LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2795, 13 June 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Information has-come to the Defence Minister that the officers and men of H.M.S. Philomel, who have had very trying service in olio of tbc hottest spots on the surface of the globe, have recently had a month's furlough ashore. While they were on shore tlioy gave nn entertainment in a big city which:must be nameless, and raised thereby tho sum of •£164 125., which has been remitted to tho Defence Minister, to be placed" to tfe" el'edit of the New Zealand Wounded Sailors' and Soldiers' Fund. -

Recently tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. £uke) mado an appeal for -£500 for a social club at Trentbam. Last night hr'stated that he had received word that the Wellington llacing Club had Sonafed .£2OO to the cause. This gift just about brings the total received up to the amofiat required.

The Hon. James Allen, Minister of Defence, stated yesterday that six new machine-guns for use in the training camps had arrived by the Athenic from England. As they were covered brother cargo,' however, it was' not possiole to unload them here until the liner had discharged her cargo for Auckland. When tho vessel returned' from the northern port to Wellington they would be unloaded, and a demonstration with them would take place at Trentham as soon as possible. Some of the machine-guns are of the Lewis type, and of tlie most up-to-date pattern/'r "You can't say anything to a workman nowadays, and if you do ho will tell you to do the job yourself, and put on his coat and leave," said a witness at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. The case which was being 'heard was one in which' the Wellington Dairy Company was charged with having sold adulterated milk. It was stated in evidence that tho company had been in the habit of receiving supplies of milk from a daily farmer at Upper Hutt for the past seven or eight years. All the sons of the fanner having enlisted, he had been obliged to employ a man to assist him in the work of tho farm. The employee, it was alleged, took milk and substituted water without his employer's knowledge, . till olio day ho was caught in tho act. The employer's statement was made in answer to a question why he did not remonstrate with the culprit. Contain"; tho witness said that it was most difficult to procure labour at the present time. He had had several men employed on tho farm at different times, and if he lost the services of the man iu question he would bo compelled to sell out. , Apart from the fact that ho was caught in tho act of adulterating the milk, the omployeo was a good worker, and tho farmer did not want to lioso him.

A firo -occurred ou Sunday evening about 9 di'clock in a two-stovy building owned by Foist and Co., and situated next their business premises in Woburn Road, Lotter Hutt. The building, which consists of eight rooms, was let to various tenants, among whom was Mrs. Coutts, who occupied three downstairs rooms. It appears 'that she was absent from home, but had left a boy of about thirteen ami another child aged four asleep. Apparently a light-left burning had caught the curtains and the children wero awakened with tho room full of smoke. The boy at once gave the alarm, and tho brigade, which was quickly 011 the spot, was successful in extinguishing the flames before tho fire reached the other rooms. The furniture, which was totally destroyed, was not insured. There was an insurance of .CSOO in the Liverpool. London, and Globe office on tho building. The Wellington Rugby' Union lias sug-. (jested that the AVairarapa .Union arrange a match -between representatives of the Trentham and I'Vatherston Military Camps, 'l'ho suggestion is, if possible, to be given effect: to, says our Mastevton correspondent. On Tuesday last Mr. Paul Dufaull had an opportunity of hearing Miss Natalina M'Callum, a young vocalist of Duuedin, .whoso voice ho describes as the best lyric soprano he has heard in New Zealand.

A commercial man, with patriotic instincts, was illustrating yesterday, for the edification of his friends, the manner in which German articles are now being placed on.the market, under the disguise conveyed by the stamp "made in U.S.A." Tho article exhibited was a copper potcleaner (copper shavings twisted round a loose meshed bag of jute), to which was a printed papor, announcing the object of tho utensil, and setting out that it was mado in "U.S.A." On holding tho paper up to tho light, tho word "Germany" was revealed as a watermark. This would not, perhaps, be conclusive proof, but for the fact that the article was a German product prior to tho war. Then one could buy three for one shilling; now they are ninepence each.

There is now every reason to believe that the man who lost his lifo while attempting to board the Tarawcra as tlio vessel was moving out 1 from the Queen's Wharf, on Thursday evening last was David Carroll. The latter's brother called at t'ho polico station yesterday and stated that the missing man did not arrive at Gisborno as was expected, and nothing had been heard of him since Thursday. Carroll was' a single man, aged 27 yea'rs,_ and intended joining his brother at Gisborno in business.

During the month of May tho following stock'was slaughtered at the Municipal Abattoirß43 cows, 523' bullocks, 20 bulls, 4970 sheep, Gla lambs, 88 calves, and '1G pigs. Tho total slaughtering Fees for the month amounted to .£559 12s. 2-Jd., being an increase of .£32 13s. llid. on those of the previous month.

The Board of Trado was engaged in Napier yesterday inquiring into the fish industry. The members of the Board will return to Wellington to-day. At yesterday's meeting of tho Hawke's Bay County Council, says tur Napier correspondent, the recruiting officer was instructed to report' on all • ingle men in tho council's employ, with a view to ascertaining whether thero are any among them who are medically fit and have not yet answered tho call. Referring at the memorial service at Miramar to the Military Service Bill, Chaplain Knowles-Smith said ho hated compulsion with his whole soul. The only way in which compulsion could be made inoperative was by every man .taking his place. (Cheers.) He-hated war ; it was one of those things that the Christian civilisation of twenty centuries ought to liavo abolished long ago. Britain would live or die as she fulfilled her God-given duty to help the weak and to combat tyranny. Those who could not go into tho firing line should join -tho National Tho Allies had not yet won the war. The National Reserve might yet have to defend their own shores before the war was over. At the Pctono Borough Council meeting tho following motion, moved by tho Mayor and secoudod by Councillor -List, was carried: —"That this council, on behalf of the citizens of Petone, desires to express its high appreciation of tab valuable services rendered to ouv Eiupiro by the late Field-Marshal Earl Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, aud deeply deplores his untimely death while doing his duty as a soldier and statesman.

In the course of a speech at Auckland yesterday. Sir Rider Haggard emphasised tho necessity for not wasting 'a singlo atom of tho British, population. Ho said ouo great wastage was tho 200,000 people wlio went to America from Britain. ; It was urgently..' necessary to keep every . man and woinan within the Empire. If they did not their children would be- sorry for it. They found themselves up against the primary problem of existence, "his tfho has must hold, and be strong enough, to hold it." How could the Empire remain strong enough to hold'? Only by means of the power, and population brought power.—(Press Association.)' Three members of the Royal Strollers' Company enlisted at New Plymouth, and were medically examined- in Palmerston on Sunday''(says an exchange).

A man who attempted to commit suicide by jumping into the harbour from one of the wharves yesterday was arrested by Constable Lake and taken to the police station for treatment.

Plain-clothes Constable Fleming arrested a man last evening on a charge' of having stolen a bag of su»ar froid one of the sheds on the Wharf. " Telegraphing to the Prime Minister of New Zealand from Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, , Sir Ernest Shackleton says:—"Am most grateful to you and Government for prompt relief afforded Aurora. Just seen roport-s in Press." Captain Donald Simson, who reported for duty. at Trentham Camp recently, and was declared by the Medical Board unfit for active service, has been granted his release from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Captain Simson belongs to the Special: Reserve of English Cavalry Officers, and from the 11th King Edward's Horse was transferred to the British Section of New Zealanders. It is his intention to remain in : New Zealand until he has placed the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association on a sound basis—having founded the movement and undertaken the responsibility he wishes to make a success of it—believing that the association will be a. lasting benefit to all returned men, both as such and as citizens of New Zealand. In reply to a communication from the secretary,' the t Minister of Defence stated it was his desire to assist in any way .he possibly could, anad hoped that through Hie medium of -their organisation, they would hold on to all that was best in their lives as soldiers and become an influence in New Zealand for good.

Speaking at the Bee-keepers' Conference Mr. T. W. Kirk referred • to the sc'aro raised in regard to tho supposed danger from eating apples sprayed with arsenical mixtures. He had taken some medical men with him to the State Farm,' where the ordinary arsenical mixture was mixed up with tho Bordeaux mixture, and used on some apple trees. _ A quantity of apples was brought to Wellington and most carefully analysed. The Government Analyst found that it would bo necessary- to eat 41b. at a sitting before the eater would begin to feel any poisonous effects. That meant eating skins and all, without Tubbing the apples. In tho caso of the 1 mixture applied in the ordinary' way, it was found that it would be necessary to eat a bushel and a quarter at a sitting (skins included) in order to get a medicinal dose, not to say a fatal dose. This was apropos of a proposal that spraying o{ fruit trees should be prohibited while the bloom is oji the trees. The president of tho Masterton A. and P. Association (Mr. Q. Donald) is of tho opinion that if the Government intends acquiring estates on which to place returned soldiers land of first-class quality and as far back from tho mainland as possible should be purchased. It was this way-back land, said Mr. Donald at tho A. and 11.I 1 . Association meeting on Saturday, that was producing the greatest profit at present, and it was the land that as soon as it received decent communication would prove most profitable to holders when cut up into small selections. Mr. Holmes-Warren made a suggestion at Saturday's meeting of the Masterton A. and P. Association when the question of "land for soldiers" was under consideration that met with general approval. lie pointed oat that a large proportion of returned soldiers were men who had been employed in offices and shops prior to enlisting, but who, owing to the outdoor training received, were fitted to take on more arduous employment. A man could no more develop into a farmer without receiving the necessary tuition than ho could step into a professional position, and he suggested that tho' Government-should acquire a large estate or two and employ qualified men to teach those soldiers desirous of taking up laud the rudiments of practical and scientific farming. It was only by this method that the amateur could ever hope to make a success 011 the land.