LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3134, 12 July 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Sir James Allen gave to a reporter yesterday revised figures regarding tho 'number of New Zealanders under arm?. The Minister eaid that 76,913 men and nurses had gone to the war, the number of nurses being 435. The total number of men wlio had passed through tho camn and those who were still there was 80,00(1, which did not include the staff of 1671.

"It is not necessary for the State to take over the mortgage of any soldier durim; liis absence with the Expeditionary Force or to capitalise the interest due on such mortgage," said the Minister of Defence yesterday, "because the regulations providing for the granting of financial assistance to soldiers enable the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board to meet amongst other liabilities of a soldier 'interest on loans and mortgages.' Ench case is considered by the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board on its merits, and any grant made under these regulations is a free gift by tho Stato to the 'soldier. The National Efficiency Board Tins been created to make 'arrangements for the carrying-on of farms and, if possible, businesses of soldiers." Shortly before 10 o'clock on Wednesday week (the Nelson "Colonist" says) » waterspout was observed travelling across the bay in the direction of the Waknpunka hills, where it was seen to burst. For a few minutes there was a deluw of rain, which extended to the city, Hooding the streets.

The Prime Minister stated In the J?ouse of Eepresentatives that ho could not see his way to put men discharged from the training camps on 'the samo footing as returned soldiers in connection with land settlement. The Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act provided land for New Zealanders who had been members of an Expeditionary Force in connection with the present war, ha<l served beyond New Zealand, and had received their discharge and returned to the Dominion.. Seeing the great number that were still lit the front and the necessity for providing land for them, he could not at present propose legislation extending the provisions of that Act to a larger c'ass. All members of an Expeditionary Force, whether or not they had left the Dominion, were granted preference at ballots for ordinary Crown land r.r settlement land, and the land boards would in all eases give sympathetic consideration to their applications. ,

The i'oal carlxuiisod "I Hie Miisterton gasworks during the lash, financial year was .IMS tins- The output of gas inrrensril during the year by 3,279,000 cubi" feet.

In the Wellington Military District at, the end of July, persons producing, on request by the art. union representative, a Crippled Soldiers' Hostel Art Union ticket bearing th« u-ords "Wizard Light" will get

At Hastings yesterday John Hergenc a milkman, was lined J2O for selling watered milk, the Magistrate, Mr. l'oynron, remarking that tho offence was u \erv serious one—Press Assn.

A member of J Company, 28th Reinforcements, has been found guilty of disobeying a lawful command giveii by his superior officer. He was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for eleven months.

Replying to a question bv Dr. Newman, the Minister in Charge of the National Provident Fund Department (Hie lion. A. 31. said yesterday that the question of providing a pension for mirses in Government institutions and public hospitals is under coi.sideration by tho Government.

The Minister of Defence stated in answer to a question that he did not intend to amend the Military Service Act by providing a right of appeal to the Supreme Court from tho decisions of Military Service Boards. The chairman of each board was either an experienced stipendiary magistrate or a barrister of the Supreme Court, and was therefore well qualified to decide on all questions of law.

The executive of the Aotea Convalescent Home (Egypt i have received a cheque for XIOO from the organisers of the Surprise Bag Day Fund, and this amount has ueen cabled to Egypt at their request, to be expended for special comforts for the inmates of the home.

An extraordinary nrstake-was made in Melbourne on June 20 ir. the presentation of medals for bravery to four Australian soldiers. One awarded by tho lioyal Tk'.inane Society to "Sergeant f!. Mills," for rescuing a soldier who had fallen overboard was received by a man bearing that name, but who. it has since been discovered, was not entitled to it. The real winner of the honour is at the present time in England, and the man on whose breast the medal was pinned by the Governor-General has admitted that he was never on hoard 'he lionsport mentioned in the certificate which accompanied the medal, nor hud he ever sailed around West Africa. The medal has since been returned (o the Department.

It is reported Hint some of the Wellington grocers have deckled to advance the price of sugar by a farthing per lb., owing to the recent rise in the wholesale price of £1 per ton, and that the price of sugar iu the 701b! bags was rot to lie increased. .The rise is not general. One of tho leading city grocers said that he had not raised his price and did lot intend to do so. It was understood when the announcement of the rise was made a fortnight ago that the Board of Trade had stipulatedvthat tho price of sugar was not to be raised to the small consumer. If the rise is made the public, it is held, are being unduly penalised, as an extra JH only represents iiCO farthings, whilst the- rako-oli would mean 22-10 farthings for every ton of sugar sold by t-bo pound.

A fine record came to light at yesterdny's sitting of the Military Service Board, when Corporal G. E." Whitney, of the 28th Reinforcements, was grunted leave from October I to October 31 of this year. It appeared that Corporal Whitney had been on aetivo s'rvice, had been twice wounded, and had been discharged as medically unfit. Though ho was not liable to serve again, lie had volunteered, passed, and gone into camp. Tho board very readily acceded to his request for leave, whicli wa6 made for domestic reasons.

Replying to a suggestion that the alien enemies at present interned at Somes Island should be repatriated at the close of the war, the Minister of Defence said that the policy regarding treatemnt of alien enemy civilians residing in the British Empire on the conclusion of the war would undoubtedly be considered by the Imperial Government in consultation ■with the Governments of the overseas Dominions.

"The supply and' price of sugar to the Dominion of New Zealand wns the subject of' negotiations between the Colonial Sugar Company and the Hoard of Trade," said tho Prime Minister yesterday! "and it was upon the report of the board that tho Government agreed to an increase of J;l per ton over the price arranged for in June, 191 G. A full report -of the negotiations and reasons for the increase will be submitted in an interim report of the Board of' Trade, to be presented ! to Parliament shortly. I may state that the Colonial Sugar Company have agreed to supply our camps and military i.c-spitals at oCIB per ton."

■The member for Otaki (Mr. W. H. Field) recently asked the Minister of Defence if it was true that at the request of the British War Office all New Zealand soldiers over the, age of forty-three years had been recalled from France as unfit, and if the Minister had arrived at any definite decision as to the service of men over forty-three years of age in New Zealand, it appearing to be a waste of money and of the services of -useful men in this country to send such men forward if they wore to be rejected by the Imperial military authorities. "I have no knowledge of any such request from tho War Office," replied Sir James Allen. "During the winter some men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force under fortyfive years of ago wero retained in England. During the summer men up to the age of forty-nvo years are sc'it to the front in France."

. "No branch of the Public Service has been exempted from military service," said the Defence Minister yesterday. "Employment in some branches of the Public Service has been considered essential, and the Military Service Boards have been so advised. The decision in the case of each member of the Public Scrvico appealed for rests with the Military Service Boards."

Tho most recent donation to the Auckland Museum is a large canoo brought to Auckland by the mission steamer Southern Cross. The canoe is a gift from Dr. Wood, Bishop of Melanesia, nnd ei-mes from Tikopia, in the : Eastern Solomons. It is 26ft. long, and very heavy, being built with an outrigger. This is the third canoo which lias been presented to the Museum by Dr. Wood, all being of oift'erent design. In a letter which accompanied the gift, Bishop Wood mentions 'that the Tikopians are Polynesians, whose language is so closely akin to that of tho Maoris that when a Maori deaodn visited tho islands some time ago he was very soon able to talk with them. The men are remarkably tall, averaging tft. Sin. in height. They are not a tierce race, as are some of the Melanesians.

Two Fijinns, who set out from Fiji to see the world, had an experience they c'id not bargain for (says tho "New Zealand Herald ). To save their passage money they stowed away on the ill-fated Waitotara. When the ship caught tire the Fijinns were taken in the boats with the crew. They were taken to Noumea, and afterwards to Sydney, where, they were put on board e. vessel bound for Suva. On arrival at Suva the local police probably will take cognisance of their illegal departure from their island home.

Leonard Edwards, son of Mr. G. B. Edwards, of Bendigo, received a number of trophies from bis brother-in-law, Private Cyril White, who recently returned invalided after service in France. Cue of the gifts was a German bomb. It had been safely handled by a number of < ther persons, but when Edwards.was examining it he touched a secret spring, and the bomb exploded. Edwards's right hand was shattered. He was slso wounded in the abdomen and face. The sufferer was taken, .to tho hospital, where his right forearm was amputated.

The roll of honour of the Kelburu Eeaders comprises Major H. Vickeruiau, Captain J. F. B. Stevenson, Captain Isaacs, Lieutenant C. A. L. Treadwell, Lieutenant Stanley Natusch, Lieuteuant W. F. Hogg, Gunner P. E. Broad.