LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 207, 21 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Gaxotto containing tho names of tho remaining reservists of Class B, Second Division, -will lie issued to-day. The number of B men to bo oalled up ia approximately 7800. In addition tho Ga-zetto will contain the natnos of 700 twenty-year-old youths who havo bjcomo members of the First Division, and 20 members of Class A, Second Division.

Ono of tho Defcnco officers, Major C. K. Andrews, who was appealed for by tho Commandant yesterday, had, it was mentioned to the Military Service Board, tho distinction of boing the last officer to leave Gallipoli during the evacuation. He wns in command of tho rearguard, which was if necessary to havo beon sacrificed.

Tho premises of Messrs. C. Smith and Co., drapers, wero entered by burglars between Saturday night and Monday morning (save a Press Association telegram from Masterton). The eafo was partly blown opon, but the thieves woro apparently disturbed, and loft before completing thoir work. All they got was £1. which had been left on the top of tho safe. About ,£IOO Tva,s in the safe.

"That banks trading in tho city be approached to soo if they would arrange that during Christmas, New Year, and thn Easter holidays banks be opened for it. brief joeriod to receivo sealed deposits only."—This was the wording of a resolution passed by the Council of the Central Chamber" of Commerce yesterday afternoon. It was decided to forward a copy of tlio resolution to the associated banks.

The proposal to increase tho separation allowance for wives to 6s. and for children to Iβ. 6d. per day was not supported bv a meeting of To Awainutu branch of the Second Division League, it being considered that any attempt to financially embarrass tho Government savours too strongly of a form of passive resistance.

It was resolved by the Wellington Industrial Association Inst evening that Ihe secretary should obtain a list of all tho industrial unions of workers in the Dominion and forward a circular letter to every secretary, setting forth that there will be twelve prizes of ono guinea, each awarded to those who forward papers on the best suggestions for utilisation of waste products. Professor T. H. Easierfield will bo the judgo.

A few days ago. writes a Tnupiri correspondent of the Waikato "Times,", a land agent took a client out to inspect a farm in that district. Next day on individual claiming to be the client's brother arrived and asked to have a look over tho farm, aftor which he said ho would buy it. Eo then asked about a trap and horses, and a buggy and pair being brought out ho bought them for ■£65, giving a cheque for the amount. Subsequently he visited a neighbouring farm, and after inspecting it, decided to buy it also, and securing tt blank cheque from the owner, filled it in for j>so as a deposit. Returning to the first farm ho took over the buggy and pair and drove away. On the cheques being presented thoy were marked "No account." Needless to say, tho owner of tho buggy and horses has seen nothing of them, and ho would be glad to learn of their whereabouts.

Tho wheel tax proposal for motor vehicles is never allowed to sleep for long. It was awakened ot yesterday's meeting of Iho council of the WuiViugton Chamber of Commerce by Mr. VV. Cotton, of Petone, who urged that at somo future date tho council should tako into consideration the imposition of a wheel tnx for all motor vehicles. Anyone who lived in the outlying districts know that the upkeep of tho roads was becoming; <i burden too groat for tho people to bear, and the only means of getting some return was by nfemis of a wheel tax. A toll-gate would not do—it vraa out of date, and took up too muoh timo. His idoa ivae that the wheel tax should bo devoted to tho upkeep of arterial roads; tho proceeds of the tax to be divided amongst the various bodies concerned in oach district according to tho mileage of main roada in tho distriot. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt said it was a wondor the Government had not ndopted such un cquitablo form of taxation long ago. Th* chairman (Mr. C. M. Luke) naked Mr. Cotton to give notico of his intention to introduce the subject at n futuro mooting of the oonnoil, and this Mr. Cotton consented to do.

On May 29 a meeting of private motor, car owners ia Wellington is to be hold in tho rooms of tho . New Zealand Employers' Association, tho object being to organise something like un efficient corps of motorists, who will undertake, whon called up at any timo, to attend at,the wharves and railway stations when returned Wellington troops are arriving, and help to ronvey them to their various destinations. This work has in tho past fallen on a few' motor-car owners, who have been very loyal, but now that tho men are arriving back in largo nuuibora fho work is too much for tho fow, and it is with tho idoa. of augmenting their forco and gotting it thoroughly organised for this work that tho meeting has boon arranged Cor.

"00, tlero's a boffio mn.nl" said tho fear-stricken voico of a toddler ris sho ran and buried her fneo in hor mother's skirts in Willis Streot 'yestorday afternoon. Tho child had overy reason to shrink, for a soldier in a modem gas•raask ifl u fearsome sight. Ono so equipped stood outside the wur relics exhibition as a etriking advertisement for what was to bo seen within. The mask (No. 3) ia "quito a business," aud after seeing it one enn imagine how men may bo overtaken by tho poisonous gas beforo they can adjust tho uiaek properly. In tlio early stages of tho war, the men found tho pig snout" masks fairly effective, but the later Gorman gases could not bo stopped by tho chemical-soakocl mask, and in tho lator once tho air has lirnt to pass through a canister loaded with chemicals, tho weight of which (some (!lb.) is Hiicli that it has to bo carried in a small bag that hangs in front. 'A stout rubber tubo rune from tho canistor to tho mouth. The exhaust air is oxpolled by means of a thin lloiiblo rubber mouth, which can only bo openod slightly bv exhalation and closes tight with inhalation, ensuring; that all tho air breathed shall pass through tho purifier. The exhibition is attracting good attendances.

A New Zoalnnder wlm has "made good" in Uio war activities of ttio United btaies is tlio lion. Iliohnrd D. Jones, DepntyConnnissionor of tho Bureau of War Kisk Insurance, Treasury Dopartmont, Wnshinglon. Ho holds an important appointment in connection with tho operations being conducted under tlio military and Naval Insurnnco Act, and ho is at tho head of a lingo staff of workers, which nl the beginning ot tho year was expected to number 1500 in ijie near future, not counting all tho doctors, hospital stuffs, ami field staffs that will have lo bo need when Iho crippled men como bnck from tUe front. Tlio lion, Mr. ,Toi)C3 is a brother-in-law if Mr. B. U. Low, the headmaster of tho Blenheim Borough School, lie received tho titlo nf "Honourable" in recognition of l-.is war work. In connection with the proposed revival <if music and clocutionury competitions in Wellington, arrangements havo bnon made to hold a public mooting (at which 11 is Worenip the Mnyor will proside) in the Town Hall to-morrow evening nt 8 o'clock, whon tho objects of the society will bo fully explained and a committee will be formed fa- the purpose of conducting the competitions to a successful issue. i

Ihe I'irst Wellington Military Service Hoard concluded its Wellington session yesterday, and leave for Marion and J.auinurunui to-day.

Tn connection with tho big increase in the amount of tho levy that is being iimdo on tho City Council by tho Wellington Hospital .and Charitable Aid Board this year, the chairman of the board (Mr. H. Baldwin) points out that tho amount of money called for in Wellington is not nearly so ranch as wns paid by Christchurch City, and that toe a hospital of smaller bed capacily than tho Wellington Hospital. The levy that is being mado on the Wellington City Council for a hospital of 305 beds is .£31,960, whilst the Christchureh City Council was levied for .648,173 for a hospital of 261 beds only—a difference of over .£IB,OOO in favour of AVdlinglon. Tho Finance Committee of the board held another mooting yesterday afternoon, ■when financial matters, ohiefly concerning the cost per bed, were examined thoroughly. The chairman says that there is no prospect of tho amount of the levies on the local bodies being reduced. "I would enjoy seeing some of you do tho goose-step," said Captain ,T. B.' Hine, iI.P;, to ihe Stratford Second Division reservists at a meeting on Friday evening. Tho Christchureh City Council, at a meeting last night, carried the following motion: "That this council, while not desiring to bumper the Government in a vigorous prosecution of the war, is of opinion that the present allowances to soldiers' wives and dependants are in many cases quite inadequate, and urges tho Government io deal with the matter promptly in order to allay the present widespread dissatisfaction. —Press Assn. An unusual position arcs,: inava ihe Auckland Military Service Uo&r>i when the adjourned appeal of a ehip's steward was considered. Tho appeal was based on the ground that the man wad not a reservist of j\ow Zealand, lieing a citizen of the United States, and .•djoinrninent bad been granted in order to illow a. copy of his bii'th certificate to bo obtained. When the ■ case woe called on Friday, however, Mr. Singer, counsel for appellant, said that a somewhat unexpected reply had been received from the United States. Ho produced a letter from the registrar of Jacksonville, Florida, stating that tho latter was unable Io i'lirnisli such a certificate, uwing to the fact that no records of births had been kept nrior to 1893, and were ralhov incomplete lrom that year to May. 1001, in v-luch month the majority »f the records had been destroyed by firo. This reply rather nonplussed the'board, the chairman expressing considerable surprise .that in so progressive a country there could bo any town where records of births had not been kept before 1803. Major Conlan finally suggested that as the United States was now also in tho war the raee ehould be referred Io the AniMiean ConsiuGeneral, Jlr. A. .A. Winslow, this suggestion being adopted by the board. ' A Press Association message from Christchureh statee that at last mghta meeting of the City Council the following motion was moved by Councillor Sullivan • "That, having regard to all tne circumstances of tho cases, this council asks the Government to exercise its preregative of clemency and liberate from prison Messrs. Hunter, Langlcy, and Flood, recently sentenced on charges of sedition." The motion was negatived by 10 voles to 5.

.Tames Mitchell, licensee of the Occidental Hotel, Palmeretoa North, yesterday was fined =£10 mid his licenso endoraed for a breach of the Licensing Act. An appeal is probable.—Press Assn. •U the Wellington Industrial Association Inst evening Mr. F. G. Dalziell de-, Hvered a lecture on the subject ot the reconstruction of services. Some people, ho said, spoke of "reconstruction after the war." Tho time to reconstruct was now-not later. He strongly advocated co-ordinntion. and said that many men were insisting in England to-day that coordination was essential. The idea was crowing thn<: n good, thing was to develop not the output, but. the men, and the ifcfii would yield the better output. Coordination wr? the organisation of hnroan Veings and property, and that wr.s what Mi. L'.oyd George was foro'.-g on the British nation. What we needed to do was ascertain our requirements, produce our requirements, and deliver the requirements to the people. Wo were .-liMiiß that to-day, but very imperfectly i,-f,use of want' of co-ordination. We lnd been taught to do the best we could for ourselves alone. Tf there wero coordination there would be power. If Vlicre was failure to co-ordinate there was absence of power. The whol? of the evince wns in fnvonr of co-ordination. Mr. TJnlziell was thanked for : his address. , •