LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 25, 24 October 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Postmnster-General announces, in connection will] money-order remittances addressed to British prisoners of war in Turkey, that arrangements have been made to obtain receipts from the recipients of such aiders.

At tho committee meeting; of the Wellington Savage Club, held last evening, it was announced that, as tho result of the "ltorero" given in th: Town Hall on Saturday week, the sum of .£2OO was availablo for patriotic funds, au. amount which is considered to bo highly satisfactory by all concerned. The committoe decided that of tho amount mentioned iIOO should be donated to tho Mayoress's Christmas Fund for N.Z. soldiers at the front; -£25 to the iline-Swcepers' Fund; £2o to tho King George Fund for soldiers and sailors; ,£25 for the Blinded Soldiers' Fund; and .£25 to the St. yiifin Ambulance Brigade.

It is understood that a member of the detectivs force is instituting an action against a Wellington paper for .£1(100 damages, owing to a certain alleged misstatement which tho detective claims is likoly to injure liis official standing.

A Press Association telegram states that the first Gisborne draft of Cl men left for camp last night.

It was stated at the Hutt Borough Council meeting last evening that tho gratings on several of tho sumps in tho borough had been removed, and a suggestion was made that theso gratings should be fastened down. The engineer reported that it was not usual to fasten down such gratings, and to do so he estimated it would cost (is. (Id. to 7s. (id. per sump. A peculiar accident happened near Avondale to Mr. Donald Cattanach, a singlo man, 2fi years of ago, who resides in Bradford Street, l-'arnell. He wi'-t sitting, holding a rifle, in tho side-car of a motor cycle, when the jolting caused the rifle to explode. The bullet went through one boot, injuring several toes. His injuries were not serious.

The Ashburton police received advice on Thursday morning that Mrs. Eliza M'Laren, aged 64 years, had <lied suddenly at her residence, Green Street, that morning. Mrs. Mlaren received word that her son had been killed in notion, and a foir minutes later she expired. Mrs. MTaron had been a resident of > Ashburton for many years.

Included in tho contingent oil sick and wounded soldiers who arrived in Auckland on Sunday were six who previously had returned to tho Dominion and had been discharged from tho forces as unlit for further service (says the "Herald"). Four of their number—Private T. If. Driscoll, of Dunedin, Private C. Barker, of Port Chalmers, Private AY. P. Houlihan, _of Timaru, and Privato J. Erwin, of Christchurch—had each lost an arm, and the other two—Privato V?, S. Sailor, of Ngaruawahin, and Private H. Woolford, of Mosgiel—hnd each lost a leg. The men were sent to England Inst year for the purpose of having artificial limbs fitted on at tho Itoehampton Hospital. They wont Homo in uniform nnd under military discipline, but did not receive pay other than, their pensions. They expressed themselves as highly pleased with tho artificial limbs, but stated that it was exceedingly difficult to receive attention at Roehampton, owing to tho very large number who required to bp attended. In many instances a patient had to wait months. All six had sustained their injuries on Gallopoli Peninsula, whence they had been transported to the Dominion, via Egypt.

The Nitrate Syndicate of New Zealand, which has been working for tho establishment of nitrate-fixation works at Bowen Falls, in the Milford Sound, ha 3 taken exception to a statement in the Houso of Bopreseutatives by tho Minister of Public Works (Hon. W. Eraser) on September 20. Through thoir solicitors (Messrs. Sievwriglit, .James, and Niehol, of Dunedin) the following letter has been sent to the Minister-.—"There is no doubt in reading your remarks that you intended to refer to the syndicate for which we act, nnd on whose behalf we applied to you for concessions. We desire to give your statement an unqualified denial, and to express our surprise that you should have gone out of your way to give publicity to such a damaging statement. The syndicate has always considered that the capital could and would bo raised in Newt Zealand, especially amongst the farmers. If, however, all efforts to Yaise the capital in New Zealand should fail there is abundance of capital offering in England." Up to the present no reply has been received front the Minister. The Nitrate Syndicate consists of the following:—J. C. Anderson, farmer, Stirling, Otago; L. 0. Beal, mining engineer and surveyor, Dunedin; A. Dillon 8011, run-holder, Wfiihemo, Otago; Jas. Fletcher, building contractor, Dunedin; Alfred James (Sievwright, .Tames, and Niehol), solicitor, Dunedin; C. F. Mitchell, manager New Zealand Paper Mills, Dunedin: J. Orchiston, Chief Telegraph Engineer, Wellington; G. ,T. Orchiston, City Electrical Depart, ment, Dunedin; Robt. 'furribnll. electrical engineer, Lowry Bnj', Wellington; P. ■Y. Wales, architect, Dunedin.

Regarding the size of the biggest wool stores in the Dominion, reference to which was made last week in giving a few particulars of the new store of ifessrs. Murray, Roberts, and Co., on Waterloo Quay, it is stated that tho new store, although a very largo one, is not the largest in the Dominion, but tho one upstairs floor (which has an area of 37,296 square feet) is tho largest undivided floor in Wellington, , and tho store'covers a larger area of (round than any otKer wool storo in Wellington. Levin and Co.'s fine store at Kaiwarra lias three stories, and the lloorage measures up to 103,149 square feet. Pine and Co., of Christchureli, havo a store with an undivided floor of an area of over GO,OOO square l'eet. The building covers an acre and a half o£ land. Both as regards wool and meat companies, vast additions have been mado during recent years- in order to provide storage for products which cannot be shipped away as caTly as growers would like.

During last week there were -59 applications at the State Labour Bureau for work. Twenty-three of the applicants were married and thirty-seven were single. Altogether 43 were placed—lG married and 27 single. Thirty-eight of those placed were sent to private employment and live to Government work. There a're 10 still to be placed.

Among the men applying for work at tiie State Labour Bureau in Wellington last week were only six seeking farm work. All of them were placed, and all went to positions iu the North Island.

The matinee given by the Wellington Amateur Operatic Society recently in aid of tho lied Cross Funds realised the sum of £2i odd.

Mr. Harold Beaucliamp lias received an interesting letter from Mr. J. A. Huddick, formerly Chief Dairy Commissioner in New Zealand. In the course of the letter Mr. Buddick 6ays: "I am eure you will be amused at the enclosed newspaper clipping, which appears in the Ottawa morning papers to-day/' The extract is as follows:—"Now York, September IS.—Germany has forfeited lie* right to possession of Northern New Zealand, which will remaiu part of the British Empire at the close of tho war, declare!? Mr. W. A. Holman, Premier of Kew South Wales, in an address at a limeiicon Riven in his honour here today by Lord Nortlioliffe, lioad of tho lirilisTi missions in this country. 'Australia did not enter this- war becauso of military arduur or in a spirit of jingoism,' (lie Premier said, 'but because England's cause was tho causo of right. AVo were under im obligation, ami we had no interest to serve. It is a fact tltal as a result of the war the territory of Northern New Zealand lias fallen into our hands, nnd wo intend to keep it. But we did not enter the war for that purpose. Germany has forfeited her right to it.' " Mr. Buddick in a footnote suggests that Northern New Guinea is reil'lTt'U T"

AT. ono time 011 Monday there was a whole string of motor-cars pulled up within ono section of tho Hutt Koad, the drivers of which were all busy either in mending punctures or fitting 011 Stepney wheels. "II has been suggested by some of those all'ected that the number of punctures registered was so great that it looked very much as though someone had deliberately planned to do mischief.

The Education Committee of the House of Representatives presented a report yesterday on tho petition of John Mac Gibbon and Andrew Martin, praying that certain education endowments in Otago and Southland bo set aside for the benefit of the Gore High School. Tho coininitteo states that in its opinion the petition should bo referred to tho Government for consideration, and the Government should be urged to pool tho revenue from all reserves not nfe'iiicd to any particular school and divido it amongst the unendowed or poorly endowed schools of the Dominion in such a way as to equalise their incomes from endowments, and that the Act be amended m such a way as to adjust more equitably the rates of capitation paid for i'reo pupils.

Tho seventeenth annual reunion of members of the First New Zealand Contingent to South Africa was held in Godber's rooms in Oiba Street last evening. Major-General Sir Alfred Robin presided' over a satisfactory attendance, which included LieutenantColonel Hughes, C.M.G., D.S.O. (vicechairman). After the toast of "The King" had been honoured, tho secretary, Mr. C. L. Jewell, read apologies for absence from members residing in all parts of the Dominion. Major-General Robin spoka of the esprit de corp3 that led to 6ueh gatherings as those instituted by the "Firsts," and ho predicted that a similar spirit would grow up among the men who had gono abroad to fight in this war. Tho "Firsts" had made tho paco in South Africa, nnd tho rest had followed; and tho example they had set wouIS impress the Territorial Army_ of the future, and inspire it in its service. It was futile to hopo that the present war would bo tho last conflict tlio world wou's see. Toasts honoured in thp course of tho evening were: "Navy and Army," "Tho Firsts Serving Abroad, "CouTtades who have Gone Before/' "Absent Comrades," "Tho Ladies," and "Tho ProssSV Mr. Frank Thomas officiated at the pMno, and accompanied several singers. "Letters are simply everything here," writes a Now Zealand soklier from the front, "and ono sometimes feoU rather bitter against those of one's friends who do no'troublo to write (says tho "Otago Daily Times"). ... I do well enough, but there are some chaps who hardly ever get a letter, and it is vory sad. They may have no near relatives, but there are few without friends who could wnto to "thorn." This touching reminder may Ijo supplemented by a passage from a Y.M.C.I, report: "Let everyone, as many as can, write to tho boys. They are bq keen on mails—now all too lew; and when tho mail bag is sorted m tho mililarv post office,- "what a scramble and rush'' One would imagine that some huge Tattersall's sweep was being drawn. If those who do write so regularly could only see tho faces of the men as they often wave their lot of correspondence aloft by way of bravado they would bewell repaid." Ail absent soldier 6 friends and acquaintances should not wait until thoy hear from the front; nor should tlioy make a point o? expecting regular replies, for the circumstances aro entirely different. Again though there may-have been no close intimacy and no pievious naliit of correspondence, soldiers will alwaVs be grateful for lotters from wellwishing acquaintances. 'I simply oan t toll you how pleased I was to hear from you. ft the beginning of a letter from a New Zealahder in the trenches to a man whom he had not expected to write. "News has reached Melbourne that Major-General Sir Henry Chauvel, commanding tho mounted troops in Palestine, has been promoted to the honorary rank of lieutenant-general, the nignest rank yet conferred upon any Australian officer. Sir Henry Chauvel eorved in the South African war with the Queensland forces and, besides boing mentioned several times in~dispatches for conspicuous bravery, was rewarded with the decoration of C.M.G. After further service in Australia with the Commonwealth Forces, and holding tho appointment ot Adjutant-General, Lieutenant-General Chauvel succeeded Major-General Legge as Commonwealth representative on the Imperial General Staff. On war breaking oit, and Australia sending a conangent to Egypt, under the lato Sir William Bridges, Lieutenant-General Chauvel pro_ ceeded to Egypt, and was given command of the Australian Mounted Troops, ainco then his command has gradually increased, until to-day lie lias chajgo of all the mounted troops engaged in the Palestine campaign, which include, itt addition to the Australian and New Zealand units, several regiments of Imperial Yeomanry. His command, which is stated to be the largest body of mounted troops that has ever served m any army under one officer, has gained distinction after distinction.