LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2995, 5 February 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

All outdoor sports were postponed on Saturday afternoon owing to tho wet weather.

The Government Statistician will commence the ballot for the shortage iu the 27th. and 28th lteinforeemeni* at 10.30 a.m. to-day.

Many men who have previously volunteered for service witli the Expeditionary Forces and have been rejected are responding to the invitation of the Defence authorities to re-enlist, in order that their status under the Military Service Act may. be denned. When those men re-enlist, they go before the Military, Medical Boards, and if they arc- found to be- still unfit for service in tho field, they are lifted from the active section of the Expeditionary l'orce Reserve, in order to reduce the abonr connected with tho ballots. Otherwise, their names would appear sooner or later in. a list of balloted men. J. ho fact that a reservist has beeii rejected already does not prove that he is not eligible- now. Tho standard has been lowered in several respects and tho Defence Department is ready to overlook defects that would have been regarded as complete dis* qualifications m the earlier days of the war. For example, a. man with one eye may bo accepted for active servi"e i it tiie eye is a good ono.

At tho present time (says our Namer correspondent) there are 60,T00 bale or wool stored in Napier valued at nearly £1,500,000. at

During the hearing of a case .in the Masterton Magistrate's Court, in which a Greytown resident was charged with driving over• a.street intersection in a motor-car at a, faster speed than six fnl! S A ♦!' ™\ c ?? 8el for defendant raised the point of law that the weight pi tho machine had not been proved Xio Magistrate -stated that Mr. S^ , S ' M \. had held that the weight of a machine must be preyed and he was not prepared to disagree with that decision. The case was adjourned to permit the police consulting the Grown Solicitor. .

An Auckland-owned yacht has «ommencad a long trip from Auckland to Nelson, where she is to go to her new owner, Mr. Deck, -of Motueka. She wintered in Charles Bailer, .i U n*s yards, but was launched recently, and fifco last week commenced her run to tho_ South Island. Tho yacht is the ■ Mabel—a good eeawnrthy type of boat dSffc. overall. She was raid to Mr. £ e ,r V' her ownor > Mr. N. MLeod. The trip on whioli she has commenced is in all about 600 miles.

The Coroner (Mr. W. G. Riddell. bM.) held on Saturday morning an inquest concerning tho death of ]He John Braidford, , of A Company, 25ai Ecmforoements. Braidford died Buddenly at a boardinghouse in Ghuzneo Street on , Friday morning. Evidence was given that the deceased, who for a _ week had been absent from camp without leave, was suffering from pneumouia. .This complaint the medical testimony showed to ho (he cause of death, and a verdict was returned accordingly.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states- that recruiting for tho twenty-seventh draft closed on Saturday with 16 men. short. For tha twenty-eighth draft 94 men are required.

The rainfall in Auckland since the beginning of the month (says a Press Association telegram) totals 6.95 inohes, the fall for the 3d hours ended yesterday morning being 5.54 inches. So far the only interruption to tho railway service has been a small washout on the Kaipara line. The rain ceased yesterday morning.

People in our far-away Dominion, says Dr. Cleary in his letter to bis people from the front, can scarcely understand how eagerly letters, newspapors, and parcels are expected by the men here. Inward mail day is a d&y of mighty lopes and fears, and anyone with a heart would pity the New Zealander who receives nothing on that recurring day of days. _ In this connection, a word to the wise, aaid the kind, should be sufficient. "One thing more," adds the bishop, "we all need your prayers—the men and tho cause. Our hearts are all in New Zealand; give our gallant men the kindest thoughts and supplioations that your hearts can find.

Once feel the thrill of tho eightoylinder King superiority, and theTe will be little satisfaction for you in other cars. lightning "get-away"; from a CTOop to a racing speed at the movement of a finger; hills on. "high"; silence; economy; these arc a few reasons for King Bight success. Send- for a catalogue to the Dominion Motor Vehicles Tfonited, 65 Ctourtenay Phee,—Advt,

I. The increasing reluctanco of women to enter and follow domestic occupations, and their growing interest in the possibilities of farm work, is emphasised in the latest report of tho women's employment branch of the Labour Bureau. It, is stated that there nave been several inquiries for farm hands, and there is good reason to believe that a. fair number of women would undertake this kind of work in preference to other work if reasonable opportunity were given for learning and adopting it. With regard to housework, it is stated that many, ivo'mnn "■no formerly followed domestic work nave now gone to work in the factories, and like the change. It usually takes them only a. short time to learn the new work, and owing to the war tonus now being pair! they earn hotter money than at the domestic work.

.A daughter of Mr. J. Fisken, of ivuapdale, possosses tho gift of water dinning in a remarkable manner, says Me "Jiataura Ensign." She has discovered water on several district farms where it was not known to exist, and wherever she lias indicated that water was to be found such has proved to bo correct. Quito recently on. a farm just outside the town two men were engaged to dig a well on the chance of striking water, and chose a likely spot on an old creek bed. After goin" clown 26ft. there was no sign of water and it was decided to send for Miss i'lsken. The young lady was not long in showing where water was to be tound. She indicated a spot about lott. away from where tho well had been sunk, and the men proceeded to dig a fresh well, and after jjoing down dOit. got on to a good supply o f water. •

Following upon the recent award of J™wr scholarships (says the "New Zea-land-Herald"), a number of requests have been received by the Education Board, irom tho parents of pupils in country districts that tho scholarships shall be tenable at secondary schools outsido the district, and that in such cases a boarding allowance be granted. Alter considering the matter, the Auckland Board passed the following resolution: "That the Minister be asklV* w ?' ve tno condition of junior scholarships 'that junior scholars whose homes are within a convenient distance of a District High School are not to be entitled to boarding allowance at any other school.' "

The Eight Rev. Dr. Cleary, Roman Catholic irfsTiop of Auckland, in a circular letter describing his experiences in France, says:—"One hears many stories of German atrocities against the civilian population iu this part of France. 1 have had an opportunity of examining into one such case of 'frightfulness' on tho testimony of direct eyewitnesses. A'few days ago I visited a Now Zealand Catholio chaplain, who Js billeted, with two other New Zealand officers, at a better class of farmhouse quite close to the trenches. I

was informed that the house-mother there was a witness of a tragedy which had been reported to me. I found her to be an extremely pious Cathblic woman, of middle age, fairly educated and speaking better French than is common among tie peasantry of this region. Sho confirmed, even m most details, tho story which I had heard, and they told me, in substance, what follows:—Her brothor, a farmer, lived near by, a quiet, inoffensive man, very industrious, extremely careful not to mix himself up in military or political matters, not guilty of spying or any civil or military offence, and immensely devoted to lie wife and three children. While my informant was on o. visit to him there entered some German officers. One of these drew his sword and severed the farmer's hand at the wrist, the hand dropping to tho floor. They then fired three revolver shots at him, two of the shots penetrated victim's abdomen,' and the third his throat. All this took place in the presence of tho victim's sister (my informant), and of his wife and three nhildrcn, all of whom were fvantio with horror at the sudden tragedy. The poor man's sister cried to liim: '.'Oh, brother, you are dying; make an act of sorrow for your sins and of love of God. '• Ho replied faintly: ''I cannot, sister; say them for'me. . Then Tiis sißter knelt beside liim and began to recite the prayers. While sho was so engaged the dyinq man cried out, 'I am done for!' and made a big sign of the cross over himself, began "to recite tho acts of sorrow for sin and of love of God, and so he died. At our corps headquarters yesterday tlie officers told me of tlio shooting, by tho Germans, of the old parish priest of a neighbouring village, who was counselled, beforehand, to din; his own gravo. But I have not been able yet to invostigato this case."

The frequency with which the auli- ' shouting" regulations are broken was a subject of strong comment by Mr. E. C. Ciittcn, S.M., when giving his decision in. the Auckland Police Court last Saturday in a case where a man was charged with "shouting" (says the "Now Zealand Herald"). '"Apparently tho law against 'shouting' is being openly and flagrantly broken in Auckland," said Mr. Cutten. "Hero is u cSse T/here a constable enters a hotel in plain clothes for reasons of his own, and, although there were only five poople in the bar, sees the law opeuly broken." It seemed a marvellous thing, continued tbo Magistrate, that an officer placed in such circumstances sfioulS be able on his own evidence, as opposed bo that of five witnesses, to get. a conviction. That was the result of_a/rigorous cross-examination. Here were five people who had varied their stories and statements, under cross-ex-amination, to snch an extent that the variations corroborated the constable's evidence. Evidently breaches of tho regulations were so common that the licensee, barmaid, and the public condoned them, and it showed a sad want or responsibility on the part of those concerned. That the constable's unsupported wor3 had succeeded in carrying tho conviction that the story told for the defence was not true—and he had no hesitation in entering a conviction —was also very regrettable. Tho law, continued Mr. Cutten, had. been passed with the object of protecting the worker, a man who could not afford to spend much' monoy on drink. Yet the working man did not respect the law. However, it would have to stop, and if the .fines whioh wore at present being imposed were not a sufficient deterrent, stronger mcasuros would have to be taken.

The supply, distribution, and price of milk for Wellington City and suburbs will be investigated by a public inquiry by the. Board of Trade tomorrow, morning. Any person desirous of tendering evidence should communicate with the seoretary of the board, at Union Bank Chambers. The inquiry will be held in the Opposition Wnip's room, Parliamentary "Buildings.

.The increase in cost of all things, by reason of existing world-war conditions, applies especially to Sheep Dips. The cost: of every ingredient used in their manufacture 'has continuously increased since the beginning of the war. Freight and Insurance rates have progressively doubled, trebled, and quadrupled, involving ench serious loss to Dip manufacturers that they have been compelled in self-defence to further raise the selling prices of Sheep Dips, a necessity which has been already carried into effect.— Advt.

A great wave of intelligent enthusiasm is spreading rapidly through New Zealand in favour of the eonnine "No Bubbinj" Laundry Help, because it washes all eilks, linens, woollens, etc., go perfectly without rubbing or injury. Wellington ladies and merchants are certainly delighted with "No Bubbing."— Advt.

Splendid variety in. good .material striped negligee Shirts. Well-made Shirts at 3s. lid., 4s. Gd., ss. 6d., at Goo, Fowldsj Ltd., Manners Street.—AdjVt,