LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 47, 19 November 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A departure from the usual practice of concentrating recruits for the mounted rifles was made when the Thirty-fifth Reinforcements wero mobilised. The men were selected, to tho Dumber of 129, from tko infantry and other recruits who had gone into camp at Trentham. Officers at the Mounted Rifles. Instructional Staff at Foatlierston made the selection, and after the now "troopers had been equipped they rode over the Rimutaka Hill to Featherston Camp. Experienced mon, who had broughttho horses from Foat'herston, accompanied them, and the trip was made without The specialists were also selected in this way by the Chief Machine-Chin Instructor and drafted to Featherston. The danger %f going too far out into tho surf when uuable to swim was again demonstrated at Lyall Bay on Saturday afternoon. Two women were bathing somo distance away from other bathers in wator a little moro than waist deep. An incoming breaker carried one of thom off her feet, and she was almost immediately in difficulties. Realising the predicament, her companion called for help. Her screams attracted the attention of Mr. Smith (Maranui S.C.) and Mr. J. E. Downing, amfboth, fully dressed, plunged into tho breakers and brought the woman back on to the beach. Mr. Minifie, custodian, applied artificial respiration, and after a few minutes the woman regained consciousness. It was a narrow escape from drowning, and should act as a warning to others "who are apt to be a little too venturesome when surfing.

The Thirty-third Infantry Reinforcements will leave Featherston Camp for Trentham via the Rimutakas on Thursday morning. They are to take two days en route. The march from Fcatherston to Trentham was for a long time an important feature of the training of every reinforcement in this country, but it was suspended early this year owing to various causes. (The last draft to do the march was the Twenty-fourth Reinforcements. The journey is now to be re-established as a part of the training scheme, and successive drafts will have the opportunity to match their powers of endurance against the achievements of earlier reinforcements.

At the quarterly meeting of the National Provident Fund Board the Minister in ohanje, the Hon. Arthur M. Myers, occupied tlie chair. The superintendent reported having received a number of applications for superannuation in respect of local authorities' staffs, including the Wellington City Council, Napier Harbour Board, and Upper Hutt Town Board. The board dulv authorised the necessary tablo of benefits and contributions to be issued. Several friendly societies were formally acepted as registered for benofits under the, Finance Act, 1910. Payments of maternity allowances amounting to .£3478 were approved. Claims were received _ from widows of deceased contributors, including ono with five children. A weekly allowance of jB2 5.9. was granted, payable until - the children pass tho age of fourteen. The total estimated value of the allowance was £1011, although the deceased contributor had paid about .£3 net into the fund during his life.

A Wangamii nrohitect states that seven years ago an ordinary wooden house could bo built for Gs. per square foot floor area,' to-day the cost is anything up to 10s. and 12s.

The mobilisation of tho Thirty-fifth Reinforcements has been completed, and the recruits aro now shaking down in tho camps. The draft, which consists very largely of balloted men, is reported to be well up to the physical standard. The demeanour of the recruits indicates that they are taking to their work cheerfully. They have had the advantage of beginning their military careers in very pleasant weather. Some cases of measles have been reported among tho recruits, and the necessary measures for the isolation of contaots have been taken. This will not interfere with the preliminary stages of the training.

A boy named Bert Bertaneen, seven years of ago, was knocked Mown by a motor oyclo in Courtenay Place yesterday afternoon. He suffered injuries to tho head -winch necessitated liis removal to the Hospital. Last night he was reported to be processing favourably.

Tho Presbyterian General Assembly will opon at Dunfedin to-morrow. The Modorator will be the Hon. ! J. G, W. Aitken, who has the distinction of being the first layman, to be elected to that office. Following are tho Wellington delogates:—'The Revs. J. Paterson, A. B. Todd, J. M'Caw, B. Hutson, J. Gumming, W. J. Comrie, Dr. J. K. Elliott, and Dr. Gibb; laymen: Messrs. W. Allan, A. Murray, W. Patterson, F. tJsher, and BBrown. The Rev. W. Shirer is unable to attend tho Assembly.

Olivo oil is one of the articles that havo been seriously affected in pries owing to the war; in fact,, were it not 'that supplies can be got from South Australia, rates would have gone much higher, because' it is obvious i that Palestine as a source is not to bfe thought of at the present time. Ono importer in Auckland states that a recent communication received by him was to the effect that South Australian olive oil only could now be supplied, and it was in 4-gallon tins at 225. per gallon, subject to market fluctuations, and it was quite possible it might, ere long, reach 28s. to 80s. Prewar prices for olive oil were: Italian, 10s. Gd. to 12s. ,6d., and Palestine, 15s. to 17s. 6d. per gallon, landed cost Auckland.

It may not be generally known that tho Syrians are not bMng silent loolters-on during this war, -which means liberation from the Turkish yoke of a much-afflicted people. Thero are a fow millions of Syrians in tho United States, and in New York they have a paper named "Heidar," Issued in their own language. A copy of this, sent to Mr. Gypren Hannah, of Auckland, furnishes some interesting particulars of what is being done by Syrians at the present time. According to this paper there are the present time 10,000 Syrians being trained in Egypt by British and French officers, and another 30,000 have enlisted in the United States, to I bo sant across and trained to iteht for the liberation of their homeland from tho rule of the followers of the Prophet.

A cheque for has been received by the executive of the Auckland Patriotic Association from tho New Zealand Insurance Company, Ltd. In SoptemVr. 1915, the company promised to contribute to tho fund a total sum of .£7500, of which this cheque is the final instalment.

Many will be interested to know that the war has affected the vnhto of gold to a considerable extent, and none know it more than the purveyors of jewellery in tlfis country. Before the war nine carat gold could, it is stated, bo purchased at Homo by manufacturing jewellers for 85s. ner ounce, but that price has been raised to 455. in London, and landed in this country it runs up to about 775. per ounce. Fifteen or eighteen caTat gold is much scarcer, and very little jewellery made of the purer metal is now coming into the country at all. Tho price of electro-plate has also advanced considerably. Particularly is this the case in connection with the best plate, which has a foundation usually of copper, on which metal tho authorities nt Homo are keeping a sharp eyo. In mnny districts the shortage of labour and the consequent high rates offered for boy labour have induced lads to leave school as soon as possible. In the four upper standards of tho Rakaia School (says a Christchurch paper) there are twice as many girls as Boy 6. Apparently, however, tho prescience -which ordains that in wartime ■ more males shall bo born than females was operative some time before the war, as in tho infant room there aro more than twice as many boys as ffirls. In another school in the same district the boys outnumber the girls by more than thrco to one.

At a meeting of the executive of tho Engine-drivers' Federation a motion wAs carried protesting strongly against tho Order-m-Council issued recently reducing from 21 to 19 years the age at which applicants for certificates as locomotive, traction, and stationary engine-drivers may sit for examination. The federation condemned the action of the Government in making the Order-in-Council without consulting tho workers wore most vitally concerned to see if thero was a shortage of labour to warrant the alteration of tho law.

Saturday was something of a gala day at Trcntlinm, the occasion heiug a sports meeting which was held by the Thirty, sccond. Reinforcements. Large numbersof relatives and friends of the soldiers went out to the camp during the day, and on joyed the sport provided, tho racecourse being the sports ground. Tho Trenthain Camp Band played musical selections during the day.

Made from papier macho and • costing not over fivo shillings each, artificial legs of a temporary nature are, nays an exchange, supplied to disabled French soldiers in Paris hospitals. The paper legs, which are tho invention of a Danish surgeon, are made on tho spot. They can. bo used in a fortnight after the amputation, and obviate, .tho necessity for crutches while the patient is convalescing. A hospital orderly oan cut tho paper leg to the required size, and fit and complete it for a patient in about half an hour. It is said that the work takes a da' l ' to dry and set, and may uo used the next day by tho invalid. With proper oare the paper leg should last ■ from six months to a year.