LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 94, 14 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Gazette Extraordinary calling up tho remaining members of Class A ot tho Second Division and also some 600 First Division men who have become available will be issued to-morrow. 1 lie date of the first ballot in Class B has not been fixed. It is expected /hat there will be an interval of at least two months.

The Prime Minister (the Right Eon. W. F. Massey) visited Middlemarch on Saturday. „ A Press Association telegram from Dunedin states that Mr. Massey said that nothing definite had yet been done regarding the appointment of the Hon. A. L. Herdman to the Supremo Court Bench;. but it was probable that the Attorney-General would retire from politics next month. It this should eventuate, Mr. D. p.. Guthrie will be appointed to the Jjjiyistry, obtaining probably the portfolio of Lands.

An announcement regarding compensation for men in the New Zealand mercantile marine who lose/their lives or suffer injury in the course nf their employment, was iiado by tho Hon. T. M. YVilford, Minister of Marine, ma reply to a deputation from the Auckland Seamen's Union last week. "In regard to such a .-cliemo for officers, engineers, and seamon, and in fact all men of the mercantile marine," said the Minister, "I am in receipt of an important pronouncement by tho British Government on this question. I have referred the communication to the Solicitor-General for his opinion on one or two points, and when I havo it 1 shall publish the pronouncement for the information of all men on ships. It will then be rcon how effectively everyone has been provided for. A conference of YVairarapa local bodies is to be held, at the invitation of the Featherston County Council, to consider the matter'of dealing with the Rimntaka. road. OK 1 "

Tho Military Service Board will resume its sittings in Wellington this morning. It is liotifiod in Featherston ramp orders that the road over the RimutnKa Hills from Featherston Township to the Summit will ho closed for all tiaflio on Wednesday, during the hours tho road is being occupied by the Thirtyfourth Infantry Reinforcements on their march from Featherston to Trentbam. The hours during which the road will be closed are approximately ae follow: From Summit end, from (? a.m. to 9 a.m.; from Featherston end, from 6.30 a.m. until roar of column has passed, when all traffic must follow in behind the troops, and, on reaching the Summit, only through cms for Wellington will be allowed through the troops.

Tho Featherston County Council lias (says our special correspondent) decided to file an objection as to the .'ipportionment made by the Masterton County Council in connection with the cost of the proposed new Waingawa bridgo—7 per cent, of £11,900. The Featherston Borough Council has been asked to pay 6 per cent The consensus of county council opinion is that whilst the Featherston County has a grievance the South Boroughs and the Maryborough Town District have greater reason for complaint.

A deputation representing the Tuhne Maoris interviewed the Hon. T. M. Wilford on Saturday afternoon, requesting tho 1 emission of R.ua's sentence, expiring on August next. They promised loyalty, stating that they had sent men to the front and were willing to send more. Mr. Wilford said he had seen Rua, who promised not to claim power above the lav. Una's, conduct in gaol had been excellent, and in view of that and the Maoris's evidence of loyalty he would bring Rua's case before the Prisons Board, recommending release on finding sureties for good behaviour.—Press. Assn. .

The Minister of Public Works has advised the Auckland Railways League that the construction of the WaihiAthenree section of the East Coast railway will be resumed to-day. Work was stopped last March, and in vo> spouse to the Minister's explanation that labour -was not available the Pailway League secured ninety men, and also offered the services of an engineer to superintend the works.—Press Assn.

"On my way to prison," writes n correspondent to an English paper, "for the purpose of visiting a conscientious objector, I was joined by another woman. We began to exchange confidences. In reply to a question I Baid, 'I'm going to see a conscientious objector.' Her nose turned up with ineffable scorn, and she said: 'A conscientious objector? Thank God, niy man is not cue if them,' and then she add proudly, 'He's in for forgery.' "

The failure of Crown tenants in certain districts to observe the residential condition was discussed at a meeting of the Auckland Fanners' Union last week. It yae stated that in one district where 44 sections had been taken up, only 15 owners were in residence on their"sections. The .sections were opened, for settlement in February, 1915, and it was stated that on some of those held by the 29 non-residents no improvements had been effected. while on others «ery little work had been done. The progress of the settlement had been considerably retarded in consequence, and tho resident settlers were unable to obtain adequate postal and telenhone services, besides having to subsidise a schoolmaster in order'to keen open a school that had been established in the settlement. It was decided to bring the matter before the notice- of the Land Board.

Captain C. B. W. Bean, the Australian war correspondent, writes: "The Scotsman is, 1 think, the most unrelenting fighter that I have come across. The Australian is a most severe fighter in battle, but he is quite ready to make friends afterwards with his enemy. Onco ho has taken a German prisoner he is ant to treat him more liberally than most troops—more so, I think, than the English soldier—and that is saying a great deal. To the Scotsman, when lie escorted those prisoners home, those prisoners' are Germans still. He has never forgotten the tremendous losses which the Scottish regiments suffered at the beginning of the war. He does not feel kindly towards the men who inflicted them. With the Australian, once the fight is over, tho bitterness is left behind. The Scotsman makes prisoners, but he does not make friends."

Through souks inexplicable cause (says the "Orepuki Advocate"), probably on account of the largo quantity of machinery that is exposed at the shale works in Orepuki, the ■ vicinity, known as Slialepolis, has been visited by lightning on more than one occasion. Some time ago the huge chimney connected with the works was destroyed by the agency of lightning. The-thun-derstorm which passed over the district on th© evening of New Year's Day was very severe in the locality mentioned, and three trees located many chains apart were set on fire at the tops by the electric discharge. One of the trees is eighty feet high. From the time it was struck, residents have had an anxious time guarding their propcrtv from fire. Another tree, struck by the current in its gravitating path,has now burned down to the roots. The third tree is located: fully half a mile distant. In each case the trees held eommaiuline positions, and were in a state of decay, hut the inexplicable part of tho uncanny business is how did the trees manajo to become ignited when they were saturated with the drenching "showers which preceded the visitation. The fires in all the stricken mammoths' started simultaneously, and each of them started burning from their tons downwards. At present they nro graduallv being consumed by the element, and are a centre of interest in Orepuki.

« A deputation of the Auckland Provincial Executive of the-New Zealand Farmers' Union waited nu the District Traffic Manager of Railways (Mr. \-. Duncan) last week, urging tliat tho last year's train service bo restored. Tho deputation pointed out that last season fat stock could be killed at the Westfield works twentv-four hours after leaving the farm, but under the present system,stock wero.twenty-four hours longer in reaching the works. The cattle were carried in the broiling sun, often being forty-eight hours without water. One of the deputation said he thought more consideration should be s;iven to the stock. Besides being cruel, the meat depreciated, there was a loss of weight, and also time, and he thought under the. circumstances that they ought to revert to the old conditions.. A member suggested two night trains a week, when tho cattle could be carried in the cool of the evening. Besides being more humane, it would be a benefit to the whole community. Air. Duncan said that he could not hold out much comfort; they were working to a policy laid down by the Government, and had to squeeze the train service into a few hours. Ho would, however, forward the .representations of tho deputation to the General Manager of Railways, and they would seo what could bo dot* in the matter.