LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3015, 28 February 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

About forty officers and men of the New Zealand Expeditionary .Forces returned to Wellington by 'the Manuka .yesterday morning. They were met and welcomed by His Worship the Mayor (Mr.. J. P. Luke) on behalf of the citizens. A man Mined Bartholomew' Hayes was arrested at Outram on Monday night (says a Press Association'telegram from Dimedin) on a charge of failing to report at tho parade oE men who left for camp on January 23. Ho was sent on to Trenthum to-day under military escort, to b* dsalt with in camp. _ Au-sther defaulter was arrested at Waiii.raai.ti yesterday. ItsprosMiifttives of tho Methodist Conferences who interviewed tho ActingPrime Minister (Sir James Allen) yesterday urged ,that the Government should restrict tho number of. art unions. One of tho speakers stated that ho feared' tho art unions were inculcating gambling habits among tho young people, and m any case he did'not believe that an art union, with its appeal to tho spirit of greed, was n suitable meaus of raising money For patriotic purposes. Sir James alien said that ho had u great deal of sympathy with the views oi the deputation regarding the art unions. "I don't like the art unions myself," he stated. "I don't think that the principle bohind them is a good one. As far as I am personally concerned, I would like to see them reduced very much, if not done away witii altogether."

The tendency of Hie Military Service Act to concentrate business in fewer hands was mentioned at yesterday's sitting of tho Third Wellington Military Service Boiril. One appellant mentioned .that his business rivals were men in the Second D'vi.siou,■alio' 't ho .were sont into eaiup his (lrm would lie nrcjndinially affected while his competitors would neurit. [T;-, business would he handed o 'or to Ihe npiiosi'inii firms. Cxplain Baldwin said he appreciated .the difficulty, 'jtit. ho did nrf. see how any remedy rmild be provided. It was the fortune of war.:

When an appeal made by the Post and Telegraph Department on behalf of some cable operators was being considered by tho Third Wellington Military Service Board yesterday, a suggestion was made that the men should bo enlisted, put into uniform, and sent back to lli'oir work at military rates of pay. Captain Baldwin, tho military representative before the board, said that an order to perform civilian work would not be ,i "lawful order" within the meaning of the Army Act. Soldiers could not bo required to undertake work that had no connection with the military organisation. A band rotunda is being built, in the garden space in front of tho cottage hospital at Trenthaiu, for the use of the Camp Band when it plays on Sundays and other occasions where it is not necessary to march. In the Divorco Court yesterday, His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman heard argument in the case Horace Jlupert Mayhury v. Annetto Maud Maybury, a petition for dissolution of marriage on grounds of desertion. The petitioner was represented by Mr. "W. F. Ward, and the respondent by Mr. M. Myers. His Honour reserved his decision.

"A. really good woman," was the description applied to herself by Nora Nugent, who, in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, was charged for the I'l2'nd time with insobriety. Her latest lapse, defendant assorted, was due entirely to quinine, iron, and port wine (purchased, of course, for medical reasons). She laid 6onie stress upon .tho fact that she was in -steady employment at '255. per week, and maintained that she had turned over a new leaf. This latter statement His Worship found some difficulty in believing, and he therefore observed: "Fined 205., in default seven days' imprisonment." "God spare your health, sir," was tho cheery rejoinder, as the- defendant stopped from the dock. Recently a wireless telegraphic set was supplied to the island of Manua (Samoa) by the U.S. Government, and was installed at Tau. One hour and twenty minutes after its arrival messages wore being exchanged with Pago Pago. When it was in working condition, Tufole, the District Governor, 6ent a message to Governor Foyer on the U.S.S. Fortuno, lying in tho bay, who then went ashore, and Tufolo christened the wireless apparatus with a bottle of coconut oil. \ Councillor J. M. Dale intends to move at Thursday's meeting of tho Onslow Borough Council: "That the Dofence Department be approached for permission to lower tho height of tho road fence by the Kaiwarra magazine so as to make the bend in the road safer for vehicular traffic.

In the Magistrate's Court at Hawera' yesterday (says a Press Association telegram) three Territorials, for failing to attend parades, were each fined £5, in default twenty days' military detention. The City Leases' Commission will hold its final sitting in committee room B, Parliamentary Buildings, at 11 a.m. on Thursday. Tlje Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) and tho members of tho City Council paid a visit to the waterworks at Wainui-o-mata yesterday afternoon. The annual visit in pre-war times was made a full days' outing, with desirable trimmings, but the visit to the works since the war has been made a duty, and yesterday the outing only occupied a matter of four hours altogether. In the Magistrate' 3 Court at Christchurch yesterday, Mildred Sidney Herman Maiming,' an indent agent, was oharged that he telegraphed on May 20 to one Immaura, at Kobe, as follows:' — "Waiting reply Fraser," thereby attempting to indirectly communicate by telegraph through Imamura with the Winckler Company of Japan, alleged to be an enemy firm. The defence was that the defendant' had acted honestly throughout the transaction, although possibly erroneously. He had no intention of contravening the law. Decision was reserved. According to the report of the Wellington Choral Union fifty-seven of its members have Joined the colours, three of whom, Messrs. U. Coleman, 3'. B. Ferguson, and A. T. Perry, have been killed in action, and on the motion of Mr. Lanksuear a vote of condolence with the relatives of tho deceased soldiers was passed at last night's meeting of tho union. A representative and enthusiastic meeting of residents was held last evening in the Methodist Schoolroom, Northland, for the purpose of securing if'possible,a candidate to contest the forthcoming munioipal elections. It was unanimously decided to approach Mr. ¥, W. Manton with a request . that he should accept nomination. Mr. Manton, who was present, stated that he would give the matter serious con-: sideration and give his answer at an early date. Matters of general interest were then discussed, _ including the question of tho provision of a local swimming balh. Mr. Manton advised those present that a deputation is to wait on the Baths and Beaches Committee of the City Council on March 1, when the claims of the distinct in this direction will be put forward.

In the annual report of the Wellington District Law Society it is stated that 61 solicitors in the district have joined tho Forces, and that nearly all the law clerks eligible for tho First Division and many belonging to tho Seqond Division have enlisted.

_ The difficulty created by dazzling lights on motor-cars was ono of tho matters in connection with the city bylaws that came before the Auckland City Council at its last meeting. Tho traffic inspector suggested as a solution of the question that it should be made compulsory that the centre of brilliancy should fall on to the road -within -10ft. from tit© front of the car. It was decided to refer the proposal to tho Automobilo Association for an expression of opinion.

. When the Now Zealand Army was in the fighting in tho Somme battles, the men had not many home comforts. Here is a Wellington soldier's account, of how he contrived to wash his face: "Water is scarce there. It has to bo carried tip from away back. It is not only in the trenches but behind.as well that the shortage exists.- The usual wash, once every few days, is to rub one's face over with a shaving brush after you have been lucky enough to get sufficient water for washing in. The only proper wash I had at the Somme was one day after a shower of rain. One of tho ehaps managed to transfer some water out of a puddle into a tin. About a dozen of us washed in that. I was about sixth!"

Mr. L. G. lleid. S.M., presided over a brief sitting of the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Mary Burgoyne, charged with insobriety, was remanded for a week for : medical treatment. Charles Henry Brown, a seaman, who ■was convicted of deserting from an overseas vessel, was ordered to bo detained until the vessel's final departure from New Zealand.

f The silent flexibility of the Hudson Super Six is a thing to marvel at. This car is without exception the most silent car on the road. Correct balance and weight distribution, together with a coach-built body and an ideal springing system make the Hudson Super Six the eitsieat riding car on N.Z. roads. The Dominion Motor Vehicles hove the latest model on vioiv at 65 Courtcnay Place, and "will bo pleased to demonstrate to you if you will call, •'phone, or write thoni.—Advt.