LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2611, 5 November 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities advise that the s.s. TJlimaroa, which sailed on Friday last carrying' Australian and English mails, arrived at Sydney on the afternoon of Tuesday.

Tho price of the 21b. loaf is to be reduced to 4d. on and after Monday next. Tiiis decision was arrived at by tlie master bakers of Wellington at a meeting last night. The reduction is consequent upon the lessened cost of flour. Bakers have now used up all their highpriced stocks of flour, and can now buy at much lower rates.

The Defence Minister is inclined to doubt the authenticity or accuracy of a news message cabled to the effect that Lord Kitchener has approved of a schenio by which men rejected as medicallv unfit, or men who have been finally discharged from the Army unfit.'shall be provided with a distinguishing badge —an annlet. Mr. Allen is inquiring by cable as to what is actually being done. Tho suggestion that something of tho sort should bo done here was made long ago, but tho idea was rejected for various reasons, tho chief one being that the authorities believed that no man worth his salt would be anxious to wear a badge signifying that ho was medically unfit, virtually, a weakling.. The plan adopted here is to issue a certificate to every man rejected as unfit. This tho man may carry in his pocket, and may show to his friends or to anyono else who suggests that he should enlist. The contention is that this protects a man from importunate recruiting agents without branding him before all the world as a man unfit.

On his return from the south the Defence Minister (the Hon. J. Allen) said ho was surprised at the strength of the feeling manifested there, especially in Dunedin, in favour of conscription. "I have received a good ■ deal of evidenco that the public mind is veering in the direction of compulsory service," said Mr. Allen to a reporter yesterday. "The evidence in the south is overwhelming, I have had many letters on the subject from all parts of Now Zealand. Tho matter is receiving the most serious consideration."

Hundreds of children of school ago swarmed through the City streets yesterday collecting money for the Bolgian Food Fund. Commenting in tins connection a correspondent writes: — "Whilst the object is a deserving one, it is very doubtful if tho means to achieve it is tho best that cc-uld have been devised. Children of diminutive size and tender years were to he seen darting into shops, dodging trams, and getting into everybody's way along the crowded side-walks, armed with cigarboxes, collar-boxes, sweet-boxes, tobaccotins, and, here and there, a properlymade collecting box. Whilst not wishing to impugn the honesty of the children's effort generally, more than a few persons thought the campaign was creating an unnecessary temptation, and some openly doubted if all the money collected would benefit the Belgian people. .

A complaint is made by Mr. D. Moriarty, secretary of tlio Furniture Trades Union, that employers are trying to fill the places of workers who have enlisted by advertising for men in Australia and England. The gjravamen of his complaint is that while 12 per cent, of the workers in the trade have enlisted, their places are being taken by shirkers from Australia and elsewhere. Representative employers who were interviewed on the subject by a reporter deny the truth of this allegation. They say that there is such a serious shortage of men hero that orders have to be refused because they cannot be filled. Some employers have advertised in Australia, but only because advertisements all over New Zealand met with no rei sponso. They state also that no employer would bo so unpatriotic as to employ single men from Australia who were eligible for active service. Indeed, some New Zealand employers have urged their unmarried employees to enlist. So far as the employers interviewed knew, not one unmarried man has been engaged from Australia.

Writing to a friend, Lieutenant A. P. Watchlin, R.N.R., at one time master of the ferry steamer Duchess and -the bug Terawhiti, states that he is on board H.M.S. Jonquil, at tho Dardanelles. He has.had a varied experience in the war zone, and is now navigating lioutoiinnt of the Jonquil. Since ho joined he has received another stripe, and is well satisfied with his position.

Chevrolet cars are equipped with enclosed overhead "valves, lot all people know that it necessarily follows that these cars combine lower fuel consumption, less heating, less carbon deposit, more power than any other car on the market—size of engine considered. To obtain proof it is only neceseary to visit the Dominion Motor Vehicles QurJUK- OS C'ounmy Place, and 41-10 Tory Strest.-Advt.

Tho president of tho New Zealand Education Institute has issued invitations for an "at homo" in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall, on November 15, as a farewell to Mr. Georgo Hogben, who has retired on superannuation from the position of Director of Education.

The gate receipts at tho Wellington Municipal Zoo from October 1 to 31 amounted to £50 os. 6d., as against £69 os. (3d. for the corresponding period of last year. The falling off is duo partly to wot weather and partly owing to sports having been held on October 3 of last year at Newtown Park, when £13 18s. 6d. -was taken, and also on Labour Day, -when £13 ISs. was taken. On that holiday this year only £1 2s. Dd. was taken at the gates.

A meeting of the various patriotiq and war bodies has been convened by tlio Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) for Monday next, at 8 p.m. The object of the meeting is to arrive at some basis for the co-ordination of effort amongst the various societies in matters arising out of tho war. There are several societies all doing good work in their respective spheres of action, and the Mayor is of tho opinion that perhaps a greater moasure of benefit would result from a general discussion as to ways and means 'both of collecting funds/ their administration, and the work of assisting those men who luive returned from the front, as' well as those at the front.

Tho Wellington Trades Council passed the following resolution. at a meeting held last night: "That tho Minister of Labour be. communicated with, and his attention drawn to the unfair methods which have been used to depose Mr. Duthie from his position on the Arbitration Court Bench, and particularly to the proposal that a subsidy of £350 be paid to Mr. Scott as an inducement to Lira to aceept office in Mr. Duthie's stead."

A large number of the Government Life Insurance Department's policyholders are (says tho "Recorder'*) giving up their lives for civilisation and the Empire in all parts of the world, livery important action or disaster on sea or land appears to involve one or more New Zealanders, and up to the time of writing 132 policy-holders appear to have been killed or died of wounds or disease, the claims amounting to about £34,000. The great majority of the deaths have, of course, arisen whilst serving with our own forces at tho Dardanelles, but one policy-holder was drowned when- the H.M.S. Crcssy was torpedoed, and another when the H.M.S. Formidable met the same fate, while others have been .killed whilst serving -with the Imperial, Canadian, and Australian Forces.

Tho following resolution regarding war pensions was passed by the Wellington Trades Council last night: "That this council call xipon Parliament to amend the War Pensions Act so that men coming back from the war maimed may be assured of a definite pension, and not bo cast upon the mercy of a cheese-paring Pensions Board."

Already the complaint of those ivho have to do with the handling of cheques in banks is making itself heard regarding tho carelessness or the forgetfulness of those who omit to attach the extra penny stamp on cheques as required in accordance with the revised stamp duties which came into force on Monday (says a southern exchange). It is alleged that ignorance or carelessness is shown not only by individuals, but also by largo firms. The failure to affix tho additional penny stamp causes the banks a considerable amount of trouble and worry.

"It is a mercy that tho war came when it did," said Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., in an address at Auckland a few days ago. He went on to say that, in his opinion, tho British nation was going the 6ame way as ancient Rome, and the people were indulging moro and more in ease and luxury. If they had gone on for another 20 years 'it "was doubtful if the nation would have been able to survive tho present great struggle. The people realised tho privileges of the great free democracy under which they lived, but they did not realise their, great responsibilities. In political lifo there was too much of the politician and not enough of tho statesman.

The Miramar Municipal Electors'- Association petitioned the Miramar Borough Council last evening for more cars from the' borough to and from Wellington on Friday nights. It was suggested that Saturday's cars should' bo transferred to Friday's time-table. The matter was referred to the Tramways Committee for a report. \

Permission was granted to the Salvation Army School at Kilbirnie by the Miramar Borough Council last evening to use Seatoun Park on New Year's Day. The Wellington Catholic Education Board was also granted permission to use the same park on Boxing Day.

At a meeting of the Hutt Valley Labour Day Carnival Committee held last evening the balance-sheet presented showed receipts £206 25., and the expenditure £161 Bs. 6d., leaving a balance in hand of £44 13s. 6d. The disposal of this balance was the subject of a lengthy discussion, the majority present being in favour of establishing a fund for the relief of local wounded soldiers. . The Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) stated that a similar fund had been started the previous day, the local Fire Brigade subscribing £5 towards it.

Whilst speaking at the San Diego Exposition recently, says Mr.' Harold Gregson, who has just returned from a visit to America, Mr. W. H. Taft, exPresident, stated that America, had some of the fin.est fortifications in the world, but they have 10,000 men short of the men necessary to handlo them, and most of the warships of the United States were manned with skeleton crews.. Mr. Gregson states that from what he was, told, America was beginning to wake up, and a sort, of citizen army was now being organised, each member of which body entered into a pact to undergo two or three weeks' training in camp, each year. Mr. Taft was uncompromisingly with the Allies, and in his speech at San Diego he pitched into the Germans in great stylo without over mentioning the word Germany.

At the monthly meeting of the Vogeltown and Mornington Municipal Electors' Association, it was decided to point out. in reply to the Ciy Council's letter intimating that the counoil could not accede to the request to sfjolish the rubbish tip known as "Jam Tin Gully," and that it was intended to erect a close boarded fence around same—that the nuisance referred to is to tho users of the road and not to near-by dwellers. It was stated that the stench from the deposit at the tip is most objectionable whenever there is a light northerly wind or the weather is damp. Councillors are to be invited to visit the locality under tltose conditions. It was suggested that tho money could be better spent on the road or lighting than erecting a fence round the~tip. It was decided to ask the Outlying Districts Committee to receive a deputation from tho association with complaints as to the new road, tip, and other matters.

The generous offer of the Now Zealand Dental Association to treat tho teeth of recruits (who wore only rejected on that score) at hospital rates only applies to those men who cannot afford to have the work done- at their own expense. There are, of course, many men who haro allowed their teeth to got into a bad state, who, wishing to servo their country, can well afford to pay the ordinary professional fees, but on the other hand there are many otherwise "fit" men who cannot afford a dental overhaul, and it is those men that tho association has generously offered to attend to at a nominal cost.

Tho Hon. A. L. Herdman, BrigadierGeneral Robin, Colonels Gibbon and Pilkington, Majors Hobinson and Francis, and Captain Skolly, of tho Headquarters Staff, vero among those present at a private view of a very effective recruiting picture screened at Sliortt's Theatre on Wednesday morning. Tho picture, which is called "Tho Peace-at-Any-Price Man," is the production of tho famous Cines Company, who have spared no detail in creating an appealing subject artistically. The peace man is a luxury-loving young fellow, who does not see why the idle current of liis comfortable existence should bo disturbed by active sorvice. Ho is urged to enlist, but refuses. Then his friends drop him; he fails to find partners at a ball; his lady friends exhibit tho cold shoulder, and finally his own mother disowns him. This treatment points the way to duty. Ho dons tho uniform, finds new interest in life in soldiering, performs deeds of valour in the fighting line, and returns to his homo and friends a hero. Tho picture is a practical lesson to all the "fit" who aro in doubt.

A party of Wellington members of tho Patriotic Society will leavo to-day for Palmerston North, for the purpose of disposing of tickets in tho big Waikato land raffle. The prize consists of 4000 shares in a land syndicate, -which owns a valuable block of capital land near Hamilton. The shares were presented to the society by Mr. J. M'Masters, of Pirinoa, Wairarapa. The winner may either take up the shares, or, as an alternative, may claim £2000 in cash.

The offices of the English Agent of the University of New Zealand (Mr. J. W. Joyiit. M.A.) have recently _ been changed, and aro now at 11 Torrington Square, London, W.C., whero all communications to him should be addressed.