LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3101, 4 June 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho secrotary of the Railway Locomotive Engine-drivers', Firemen, and Cleaners' Association has been informed by tho Minister of Railways that consideration of the association's request for all increase in wages has been deferred until Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward return to New Zealand.

A motor-ear belonging to Dr. Shand was left standing in Featherston .Street about XI p.m. <m Friday. When tho owner looked for it somo littlo time after, ho found that it' had disappeared. It remained untraecd till yesterday afternoon, when it was discovered on the road between Island Bay and Lyall Bay. Tho only damago to the maehino was a punctured tiro.

Labour in Christchuroh is thoroughly satisfied with tho principle of proportional representation, and will fight like a tiger, not only to maintain it in tno municpal elections, but'io extend it. to all elections for public office," says Mr. Hiram Hunter, one of the recently-elect-ed members of the Christchnrch City Council, in a letter to the president of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council.

At Hai'i Hari recently (states a West Coast exchange) Private Stan Allen, who recently returned from the front, and is again going into camp, attended a sale for the pui'posa of disposing of two very fine hacks. The demand for horseflesh was at zero, and no salo resulted. With commendable generosity Mr. John Butler, of Matanui, made the announcement that ijf anyone present would give .65 towards the purchase he would do tho same. A like amount was offered, and in a few minutes the reserve of was reached by the donations of admirers standing by. Finally Mr. Butler sold his purchase for .£5, and, turning round, handed the amount to Private Allen, whose surprise was not surpassed by his. pleasure at the incident.

Mr. Herbert Garison, lecturing at the London Camera Club, said that the British Empire had no finer race of warriore than tho Maoris, a thousand or more of whom had donned kliaki. They united in their past eonio of the most extraordinary and atrooious forms of barbarism and cannibalism with somo-of the noblest forms of chivalry. While in Sew Zealand, ho lectured before an audience in.which there was a Maori Chief who had eaten human flesh, and white fiesh at that; and vet 100 Maori women had married European husbands, quite a number of others had entered the professions, and one Maori lady was a distinguished and charming hostess in London society. The lecturer, in. dealing witlr the greatness of New Zealand from many aspects, said that he did not hesitate to affirm, after travelling about tlio possessions of the British Empire for 27 years, that New Zealand was the gem anions them all. City men, keep dry about town by using a staunch Umbrella from Geo. Fowids. Ltd., Manners Street; ss. 6d. to 42d.—Advt.

Tho Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board 6at ou 13 occasions during the month of May, and dealt with ti'2i applications. Of this number 129 were withdrawn or declined, !)1 were deferred for further information from the applicants, and grants were made in -101 eases. Meetings were held every night last week and on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately uiembors of reinforcement* about to leave Now Zealand aro making application at tho'last moment, and requesting immediate attention. Owing to tho large number of applications daily receivod early application should bo made direct to the secretary, Soldiers' Financial Assistance .Board, W.F.C.A. Buildings, Wellington, and full information should be supplied in tho applcation form, as regards tho obligations in connection with whicli financial assistance is required.

"There are too many homo service men already," remarked tho military representative at Saturday's sitting oi the First Wellington Military Service Board. Inquiry work'with the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade in Egypt has been started recently by tho Young Men's Christian" Association there. Mr. P. it. Velvin, association field secretary stationed at Cairo, reports that ho lias an excellent opportunity of prosecuting such work. Ho is desirous to bo of any help to relatives or friends of wounded or fallen men on the Egyptian front who will communicate with the Y.M.C.A. headquarters, Cairo.

At the Magistrate's Court at Hamilton, oil Saturday morning a young man named "John Clements, a returned soldier, who was a member of the Fifth Reinforcements, pleaded guilty to a charge of forging and uttering at Cambridge. Me was committed to the' Supreme Court at Hamilton for sentence. —Press Assn.

Some people, amongst them farmers, have little faith in their fellows, but a young man who appeared before tho Auckland Military Service Board was not even disposed to place confidenco in his parents and other relatives, says tho "Star." ■ Major Conlan: "'You have a lot of relatives near your place. Couldn't they keep an oyc on it, or look after it. if you had to go away?" "I tell you," replied the young fellow, thumping his closed fist on tho Biblo, "if f have to go to-morrow T will shut up tho gates. I will leave the place to nobody, not oven to you," lie declared to tho chairman. "I am afraid yon are not in your natural state," camo tho reply. The burly appellant, quick as lightning, remarked, "Where did you 6ee me before?" H? added "that twenty men. might be procured, but only one reliable man in tho lot. Ho refused to admit that liis relatives would keep the place going satisfactorily, saying with ft nod of the head, "Oh, I know, and I am not ashamed to own it." When told that he would get exemption till August 23 the appellant replied, "I don't agree with that at all.

Describing I'ho joys a soldier felt when an opportunity presented, itself tochange from campaign diot, Colonel Hughes, in liis lecture at Christcluirch on Thursday evening, said that onco when the battalion was sent from Gallipoli to Imbros for a fivo days' rest, a great business wnfl done with the Greet traders of delec tables. The adjutant's orderly became very ill within a few hours after arrival. Inquiry elicited the fact that he had purchased a dixie full of mudberrics, mixed this fruit with the contents of a tin of cordenscd milk, and eaten the- lot. "I think I must havo taken it a bit sudden, though," was the naive explanation of the soldier. A child aged five disappeared from its home in the suburbs as darkness was coming on one day last week (says tho Duncdin "Star"). Neighbours vainly joined in tho searcli. The police diligently inquired without avail. Some time after II the same evening the wee one quietly walked in and greeted its mother. It had picked up a tram ticket, ridden into the, city, spent the evening at the pictures, and then gone home, perfectly sobe,-! . So far as the Napier Defence Office is concerned tho replacement of the permanent Defence staff by loturnHl soldiers is now almost completo (says the "Telegraph"). Out: of a- staff numbering eleven, only two remain who have not seen service in the present war. and Uie3e two men have repeatedly made attempts to get away, but withi'it success. At the Supreme Court at Auckland "William John Tliorburn was fined the amount of tlv-i expenses of thei action, about w£8l), for an assault oil Thomas M'Kinley at "Whaiigarei in December last. M'Kiuley's leg was broken in the scuffle. Accused, denied that it was tho result Of a kick. 'Hie evidence showed that the bitternoss existed between thentwo families owing to an aQiliation case in which ATlunley'-e brother was defendant. The Judge ordered a sentence ol' three months' imprisonment in default, Thorburn to keep the peace for twelvo mouths. —Press Association.

Tlio most noticeable feature of tho vital statistics for the Auckland registration district for May is the substantial increase in the number of births as compared with tho figures for the corresponding period of last year. The respective totals are £00 as against -51, which show the increaso to lie 3?. Deaths in the same periods compared, show a ■decrease of 12, and man-wges an increase of ono for the months just closed, as follows, vix.:—Deaths, 1917, ll'l; lOlli, 126; marriages, 95 and 91.

Ail interesting fact was stated by tho Rov. \V. Ct. Monckton in tho courso of an address at Auckland. Speaking of the intensive culturo of Belgium, ho pointed out that :lio country itself was not the size of tho province. of Auckland, yet it supported a population seven times as large as that of the whole of New Zealand. Kvery scrap of land was ■under cultivation.

The Masterton. police sailed out on an extraordinary chase the other day. They tried (says a contemporary) to apprehend the alleged author of an alleged rumour. Somebody said that a transport had been sunk; somobody told one Sidney Briden that soraebdy lmd told somebody that a transport had been sunk; and Briden asked somebody if ho had heard that somebody had told somebody that a transport had been sunk. Somebody told- the polico that somebody had told somebody that that somebody had heard Briden tell somebody that he had heard that somebody hail said that thoro was a rumour that a transport had been sunk. Therefore tho police charged Briden before,a, magistrate with bavin? "published a false report likely to cause alarm: to wit, Uuit a transport had been sunik." Quite naturally the magistrate could not peer his way through that tangle. The case was dismissed.

"The wicked wastefulness entailed bv the 'limif system" in connection with fishing in the Hauirnki Gulf was_ denounced by the Women's Political League in .1 letter receive! by the Auckland \City Council last week, which, also asked the council to assist the efforts of the Fishermen and Trawlers' Employees' Union to pnt their industry on a more satisfactory fepting. The league thought it almost incredible that at a timo when everyone was economv and every pood housewife was try ing" to practise it "quantities of good wholesome food are tfikcn to 6ea and dumped overboard." The matter was referred by the council to the Finance and Legal Committee.

On June !lth and lftth neisois producing on request a Crippled Soldiers' Hostel <irt union ticket stamped' on the front "Llnvd, Jeweller." receive a. present of jewellery or silver plate; .C 25 worth now on view in Lloyd's window, Ijambton Quay, will be given away*