LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2994, 3 February 1917, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The circulation of idle rumours regarding matters connected with" the war" was deprecated strongly by the Acting-Prime Minister (Hoik J. Allen) yesterday.. .Many, such, stories, stupid .of. .alarming,' according tp..'the ..point of view,- have been circulated'during the last few days, and not one of them appears to have any foundation at all in fact. ■ "Official, information is always publisfied," said Mr. Allen. "If •a; ship"were sunk, for instance, I would let it be known as soon as I was certain of it myself. When a transport •arrives at its .destination-I publish the :f.act.y. Beeple for themselves-if. they circulate, these idle rumours. The best thing they can do is to tackle the person at once and ask him whore he got the alleged information, and then let the authorities know. It is wicked for people to make others miserable and unhappy by starting wild-'.and idle rumours."

. "It costs £10 to turn omV-'Fhe Fire Brigade," said Mr. J.' O'Shea, City Solicitor, when Harry Stanhope was charged before Mr. L. G. Reid, S.M., yesterday • with having .given a false alarm of fire. Mr. P. J. O'Regan, who appeared for Stanhope, said that the offence had been committeed as a kind of youthful frolic. Thore was really no palliation. His- Worship considered that-a penalty of £5 would .be sufficient to prevent the defendant from further frolics of tho sort, and therefore ordered him to pay that amount.

An agreement "covering the claims of consignors who had contracted for the purchase, of cheese from .New Zealand factories prior, toJrhb issue of the Government's requisitioning order has been .arranged. All contracts ,'arb to be regarded, as cancelled^ '■and tho agents and merchants who had.'made these .contracts with the factories are to receive, a fixed percentage on the sums paid by the. Government.' Tho details .of the arrangement are to he announced .shortly. '.' :

Members of the Government are not favourably impressed by a suggestion that the premises of tho Eastern Cable Company at Wakapuaka, near Nelson, should be acquired for the purposes of a soldiers' convalescent home, when the company removes its station to Wellington. The buildings are not specially suitable for the purpose indicated, and in any case the Government is not at present in need of additional accommodation for convalescent soldiers.

No distinction is made between voluntary recruits, balloted men, and men called upon under Section 35 of the Military ; Service Act," said the Minister of Defence (the .Hon* J: Alien) yesterday.-.-'"They are : all on an equality -and 'posted to the various companies and Reinforcement drafts in exactly the same manner as if they were all volunteers. The mobilisation of the 25th draftj however, finished.on. January 13, and all men who came-into camp had to bo - posted ■to"-one -unit, pending the arrival; of the, 26th draft during the first week in February. These latter men are all cojh': ptilsory under the Military' Service Act,. hut the temporary keeping, of them together has been-.'rendered necessary' owing to their being in different stages of training to men of other nnits. When the 26ihs mobilise transfers .will be made to the 25ths to complete estab-. lishment of companies. The transfers will then be made in accordance with the system of' posting men from each of the four districts to specified companies. No distinction whatever will be made between voluntary recruits, balloted men, or Section 35'-men."

The master butchers of Masterton havo decided upon a schedule of charges for prime' meat, should the latter be supplied.by. the Government from, the Waingawa freezing works. The-schedule has Been sent to tho. Government for its approval.

A case of general interest was heard in, the Magistrate's Court at Wanganui on Wednesday, when a returned soldier was charged with using insisting language to a civilian by calling him' a "shirker." In "tho course of cross-exaniinatioft", complainant denied that he was aware the whole, commun-' ity was talking about him and his brothers. : lle also denied.that his own sister had'.-urged him : to enlist, so that she. could hold up her head and take her place with women who have sons arid brothers fighting at the front. He ad•mitted he. was. .prepared to go when forced." "Counsel; fordefendant urged that returned soldiers should'be allowed to act as recruiting agents. In this, case defendant had told complainant-to' his face .what the whole community was saying behind his back. The Magistrate said he quite understood the feeling of men who: had been.-.to the front and who had done-their duty, and had left comrades'there. -At tlie same time the civil law 6 had to bo obeyed, and he had to consider wliotlier - language had been used, that was likely to cause a breach of- the peace. Being the first case of tho kind, he would deal leniently and impose a fine of ss. only.

The export of sheepskins and pelts to. any. destination, except by consent of-the Minister-of Agriculture, is prohibited by a "Gazette Extraordinary" issued last night.

In the Magistrate's Cdiirt yesterday, charges of Sunday trading were preferred "against'the Marble Bar Company and' Godtfre'd:' Gorgensen and Nellie Nightingale. '- The'::, cases ' were stated to be similar to one recently brought against Roland Gates, proprietor of. the.American Lounge in Willis Street. This case had" been heard by" Mr, .S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., who had reserved his decision. Tho charges, against the first-mentioned defendants .were adjourned by Mr. L. G. Raid, S.M., .' .pending delivery of Mr. ,M'Carthy's.judgment.''' _";"•

.= ■ A seaman, had al narrow escape from severe .-, injury. .on an intercolonial steamer--at the .Queen's Wharf last evening. ' -A ..middle-aged named Samuel M'Connell was on night watch duty, and at a few minutes past. 0 o'clock a>fellow seaman heard groans coining from the bottom of a coal bunker, where. M'Connell was found in a semi-conscious condition. Dr. Faulke was called, and in tho meantime M'C'onliell'was hauled on-to -the deck, a distance of about 2o feet. On the arrival of the doctor the unfortunate man was ordered to the Hospital. His injuries are bruises on the head and legs, but his condition is not serious. M'Connell signed on the vessel at Sydney, where, it is thought, he has relatives.

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Splendid variety iu good material, striped negligee Shirts. Well-made Shirts at 3s. lid.,'ls.Gd:, ss. Gd., at Geo. irovrldsy Ltd.-,.- Manners,-Street.—Advlv.- ; •

A'refreshing downpour of rain fell throughout the AVairarapa on Thursday evening (say's our special correspondent).

Cesari Pierotti, an old-age pensioner, came before Mr. L. G. Reid, S.M., yesterday, charged with having insulted and threatened one Emily Goode. Pierotti, it appeared, had called the complainant a number of uncomplimentary names, arid had rendered his remarks the more impressive by'brandishing a hammer in one hand and a sheath-knife in the other. The spectacle had proved too much for' the ' complainant's nerves, and she desired some assurance that it wouid not be repeated. His Worship bound the defendant over, to keep •' the peace, and ordered him to pay the costs of tlie prosecution.

Before Mr. AV. G. Riddell, S.M.. in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, L. G. Speedy claimed from . Blake and Co., auctioneers, the sum of £31, alleged to have been wrongfully retained by defendants from the proceeds of a sale by auction of plaintiff's furniture. Judgment was given'for plaintiff for the full amount. Mr. A. M. Salek appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. P. AV. Jackson for defendants.'

Tlie pulpit of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, the Terrace, will be occupied for the next, two Sundays by Chaplain-Captain J. AV. Shaw, M.A., who recently returned by tho hospital ship Maheno.

Several accidents occurred at the Military Carnival in Masterton on Thursday. Private Bain, of the Otago infantry, fell from liis horse and sustained concussion of the brain. He was admitted to tho - Masterton Hospital. Mr. G. R. Sykes, M.P.,~ stated at a function in Masterton on Thursday evening that the Government was about to acquire an area of 170 acres near Masterton. for the purposes of settlement. He (Mr. Sykes) had written tho • authorities, suggesting that the land be cut up into ten-acre sections, for occupation by returned soldiers.

The Wellington Patriotic Society's Rand will play at the Botanical Gardens to-morrow afternoon.