LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3105, 8 June 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postmaster-General wishes it to lie knowii that persons who continue to post, except by parcel-post, newspapers anil periodicals in. packages.containing more than a single copy, addressed to i tlio TJnited Kingdom, whether for a soldier or a civilian, must not-expect the packages to ho forwarded. Persons who have postpackages containing nioro tlian one copy mav havo them returned on application to "the Chief Inspector ol' the General Post Office, Wellington. Up to the end of June tho packets will bo returned frco of postage. After that date, if the contents-have not already been disposed of, postage will be charged for their retuiui. '

The punishment that falls upon dependants when a soldier's pay is stopped during a period of detention for soino military offence was mentioned at yesterday's meeting of the Advisory Board of Patriotic Societies. The chairman referred to the case of a soldier who had been sentenced to two years' imprisonment abroad, his -pay being stopped for tint period and his dependants lett without the allotment. The boatd decided i,> approach the minister of Defenco with the object of protecting the wives and children in such cases. Tt is understood that a revised list of Justices of the Peace will shortly bo issued by the Justico Department. Some liew appointments are being made, and also a number of names aro to be taken off tlio register. ,

I'lio Secretary, General Cost Ofticc, has been advised that legal time lias been advanced GO minutes 111 Iceland from February to October 111, 1017.

"I am tho solo support of my wife," c).served an appellant at tho -Military Service Hoard. ''Who were you expecting to support her?" asked Captain Walker. Men sometimes complain, about not being starred in the ballot. lists. One way in which this can happen was revealed before the First Wellington Military Service Board, when a son of Erin,' who had lost two brothers in the v.ar, stated that one of them bad been drawii in a recent ballot. "And you say ho was killed at Annentieres?" said one of tho board. "Yes," replied tho appellant, "he went away under an assumed name." Tho Clisborne Patriotic Society is not at present linked lip with the Advisory Board. This fact was considered at yesterday's meeting of tho board, it was suggested that tho Auckland Society, which has two representatives 011 tiio board, should withdraw ono and so make room for a Gisborno delegate. Tho matter was left ill tho hands of tho two societies concerned. Tho people of Masterton are noted for tho splendid manlier in which tliey eater for tho entertainment of tho soldiers from F'eatherston Camp. Tho Masterton Soldiers' Entertainment Committee have now definitely arranged for troop trains to run from Ivb;itherstou Camp to Masterton at 1 o'clock . every Saturday and on Wednesday evenings. Every Wednesday evening a soldiers' dance is. arranged, to which.all soldiers are admitted free. On Saturday next, football and hockey teams from the camp will visit Masterton and play matches against Masterton teams. In the' evening the teams will be entertained at dinner by the Soldiers Entertainment Committee. .AH raon in uniform and returned soldiers will be admitted freo to these games. Another concession obtained for tho men visiting Masterton on Saturdays is that they may now obtain week-end leave allowing them to remain in Masterton from Saturday to Monday morning. The iyeekly games of football aiid hockey will be played right through tho winter, and should prove a great attraction. The Mayor of Wellington, Mr. J.. P. Luke, C.M.G., has written to the ActingPrime Minister in the following terms:— "Will you please accept, for yourself, and lie good enough to convey to your colleagues, my sincere thanks for the courtesy extended to me during my terra of office as Mayor of "Wellington. In accepting the honour conferred upon me by His. Majesty the King, I am deeply sensible of. my added responsibilities, and I will endeavour at all times ■to merit the distinction. I am conscious that the bestowal of this honour is in recognition of patriotic and united work of the people of "this community, and an appreciation of the assistance rendered by the Mayoress to the cause of tho Empire."

Some time ago <£100 was sent from New Zealand to purchaso such comforts as tinned fruit and vegetables for tho mon on H.M.S. i —. Before the

goods arrived tlio Bhip had changed her quarters, and it was deemed advisable to distribute tTiem amongst the men of other ships in the squadron, especially th 6 men of one other ship which had been associated with' New Zealand. This was done.

An inquest was held yesterday morning by Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., concerning the death of Eileen Tracy, a littlo girl who resided with her parents in Cuba Street. . She was knocked down by a motor ambulance oft May 22, and died in the Hospital on Juno 2. The evidence disclosed the fact that the ajnbulance was being driven at tho moderate speed of five to Six miles an hour, and that the accident occurred through tho child running into the street to see if her father was c6ming home. The verdict wis that tho child died from injuries received through being knocked down by a motorambulance, and that no blame attached to the driver.

The British Army Post Office employs over four thousand men, and dispatches each 1 week nine thousand bags of parcels and forty thousand bags of letters, containing nino hundred thousand parcels and over ten million letters. The office wceives each week eight million letters. — Press Assn.

Councillor Hobbs intends to move at Saturday's meeting of the Onslow Borough Council: "That a special committee bo, set up to deal ivitti certain matters ill connection with the public lighting of the district."

"There seems to he. some impression that we are trying to hold men back from military'service," remarked Mr. K. W. M'Villy Manager of Railways) at yesterday's'sitting of the Military Service Board. "Tile fact," added Mr. M'Villy, "is that we are not trying anything of the Kind."

Mention was made by the AssistantGeneral Manager of' Railways (Mr. li. W. M'Villy) at the Military .Service Board yesterday,, of the length of time it has "taken the Military Medical Boards to examine the railway men. who have recently beon balloted to go to tho /war. Mr. M'Villy said he had been four weeks trying to got 150 men medically examined. The military representative on the board said ffie faitlt ''might not lie with the medical boards; there was the question of Retting the men to the boards. Mr. M'Villy: "Why. I have been trying every day to get these men's positions cleared up. and I- liavo beon unable to ascertain their position. It is extremely awkward for the Railway Department to be unable to find out-what is going to happen respecting so large a body as 550 of its staff." '

A request for. assistance in the parchase of musical instruments for Awapuni Camp tflmc before the Advisory Board of the Patriotic Societies yesterday. The board decided that it could not vote money for the purpose, arid suggested that subscriptions should be raised privately; .

.Emulations in this week's Gazette i)rovido for tho constitution of tlie New Zealand Arlriy Par, Department, the New Zealand Amy Ordinance Department, and the New Zealand Army Ordinance Corps. Tho regular establishment of the Army Pay Corps is to bo two warrant officers, six staff-sergeants, and ten- other rants, but during the war this may be exceeded to tho extent, specified in general orders. , The Ordinance Department and Corps will bo on the lines of existing organisations. The regulations have, erfectsas from February "1, 1917. v Quito nil amusing incident happened at tlio Tunrangi Old Men's Home, Ashburton. a few days *350, when the Military Medical Board visited the homo to examine two of its inmates, who wero practically cripples, but whose names were drawn in the second ballot. Needless to say, the men were placed in Class D, not fit for an.V service.

Tho experionces of policemen aro varied (writes vtlie Gisborne "Times"). The Gisborne officers of the law 'have recently beon "bagging" many cyclists, particularly for riding nt night without lights. White a constable was waiting for prey in Childers Road, a lady came riding along, quite oblivious to any risk, when" suddenly she discerned the constable; but no one was more surprised than tho latter when ho found in his arms a lady in a fainting condition. In his embarrassment and anxiety to revive the cyclist (which lie succeeded in. doing) the officer forgot to take lier name and address, and slio resumed her journey no doubt convinced that a policeman is not so liard-hcarted in, the performance of his duty as some peoplo think. In the matter of the number of men secured yesterday was a yeiy big perhaps the biggest—for the I'irst Wellington Military Service Board. ? A number of temporary exemptions were granted, but on the other liund the board was promised 150 men to go into camp this month from the Railway Department. In response to. tho appeal made for sticks for wounded soldiers at Kotorua a package of ten walking-sticks has been handed into tho National Office of tlio Y.M.C.A. by an anonymous donor. Yesterday n bundle was forwarded by Sergeant TTado froni tho Lambton Quay police, and several • others have also been left at tho local ofiice of the association. Any walking-sticks so donated will bo forwarded to tho proper authorities. Councillor liowdeu will move at tho meeting of tho Onslow Borough Council on Saturday: (1) "'That owing to the dissatisfaction that exists iu connection with tho Kaiwarra water service, and the unsatisfactory financial position connected therewith, a special committee bo appointed to thoroughly investigate the matter; tho committco to consist of Councillors Topp, 13udd, His Worship the Mayor, and councillors of the Kaiwarra Ward."- (2) "Tho committee bo empowered to secu'ro (if ncccssary) ..tlio services of an export."-

In Hig billiard-diner war fund tourney at Alcock's rooms Inst niglit tho winners in A section ivere llolcroft ami Trover, ivho defeated Johnson and Player. ]n li section Morse beat both llobertson and Koll. Tho last giuno was particularly well contested, the winner securing tho necessary quota of points, whilst his opponent was only two behind. Four further games are to bo played on Monday next.

Thoro is money in bee-keeping. One member of tho Beekeepers' Conference, who worked on shares for a. man who owned tho apiary, said that half the net profits meant a return of 30 per cent, to the owner on the oapital invested, and if tho season had been a good 0110 it would havo amounted to 100 per cent.

An incident that took place at Port Melbourne (states tho Melbourno "Argus") was hailed as a good augury for the future by many of those who were saying good-bye to departing soldiers. A girl fell into tho water just before tho last transport left with troop for France, and she was rescued in circumstances that were hailed as romantic. Tho relatives and friends of tho soldiers on board the ship were kept back from the pier until the gangways on thetransport had been hoisted in-board. Then tho barricades were taken down. As tho excitc-d men and women ran towards the ship a girl was pushed over the side of tho pier into tho water. Scarcely had she touched tho water when a chaplain on board tho transport dived from the second deck to save her. The girl's sweetheart was one of the departing soldiers, and-ha dived from the first deck, reaching her admost as soon as the gallant chaplain did. The two wero thus in similar circumstances united when they had thought they, had parted for a long time. The presence of the chaplain made tho incident the moro noteworthy. A moment later another soldier dived into the water, and .with tho help of the three men and those on tho pier the girl was brought safely ashore. She seemed little tho worse for her adventure, and -was comforted by many wjho saw in tho incident a promise of a reunion of the sweethearts when the war is over. Someone suggested that nothing oould be better than that the should be marripd by the chaplain, with the second soldier acting as best man.

The latest return of the work of the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department shows that there are on the register of the Department the names of SBIU returned men. Of these G97-1 have been disposed of, 1172 are under' action, and 661 (including men returned by recent transports) are not ready for action. Of the men disposed of 3072 have gone back to their former employment, or gone back into the Army in some capacity, 1552 have been placed in employment by the Department, 1562 have signed the form "assistance not required,"' 158 cannot' be traced, probably having left New Zealand,. and 630 are men who have not responded to repeated communications, or wlio have accepted work found for them by tho Department. but failed to start work. There are 151 names on the "employment wanted'' register, those in the districts near to WeDington being distributed as follows Taihape, 2,- Feilding, 2; Palmerston North, 2; Taranaki, 4; Wanganui, 8; Napier, 5; Eastings, 3; Dannevirke. 1; Wairarapa, 3; Wellington, 11; and Blenheim, 1.

'A miraculous escape of several persons in'a motor-car occurred, on Sunday at a place near Mangaweka. Mr. George Wrightson, of Taihape, along with his family, was motoring towards Mangaweka, when he met Mr. J. Turnbull, on. his way home to Taihape. Mr. Wrightson drew his car well out of the way; in fact, quite on to tlie edge of the road, in order to allow Mr. Turnbull to pass, and had, in fact, brought it to a standstill, when the slimy ground tinder tho back wheel gave way, and the car commenced going down the -hill into the ravine' below. Mr. Wriglitson's son jumped clear without any injury to himself, but saw the car goinjj over with Lis parents and sister inside. The car continued to roll down the hill, leaving portions at various places going down, and it is nothing short' of miraculous that any of the occupants of the car escaped instant death. Mr. Wrightson had some ribs broken and a severe injury to liis shoulder. Mrs. Wrightson escaped with a few .scratches and a severe shaking, while their daughter ap r pears to have fared badly indeed. She sustained a fracture of the leg below the knee and a broken blood-vessel. The car is practically a total wreck. Eis Excellency tho Governor, the Countess of Liverpool and suite, will I>e present at the Town Hall on Monday, evening to witness tho of Kinemacolor pictures, entitled "The Wonderland of New Zealand" and "The. World Reviewed," wlucli are being shown by Mr. William J. Shephard for the first time in the Dominion.

An interesting ceremony will .'take place on Saturday* next a,t the Town Hall, when His Excellency the' Governor, the Earl of Liverpool, will present to the relatives of' two New Zealand soldiers decorations which were won by the heroeß now {lead at the front. There will he a bit; muster of Territorials, Senior Cadets, and Riflo 'Club members present to assist in the ceremony. The men will parade beforehand in Mercer Street, nnposite the Town Hall, at 2.45 o'clock. The parade of Cadets is compulsory.

.' On Juno 9th and 10th persons producing on request a Crippled Soldiers' Hostel art union-ticket stamped, on the front "Lloyd, Jeweller," receive a presents of jewellery or silver plate; ,£25 worth now on view in Lloyd's window, Lambton Quay, will be civon away*