LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2777, 22 May 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Australian mails : only will arrive by the Riverina, due from Sydney at 8 a.m. this morning. An English mail, via Suez, is due to arrive in Wellington by the Main Trunk train due here on Tuesday morning. Tho Defence Minister (Hon. Jas. Allen) announced yesterday that the Eleventh Reinforcements had arrived safely at their destination—where ■ that is cannot be stated. To-day is a Supremo Court holiday, it bs\u£ tiie anniversary of tho proclamation of Queen Victoria's sovereignty over New Zealand. The Waipa Coal Company has agreed to give its employees an increase of 10 per cent, in their wages as a war bonus. A Bimilar arrangement has been made with the New Zealand Coal and Oil Company of Otago. > A revised edition of the Wellington Corporation tramway pocket time-table has been issued, operating as from', today. On the question of the closing of hotel bars at C p.m. for tho duration of the war; the Vivian Street Baptist Church passed the following resolution -unanimously at their services yesterday "This congregation, assembled in the Baptist Church, Vivian Street, earnestly urges upon the Prime Minister (the Bight Hon. W. F. Massey) that in the interests of moral and physical fitness of the nation and of national economy and military efficiency, he should bring forward and pass into law without delay the necessary legislation to make 'shouting' illegal, and to provide, for the closing of liquor bars at 6 p.m. daily until the close of the war and six months thereafter." A copy of the resolution' will be forwarded to the Prime Minister. '

"A Boer War Battalion" is the latent idea to supplement the forcos from New Zc-aland. Three ex-oontingenters in tl\e Stratford district are moving in '.lio matter of raising 1000 of their old comrades, and it is the intontion to ask the Defence Department if a battalion of married and single men up to the age of 45 would be' accepted for service; A returned soldier who received a bullet wound in the leg created some in terest among his comrades at the Napier Soldiers' Club by exhibiting tna bullet with which he was wounded, and which was lying in a small jewel-lJo.?. Tho following words were engraved on it: —"Presented to Private —, in a rulhei impolite manner, for being too slow to dodge it/' At the last meeting of the Petonc District High School Committee, tho Rev. Erio Evans, on behalf of the ministers of I'etone, applied for permission to conduct half-liour Scripture lessons in the school once n iveek, the lesson to be given in the school hours, and the teaching to bo strictly unconditional and non-sectarian. It was pointed out that this system was working well at Napier and Wanganui. Afer discussing the matter, in which the main objection appeared to be tho fact that the lessons would be given during school hours, tho committee decided on tho motion of Air. Pawson, seconded by Mr. Spurr, that permission could not be granted. Whether a lack of perspicuity or n lack of knowledge of the English language is accountable for the following incident it is hard to say. A recruit filling in lids registration papers at the Auckland City Recruiting Station ww facet! with a question: "Have you ever served in any military force. If so, state which and cause of discharge. After hesitating for a second or two the volimtter Riled in the blaiik space: "Discharge front tho left ear." Truly there is no accounting for taster The following is not, as might appeal at first glance, a laundry list (says thu "Matnura Ensign"). It merely represent!) the breakfast items consumed by a cow belonging to a well-known Qoi'o «peident;—Nine barber's towels, one pait underpants, que lady's pinafore and a barber's overall for chair. Seeing tlit, clothe on the line,, the animal just lioined itself. The cow's early demise is anticipated.

Washboard slavery gone, never to return, because "No_ Rubbing Laundry Help" washes all clothes' dean without rubbing, yet does not iniuro hands or finest fabrics; Is. for seven washings, W.F.C.A.—Advt.

At the meeting of the Dunedin Hospital and Charitable Aid Board on Thursday, the chairman of the Finance Committee (Mr. Knight), in. moving the adoption of the schedule of levies, said that tho figures showed very little increase on those of last year. They had heard nothing from any of the contributing local bodies, so lie assumed they were all satisfied. A patriotic country schoolmaster who wanted to do his bit, wrote to the Auckland recruiting officer, and offered to enlist. He stated that he was between 45 and 46 years of age, had a family of sevon children, from 16 yeai'9 down to five months, and was able to do most things necessary in an isolated district. Ho had his wife's consent to his offer to enlist. His letter concluded"Our household of nine has no representativn In tlie rauksj all my children are ton young, therefore, if I can be of use I should be glad to know it." A letter was •forwarded to him stating that 'his application. was appreciated by the Defence Department, but it was recognised that his family responsibilities were such that Sis offer could not be accepted. One of the many stories about Lord Kitchener refers to a certain command, ins officer wlio was putting his troops through a series of manoeuvres before "K." Somehow or other he managed t» gat his men thoroughly mixed up. In the end, however, the C.O. bobbed up smiling, and trotting proudly up to "K of 1C.," remarked, "There, sir, I flatter myself that, that was extremely well done." "Oh, excellently—excellently," was the suave reply. "May I ask what on earth yon were trying to do?" "An English Censor's Sigh" is tho heading of ithe following paragraph in the "Yossische Zeitnng""Tho Agricultural Association of tho Ducliy of Lauenburg sent a Christmas present to one of their members, ft prisoner in England. Thn president of the association has just received a postcard from the prisoner, in which lie expresses his grntitude for 'tho present and his admiration for Germany. 'There is only one Germany in tho world,' ho proudly wrote. Tho English censor allowed these words to remain, but added: 'Thank God!' " A most extraordinary accident occurred at about 12.30 p.m. on Saturday in Courtenay Place, when was witnessed the spectaclo of a motor-cycle to which was attached a tradesman's side-car, careering across tho street "on its.own." Its rider. Mr. Wolland, Tory Street, was doing business in a shop opposite the Colonial Motor Company's building, having left the motor's lever at neutral, and knew no more until his machine had completed its brief break for. liberty by colliding with a tram-car. How it got away, neither he nor' anyono else could explain, but all agreed that it .was exceedingly fortunate that it was put out of action so soon after it broke away, for; had it been allowed to continue and gather way, it would certainly have smashed itself, and possibly may havo injured property or persons. As it was, the collision bent the connecting tubes between tho cycle and side-car in such a way that tho latter was forced to the ground, and, acting as a brake, at once pulled the machine up.

Messrs. Jarrold and Son have paid nearly ,£IOOO to Mr. C. Arthur Pearson'H Fund in aid of the Hostel for Blinded Soldiers and Sailors at St. Dunst&n's, Regent's -Park, being the first proceeds of "The Blinded Soldiers and Sailors' Gift Book," which was published for $ko benefit of this very deserving cause. Messrs. Jarrold hope to considerably supplement this sum with the help of the booksellers and the public. Copies of the nrtiatio. and interesting volume are 6till to be obtained, and it will at all times make a pleasing present. It is a book always welcome at hospitals, where } our bravo fighting men are being cared for. The cause of the blinded soldier /and sailor is now more urgent than it 1 ' was when the Gift Book was first published. When the public realises this they need only to be told that every copy sold aids directly the blinded heroes, so splendidly cared for by Sir. Pearson, for the remaining copies to be quickly disposed' of. ". .1

Referring to 'tlie Willochra, Saturday's "Otago Daily Times" stated:—"A good deal of uneasiness continued jfeterd'ny among tlie waterside workers, 'i'he authorities, in their desire to leave no stone unturned that would conduce to. the public peace of mind, wished the workers for the Willochra to be vaccinated before proceeding on board. To this the waterside men objected; their argument was that if the ship was clean there was no need for vaccination, 'l'hey added that it was not that they felt concern merely on their owii account, but that if the ship was not absolutely cleansed she was not tit to receive and transport a body of troops. The authorities reiterate that the vessel will be quite innocuous so far as tho smallpox epidemic is concerned, and it may be pointed out in addition that all men leaving New Zealand are vaccinated in the ordinary ooursß. ,We understand that the men went to bo vaccinated last night, having decided to undergo the additional precaution."

An officer of tho New Zealand Engineering and Tunnelling Corps, writes from one of tlie clearing cauips for Royal Engineer drafts in Franco:—"lt is a very comfortable camp, arid the men seem very contented. Tliey are getting all sorts of special privileges and concessions on their reputation as New Zealanders In fact, it is the same ever since we landed in England. New Zealand is a word that opens all doors to us. Our men have made a reputation in Gallipoli. Dozens of officers of English regiments who were out there have' told me how splendid Our men were, both under fire and in camp.. They aLI agree that they are wonderful fighters, and absolutely steady and trustworthy. ; That kind of thing from these other professionals makes one very proud of one's country, and it,makes things wonderfully pleasant and easy for us late-comers." '

; Every city worker can be protected against Winter's showers. We arc showing 25-inch frame, horn, crook handle, silver-mount, gloria coyer Umbrellas at lis. 6d. Geo. Fowlds, ;Ltd.—Advt.