LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2666, 11 January 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It is fully expected that the new military camp at Featherston will be ready for occupation by tlie Reinforcements oil January 23, states the "Wairarapa Daily News." . By the Ocean Monarch leaving New Zealand this month, the St. JohniAmbulance Association, Christchurch, have shipped 30 cases of Red Cross goods, valued at approximately £1361, for the New Zealand Hospital at Walton-on-Thames, England. Thieves have'been causing trouble, to cricketers at the Basin Reserve on more than one afternoon recently. Last Saturday members of both the Central dnd- Old Boys teams lost rponey from their respective dressing-rooms, while members of the North Club had a similar experience on a Saturday in December. Those who hold tickets in the Southland Queen Carnival Art Union will bo interested in tlie' following paragraph from the "Southland Times :—'lt is expected that the drawing of the Queen Carnival Art Union will shortly take place. The numbers are in the hands of Tattersalls, Hobart, but the- task is made rather complicated by the fact that the numbers, instead of being consecutive, as in the Hobart drawings, are broken, many odd tickets in books not having been sold. This means that the marble with the number corresponding to that ticket will have to be withdrawn. Some idea of the magnitude of the task of Tattersalls can be gained wlion it is said that thero were fortyseven sheets of foolscap with numbers closely written seut_ to Hobart. The drawing, however, will be concluded as soon as it is possible for the machinery of Tattersalls to do it." The Hon. G. W. Russell has telegraphed to Mr. \V. AV. Suodgrass, secretary of the Nelson Sick and Woun'dec 3 Fund that he intends leaving Wellington for Nelson by the Araliura on Monday, January 17, when he will meet the Patriotic Committee (reports the Nelson "Mail"). It is hoped to make arrangements for a public reception-to all returned soldiers during Mr. Russell's visit to Nelson. The gift of a piano made to portion of the 9th Reinforcements by the Mayor's Patriotic Committee has been acknowledged by the following letter sent by the men to the Mayor (Mr. J. 1\ Luke)"lt was good of you, at such short notice to provide the splendid instrument' for the men, who will appreciate tlio music to the full. Thank your committee for the gift. We think it grand the way people have endeavoured to make us happy and comfortable. The men heartily appreciate jttur efforts for them. Convey to Mrs. Luko our thanks, too. Her efforts are not forgotten, but «re deeply appreciated." The Health Department has taken over the control of the > Sanatorium Buildings (reports tho Rotorua. "Chronicle"). The medical staff and nursing department will bo under the supervision of Dr. Herbert. The wounded soldiers will bo under the disciplinary ooutrol of the camp commandant, Colonel Stewart Ncwall, C.B. A start has been made with the building of a new railway station at Ashburton. The new buildings will be situated about two hundred yards north of the present station. Had it not been for the unfortunate accident sustained by the King by being thrown from his horse in France, Lieutenant-Colonel T. R. Inglis stated in Auckland, His Majesty wouW have paid a visit of'inspcctiou to the New Zealand hospital ship Malieno when she was in Southampton. Soven moro active members of tho Red Star Football Club will leave witli the Twelfth Reinforcements this week (says the "Wailarapa Daily Times"), namely, Messrs. G. Forman (who has captained the teams which won the junior championships in 1913-14-15), J. Pinbey, J. M'Kenzie, S. Pragnoll, A. Golder, J. Holland,- and 51. Sharpe. With one exception all the above have played in the junior- championship teams of 1914 or 1915. Besides these, Jack Russell, who played five-eighth last season ■ for the senior fifteen, and who has removed to Waipawa since, also leaves.. The departure of this contingent about marks the end of tho club's membership, as, with the exception of live members rejected as medically unlit, almost/the whole club are now at 1 the front or in training. Mr., D. Buick, M.P., speaking at Palmerston North last week, said he considered they ,were_ engaged in a life and death struggle with the Germans, and if the National Government considered that conscription was necessary to vic-» tory, then he could assure Mr. Massey that lie would find a united House behind him. (Applause.) There could only be one result to this war, and thatwas victory for tho British arms, if it took six months or six rears.

Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street,- carry a splendid ransio in lials, haiTl toll, soft felt, or straw. The prices are moderate and tho firm guarantees a lit l'or every head.—Advt.

Some of the officers of the Defence Department are considerably annoyed at what one of tliem describes as the' inconsiderateness of a man who was driving a big motor-car on Saturday afternoon. It is presumed that the man was the owner of the car, and it is said that he deliberately broke through the guard which was keeping the routo clear for the t'roops. Tile inarch was not interfered with, but it is remarked that if all motorists and other drivers did likewise on parade days, orderly displays' would be rendered" impossibilities. Up to the present 246 recruits have enlisted through the Napier Soldiers' Club. The amount received towards' the Hastings Wounded Soldiers' ■ Fund totals £14,766. . Speaking witli reference to the wounds received by soldiers at Anzac, Lieut.Colonel T. It. Inglis stated in Auckland that ho was of opinion that, on the whole wounds received in tho present jvaf were rather more severe than those inflicted in the South African War. The missiles which hit our men iu Anzao were ill most cases much larger. The first operation performed -m the J la- .. hello was the removal of a large piece of shell from a man's thigh. He found that tho small Turkish bullets did a great deal of damage. Although they made only a small puncturo they turned over and over, with tho result that .tho wounds were very serious. Tho nature of the wounds, had the fact of»the turning of the bullets net known, would have led one to believe that the Turks used explosive bullets, a suggestion, which was certainly not justifiable. The rifle bullets used by the Turks were generally surgically clean, whereas the shrapnel bullets ivere not. Colonel Inglis stated that 6ome men had been killed at Anzac without there being any visible signs of injury. For instance, Colonel Thomas, who was well known in New Zealand, was killed by the concussion of aJiigli explosive shell. The only ap< parent injury was a broken finger. The hospital ship Maheno was extremely popular with the men at Anzao, This statement was made by Lieut.* Colonel Inglis, while addressing a meeting of the Epsom Nursing Division o£ the St. John Ambulance Association, He cited an instance of one of tha reasons for tho well-deserved popularity; When men who were slightly wounded came aboard to be transferred to i"sweeper" for the purpose of beinjj taken' to a hospital they were well fed and cared for until the minute the "sweeper" was timed to leave the ship's side. It was the custom oil some hospital ships to transfer the men without food immediately they came ou board, and those slightly wounded . had fre* quently to go for twenty-four hour# without anything to eat. In consequence of reports received in New Zealand that iu many of the military hospitals iu Egypt in which New Zealanders are lying, no New Zealand newspapers were being received, tha Defence Minister telegraphed to the New Zealand Base Officer at Alexandria to inquire as to the facts. To hia telegram he has received the follow* ing reply. "Captain-Chaplain Greene, who is in charge of the hospital ar« rangements at Alexandria, reports that supplies of are ample. After each mail arrives they are delivered as soon as 'possible to each hospital ,ia proportion to the number of New Zea« land patients- therein." • A few days ago the secretary of Cheviot Racing Club wroto to the Sinister of Internal Affairs requesting that the permit for. the club's totalisator should be held over for. one T ear, ad the club desired to j>ostpone its meet* iug owing to the war. On Saturday tho following reply was received from the Minister: "I highly approve of the postponement of this year's totalisator race meeting of. the Cheviot Racing Club and have to say that this action will not in any way prejudicially affect the issue of a totalisator permit ta your club next year." _ At the monthly meeting of the Wel« lington Freezing Workers' Union; held last eveuing, the following nominations were received for the annual meetingt President, Mr. J.- Smith; vice-president, Mr. G. Packwood; secretary, Mr. M. J. Reardon; treasurer, Mr. 'A. Bowden« Tho Executive Committee will consist of the above-named and the departmental delegates. As the ,•' do not exceed the number required, no ' election will be necessary. At a meeting of tho Spreydon Borough Council last' week tho Mayor (Mr. W. 'H. Winsor) made some spirited cri« ticisms on the lack of initiative shown by members of Parliament regarding the recruiting campaign. The council, ha said, had been asked'to assist in the recruiting, but were councillors the people to carry on the work, seeing that they were amateurs? _ The Cabinet should have started with tho membera of Parliament. What were the members of Parliament doing? They were still being paid. The members of local bodies got no payment, and had plenty of. duties to attend' to. The Cabinet was trying either to pass on tho work to private individuals, or else they were afraid to touch the members of Parliament. These members were supposed to have the brains of the community, . but what were they doing at this crisis? (Hear, hear.) At a later stago a circular letter was read from the North Canterbury Recruiting Board asking the council to assist the board by forming a local recruiting committee. A coun-« cillor: Working the willing horse! The Mayor: We must not shelve the matter. Compulsion is possible soon, and that will do away, with recruiting committees. A sub-committee was appointed to inquire iuto the matter and repot{ to. the council.