LOCAL AND GENERAL
TheHon./G.-'W. Russell' (Minister of Hospitals) stated yesterday that it had been for some time under consideration whether free hospital treatment should be given to the wives of soldiers on. active service. It' has been the 'rule for some time past, said the Minister, to allow the wives of soldiers free admission to tho State maternity hon.es, ,andjii the'concessions granted to -wives of soldiers •■by the-Financial Assistance Board provision is. made, for assistance in case of serious-, surgical operations being required. Cabinet has now approved of the proposal that, under proper safeguards, .of which due notice will be given by the Minister of Hospitals to the various hospital boards, the wives-of soldiers da active service may bo treated free in the public hospitals.
"Theso regulations were made in the interests of foolish people who will persist in risking their lives," were the remarks addressed by Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday to a young man named William Hobbs, who pleaded guilty to attempting to board a train while,in motion. The incident happened on.the Lanibton Station. The train had just started, when Hobbs ran along the station with the intention of getting on tho train, but was stopped by a railway, official. Hobbs was fined ss. and costs lis.
Recent letters, received from Gunner William Wiggins, of Wellington, (well known in rowing and bowling circles), informed his relatives that he had been selected to superintend the training of some of the New Zealand boxers and footballers, which work he found most congenial Gunner Wiggins actually had.his pack, on his back-ready, to march to the train en route.for France when he,, with others,, was pulled out for the training work referred to.
The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke. M.P., C.M.G.) started the Red Triangle clock at noon yesterday, by setting it at the figure £8000. A crowd of about-one hundred citizens applauded the function. Their enthusiasm, however, was not sufficient to sustain the bidding for the sale of the. Jack Waller. Red Triangle • seats which followed, and the auctioneer, Mr. G. Nathan, abandoned the task after about £10 worth of tickets wore sold. - There was a noticeable absence of prominent business men.
The complete agreements arrived at in the Wellington timber workers' dispute and the Wellington city gas workers' dispute, and subsequently made into awards by the Arbitration Court, were fded at the Supreme Court yesterday.
"Business is all right—if wo could only got the goods I" said a Wellington shopkeeper who deals largely in imported mercery and men's clothes generally. "What we cannot understand is why the Government cannot arrange for the transports, when coming out to New Zealand, to bring out some of the cargo held up thoro for months and urgently needed at this end. We have had our stuff held up at Home for nine months—we've actually got the sale slips I—but cannot get space for the goods, and yet these monster transports come into port week after week flying light. And to make matters worse, when a vessel does come along with cargo, the stuff she lands is most inessential in character compared with the needs of the community. It is irritating enough not to be able to get a reasonable supply.of essential articlos of clothing, but it is difficult to place officioncy in sending ships out pmpty when big freights are to be earned." The most probable reason for the course of action complained of is the, risk that would have to be taken by a vessel engaged in war work by accepting general cargo, at Home.
Two of tho most consistent English sportsmen to appreciate New Zealand and what it offers in the way of troutfishing and deer-stalking are Messrs. Charles Stoddart and A. D.. Campbell, who are once more located in their old fishing haunts at Taupe. Both of these (rentlomcn must have been visiting NewZealand off ami on now for fourteen or fifteen years, and they agree that the country has no rival m the world from their particular point,of. view.
The delight of thrifty wives !-"GOLDBN 'BULE"Soap, "GOLDEN RULE" Candles, " "NO RUBBING" Laundry Help. J. Priestly, Kelburn.—Advt.
On Wednesday morning (February 6) another earthquake was experia'iced in Apia and.neighbourhood, which (scys the "Samoa Times"), occurring at 3.15 a.m., occasioned not a little alarm on the part of residents. The tiomors lasted for several seconds, and were sufficiently severe to wake people and induce many to leave their beds. In common with previous disturbances' of late, tho point of origin appeared to lie in a south-westerly direction.
Wing-Commander. Maguirc, D.5.0., will visit Australia at an early date in order.to advise the Government as to tho best steps to be taken for the inauguration of an air servico as an addition to the Navy. "Up to the present," said Mr. Cook, "flying has by mutual arrangement been left to tho Army, as ihere was a definite demand and scope for men for military service. But in view of the importance of aeroplanes and seaplanes for reconnoitring, by which the radius of action of ships of war can be .largely? increased,-the Government has decided to c; 4 the best advico as to the establishment of an air service for the Navy."
The visit of members of local bodies to Waikaremoana has now been fixed.' The party will leave Napier on Wednesday next at noon.
The Methodist conference resolved that in view of the decision of;the Chief Justice in respect to Sunday trading and marble bars, tho conference urges the Minister of Justice.to see that the Act be so amended as to close these premises on Sundays.
At a.meeting of the Wellington Pat-; riotio Society on Thursday evening plans wore, discussed..for the coining campaign the society is to undertake on behalf- of the Salvation Army's war funds. chairman (Mr. George Frost) announced that it was not proposed to commence the camp ign until Easter, as thev did not wish to clash in any way with the Y.M.C.A. appeal.. Newtown Pork had been secured for •Easter Sunday, 'when 'a' : big tfhanksgiv : • ing- service-would be lield,. to be follow? Ed on Easter Monday by a "Paddy's 'Market' 1 and' cafe chantarit. It was hoped to. raised £00,000 in the Wellington district. .-. Adjutant A. E. Hosking and Colonel John Tunis spoke of tho value- of the -Salvation Army's war work at Home and abroad, and were" supported bv Lieutenant-Colonel J. Hughes; 'D;S.O.."wh6 enlarged on the splendid work '.done bv the Anriy in. Eeypt. and at GalJhnli. Various committees'were set up to vcvnvi, at, a later ; meetin'f/.' . A big rally (at which : the-:Mayor'is.-, to-,be asked to preside) will be held'later. on at tho Town Hall. '•'-""■.
The local : St;-'Patrick's- 1 Day Celebration. Committee;, at its meeting . on Thursday night, carried a. motion of condolence with the widow and family and tlie Nationalist Party oft the greatloss they have..; sustained through the death' of Mr. John Redmond. . Many of the speakers- to the "motion paid a tribute to the excellent work done by Mr. Redmond. It was decided to cable the message of condolence. .
'" If, during the ensuing ten days, staid citizens should see men laying rows of pennies along the kerb or across, the. footpath, they need not ring up the police and announce the discovery of a two-up school. Their duty is simply to join in, and put more pennies down, and thus lengthen the line. "Then, if they watch and offer encouragement, they willseo the "copper trail" stretch out like a., snake. and, urged on by more pennies,-. wind its way along the street, and up to. a cash register.standing at the Bank.of Now. Zealand, corner;, or some other central busy place. The "copper snake" will'climb into the till of tho cash register, and be run" in bv the orjerator. . The citizen will not get his pennies! back. The. money will go, with thousands of other coppers, to swell the total of the Rod Triangle Day funds. The advice offered to all ..who meet a.snake, of this ..kind in the. street, istb'drop.a-copper'-on its tail.
Inthe Magistrate's. Court yesterday, l-cfore Mr. .S.■ E. M'Carthy, S.M.. Francis Edward Feely, a carpenter, and a recent arrival from the, United States, proceeded against Henry Taylor, for whom Mr. H. F. O'Learv appeared, to have the. defendant bound over to keep the peace'. , .The plaintiff wa« very aggressive in the witness-box, and displayed some cleverness in conducting, his case. "Wo object. Tho question is immaterial and incompetent, and is calculated to waste the time of the Court," was the renly of the plaintiff when.asked if ho had been discharged from a carpentering job in the city where the defendant was the foreman. Tho Magistrate dismissed ■tho information without calling upon the defendant to state his case.
By advertisement the City. Engineer notifies that the.road round Island Bay Esplanade will be'closed' to-morrow for vehicular traffic, as a safeguard against accident on account of the Red Triangle aquatic gala that is being held on/.the beach.. Arrangements- have also-been mado for motor-cars-to be parked in. Reef Street, Island Bay.
The Christchurch "Press" states that a gentleman with' influential connections at Home,'who recently paid a visit to •New Zealand in respect to tho export of hides,' was irpoii his arrival iii Christchurch in receipt of a telegram from a connection of his firm serving at the front, asking for tho remittance of a sum of money. Tho cablegram further asked the recipient to interview tho parents of a Now Zealand friend of the sender's, and ask them to cable £20 to their son. The gentleman made, inquiries', and ascertained that the, Now Zealander's people lived in- Worcester Street,. Linwood. . He saw the mother, and was curtly advised by her to interview tho father, who was in business at Lytteltoh. To this course the gentleman agreed, and before proceeding to his ship waited upon the father and showed him tho cablegram. He was immediately confronted by a third'person in the room, who stated that ho was a constable in plain, clothes. The policeman is alleged to have immediately arrested tho English visitor, despite his protestations, and to have ignored the latter's request to inspect his passport and to interview the captain of his ship, a person who could easily have proved that he was an accredited representative of the ( British Government.. He.,was .lodged in the Lyttolton look-up without further .ceremony, and as his ship was duo to sail, in a few hours, things looked black for him. Fortunately his friends in Christchurch hoard of his predicament, and they immediately communicated with the authorities, who ordered his release without further delay, while the constable is stated to have hoen severely r'-nrimanded by his superior officers. The victim of tho unfortunate episode, who is now. on his way back to England, has been in tho habit of keeping open house for New Zealanders at Home and e»tertaii:inc; tbem royally, but ho now declares that, considering the manner in which lie wjs treated on his first, and he hopes last, visit to'tho Dominion, he will never entertain; a Now 'Zoalaiulor anain.
The Methodist conference oh Thursday discussed the question of free'speech and politics as relatetl to the recent attacks made ..upon two clergymen in tlio North Island. After a speech by this TTev. Ready, the conference, without further comment, unanimously resolved: —"That this conference notes with satisfaction the expressed determination of the Minister of Justice to prevent any improper interference withthe principles of free speech in politics aud religion, and to bring to .justice any persons guilty of any attempt to interfere ■ with those liberties,", Mr. Ready expressed the hope that the timo would never come in this Dominion, when they would have to nght'mili--tary Romanism with-, military Protestantism. ' '■ I
The date of tho annual conference of the Now Zealand Industrial tioh. has been iixed for Wednesday, March 20. The conferenco will bi> held in Wellington.
Wellington drapers have been advised that the price of reeled cotton manufactured by n well-known firm Ims been increased by 25 per cent. In view of this heavy riso in price, it is interesting to quote the following paragraph from the last annual report of the firm in question:—"After deducting depreciation and allowing for excess profits duty, the accounts for the year ended June 30 last show a net profit of £'d,360,950. : After providing for dividends already paid, rhe directors are placing £2,000,000 to a war contingencies fund, and carrying forward £152,334. Twelvo months ago the profit was £3,387,395, and after meeting dividends £100,000 was allocated as suspense against depreciation; £2,450,492 going forward."
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 146, 9 March 1918, Page 6
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2,093LOCAL AND GENERAL Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 146, 9 March 1918, Page 6
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