LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3145, 25 July 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A suggestion that a bonus should be paid to New Zealand soldiers when they left the Expeditionary Force after mora than two years' servico in crder to take commissions in Imperial Forces was made by Mr. W. T. Jennings (Tauraaruliui) yesterday. The Minister of Defence (Sir Jmnes Allen) said that his Department did not pay any bounty and did not wish to encourago men to leave the New Zealand Forces. Sir Joseph Ward stated in the House of Representatives, in answer' to a question, that the Imperial Government had removed all firms in Japan from the "black list," and had asked the Dominion Governments to take a similar step. New Zealand accordingly had removed Japaneso firms from the list of enemy firms. Dr. A. K. Newman gave notice in the House of Representatives yestorday to ask the Prime Minister whether the Government is aware that the Meat Trust is invading the New Zealand butter market, peeking by peacoful penetrar tion to get control, and what stops tlio I Government is prepared to toko.

The Third Wellington Military Service Board yesterday heard an appeal ior Hie temporary exemption of a meat inspector, l'ho contention advanced in support of the appeal was that a shortage of meat inspectors iu the country would constitute a dangor to tho public health and a grave menace to tho whole meat export trade. Tho chairman, Mr? H. J. Boswick, said that now alt the meat was being commandeered bv tho Imperial authorities tho Homo Government could easily be informed that owing to the shortage of inspectors the meat was not being subjected to such strict; inspection as formerly. Then, it' they preferred that inspectors should be retained in New Zealand, they could say bo to the Government hero. Tho board merely granted leave till August 22.

By Gazette Extraordinary published last night it is announced that the provisions of the Military Service Act, so far as they apply to Natives, shall lie subject to tho modification that a Native reservist married in accordance with Native custom on or before May 1, 1915, whose marriage, is for tho time being subsisting, 6hall "bo a member of tho Second Division of tho Native Expeditionary Force Eeserve.

In urging at last evening's meeting of the War League that tho Dominion must do still md're in tho matter of sending men to the front, Mr. A. E. Atkinson deplored the setting-in of what he termed a sort of moral dry-rot in a certain section of the Legislature. "Some of the very men," he said, "upon whom we were relying most at the beginning of the war havo suddenly said they have had enough, and think it is time to pull out."

Tho National Committee of tho T.M.C.A. acknowledges the fallowing contributions to its war funds: —Mr. A. M. Smith, Napier, .Co; Mrs. M. E. "Wilson, Ultham, .£1; Wanganui-Waitotara Patriotic Association, .£3O; ' Mrs. J!. French, Wellington, J26; Taihapo and District Patriotic Society (two months .£SO: Messrs. M. Nelson and Son, Wairoa, .6-20; Mis. M. Matheson, Fernside, <£2 10s. Gd.; Mr. E. .T. Collins, Porangahau, .£2 2s. (id.; ltawke's Bay War Belief Fund, <£70; Miss A. Fitzgerald, Wellington, .£1; Messrs. Alcock and Co.. Wellington, .£11; Mrs. Matthews, Wellington, £1 10s.; Plunket Nurse, Dannevirke, -£l Is.

By last mail a local merchant who keeps his attention on tho flour market in Australia, received tho following atvice from a leading firm of millers iu Sydney:—"The Wheat Board, we understand, will be hooking orders for October by the time you get this, but at an increase of lid. per bushel on the ruling rate. For your guidance the ruling rates for wheat are as under: —'For flour for consumption in Australia, 4s. 9d. bushel; for flour for export to New Zealand, ss. Bd. up to Seotember, with an indication of ss. 9M. per bushel being fixed for October."' :

4. plea for improved shipping facilities in the Cook Islands was made in tho House of Representatives by Mr. A. Glover, who said that under present conditions tho inhabitants of the. outer islands had very great difficulty in reaohitig Rarofonga. The stoamor trading to the islands was not a suitable ship, and the Government should see that a proper service was provided. Tho Hon. Dr. Pomaro said that tho Government was already subsidising a # schooner to carry passengers among tho islands. Tho shortage of shipping was acute, and the Government had to use tho vessels that were available.

A two-days 1 conference of the National Committee and War Auxiliary of tho Y.M.C.A. will open in "Wellington at o'clock this morning. Delegates will l>e present from centres from end to end 01 New Zealand, and a full programme of Teports and proposals for futuro policy ha 3 been drawn up for: consideration. This conference will bo followed on Friday by a conference of the association's employed officers from all over the Dominion.

Tho eternal question of milk supply was once more before tho Public Health Committee of tho City Council yesterday afternoon, when a deputation of dairy farmers and'vendors took occasion to again voico their opposing grievances. Mr. Ryder, president of the Farmers' Association, spoke at length for the suppliers, the vendors aired their troubles onco more, speeches ivero made by tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) and Mr. R. A. AVright (chairman of tho committee), and a general discussion followed. The upshot of tho gathering was that it was generally agTced that nothing conkl be done to relieve the present unsatisfactory conditions until the council -had received the reports of Messrs. Olliver (of Christchurch) and "Ward (of tho Lower Futt), the two gentlemen who, as applicants for the position of city milk manager, "are furnishing ideas for a vending system in the form of a comprehensive report. The Mayor stated that these reports weie to have been ready for next Thursday's meeting of the City Council, but- cwreg to Mr. Olliver having met with an accident his report would not ho ready vutil to-morrow fortnight. at the eailiest. When the reports had been ronsidere'l and the council had mado its decision, a site would bo solected for a clearinghouse, and a building would be erected as soon as possible (as part cf the 11.tin KTonp building), which would serve to initiate the new system of tho Tecoipt and delivery of the mills, whatever that may be. News has just come to hand by mail of a very narrow escape experienced at the front by Mr. Robert Blair, a Y.M.C.A. field secretary, well known in different parts of New Zealand. The hut'in which Mr. Blair was sleeping was struck by a shell, and when lie and 'others dashed out to take refuge in a treneli they were found by another shell which half-smothered them with dirt, but without inflicting serious injury. A proposal that v the Defonce authorities should issue medals to mothers of soldiers was made to the Defence Minister by Dr. Thacker in the House of Representatives yesterday. Dr. Thacker said that in Australia the Defence 11 authorities had approved of the issue of a medal to wife, or mother, or nearest female relative of a soldier, or a nurse or masseuse on active service with the Australian Forces. He aslced whether the Minister had considered the idea. Sir ■Tames Allen said he had considered it many times, but he had not seen bis way to recommend it. He did not think it ivould be acceptable to mothers in the first instance. Nurses would get their own decorations at the end of the war. A return giving the number of boys trained on the Amokura since she has been the property of the New Zealand Government was presented to" the House of Representatives yesterday by the Hon. G. W. Russell. The total number was 375. Particulars as to what had happened to tho hovs were as follow:—Joined ships of the merchant service, 241; joined the Royal Navy, 18; discharged medically unfit, 5; discharged at parents' re-i quest, 1G; transferred to ships of the TTnion Company as oadela, 1G; dismissed or deserted, 21; died, 1; remaining on Ipoard, CO. A demand that the Government should as soon as possible purchase Native lands, or at any rate prevent their being purchased by oilier persons, was made by Mr. V. H. Ifeed (Bay of .Islands) in tho House of Representatives yesterday. "Native lands," he said, "are being purchased in the North of Aucklnnd by persons who are refused foij military service because of their nationality and thei'; sympathies. The lands are being purchased by these people because at this time there are no competitors. (A voico; Shame!) Mr. Reed: I say it is a shamo that these men should be allowed to buy land while our men are away at the front. (Hear, hear.) The land is actually 011 the route of tho North Auckland railway." "Great things have come out of this country. Champions have como out of it—large tilings— the moa bird, for instance."—A "burst of exuberance by Dr. Thacker in the House of Representatives last night. 111 response to its request for musical instruments for the use of soldiers in camp the National Committee of the Y.M.C.A. has received the gift of a valuable banjo, with music, from Mrs. Montngue, and of a flute from Mr. Smith, of Makara. On Friday and Saturday, 2.7 th and 28th July, persons in Wellington producing on request a Crippled Soldiers' Hostel Art Union ticket bearing tho words "Wizard Light" will receive ss.* Inhale NAZOL every day and coughs and colds will stay away. Penetrating and germ-killing, yet absolute.' safe for everyone. Sixty doses Is. M. Use the Nazol Inhaler,—Adv.t,

For tho past two years representatives from tho amateur sports bodies, assisted by other members of the jiublic, hove promoted a fund to provide Christmas gifts for soldiers at the various fighting fronts. Last year a considerable sum of money was raised to assist the Mayoress (Mrs. .T. P. Luke) in her most excellent work in this direction, 'trustees were appointed with her to administer the fund, and a meeting will bo .held at the Town Hall on August 1 next to rcccivo their roport. Tho question of promoting a, similar fund will also be considered. Thero is ample evidence that the gifts have been vorv much appreciated by our soldiers, and the sentimental feelings of good wishes which tl'J puotls have conveyed have dono nuch to brighten tho outlook of the liovs under most trying circumstances. Tt is hoped that tho fund, if it is decided to promoto one again, will bo supported in the samo gonorous spirit as in previous years. Mr. Ned Perry, of Manners Street, has received a parcel of souvenirs of the important Rugby football match played on the Municipal Ground, Yinconnes, on April 8 last, between teams at tie fiont representing the French and New Zealand armies. The souvenirs, now on view in Mr. Perry's window, consist of a football, signed by the members of both teams, and distinguished visitors (including one Italian, two French, end one English general), a sories of post-cards illustrating the game, tho French players' jerseys (light blue, emblazoned with a scarlet rooster), and programmes of the event in which the New Zealand team is described as "champion de I'Empjre Britannique." The event, in which .the New Zealand fifteen wer.o notched against twenty-eight French players, resulted in an easy win for New Zealand. Admission was free. Out-patients of the Wellington Hospital who could not bo attended to on Friday last owing to a shortage in the medical stafF were treated by Drs. Adams and Fitzgerald on Monday, and it is hoped that arrangements will be made to continue this branch of tho Hospital work on Friday. Tho War League is a Wellington organisation that has not been leard of to any exfent for some time past, but last evening it held a gcueral meeting, at which between twenty and thirty members were present. Tho main object of tho league being to keep up tho 6upply of men -for tho front, .all the speakers expressed the liveliest opposition to the suggestion (made in several quarters recently) that the Dominion had done its sharo in the matter of sending men, and should consider whether it should not decline to send any more. In urging the necessity for continuing to sr-nd full reinforcements, one speaker referred to tho effect which Australia's failure to do its share had hart upon some of tho men at tho front. .Ho read a letter describing how a man had gone into hospital as tho result of an accident to lis foot. "It was tho first rest," said the writer of the lettev, "that he had had for seven months, because tliey could r.ot get leinforcements. Often they were unable even to get their boots off for days at a time." Mr. A. do B. Brandon said that he believed thero were men who had been all through the Gallipoli can paign, and all through tho fighting in France, and had never been ablo to got a holiday —to get away from the sound cf tho guns. Was New Zealand not going to send reinforcements so that such men might be able to get away and have a rest?

Tho builders and general labourers' dspute, originally sot down for l.i'aiing by the Conciliation Court to-morrow, has been adjourned to August 6.

Bright and breezy' is tho site for the new infectious diseases hospital, tho plans for which are being propared at the present time by Messrs. Crichton and M'Kay. The site is on the top of tho hill, woll beyond the main hospital block, almost on a level with the trnck that follows the ridge from Constable Street to Mount Victoria. From tile •site, which is almost level, a. magnificent view of the greater part of Wellington can be obtained, and if, by extending tho windows down to bed level, this glorious vista of sea and sky can bo made perpetually available to the patients, it should be a. factor in their recovery. From the placc selected for the new hospital the greater part of Kilbirnie, Evans Bay, South Kilbirnie. Lyall Bay, and Cook Strait are within easy view on the one hand, whilst Wellington South, Yogeltown, Brooklyn, and the distant Tinakori Hills may be seen firm the other side. The site may be somewhat exposed, but it has innny advantages. In order to make some sort of provision against boisterous weather certain angles o£, the section are to be planted with eucalyptus and other quick-growing trees at once, not, however, in such a way as to obstruct the view from the windows of the new structure. The chairman, of the Hospital Board waited on the Mayor yesterday with resnect to tho maintenance of that part of the track along tho ridce which will be us ed in connection with tho construction of the building. The council had intimated that, it could pot be held liable for the maintenance of the road (its own), whereupon the Maxor was reminded that if the Hosnital Board bad to do it the claim would have to Ive made upon the cit.v and other contributing bodies in the form of the nnnual levy. The Mayor informed Mr. BoMn-in that, the matter was one that would Inve to be referred to tho council. When the new hospital is Tcadv the present infectious diseases hospital will be reserved for diplitheria cases.