LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2968, 4 January 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tbo Secretary, General I'ost Olliw, has been advised by the International Hiireau of tbo Telegraph Union Mint from January 1, at, H a.m., and up to the last Sunday in March at Mm wi-me hour, tho mean time m_ Australian {■States, ■jnoliidiiiK Tasmania, will ho advanced ono hour.

Two BolclicrK aro tcliiniihk IVorri abroad by fcho s.s. Wniteinnla, wlucli is expected to im-ivo tit I'orb Chalmers to-day. Tho men aro: 26,0(i5 Privates ,1. McIC P. Muiiro, Auckland Hatoalion (noxt-of-Itin, Miss I. Munro. Herbwt), and 3/2L72 .'I. JfirklamJ, dentist, N./>. Medical Corps (noxt-of-kin, Mrs. .1. Kirkland, Tima.ni).

Tho Hon. Dr. M'Nab, who lias jiml, returned from a visit to tlio thermal tourist resorts of tho North Island, says that the tourist traffic at tlieso pknes hns been as good as uver hcForo. Indeed, bo found ftotoniacrowdcd with visitors. Then; are pr.'icticnlly no visitors from abroad, however, and tho Christmas rush this year was accentuated by tho fact that , nil public offices and many other offices were closed for tho whole holidays—from before Christinas until after New Year. Nven before Christmas, however, the season at tho different resorts lias boon as good as in previous years, except in tho South Island. Them t,he Milford Ti'M'K is in bad order owing to a. severe winter, and in any casf> tlio walk from' To Anaii to Milford is a strenuous walk, which was formerly taken by young men. The numbers of< yo.ung men now in New Zealand are. of course, greatly reduced.

According to a statement made bv ti. 'railway official to do Military Service Board yesterday, there is a. big shortage of train fitters in New Zealand at present.

Very lifcfclo sickness exists in _ the military camps at the present time. The camps have been almost empty during the holiday season, and this couditaon evidently does not favour epidemics of any kind. Hutments and quarters generally have been cleansed and disinfected thoroughly in readiness for tho. hew drafts that aro to enter camp this week and noxt irccfc, and the recruits ought to have a favourable start in tho matter of freedom from sickness. The medical authorities insist, in this connection, that a great deal depends upon the men themselves. The recruit who observes tho rules oF sanitation laid- down for his benefit, and watches his own health in a commonsense way_, has a much bettor ohance of avoiding illness than the recruit who is careless.

When asking tho Military Service Board yesterday to exempt a niarino engineer, the General Manager of the Union Company said he was making the application on the general ground that engineers could not. bo spared. The matter had been discussed with tho Defence Minister, who had agreed that it would be unwise to deplete the public sorvices.

Tbo services of Boy Scouts with bicycles who would bo willing to deliver parcels from the Wellington Bed Cross Shop on Friday will bo welcomed by tho ladies in charge of the shop on that day. About six scouts will be needed, and their duties will be to deliver parcels of meat, etc. Mrs. -T. P. Luko will be glad to receive the names of any boy willing to devote a few hours to tho work.

"I suppose. that later on we can have a combing out of these adjournments sine die," remarked! tho military representative at the Military Service Board yesterday, in reference to the largo number of cases which haye met that fate. "Yes," said the Chairman of the Board, "I suppose so."

In 1915 tbe Customs Department collected revenue to the total value of £3,492,000, 'and last year £4,022,000, stated a witness before tho Military Service Board yesterday.

An important matter 'iiat is attracting 'the attention of all interested in providing employment for the people through industrial development is the question of training apprentices. It is known from a preliminary analysis that an extraordinarily largo number—out of all proper proportion—of j-ouths are developing into general labourers. The matter will bo discussed at the next annual conference of tlio Now Zealand Industrial Corporation, to bo held at Auckland in February (says the "Herald").

"It comes to one of two things—■ either they must fight for their country or they must shear for their country," was' Captain Walker's summing up of tho position of Now Zealand shearers, when, shearers' cases were before tho Military Service Board yesterday.

In sentencing a prisoner for forgery at Christchurolij Mr. Justice Sim referred to the foolish practico of business people of cashing cheques for strangers. The most glaring incident, in thie oase, Eaid the Judge, was tLat in which' a hotelkeeper had cashed a cheque for £5 12s. tendered in payment for a threepenny beer. The signature on the cheque was not known to tho hotelkeeper, neither was the man who had cashed the cheque. It was really astonishing. A hotelkeeper or other business man who behaved in that way deserved to lose his money. '

Tuesday's Wanganui "Herald" says: "Arthur Oliver, the popular 'jockey, who goos into camp to-day, had four mounts at Marton, with two .wins to his credit."

At the sitting of tho Military.Service Board'at Timaru on Saturday, Maurice Connell, farm labourer, appealed. Hβ stated ho was forty-six years old, aud his counsel handed in appellant's birth certificate. To the chairman: bis birthday was on December 2 and he was drawn in November. Counsel submitted that appellant was not a soldier until his appeal was heard, and did not come within tho Act. The chairman disagreed, and pointed out that when a. man on service became forty-six ho was not recalled. A man, he thought, was a reservist before the ballot \'as taken, from the time when tIM enrolment cards wero signed and acknowledged. Counsel admitted that tbero was no section in the Act dealing with i the point he raised. Tho chairman said no appeal had been lodged on the grounds of bis occupation or physical condition. Captain Pilkington contended that appellant was a reservist from the ipassing of tbo Act. To counsel : Appellant said Vie was a farm labourer all jfche year round. Ho wor.ld have been stocking oats that day if lie had noticome to Court. He also had wheat har-esting to do. He suffered from var sose veins, lumbago, and rheumatism , but could work most of the time. Th' chairman said a neat point had bet i raised. Tho ballot had been taken anil the "Gazette" issued, and on the daj appellant was called up he was not fo:{jy-six, so he was not entitled to exemption on the grounds of a?e. Tlisro had been no case of hardship m.jde out, and tho appeal would be dijallowed. '["hernial action at Waimaagu a da.y orftwo ago was mow thnn usually actijfe aud culminated in an eruption on tl|3 flat leading to Gibraltar Rock in tlje afternoon, creatine: a mud volcano o!| 30yds. by 60vds.. says an exchange. The boiling'mud and water was thrown t. ( - a height of between 350 ft._ and 4i)Oft., and during tho twenty minutes of- so that the outburst lasted the sight vjas mi awe-in spii'inff ono.

,' Housewives, t>o progressive and U6O fNo Rubbing Laundry Help," the most (ttodern preparation for washing clothej jrithout the wea.r and tear of the irashfjoard, and it eaxes time, hands, and |:lothee. TYardell Brcs. and Co.—Adrt. i We RU&SS you are right readj- for light [Pyjamas, ss. 6d., Bs. 6d., Ids. 6d., to Silk ! at 225. 6d. aud SSs. 6d. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manneiß Street.—Advtv

Among l.hnso culled up in tho. second military"bi'llot wan onn J)onald M'Neil. i\Jr. VV. T. Young, (iowotnrj of the tjciunon'w Union, men tinned at tho iMiliinry Kervino Board yesterday that iM'Pi'uil Imd diixl in I'M an Mm result of a brain aeciduut.

Mnriiio engineers urn among the important pooplo who are said to b>) srairco in thoso days of win - . Thomas H. Wiillacn, secretary fri tbn Austrolnsiiin institute oF Marino Engineers, Wellington district, told tlio Military Service Board yesterday l.liat certificated marine- engineers worn not obtainable at tho present time. There was, ho said, a- notable jnstanco of that in tho nana of one of the Anchor Line elonmers. Tho second engineer enlisted, and it was found impossible to get an engineer to replace him. lie b".linved tho company got over the difficulty by appealing to tho military .aiithoritios, and the man was put back two or three Reinforcements.

Tho position of single men in regard to tho war was stated thus at rho Military Sen-ice Board yesterday:— "Every single' man of military "age will be called up for military service, and hoforo ho can expect exemption ho will have to prove his case) Vaguo statements cannot be accepted;"

There is groat delay in turning out trucks and carriages from tho railway repair shops through lack of pen, stated a railway official to tho Military Service Board yesterday.

The report of the Labour Department's inspector at Napier indicated that all branches of industry were exceptionally brisk during December. 'Che report states that the cash takings and business done in the retail trade during that month exceeded that of any previous seasons.

Continuous Tain has fallen at Napier for the past 36 hours (says our special correspondent, telegraphing last evening), and the surrounding country is covered with surface water. Both the Ngaruroro and Tutaekuri Rivers are rn flood, and settlers are removing their stock to high country. At time of telegraphing the water'was about two feet from the top of tho banks, and was still rising. If heavy ram continues a bisr.flood is inerjfaMe. Ihe rivers are being patrolled, and every I precaution is being taken to irevent trouble. Some reference to the Government scheme for promoting a sufficiency of locally-grown wheat for New Zealand needs' was made- by the Hon. w. D. S. MacDonnld yesterday, the minister said that the Board <Jf Trade had its proposals well under way, and ltwas hoped that they would he submitted to Cabinet in about ten days' time. The object of tho board was that the Government should purchase the whole of the wheat grown, but tho problem to be solved was one of price. Wheatgrowing was a business proposition, but when the matter was submitted to them from a patriotic standpoint, he had not the slightest doubt that the farmers would be -prepared to <fc a. fair thing to tho people, of NSw Zealand. TJi> to the present the farmers had affirmed the principle that they were prepared to grow wheat ancT sell it to tho Government. If bed-rock proposals were submitted by the Government, and the farmers did not act fairIji. that might be the subject of comment. ■ . A statement on tho progress of the wool requisition scheme was made by tho Hon. \V. D. S. MaeDonald yesterday. Mr. Mac Donald said that already, under tho Imperial supply scheme, something like £1,000,000 had been paid.for New Zealand wool, and it was anticipated that by the end of the year the amount would reach between £13,000,000 and £14,000,000. The whole scheme was well in hand, as ['far as the main clip and valuations were concerned. The Department was now dealing with detaile in connection with the scouring of slipe wool. That meant 1 that the Government would be scouring a certain percentage of locks and dirty pieces, which would run into many thousands of hales. Provision had to ,be made for that work to be carried out, and the Department was issuing a notice to all wool scourers throughout the Dominion to the effect that any owners of works prepared to undertake scoiirinc on behalf of the Government shoulo! have their works cleared as soon. as possible, so as to bo in a position to commence operations next week. A conference of wool scourers is to be held in 'Wellin£ton this week -to arrange matters of detail. Arrangements "were, (the Minister said, aho being made for a conference of representative men to consider tho question of requisitioning skins and hides for Imperial purposes. That would mean tho expenditure of probably £1,000,000.