LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 54, 27 November 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Minister of Defence has received cable advice that the Twenty-ninth to tho Thirty-fourth Mounted Rifle Reinforcements are "all well" at a port or call. A report is in circulation that General Godley, who is in charge of tlio Army Corps with which the Now Zealand Division is incorporated, lias been recalled from the front.: Tho Defence Minister stated yestorday that this report was incorrect. _ The Thirty-third Infaiitry Rwnforcaments will march from Feathorston Camp to Kaitoke this morning, and will continue the march to Trentham Camp to-morrow, where they will arrive at midday. The operations at which were carried out as a part or former marches, will be dispensed with, the time cannot be wwed. .On Thursday morning the Thirty-thirds will begin their soldiers oourse of musketry, and will be in aotive training for some tvgcks. The first person to bo arrested under tho recently-gazetted War respecting tho safety of overseas ishippmcr was taken into custody by tho police yesterday morning. The man will appear in the Magistrate's Court to-day .to nnswer the following charge. "That,' without permission in writing of the military authority or o:f th owner, master, or agent of tlio ship, he did board a sailing vessel not exclusively engaged m the coastal trade of Ne v Zealand, while the slvm moored alongside the Railway Wharf. "Is tho shock following burns moro evidence'at the inquest on tho two latest victims of *he Sto Rrid fire in Chnstchurch. Dr. \\ ill replied that shock from burns was particularly severe. Ho explained that the seriousness depended not on tho depth nf tho burns, but on their extent, and superficial burns spread over a largo To n f tho bodv were extremely danl ous even though the actual mn.rgerous, »Whon tho superficial ftefiv." !>» <«id. "^.yV 017 little hope for the s " fferc [ s . llfo ' ~... ■V disturbance occurred in . W ""s Street on Saturday evening during the Street on d some Rcamen . Two seamen were arrested because thov li™ Harper. charged with disorderly lam Mnrpc W eve ordered behaviour while anum, 1/. forfeit, the amounts of their ban A in each case. lVt Kreye was fined fnr hiving used obscene language Si £5 for "having obstructed the * To date no amusement tax has been the city organist's recitals at the iovn HaH. ' Buy your Xroaa presents oarly. Silk handkerchiefs, trith or without in ; faals, 2s. 6d„ 3s. Gd., is. 6<1., 4s. » '•, «<»• Powlds, Ltd., Manners Street.-AdTt.

The British Trade Commissioner (Mr. R. W. Dalton)' spent ;i fortnight in Aucldaud this month for the purposo of meetihg tho business men of the northern city and getting into closo touch with commercial affairs at that end of the Dominion. Tho venture was a success, and Mr. Dalton intends later to make similar visits to Christclrurch and Dunedin, wliero ho will invito importers and business people generally to confer with him on. matters concerning British trade with New Zealand and to make use of tho facilities for obtaining information that his office provides. Tho work of tho Trade Commissioner lias grown very rapidly during tho last two years. Business men nro showing an increasing appreciation of tho assistance that is offered them by the Imperial Board of Trade's Department of Commercial Intelligence, and aro finding that tho boaixl's representative in this country is a. very valuable link with the manufacturers and exporters of the United Kingdom.

The following extract from a letter written bv a soldier at tho front to the City 'Solicitor (Mr. Jolin O'Shea) will interest many in Wellington because of the personal note the writer strikes:—"l suppose you will havo heard by now of poor old Sid Dempsey's death. He was a good man, Sin. Poor old Alf Caddick got a had smack on our last front. ... I went to see Sandy Weir whilst on leave. Ho lias lost his left arm below tho elbow, but is making a good recovery. . . . I saw Paul Freyberg one day in the trenches b'/oro the Messincs stunt (I was with the trench mortars then on fatigue). He died of wounds received after tho stunt itself. Ho was very highly thought of by the chaps in his company. I. was talking to some of them some timo ago. The samo day that I'saw Paul I also mot Captain S. H. Atkinson, who has also been killed. He was a very good man in the trenches. I believe. He was always a fine chap in the old Territorial days." That deadly little weapon of modern warfare (the Lewis machine-gun), tho Maxim, and the Yickers light gun, formed tho three principal topics of an instructive lecture delivered at the United Service Institute. Melbourne, by Major P. V. JEfogan, of the Headquarters Staff, who earlier in the war had charge of tho machine-guns of the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade during the landing on Gallipoli (says,the Melbourne "Ago"). With tho experience gained on active service, Major Hogan unhesitatingly declared that- nil infantry officer, to be worth his salt, would he compelled in the future to make it his first business to learn how to use a machino-gnn. Three yoars ago, ho pointed out, such a statement would have been considered ridiculous. Even at the commencement of the present war tho machine-gun was not treated seriously or looked upon with any great favour. Usually the "mug" was selected to take charged the gun to keep him out of mischief, and he related, amid laughter, how when lie was appointed machine-gun officer c,f his unit, he was candidlv told that it was the position invariably selected for the new-comer, because no ono understood anything about tho job, and it was therefore given to the fool of the regiment. Since that time, however, a great change had come ibout. Tho machine-gun had proved its value. Where ton or a dozen guns were used three years ago thousands wero now boing employed. One type of Lewis pun forms tho main armament of the fighting aeroplane, whilo another tvpe has been universally adopted for infantry use, and has proved a most valuable asset.

In his address at Porirua at the reception given to Driver Francis Ashvortli, Mr. E-. A. Wright, M.l 5 ., stated that the Porirua Mental Hospital, of an original full staff of 69 men, had sent 48 to the front. Three of these were killed, four reported rounded, and soven were invalided home. W. Singleton, who was killed in action, left with the Main Body, and saw servico on Gallipoli, where ho was mentioned in dispatches for his conspicuous bravery in tho field, gained the D.C.M.. R. Cobb left with tho Main Body as a private, and saw service both on Gallipoli and in Egypt, and lias now obtained a commission oh the field, and is still on active servico. J. B. Gillett was mentioned in tlie papers as the hnro of the M arquotto. It was stated that New Zealand had sent many heroes to the front, but no hotter or braver acts had been (lone by any of them than that performed by Private Gilfett, of No. 1 Now Zealand Hospital Staff, at tbe timo of the sinking of the Marquette. "W. Shepherd has also gained a lieutenant's commission on tho field.

A ballot will be takon to-day and tomorrow for the election of three delepates to represent the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union at the conference of tho Watersiders' Federation. The members nominated nre Messrs. .L G. Bruce, F,. Oanham, W. Currie, J. Frew, A. Glass, and P. Murphy.

Tho Wellington Labour 'Representation Committee will meet this week to consider the question of selecting a can. didate to contest the Wellington North seat in the event of a by-election taking place.

TJie following is an extract from a letter from Flight-Lieutenant W. Wallace Cook, of Palmcrstoti North, _ received by his parents per last mail:— "I am just recovering from my big 'strafe' at tho Zepps on September C 4 and 25, and nm sorry tho beastly things nre safely ensconced in Deutschland. : Imagine a dark, windy, cloudy, misty night, with about forty or fifty miles of wind, and you have got some idea of the weather conditions. I left tho ground at 1 am. and lost all the flares immediately, and then the fun started. Nearly spun in taking off, and was tossed all over the place. Saw barrage lights and 'Archies' at play at , and immediately gave chase, hut just as I arrived the barrage lights shut down and then I was left in darkness. Then more lights at , -which was south, and off I went again to view the show, but again the same results—lights slutting down almost as soon ,as I arrived, ilie going was very cold as I was working at 14,000 feet] and it isn't too hot lip* there. My most unwelcome shock was finding the sen under mo at 5 o'clock in the morning. So very hurriedly I turned west and made for shore. As T had been up four hours then, and the machine was only due to run hours on the full sunply, you can see that T thought that I was in for a dive in the sea, if nothing worse. I was hopeful even of a U-boat popping up its-head, find, like flie whale, swallowing me. But the engine still chugged on, and just as I had selected a field to land in she 'conked' out, and I landed about four hundred yards from the cliff and sea. Thankful doesn't express how glad I was to be i on land, as I thought my number was up. for, according to all laws and precedents, T was finished. There was a padre, whom T took for a flip during the da l ? of the raid, and T 'stunted' him all over the place, but ho was game to go on and never said 'Enough.' though be was vory 'grnpev' o'i his fret when he got out of tho 'bus.' Ho afterwards sent us along his card with the words 'Deus vobisc.um' inscribed thereon —some good inscription. Tliev handed me out lots of praise foi' mv work at night. Am ! very fit." Flight-Lieutenant Cook received a Military Cross on October II for the part he played in the "big strafe." "ADVICE TO INVENTORS" is tho title of au interesting book full of valuable information regarding patents. It gives a long list of suggestions of articles, which need improving and simplifying. Send for a free copy of ''Advice to Inventors" to-day.—Henry Hughes, Ltd., Foathorston Street, WelJington.—Advt.

From time to time appeals have been made by persons and organisations in England for funds from ibis country to provide entertainment or rest places for New Zealand troops in England. Tho Minister of Defonco has been making inquiries as to whether all these appeals aro justified, and ho lias recoived a reply from the Higb Commissioner covering a report on tfr) subjoat from General Richardson. Tlio report of General Richardson goes into particulars which may not bo referred to, but tlio effect of his report is that ho does not think any moro provision should be made for fit men. Tho High Commissioner endorses this opinion. Ho writes: "All necessary provision for fit men has been mado, but if circumstances in future should warrant I will cortainlv bring any matter to your notice that in iny opinion requires special provision to be mado." No doubt it is a Now Zealand record—moro than a hundred and twenty letters of thanks from' soldiers in ono (lav. Such was the pleasure "bag" for Mrs. Luko yesterday, as head of tho Citizens' Service League. Wellington's riven at the. front returned hearty thanks for parcels of comforts. The men liavo written in a, warm spirit of appreciation of tho civilians' thoughtfulness. This overwhelming evidence should scatter all doubt about Iho parcels reaching tho right places. Citizens have here abundant proof that tho Citizens' Service Leaguo knows how to send gifts to the spots -where they are most needed. This dispatch of (jood cheer to this district's soldiers will ho maintained exactly in accordance with the citizens' will, as expressed in tlio response to the appeal for a proper remembrance of their defenders overseas. The peonlo will have an opportunity this week —particularly on the two Snorts Days (Friday and Saturday)— to help the league to gladden the men in the trenches and thereabouts.