LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2960, 26 December 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The following message from His Exccllorfey. the Earl of Liverpool, G.C.M.G., M.V.0., Governor and Com-mandor-in-Chief, has been received by the Camp Commandant at Trentham: "Please convey! to all under your command the best wishes of Her Excellency aiid myself for Christmas, and New Year.—(Sgd.) Liverpool," Governor and Commander-in-Chief."

Tho Manuka, ■ which arrived from Sydney yesterday morning, had an uneventful passage. She brought a fair number of passengers,. who were landed in ample time .to have their' Christmas dinner ashore. >

Owing to, the decision of the recent conference, that tho Military Service Boards should Bit to hear appeals through the holidays, Mr. William Perry, of tho Wellington Board, found himself in a serious difficulty, as he had made_ arrangements to deal with urgent private and publio business on December 27, 28, 29, and 30. It was therefore necessary 1 to appoint a member to act in place of Mr. Perry on these four days, and on the recommendation of the members of the Wellington Military. Service Board, the Recruiting Board has appointed Mr. Guy C. Williams, of Masterton, as substitute for Mr. Perry on the days named. Mr. Williams has been very prominently identified with recruiting and patriotic work in the Wairarapa ever since tho start of the war.

A generous- gift, lias been made by Mr. P._ A. M'Hardy, of Palmerston North, in support of tho work.of tho Y.M.C.A. among the soldiers. ..Mr. M'Hardy has forwarded his cheque for £1000 to the National Committee of the association, with a request that the money shall be expended for comforts for New Zealand soldiers, in and about_ the Western trenches and that the shall be made free, which is the case with .all tho trench comforts furnished by the association for the men'in the trencheß. A brief message of greeting _will accompany tho gifts to the recipients.

Christmas Eve presented a busy scene in Wellington. For weeks beforehand nearly all the accomtnodation had been booked, and when tho time arrived the hotels and boardinghouses were overtaxed. Some people, howver, are. of the opinion that there were fewer visitors than at Christmas, 1915. Nevertheless, there were hundreds in the city who were more or less strangers to it._ At night the scene was one of great animation. The streets were thronged by happy crowds, and unlike other latter-day 'Saturday nights( the shops were open, and their bright lights .added to the gaiety of the scene. Bands played tuneful music, and all sorts of people made all sorts of tuneless noises on all sorts of instruments. 1. The city was_ orderly, although an occasional festive-season disturbance is reported to have occurred.

,A message in a bottle thrown overboard from the transport No. 69' at sea has been forwarded to The Dominion by Mr. N. Kerger, Bream Creek, via Geelong, Victoria. The message reads: "November 20, 1916. This .is to certify that the 'Nineteenths' have passed ; —- this morning, without mishap. All are well and strong— (Sigued) L. Harris. Witnessed by G. W. turner."

During his examination before the Military Service Board at Hamilton, a dairy farmer who appealed against his milking employee being immediately called up for service said he considered that he was a producer of- a foodstuff and was entitled to some consideration. Major Conlan (military representative): All the farmers say that, but the country must be protected! The appellant; Yes, but if the farmers do not get the men, you will not get food. Major Conlan: Yes, and if tho Defence Department docs not get the men, what will become of the country? The-appellant, like many other dairy farmers who gave evidence, complaincd that if his employee was called up he would not bo able to replace him. He was paying tho man 30s. a .week and his keep. Major Conlan said that it ought to be mado generally known that'there was a shortage of labour for dairy farms. IF it was made known it was possible that men from other parts of the Dominion who were unfit might come to the district. The Chairman: There is certainly a shortage of .labour. Mr. M'Caw (a member of the board) agreed that it was difficult to get good men. Major Conlan said that it was possible that the Government labour Bureau might assist. It was here suggested that the local agent of the Labour Do-' partment might be called to givo evidence as to any knowledge that ho had on the subject, but ho was not available. Major Conlan said that in future cases of this kind evidence, would have to bo obtained. . Tho opinion was expressed that the Government Labour ajjent might be able to keep a record of the men required . and circularise other parts of tihr Dominion, and that an exchange of labour with other districts might be possible.

A picnic for tho soldiers st-opping at the Soldiers' Hostel in Boulcott Street is being organised by the Y.M.C.A. for to-day (Boxing DayX, at 1 Day's Bay.

;The various units comprising the Audit Offico staff assembled -■ at the Head Office on Friday for the unveiling of the "Roll of _ Honour." Tho Honour Board, ■which is erected in. the largo audit room, is of a handsome polished cedar-wood, having thereou in raised metal tho names of those who have enlisted. Colonel Collins, C.M.G., 1.5.0., Controller and Auditor-Gonoral, addressing his staff said that at this time of tho year particularly tho thoughts of all would turn to their brother officers in the trenches, who woro risking their lives and enduring untold hardships. Twenty-two members of the Audit Office were now at the front, and moro in training, • while space remained on the Roll for others wik, doubtless would' eventually take their places in the arena in tno interests of liberty and civilisation. The Roll of .Honour, he said, would stand as a record of tne self-sacrifice of these men who were fighting for us at the front. While sympathising with" the bereaved parents and deploring tho loss of two popular officers (Clarence Thomson. killed on the Marquette, and J. B. Laxon, killed in Franco), there was consolation in knowing that their lives were not given in vain.

There was some plain speaking by Mr. Kenrick, S.M., when dealing with a case at Napier,_ in which a senior oadet was charged with refusing to obey his officer, and also with using insulting language. His 'Worship said that tbo fine allowed by the Act in cases of tliip. sort was altogether too small. He held that if a cadet under 18 were treated to the birch occasionally it would soon oxtinguish this ignoble practice on the part of>..the obstinate youth. There was no doubt that in. some cases! the obstinate cadet ruled the parade by his misbehaviour. He quoted an instance which he saw. only recently. A company of these cadets was drilling, and one cadet who was lying down in the road refused to get up, despite the officer's attempt to make him do so. In this manner the parades were seriously interfered with. One way of putting an end to this annoying practice would be for the officers to send the to the police station to receive a 6troke or two from the birch. For those'over 18 years of age he suggested that they should be sent fc camp for ten days and made to do some bard work. A fine of 20s. with 7s. costs, in default 14 days' military detention, was imposed. His Worship considered that the D'ei fence people should make the necessary representations to have the maximum fine increased.

la the course of conversation with Mr. 0. 0. Kettle, S.M., a representative of tho "Auckland Star" was informed that a wrong impression is bold by many people regarding the, .law dealing' with impriEonirlent .for debt. "I at times," said Mr. Kettle, "receive . communications regarding not having sent people to prison who are brought' before me because they have not complied with ah order to pay a debt. .It is, of course, utterly wrong to write to a magistrate upon the subject, but that is not the point. What I wish to make known is that so many people appear to be: unaware of the provisions 'of Section 8 of the Act, which' provides that no order shall be made of commitment to prison of any judgment debtor if the debtor proves to tho satisfaction of the Court that, after providing for the reasonable maintenanco of himself and his family, he has not, sinoe the <hte of the judgment, had sufficient means to pay the debt, or any instalment thereof.' J have pointed that out frequently from the bench, and yet cases are brought before tho Court in which the debtor proves ihe has no means under the Act," and the only course i» not to commit him to prison. The application'for a judgment'summons read's as follows;— 'That I have just rearcn to believe that the defendant, after providing for tho reasonable maintenance of himself and his family, has since the date of the judgment had sufficient money to pay the nJebt, or an instalment ■ thereof, and has to be accompanied by an affidavit to that effecti.'"

"We fought beside the famous Black Watch, and their motto was, 'No quarter asked or given,' " Private Victor Rattray writes in a letter to his mother at Mamaku, in which ha describes the battle at the Somme. In conversation afterwards with members of the famous Scottish regiment, he could set little from them except tho words, ''Ooh, mon> but yon was hellish." A Black Watch man said to the New Zea- ■ laud soldiers: "Thao Now Zealanders fecht like li—1; gie me thae colonials,, and we'll frichten the enemy aif the airth." Private Rattray _ was in the Home Mead Hospital, Symington, when he wrote,, and, .referring to the kindness of the hospital staff and of residents of Symington, he states that he,with three others, was invited by Mrs. Cornwallis West to lunch at her mansion. ; . Afterwards she took them for a ride in her car to Bournemouth, where they had r tea. While they were sitting at dinner, she leaned over and said to Private Rattray, "Don't jump up when I tell you that you are sitting in a chair which has been'occiv pied by King Edward, King George, and the Kaiser." Interesting oiicumstances were connected with a charge of failing to observe the terms of a prohibition, order preferred against a man in the Now Plymouth Magistrate's Court, g The defendant at first pleaded not guilty, and the police intimated that a remand to Hamilton would be asked for. Tho plea was then changed, and the offence was admitted. Counsel explained that the charge was three years old. Defendant had teen accepted as a soldier in one of the Reinforcements, - and ho had spent some time in camp. He was about to be passed for active service/when he was found to have varicase veins. As the result of this discovery defendant was referred back to his own district to be operated onj and he was ordered to report to the military authorities again. He went to Inglewood, and there became intoxicated.'" He was arrested, and brought before Justices on a charge of having no visible we&ns of support. Being in a maudlin state, defendant was then unable to _ say anything for himself, and, in spite of the fact that he was an undischarged' soldier, he was committed to prison for three months.. Defendant had served this term," and was now before the Court in connection witli a breach of an order committed in Hamilton three years ago. Accused was convicted, and ordered to come up for 'sentence when called upon.