LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2959, 23 December 1916, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities advise that the s.s. Manuka, which sailed frpm Sydney at noou on Thursday- for Wellington, is carrying Australian mails' only, and is due here on Monday. ' The out-patients' department of the Wellington Hospital will be closed on Monday,. Tuesday, and .Wednesday next. Urgent cases, : bowser, will-be treated at the main" hospital. ' Tlio following cable message has been : received from the New .Zealand official war correspondent (Captain Malcolm Boss), under -date December 16:— "General Russell has handed mo the following message from tho New Zealand! forces fighting in France': 'Pjease convey to our relatives and friends and the people of Now Zealand our best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, and assure'thorn that we look forward with confidence to the future.' " ' . '■>• . . The Medical Board sat at Hawcra for two-days. In aIH 06 recruits were examined, 61 passeo fit for active service, 13. were clSs'sod fit for homo service, and 32 declared unfit.—Press Association. "I wouldn't undertake to build any house at. tho .present time, .becaußo labour is impossible to get," said a building contractor giving evidence in a case heard by Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Tho Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. I/uke) has sent the following message to tho New Zealand Forces abroad: — "Season's greetings to our New Zealand Forces. May - victory speedily crown your untiring exertions. Our hearts arp with you always.".Soft Felt" Hats lri." latest' 6liades ,'and shapes in great variety, Bs. 6d. to 325. Gd., at - Geo. - Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street.—Advt. •

"There is no attempt and no desire on; the part of the 'Government' to interfere .with freedom of. speech-," 6aid tho- Hon.; James': Allen, Acting-Prims Minister,;'in'Auckland, in-referring to .the stringent regulations defining sedition which have recently been gazetted. "If. attempts are made,^however,'' added the Minister, "to'create opposition to the carrying out of:the law now in force; the person or persons, concerned •will get: into difficulties...-. Any breach, of the: law or-an. attempt-to- create trouble will-not be tolerated-during a •time like the present.'

Tho delay which ' lias : occurred in bringing the machinery of the Military Service - Act into 'operation"was com' mented- upon in Auckland by the Hon. James Allen, ' Minister, "lii initiating any'great-scheme," said Mr.' Alleli, "there is bound to be a certain' amount -of delay' Which'-'cannot be avoided;- There has been some little ■block' in 'getting .'out-notices of'- appeal and.some' difficulty in - getting Section 35 of-'the •■"Act 1 into wdrkiiig Order, because it was Necessary-to'serw the notices' on -each man : 'individually. This 'takes' -time/ • So-' -far' as • the: ."blockat headquarters' is'^c'6ncernedi r 'tiiis is all over now, r and" the "Appeal" Board and Medical Hoard will' have -all'the work they caii' handle' during thc-.next few weeks Tlie' Government" statistician. is carrying! out the- work'of issuing enrolment certificate's as/'qtficklyras possible's '*People-iinustt be- patient'.and re; member the difficulty 'oE-obtaining competent staffs','all the members, of which have had to become familiar: at'fliort notice witfra class of work never before undertaken.'.'.-

..Train arrangements in the. Wellington district.for the holidays are advertised in.this issue.

The results' of the' recent police examinations are as under: —Passed examination for", rank of sub-in6pector, Senior-Sergeant S,' J. Dew, Mount Cook. Passed examination qualifying for rank of Detective A. Hammond (Auckland), Constables C. E. -Roach (Ross), G.. A. Doggett (PongaToa), E. A. (Timaru),-* D. L. .Caldwell (Hohoura), W. P. Gilligan (Christchurch).' . .' .. ' ■ ■

■ Men on duty -at the forts are not to •be forgotten -.this- • Christmas. _ The Mayoress! (Mrs-. J.-P.-Luke)-and willing lady:helpers have packed parcels to be sent; to': the artillery ..men -on', duty as reiyinders of Christmas iime; Iwliicli will no doubt be welcome and appreciated.

'-' The tender; of- Messrs. Andrews and Kennedy has been accepted by the City Council'for the- removal of,-the spoil ■from the.-sitrf of : the. proposed now branch fire brigade station on-the Town Belt at the -top-.of Constable -Street.

Steady rain has heen.fallinE.at Napier for the liiifc "21; hours, with every indication of a continuance,, telegraphed our Napier correspondent"last night, but the hoardingiinus'es' and hotels are weir filled, report even better business than jn previous years. Money "seems'"to he very, plentiful and the cash, transactions probably constitute a record. ?

: The-Taumaruriui "Press," owned and edited- by Mr,.. W. Thomas, has just celebrated its tenth anniversary .in a very striking and -what-must 'bo l to ,th 6 settlers in tne district'most-interesting fashion. Its issue of: the_ 21st instant .is quadruled. in. size, and twelve of the sixteen pages-contain a v;ery complete history of the growth and development of Taumarunui _ and- the surrounding countryside: | This supplementary section of the issue is_ printed on paper of superior: quality; is freely and excellently illustrated, ,; .'and the ■whole make up-js. attractive > and well designed.'lAVe must-congratulate our contemporary on its and on the: success which has. attended its effort. v '•..

Mr. L; -Mv A.Rearden, secretary of , the"'-Trades ai/d' Labour Council, lias •forwarded -the to the Minister, of.'Defence-('Hon. <J- Allen) :—r "I'!'am> instructed obyth©; grades and Ijabour C'ouncil'ito : -writ« .witltßeference. td*.the".wo"rking of t!»;Mptary Exemption Boards. - The desires me to express the opinion-that, exemption should only be granted on thp evidence which the board itself as the result of .a properly-conduced _ in- ' vestigation. The' council emphatically objects to exemption by resolution of a public meeting, which, if the Press Teports are corVect," is. the method that has been .brought, into , operation in the case of at'least one reservist on the West Coast. I ; am also, directed to point out the invidious pp'sition Mm-, isters place themselves in if they issue instructions or suggestions to boards which this council understands are judicial, or semi-judicial bodies."

A member of a-'New Zealand' rein« forcement'writes on,board.a transport to a relative in Auckland- as follows:— "For 4J hours a day- we' carry, out our parades as usual* on the r decks. TherO is a canteen/ piano,; gramophone, deck quoits, and-plenty • : .of amusement on board. Tobacco can be obtained at the canteen for jialf tho shore-. pricPj nnd practically--all the canteen' prices are lower than the shore-price- Indeed the whole- management of the ship leaveß -nothing to be desired.. Therskipper is Captain Evans, .-who was in charge of the Nimr'od on ; Scott's last voyage. The 0.G.-troops is-Captain E. H. Northcroft, from .Hamilton...The health .of. .ail. on board'.;has . been excellent; there .has JioOeen;'a. seriouscase of illness, since we .left. . .There-.are three doctors (including Major; Craig, of Gallipoli fame).. and;;.two; iwses.: So far .they have an ,ea>yjime._ Cigarette ,6moking is. absolutely forbidden on board owing to., the. danger of fire, but cigars aro allowable.. Consequently, as ■ the canteen' supplies excellent cigars at ji each; the cigarette smoker seems to have taken .to cigars rather than the pipe. - We have two' chaplains on board, and, astheyAave more, time on their hands than the average company officer, they have been appointed, sinecure, . either, seeing that 40UU letters were posted yesterday, and today the number will probably be greater still, as we are expecting to reach a port. 'A hold full of cases of giftsiias yet to be dealt witlu A £ift committes has been appointed,. and. Jfc re hoped that shortly most .of the gifts will bs distributed. Many of theoases, bowever, are intended "for Christinas. We have also aboard. about. .ISO .'cases or gifts for the New Zealand -troops in France.'-'- • , . • ' * -

• ' "A. good deal of .surprise was cd in Duhedin and Port - Chalmers, ■ says tho Otago ''-Times,''-- !Vhen_iti was learned. 1 on tho authority of Dr.M'Nab (Minister of Marine)-that the •Aurora on her .return' to- New Zealand from Boss Sea-would proceed, to 'Wellington, instead of to Port Chalmers, as lias been confidently expected. If is' rather difficult to understand why Wellington should .have been selected, as this "port " seems to havo a prior claim on several grounds. •'When the Aurora arrived off the New. Zealand coast last April ■ the Qtago Harbour -Board- tug'Dunedin towed her m to Port Chalmers, waiving any. chat-'ge that might reasonably hare been made for'this.service- -The Aurora, was also allowed tho use of the dock -for a considcrable period free of.charge, and this is a factor of by no ..means, negligible importance. The vessel, has..' made a .very long stay here, and as- the people of Duiiedin and Port Chalmers have become very closely identified with her, especially during- tho period '.of refitting, -a very deep interest is felt in all tliat concerns :her. On the other hand, it is suggested that this port has been 'well treated by .reason of the fact that £25,000 was spent on the vessel here, but this can hardly be --urged as in argument why she should go'to Welling ton on her return. ; Full valuo was surely received for this" sum in' the manner in which the work was done, and-if this wes not the case, then thosa who. had the .spending.of I,the monej are responsible." . ■