LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3183, 6 September 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

"So far as I know, no naturalised Germans are employed on any wharf in New Zealand," declared the Prinio Minister yesterday afternoon. "Some months ago instructions ivere given to clear them off."

Sir James Allen, replying to a question ny Dr. Newman yesterday, said that tho question of providing for widows and orphans of men employed in the New Zealand Government transport service who may lose their lives through the war is now under consideration. Individual cases "have been , dealt with by the Government. Tho position of the tuercantilo marine will be further considered.

In t'ho House of Representatives Mr. .T. V. Brown asked the Minister of Munitions and Supplies, whether the firm known as A. Levy and Co., who were fined recently for putting sjioddy material into soldiers' uniforme, are now ■receiving Government contracts tor clothing. "Levy and C 0.," said Mr. Brown, "have been penalised for putting rubbisn into soldiers' uniforms, andliave replaced tho braes plato announcing that they aro the Army Supply Stores, which had been removed after they had been fined, thereby suggesting tlmt they are again doing work for the Govornmmt." Tho Hon. A. M. Myers (Minister of Munitions aud Supplies) replied :—As a result of legal action resulting in the firm mentioned by tho honourable member being heavily fined, tho name was struck off the register of suppliers for my Depart'mei)t. consenuontly it is not a contractor for Now Zealand military supplies; but I am given to understand that some of the firin'e contracts with another Government Department which were ontoredinto prior to 191G have been extended. Tho 'barque on tho Patent Slip will be re-launched this morning, after having received extensive repairs to her hull. Altogethor twenty-threo plates have been replaced with now ones, and several new stays hiive been fitted. This morning the Evans Bay road ;it (ho slipway will be closed to all traffic between the horns of 9 o'clock and 11.30 o'clock. A contract for tho excavation work in connection with the new Scots Collcgo at Mirnmar has been let to, Messrs. Howio and Matthews. The pneo is approximately J3900. Just arrived the Idlest in «ft felt hats from Tress, Borsalino, Stoteon. The hats of the hour. Call! Gco. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street.—Advt.

A Dannovirko resident ha? received a copy of the. "Strand News" and ' Gloucester County Advertiser," containing a report of a Police Court case in which two small boys were summoned for wasting oiio pound of bread made of wh'eateii inenl, Evidence was given that the bread was found in a shod, and a policeman stated that tho boys made a statement to the effect that Ihoir parents would not give them any dinner, and they hnd taken eoino bread, and margarine, it was evident they had hidden what they did not want at the time. Tho boys were fined ss. each. The incident shows how eoriouely the matter of food is regarded in England.

The treasurer of Hie War Funds Collection Committee of Our Day Red Cross and Blind Soldiers' and Sailors' Appeal, acknowledges receipt of the following suras: —Mr. Martin Chnnman, K.C., .£SO; Mr. Thomas Young, 4220.

A circular letter from the London office of the Navy League making suggestions regarding the observance of Nelson Day was read at Tuesday's meeting of tho Wellington executive of the league. This year the date falls on a Sunday, anel in addition to the usual demonstration, it was suggested that tho churches should be asked to make some reference to the occasion during the course of tho services. It wns decided to hold a gathering in the Town Hall, Wellington, on Friday, October 10, in commemoration of Nelson Day and in honour of the Allied navies. An attractive programme, which will include several items from the combined schools' chorus of GOO picked voices, is being arranged.

"Tho raising of .£16,000,000 in New Zealand cannot but help affecting the financial companies," said tho secretary of a local company to a Dominion reporter on Tuesday. Ho stated that a good many people_ who had money lying at three and six and twelve months, had invested largely in the War Loan, and as the terms expired Hie money would be withdrawn and paid into the Treasury on account of bonds taken up. In each circumstances tho public could not expect money to be so fluid as it had been in the immediate past, and there would certainly not ho tlio amount of money availablo for mortgage purposes that there had been. Whether that would affect the rate of interest remained to be seen, but logically it should. ?Se cffect_ of tno tying up of so great a sum in tho Liberty Loan must, he said, necessarily cnrtail tho activities of the financial companies, and even now there were those who were not in a position to advance any further moneys on mortgage until they saw more, clearly how tttey stood. The tendency was for the price of shares in financial companies to decline in anticipation of a restricted scope of operations.

Tho conference between Hie smaller steamship owners and tho Seamen's Union, which was continued yesterday, had a negative result, tho parties failing to agree as to the interpretation of certain clauses of the agreement recently entored into. The employers now intend to approach the Arbitration Court for an interpretation of the clauses in dispute, particularly as to how the eight hours' ■working day is to be made up.

A movement is on foot at Hamilton to orect a retnrned soldiers' memorial upon a control site in tho town. Tho idea is that a substantial building should l>o erected, consisting of club room, hall, and museum, -which would bo available for all purposes connected with the military affairs of No. i group, and whero trophies and regimental colours could bo housed. About will be required to orect tho building and provide a fund for its future maintenance, and it is proposed to raise the amount by public subscription in Waikato. It is hoped to orect a marblo column on which would bo inscribed the names of all men from No. i group who lost their lives, and also a roll of honour of those who left tho area for active service It is also proposed that tho Home authorities should be approached with the object of obtaining some cannon and other souvenirs from both Gallipoli and France.

Thero was a good attendance of students at tho Victoria College gymnasium last ovening, when Dr. Clacke, formerly of Harvard University, gave u description of university and college life in America. In the courso of his remarks Dr. Clarke made reference to some rather interesting customs. At a certain place, ho said, students who failed to put in sufficient attendances at chapel in the mornings were required to furnish an essay upon some Biblical subject selected by tho president of tho university. This essay had to bo carefully prepared, as it was subject to review by the professors of English, who graded it and assigned credit to tho student for whatever merit it possessed. Many students who had a little difficulty in gaining credit iu the ordinary ways saw to it that they were regularly called upon to write essays for absenting themselves from devotions. In another place thero was a rulo that lady students need not attend services except when they had young men as visitors. In that case they were required to put in an appearance accompanied by tne gentlemen. The universities in general wore open to women as well as to men, but at a particular Wesleyan College it was almost a tradition that the men should every year make some sort of protest against having women in the college. The protest usually took tho form of a large procession, which expressed the desire of the men that the women should get out and stay out. At Princeton no woman was allowed upon the college campus, and if one ventured upon it she was likely to be escorted off hy a solomn procession oE as many students as could he summoned. Fraternities among the students were frequently to be met with, and in certain cases they were so powerful that a man's social success for the time being was dependent upon what fraternity ho belonged 10. The fraternities had to be taken seriously, for there they were.

In. forwarding a donation to tho Athletic Park Retention Fund, Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., chairman of tho Military Service Board, wrote in the following strain:—"l hold very strong ideas nn the necessity of having brenthiog spaces and sports grounds for the young. What Wellington will do in the futiure when tho population gets to a respectable size heaven only knows. The few small 'pocket-handkerchiefs' we have at the present day are insufficient oven for the ■present number, in my opinion. I deplore the fact (hat tho scheme of Sir Francis Bell (then Mr. F. 11. D. Bell, Mayor of Wellington) for the purchase of Mirnmar was so strenuously opposed, and I shall never cease to bear a grudge nsninst tho opponents of that sclent. What a God-send are the parks of London to the poor people, especially tb.9 children! nnd if that were recognised by our councillors ami others in authority here perhaps something might be done in the direction of an endeavour to get more recreation protnids here. I hope youir campaign will ineet with success, and I wish you wore getting many more big subscriptions."

In the House of Representatives .yesterday, Mr. W. H. Field gave :iotico of a question asking the Minister of Defenoo whether any decision has been conio to by the Government lo relieve soldiers going to the front of the additional premium war charge mado by lifeinsurance companies, and which constitutes a serious tax on the allotments pay made by soldiers in favour of dependants, and is a. distinct discouragement to soldiers desiring lo effect the insurances which are so necessary to. assist in providing for their dependants in tho event of their losing their lives, and thus saying the public purse from some responsibility.

Messrs. J. H. Bothuno and Co., at thoir auction salo yesterday, sold a residential property in lumwyn Terrace. Tho land has an area of a quarter of an acre, with a four aud a half foot passago to Kintoiil Street, and on it stands the one-floor seven-roomed dwelling, known as No. 27 Keuwyu Terrace. The purchaser was Mr. IJt. L. Bryenton, and tho pneo £im. '

A young Anzac has had an interesting experience, which may also provo profitable. While digging a trench in Flanders one day, ho found a curiously-shap-ed pieco of flint, which looked as if it would make an eft'ectivo weapon of offence. Attaching it to a stick, he made «, knobkerry, with which ho cracked German crowns in many raids, iiventiisuly ho took it to England with him when ho cot leavo, and it happened to catch the eyo of an cxDort in these matters. "This," pronounced the export, is a. relic of tbo Stone Age; <i weapon with which primitive man fought in those very fame tranches tens of thousands of yoare ago. As a curio, it's worth quite a lot of money," '

Mr. R, B. Poslgate, of the Wellington Woollen Company, Cliristchm-cli, lui.s received letters from soldiers at the front sympathising with him and hi* family in tho death of his nephew, Private Arthur Postdate, who was killed at. Mesfiines on June 7. One soldier, ivritins on behalf of liis company, extends tho deepest sympathy of the men lo Mr. I'ostgatc. Ho states that Private Postgnic was one of tho most popular men in tho company. Tho letter speaks of llio sincero regard in which the late foidier was held, and refers to his fine character and good nature. Another letter from Franco says that Private Postgato fell at Messines in a trench at Hie conclusion of the advance, being killed instantaneously by a shell explosion. He was buried at tho top of Messines Ridge. ITje funeral of the late Captain Strang tooTT place- yesterday afternoon, and was attended l>y a large number of the late captain's old seafaring friends and representatives of shipping and other institutions. ' The chief mourners were Mr. Andrew Strang (son), and Ikv. Mr. Millar (son-in-law). The pall-bearers were Captains Neville, Smith, Manning, and Johnston and Messrs. Currio and MNicoll. The service at the graveside in Sydney Street Cemetery was conducted T>y fiie Rev. Dr. Elliott mul Rev. Gray Disron, of Dunwlin. 1

It has been decided that the centenary of the founding of the Order of the Marist Brothers shall be celebrated in fatting manner. With this end in view, an energetic committee has had the matter of drawing up a- programme of events in hand for somo months past. The programme as finally settled is designed to appeal to all Catholics, whether old boys or not, and comprises both religious and social functions. Religious functions will l>e held at St. Mary's on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday evening a conversazione will 1)0 held in tho Town Hall. Somo leading vocalists will appear, and the well-known Marist boys' choirs will render items. On Tuesday night: tho annual re-union of brothers, old boy 6, and friends will be held at the Alexandra Hall. An attractive speech list has aeen drawn up for both tho conversazione- and tho on topics incident to Catholic education.