LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 205, 18 May 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

One of the features of the street activities yesterday in connection with the Hed Jersey appeal was Hie parading of a broken German Impounder gnn, captured by (ho Nov.- Zealand Forces in France. The ffmi. hitched on (o a serviceable limber, was drawn through the city streets by six black horses, preceded by Hie Trcnlham Band, and created lively interest all along its crowded route.

Empire Day (June !|) will be celebrated throughout the Dominion as a holiday. On that day Iho Government officcs throughout .New Zealand will he closed.

An extraordinary operation . was performed upon Private W. Hock, a returned soldier, of Teliterlield, by a Sydney surgeon. Hock was severely wounded 'in the head and leg and invalided home. The injury lo his head was to severe that a silver ,)lato was placed over the Imlletliole, but proved altogether unsatisfactory. In the operation, which was performed in Sydney, tho 'plate was removed from his head, and the whole of one rib and portion of anather token out and grafted on lo the head. The operation was aa uiK(iialilied succcss.

The new lire brigade station that is being erected in Cdiistable Street will provido residential iiuarters for sixteen permanent brinadesmcn.

Evidently the reservist who shirks his dttty by being reported "missing" .-.lifter the notification reaches him that he lias been called on for service, is not so far to seek 'in Southland (says the "Southland Times"). A party of sportsmen from Invercargill who penei rated inland bevoiul Mossburn a few weeks ago, bring back-a talc which smacks faintly of the adventures and lives of tho outlaws of

the days of old.

It is stated that close

to where the party were camped, no fewer than nine deserters had made

their temporary home. Supported in their tale by a complete set of the required instruments, the men had stated that tliov were surveyors. They lived on what they shot (it ib said every man had a rifle) reinforced by stores purchased from the nearest settlement. The .tale runs that the police got to hear of the party, and the "surveyors" got) lo hear of the suspicions of the police, sn one day they "trekked,'" it is uresunied. to the West Coast.

The AVellinglon Education Board is about to jnvile tenders for the erection of the main normal school building. Kelburn. The accommodation for children is aFprescnt limited lo the Infant School, which is now much overcrowded. Tho erection of the proposed building will enable the course of instruction to be extended lo all tho standards.

A t a recent Sunday evening patriotic concert in Waugaiiui the' services of Miss Ada Ree\e and Mr. Talleur Andrews were secured, and the result was an overflowin;,' audience. As is usually the way when the admission is by silver coin, the result in cash was very disappointing. On hearing of the poor amount received, Miss Reeve "took the stage," and with one of her bright speeches made such a deep impression that, the sum of JiSO'l was subscribed in the hall.

Regret very sincere and general ha> been expressed among the. soldiers who have recently returned to New Zealand at the news of the death in England of Captain D. A. Kenny, of Wellington.. Very few of tho meu who liavo been through the struggle-in France have not been entertained- by the abounding talent of tho deceased officer and his merry- associates, who had come to be regarded iw one of the brightening features on the New Zealand sector. Captain Kenny was a great favourite with all ranks, anil his death is greatly deplored.

A Macquarrio Island party which has arrived back at Uluff reports a successful season, there being about 700 barrels. ot oil ready to ship. The vessel chartered to bring the oil up, however, was unable to get off more than 57 barrels, owing to the very rough weather. There is no landing place, and the barrels have to lie rolled out .through tho surf and rafted to the' boat. While assisting in this work the headman, "Otto Bowers," as lie was commonly called, became, unwell, and was escorted to one of.the huts by two members (f the party, where he said lie would have a rest. On returning -souio time after to see how lie was getting on they were astonished to find that,he was quite dead, and had been so for somo time. His right namo was P.. Otto Gauer, and he was a German by birth, although lie generally called himself ''Otto Bowers." Deceased, vho was 3!) years of age, lias been working at the Macquarries for sixteen seasons now, and oil his last trip to the Dominion he was married to a daughter of Mr. J. Hatch, a prominent member of the Southern Isles Exploitation Company, which holds the rights over the Macquarries. (

The Otago Education, Board has received information that an-increase ot salary is about to be granted to probationers, pupil teachers, and Training College students (says the "Otago Daily Times"). The Minister of Education has written to tho board stating that he had recently submitted-to Cabinet recommendations for increasing the remuneration of theso three branches of tho teaching service, and. his recommendations have been approved.. Full particulars will be supplied to the board in d.ue course.

An interesting statement, apparently in contrast with much that is written about conditions at Home, is contained in a soldier's letter brought by the last Home mail to Dunediii. The writer, who was a shrewd and kien Otago farmer, says, in q letter from Sling: "I cannot get over the thousands of acres that appear to be idle—any quantity of rough grass and not a beast to be seen to eat it. I. do r.ot know why England should bo starving. There is certainly no need for them taking on growing potatoes' in bakyards and on roadsides. .Tliero .is plenty'of-room 'out here, and this is only .one part of. tho country. A taxi-driver was tellingme that ail the colonials are surprised at the amount of unsettled country in England."

Despite the fact that there is no information when a further shipment of motor spirit can be expected, it would appear that a very largo number of private motorists will not suiter any. inconvenience if some time elapses betorc 'father supplies are available (says tlio Christchurch "Press"). ' These,-motorists have evidently followed the advice that Joseph, of Biblical l'ame, offered to lite Egyptians many hundreds of years ago: "In time of plenty put by. sufficient for the lean years that will surely come." Such hoarding is, however, likely to react on the taxi-cab driver who may not be in a position to lay in a stock. It is interesting, ns relating to possible shortage of petrol, tu record the performance put up by a locallyrowned ;sixcylinder car when using. household kerosene as a fuel. Tlio use.of this.fuel ensures a more severe test than if oil en-' gine kerosene were .'utilised. The car was driven to Otago Central, via Deep Stream and Jliddleinarcli. It was found that there was more tendency for tho engine to "knock" when ascending hills, and the car was also more difficult to drive at slow speeds. The car got through the,test well, however. There was no alteration to the* carburettor or fittings. Qf course, the engine was at first "warmed up" on benzine.. Any motorist jntending to experiment with kerosene is advised to clean tnc old oil out of the crank case more frequently than when using petrol. The United Federation of Labour, in -espouse to the request of fifty Auckland unions, is convening an open conference of unions to discuss the national service proposals contained in the Finance Act. The conference will.open in Wellington on July 5.

A returned New Zealand soldier relates a curious incident which occurred on the Western front a few; months ago. Fritz was 6hclling spasmodically, when an officer- proposed to pass from one point to another along a known road. He had not proceeded far. when'j'a big shell lobbed right on the road ji\st in front of him. A fragment of the shell carried away two of- his front teeth land buried itself in his tongue. The injury was attended to as well as it could be, and afterward thfr tiny piece of metal was taken out, and at latest advices the officer was almost able to sneak . intelligibly again.

Burin? tho licarinj; of an anneal on behalf of a farm labourer—a First Division man—by the First Canterbury Military Service Board, the employer slated that the j;es.ervist's wife also worked on tho farm. She attended to the root crops and potatoes, and also painted the house last year. "Is shr a-good hand?" asked tho chairman. "Splendid," replied tho omnloycr. "She's hotter than a good many of tho men we'vo had." Tho board decided to send the man into camp, pointing out that his wifo could retain his employment, and, at the same time servo tho interests of the euunlry.

At this week's meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Patriotic Fund, Mr. A. C. Maxwell moved:—"That this executive of tho Canterbury Patriotic Fund urge upon the Government (he desirability of providing' soldiers' who aye pntienls'or out-paticnls of hospitals and similar institutions with suitablo hosnital uniforms." In bringing the motion before Ihe meeting, Mr. Maxwell slalcd that soldiers were frequently in hospi-, lal who were not provided with Suitable clothing in the way of uniforms. One case was mentioned whore a soldier for 111 roe weeks was confined to bed because his sole article of Mfive was a Iml. Mr. Maxwell staled that in ihe Old Country soldier-iiatients' were, provided with' a hospital uniform, and, in his opinion, in some eases a man's chalices of recovery would he ininynvcd bv his being provided with a uniform distinct f".im Il'e one h" wore when ho received Ms injury. The motion was carried.