LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3054, 16 April 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The names of tho men drawn ,iir the military service ballot taken last week ftro to bo published in a Gazette Extraordinary to-morrow. .More than 4000 men are eoncorned directly in the result,of tho ballot. Thoßo reservist? who have been chosen for service may expect to receive tlieir official notice's within the next forty-eight'hours,'The ,ballot was intended to complete the /Thirtieth Reinforcements, which are "to be mobilised early in June. Wellington appears to be the only centre in New Zealand where tbc building trade'is active. Contractors are having leisurely times in tho other cities, but many houses aro in course of creation in this city and its suburbs. This fact is attributed, chiefly to the shortage of homes and the kigh''Tonts, which tempt the man with a little capital to pay a deposit on a section and raise a loan for huilding purposes. The cost of building is'very high, but it has boon found cheaper to build thfth to pay rent, even when money had to be borrowed at 6 or 6J- per cent., and an addition of from 12 to 15 per cent, made to pre-war prices of materials. Iron for ■, roofing purposes is not merely very oxpensive, but is now in very short supply. This shortage is saving the city from many additional acres of unsightly roofs, since the new houses, almost without exception, are being covered witb. tiles, Shortly before 5 a.m. on Saturday another fire broke out in one of the" upstairs rooms of the gutted Wellington Hotel in'JJolesworbb. Street. A womqu who was going to work saw smoke issuing from the building, and informed Police-Sergeant Wade, who ran into the back yard, got out the hose, .and soon had the fire under. The outbreak was in room No. 10.

A sblirk, some 16ft. in length, visited the New Plymouth Harbour recently, says an exchange. The huge brute cruised right in between the wharf and the breakwater, and was observed to swim again A the latter structure, where he apparently enjoyed himself rubbing' off the, barnacles, etc. His dorsal fin was some Bft. high, and the. spread of his tail was abouFoft; The fish was probably of-the species known as the. \vhito (Shark, being white •in colour be]ow and brown on the upper part. It is found in most seas, and attains a length up to 25ft- or even 30ft. ' '

' One of the first deer stalkers to return with the results of his trip to the Rakaia Gorge, says a Christchurch paper, is Mr. Cfeo. Sutherland, and lie has seoured one of the finest trophies that has been brought out from the herd there. It has no fewer than 24 points, which is- the record for a red deer head for New Zealand. . The previous record head for points was shot in the Wairarapa hy Mr. N. Grace, and it has 22 points. Mr.- Sutherland's head is a remarkably tine trophy, having probably a. wider spread than any other shot in the Rakaifi Gorge, ana the horn is lieavy and well grown. The- dimensions of the head Length of horn, 43Jin. x 40Jin,; spread, 46pm.; girth of beams above bay tines, Bfin. and 6Jin.; circumference of, bum, llin. and 103 m.; weight, 231bs, The number of points, as already stated, is a record for New Zealand, and the spread comes nest to the record of 505-in. of an Otago head shot, by Mr. J. Faulks, of Makarpra.' The weight is Jib. less tllan that of a Ralcaia head Bhot by Mr, K. Murcliison a few years ago, which Aveighs. 23Jlbs. '.Mr. Sutherland,- who was camped near the head of the RakaiaGorge, saw another very fine 18-pouiter which lie was unable to staik. Mr. : E..8. Rimniington, who is still in camp, is reported to have sliot a 21-pointer and p a 14-pojnter, and j his companion, Mr. R, Barrer, of Wellingtnu, aiv 18-ppinter.

Figures supplied by the Rev. Isaac Jolly to the Military Service Board ai Auckland show that of the ministers of. the Presbyterian Churoh of New Zealand sixteen are serving as chaplains at the front. One chaplain. Major A; Grant, formerly ofGisborne, was killed in action on Gallipoli, and three other chaplains have returned home invalided. Four other ministers are serving in the ranks and two are aotiug as Y r M.C.A v agents. •' Of the Church's home missionaries, ten : are ;on aotivo service and two are serving as Y.M.C.A. agents. Thirteen of the students From the Theological -Hall are on active service, and two. are at the front as Y.M.C.A. agents. Nineteen students from the university are serving at : the front, one is acting as Y.M.O.A. agents and another as Biblnolass agent. Mr.- Jolly ■ said the. Church did not intend to appeal in tho case qf every minister drawn in the ballot, but the position was 'becoming very diffioult, there being many stations at the present time without supplies.

Football behind the- linos is one of the most popular pastimes' of the New Zealand soldiar iu Franco. "Matches," says an Aucßauder in writing to his friends, "are easily arijangoa. Vory keen, good footba!) it is, too. If you saw the iielda they play in you would understand something; of French mud. Playing is uiot half so bad "as having to get cleaned up afterwards. On New Year's P?.y we marched: several miles in tho afternoon to see a match between New Zealand and a, Welsh toain from the Fifth Army Corps. Our follows fairly made.hay of the Welshmen, who wore outclassed from tho start, and wore beaten by 40 points. Really, ouo folt a pride in being a Now Zealandor on seeing the physique and play of our men. They play football of tho strong and aggressive type, with plenty of flash in it. It is also those characteristics that make them good fighting men."

Surah Bernhardt has still furthor immortalised horself by sustaining the loading role in a great picture entitled "Motliors of France," written aud arrapged by M. Jean llicliopin, . poet, dramatist, and a piember of the French Academy. The picture has been taken in and behind, tho lighting linos; and the story it tells .\n\\ symbolise for historical. purposes the unconquorablo spirit of Franco, and, in particular the llaming patriotism of her women. The picture is tho property of the French Government, and will bo" preserved as part of the', official record of the war. , . . •

"Do you read TnE Dominion?" asked Mr. R, A. Wright, M.P., of a labour iutorjector at Saturday night's election meeting,''at Courtunay . Pla<x. "Yes," was the reply. "Well," replied Mr. Wright, "there is hono for you yet."

Winter just- flpproar.hiii!;—lie ready, with a jnod raincoat, 555., 705., !)os.. 105b!, at Geo. l''owlds, Ltd., Mannore Street. 3 -- Advi

Thomas Kirby, retired engine-driver, 64 years of age, died suddenly at his home, 17 Thorndon Quay, yesterday morning. Dr. Henry was called in and pronounced life to be extinct, but as ho could not 'definitely 'certify to the cause of death, thero will be a pvßt-mgrtepi examination and a Coroner's inquiry.' The deceasod leaves a wife and family. I

In connectiou. with tho demand that is being made by the Second Division League for improved conditions for married soldiers, it has been pointed out that many of the difficulties that confront the Second Division men would bo removed if tho Government followed tho example of the Canadian authorities and paid l separation allowance at the'rate of £1 per week to tlio wife. New. Zealand at prosent- allows the wife only 7s, a-week. If the vifo had separation allowance on the Can-' adian scale, plus the present allf!W?.:ioe of ss, 3d. per week for each child, the husband could ensure her against urctual want during his absence by making a supplementary allotment from his pay. Assuming that he was leaving two children, and that ho allotted 3s. 6d. a dhy from his pay, rotaining .Is. 6d. a day for liim?elf, tho wife's weekly income would amount to £2: 14s, (3d. •■■■■•'

In forwarding to the secretaries of Education Boards the resolution of tho Tcachors' Superannuation Board regarding tho retirement of. teachers during the war period, the,- Director of Education pointed out that the Superannuation Board cannot refuse to ■grant an allowance to any contributor who'has a logal right to retire, i.e., in the case of males if the age of 65. years or tho length of service 40 years, and in the caso of femalee if tlio age of Co or tho length of service 30 years. It was suggested, therefore, that si patriotic service would be rendered if the influence of tho board were brought to bear upon teaohors entitled to' retire under ordinary, conditions to induce them to continue in the service for a longer period during the currency of the war. Many teachors had already taken this course, and ' many ' more would'doubtless follow suit if an appeal were made to thoir public spirit.

The'district health officer at Christchurch (Dr. Chesspn), in conversation with a reporter, said that people should take every precaution against a recurrence of scarlet fever and other infeotious disease now that the cold weather ■ was approaching. They. should see to it that houses, schools and places of entertainment had plenty oT ventilation. It was only inducing such diseases to shlut up rooms, exclude every' bit ofjresh air and huHclio aromvf , . firesides or heaters. There was a double dancer in the cutting ottt:of fresh air. People living under such conditions became predisposed to infectious diseases by reason of their lost vitality, while, on the other hand, a carrierwould disseminate disease more readily under such circumstances/ The best, precaution to tako was the allowing of plenty of ventilation and plenty of good,, fresh air. .'. ■',' : '■ .- ■

A man named James Wilson, a carpenter, ' was admitted to the Hospital on Saturday evening, suffering from a broken leg, the result of a fall when stepping , on to the footpath.

The rion , Presbyterian cliuroh at Mount Eden, Auckland, was crowded on the occasion of the induction of the first minister of the charge, the Rev. J. W. Shaw, M.A. The ceremony was conducted by the Moderator, the . Rev. Robort Somervillo, while the Rev. R. L. Walker addressed the. minister, and the Rev. J, Pattjson addressed the congregation. The sermon at the service wae delivered by the Rev. F. W. Thompson; The whole, servico was' presided over bv the Rev. W. M'Donnld, 'Moderator of the Presbytery.

"Many appellants who appear before the board fail to show that' candour which is necessary to enable the board to .properly determine the merits of theii' cases," said Major J. L, Conlau, military, representative, at the sitting of the Auckland Military Service Board on Friday. Major Coiilan went on to pay that appellants did not come before the board as criminals or defendants in cases in which there were two parties; they came simply to state facts bearing'on Their application for exemption o;- extension of time. Sometimes the hoard failed to get a truthful statement from appellants. He frequently received letters, some : from anonymous correspondents, commenting on certain of the oases dealt with by tho board. He was always glad to receive evidence on.behalf of-the Defence Department from any person, but it would assist him much more materially, if the correspondents forwarded their letters before the appeals were heard. Later, the chairman of the board, Mr. F. J. Burgess, S.M., endorsed the remarks of Major Conlan. He said it was the. duty of every parson..who appeared before the board for exemption or , extension of time to place air the facts connected with their case before hte hoard. It was a breach of the oath to suppress any fact.