LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 40, 10 November 1917, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Thirty-first and Thirty-second Infantry Reinforcements were reviewed at Trent-ham ' yesterday by His Excellency the Governor-General. The troops- made a very fine display as they marched past in column of platoon,, to the march music of the Trentham Camp Band. His Excellency was accompanied during his inspection by the Chief of Staff, Colonel 0 II Gibbon, the-Camp Commandant, Colonel-H. R. Potter, C.M.G., and other officers. After the review the GovernorGeneral addressed the officers of the cirafta, and the Chief of' Staff also-ad-■iressp.d them later in the afternoon. It has been announced that in future the dental examination of all recruits will he conducted in the military camps. The dental officers attached to district medical boards are to cea6O duty as from the end of the present month. This change will effect a certain saving, since the camp authorities will have an opportunity to ascertain that a man is fit in other respects before they set about nutting his teeth in order. A recruit who is discharged from camp.after a week or two of training sometimes reenters civil life wifh sound teeth that would have cost him a. substantial sum of money in tho ordinary way. .

The insurance companies doing business in New Zealand have had a long immunity from serious loss, but tho past ■monfli lias been a rather disastrous one. During that period the main street ot Oannevirke has been swept- with fire; Ollakuhe has almost lost-its- identity ; fpr the Time being-from tho:--ravages ot he same devouring element, . and _ JJuneilU! has experienced its biggest oi.-ize.for ■sdriio veare past in the .total :loss of Jdmond'6 big hardware warehouse. In addition to these conflagrations, there v.-cro a number of. small hres. Wellington has been immune from' big tires lor some time past, and. it is devoutly to be wished that such immunity will continue. . '. According to Mr. Ultan. M'Cabe, who has just returned from England, the women of.that country .deserve the respect anil admiration of the Empire for the rnnnner in which they have taken up and settled down into new avenues ■of employment, and so released many thousands of men for war. work., Ibo bus comTuctrws and the female windowcleaner are now commonplace sights, ana the manner in which they do then- work is hMiTy commendable. But to see the women getting down to real hard work one wants to tour through rural England, where they are tackling all forme of farm labour, and even take up-em-ployment as . road-menders, labourers, ganleners, etc., most ■« them .giving more than ordinary satisfaction in the zeal they throw into their work, lwe, apart altogether from the truly wonderful work the woman and girls are doing in the munition works all over the country. , Mr Charles . Melvin, manager of Everybody's Theatre, a week or two ago engajwl a coloured man to dance the "cWhopper glide"..in,-front of the theatre as an advertisement for a, picture Then being screened. The. dancer attracted crowds, and the.footpath wag obstructed. Yesterday morning Mr. Melvin was charged in tho Magistrate s Court, before II r. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., with obstructing the footpath in ■ front of the theatre, and was convicted and fined 20s. and costs.

In flic annual report of the "Wellington Centre of i the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, regret is expressed tlfat the war still takes a, large toll from tho ranks of tho swimmers, and durin» the past season many had given their "lives for their country. Among others, 11. Jenkinson. (Swifts Club captain antl representative polo player), \\. H. Linden "(Wellington Club and Centre representative), K. D. Russell, and A. S Crowther. The contre deeply sympathises with their relatives. Mr. H. W. Harris, an cx-centre secretary . and Thorndon Chib delegate, enlisted eoino time ago, and will shortly be leaving for tho front. Tho centre's best wishes lor a eale return are extended to him.

Truly, war brings its tragedies. A cablo message was rcuoived in Cliristcliurch to tlie effect that the late Gunner Alan •Eldred l'ayling, son of Mrs. George Payling, Bishop Street, St. Albnns, was married in England a few weeks before his death. Gunner Payling was killed on October 11. but some weoks prior to this ho was on furlough in London, cluiiim which time ho married a young Mglisi\ lady The news of his marriage and his death in action in Franco arrived within nn interval of a few days. In a paper, "The .Course of Land Values in Canterbury." Mr. I'. lv. Üblaghan said that tho earliest sale iecorded was tho purchase.m Canterbuiy from tho Maoris by Jtajor Ivomp, foi .C2OOO, of land now valued at JMO.OOO.MO. A man named Adolph Pic Word, who described himself as smrituahst ad Labour lecturer, wfls . charged at the Waihi Court with having uuderbl er U tell fortunes. According to tho police Pickford, who wag .under engagement to tlo Wnhi Spiritualistic Society, had ghen certain advice and informnt.on including predictions of future happenings to a voung woman, from whom he had received a fee of 3s. Accused admitted having given advice, which he contended was of an inspirational iiaturo,.sucli M was imparted by persons of sp.ntualistic faith, but denied having sought or received payment. Tho .Magistra e in imposing a fine of Jfo, said that the evidence for the defence pointed to a belief by the accused of power of vision which enabled him to give advice and information, and that he might have done a certain amoint of good of a kind, but it was clear Hint his prophecies as to the future hud brought aim under the mischief clause of the Crimes Act. In view of tho circumstances a- fine was imposed instecd of a term of imprisonment. ■ - . •

All the retiring "nienibefs" of the erstqn County Council .have (says <&X speciltl correspondent) been re-nooilniAn and elected unopposed.

Tho large stock of meat at preeeut stored by the New Zealand Refrigerating Company at Burnsido is iilmost immediately to bo relieved lo the extent of a consignment'of 28,000 freight "carcasses, equal to that number of GOlb. sheep (stales a Christchurch paper). It is bodio timo since the works were relieved lo finch an extent at tho one time, the last lot to bo dispatched numbering i.nly 3000 carcasses. In addition to this clearance tho erection of the new freezing store at the works is now in .hand by the contractors, and when this is completed spuco will l)c available , .for a further 8000 freight carcasses.. Th'e company is also making preparations at Burnside for next season's' operations, and another large freezing machine will shortly bo installed at the works.

Australian slaughtermen have been under an impression that if they came to New Zealand for the slaughtering , season here they would be liable to conscription, and thev refused to come to the Dominion. When the Hon. G. W. liussell was informed of the position (says the "Lyttelton Tiniee"); instructions were sent to the Government Agent in Sydney to remove the impression. Ho lias published an advertisement in nine Australian journals stating that slaughtermen who come for the season will not be subject to the Military Service Act, and will be at liberty to return to Australia at the end of tho season. Tim Aew Zealand Government was informed that the Slaughtermen's Union in Australia would meet on Tuesday nightlast to consider the position, but Mr. Russell has not yet received information ns to tho result of the conference.

ihe First Canterbury Military Service Board made inquiries of the Canterbury Education Board tins week as to how the board is situated with regard to teachers, and whether it can provide substitutes for all teachers for whom the Education Department does not appeal. In supplying details as to teacher's and numbers at the meeting of the board on Wednesday Mr. H. C. Line, secretary to the board, stated the total number of Second Division teachers in the board'e employ was ninety-seven, of whom sixtysix were under forty years of age and thirty-one were between forty and forlyfivo years. The male teahers-over fortyfive years of age totalled 103. Tlie figures, stated Mr. Lane, were approximate. The first lot of teachers would not. be affected until about next March, nnd it was probable that tlie vacancies; would be filled by female tencliers, of whom quite a number were available and well qualified lo take over the work of men. If the board were given rower to make temporary transfers, the difficulty of providing teachers during ' the war period could be dealt with. Mr. E. H. Andrews said he considered that there were difficulties ahead, and the position would bo required (o be reviewed after March next. The board should not. in its reply, be too confident as to its ability to cone with the extraordinary conditions whicli were lieinjr created. Mr. T. W, Adams • agreed with Mr. Andrews and staled that no doubt smaller positions mipht bn filled satisfactorily^. but the , roni trouble would be in dealin? with iho higher ones. -It wns agreed .to lefer the matter to the Appointments Committee.-

.As a result of a.fight between (wo young girls in Queen Street, -Auckland, on a recent Sunday evening, the pirls were charged in- the- Police Court before Mr.F. V. Frazer, S.M., with committing n breach of the peace. Sub-Inspi'ctor Broberg eaid the girls met, and there was a heated argument over a Idler. Blows follc/ircd words, and 'in a . few minutes both girls were engaged in a stand-up fight. A large crowd gathered, and the girle were separated by two soldiers and sent homo. Tt. was really ir most disgraceful affair. One girl Mid the other had written a letter saying die was Roiriff about .wifh strange mm. She resented this, and when she ret the nther girl the trouble, commenced. Thn Magistrate gave the girls' a. lecture, and asked them if they would shake nandj and be friends, but althoiittn they asicpcl not to resume Hostilities they refused to accept the suggestion... The Magistrate adjourned-both cases.for twelve -rjomhs on the understanding that if there was any repetition of the troiib e in, thn meantime they would be brought up and severely dealt with. ' ~!" ".' . ; The'-Waterside Workers' Band will •play selections nt .the Botanical Gardens to-morrow , afternoon. "; . .

'' Messrs. Baldwin ■ and liayward, patent attorneys and consulting engineers, of 215 Tmmbton Quay, report, that; recently they acted as agents in filing the following applications for letters patent of New Zealand:-W. Browne. .Auckland, (tipping sheep; E. Simpson, Otley. cheese press; A. C. Gull, Serpentine laundry boiler- W.■ E. Lash, Auckland, angle rirncket:-B. Gee, Cbrietchurch, concrete block; L. W. Mcnce, Wellington, elioes; IT E Morris, Auckland, tramenr. indicator; F. C. Long. Auckland, Kbots; Dβ Laval . Separator Company. 3W York, milking-machine; A. 0. Tro?. lei, Milwaukee, leather manufacture; II F. Parker, Dunedm. aeroplane; H, fc. Morris, Auckland , , gumloes envelope.