LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3056, 17 April 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Acting-Prime Minister (Sir James Allen) has received advice'that the first portion of the Twenty-third Reinforcements had reached a certain port on due date; all well.—Press Assn. t The Hon. A. M. Myers stated at Christchurch yesterday that it gavo him great satisfaction ■to announce a record collection through the Customs, and ho said that in view of the enrtailnient'of shipping tonnago investigations were being made by Departmental officers to show in what directions, if any, importations could be restricted: "No,returned man who lias been discharged and requires medical treatment has any necessity to pay for it," said tho chairman of the Returned Soldiers' Association (Mr. J. D. Harper) last evening. "Tho regulations lay down that the man must be treated free of charge by the public authorities. If any returned-man has trouble in securing treatment, his association is ready to take the matter up." ■ The heavy rain which fell on Saturday afternoon and evening and on Sunday morning has had a beneficial effect on the city reservoirs. At 9 a.m. yesterday tho water in tho Morton Dam at Wjviniit had risen to within ten feet of the lip of the by-wash,-and was making all the day, so that all anxiety about our supply may bo said to. be over for anothor season. Tho water docs not rise so rapidly in tho .Karori dam, owing to the restricted area of the watershed, which is only 628 acres, as against 6880 acres at Waiiuii. The Court >pf Appeal will deliver judgment to-morrow in tho case of tho Attorney-General v.. tho Napier Borough Council and tho A.M.P. Society. ,At tho same time judgment will be delivered in the Supremo Court in the matter of the Gorge Road and Bridges Commission, and in tho case of Doyle v. Whitehead.

"There are three alternatives in this case" began Mr. J. W. Salmond, K.C., at.tho hearing of a case in the Court of Appeal yesterday. "Can thero be throo'alternatives?" queried Sir John Denniston. "It would be a, very regrettable restriction npon the English language if thore could bo only two," replied Mi , . Salmoud.. "In any case, I ask the leave of tho Court to speak of more than two alternatives, for the sake of convenience." I. 1 is Honour thereupon sent for "Webster," but did not pliblicly pronounce judgment upon the point.

Sentence on John Dome, on charges of oscaping from legal custody and breaking, entering, and theft, was to have been pronounced in tho Supreme Court yesterday, but was deferred till Wednesday, because there appeared to bo some error in tho record presented of the prisoner's previous convictions.

A coal-miner named Alexander Young, a reservist, who (according to statements made .in Court' yesterday) met with an accident seven months ago at Denniston, came to "Wellington about Wo months ago for medical treatment, and is still being attended by a doctor. Yesterday he appeared in Court, chaTged with failing to give notice of change of abode, in contravention of the Military Service Act. Mr. P. J. O'Regan appeared for accused, and stated that the man had. not changed Ms abode, hut was temporarily in Wellington for medical treatment. Defendant g.ave evidence that he was in his fortyeightli year. The register, which, he filled in himself, stated his age to l?e forty-five, but this was a mistake. He was being attended by a doctor at the present time. He had not thought he would have to stay in Wellington so long, and as soon as he was better he was going back to Denniston..' He had no knowledgei that he was guilty of any offence, and when he was spoken to by the constable he took immediate steps to notify the change of address. The Magistrate said that it was not a, case for a fine, and convicted and discharged the defendant.

In tho course of bis. address, last evening, Mr. G. C,Crump, Mayor of Onslow, referred to tho proposal of amalgamation- with the City. He said he was glad the' City tad refused to consider the question. He suggested that the borough would do well to paddle its own canoe. Ho did not think that the roads and'tho streets of the borough would be any better looked after than at present; rates would go up under the City's administration, and the chances of the borough being represented on the council would be very poor. :

A discharged soldier with' a grieranca was heard af? last night's meeting of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association. Hβ said that at 5 a.m. in the morning he had left the burning Wellington Hotel attired in a blanket. He had lost every stitch of his kit in tho fire, and later he had applied to the Wellington War Belief Assooition ' for an order for a suit of clothes. He said lie had been refused assistance. "My casn was not considered a deserving one," lie added. "I was wounded on the Sommo in September last. lam lame, and practically incapable of earning a living. The meeting directed the association's committee to take the matter up. •'-,..■.

General Orders state that on the New Zealand Expeditionary Force "being disbanded a number of vacancies for lieutenants in the N.Z.S.C. and R.N.Z.A. will, be thrown open to the warrant officers and n.c.o.'s of the R.N.Z.A. and N.Z.P.S. Appointments to these vacancies will be made on the results of a competitive examination.

General Orders state that parchment 'commissions for .officers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who have not held' commissions in the Territorial Force will be forwarded to the Director of Base Records for issue, and may be obtained by the'officer himself, or by. his authorised agent, on making application to the D.B.R. In cases where a parchment commission is held by tho D.B.R. for an officer who is reported as killed in action, or died of wounds, or other causes, it will be forwarded' to the next-of-kin for retention. As it is not always practicable to supply officers with their commissions before their departure from New Zealand on active service, in such cases the document will bo forwarded to the next-of-kin, on the D.B.R. receiving written authority to do so from officers, concerned. . . :

At a sitting of the First 'Auckland Military Service on Saturday a young man who appealed for exemption oh the ground of being the sole support of his father (a cripple), aged 56, and mother, aged 51, explained his earnings, and said his father received a pension.of £1 4s. per week. It was pointed out to him that, financially; his parents would not bo worses off if he went away. "Yes, that is all right; but supposing I come back without an arm and leg," replied the appellant. "Ah, yes," replied tho chairman, Mr. Burgess, S.M., "but'we can't deal with probabilities." "'l'm quite prepared to go if fliey give a married man's allowance for my parents," added the appellant. "It does seem a reasotiabio way of looking at it," the chairman . remarked. "A mother requires just tho same as a wifo doos." It was pointed put, however, that the Government had control of such mattors. Appellant was granted leave until the end of next month.

.Any invention for preeervins; life in the .present war, or any now equipment which will add to the efficiency of our armies is worth looking after. If you have an idea, see us about It, or write for bur free booldot, "Advice to. Henry Uiwb.es, Ltd., 157 Feathereton Street, .WeMflgfcon J -AdVt»

Nine candidates have been nominated for the three vacancies on the Napier Harbour Board. The Hawke's Bay Comity Council yesterday declined to support a resolution from tho Ekctahuna Borough Council, which'urges .the Government to erect cool storage depots in the four centres, the chairman expressing the opinion that it was unfair, for'local bodies to band together in matters such as this and endeavour to force the Government to increase its expenditure.

The following extract from a letter recently received in Auckland affords some idea of the-plague of mice which is so seriously. affecting the wheat crops of Australia. "The Minister of Agriculture visited M.inyip, and was impressed' with tbe.workdone- by some of tho sub-agonts to suppress the mice plague, especially with the work douo by the manager for Thomas and Sons. In the millyard there are several large stacks of ■ wheat, and corrugated . iron hns boon placed - round the, stacks. Kerosene ting have been sunk in the ground about ton yards 'away, half filiod with water. By this means during the past few weeks. 100,000 mice have been killed. During the past few nights 15,000 mice havo been destroyed." . , .

._ A boat containing several persons, including children,, sank in the lake at Hamilton on Friday, and great difficulty- was experienced in getting tho occupants ashore. Mrs. Brinsden and her child of about three years were so exhausted that they had to bp taken to the hospital, where they soon recovered.

At last evening's meeting of the Peteno Borough Council it was decided that the engineer should be instructed to report on tho area of land in the district (excepting the Recreation Ground) which is available for potato planting.

Reference to the entry of America into the war was made by the chairman of tho Central Chamber of Commercs at a meoting of ■ this body yesterday. Mr. C. M. Luke said -that since last meeting tho great nation- of America had come into the war on the side of the Allies. It must be gratifying to the people of tho British Empire to know that the President of the United States, after two and a half years, had come to the conclusion that ho could no longer remain neutral, aiid that the only moral and righteous course open to him was to .join wj-JJI the Allies in the great straggle with that Power which was menacing the freedom of the human race. The United States had been slow to act, but it had now declared, with no uncertain voice its intention of taking a vigorous part in the struggle. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, endorsing the chairman's remarks, agreed that it scorned now that the United States, having decided to come in, meant business. It was a source of great satisfaction to the British that this great nation, speaking our own tongue, had joined forces with tho Allies. He believed that the bond of language was a very strong one, and he feared that the English-speaking peoples might yet have to undertake bigger tasks than,they now had on hand.

The Mayor has received from.Mre.C. A. Johnston, "Highden," a cheque for £50 for the Nurses' Memorial Fund. The contribution will be forwarded to Dr. Young, president of the movement by which this-memorial is being promoted. . . ■■ ■ .

The Wellington City Council has asked the police to take proceedings against drivers of motor vehicles which .exhibit unusually strong headlights. The police have also been requested by the council to proceed against motorists who travel past stationary tram cars at a greater speed than four miles an hour, '