LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2767, 10 May 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Riverina, whidh.-left'.Wellington on May i, carrying mails for Australia, United Kingdom, and Continent qf Europe, via Suez, arrived at Sydney on the morning: of May 8. The Soldiers' Queen Carnival arranged in connection with the Easter sports, wihtic'h. u'ere postponed, will close to-night. Although the competition has been very quietly conducted, over .£2OO has Been raised for the proposed Distressed Soldiers' Fund, under which any man losing his equipment or otherwise faced with financial) difficulty will be assisted. No cases of infantile paralysis were reported in the. Wellington Health District yesterday. ' ' The Prime Minister gets occasional letters from soldiers, some.of them jocular. Anyhow, he can take a joke, and appreciati.ui of their quality is 1 expressed in a letter he received by the last mail. Some months a?o he received a request from a party of men that lie should see Hiat they had a supply of' Christmas

"duff." It was far too late for Christmas "duff," but ho arranged for Mrs. Massey. to procure a box of cakes and send them off'to the men. The parcel, not tho uily one of the sort he has sent, arrived all Tight, and yesterday he received this acknowledgment of ■ it:— "Dear Bill,—Just, a few lines to thank you for the cake you sent us. It arrived last mail safe—not a hit crushed. We enjoyed it immensely. It came as a surprise packet to us. We never expected anything. The letter was written in joke, but never mind, that cake was porno ..good. The boys and myself who had some of it send yvu our hearty appreciation of the way you took the letter, also our thanks and best wishes." The letter was signed, but possibly the sender does not wish his name to be published. Importing from Samoa under dnte May 8 Colonel Logan states that tho health of the troops is good, and there are no cuses of illness to Teport.

"Infantile paralysis does not appear to have died out in this district" (writes the Otorohanga correspondent of tho Auckland "Star"). "The two cases thought '■o bo mushroom poisoning turned out to. be paralysis in one of its worst forms, one victim dying' within 2i hours. The other little child is in a very had 1 way in the Hamilton Hospital, but is expected to recover. Four children of Mr. Barker, of Kiokio, were taken away on Sunday, nil suffering from infantile paralysis in a mild form. One of the difficulties of providing Wellington with a good milk supply was the subject of a question by Mr. Field in tho House yesterday. He has given notice to ask the Minister of llailways:— "Whether, in the interests of the health of the people of the City of Wellington, particularly the health of infant children, he will make an earnest attempt to cohie to 6ome terms, satisfactory to th« Railway Department and the Wellington City Council, for the immediate erection of the long-contemplated and urgentlyneeded clearing-station for milk to bu consumed in the City?" The Queensland Government is establishing two cattle ranches in the Gulf country.'' Ono has an area of MM sonaro miles, and the other 1285 square miles. The ComnH-Tiwealth Government is organising an Australian Camel Corps, on the same lines as British units of this description already in Egypt. Mr. J. W. Cudby, Inspector of WorSs ,to the Hutt County Council, reported to yesterday's meeting of that body that tho main road between tho Lower and Tipper Hutt was in a particularly lad state, and required urgent attention. Owing to tho establishment, of the big camp at Trentham, this road has had harder wear during tho past two years than, at any previous time in its existence. •

An accident involving severe injuries to a teanf'of horses happened on the road between Clyde and Cromwell on. Friday last. A carrier was driving a team /of eight horses drawing a wagon loaded with boxes of empty bottles. About three or four miles out of Clyde a subsidence had taken place on the bank of the Molyneux River, so that the road skirted it with, very little room to spare. A few inches made all the difference between safety ami danger, and unfortunately one of the wheels of the wagon got beyond the safety lhnit, the road gave way, and wagon and horses fell down a steep declivity into tho chasm caused by'the subsidence (says the "Otago Daily Times"). The wagon was wrecked; nearly all the bottles were smashed, and the horses were badly knocked about and cut. The task of recovering the animals was a difficult one, but it was accomplished. Strange as it may appear.-no bones were broken, and after a rest and treatment the ihorses will be fit for work again. The driver escaped tho fall. .

The value of physical culture in time of war was illustrated in a paragraph contained in tho annual report of the committee of management submitted at the annual meeting of Leys Institute at Auckland. This stated that in connection with the gymnasium, the. director, Mr. W. Tenuant Colledge, liad a class of forty young men anxious to improve their physical condition so. as to enable thorn to join tho Expeditionary-Forces. This does not include another fifteen rejects who were anxious to improve their .form. Altogether 190 attend tho gymnasium. Considerable perturbation has been caused amongst Home of the old age pensioners in Auckland by the receipt of a formal notification from the local pension office, stating that it is proposed to bring the pension of the husband into line with that of the wife. It happens that in many casos tho husband's.pension is .£26 per annum, whereas tho wife receives .£2l. The pensioners jumped to tho conclusion that.it was tho intention of a heartless Government to reduce the husband's pension to .£21,, "in order to bring it into line." As a matter of fact, the notification was issued by tho local office to inform tho pensioners that some slight changes would have to be made in their papers to facilitate book-keeping. Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., is asking the Government if it will, as a matter of urgency, bring down oarly this session the promised legislation providing for the collection of orchard registration such, legislation being, iu his opinion, absolutely essential to the well-being of the industry, which is already beset with many difficulties, peats, and problems of a vexatious character. A winter coat? Good value nap and fleece cloth in navy, brown, and grey, 50s. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street—Advt. To tho credit of commercial travellers be is said, "No Rubbing Laundry Help" is selling fast, Is. package sufficient seven weeks' washing. Contains nothing injurious; JCIO guarantee. All grocers.— Advt.

The question of granting an increase of pay to general labourers was discussed briefly at the meeting of the Hutt County Council yesterday. (Jn tho motion, of the chairman. (Mr. M. W. Welch), it was decided to grant them an extra Is. per day as a war bonus. An extra Is. Gd. per day in, respect of cadh horse employed by carters in County Council work was also granted. The bonus is to terminate one month after the termination of the war.

In his remarks on what was to be dbno to check enemy trade after the \va,v, Mr, T: C. Dawson at the Chamber of Commode" meeting on' Monday referred 1 to •tod fact that a Textile Committee had been set up in London which had : communicated with all classes of manufacturers asking their opinion as to what should be done to prevent German goods coming intothe-English market after the war is over. Numerous replies were received, nearly all of which- favoured a stiff tariff against German goods except in- the case of certain raw materials; Mr. Dawson thought it would be a good idea if thoNew Zealand Board of Trade were to -follow suit. It is notified by Mr. Frank Dyer, Vice. Consul for Greece in New Zealand', that all Greek Reservists resident in this Dominion' are' by Royal' Decree' required to report themselves to him within 45 days, either- personally or by letter, in order that they may be' furnished 1 with information in respect to enrolment in the event" of their being needed. The particulars necessary are' full name, address, age, occupation; and class of Reserve to which the respondent belongs. Attention is directed to tlio detailed official notification advertised, in- this issue.

In view of the probability of compulsory legislation, au improvement in the National Register has received- further consideration, by the Government. Under the National' Register Act of last year it was provided- that any person who wilfully neglects to forward his register card- liable to a minimum fine of Jtt, and' a maximum of JJIOO, or six months' imprisonment,, at tho discretion of the Magistrate. The' Government Statistical Department has sworn informations against a very large number of persons in all', parts- of the Dominion whom.they have: reason-to bolieve have brought themselves within the penal; provisions gfv'the Act. The Minister of Internarxifaii's' states that the authorities will in the more flagrant cases institute prosecutions,, but in all cases where a man fails: through ignorance a further opportunity will' bo given. Ihoso who obtain a National Register card from the post office and 1 fill; it m forthwith will not be proceeded aßainst. Those who'fail to take advantago of thisfinal opportunity to carry out their obligations will be prosecuted. ■ Up till lasf week tfc record- chest measurement anwng- recruits examined by Dr. Delatour'tar the Town Hall' was held by a Russian,' who though only sft. BJHU. in height and' 12st. 01b. in- weight had an expanded c'hesfc measurement of 42Irn.— the biggest 'v'tapo" out of over 800. recruits examined;. This record; however, was eclipsed a day or two- ago by a tive of the Isle of- Man, who has been brought up frpn> boyhood in Canterbury. He was sft. lOih. in height, 13' stone m weight, and stretched' the tape to 43J inches when his chest was expanded-.' Dr. Delatour referred' to this, record' as "getting the ashes back," though he states that the several' Russians' whom- he has examined have Vail been, splendidlylbuilt men. '

Councillor HoiS&jns lias givon notice' to. move at the next meeting, of the Hutt Borough Council: "That in connection with the framing lot' the annual estimates, a return showing the names, ages, present wages- or salary, and length of service of all- the council's employees"; and Ckmncillor Ball has given notice to move: ./That owing to the heavy drain uponßth'e revenue of fho local bodies this council is of the opinion that theTjtime' has arrived when a toll-gate ShouldHbg; erected off the Hurt Road." The monthly bujfct'on- competition for men in connection, with tho "Waiwehv Golf Club resulted, ! ;in: a win for G. A. Wilkes, with a soor&of 2' down.

At. the monthly. Reefing of tho P'etone Technical .Board, teeM last evening, the financial statement!' Showed that the receipts amounted la UJ335 is. sd'., and' the expenditure to £Hm (is. Bd., leaving a credit balance of 4II0;. 17s.'9d. At Petone yesterday, before Hr. J. W. 51'Ewan, J.P., Cecil lEdwin Young Taylor was charged with behaviour in Jackson Street. Serg}:. Forster;. who appeared for tho police, said it. was a serious matter if a jftstpectable married woman could not walk*, along tho street without being insult M.. Accused, who stated that he was going into camp immediately, pleaded for loniency. Upon tho, strict understanding th'aftho would go into I camp at once, he wasfiflned 205., with: witnesses' expenses, 6s.', Tho Wairarapa and ;I\'pity. Mile- Bushstock and agency businca*Hpf Messrs-. Abraham and Williams, Ltd.,, Jias been' purchased by the Wairarapa, Fanners' Cooperative Association. Mr. 0. C. Cooper, who has been associated" Messrs. Abraham and Williams Jar" twenty years, will continue >to managed the business. In the Quarter Sessions*; Court at Darliughurst, New South Waijes, Judge Docker, when sentencing a solcuer, who had a long criminal record, £0 ' three, years' penal servitude for stealing, referred to the danger of criminals giiniifg admission to tho ranks. His Honour'said that there were too-many men'* liko the prisoner, who got into tho lExpedVtionary Forces, but had no right ;W. be there. "Tho criminal has no right/, IjCis Honour proceeded, "to bo associated with the honourable men of the forces—men offering their lives for the safety oli our homes and the defence of the EnvpgVe; It is a degradation, a shame, an dan. ■ insult that such persona should bo peruit&ied to. associate with tliom. I will take c,are judicial capacity that the army is purged of such characters. There are jtoo many men like the prisoner, who taki* the opportunity of being in the King's uniform to commit crimes and bring disgrace upon the uniform." Karori Borough has a reputation of which' any recruiting district mig'ht well be proud. The population of the. borough is, roughly, 1700 people, and' out. of that number 51) men havo either gone to the front or are at present inr training. These figures represent about \3 per cent, of Karori's total population,- nnd there are still several young men .who intend joining the forces presently..^ During the past year buildings ''to' rcho value of £Wi wer-e erected in the.-.!*&>• rori Borough, and the council recdwed the sum of JMD 2s. Cd. in buikHngdfi'rmit fee*. •• '■'',' ■