LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3040, 29 March 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

'At the anuiial meeting of tho' Canterbury Law Society (says a Pross Association telegram) a motion, "That no holidays be observed-foe raco meetings during the poriod.of tho war" was carried unanimously. <

Waf»tt appreciation of tho work of the training staff of officers left behind in New Zealand to prepare .tho Bemforcements for the battle-lino is expressed by Lieutenant-General Sir ■Alexander Godley in a letter td tho Minister of Defence: General Godloy states that considering tho distance of Now Zealand from the sceno of operations, it is wonderful that tho training should be so good, arid ho considers thatHhis reflects tho greatest credit on those officers who havo boen -responsible for. this duty. Commenting on tho excellence of tlis arrangements mado for the training of tho men, ho says.it jb.ov.ident that neither trouble nor expense havo been spared to aohioyo this good result. ■ .:.' ; ..;'■. ■ ;

It has not 'yet boon determined who , shall succeed Mr. T. B. Fleming here as Chief Inspector for Uio Wellington Educational District. It is ono of those positions which have to bo advertised, and' it is probablo that the advertisements nailing for applications for the post will appear next -week. The case against Thomas Silsby, charged, wtlh forgery, was called at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, and on tho application of tho police a further : remand for a week was granted. A .remand was also granted m the case of Percy Erickson on four charges of theft. :, .■-'.' ,-•■'■•■•

A statement was made at the mooting held on Tuesday night to form a Second Division League ;in Wellington, which was incomplete in fact, aaid which may be misleading. The statement was. that men who were drawn in the ballot could _ not obtain tho special financial' assistance up to £2 per week provided for under a Tecent reflation, without appealing to the Military Service Board for exemption. This, it was contended, was unfair to the Second Division man who wished not to avoid military service, hut only to be sure that his family should be properly, cared for during his absence on' active service. It is_ quite true' that no regulation is yet in existence to enable a balloted man to apply for this special financial assistance except through the Military Service Board, but it, has been announced that the Government is considering a scheme in which one\of the items will he a provision to permit a balloted man to apply for this allowance without going through the form, which may be distasteful to some men , , of applying for exemption. Tho proposals include tho setting Tip of a special board to deal with these applications for oxtra financial nssistancd. This has not yet been approved by. Cabinet, and it is possible that the proposals may bo amended before they aro finally adopted, but' there is very little doubt that some procedure will lie arranged to rolicvo roservists drawn in tho ballot from tho necessity of asking for exemption, which they do not want, in order to get the_ reasonable financial assistance to which they are entitled. . When tho formal letter was received by the.Education Board from tho Education Department notifying that Mr. Stuckey, ono of tho district inspectors, was to be stationed at Masterton, Mr. Penny, a Blenheim member of tho board, said:—"Wo havs no say in this matter, I understand—Wo are just a. body of nonentities I" "Toys, to bo played with!" agreed the chairman of the board (Hon. J. G. ; W. Aitkcn, M.L.C.). "Wo are going\to be ruled by a bureaucracy almost as bad as tho Inte autocracy of Russia," added Mr. fenny. . First ([ualil.v lAnon Collars ut pre-war prices. Sd. each, or 4«, 3d. tho half-dozen. Goo, iowlds, Ltd., Manaera Streefcj-^dY*.

Cordial assent was given by the Education Board yesterday to a paragraph in the report of tho Training College Committee of Advice, drawing attention to the poor inducement offered to young men and women to enter the teaching profession as compared with other branches of the C'ivil Service. "I am glad that this has been recognised," said Mr. Forsyth. "The Department has not recognised.it," said the Hon. J. G. W. Aitkon. "Wo are impressing it upon them." The Secretary (Mr. G. L. Stowart) stated that how bad the position was might be recognised from the fact that ho had advertised in city and Blenheim papers for probationers, bat had received no applications from suitable persons. "What can you expect," said Mr. Forsyth, "when all that is offered is £40 a year. Yet in other parts of the service £70 or £80 can be obtained without difficulty."-

Tho popular theory among liorticulturalists that tho ngaio tree will not grow to perfection a.way from the salt sea air is being upset by tho vigorous growth of a munber of .these treos in the hospital grounds at: Trentham camp. In common''with other trees and plants which form part of a- beautifying scheme, the ngaios are looking exceedingly healthy.

The improvements to the Day's Bay wharf having been completed, the Wellington Harbour Board last night adopted an amending by-law increasing its wharfage charge on harbour craft from 2s. to 3s. This charge was in accordance with tho arrangement made with tho Eastbourne authorities. ■

A.meeting of citizens was held , at Potone last evening for the. purpose of determining means by which funds could ho raised! for the purpose of'a motor ambulance. There was a sum of £190 odd in. hand, and it is anticipated that a further £400 would need to be collected before the object could.ho .attained. It was decidied to form committees and canvass tho district, and to ask the Hiitt Borough, through the Mayor, to join, in with Petone. / ■■'...

With a view to getting Mr. J. P. Kelly, Mayor of Eastbourne, to retain that office, an influential deputation of Eastbourne councillors, and ratepayers waited on him on Tuesday afternoon. Councillor Pilcher, who introduced the deputation, said that ho hoped that Mr. Kelly could see his way clear to contest tho Mayoralty, or Tather, retain tho position of Mayor for the host two years—for, in his opinion, thoro would bo no opposition. (Hear, hear.) Councillor Levi spoko in similar Btrain, Mr. Kelly said ho was deeply touched at the flattering remarks which had been made about him. None regretted more than ho his projected withdrawal from tho public life of the Bay, but various reasons, health among others, would not permit of his accepting office once nioro. Thoso present would not tako "No" for an answer, and oho councillor suggested thab Mayor should reconsider his decision for a week. Mr. Kelly, however, said he had quite mado iip his mind not; to stand. Tho decision was received with regret. * : '... .....

.'At yesterday's meeting of the Wellington. Education Board Mr. R. A. Wright, 11.P., cxprossed dissatisfaction with tho system that meant a continual change of school books. _Ho wished to know who was responsible, and why such a system prevailed. The chief (Mr: T. 8..' Fleming) said thai tho inspectors recommended one ,seb of books, but a schoolmaster might select any books..on the board's approved list. The expense was moro on the stationery than tbo book side, since in many schools paper, iiow very expensive, had been substituted for slates. The Education Department was the oiiiy authority to deal with the question. ..- • •■•'■." .',■■•

, Mr. Thomas Forsyth has given notice that he will-move at tho nest meeting of the Wellington Education Board—"That an appointment committee be sot iip to consider the appointments of all teachers to v&cancios, and to report to tho hoard; (2) that the committee consist of tho executive and the chief inspector." There is being exhibited at tho present timo in the Bristol Piano Company's window the ropresontatipn of a, large-sized Union Jack, made entirely froni ribbon-like shavings of the lacehark treo. This rather extraordinary piece of work is from tho hands_ of Mrs. Tom Parata and Mrs. Davies, .and is to he sold at Waikanao on April 9 in aid of tho La'dy Liverpool and Mrs. Poinare's Fund for Maori Soldiers. Thero are also a number of Maori kits of exquisite workmanship imd a piu piu of lace-hark that havo been manufactured by ladies who are interested in tho fund. Notice has been given by tho llcv. H. Van Staveren.to nioyo at the nest meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board: "That no war bonus bo paid to any of tho officers of the board, who are in receipt of £300 per annum or. over." . . : Tenders for tho following : work was accepted by the Board yesterday—sanitary and painting work at Ward (Marlborough), Mr. .T. Leslie, Blenheim; overhauling residence at Tuaraarina," Mr. J. Leslie .. With respect to teachers' residences at Saunders Road and Pirinoa, the.tenders were rejected owing to being so much above the estimates. ... . At the meeting of the Wellington, branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute, to bo held to-morrow evening, Miss E. M. Rowley, M.A., intends to move: "That as the provision for continuing the education of pupils, who have passed through the primary schools is inadequate for present requirements,: it is advisable to establish a second grade or vocational high school for girls in the city ■ of Wellington." Another motion to he moved by Mr. P. M. .Jackson is as follows: "That any teaoher uufit for active sf rvice be re-employed in teaching; silica .this is tho best home service such a teacher can render." Writing, to a member of the "Southland Times" literary staff from Franco on January 9, Major T. M. Wilkes, says:—"Bishop Cleary is with us, and he is great—always round the fines amongst the men, no matter what is 'coming over. , Hβ is' a real srxirt, and lilted by all. A soldier 'was killed alongside him the other day, and the. Bishop himself was' knocked over by the force of the debris thrown up by the 5.9 in. shell, but was otherwise uninjured. He tended tho dying man, who was unconscious. Many would have finished with the lines after that • but not so the Bishop. Ho continues to go round, and no amount of 'Bosche persuasion r puts him off his rounds; in fact, he goes where there is most of that commodity, because ho seems to think he is most needed there."

To the circular from tlio Auckland Labour Representation Committee, inviting Mm to emulate the example of Mr. P. CI "Wobli and agree to resign his seat and recontestit if ono thousand of lis constituents would sign a petition to that effect, Mr. C. H. Poole, M.P., lias replied as follows (reports the "New Zealand Horald"): — "While appreciating the anxiety, of your: committee to discover an accurate public opinion on some of the prominent questions of the day, - I fail to see how a diversion in the shape of isolated political contests will secure that end just now. Personally, lam anxious that the peoplo should have access to the ballot-box in tho shape of a general election as .early as possible, and will welcome tho co-operation of your organisation ito procuro a speedy triumph for our nation in her great struggle for life and liberty, when ballots can again take tho place of bullets."

". On ' Saturday. March 31,. a man -will traverse'(ho principal streets of this city and present a hnlf-soyeroigu to each percon who, on request by him, can produce u> E«d Ctoea art jsaioa fciofcefe^

At the inquiry at.Auckland 1 into t'nej circumstances connected with the col* lisioa (between the Arahura and al Home liner'at Gisborne, th» bearing of the evidence and legal argument was concluded. Judgment has been reserv-' ed.—Press Association. • .. ' "The O.D.C. called the attention ofi the Defence- Department to tlio fact! that the medical examinations rcyealed( ■. cases of men suffering from gonor-j rhoea (states the Christcnurcb: "Press"). They were rejected as medi-j cally unfit, and turned loose to conyeyj further infeotiou to the cominunitjM Wβ are informed that the Government' has decided that cases so discovered! will in future be segregated." • Mr. Justice Sim, after summing up( strongly against the accused the evW dence in a charge of assault and rob- , , bery, which was-tried before him ati Greymouth last week, is.reported it*' have, spoken as follows: —Ho wouldii like to say to any juryman that if he* thought the evidence did not leave any} doubt as to guilt, and that juryman aW lowed a verdict of not guilty to be rc-i turned, ho (the juryman) -would bej guilty of a breach of tho oath taken,i as well as failing in his duty as -a| citizen. His Honour further impressed) on them the necessity of having the>|law .vindicated. Jurors who brought in! a verdict of not guilty -where they be-; lievcd the prisoner to be guilty com-; mitted a crime worse than that of thej accused, and one that would upset ourj social order. In the vindication of tie , ; law, where the ultimato responsibility! rested with the jury, any man who.T)C-j lieved an accused to be guilty and stil*:'. desired a verdict of not guilty was »;" greater criminal than the . person*, charged. Was it to go forward that I thieves, rogues, and abortionists: were] to go unpunished in Westknd, that allj they had to do -was to get a commonjury in Westland to try them and they were safoP Would they allow it is> PP\ forward that a Westland jury .would; not convict? After four hours' retire- j ment .the jury was unable to agree upon a verdict, ■ and a now. trial was ordered, , . . ' An indication that the Allies navo; an abundant store of shells and ammunition is contained in a cablegram; received by a jeweller in Auckland from a largo linn of manufacturing jewellers; in London (states tho "New Zealand; Herald"). It is well known that tho; services of working jewellers -were re-) quisitioned by the Imperial authorities j for work in. munition, shops, and the: message states that the Government j has now released a great many work-; ere,;and the London firm in question,, having again secured tho services of \ their employees, is now able to fulnlt orders for the jewellery trade-