LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 72, 18 December 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Arrangements have, been made for next-of-kin of members of tho Thirtythird Reinforcements who desire to visit their friends in camp to do so as follow:—On Friday, December 21, a train will leavo Wellington for Trentham nt 9.45 a.m., returning from Trontham to Wellington at 4.40 p.m. Tho troops at present in training in the camps will begin to move out on their Christmas leavo to-day. The bulk of them are in Featherston, and the work of transportation from that camp will be heavy, and will occupy four days. Special trains will be run to the various centres in the North Islaud, while to-morrow, and on Thursday special otoamers will run to Lyttelton to carry soldiers bound for the south. In Dunedin a fund has been established for the assistance of the sufferers by the Halifax disaster. The Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. G. W. Russell) hns approved of this as a war fund, so that it is now open to patriotic sympathisers throughout the Dominion to collect moneys for this purposo after receiving permits to do this from tho Minister. . Rules havo been laid down by Genoral Headquarters for medical attendance on all 6ick and wounded soldiers who are members of the Expeditionary Force, tho Homo Service Branch, Military Police, ' Ordnance Department, Army Pay Department, and Territorials and Senior Cadets when on service. The principle underlying the rules is tlmt all soldiors are to be treated in the public hospitals (either >as in-patients or out-patients). In Wellington, Auckland, and Cliristchurcli the A.D.M.S. will take direct medical charge of nil men who otherwiso would bo outpatients. Any soldier requiring medical assistance must apply to the nearest Defence Office, where he will be told tho namo of the medical officer he must consult. In tho event of medical attention being required urgently, tho soldier may call in the nearest available doctor, who must notify the nearest Defence Offico within twelve hours. Soldiers from camp and on home service must themselves soo that notification is given. The Department will pay only for omergency medicines ordered in writing by an authorised doctor The Department will not recognise any liability if these instructions are disregarded. It is announced in general orders that tho medals of an officer or soldier dy'ii" on active service, whether issued before or after his death, will bo disposed of in accordance with the will or the deceased man, if thcro is such a document. In default of a will, the medals will be sent to the next-of-km in the following order of relationship:— Widow, cldes't surviving son, eldest surviving daughter, father, mother, eldest surviving brother, oldest surviving sister, eldest surviving halt-bro-ther, eldest surviving half-sister If tho modals cannot be disposed of ■ in these ways they may be sent to any relative or interested party who, in the opinion of the Army Council, will preserve them with due care as a memorial of the deceased." At the fitting of the Third Military Servico Board yesterday morning a tramway official named Hubert Lee Gates appealed on the ground that he should not have hcon placed in Class A of the Second Division, as lie was si married man with two children, and further that ho was not a reservist, being 48 years of age. Tho appeal was allowed. . The Auckland University Collego Council is claiming £20,289 from the Auckland City Counci as compensation for the loss of a building in Eden Crescent, which is to be demolished to maJco way for tho new eastern outlet. Air. H "C I'pwsley. formerly of Wellington, has been appointed assessor for tlio council at the hearing of tho case. At the. quarterly meeting of '.he Masterton Fire Board it was decided to support a resolution from the Christchurch board that the Minister be asked for an increase iu tho annual grants to boards. A sum of £19 was abstracted from a private letter-box in Masterton a few days iigo. Tho conscience of the thict has apparently troubled him, or ler (says our special correspondent), for a sum of £13 has been returned, with expressions of regret.

A cold snap was experienced in Masterton oil Sunday evening, and over half an inch of rain was registered. Defence Headquarters huß received a limited supply of now ribbon to suspend tho Jn'oh' Zen land Long and Efficient Servico Modal. This ribbon is a crimson band with two white stripes in tho centre. Officers commanding units may make application for supplies through District Headquarters. On the application of Dr. Valintine tlie Third Military Service Board granted Dr. Harold Alexander Cooper, of Elthain, total exemption. Dr. Valintine explained that ho was not making his appeal at the request of Dr. Cooper, or anyone else, but purely on public grounds. There was a scarcity of medical men in the district. Owing to the rain which fell yesterday morning the public schools' tennis tournament which was to have been hold yesterday was postponed until today. A meeting of creditors was_to have been held yesterday regarding the bankruptcy of 0. T. Emeny, plasterer, but the meeting lapsed for lack of ii quorum. The Victorian State Ministry's attitude towards the eucalyptus industry in that Stato waa the subject of » series of questions in the Legislative Assembly last week. Mr. Weaver asked Mr. Angus, tlie Minister representing tho Minister of Landß, whether lie was favourable to the encouragement of the industry; whether ho would bring in a Bill to give seourity of tenure of lessees; nnd whether he would endeavour to improve tho marketing facilities and generally' look into the difficulties with which the industry was being carried on, with a viow to removing injustices?. Mr. Angus trephed that he was in favour of encouraging the industry, and that the question of an amendment of the law to permit of the issue of leases would be investigated. The matter would be submitted to the Minister of Forests tor his consideration.

Tho recent internment of Edmund Resch, the Sydney brewer, recalls the fact (says a Broken Hill message to the Melbourne "Age") that some years ago lie quarrelled with Ins nephew, who is well known in Broken Hill as Lieutenant Resch, bocnuso of tho Jatter's loyalty to the British (lag. Ino hreach occurred dunn<? the time ot ttte Boer war. "When I volunteered for the Boer war," Lieutenant Resch said recently, "my tmcle Edmund said to me, 'So you nre going to Africa to fight for the British, are you? Well, vou can understand that from now I liave dono with you, and you need not expect to get any assistance in lilo from me.' I told him,". said the lieutenant, "that I was quite capable of looking after my own future, and Tenuired no assistance from him. Lieutenant Rosch some months before leavino- for the front changed his name to Fletcher that beiiw the maiden name ofhis wife, who is British, as also was his mother. In tho way of prison reform the Victorian Indeterminate Sentences Board is claiming marked success for two of its recent experimentation etrorts. These are, firstly, the development-of the afforestation camp ut French Island, and, secondly, the prison farm at Castlomaino for tho treatment of persons committed to sentences of indefinite duration. These experiments (says the "Ace") are said to represent a considerable advance on anything previously attempted in Victoria in {he way 'of prison reform, and to be fully abreast with modern humanising" methods practised in America, wfiere good results are achieved by placing prisoners largely on their honour At Cnstleniaine, in addition to farming operations, technical instruction has been given to inmates. Considering that wo have had free and compulsory education for over a generation, a strikingly low educational standard has been observed among the class of vouth committed to the Castlenmi™ reformatory. These backward lads havo boen educated to the third and fourth standard before their release. Within a- few days active boring operations will bo resumed at tie Vnlafla oil fields, Papua (reports the Melbourne "Age"V Up-to-date •machinery, capable of testing to a depth of 4000 feet has arrived on the field, and is now being erected. .The Minister for Home and Territories, realising Hie Importance attached to a thorough investigation of the mineral deposits, is giving the, subject toe close consideration. He intends that the boring shall be vigorously with wider tho direction of Dr. Wade, the Commonwealth oil expert. It is probablo that Mr. Glynn will nppoint a business manager to control the busness side nf the proposition.

"Current Cartoons" is the title of nn annual of sketches in picture and verse and prose drawn and written respectively by W. Macbeth and Will Lawson. A wide versatility is shown, awl the range of subjects covers most of tho political, military and. social happenngsoftho day. Among whole-page cartoons is one showing the Minister of Defence and some of the leadiiig Headquarters and camp officers, while there aro many other humorous and piquant sketches of topical interest. The frontispiece, in which Father Time is depicted as a golfer teeing off for the 1918 th game, is well designed and executed, the accompanying verses, being quite appropriate. Tho book is one which will no doubt appeal to readeis in all walks of life.