LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 153, 18 March 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Government will Gazotto a maximum (prico or maximum prices for bread during tho next day or two.

It is intended to immediately provide accommodation for an additional hundred men at King George V Hospital for Soldiers, Pukcroa, by the erection- of two detached wards, says a Press Association telegram from Rotorua,

The Firo Brigade received two calls yesterday—one to a firo which had broken out on the Queen's Drive, Lyall Bay, in a house in tho Crawford Estate. Fortunately little damage was done. Tlie second call was to an outbreak in tome rubbish at tho back of a Chinese laundry, sit tho corner of Normanby Street and Adelaide Road.

"We look upon hot'elkeepors not only as non-essential, but as more or less ail evil," remarked Mr. J. S. Evans, S.M., chairman of a- military servico board in Christehurch on Friday, when tho question of a publican probably applying for time to arrango his business before going into camp was under discussion. ■

An unusual case was beforo tho Military Appeal Board at Tauniarmnii on Saturday. A woman appealed to tho .board to liavo one son returned to New Zealand as lie was non r in a London hospital wounded r.nd unfit for further service in the trendies. Applicant has several sons at the lront, and urged that tho wounded one would bo of better iiso at homo than doiiig clerical work. Captain Walker was in perfect sympathy with tho application, hut said the board had no power to carry out tho request. The only person who could do this was the officer commanding. The chairman, giving judgment, said a very important point was at issiie. If a precedent wns established thoi'c might bo many applications. The facts of the present case would bo submitted to the Defonco authorities to deal with.—Press Association;

Apparently tho Government has not yot made up its mind what to do with the lnrgc number of Territorial officers, numbers of the First Division, who were railed up for service, some months ago, but for whom no positions in the reinforcements as officers'could lie found. These men, after serving a period in camp, wcro grunted leavo without nay, and that leave has been extended from time to time. Now, it is understood tlmt a further month's leave without pay lias been granted. is understood, atlvico was received by the officers affected that they would receive pay for January last; and they now anticipate that tliey will bo paid for the ensuing period' of their leave. — "Otago Daily Times." A Press Association telogram from Timaru states that a woll-attonded mooting of Irishmen in South Canterbury on Saturday carried a resolution of sympathy with tlio Bon and relatives of the late John lledmorid, whose life bad been ono long service of davotion to the liberty of Ireland. A nuc.mid resolution was addressed to Mr. John Dillon, offering sympathy on the death of the late brilliant and indomitablo leader, and congratulations on his election to tho exalted position of leader of tho Irish race in tho constitutional struggle for Homo Rule in Ireland. Voluntary recruiting will be closed as far as First Division riien are concerned for a week from noon to-day. The | next Gazette calling up accretions to the First Division and Clnss A of the Second Division will be issued on Tuesday, March 26,- and voluntary recruit, ing is being closed for this week in order to avoid tho inclusion in the Gazette of tho names of mon who volunteered and were accepted during the ! period of preparation and publication. This system will bo followed in the future. Men havo been warned in the past that if they volunteer immediately before tho publication of a Gazette it may be impossible to avoid the appearance of their names among those compulsorily called for service, but they have not always heeded this direction and so complaints have arisen. In the Magistrate's Court on Saturday the further hearing of the charge against "William Corliss of stealing two fowls, the property of Mary M'Guire, was taken by Mr. W. G. lUddcll, S.M. Tho defendant succeeded in proving an alibi and the information was dismissed. At a- meeting of tho Wellington Bookbinders and Paper Rulers' Trade Society tho following resolution was passed and ordered .to be forwarded to tho Prime Minister:—"That this meeting emphatically protests against the provisions covered by the Order-in-Council, published in the New Zealand Gazette Extraordinary of December i, providing for tbo suspension of the Industrial and Concil ; ation and Arbitration Act, 1908, *nd its amendments, and of all awards, and industrial agreements in so far- ns they prevent or restrict the training and employment of discharged soldiers in certain industries, and oxprosses the opinion that the proposals covered by the said Order-in-Council, are reactionary in character, and calculated—(l) To place the discharged soldier at the , mercy of those who may bo unscrupulous enough to take advantage of bis position and pension. (2) To place autocratic powers in the hands of tho Inspector of Factories; and (3) to undermine and reduce the standard of living of the workers generally. Also, that in our opinion, in dealing with discharged soldiers, who are unable to earn the award or standard rate in any calling, that their wage bo made up to such rate by a- levy upon the respective employers associations whoso members employ such discharged soldiers.' Tho finding of a district court-mar-tial held at Trentham Camp on March 12, having been confirmed by tbo Commandant, New Zealand Military Forces, is hereby promulgated:—sl,s4s Pte. C. D. Sutherland, Details (Jato Thirty-first Reinforcements), found guilty of: (1) AVhen on active service deserting His Majesty's Service; (2) when in confinement escaping; (3) when on active service deserting His Majesty's Service; (4) losing by neglect his equipment,' clothing, and regimental necessaries. Sentenced to one hundred and forty days' detention. Stoppages to pay for deficiencies in kit amounting to £6 15s. 10d. Tho finding and sentence is confirmed, but the sentence is mitigated so that if the accused embarics for active servico outside of Now Zealand, then upon arrival at the final port of disembarkation tho unexpired portion of his sentence (if any) shall bo remitted and his New Zealand records shall be endorsed accordingly. The port of Wellington will bo busier to-day than it has been for a few, months, all wharves having a good share of tho extensi7e shipping in port, and that arriving to-day. The waterside labour available will not be sufficient to j cope with tho work offering this morni ing, and a number of the vessels will , be delayed in discharging their freight. ': Besides the shipping in port the vesi sels which arrived on Saturday and 1 Sunday and those due to-day number ; 27, so that tho total of tonnage in port I ta-day will be unusually high. The ! shipping at Auckland on Friday was large, the aggregate tonnage reaching to a figure rarely touched at Auckland. In Christehurch, Mr. Flesher, of the Choral Society, has been speaking frankly iii favour of tb« remission of tho amusement tax on the receipts of , musical society performances where ,nono other than a fow soloists, and, at times, members of tho orchestra arri paid fees. It is well known—tho bal-ance-sheets are the proof—that nons of thesn societies make any monev to apeak of, the receipts being swallowed I up in rents, music, advertising, etc. ! Tho protest recalls an incident that i occurred at tbo last performance of "The Messiah" by the Wellington Choral Union. An old lady was purchasing a ticket of admission to the back stalls. "How much is it?" sho surprise. "Amusement tax, Madame," please," answered the seller. "Why tho penny?" asfeed tho lady, with some surpriso. "Amusement tax, Madam," was tho answer. "Amusement, irideod," Raid the old lady. "Surely you don't call 'The Messiah' an amusement. Why, it's :i religious service in music!" A proposal that a number of vessels now used as coal hulks in Australasian ports should be refitted for sea servico was laid before 'the Hon. T. M. Wilford (Minister of Marine) by Captain A. Whitney, of Auckland. Captain Whitney stated that from recent mvesti«ntio'ns ho estimated that 30,000 tons of shipping could be put afloat in this way and used either as cargo vessels or as patrols. They would require a good deal of refitting, and as the necessary material was not available in Australasia it would bo necessary for tho Imperial and colonial Governments to commandeer them and make all _ the necessary arrangements. The Minister said that he would refer tho matter to Cabinet,' , but it was certain that the vessels would not bo allowed to put to sea unless they satisfied every requirement as to seaworthiness. The discovery on Thursday niclit of a portion of a shirt, positively identified as belonging to Mr..Andrew Lovo, a coal miner of Abbotstord, near Dunodin, of whom no trace ki6 been scon since Saturday week last, vhen he loft home to go fishing at Green Island Beach, has confirmed tho suspicion that tho missing man was swept off the rocks into tho sea and drowned. Tho ladies of Wellington should certainly inspect tlio fine display of Woollen Sports Coats showing in our window, It will givo you a fair idea, of the smart stylos anil high-grade qualities for which we aro noted. Davis, anci Clatcr, Ladies' and Gontlomen's Outfitters, Lambton Quay, Wellington.— Advt.

'Hoplying to a deputation from tho Kotorua Chamber of Commerce Sir James Allen said that when he stated that there was no room in the hospital ships for British officers needing treatment at-ltotorua it was necessary to dear out tho hospitals in England. Taking British officers aboard meant excluding New Zealaiitlers. Suggestions to treat British officers at llotorua first came from the Dominion, not from the ImperialjGovermiiont. There had been an mtorcjpingo of cablegrams, on the mattor since, and ho hoped arrangements might be made for'officers bound to Rotorua to travel on troopships or mercantile liners.—Press Assn.

A resident in the West End, New Plymouth, had an visitor a day or two ago (says tho "Herald"). Tho family wore sitting at tea when u. strange noise, as of someone doing a clog dance on the verandah, was heard. Leaving the kit:hen to investigaio, the householder was startled upon entering the passage to meet a full-grown bull, with a ring in its .nose, walking towards him. There was not sufficient room to allow the animal to turn, and so an attempt was made to get it to back out, but this was not accomplished until the beast had entered the front room and caused n certain amount of damage to the furniture.

"I think the easiest way to sell a property is to let a man do his own business," was tho statement oi a witness, a land agent's salesman, during the hearing of an action at.tlio Auckland Supremo Court last wecK, concerning a property exchange deal. The Judge, Mi , . Justico Hosking, was questioning witness as to what eervices no and his employer had rendered to justify tho payment by both parties of commisslun aggregating several hundred pounds. His Honour stated that tho evidence showed that tho agent had merely introduced tho two parties, and his salesman hud gone out with them when they viewed tho properties. It was admitted by the agent that it was his practice not to advise clients in an exchange transaction as to the.values of tho respective properties, a matter, it seemed to him, in which they most required tho benefit of tho land agent's skill and experionoe. Ho failed to e'ee how under such circumstances land agents earned their commission. His Honour said that tho services were such that ss. seemed to him a sufficient payment. ■ -

On the subject of whether girls, who took positions in the early stages of tho war with the intention of filling them only until such time men roturned, were- giving up those positions in favour of the men, the Mayor of Auckland stated in a recent interview that no docbt this was one of tho ■difficulties that had to be contended with. Men vacated these positions when they offered their services to their country, but ho was not sure that it would not be found in many instances that these position were not available for the mon whei they returned. The position, though not one that came ■ within the province of tho_ Patriotic Association, was an exceedingly difficult one, and was one of the general conditions that had followed tho war and would have to he faced in a prac tical manner.

A novel means of raising money for a patriotic fund was disolosod at the conference of tho Victoria League in Christchurch on Friday during a dißcusßion on the bost means of raising funds for tho purpose of presetiting_ an noroplanc to the Imperial authorities. One lady delegate said that the branch she represented had, in a money-rais-ing mission, adopted a standard waist measurement;' members having to pay an amount in pennies for each inch that their waists were over that size. During the laughter that followed the voico of the president (Mr. W. J. Napier) was heard remarking that he sincerely hoped it was not intended to apply that test to men members of the league.

"There is a lot of spurious sentiment concerning conscientious objectors," declared Mr. G. T.. Booth, in\an address at the Victoria League conversazione in Christchurch. "The doctrine of non-resistance to evil may or may not be sound/ but one- thing is evident —tho doctrine of non-resistance may bo pushed to a point where it becomes a menace to society. The State exists for the protection of its citizens, and when it is called upon to defend itself against assault, its demand upon the citizens it protects is absolutely paramount." Mr. Booth went on to deal with treachery, saying that passive treachery was nearly as bad as that which was active. In conclusion, he urged the Victoria League to continue its educational work and to call upon the.women of the Dominion to rise against the pernicious brood of ''conscientious objectors, slackers, .shirkers, seditionista, strikers, and disloyalists generally."

An inquiry upon the system of education as affecting all persons engaged in industries, professions, and occupations will be opened in the four centres this morning by the National Efficiency Board of Commissioners. By the inquiry, which will extend over a considerable period, it, is desired to elucidate the best course to be pursued for the training of the youth of the Dominion, not only iu personal knowledge. _ and skill, but in civic responsibilities. "Those desirous of tendering evidence should write to the sscretary to the Commission, stating the points H'ith which they wish to deal.

A movement to erect a memorial to the late Lieutenant-Commander Sanders, V.C., D.S.O-, the naval hero, was inaugurated by the Takapuna Borough Council on Wednesday night. A letter was received from Mr. J. H. Gunson, Slay.or of AucklanfT. promising _ a personal donation toward a memorial, nnd etatiiw that tho Patriotic Association would give its full co-oneration. Tho Mayor of Takapuna, Mr. AV. Blomfiold, said ho was surprised, in view of the deceased sailor's great deeds, that the matter tiad not been taken up l;eJore. Mr! "W. Duncan said a memorial 'had already been erected in Milford Haven, but Lieutenant-Commander Sanders's native place had, as yet, done nothing. Tho Mayor suggested that a high jrrnnito obelisk at Takapuna, and an addition 1o the hospital for - the accommodation of seamen, would form a suitable memorial. It was decided to write to the 'Mayors of Auckland nnd surroundins: boroughs, and also to the Auckland Harbour Board, asking for their ra-opnratinn in tho matter, certainly disposed of Returned Soldiers

An advertisement appears over the signature of the Mayor inviting citizens to attend a meeting in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall on Thursday, at 8 o'clock, to- protest against the restoration of the German colonies in tha Pacific. Messrs. A. H. Hindiuarsli, M.P., and J. Hutcheson will be .amongst the speakers.