LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2622, 18 November 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Some of those Now Zealand soldiers who were feeling the cold at nights in tlio trenches in mid-September are writing to their friends for sleeping-bags, l'erliaps the hint will servo as a means of supplying a further comfort to tliose who are doing "the most important work in the world."

Inquiries have been made by tlio Defence Minister concerning complaints Ije had received that our soldiers were jiot being paid regularly while resting. Mr. Allen lias received the following cablegram from General Godley: "All New Zealand officers and men have regular and ample facilities for drawingpay, both at Jhulros and Gallipoli. Our field cashiers visit both places regularly."

The city streets wore enlivened at intervals yesterday morning by the passage through them of squads of cheerful recruits 011 their way from south.to join the 10th Rcinforcomcnts. Sixtyfour arrived from Nelson and Picton, and from Canterbury there came 130. A special train from 1 Auckland also brought down 327 men yesterday, while n further '81 northerners arrived by tlio Main Trunk later m the day.

A conference between the Minister of Defence and the Maori representatives concerning future reinforcements will be held at Mercer on Wednesday.next. The New Zealand Poultry Association advise that the wholesale price of eggs advanced Id., to Is. 4d. per dozen as from yesterday. The Napier National Reserve Recruiting Office is proving far more successful than was anticipated. Up to dato 103 reoruitii have passed through the books. The South Canterbury. Patriotic -Society has advised the Minister of Public Health (the Hou. G. W. Russell) that it has voted £500 towards the cost of the • Hanmer Convalescent Camp for sick and wounded soldiers. The executive of the Associated Chambers ci Commerce of New Zealand decided at Tuesday's meeting to proceed wit-ji the task of propounding a scliemo in connection with the setting up of voluntary tribunals of arbitration in connection with commercial and industrial disputes in New Zealand. Ono of the passengers who arrived by. the steame." Makura at Auckland on Monday was Mr. J: S. de Beers, of Dunedin, who lias been on a visit to England. On his way through Canada, ho said, lie met a friend of one of the Canadian wounded soldiers, who told bur. the following story"Eight of the boys went rrom Glacier. They had the usual little send-off at the station, with t'ho Union Jack, etc. Tiio boys asked for the flag, and it was given to them. Later they wrote from tlio front that tiiey had cut it into pieces, and that each man had his piece stitched inside his tunic. They pledged themselves to t::y and get back to Glacier «nd stitch the old flag together again. The sequel is still to come."

A Christchurch cabman had a hairraising experience last Saturday night. When ho took his cab home in the evening he found on the floor what 'appeared to be a packing case left behind by a fare who 'had departed by the Wellington boat. He lifted the lid of tho box, and was horrified to finu a mass of wriggling reptiles. Tho lid closed with a bang, and tho startled cabman took elaborate precautions to see that it was not opened again. Next mornJug he haiided over tlio box and contents to the City Council authorities, who are now anxiously awaiting some clue as to tho owner. It is presumed that the snakes it contains are the property of some of the travelling showmen who were in Christcliurcii last week. Should the reptiles not be claimed in a reasonable time, they will be handed over to tho Museum.

A certain number o£ consignees of cargo have been notified that the Hud-dart-Parker Company intend making an all-round increase in freights of about 25 per coin. Tho now scale came into force yesterday. The rise will mean a substantial iucrease on all lines shipped by Huddart-Parker and Co. As an instance, it is quoted that general merchandise, which up to the present has been carried at tie rate of 17s. 6d. per toil, will now be charged 225. Gd. per ton—equivalent to an increase of 25 per cent. Grain, chaff, and all other lines will to subject to a corresponding increase. . The Union Company, it -is stated, hasi not made any increase in their freights as yet, and on inquiry at the local oface last evening it was learned that the freights would remain as at present.

"About !>SOO shells, togother witli a very large quantity of high explosives, are being turnedyout daily by our factory at Toronto," said Mr. T. Simpson, representing the Massey-Harris Company, who is a passenger to Sidney by tile Makura, which reached Auckland on Monday. "The company's trade witli Europe has been somewhat reduced as a result of the war, but tho factories have been kept working busily, and are row turning out implements of war as well as of peace. In response to tho call for more munitions, the company decided to devote part of its extensive plant to the manufacture of shells and explosives, and it has entered into a contract with tho British Government, which is taking over the whole output. Since the beginning of the war the company has also manufactured no less than 2200 wagons for tlio British Government for riso at the front."

A Dunedin correspondent reports:— The partially converted hospital ship Marama is a dainty' study in whilje, as she site serenely in the Otago dock. The Marama is being fitted on similar lines to the Maheno, and tho work is being done at a record rate of progress. She will ba finished by the end of this month. The Maheno had 350 cots for patio-ite, and tho Marama will have GOO cots, these, in both cases being exclusive of the deck arrangements.

Quito a touch of mystery, if not of tragedy, attaches to a little locket containing coloured miniatures of two comely looking young ladies, which was shown to a Cliristchurch "Press" reporter the other day. The discovery rf the originals of the portraits, will probably lead :o the identity of the weare of them, ivhi is now sleeping his last sleep on Gallipoli Peninsula. The locket was brought back to Zealand by a wounded soldier, whoso story is as follows:—One day a dead New Zealander was discovered witn no marks of identity except the locket, which was hung round his neck. His name could not bo discovered, and it was with the object of clearing up the mystery and returning the trinket to the. originals of tho photographs that tho discoverer brought them back to Now Zealand. On the back of one miniature is written in pencil the name. Mary M'Kinnon, with some symbols which aro not decipherable.

A girl named Nellie Wheeler had a miraculous escape from death at Heathcote Valley on Sunday afternoon. In bidding goodbye to one of tho soldiers on tho returning troop train, hands were clasped too long, and the girl was dragged to the ground. Slio had the presence of mind to remain lying flat and motionless, on the permanent way, on tho outside of the rails. This, doubtless, saved her life. Her skirt was cut through as if a keen knife had been used, and, with tho exception of a nasty cut, where tho gas meter of the carriage had como in contact with her body, tho girl escaped injury. Turakina Valley was the scene of a rather sensational incident early on Tuesday evening, when one of tho settlers there and his family'got the shock of their lives (says the "Wanganui Chronicle'''). Shortly after 7 p.m. a 'heavy thunderstorm swept up tho valley, accompanied by vivid lightning. The inmates of the houso wero startled by a heavy explosion, and immediately the back portion of the dwelling was discovered to be in flames, When tho blazo was suppressed it was ascertained that lightning had struck tho telephone wire, and had fired tlib benzino in tho lighting plant attached to the house. Tho splendid response made by the Canadians.to tho call for men for tho front was referred to by Mr. T. Simpson, who is a passenger by tho Makura, which reached' Auckland from Vancouver on Monday. "Tho war is viewed very seriously in Canada," said Mr. Simpson, "but the people aro quietly confident as to the ultimate success of the arms of tho Allies. In all the towns and cities throughout Canada recruiting 1 campaigns have been in progress, and a 1 very short period elapses from the time an appeal is mado until the full number of men required is available. Canada is aiming at raising 250,000, but the men are so keen that I am confident no difficulty whatever would bo experienced in raising a force of half a million. The departure of the men for tho front dpes not appear so far to havo interfered with industries or production, but tho exodus is bound to be felt sooner or later."

Forty-one returned soldiers are at present in residenco at the Convalescent, Camp on Pnkeroa liill, itotorua. Accommodation is being provided for 250 men, and an administrative block is being built. The work of erecting the. camp buildings is proceeding rapidly.

The Pacific Cable Board advises that a telegraph station lias been opened at Oorindi Bail Station, Queensland.

Of the fifteen "Queen" committee balance-slieots required before 1 the Patriotic Society can present a complete balance-sheet in. connection with • the recent "Queen" Carnival for wounded soldiers, only four are now outstand-. iug. Those four aro expected to come to hand within the noxt few days, when the balance-sheet will bo drav.n up and presented for public inspection. The society is to retain its identity as a collecting body,_ whilst the War Relief Association, which now controls the funds,, will attend to the administrative work.

Three representatives of the Gallipoli Day Carnival Committee —Miss Muir and Messrs. R, W. Shalerass and A. A. Paapa—made a round of the Hutt flower gardens yesterday in quest of flowers for Gallipoli Day. The party used a motor-car, supplied by Mr; W. II Russell, and covcred a lot of ground. A most generous response to requests was made by garden owners and a large supply of flowers is assured. The committee hopes to obtain still further supplies from local and other gardeners, and will be grateful if donations of flowers are handed in at the Town Hall on Friday night'or Saturday morning.

In connection with the pourparlers between the New Zealand Coal-mines Workers' Industrial Federatioc and tlio Coal Owners' Association with respect to a request of the former body to discuss with the coal owners a 20 per cent, increase in wages and a Dominion award, the Secretary for Labour (Mr. Rowley) paints out that with regard to the question of a Dominion award, there is a defined procedure laid down in Section 4 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act of 1911, which entitles any association to file a dispute embodving an award for the whole of the Dominion or any portion thereof. All the association had to do was to file an application for such an agreement on the part of those unions whose awards had run out. leaving the otheri to he absorbed' as their individual awards terminated.