LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2881, 20 September 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities advise that the s.s. Manuka, which' sailed from Wellington on Thursday, carrying Australian and United Kingdom mails, via Suez, arrived in Sydney on Monday afternoon. A Gazette Extraordinary published last night deals with the prohibition of exports and imports. Henceforth the export of 6heepslrins. (without wool), pigskins, and pelts to !>ny part of the Empire will be permitted. Woolled' sheepskins may not be exported, ltennet may not be exported to any destination. Another Order-in-Council forbids the importation of soap of other than British manufacture. _ In all cases by the consent of the Minister these prohibitions may be relaxed. Reporting from Samoa under date September 18, Colonel Logan gives the following information concerning the health of tho garrison:—Sergt. J. W. Butler is convalescent, Ptes. R. Knox and G. Bowker are suffering from carbuncle, and J. White from pleurisy. The not proceeds of the Anzac Art Union, tho prizes of sheep for which woro provided by Mr. P. M'Hardy, amounted to £15,300. Captain Eckford, the winner of the first prize (1000 sheep or £1000) contributed £250 of tho amount towards tho 'fund. The ways of the "enlisted shirker" are strange. One man, who had registered in Wellington and passed the doctors, was called up for four successive Reinforcements. Ho was missing on tho day of mobilisation, on each occasion, but ho was always quite suro that ho would bo ready to go into camp with tho succeeding draft. Finally the Defence authorities gave some, indication of impatience, and tho recruit informed them that ho positively would enter camp with tho next Reinforcement if ho wore transferred to tho Ambulance. There happened to be a vacancy in the Ambulance at tho timo and tho man was given his transfer. But' he did not answer when his name was called on tho day of-mobilisation. Apparently ho had business elsewhere. Since then he has beon askod to return his armlet. A paragraph published yesterday in regard to tho loss of Government supplies on the Tongariro was in one detail incorrect. A consignment of electrical goods brought out by the Tongariro to the order of tho Tourist Department was not lost, but is safely in hand. This consignment was landed from the steamer at Auckland, and the Tourist Department lost nothing in the wreck. The Manners Street Police Station has been sold by fender for removal for the modest sum of £10. Tho purchaser was Mr. W. Milson. At tho request of 57 prominent residents of New Plymouth the chimes of the Post Office clock are to bo stopped between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. The residents complain of being awakened at night by tho chimes. Sergeant G. A. Hamilton, of Southbrook, writing to hia relatives, states that he was one of fifty New Zealunders chosen to represent tho Dominion at tho' recent grand review in Paris. "I came last night," he says, "from a sovon days' sojourn in Paris. Tho review was tho graudest turn-out I ever saw. You havo read about gay Paris; it is gny, and going through the streets you would not know there was a war; all tho restaurants and cafes wore crowded with people. We visited the gardens where is stored the capturd German war material, everything from Taubcs to trench mortars—a wonderful displav. On our way back to tho station, for four miles, tho streets wero crowded with a mass of peoplo, and ono had little more than six inches of footpatli on which to walk." There is no doubt that people like to praise anything which pleases them. One of ninny letters of that kind says: "We find that Desert Gold Tea is tho best of all teas in Now Zealand, and will always use it." Prove Desert Gold's superiority in your homo.—Advt. Boots for the hard wear of youth. Chrome, with too and tcol plates, 12s. 6d., 13s. Gd. Glace Derby, lis. 3d. to 15s. Gd. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street. —Advt. .

The tender of Mr. J. K. Fitzgerald, motor importer, of this city, has been accepted for tho supply of a four-ton Bessemer motor chassis to the Kaiipokanui Dairy Company, Hawera, and a. one-ton Bessemer chassis for tho Opunako Cordial Company. An example of the kind of _ work which, women might undertake in war time is to he seen on the road between Greytown and Feathorston Camp, whore a, taxi driver of the gentle sex plies a motor-car for hire. The lady in question is an expert at the wheel. Tho casual ways of the colonial youth are illustrated when drafts of recruits are going into camp. The officers of the Dofenco Department have troublo every time with men who carelessly disregard explicit instructions. Yesterday, for example, three of the recruits for the 21st Reinforcements omitted to parado at the Bucklo Street barracks m the morning, and joined the draft eomewhoro between the barracks and the railway train. They arrived at Trontham camp without- their papers, which had stayed at Bucklo Street after the owners had failed to respond to the calling of the roll, and then worried officers had to discover who they were antl whero they had come from. But the happy-go-lucky recruits got into camp all right and that was. the sole consideration that concerned them much. Mrs. Mackonzio, wife of Professor Mackenzie, of Victoria College, has received a. letter from England, in which reference is made to the recent death in. action in France of Captain Alan Macdougall, one of the early Rhodes scholars from New Zealand. . He was killed instantly by a, bomb from atrench mortar on tho night of August 3. His body was recovered and buried with full military honours in the Delville Wood. Alan Macdougall spent the best part of his life in Wellington. He was educated at tho Terrace School, Wellington College, and Victoria College, and was a brilliant scholar. On going to New College, Oxford, he took first-class honours in modern languages, and on leaving Oxford he was appointed assistant Professor of English at Nottingham University. ' He subsequently filled a similar position at Queen's University, Belfast, where he was when war broke out. Then he obtained his commission in the 22nd Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, and he was in England with them until October of last year, being promoted captain in June, 1915. On going to the front after the Battle of Loos, his battalion was for a long while in the trenches near La Bassee, and afterwards they were allotted the-celebrated Souohez front. Captain Macdougall was in London several times on leave, last time in. June, when, for the first time, the'effects of the trench life were apparent. In a recent letter he said: "The trench mortars make our days one continual palpitation. The Boohes are horribly -accurate, and the bally things plough downwards for fifteen feet; few dug-outs are proof.against them.' A returned wounded soldier employed by the Defence Department takes exception to a letter signed "Disgusted," published in yesterday's issue, on the ground that it did not give the name of a young man fit- for service abroad who is at present employed on office duties in one of the Defence Deportments. "Disgusted" urged that all fit men who enlist should go to the front, and the office work be left to the unfit or to women. • No one, of course, could take exception to. the employment of returned soldiers in the Defence Department, and, indeed, they should be found such positions when suited to the work. Our correspondent "Disgusted" was attacking _ the principle, rather 1 than the individual whose case merely served to illustrate his point. Tho proper course for the Defence authorities to take is to see that all fit- men in their employ enRaged on office work should go to the front. This, of course, does not apply to those in responsible positions who cannot be spared. "This seems to ho getting quite a common thing riding ' about with, a chalked number. People must have proper numbers on their machines and I intend to increase the fines for breakers of the by-law regulating this. Also, I have no doubt this young man was riding at an excessive speed. We can't have people going about like this to the risk of life and limb of pedestrians. However as this is the defendant's first offence I won't be hard on him," observed Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., m the Magistrate's Court • at Palnierstou North on Monday in entering a- conviction in a caso whore' a student at Christ's College had pleaded not cuilty to riding a motor-cycle in Church Street at an excessive speed and to having his registered number obscured. A fine of £2 and costs was imposed on tho first charge, and 20s. and costs on the second. . . . , Mr. M. F. Barnctfc, president of the D.N.Z. Bowling Association, has received tho following letter from Captain Richardson, officer in command of the wireless station at Apia, Samoa:— "Wo are putting down a bowling green hero, and it has just struck me that you might be ablo to pick up some old bowls, almost auything in the shape of a bowl would do. There is a big crowd here just now, as this has become tbo central station iu -the Pacific, and must be well guarded. If you are successful in getting somo bowls, send them to the Lady Liverpool Depot, and. they will send them over. It is very monotonous hero\for tho men. I havo been trying to get a billiard table for thorn, hut so far have not succeeded." Among the many accounts of the happenings when the Tongariro struck on Bull Rock recently there is a hitherto unrecorded incident well worthy of mention (says tho • Hawke's .Bay "Herald"). It was just after the vessel struck that a- boat which a number of apprentices wore endeavouring to launch was smashed, the result, it wa6 thought, of striking one of the many pinnacles of rock which comprise Bull Rock. The occupants of the boat were 'left struggling in the water. From the deck- above the fourth officer (Mr. A.J. Angell) observed the accident, and immediately manning another boat set off to the rescue. In the meantime the plight of the lads in the water was a terrible one. Tho heavy swell washed some of them clean under the keel of 'tho vessel, so that they emerged gasping for breath on the other side. With much difficulty Mr. Angell succeeded in rescuing all hut ono of the now drowning crew. The missing seaman, a mere lad, was drifting away rapidly from the vessel, as could be judged from 1 his cries for help. In spite of the fact that his own boat, which had also met with an accident, was fast filling with water, the fourth officer set his men to row towards the drowning.boy. It was only after rowing about two miles from Bull Rock that ho was saved. The rescuing boat was now almost filled with water, - and tho prospects of keeping afloat were very poor. Suddenly • something dark was seen on tho water. It proved to be an empty boat that had drifted from the wreck. Tho water-logged boat was abandoned at tho eleventh hour, and- after two hours' hard pulling the fourth officer's crew managed to reaoh tho wreck again. Owners of Chevrolet cars have said they have lived half their lifo in this country, but never know its beauties until they jot their Chevrolet. Tho busk ness man is able to take his family for a 20 miles spin iu summer evening's without encroaching upon his business hours. A motor-car is the most unselfish luxury the head of a family can buy. It contributes to the health and happiness of the whole family. The Chevrolet is tho lowest price reliable car upon tho market, and is fitted with tho latest equipment, including overhead thltcs. and is sold at a price within tho reach of all, namelv; from .£255. For further particular*, write or rins up THE DOMINION MOTOE VEHICLES, LIMITED, 65 Courtonax Wollino.tofl.—Advi. J

I Some day the journey of nineteen hours between Auckland and WellingI ton will be looked back upon as one of the troubles of pioneering . 'days. Future railway travellers ought to be able to cover the distance in fifteen hours, or less. Towards this ideal the Railway Department is steadily working, though it advertises little of its methods. For instance, says an es» change, an important deviation, which is part of the Main Trunk improvement policy, was opened about a. week ago ceremony, merely by running the trains over it. The cost of the work, which is at Kakariki, between Palmerston and Marton Junqtion, was about £10,000, and it cuts out 3 piece or lino on whioh were sharp curves and a grade of 1 in 53. Now the gradeis 1 in 70, whioh enables a larger load to be hauled, and the speed of tra\ns increased. At the Auckland end deviation work of this nature has leached a forward state, in spite of the financial tightness of the moment, and the pubr lie may look forward to 6ome official announcement when tho Department is in a position to cut a little more off the express run between Wellington and Auckland, as a result of improved grades and curves. Parents of soldiers who were reported as missing during the Gallipoli campaign will be interested to learn that discreetly-worded inquiries sent to Constantinople are likely to receive attention from tho -Turkish authorities (says the "New Zealand Herald")- Trooper Ccdric Gentil, son of Mr. A. H. Gentil, of. Devonport, was amongst those re-, ported missing on August 27,1915. Believing that ne might have been captured by the Turks, hk father wrote a postcard, addressed to the young soldier, care the Central Post Office, Constantinople. This was dispatched from Auckland on October 5 last jear. Subsequently Mr. Gentil, sen., learned that bis son had, on the day of his disappearance, gone as guide to a party of Light Horse at Anzac Cove. Nothing had been heard of him since. A few days ago Trooper Gentil's parents ceived their postcard back through the dead-letter office. From the- length of time which had elapsed—nearly a. year—since it was posted, and from the fact that tho missive, as returned, bore several official stamps, post marks, and pencilled sentences in the Turkish language, it was clear that endeavours had been made by the postal authorities in Constantinople to trace the addressee. It was also evident that the postcard had been sent from place 'to place before being returned owing to the non-success of these efforts. An ingenious method of defrauding acclimatisation societies -was reported l at a recent .meeting of the council of the Auckland Society. It was stated that in their campaigns for the destruction of hawks, some societies .paid as much as Is. 6d. per head for bird 6. The payment was made by some bodies on the production to the secretary of the legs of the destroyed birds. Other societies, including the Auckland "Body, paid 3d. • for; every beak that was brought to the secretary or his authorised agents. It had been found that dishonest hawk-elooters received payment for the production of the feet of the birds in one district and sent the beaks of" the same, birds to another district, where payment was again made. It was suggested that uniformity of method of payment throughout the country would be the only effeotdvo means of dealing with the matter. Between 900 and 1000 members of the Masonic lodges of New Zealand are known to be in khaki. Recent mails from the front have brought particulars of an interesting meeting of the members of the craft held behind the fighting line on June 21, at which more than ninety lodges in New Z'ealand were represented. The chair was taken by Major G. Barclay, of the New Zealand Engineers, who hails from ths Railway Department in Auckland, and holds in tho Grand Lodge of New Zealand, the rank of past senior grand warden. At tho meeting the following resolution was carried unanimously:— "That, this meeting of Freemasons, held somewhere in France, within a short distance of the enemy lines, within range of his guns, and composed of brethren serving in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, representing many lodges and the various constitutions in the Dominion, send greetings to their brothers and best wishes for continued success of • the various lodges." The building in which the meeting was held was destroyed by tho enemy's shell firo very shortly after the dispersal of the gathering. Considerable progress has been made by the Justice Department with the development of tho Waikeria prison fann in the King Country, neat th« boundary of the Waikato district. The first wing of the main prison building, which contains accommodation for eighty-two prisoners, has been completed, and is now occupied. The completed accessories includo tho kitchen, bakehouse, bathrooms, and other necessary accommodation. Tho roads are now being constructed, and the work of the farm is beiug carried on by the prisoners, who have also assisted in the erection of tho building. An orchard of about seven acres ha-s been planted as a commencement in fruit-growing. It is hoped eventually to iinderfake all classos oE farm dairy work. TEe intention of the Department is that the property shall bo developed on commercial farming lines, and thus be madereproductive as well as affording suitable occupations for the prisoners, who are chiefly thoso sentenced to-reforma-tivo detention.