LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2714, 8 March 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

9 The Postal authorities advise that tlio s.s. Eiverina, which loft Wellington 011 _ Thursday, Maroli 2, carrying Australian and English mails, via Suez, arrived at Sydney on Monday ' morning. A. case of enteric fever Jjas been reported at Groenmeadows (states our Napier correspondent). The patient has been removed to tho Napier Hospital. Monday proved to be the hottest day so far experienced in Masterton this summer, the thermometer registering 80.4 dcareos in the.shade.—"Wairarapa Daily Times." Mr. Leslie M'Hardy, of Blackhead, has given £100 for the erection of a Soldiers' Olub at Napier on condition that nine others contribute a similar amount, states a Press Association message from Napier. The audited balance-sheet of tho M'Hardy art union, as prcsonted to the Patriotic Society, shows a net pro-, fit of £8737, £2000 of which has been voijed to the Y.M.C.A. During' tho forty-four weeks of the financial year ended February 2 the Tramways Department of the corporation has paid out the sum of £1654 on account of men wlio have gono to the front. At a special meeting of the Miners' Union at Waihi on Sunday, the mining companies' reply, declining to concede the increased wages and altered working conditions asked for, was discussed. By 282 votes to 6 it was decidcd to refer tho dispute to a Conciliation Council. The feeling was that tho existing minimum wage was inadequate in view of the increased cost of living. Tho Victoria College students will assemble for tho opening of the first term on Monday, March 20, when they will meet tho professors and lecturers for the purpose of arranging their studies. A glimpse of Christmas at the front —"About a dozen of us got together and practised some Christmas hymns, and this morning wo got up at five o'clock and. went all round the camp giving tho patients and staff tho benefit of them to remind them that it was Chrismas Day," writes Private Win. Allan, son of Mr. Win. Allan (of Veitch and Allan) in a letter homo. "As little work as possible was done about tho camp, and at 2.30 wc had a dinnor which was provided by tho Spinsters' Club in Wellington; it was a great success. It was a beautiful day with a nice, warm sun shining, and tho tables were laid out in a large marquee, 1 lie sido of which was rolled up. Wc started oft" with turkey and potatoes and cabbage, followed by plum pudding, stewed fruit-, and dates and nuts, so vou see we did very well indeed. When you sit down to dinner like that it is rather difficult to realise that you are really oil active service till you loot: round the bills and sec tents everywhere."■

Those gentlemen who are giving up so much of their time to attend to tho recruiting operations at tho Town Hall, point out what appears to ba a useless waste of State money in the method of double medical examination which many men go through, occasioned, port'.aps, by a lowering of. the standard, or, more simply and wastefuliy, by a man's application for a badge. At present the Government is paying os. to medical men for every man examined, which is quite all right. Then tho standard is lowered, and the man rejected as short of certain measurements or on account of his age, returns to try and enlist again, and is once more examined. Then, again, a man who has heen rejected as medically unfit applies for his badge, but in some cases at ldast has to be re-examined to provo his claim to an unfit's badge. It is asserted that all' this money spent by tho State on second examinations woukl be saved if a proper register of rejects, setting out the cause of rejection, wero kept- 111 each city and town. Such a record would, it is thought, be the means of saving many hundreds of pounds during the year. Writing home to his people on Boxing Day, Private Wm. Allan (son of Mr. Wm. Allan, of Yoitch and Allan), says: "Our mail arrived to-day, or rather, part of it. I received about eight lotters the large cake, and the parcel of socks, soap, writing materials, etc. My word, it was a fine assortment and most acceptable especially the housewife and sox. ' 1 wil reply to the letters in my next. We expect some more mail to-morrow, when I hope the pudding and other cakes will turn up." This letter is interesting, in view of the complaints which have been heard of the delay in tho arrival and distribution of the Christmas gifts. A horse sold from Levin pound recently for £5 10s., _ says the "Horowhenua Chronicle," is reported to be a thoroughbred horse, and to be worth, £'50 or more to anyone desirous of owning a racehorse and raising money to win more. The horse came from Wirckino, and was unclaimed in the pound for the statutory period. Knox Collegt building is now free of debt, states a Press Association message from Dunedin. At yesterday's meeting of the Presbytery it was an'nounccd that since the meeting of-the General Assembly two cheques had been received from Mr. John Ross totalling £1727. This brought Mr. Boss's contribution to £20,000, and liquidated the whole of the debt on the college, and lpft £400 oyer to improve the entrance to the college. _ Mr. Roberts, secretary of the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union, is at present in Auckland, and will attend tho meeting of the union to be held thero this morning in connection with the consideration of the nightwork clause in the new working agreement with tho employers. He is not expected to return to Wellington before Thursday afternoon. Owing to three days' notice of a meeting being required under the Auckland Union rules, the agreement will not be submitted to the men in tho northern city before to-day. The appeal made by Mrs. W. H. Sefton Moorhouse and tho Mayor (Mr. J. ?' f° r funds for a field kitchen buffet has been well received. The appeal was for £000. tho cost of one (out of fifty) motor field kitchens that are supplied to our troops on the Continent. These kitchens are invaluable as they enable tho Red Cross workers to serve hot dishes and soup to the wounded at a most critical time m their experience. Mrs. • Moorhouso and tho_ Mayor desire to thank the donors in Hawke's Bay, Wanganui, nelson, and Wellington districts, and also the Press for its valued assistance, xhe amount collected is £604 145., which will bo cabled Home to the High Commissioner through the Government. Owing to the falling o3 in the passenger trade between New Plymouth and Onohuuga there is some talk of the Rarawa being taken off the run (says the "Taranalri Daily News"). The Rarawa has accommodation for 149 passengers, but during the past twelve months the average lias been under hfty. The manager of tho Northern Ktoamship Company has written to the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, statins that as there are no indications of improvement, the question of placing a smaller steamer on the run will have to bo considered. The following is from an exchange:— Two young men were received into the camp t hospital at Feathorston last week. One died after an operation; the other, Cecil Duff, was merely put under an anaesthetic to have his teoth attended to. Their beds wero side by side, and when a telegram was dispatched announcing the death Cecil Duff's name was used in error, and the mossage sent to his mother at Bulls. It was a great shook to her, and she at once telegraphed the sad news to all tier friends, and to the military authorities- at Featherston she telegraphed, asking that thejjody ofher son be sent to Bulls for burlaJ, Eric Barrett, wico a schoolboy at Levin, who is now in camp, happened to go into the hospital, and went over to see, as ho expected, the dead body of Duff, who is a cousin. To his amazement, the supposed corpse put out his band to be shaken, and then it was discovered that a mistake had been made in the identity of the dead man. Duff was that day granted leave of absence, and took' the first train for. his home. When young Duff presented himself at the door of his homo he gave the household another shock. Steps are being taken in Auckland to establish a scholarship memorial to the late Mr. J. C. Macky (of Mucky. Logan and Caldwell, of Auckland and AVcllington), who was drowned l in the Lusitania disaster. Amongst the speakers at a meeting of citizens at which the movement was inaugurated was tho Hon. Geo. Fowlds, who 'said that the idea of a science scholarship had been mooted, but in this particular case he thought that a scholarship for the science of commerce would be more appropriate, seeing that Mr. Macky was so notable a figure in the commercial life of Auckland. "Thero are not enough doctors in Wellington to attend to the peoplo who need medical attention," said a wellknown practitioner in conversation with a Dominion reporter yesterday. "I am working 15 hours a day, and others aro just in the same position—going as hard as thev can." This medical man also said that his own labours wero very considerably increased by tho thoughtlessness of patients, who rang up for him at all hours in the day. It was the practice of all doctors to set out on their rounds about 11 o'clock in the forenoon, and if people would ring up before that hour it would enable them to save unnecessary trips very often. Sometimos it happened that a doctoi who. had a patient at say Island Bay, and who therefore had to make a journey to that locality once in tho day, was called up late in tho evening to go to another case in tho same part. Of course, there must be emergencies, but at these times when doctors have a great deal too much to do, it would save a great deal of time and labour to men already overworked if peoplo would call them up early in the day. He also had a complaint that apparently some mischievous persons had been giving him some attention. Threo times in two days telephone messages had been received at his house advising him that ho need not call on certain patients, and later ho had been amazed to find that tho people concerned had sent no such message. Ho had also received a message to "o to an address on tho outskirts of the city, and oil arriving at the house found that no ono there was at all uuwetl, and that no one there bad sent for him.

As showing the part Riverton bag played in providing men for the firingline; it is claimed (says tile "Southland Times") that tiic departure of footballers, rowing men, followers of the turf and others has left in the town only about fifteen young fellows who are eligible for active service.' A hitch having occurred in regard to the negotiations for the amalgamation of Frankton and Hamilton, owing to the stipulation that the Frankton Borough, should authorise a loan of £15,000 for street improvements prior to the merging, to which the Frankton Borough Council objected the Hamilton Council oil Fnday decided to withdraw the stipulation and to expunge the resolution from the minutes. This means (explains the Auckland "Herald") that the Hamilton Borough is prepared to amalgamate with Frankton on condition that the Frankton Borough Council agrees to make the area now known as Frankton Borough into a separate rating area; for future unproductive loans to be expended in tlie present; Hamilton Borough only, the same to hold good' until the amount of unproductive loans secured on the ratable property of Frankton Borough stands in fee same proportion to .the unimproved values of that area Bs' 'life unproductive loans on the area. of old Hamilton stai.d to its unimproved' valuos. As this bails has been agreed to, a further meeting of representatives of the two interested bodies will be held [ in the course of a few days, when it is expected' that final arrangements will bo made towards carrying the merging proposals into effect. Sergeant Fred Bowen, N.Z.M.0., an ex-Ohristchurch High School boy, was one of. eiglit of his corps that were left to the last on Gallipoli. He and his mates were attaelied to the 4th AusI tralian Brigade. Spurious shillings are at present in circulation in Masterton, says the "Wairarapa Daily Tiines." So good are the imitations that a clerk in a mercantile firm was given one by a bank toller, who did not dstect the "fraud. At a meeting of the Wanganui Patriotic Committee a matter of importanco to rocurned soldiers was discussed. It was pointed out that under the Regulations men who are invalided home are not permitted to enter into civil employment until they have received their discharge from military service. It "was contended that there were various uegrces of convalescence, and that quite a number of men were quite well enough to do clerical work snd otherwise were au.e to employ their time profitably, liistead of hanging about in idleness. iC was eventually decided (states our special correspondent) to ask the Goveminent to amend the regulations io permit of returned soldiers undertaking Jigh temployment, subject to the production of a doctor's certificate. On the Public Works Estimates there was placed and passed a sum of £100 for the erection of the Mangakotukutuku bridge, which it is proposed to orect on tin main West Coast road be< tween Paraparaumu and Waikanae. Mr. W. H. Field, M.P. for Otaki, has been advised by the Minister of Public Works (Hon. W. Fraser), "that the estimated cost of this bridgo is approximately £100, and I am informed that the Hutt County Council is prepared to find auy further grant that may be required to complete the work. I 'am therefore advising the Hutt t County Council that it may submit proposals for expenditure of the grant." Tho bridgo is the last which is urgently iieK?£3 on that road, and the news that it is to be erected will bo very welcome to motorists, as there has been numerous accidents to cars in crossing the stream. A returned soldier —an outdoor hospital patient—collapsed at the oorner of Manners Street and Willis Street at 25 minutes past 9 o'clock last night, and was placed in the motor ambulance for Victoria Hospital as the Post Office clock .struck the hour of 10. The man is stated to have been brought home on account of a bullet wound in the head. Ho was recently operated upon, and was on several days' leave from the hospital. Last evoning he was observed on the Manners Street corner for some time before he collapsed, and was standing as if waiting for a car. Comment was made by the crowd upon the fact that the patient was not removed promptly, but Dr. F. W. Mackenzie, who attended him, considered that it was a case for the ambulance, which did not arrive until 10 p.m. Meanwhile the polico and . the military police had to content thepiselves with standing by and keeping the cro<vd_ clear of the prostrate figure in khaki. Never in Auckland's history, says the Auckland "Star," has it been so bothered or so plagued. City and suburbs are in the throes of a visitation from myriads of mosquitoes. Night is made hideous by tho eternal buzzing. The plague is not restricted to any particular locality. Hotels and boardinghouses in the heart of Auckland are just as badly infested as houses in the remotest suburbs. And the_ mosquitoes themselves aro of unusual size and viciousness. Nets and_ face oils seem to afford small protection. "It is absolutely phenomenal," declared a leading chemist. "Never during a long experience in Auckland have I known such a visitation. The demand for mosquito banes eclipses all records. Many of the people bitten seem to have had it really "bad time. ■ One person who camo iu liad nn ami swollen from tliQ wrist to tho elbow. The bites seem to be quite poisonous. All aro agreed that tho plague is of an unprecedented nature. It is worth noting that while people* come in from all parts of the city, indicating tliat the # trouble is widespread, all are of opinion that undrained areas are too common in their particular neighbourhood."