LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2569, 17 September 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho work of the now Department, in charge of the Hon. A. L. Hcrdman, to look after the interests of discharged soldiers is proceeding smoothly and satisfactorily. The roll of tho Tahiti men has been completed, and the names of most of the men who arrived by other steamers havo been obtained and recorded. Mr. Herdman said yesterday that in futuro lie hoped to havo all rolls for transports completed for tho ships beforo arrival in Now Zealand. Ho had not yet had many applications for employment, but he had one or two very good offers of assistance from employers. One farmer in the Palmerston district had offered to take any man who was maimed or otherwise incapacitated for ordinary work, to keep him on the farm, to give him certain clerical work to do which would occupy about a day a week, and to pay him 30s. a week—a very decent addition to the military pension to which tho man would be entitled. Mr. Herdman said he had received a similar offer from a man in Marlborough.

"Home evenings" are to be tendered to the members of the Bth Reinforcements at the Town Hall this evening and on Saturday evening. His Excellency the Governor and tho Countess of Liverpool will bo present this evening. There will be no long speeches to bore tho men, and a thoroughly enjoyable evening is assured the men who are prepared to accept tho hospitality of the citizens of Wellington. All _ returned soldiers from the front are invited to be present. The immigration and emigration returns for the month of August, published in the Gazette last night, show that the total arrivals for the month were 1019, as against 2827 for the corresponding month last year. The departures were 1765 and 1583 respectively. The arrivals at Wellington numbered 1211, and 1114 left. Eighteen Chinese arrived and sixteen departed during the month. A very largely-attended of the Hutt Valley Labour Day Carnival Committee was held at Petoue last evening, the Mayor (Mr. _J. W. M'Ewan) presiding. Encouraging reports were submitted by the various sub-commit-tees, and given good weather the Carnival should be a great success. Letters of thanks have been forwarded by the City Council to the following for their generous donations to the Zoological Collection and the Reserves Department : —Christchurch Acclimatisation Society, one female fallow deer;' Mr. W. 15. Hardy, nurseryman, Lower Hutt, 100 Scotch heather plants; Mr. It. Keene, Mason's Gardens, Lciw;er Hutt, rhododendrons. Writing from the Abhassia Hospital at Heliopolis (near Cairo) on August 8, Major (Dr.) Kington W. Fyffe, who was invalided to Egypt from' the front, says:—"l have fallen among friends here, and am being nursed by a Wellington Hospital sister. They are simply angels, and I can say nothing too good for them." Major Fyffe has amazed his friends by writing that he has not received a letter from anyone in New 'Zealand since liis arrival; _ As it is known several people have written Itim over and over again (he. left here on April 17 with the _ 4th Reinforcements), the statement is scarcely, believable. Ho states that he has received letters .-from Home, but none from New Zealand. Major Fyffe was being carried on a stretcher on to a boat that was to take him off to a hospital ship When tie was shot with a spent bullet. The sequel to a duel which took place at Island Bay recently between two boys, in which stones, were the weapons of offence, occurred in the Juvenile Court yesterday, when the two participants in the combat appeared beforo Sir. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., charged with throwing stones to tho damago of a tramway time-table. Although the boys admitted throwing stones at one another, they denied doing any damage. His Worship cautioned the boys about throwing stones, and dismissed the informations.

Mr. H. N. Liardet, of Wellington, manager of the Ocean Accident Assuranco Co., loams from private cables and letters that his second son, Geoffrey H. Liardet, who, after serving eight months at Samoa, left New Zealand with the sth Reinforcements, developed appendicitis on board _ the transport Mannganui, and on arrival at Cairo was operated on by the late Dr. Savage. That was the last operation. Dr. Savage performed.. Private Liardet was in the Abbassia ,Army Hospital at Cairo for somei weeks, when he was invalided to London, and is now visiting an aunt near Glasgow. Writing under of August 3, he says:—"The hoys have just been in to say good-bye before leaving for tho' Peninsula, and it was very hard to see them go without me. I have been looking forward to having a go at the Turks, and when I do get within calling distance, and then don't get at them, it goes very hard. I supposo I'll meet them some time or other. They tell me it will be two or threo months before I can do any drill,, especially in a climate like this. There are three nurses/from Samoa here— Matron Nurse and Sisters Nelson and M'Lean, and, my word, they do look after me all right."

In connection with the question raised by Councillor M'Kenzie that an adjustment of rent should be made between the Tramway Department and the city's District Fund Account for the use of a section of land in Wakefield Street, a report is to be prepared showing the charges to be debited to the City Corporation undertakings by District Fvuffl for services rendered. Such adjustments shall take effect from the beginning of next financial year.

Residents at the lower end of Crawford Road are not satisfied with the prcscent access to their properties, and last night a deputation waited o>i the City Council in reference to the matter. It was explained that some ten residences would be benefited by a, footpath if the council would provide ' one. Householders in tlio vicinity liad not worried the council before because it was believed the footpath would have been constructed in the ordinary course. Tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) promised that the matter would bo considered by tho council. , At the annual meeting, of the Charley's Aunt Club' last evening Mr. W. Ataok presided. During the course of his remarks the chairman said that the club had to be congratulated on the past year's work; It_ was proposed to make oxteusive alterations to the clubrooms and a small 6tage would be provided. The election of officers resulted as follow' President, Mr.' W. Atack; vice-presidonts, Messrs. Bentley Russell and'N. Mantliel; secretary, Mr. N: Aitken; assistant secretary, Mr. P. L. Minifie; committee, Misses Minifio and Ataclc, Mesdamos Cording and Cano, Messrs. R. Lyon, L. AY. Hanlin, H. F. Woods, P. Williams, and P. Cording. A New Zealander_ who returned by tlio Tahiti from Gallipoli last week was asked yesterday '.That things he thought would make suitable Christmas gifts for "our boys." In reply, lie stated that hard chocolate, cake, and other sweetmeats would bo very accepts able, but he added that a good supply of insect powder was most necessary. Thcro wero, he stated, all kinds of small •pests and insects—even worse than tho fleas —at Gallipoli, and as' it is sometimes very hard to get a wash, insect powder was most welcome.

Application is to bo made for tlio coemption of che City Corporation from the enginc-drivci's' award, the corporation as usual abiding by the terms or tlie award.

Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., can (it you with com-fort-friving; boots or shoes. See Manners Street windows for a showing of the pick of Enslieh and colonial wakw at ...

Members of the. Army Service Corps of the National Resc-rvo paraded last evening, and, headed by the National Reserve Band, marched through the streets to tho Grand Opera House, whore witnesstd the performance of "Hmomoa." There was a distinct shortage of labour on the Wellington waterfront yesterday, and in consequence several vessels wero delayed in their loading operations. There wero a large number of steamers working, including a fair number of oversea vessels. The City Council decided last night that tho position vacated *by a reserves employee who has joined the Expeditionary Forces be kept open for his return. Councillor W. J. Thompson aslcefl why an exception was being made" in the case of this employee. Why was "his pay not being made up to the tail! as in the case of other employees? The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) explained that the council's decision to make up tho dift'erenco .in pay between tho amount earned on active service and the amount earned in the council's employ applied only to permanent hands. It would not be practicable to apply the rule to other cases. Councillor Thompson expressed the opinion that there should be no discrimination whatever, but other councillors did not agree.

With the view of effecting improvements to tho traffic control at the. tramway terminus at 'Courteuay Place East, tho City Solicitor has been instructed to prepare a. by-law to compel southbound vehicles to keep to the left of the plantation. ■ A special meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board will be held next Wednesday to consider a new by-law regarding wharf holidays. The by-law provides:—"Tho following days shall be observed as holidays at the wharves, offices, and stores under the jurisdiction, of the board: New Year's Day, Anniversary Day, Waterside Workers Union Picnic Day,, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Sovereign's Birthday, Labour Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and such other days as it may be compulsory for the board to observe, or as the board may from time to time by special resolution declare to be holidays, _ and such days as the chairman may in case of emergency, with the previous consent of a majority of the members of the board ascertained by letter .or telegram, de-_ dare to be holidays. The Spring Show of the Hutt Valley Horticultural Society concluded last evening when there was a fair attendance. As far as can be learned, the function, was very successful, and the Wounded Soldiers' Fund should benefit considerably as a. result. In the nurserymen's exhibition stands, F. Cooper, Ltd., and Mr. H. Poole were each awarded the Horticultural Society's bronze medal by the judge (Mr. T. Waugli). The Hutt Valley Licensed Victuallers' trophy was awarded for the second time. to A. Booth, of Carterton, as the points prize in the open classes, and the Barr trophy was won outright by R. Gibson, of Hawera. Tlie Horticultural Sooioty's silver medal for the best collection of narcissi of not more than 100 blooms was won by Mr. H. Poole.

Since the outbreak of war the high price ruling for wheat and other fowl feeds has pressed very heavily on poultry farmers, the more so as, owing to outside competition, they find it impossible to get . correspondingly high prices for eggs. One of tlys contributing factors tending to keep the price of eggs low, or rather to keep the price from rising abnormally liigh,_ is the importation of eggs from America. It is contended that these eggs have been sold in competition with New Zeaknd fresh eggs, and poultry farmers. have asked the Government to pass such legislation 'as will relieve them of competition which they consider. ;.unfair..- j : ;M6fe specifically they liavo asked that air imported eggs shall be branded with the name of the country/of origin. This the Government have promised them, and tho Salo of Food and Drugs Amendment Bill, of which the Minister of Agriculture gave notice yesterday, proposes to give the Government power to make regulations requiring that all imported foods, including eggs,. must he branded with the name of the country of origin.

Trade within the Empire is a subject which apparently is not agitating the general body of New Zealand peoplo as much as might reasonably be expected. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, the vice-president (Mr. A. Leigh Hunt) expressed regret that while the public meeting at' the Tcwn Hall on Monday night was very poorly attended, thousands of people had patronised the picture shows 'on the same evening. Considering the importance of the subject discussed at the Town Hall meeting, he thought _it showed a lamentable lack of patriotism that the hall was not filled.

According to some of the soldiers who returned to New Zealand by the Tahiti, Private William Juriss, of Christchurch, and formerly a member of the Christchurch Fire Brigade, who has invented a submarine detector, has been sent to England from Gallipoli. Some six weeks' ago Mr. Harry Juriss, of Wellington, received a letter from "his brother in Gallipoli, stating that he thought he bad hit -upon a means of detecting the presence of a submarine, .though sunken completely out of sight. He had then been ordered to report himself to the Admiral of the British Fleet at tho Dardanelles. Since then his people have' heard nothing' from him, and now assume that his silence is on account of his having been sent to England. The Tahiti's men did not know the inventor's name—all they knew was to the effect "that the bloke who had invented the submarine-finder had been sent Home to Chatham." Private Juriss, who always had the inventivo faculty, designed the yacht Te Arai, the fastest boat on the. Estuary, Christchurch.

The following promotions are announced in "The Pull Thro"' (dated August 2"), the magazine issued by the members of tho garrison at Samoa Pte. A. H. Sellon, to be Lanee-Corporal, July 21, 1915; Corporal G. Wood, to bo Sergeant No. 3 Platoon, July 21, 1915; Lance-Corporal A. Devlin, to be Corporal and transferred from No. 4 to No. 3 Platoon; Captain R. C. Smith, to take command Samoan Relief Force (temporarily) during the absence of Major G. W. Cockroft through illness, August 1, 1915; Pte. R. Johnston, to rank as Orderly-room Sergeant whilst employed as Morse operator at Headquarters, August 4, 1915; Acting-Cor-poral C. P. Brewster, to be Lance-Ser-geant whilst attached to Military Police, August 10, 1915; Pte. W. H. Mulcahy, to be Lance-Corporal, August 12, 1915; Pte. R. T. Robinson, No. 1 Platoon, to be Lance-Corporal; Pte. D. Owen, No. 3 Platoon, to be Lance-Corporal, August 21, 1915; Pte. J. M'Laren, No. 4 Platoon, to .be Lance-Corporal.

Writing from Anzac Bay oil July 8, SlafF-Sergcant Keith Littlo, formerly of Wellington (now in hospital in Egypt), says:—"l am still fit, but have liad a slight indisposition. We have plenty of work to do, but with the heat and dies one is nearly driven to distraction. The flies here fairly bite you, and they keep it up as long as the sun is high in; tho sky. They are the only living things here that never tire. We are all to bo inoculated again—this time as a precaution against cholera. Owing to the, hot weather, tho carrier-flies, and tho likelihood of this terriblo disoase breaking out among the enemy, wo are all to be done."

Aeroplano Engines—The most perfect made— havo shown the world that to obtain tho greatest possible power from an engine it is necessary to use overhead valves, similar to those us6d on the famous Chevrolet ears. You will readily understand tho reason for this if you "communicate with tl:*> Dominion Motor Vehicles. Ltd., 65 Couvtenay Place, who will be pleaded to explain fully tbia feature.— >dttji

The Minister of Defence stated last niglit that the new permanent camp at Tauherinikau would not be quite completed by the middle of next month, when tho new drafts would be called up and quartered there. There were about 200 workmen engaged on th% works at present. The total number of hulls to be built was 70, but all of thesa would not be ready next month. For' this reason it would be necessary to put seine of the recruits under canvas for a time. The railway was laid into the camp, however, and the roads were all made. The dining halls would be built and all the sanitary arrangements would be complete. Mr. 0.. Smith has been informed that his son, Private J. 0. Smith, who left for' the front with the 4th Reinforcements, has been invalided to England from tho Dardanelles, and is ' in St, Thomas's Hospital, London. The appointment of Dr. Carl Hermai Seaforth as medical officer at the Island of Niue (Cook Group) is gazetted, , "There's nothing like leather" is a Quotation often heard in the Town Hall in these days. There a working bee of ladies is busy from morning till night cutting out and stitching up the stout leather waistcoats that are to be sent forward to the New Zealand forces in Gallipoli next month. One may see piles of basils (dressed sheep skins) Bhapes, tho completed' articles, and leather clippings littering tables and floors, being prepared for the long ocean voyage. Many energetic ladies do their part of the work at home. Thoy get the sheepskins, and are supplied with a paper pattern, and off they go home! to work at the coats at such times as their household duties permit, and in a day or two return with the completed articles, which are tied up in bundles ready to be packed into cases. The Wellington area took upon itself the task of providing 5000 of the coats, and only another 600 have to be made to complete that number within the next fortnight. It is worthy of notß that the Hutt ladies are making no fewer than 700 of the Wellington area's quota.

"We spent over, £1000 to obtain a! Dominion award, which means an advance in wages of ss. 6d. .per week, and when the Court granted those conditions Ave thought we wore going to live in God's Own Country in God's own. way; but to-day we find wo are 3s. Bd. per week poorer than we. were before the Dominion award camo into being. Someone is to blame. Who is it?"—A! paragraph in the monthly report of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, presented last evening.

Concerning the cablegram from Sydney which announced that the Merchant Service Guild had proposed to notify employers that unless they immediately, conceded the terms claimed in January, 1914, together with the' differences in wages from that date, and the claim also of additional increases, varying

from 2J to 20. per cent.,- the members would withdraw from the service until conditions had been properly adjusted. The official title of the New Zealand Merchant Service Guild is the Merchant Service Guild of Australasia, New Zealand section. So far as industrial conditions are concerned, however, the New Zealand guild is a distinct and independent body. The question of taking action in any way' on parallel lines to that of the Australian organisation has' not, it appears, been considered. Hie New Zealand guild has arrangements witli Australia regarding membership, but in other ways is entirely self-govern-ing. It is registered under the Arbitration Act, and recently, obtained new awards involving fairly substantial improvements in conditions of work and pay. These awards have yet a considerable time to run.'

. The troopship Tahiti, which brought the wounded soldiers back to Wellington from Egypt is at present berthed at the Clyde Quay Wharf. She will remain in port till her services are again required. Concerning the demand of the men that extra hands should bo signed on for the journey beyond intercolonial waters it is understood that this has been the praotice in other vessels. Three extra firemen had been signed ou the Waitomo, for instance, when she went abroad, and on that vessel entering the New Zealand trade again the extra men were signed off the ship and new articles were taken out under the usual manning scale.

"We should never forget the debt we owe .to the Belgian people," said Mr. A. Leigh Hirnt, at Wednesday's meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce. Ho added that he would like to see every individual and every company pay something into the Belgian Fund regularly every month. His own company and every member of .tho staff lad adopted this PI Mr. IC J. H. Parker, of Christchurch. who returned from his annual visit to Australia by, the Mama' ' on Wednesday, . was formerly chairman of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Christchurch. He was one ot a committee who wore very keen on bringing about some reform in tho method ot killing . cattle in the slaughterhouses, and promoted a Bill for Parliament, which provided for the stunning of cattle in place of the uncertain old-fash-ioned method of pithing them. • Mr. Parker said that whilst he • was at Hobart he inquired about tlieir method of killing. They were quite proud of their abattoirs, and told him how the cattle Were driven or railed in from the oouiitry. cooled off in well-grassed paddock's, and then led to the slaughterhouse by a gradually nairowing race, and finally killed by a blow with a seven-pound hammer. This method was not only more humane, but it had been found that the blood ran more freely, and tho quality of the meat was better than when the animal was pithed. In Wellington the hammer is generally used, and at Chicago always. Even in brutal Germany they used the hammer in preference to the-pith, but so far as lie knew, the old style of killing still obtained at, the municipal abattoirs in Christchurch. In Sydney, Mr. Parker was instrumental 111 having a fine big water-trough placed _ at the top of the hill in Clarence Street for the benefit of the thousands of horses who have to toil up the steep streets from the waterfront.