LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 172, 10 April 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Minister of Defence has received advice of tho safe arrival at thoir destination of the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Mounted Riflo Reinforcements. The information is given by Sir Joseph Ward, Postmaster-General, for tho benefit of persons desiring to send comforts to soldiers in hospital in England, that cakes containing sugar (but not sugar itsolf) may bo sent to the Now Zealand War Contingent Association for distribution to military and naval hospital patients, such parcels being freo of Customs duty. This is a relaxation of tlio prohibition of tho importation, except under license, of certain goods into the United Kingdom. Some comment has been made on n published statement that Mr. P. C. Webb, M.P., travelled in a first-class railway earriago to Itotorua on his way to the prison camp after being sentenced to two years' imprisonment for refusing military service It appears that tho statement was made in error. Tho escort and tho prisoner travelled in a second-class carriage, as is usual on such occasions. But just before reaching liotorua the sergeant in charge took Private Webb into a vacant carriage for convenience in loaving tho train, and the inaccurate report arose from the fact that they were seen descending faim this carriage at the station. It was stated at tho Military Service Board yesterday that between 400 and 500 membern of tho Wellington Waterside Union had gone to the front.

A patriotic offer has been made to tho Government by a well-known citizen of Hamilton, Mr. F. W. Burley. lii ii letter to Mr. J. A. Young, M.P., Mr. Burley states tliat he holds for his wife and daughter £1000 worth of war certificates. These ladies wish to help towards winning the war,, and they have asked Mr. Burley to offer to cancel these certificates and return them to the Minister of Finance if ten other citizens residing within a radius of three miles from Hamilton Post Office will do tho sanie "in memory of the men who havo died standing a bulwark of strength between the women oF the Empire aud a German viotory." Tho offer holds good until April 15. Mr. Young placed this letter before the Minister, of Finance, who has replied that the offer is,a very generous one, and has suggested that it sEould bo made public through the local Press. Tho member for AVaikato accordingly lias written to the Mayor of Hamilton asking him to take the matter in hand and Bee if Mr. Burley , s challenge can bo accepted and a. gift of £11,000 made'to the Treasury for war purposes. The Baso Records Office advises that information has been received to the effect that Mrs. Frend, wife of a soldier, 22,611 John Percy Freud, died at sea. Deceased was accompanying her husband to New Zealand. Prior to proceeding to England Mrs. Frenc , . resided at Carterton. It is iindpaitcud that there arc no relatives of the deceased in the Dominion. At a meeting of the Southland Centre of the Executive of the Protestant Political Association, a resolution was passed viewing with alarm the action of the Minister of Customs in refusing delivery of Protestant literature now lying in Auckland, and strongly protesting, especially as _the literature in no way afreets recruiting, nor has the Government any reason to doubt tho loyalty of the association or its members. Copies of the resolution will bo sent to all members of Cabinet. —Press Assn. A man who bad been nine months in camp appealed to the First Wellington Military Service Board yesterday for leave from camp till his class is called up. Tho military representative attached to the board said that it struck !iim as very wrong that men who had volunteered should seek releaso after the Government had spent so much money on them. The State should bo reimbursed.

When one rends of the crew of the raider Wolf twitting tho crew of the Wairuna on their not scuttling their vessel rather than allow her to be captured one is apt to conclude that the Wainina's men were not alert to the possibilities of the situation (says the "Dunedin Star"). But such a conclusion would hardly bo accurate; it would, in fact, bo probab.ly quite wrong. It seems that the masters of New Zealand vessels are not instructed to sink their ships in order to avert capture by an enemy. The reason, therefore, has not been announced, but seafaring men say it ma.y be inferred. The reason seems to bo that when the enemy destroy a ship her value is included in the amount of indemnity paid by tho defeated enemy at the close- of tho war. Should tho crew of such ship, however, sink their own vessel iu order to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy, her value may not ho included in tho indemnity, because the enemy did not destroy l"er. Hence the Wainina.'s men may havo known quite well what they were doing when, instead of scuttling her themselves on finding escape impossible, they allowed her to fall info the enemy's hands. It was a matter, evidently, of direct instruction.

It was reported to the Technical Education Board last evening that the school children's penny collection for the Red Triangle Fund realised £7 9s. SJd. " ■

Tho Sydney "Sun" states that it was unanimously decided at r, recent conference of the United Commercial Travellers'. Association of Australasia that no bachelor eligible for military service will be admitted as a member of the association or club connected with the organisation throughout Australasia.

Tho Karori Borough, has already contributed about 115 men to the Expeditionary Force, and of these five have secured Military Crosses, and 20 have received commissions.. The council intends erecting an honours board in the council loom.

In a letter received by last mail from a Y.M.O.A. field secretary in France, the writer, referring to his canteen, says:—"This place of mine is quite a novel show. The men are housed in galleries underneath) for all the. world like a troopship. I suppose 500 or 600 men sleep down there. I have tho canteen on top, but have my office and bunk helow, quite handy when there is a "etrafe" on. On New Year's Day we had quite a big time here. Every man billeted here received a parcel, mostly from the New Plymouth ladies, and they wore most appreciative. In, addition to this we made a tour up tho line, carrying twelve sandbags of chocolate, cigarettes, etc., and wo had a great response."

Argument was concluded before the Full Court yesterday in the appeal Southland Acclimatisation Society (appellants) v. the Olago Acclimatisation Society (respondents;. The Court reserved its decieion.

Tho Y.M.C.A. have received the sum of £6 from Mr. Samuel Medlaaid, of Wooleton House, Great Barrier, for tho Raeiihi Fire Relief Fund.

The complete list of war trophies captured by the New Zealand Division _in Franco and Inlanders, which _ trophies lire at present in Wellington, is as follows :—i elovating are. (field gun), a machine-gun barrels, S trench mortar barrels, 1 trench mortar bed, 7 ma-chine-gun ammunition belts, 4 boxes ammunition maohine-gun. belts, 4 boxos sparo parts (metal), 1 cleaning brush, I*machine-gun watering-can, 2 77 m.m. field-gun carriages, 5 trench mortar carriages, 1 machine-gun ammunition carrier belt, 1 leather case for. cleaning brush, 2 raaohiue-gun steam condensers, 13 barrel caging covers, 48 machine-guns, 6 75 m.m. trench mortars, 13 sets machiue-gun mountings, 3 trench mortar mountings, 1 machinegun eloaning rod, 1 sack of spare parts for field-gun, 1 sot of sights, o sluigs for carrying light machine-guns, d siauds and 2 varieties of bomb-throw-ers. Each weapon bears upon it the namo of tho unit by whioh it was captured, and in many cases the date also is given. It has not yet boen decided how the collection will be disposed or. The road over the Riimitaka Hill from Featherston Township to the Summit will ho closed for aU trafiic on Friday during the hours tho road is being occupied by tho Thirty-seventh Reinforcements on the march to lTentham. . Last night the • Wanganui Borough Council dismissed a letter from tho Napier Patriotic Association asking for support to a resolution praying tho Governor-General to remove from among his advisers any men of enemy blood Tho resolution further urged that men of enemy blood be removed from tho public service The Mayor condemned tho proposal, and said the quostion was one that should bo left to tho Government. Hβ considered the resolution aimed at a man whoso loyalty was unquestioned. The council.should not tea party to try to hojuid him out of public life. The majority of councillors took up the attitudo that tho time hud arrived when nn risks should be taken, and it was decided to support tho Napier resolution.— Proes Assn.