the Officer Commanding H.M.S. New Zealand from the Wellington. Branch of' the Navy League:—"Dear sir,—At the annual general meeting of the Wellington Branch of.the Navy League, a unanimous wish was expressed that a message be sent congratulating you and the officers and tho men of tlio New Zealand upon the very valuable work done by tile Dominion's gift ship throughout the wearing duty of blockade so effectively carried out by His Majesty's Navy in the North Sea and elsewhere. Not only does the league wish to congratulate you s on your past exploits, but also to convoy every good wish for future successes. We are sure that all New Zealanders feel confident that the honour of our Empire and British naval traditions will always be worthily upheld by you and your gallant offioers and men:'"

The report of thelsland Bay Surf and Life Saving Club, which was presented at the annual meeting held last evening, showed that the membership totals. 200. The members who were successful in gaining Royal Life Saving Awards were as follow:—Proficiency certificates and bronze medallions: R. J. Skinner, W. H. "Wakolin, J. Ross, junr., J. Waters, P. Yates, H. Kendall, H. M'Ginty, P. Wilcox, C. Mayall, J. Rowe, R. Anderson. Awards of merit or silver medal: C. Mitchell, P. Yates, H. Kendall, H.. M'Ginty. Hon. instructor's certificates: H. G. H. Bird ; C. Mitchell, H. M'Ginty. A considerable number of tho members of tlio club aro away with tlio Expeditionary Forces, and a Roll of Honour is to be kept at the clubhouse, giving the names' of all members who have left for tho front. The club has a credit balance of £22 Is. 7d.

Members of the Legion of Frontiersmen who are departing > for the front with the Seventh Reinforcements, had a reunion at Barrett's Hotel on Tuesday evening, Captain Armitage presiding. It lias become tho custom for the Frontiersmen who are leaving with the various Reinforcements to have reunions before departing, and at Tuesdaj> evening's gathering it was mentioned that out of a membership of between 1600 and 1800 about 1400 have left or are about to leave for tho sceiio of battlo.

A very representative . deputation from sports bodies opposed to tho cutting up of the Basin Reserve as proposed in the Bill now circulated among membors of tho House will wait upon the council this evening to voice their protest. The principal speakers will be Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P., and Sir. C. O. Wilson.

Tile loss of £14,152 was made by the State Coal_ Mines Department last year. At _ the Liverpool (State) Colliery, by boring operations carried out during last year, a valuable seam of superior bituminous coal lias been proved over nn area of about 130 acres. The seam averages in thickness 17 feet, and tho estimated quantity of the coal already proved amounts to 3.500,000 tons. Boring operations are still in progress, and further reserves of coal will in all probability he proved.

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Mr. Allen. Doone leaves for Sydney 1 to-day by the Ulimaroa, after the most successful tour of the Dominion he lias ever experienced. The popular Irish comedian states that of tlie many towns lie has played in during his tour, he only registered a slight loss in two of them-yGore and Invercargill. Dunedin, the city that has earned anything but a favourable reputation among managers during the' past year or two, was kind to him. Business was good right through his season there, despite the fact that they crowned the carnival queen on four of the six nights he was there. •

The Clifton Terrace Hospital is now the official designation of the residence immediately above the Terrace School, where the men from the Victoria Home for Chronic Invalids aro now lodged. The old men —there are eighteen of them —are all pleased with their new quarters, particularly oil account of tlw glorious view of city and harbour obtainable from the front of the property. _ Sister Gilmer is in chaige. The old ladies who were in tho Victoria Home have been accommodated in the Home for Aged Needy, leaving the former home available for military patients. During the year 1914 the value of bullion obtained from quartz mines in New Zealand was £1,154,214, in addition to schedule concentrates worth £21,825, won from such ore. _ The dividends distributed by quartz milling companies amounted to £288,265. The Waihi mine produced £324,038 worth of gold. The total amount paid by the Waihi Company in dividends _up till the end of last year was £4,577,720. The Minister of Public Health (Hon. G. W. Russell) has received through the Hon. J. G. W. Aitken a cheque for £192 4s. od. from the executive of the Bible-in-Schools League. The money is to be added to the funds for the establishing and equipping of the Convalescent Home for Sick and Wounded Soldiers at Rotorua. ' Tho following interesting letter from Captain Lionel Halsey has been received by a Dunedin lady. It is written from H.M.S. Iron Duke, under date July 28:—"I have just received your very nice letter of April 12, which has therefore taken three months to find me. . .

Also many thanks for the North Sea ■caps, winch have heeii given to the men in tho New Zealand. Your letter was forwarded from that ship to me, hut the North Sea caps were retained. I much regret having left the dear old ship, having been appointed to this ship as commodore of the _ first-class and, captain of the fleet,_ Wing on the staff of tho Commander-in-Chief, Sir .John Jellicoe. It was" a very great blow to leave the ship after two years and one month spent on board her. Tho old associations alone made my leaving a very sad one. my successor will take all tho interest in the ship that I endeavoured to take. Of that I feel quite certain, and ho will be helped by the knowledge that every Now Zealander has the welfare of the ship in mind. Though I have left the command of the Now Zealand, she is stiil in. the fleet, and so I am by no means out of touch with her, I am glad to say, and when wo next «o into action I hope to be in sight of her. Captain J. F. E. Green has the command of H.M.S. New Zealand in my place."

At the Potoiie Working Men's Club last evening a competition for the Sports Shield, held by the Wellington Club, took p'aco. There was a large attendance of members, and tile resuits.were: —Euchre: Petone, 7; Weilington, 5. Cribbage: Petone, 9; Wellington, 3. Billiards: Petone, 3; Wellington, 0. Shooting: Petone, 2}; Wellington, 2i. Total: Petone, 21;; Wellington, 101. The Potono Club tlnis wina the shield, which is to be held for two months.

"The noble response of the young manhood of this Dominion to the Empire's call, and the dash and bravery of our troops at tho Dardanelles, .are matters, which fill us with pride, whila all must join in expressing the deepest sympathy with tho friends and relatives of those who have given up their lives in defence of King end country (said a paragraph in the annual, report of the Now Zealand Employers' Federation). Tho greatest tribute to tna strength of the foundations of our Empire is the ready and voluntary recognition by all its mombers, throughout its length and breadth, that thero is no sacrifice by them too great to mamtain those principles of justice. and treedom which in the long centuries of the past have been evolved by the sacrifices and lives of individuals of our race."

The revised railway rates, to come into force on Sunday, include a provision with regard to clicckod luggage. A charge of 3d. will be mad© for each check issued oil a continuous journey on one section of railway. The charge will be 6d. for each check issued for luggage to be conveyed by the railway and ferry steamer between points m tlie North and South Islands,, the charge to include cartage between rail and steamer at Wellington. Tlio charges include one month's free storage at destination station. It is the intention of the Government to offer a reward .. to stimulate the production of ores containing tungstio acid, a substance used much in the processes for the toughening of special steel. Wo Ifram sclieelit-e, and inolybdiiute ara found in New Zealand, but are not extensively worked. In consequence of the war these tungsten ores, are in very, keen demand now. .

At its meeting on Monday evening the Temperanco and Morals Committee of the Methodist Church of New Zea-. land passed the followmg resolution: "That this meeting of the' Temperance and Morals Committee of the Methodist Olvurch of New Zealand views tuOi pleasure the action of tlie Ivational Go.ernment in enforcing the art unions and raffles, and sincerely trusts that it will resist all attempts at circumventing tlioprons.onsofthe Act Whilst recommenduig the m m ™ adherents of the Church to libeiall.T support all legitimate means of raising funds for patriotic purposes, the-com-mittee strongly urges them to discountenance all forms of gambling as being vicious and detrimental to the best interests of the State." At the same meeting a resolution was passed urging tn® Government in response .to the special call for economy, sobriety, and rigntebusncss, to introduce legislation enactjn<r that hotel liars bo closed at ; the same hour as ordinary business premises.

THE B S.A.—FAVOURITE WITH JULIj TARY DISPATCH EIDERS—AND been reid, with mucK truth, that the business test is the best 'test of any motor: War is tho grimmest business of mankind, .rnd the military motor-cyclist stakes his life, very often, upon the reliability of lus mount. Her, is what Sergeant R. E. E.K, senior instructor of the Motor-cycle Sco» , tion at Aldershot, has to say:~'<Nearly every dispatch rider that has fi oa< > to th# front has passed through my hands, and I am therefore 111 a, position to judge how the different makes of machine are in favouir. The B.S.A. is by for away the favourite, and it has yet to happen that a B.S.A. lias failed to act up to lis well-earned repute. . . • I may state that 50 per cent, of the machines tee are B S *V's " A. motor-cyclist with the Secoiid Cavalry Division, British Expeditionnrv Force, writes m a private letter: "The Jds are hellish . .My B.S A. is the coods I never have to touch it. They. . are the bikes, my boy. They knock the nn( [ any other make yon like to mention into a cocked hat." There are plenty of other letters from the front, all to the same cffect. Wo are landing 20 of tha latest modol B.S'.A.'s ex s.s. Marlborough this week, and can give immediate delivery. They are ideal machines for either solo or side-car service, and'their reliability is famous. The h.p. is 4}, and tho three-sp-jod countershaft gear is foolproof/and wonderfully efficient. Adams, Ltd;, Christchurch, Wanganui, Mnierston North; Sutherland and Raukine, Wellington: Tourist Motor Co., Hastings, igenta for B.S.A.—Adrfc,