LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 113, 30 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The experience of a lady who happened to bo at home by herself in Oriental Bay yesterday .should act as a warning to others similarly circumstanced. During the course of the day a Hindu bottle-gatherer knocked at the door, and being by herself the lady went upstairs to see if she could discover who the caller was by looking through an upstairs window. Failing in her quest she camo downstairs and discovered the man seated on a table. When told that the husband wojild be called he said he knew the husband was away, and it was only when a neighbour was called in that the intruder was ejected. Collegf boys have been doing splendid work in the harvest fields around Mastertoti this season, says our special correspondent. In some cases 'they have been earning 2s. per hour and . found. i "The position seems to have eased j up somiy-'hat," said the chairman of I ; the Military Service Board yesterday, I when considering an appeal for the exemption of a slaughterman. "The board may adopt a new policy with regard (o slaughtermen's appeals. Jn this case an adjournment will be made to the last siltine; of tho board in May." Mr. C. It. C. Eobieson (General Manager, State Fire ap< pealed to the Military Service Board yesterday for tho exemption of Kennoth IS. Bain (branch manager, New Plvmoutli). Mr. Kobieson said that Bain bad been branch manager for ten years, and could not bo replaced. Tlie Department had invested two sums of ■C20,0n0 and £30,000 in the May, 1917, War Loan, and had paid £14,000 in income tax in January, 1018. Thev had in band £22,000 for the coining March loan, and it was estimated that a further £15,000 would be available this year, while they would have to pay another £14,000 income tax in January, 1019. This meant a total war payment to tho Government of £120,000 for twenty months. Tho board granted exemption sino die. William Hartley Hoslop fgrocer, 'Rona Buy), who appeared as ?.«i appellant before the Military Service Board yesterday, claimed to be 48 years of ago and a native of Yorkshire. Ho could produce no proof of bis statement, and the board therefore dismissed his appeal. Tho chairman said that the appellant would not have to go into camp till April, and in the meantime ho could write Elome for his birth certificate.

Delicious nnd nutritious. DOCTORS' CREAM O' GROATS is a mire New Zealand brand. Ideal for cnildren, All ttrocers.—Advt,

-° The suggestion that German and Austrian names should be removed IK) ' rom k' la ,lla P "' ew ea ' all( l was con " m deimiod yesterday by tho president of Hq tho Now Zealand Institute, Professor 30 Bnnham. "To mo, unci I suppose to - most oilier scientific men and intelli--20 W'lit mtrii generally, this appears to ho not only n ridiculous proposal, but ono that is highly undesirable," said Professor Bcnliam. "The names of many mountains in thp New Zealand Alps " mid somu of the glaciers would thus bo R. altered, and if tin's were done books of a travel in Nev Zealand, records of ly mountain climbing, maps and other •y documents would in the future be unintelligible. The Frnnz Josef Glacier, for instance, is mentioned in books of a geography and geology for certain j<. peculiar features, and to alter its jj namo on the ground that at. present wo arc at war with Austria would render all such references meaningless. n If there is any proposal of the kind i- on foot, I think tin's institute should n enter a strong protest against it, and lc obtain the support not only of the affililf a tod societies, but of associations of . 0 all kinds." io .The father of F. (i. Letts (market n gardener, Otaki) appealed to tho Mili- (,. tnry Service Board yestcrdav for tlie j s yoniig man's exemption. The father I said that he, bis wife, and his son, with the assistance of a little Inborn , , ciil- -- livntod 20 acres of vegetables, from c " which they sent supplies to Wcllingcl ton and to the camps at Trcnlliam find l- Feathorstou. If the son was taken r- they would have to reduce the area to ls four acres, as they could not rely on n getting sufficient labour tn carry on [i upon the present scale. The chairman j said that the time was coming when women's labour would have to lie orJ ' .lanised for such purposes. At Home f i large areas were cultivated by women o under supervision. The board dismissir pel the appeal, but granted leave till :t MayAii inquest was held yesterday morning by Mr. W. G. 'ftiddell;' S.M., if concerning tho death of Richard Hnr- ;. rison, a retired blacksmith, aged 69, who resided at Ratu JUiad, Hataitai, and who met with an accitlont on Saturday last which ternvnated fatally at a the Hospital on tho following day. J' Evidence was given by Dnvid Cnshman, o a shipwright, and by Frances Harrison, g a daughter of the deceased. The t cormipr, after hearing tho evidence, o said that death w.as tho result of a r tntro accident. Harrison was standing , in his cart, to which was attached a \' quiet horse, and. wlvle he was engaged adjusting the seat for some unexplainc cd reason the horse stepped forward, '" ana , Harrison was jerked out on to tho '- road, receiving severe injuries to his n spine. He was admitted to. the Hos;<3 pital on Saturday, and died at 4.15 rr p.m. on Sunday. Tho verdict would be . that death was duo to injuries received ', through falling from a cart on to the 0 road near the Patent Slip, Evans Buy. t Tho New Zealand Institute has a ,• large library of scientific works, at , present stored in tho Dominion 1 Museum. For many years past the in--0 stituto lias not been able to spend any - money on binding, and very many of t its boolcs, reports, and journals are in ~ paper covers. • The Board of_ Governors £ discussed yesterday the desirability of (. applying to the Government for a grant for the binding of these books, which aro to bo handed over eventually to tile s proposed National Institute of Science D and Art. An annual grant of £250 was ' mentioned as a suitable sum. The board decided to approach the Government on tho point. : " At yesterday's meeting of the Board 5 of Governors 'of the New Zealand In- '" stitute Mr. M. A. EHott, representing !/ the Manawatu Philosophical Society, i- asked for the wider distribution of e papers read before the larger institutes 0 in the cities. He suggested that copies 3 of the papers should bo made available t for the benefit of the country societies. Dr. Cockayne said there were difficul--1 ties about adopting the scheme. Nine I out of ten papers placed before tho branches of the institute were "taken 3 as read," and were not actually written 1 in final form until weeks or months s later, just before publication in the t journal. There was some discussion on . the point, but no motion was adopted. J Messrs. F. Cooper, Ltd.. have just " received from a soldier lately returned - from Walton-on-Tliames Hospital, a ■ letter expressing appreciation of the - gift by the firm of a hundred guineas' . worth'of seeds, which were used at this r hospital and other places. The sol- , dier writes that he was in charge of the gardens at this hospital for a timo, l and that the fresh vegetables which J wero produced from the seeds were a ' great boon to the patients in the hos- > pital. He snid that the growing of > vegetables must have saved hundreds of > pounds at the AValton institution alone. ! The flowers also were much apprecl- ; ated. ; A large delegation representing nil the local bodies on the AVest Coast left ■ Greymouth yesterday to meet''die Can- . terbury representatives at _ Arthur's ! Pass, who are on a visit of inspection to tho Otira tunnel, which is within measurable distance of completion (states a Press Association telegram). The tour will occupy several days. Increasing interest is being displayed by outside capital in the opening up of large pastoral lands on the Coast, which, aro being rapidly takon up. Coast-reared cattle are bringing the highest prices on the Canterbury markets. One time los. a week and found was considered a rare wage for a youth to assist on a farm, says an exchange. A widow with a small family on a Pahiatua settlement pprforca had to pay 255. a week to a lad lately to milk a few cows and mako himself useful. Tho results wero such, however, that \ the youth's engagement had to be terminated, and the widow and her mites continue to struggle on unaided. Tho modern boy, in manv instances, Isoon I succumbs to the tired feeling. ! Tho erection of the Now Zealand I Government laundrv at Marton is now J well under way. The building is at- ! Inched to the .State bakery. A. sitting of the Military Medical Board is to be bold at Masterton at the end of the present week. Tho Military Service Appeal Board sits there next week. Sir John Forrest (Federal Treasurer), after a conference with the Governor of the Commonwealth Bank, announced that tho guaranteed advance of 3s. a | bushel clear to farmers against i'.a.q. wheat of the 1917-15 crop, delivered at railway stations, would bo payable throughout New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, West Australian, and Tasmania c-n Monday, January 21. Tho dividend represents approximately £15,750,000. Tho Commonwealth Government several months ago guaranteed farmers ds. ii bushel on this season's \ harvest, and the present payment is the first instalment. The crop was . offered to the British Government some , timo ago, but no advice has yet been received as to the acceptance Through \ a lack of shipping freight practically j the whole of last season's wheat, the , property of tho British Government, j is stacked in that country, and thero ( seems httlo prospect of its early re- j moval. With the new wheat coming , in, and no outlet for tho last harvest, { the position must be regarded as seri- t pus. If tho Imperial Government do- s c'lino to purchase this year's crop tho . Federal Government would be shoulder- [ ed with a- tremendous financial rospon- c s,ibility. J s The DOMINION MOTOR VEHICLES, [ LTD., are now prepared to accept orders j for the famous CHEVROLET model, "Four-Ninoty," with details ■ that mako this car most complete, emboiryiiij,' e features of higher-priced cars. The s finishing touches given this advance a 1918 model leave nothing moro to wish <} for. It is complete in evory way. Call i' or write for catalogues or demonstra- a tions.— Adrt. '

d Further particulars about the bullet id which has been used with such success i- against Zeppelins nre given in Mel)f buiirno "Table Talk" as lollows: —So >r the secret of the famous bullet that ■<> brought the Zeppelin terror to an end i- is out. Do you remember 1 told you )o months ago that when the secret came 10 to be revealed it would bo discovered 3- that it was an An/.fto who would reap T the honour won by the invention? Then >s 1 could not reveal tho name, as the )o British authorities would not allow it jf ro be whispered,, in caso some German if sympathiser or <py should make ;niy -■' attempt to fend the clever inventor !- soaring upwards and out of the world. r i 1 employed the term Aiizac advisedly, :'f although .Mr. John Pomei'py is net a n soldier, because it included Now Keats landers as well as Australians. Hβ 't bails from that canny little city Inveri- cargill, N T ow Zealand, hut his father, s - Air. J. 11. Pomeroy, now lives at ; ( | 1-loalcsville. Had the War Office only f | received him and accepted his bullet '5' when ho lirst went to England to offer '■ it, this happy state of affairs would •" have come about much sooner. But red tape kept him waiting and tangled ?t up for about six months before be could i- get a hearing for his idea. Tlitu as ie long again slipped past, while Zeppe_>r linettes were being built upon which to :h test tho bullets, instead of testing them 1- upon the invading horrors themselves. A telegram received by a Dunea'in "Z miller from the secretary of the Board | (1 of Trade should relieve any fear of a, p shortage of Hon. , . says the "Star." Tho telegram states that a steamer will load m about 2000 tens of wheat at Melbourne, ' and that it should be available to in Dunedin millers very soon, i- A boy had a narrow escape from ie death at Grcymoiith recently. He got m into quicksand at the river, going down s- up to his neck. Fortunately his sudill den immersion wste noticed, and he was pulled out. ii- The teachers' farm school to be con- ., ducted under the auspices of the Auckr- land Education Board was to comi), menco on Monday at the 'Ruakurn i, Farm of Instruction. Tho Department t- of Agriculture is co-operating with thp it board, and during the week that tho ?■ school lasts a number of the Depart- ">• uient's officials will give lectures. », Ninety-five teachers from all parts of 16 tho province will be in attendance, havB ' ing been invited because of the intera est taken by thorn in agricultural cdu[S cation. ,j The adventures of a boy, sued 13, ~ and his sistur, aged 11, wore related 1 1 to Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., in the Ju,n venilo Court in Auckland, when the i s children wore charged with stealing £12 5 _ from their grandfather. A statement 5 by the boy was' to the effect that ie knowing whero his grandfather kept <[ his money he forced the drawer open ,e .with a chisel and took £12 in notes. r. After giving two elder sisters £2 10s. ho decided to run away with his young ', sister. Blankets, clothing, suit cases, l n and other articles were purchased, and ~ the pair went to Manurewa. 'They rcy turned the same day and went to De|f vonport, where they spent the night „ under a boat. The next day they vis.s isted the city and went to the baths ,f and pictures, also spending money on ,j; fishing lines, groceries, and clothing. n They returned to Manurewa and slept e under a tree, and the next day went tu , e Devonport and slept in the baud rolS tunda. On thoir return to town again ( j they were caught by a constable and ,t; only b'd. then remained. Sub-Inspec-tor Broberg said the boy had previousj ly stolen money, and he had also taken u revolver from the drawer. .Tho money a given to the other sisters was spent on f uoots and sweats. The children's mother was dead, and they lived with , s their grandparents. The boy was com,s mittca to tho Boys' Training School; 0 Nelson, and the girl was pliiced on pro- ,_ bation i'or twelve months. - Writing to a relative in Christchurcb, 0 Ijieut. H. Pohio, of Tualuwi, who left e New Zealand with tho Main Body ot 1 the Maoris, says:—"ln the fight for v I'asschendaele 1 was hit with a piece 3 of casing from a high explosive shell. a The piece entered the muscle of the i right arm, between the arm and body, . tearing the ilesh right around the bone, (. ; without breaking any bones—just a j clean, open wound—and 1 can thank my lucky stars it, wasn't worse, as the , shell burst within a yard of my fdet, ')' and I was rather fortuno,to in not get--3 ting shell-shock. The people here m " j this hospital are very nice, doing all C they possibly can for me, and nothing lis too much for them to do." Refeij j ring to thuso whom bo terms "'our j people," the writer says:--"Up to tho . I dato I got cracked up they \ were all f going well, and I might mention that { the South Island platoon in the Battalion is recognised as one of the best ' in the outfit. That compliment has been paid to us by tbu colonel commanding our 'right.' , " Referring to. J two of his brothers who have served iii ' Francs and have returned home, ho ' says that they "deserve their trip ' I home," adding-.---"But tell thoso who 1 aro. floating about the pa- that there 1 is plenty of room here for them in 1 the battalion, and tell them to hurry, • so as to allow a Jot of the old boys, I out here to return home for a spell"" ', "If a proposal comes before l'arlia- ■ rnenfc next session further to extend the 1 life of the present House of Ilepre--1 sentatives, it will be strenuously op--1 posed by the Labour Party, principally upon the grounds that the people have a , right to be consulted in regard to i conscription and tbc cost of living," • states the Christchurch "Press." "That is the official Labour attitude, but some of the Labour leaders will privately be very sorry if their protests succeed and the election is not postponed. Their reasons wero given by I one the 'bosses' of tho party to a 'Press' reporter on Saturday. They recognise that they ore yory-nmoh 'offside' at present in public opinion, and they consider that they would bo considerably handicapped' in fighting an election by the War .Regulations, which prevent some of their'from saying the things they would like to say, except at a risk of their persona liberty. They consider that if the election is postponed till after tile --ar their chances of success aro infinitely brighter. Therefore, it may be assumed that in the event of a postponement proposal coming before Parliament, official Labour's bark will b* worse I than its bite." I At the New Zealand Nurserymen's ! Association's Conference, Mr. Kirk (Director of the Horticultural Division of the Agricultural Department) made reference to the spraying of fruit trees. Somo people who became ill after eating stone fruit, he said, considered tho cause lay in the ' spraying mixtures used to combat fruit pests. Some years ago a child died in the North Island, supposedly from tho effects of poison on peach skins. The peaches had come from Hnwfce's Bay, and his Department had made full,inquiries and discovered that the poach trees had not been sprayed for months before the fruit was picked. Experiments had been made, and had proved beyond all question that where arsenic was used in spraying it would be necossary to eat one bushel and a quarter of fruit, skins and all, to have consumed a medicinal doso of arsenic, let alone a fatal dose. No doubt, under these conditions, one would get a pain in tho stomach, said Mr. Kirk, but the public could rest assured that no ill effects occurred from eating fruit that had been sprayed. Experiments made with fruit sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, arsenic a and lead, showed that an hour after J, treatmont several pounds would require ( \ to be eaten before any effect was to be ii observed. Illness in the case of fruit ii eating was due to causes other than tho I' spraying. A delegate mentioned that w a horse on his place had taken a copious draught from u barrel of spray, ing mixture, and the only effect notice- j, abTo was that the animal displayed more $ "ginger" iji bis work. ' ni