LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3096, 29 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An amendment of the War Uegulnliim by which soldiers nve protected ugainst tho issue nf liny process! of execution against their properly except with t'hu fcoiiseiit of the Athiriie.y-lienernl ,'* gazetted. The. protection is now imulo to apply to "an officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned officer, or man of ail Expeditionary l''orce under ilio, Ivspeditionary Forces Act, 1015, who is in receipt of military pny as such, or who, though not in receipt of such pay, has not yet been a member of that force for two months."

'J'lio Actins-T.'ostmaster-Cicneral announces that his Department has arranged with the Union Steam Ship Company for tho d.s. Maori, in the performance of tho ferry service, not to leave Lyttelton on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays until after the arrival of tlie 6.55 p.m. train from Christclmrch This will avoid the stop overnight »t Christchurch of mails and passengers from the West Coast for the North Island.

The mobilisation of the Thirtieth Reinforcements is to take place this week, and the first drafts of recruits will enter camp to-day. Tho military authorities hope, to secure, a full reinforcement, plus tome of the men required to .■•tduce the existing shortage in the training camps. Reservists who were suspended and deferred by t'.ie Military Service Boards in tho early stage of tho compulsory scheme are beginning to come forward for training now, and the effect of the recent big draws is being felt. The infantry recruits will be mobilised at Trentham and subsequently will be transferred to the now ecgrega'tioii camps at Tiuiherenikau.

"The feeling in fawwr of_ tion is growing in .Australia,'" ays <• Svdney business man in a letter to si friend in Wellington. "The result of the referendum did not tepresent matured opinion. The call for recruits at that time was tangled up with all sorts of political catch-cries and personal fends, with the result you know. Tint since then Australia lias had letters from the front. She had learned that her divisions are dwindlins in the tie.cl for lack of reinforcements. She has eeen New' Zealand actually forming an extra brigade from accumulated reinforcements. She has seen the critical phases of tlie submirine campaign, and watched America enter the war. I. l.«lievo.thftt a vote on conscription to-day would reverse the earlier decision • emphatically." Whilst digging a trench in which to lav a sewer to the J'etono Railwiiy Workshops a gang of borough labourers came across a lump of pure copper weighing between three, and four hiimlredireislit and valued at about .£35. '1 he «ite, k was afterwards found, was that'of tin old coppersmith's shop, anil the copper was evidently a stock which hail become accidentally buried in the ground, and forgotten.

A Meeting oMlik Conciliation Council set w) to ileal 'with a dispute .between the Hotel Workers' Union and their emplovers ended some two or three weeks ago without result, but since then other conciliation proccediiifTS. have led to a settlement. Under the terms of the proposed nc waward or agreement, winch is to have a currency of three years, tho workers are to-have- increase? ni wages i-ftii"iiiß from 2s. Gil. to 7s. 6(1. per week. The" bulk of Hie workers get tin increase of iis. per week. The inquest eoiieovuins: Hie deal'" o> .Tames Dunn, a coal worker, « years of nee who was found drowned near -\o. it .Tervois Quay Wharf, on Friday evening, was held by Mr. W. G. Eiddell S.M in the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon. The man was seen struggling in (lie water l>y a youth, who threw him a lifebuoy. 'Hie drowning man failed to .-rasp the buoy. The deceaseds son, in his evidence, stated that his lather could not swim, and Suffered a great deal lrom palpitation of the lieart. Honry AYalluce, a Harbour Board employee and Constable Isbister gave details as lo the recovery of the Wy. The Coroner, returned a verdict of accidentally dronnetl. and in doing so slated that decked must have had a giddy turn and fallen into the water. Councillor J. 0. Shofland lias given notice to move as follows at Ihuisday night's meeting of tho City Gouncil:"That seeing tho present method of handling and storing coal at both the lighting and power statious must have resulted to date in thousands ot pounds loss of revenue in this city, and is cruel to both men and animals employed, Hie General Manager be instructed to at once instal un-10-dfite mechanical methods ot storing, stacking, and bringing coal to the furnaces, winch should result m the savin" to the city of JEISOO to £M 0 per year, on the estimate that.3o.ooo tons of cb.il are consumed annually in these stations." Tho Military Institute Committee of the various churches, met yesterday morning at the National Y.ll-C.A; Headquarters, the Hon. J. G. AV. Aitken occupying the chair. There was.a »g rcnresentatiou from every denomination in he federated effort. A resolution was passed sympathising with the family ot Jtr .Tames Mitchell, of Chrwtchnrch, who has juet died. Mr. Mitchell was vow active in church work and n<4 a member of the Y.M.C.A. National Committee The chairman reported that permission had been granted .by the niililarv authorities to proceed with the work of the erection of a United Institute building at Taulwrciiikau Camp. Orders were issued for tho purchase ot material, and the work will Iμ gone right ahead with by Mr. Daniel, the contractor.

The City Council has decided to promote legislation for the purpose oi dealins with depreciation funds, and a Bill to provide for this is being prepared by the Citv Solicitor for introduction at next session of Parliament, the tunds referred to are those in connection with the municipal abattoirs, tramways, and power supply, electrical lighting, and water supply.. The Auditor-General has on several occasions questioned tnerigfit of the council to utilise depreciation funds in the extension of services ami the building up of the respective undertaking?. Tn order that thcro may bo a clear understanding of its powers in this direction tho municipality isi seeking fclic necessary legislative authority from Parliament. The Fanners' Union Conference at Auckland resolved on Friday to request the Education Department to have "book-keeping" P liu;e(l , ou [ \ llsl P tl o ' subjects to bo taught to pupils of tho sixth standard in primary schools, in view of the fact that the law now- requires farmers to keep books and submit their income account to the Department. Tho motion was proposed by Jr. ■Rolletl. of the Jlataraata. branch, who pointed out that most farmers' children went to work immediately after leaving school, and few had tho opportunity of acquiring a knowledge ot book-keeping. In Sydney about three months ago a hatpin'penetrated the back of a mannamed Albert Ford, entering behind the left shoulder Wade. After some attention, and because of the fact that he felt no effects, Ford believed that the pin had been extracted. Last week, however he felt a sharp pain beneath the skin'of the left breast. He went to the casualty department of the Sydney Hospital, and after an examination Dr. 0. ltobertson concluded that some hard substance was the , cause of the pain, the doctor made an incision, and removed SJin. of the hatpin. , it had narrowly missed piercing the heart.

\t the batfclo of Hie Sonnne. said Chap-lain-Captain Burgin, speaking at' Auckland on Friday, everything was done to the minute. The battle started by one gun firing, and in ten seconds every Rim was playing u hail of fire on the German trendies. Then the barraßC lifted, and the men went over the parapets. "Inside the hour tho first wounded began to arrive at the speaker's dressing station, where he gave them tea and bovril. During twenty-eight days ho was undressed only twice, and during that time he did not think Colonel Murray undressed at all. The Rev. Burgin paid a high tribute to the work done bv Colonel Murray, and also touched on tho attitude of the German wounded and prisoners. After attending to the needs of our wounded he approached a German officer who was standing by looking terribly depressed, and offered him n drink, but' tho lmiHity lmte with whiHi l>'o chaplain's offer was spurned had to bo sni'ii to be beliovod. ' There was only one thing the. German officer detested—that whs to be placed in the same enclosure ■with his men, whereas the English officer lived wi(h his men.

AYalking sticks are much needed for convalescent soldiers at Rotoruu. Lac.n man usually requires two, and they aro laken away by (.lie soldiers leaving ior home. Anv slicks left at the \.M.O.A. National headquarters, Baker's Building, Foathorston Street, will, lie forwarded to the proper official.

War pensions granted during tho past week bring the total 'liability.of the Dominion under this head up to the amount of .£392,712 per year. At March 31 the annual charge was £270,000, so that the total ia mounting up vapidly. Ine annual value of the pensions granted last week was JMS, and during the month of April pensions to the annual value of JC19.G53 were granted.

A slight shock of earthquake was experienced in. Masterton shortly alter six o'clock on Sunday evening.

No fresh cases of scarlet fever have been reported in Mastertpn during the past week, says our special correspondent. It is expected that the embargo placed upon tho township by the military authorities will bo removed in the course of a day or two. "Despite, the fact that the food problem in England is very serious, necessary commodities such as butter, bread, and sugar beiiiff at very high prices, it 13 wonderful the spirit of cheerfulness and optimism which prevails," said ChaplainCaptain Burgin at a meeting ot the ~nd Chamber of Commerce on rn<lay. The feeling of depression, he said, was conspicuous by its absence.

M the conclusion of his address to shareholders of the Farmers' Co-opera-tive Organisation Society, at Hawera, on Saturday, Mr. Is. AV. Ralph, general manager of the New Zealand Farmers Co-operative Association of Canterbury, was asked a question regarding ship-' oil)". He stated that they had a shipnlii" company in the Dominion at one lime viz, the New Zealand Shipping Company, but it had been merged -into a lar"C shipping concern in the Ulu. AWM, and New Zealand no longer owned its own company. Freights had gone up very union. This, of course, was only to U expects during the war, but the question was <vl<at could they expect after the war. It was no use wailing too long, and the producers made up tlieir minds to do something. A. very representative conference wa? held in AVellingtofl. and it was.unammonslv decided to form a shipping company "and a committee was set up, ot which lie was one. It would be impolitic Jor him ro imnnvf. ~r,v infnrmaho- at KiU stn«<?, lmt tljer could bike it that Hie piwluews vealisrd that no matter what they honed to do throneli tliefederation of co-operative societies, they were powerless until they succeededl in Sfttine liold of Hie oiily connecting Suite —sliipjiiii!,'. On ,T«ne Dili and 10th neiso-is producing on request a Crinplod Soldier?- Hostel ii-t union ticket stamped on the iront "I.lovd. Jeweller." receive n present or iewellerv or silver nlalc: .£25 worth on view in Lloyd's window, Lpmbton Quay, will b? givau iiivay.*.