LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3016, 1 March 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tlio Third Wellington Military Service Board will,not sit to-day, liiit will resume iigiiin on Friday, and will sit on Saturday also. The. bakers of Napier yeslorday raised tho prices of bread to 5Jd. cash per 21b. loaf, and Gd. hooked. Coupons art: being sold ab ss. 3d. per dozen. A movement, is again on foot among :ibig section of business ineu at Wangaiiui l<l secure- Saturday for Iho weekly half-holiday, and a- petition is iu circulation. At the last election the Saturday proposal tvhh lost by about ono hundred rotes. —Press Association.

Tho (pioetuin of tho enlistment of tho clergy will bo discussed by the Methodist Conference this afternoon.

A pleasant gathering was held at the Defence Oflicos yesterday afternoon, when tho War Expenses Staff (Army Pay Department) presented Air. J. l'l. Broiidfoob with an cugnned l silver service as a memento, and in recognition of tlio timo ho had been in ulobo contact with them in carrying out tho duties of that Department. Mr. Broadfoot bolougs to the Post and Telegraph Department, but shortly after the beginning of tho war ho was temporarily transferred to tho Defence Department to assist in organising the .'Records Department to deal with the enormous amount of work that Department bad to carry oul. Ho was in tho Records for nearly two years, and sinco that has dealt with tho Army Expenses Department, where he was highly esteemed. A memorandum of appreciation wns also given to Mr Drondfool by BrigadierGencral Sir A. W. Itobin, for the valuable- work dono by him. Mr. Broadfoot loaves Wellington this morning for Elthain. where bo takes up the position of postmaster, ho having now transferred bark to tho Postal Department.

In Hit) Magistrate's Court yesterday morning a youth named Percy Kricksou w;is remanded to appear later on charges of stealing a number of motorcycles in various parts of the country.' A. charge against Erieksou of deserting from the Expeditionary Forces was withdrawn, Inspector Marsack expressing a hope that bnforo the accused has finished serving sentences for other offences Uio war will bo ovor.

Threo petitions in bankruptcy were filed in Napier during February. Tho Wellington Patent Slip Commission (Messrs.'W. 0. Riddoll, S.M., and W. J. Jloclie) sat again yesterday, but finality was not reached. A previous sitting of tho commission had been adjourned so that tho parties could consider tho ■ terms of a. proposed agreuraont. When tho commission met yesterday it was stated that owing to pressure of business Sir. T. S. WesUm, who represents the Wellington Harbour Board, had been unable to peruse tlw agreement. Mr. R. S. Smith, who appeared in Mr. AVoston's absence, asked for an adjournment till March 21 to enable tho agreement to bo put before the Harbour Board on March If). This waa granted, and Mr. M. Myers remarked that it might not bo necessary for tho commission to sit tigain if tho agreement was executed in the meantime. The hearing was thereupon adjourned sine die. Mr. .T. O'Shea, city solicitor, stated that each party would pay its own costs. The question of tho coals of tho commission was then discussed, but nothing definite, waa arranged.

Tho Education, Board decided at yesterday's meeting : to mako extensive alterations to the interior arrangements of tbo board's building in Mercer Street,-witli a view to effecting economy in time, and placing the.various departments in closer and more convenient relation one with the otlier. The. secretary's offices are to bo re-arranged so as to bring ill© typists' room alongside. The board's building overseer and architect (Mr. M'Dougall), who baa been located in dark quarters in tho centre of tho block, is to lie accommodated in -flie present; board room, and a board room is to be provided at tho baek. . Tho truant inspector (Mr. Dineen) is to bo given a room to nimself, and the main corridor is to be shut off by a door, so that the Teelinical School children from upstairs will enter (and leave) tlie building from "Wakefield Street. Mr. G. London proposed (on the scorg of economy) that only £140 bo spent in making alterations, but Mr. R. A. "Wright pointed out that It would be real eeonnmv to carry out tbo wboje of tlie work planned, which would cost about £400. This the board agreed to do.

By courtesy of tho Defence authorities a largo party of .newspaper men and their friends yesterday paid a visit of inspection to Trentham Camp. They wore met by Colonel Potter, Captain Bell, and members of tho Headquarters Staff, and conducted all over 'the camp, witnessing the squads of men at work of many kinds, including bayonet and obstacle drill, rifle firing (rapid and practice), journoyed through trenches, visited the hospitals, and every branch of activity, and then wore the guests of tho officers of the Expeditionary Force at luncheon. In a happy speech, the Hon. G. Carson returned thanks on behalf of the visitors, expressing their keen appreciation of the kindness shown by Colonel Potter and bis staff, and expressed tho opinion that tbo camp was a great credit to the Defence Department and administration. Colonel Potter, replying, invited pressmen at any time to visit the camp, and to inspect tho whole of the arrangements or any part thereof as they desired. The following is an extract from a letter written by Q.M. Sergt. A. J. Mason, of Petone, now sorving with the N.Z.F.A. in France:—"Many deeds go unheeded at times and nobody knows anything of them except those actually concerned. Many of these things are done at midnight by drivers of the ammunition wagons. I have seen men with their horses and wagons piled in a heap in tho dark, owing to shell holes, and never once have they deserted or even attempted to get out until tho work had been finished. Horses and men get clear, and then trot away with their teams as if it was only a day's work and they were going home; all this time under heavy shell fire and tear gas that is absolutely blinding. On one occasion some Tommies were in a had mess and left their horses and wagons in a heap. To get through we had to finish one or two horses, then cut the remainder loose, thon drag thoir wagons away in order to get through. We got through, and on our way back' collected four horses that were running about, and used them ourselves. "We 'pinched' their ammunition that night and saved ourselves an extra journey the next night. Our boys are great—heroes all. Their reward for this would bo perhaps two or tnree hours' sleep, in a wet and muddy 'bivy,' mid bully beef i'or breakfast. But things arc better here, and we are quito enjoying life, although we get plenty of snow, and it is very cold. "Wβ live . in hopes that to-morrow may be better than to-day."

AVith a view of assisting the chiidrou of deceased or disabled soldiers to attain tho educational advantages that they would have enjoyed under normal conditions, Cabinet has approved of tho recommendation of the Minister' of Education (tlio Hon. J. A. Hanan) for the issue of regulations providing for war bursarios lor such children. Tho regulations, which are now in course of preparation, will cnablo boys and girls (under 14 years of ago) of deceased or disabled soldiers to obtain ireo-education at a technical school on much tho same terms as arc now applicable to free placo holders, but without requiring tlio free placo qualification, lu the case of children of such parents who qualify in the ordinary way lor free places in. a secondary school, technical school, or a district high school, but who, by reason of distanco, are tumble to take advantage of tho free place qualification to enable them to attend such school, a boarding allowanco will be arranged for those obliged to live, away from home, and iii other cases where uonvoyunco lias to bo. provided a grant will bo made towards the cost of same. To those who are ontitled to receive university bursaries and who are. similarly obliged lo 'We awiiy from homo, an allowance 'ivilll l>; made in addition to payment of tuition fees. Some provision may also ho'mado iu tho proposed regulations to cover the cost of books and other incidentals of these pupils at the secondary ftnge, and also when attending the university.

At yesterday's mooting of tho Wellington Education Board the chairman (tho Hon. J. G. W. Aitkoii, M.L.0.) elided that Mr. Robt. Parker had consulted with tho headmasters in Wellington on the subject of giving a patriotic school concert. It was proposed Hint tho miisio should be distributed among the schools during March, and that, a big concert should bo held towards the ond of tho second term, tho whole of tho proceeds to go towards tho palriotio funds. A small grant might, ho required for tho music, but otherwise the expenses would ho negligible Jlr. R. A. Wright, M.l'., supported the proposal, and tho board unanimously approved. The chairman said the sr-hools had dono splendid work patriotically in the past-, and ho hoped tint I the effort would be as successful as other similar entertainments in l-lio past.

Replying to the resolution passed by the Advisory Board of the i'ederatiou of New Zealand Patriotic; War Kelicf Societies, congratulating him on his knighthood, tlm lion, bir James Allen has written: "Will .you please convoy lu your board my very grateful thanks for- their kind congratulations. I look upon the distinction which has been conferred upon me not only as an honour to Now Zealand and myself, but a|«o as a recognition of what New Zealand has done to aid tho Umpire '» the present crisis. It has always been my endeavour to givo fair and iin partial consideration to any '•proposals submitted by tho Advisory. Board, and it is very gratifying to inc to receive your .board's expression of appreciation of the. manner in which its representations have been received. To tho members of patriotic societies and other organisations which have been so assiduous in looking after the welfare of our men, both licro and .at tho front, I extend my hearty thanks for Uipir assistance."

Writing to his father on January 5, from Egypt, Trooper F. J. G. Moore, of Johnsonville, . who was spending his third Christmas and New Year in the fighting lino says: "Rouso up the cold-footed chaps still left in Now Zealand to help hasten the end of this warfare. Tn our laet big fight wo got within 400 yards of tho Turks, and' when thoy saw us fix our good old bayonets for the final do-or-dio rush, they got shaky and surrendered —that is. all that was left of them." Last week Trooper Moore cabled to his sistor to let her know he was among tho survivors of tho most recent fighting.

A dispute regarding Uic possession of a house was heard by Mis Honour Mr. Justice Chapman in the Supremo Court on Tuesday, when Mrs. I3eu Fuller claimed from Harry Hooper "the possession of No. 7 Feathersl.oii Terrace. Mr. T. \'<>ung represented the plaintiff, and Mr. T. M. AVilford tho defendant. The latter's naso consisted in an ullo-. gation that there was a contract 1.0 buy, and that the plaintiff sued for possession before tho time for completion, of tlio contract arrived. His Honour, .after hearing evidence, said tho defendant had failed to prove that bis offer to buy had been unequivocally accepted by tho plaintiff, and though ho bad a right to accept an alternative proposal by the plaintiff verbally, such verbal acceptance miist bo definite and certain. Here such acceptance wasnot definite. Judgment was therefore- given for the plaintiff for possession, and also for £2 per week over tho period extending from ,Tnno 30,_ 1016, to the date of defendant's giving up possession. ■The committed of tho Bed Cross art union is doing its utmost to keep tho expenses low,' and confidently expects tho expenditure will not amount to 5 per cent, of tho receipts.