LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 209, 23 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The- Minister of Defence stated yesterday that the Territorial officers, about whose cases there has been some publio comniont for several mouths past, had como into camp as sergeants in tho Expeditionary Force, retaining their commissions in the Territorial Force. Tho Minister said that he was advised that the men were "playing the game."

The recruits from Group o (Wellington City, and Suburbs) for the Fortysecond Keiniorcemeuts mobilised at the Buckle Street Barracks yesterday afternoon. Thevo was a muster of 280 men out of 330 notified, most of the absentees being men whose leave had been extended by military service boards on account of appeals pending. After the roll had been called, the men were' addressed by tho Group Commander, Major Corrigan, and were then riven leave until 10.30 p.m. Some of the married re,emits whose homes were in Wellington wore given leave until 5.30 a.m. to-day. The rest of the recruits spent tho night at the barracks. Tho draft is to leave the barracks for Lambton Station at' (i a.m. to-day. A frequent question at tho Waterside Accidents Commission yesterday was as to the percentage of sailors now working on th« Wellington waterfront. Somo witnesses put the percentage at thirtythree, but one old man of the sea assessed it at twenty. "Thafs sailors," he said, "not steam-boat sailors." ■<■ Tho Defence Department advises that 12/2591 Corporal Thomas Txoward, Albany, Q.M. Staff, Trentham, died at Treatham Military Hospital at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, the certified cause of death being carcinoma of jaw. A local optician in a large way of business states that the trade, in common with others, is suffering through the effects of tho war. Those who were fortunate- enough to hold big stocks of lenses in 1914 may still be able to supply all 'demands, but the shortago in this lino is growing very acute. Most of tho lenses used in New Zealand come from America, and the controlling company there is already finding it difficult to get the skilled labour required owing to the call for men to avenues of military employment and nctivo service. Lenses aro also imported in smaller quantities from France in normal times, but this source of supply has been completely cut off for three years past. Apart from lenses, frames and the fittings for frames for pince-nez and spectacles are also in short supply.

"Where do you put your tram ticMs?" inquired a lady of her friend 1 on alighting at the Courtenay Place section terminus the other day. "Throw them away," replied the other. "We're not al-lowed-to do that in Sydney," said the visitor, "under penalty of a line. At the end of each section thero is a receptacle, and everyone alighting from the cars drop their tickets into it in order to help to keep the streots clean." Sydney's lead in this direction would be .well worth following. Both at Courtenay Place, Lambtou Station, and other termini the throwing, away of the check slips by thousands of people ever.* day causes a considerable litter, which would bo obviated by training .the public to place the tickets in handily-placed receptacles, which already exist at some of the section termini in Wellington.

' A meeting of the Northland Municipal Electors' Association was held iu the Methodist Schoolroom on Tuesday evening, ilr.' 3 Aston being voted to the chair in the unavoidable absence of tho president, Mr. F. W. Manton. Several matters of local importance were dealt with, iucluding tho question of beautifying and tree-planting during the present season. Strong comment was made at the inactiou of tho City Council regarding tho deplorable state of Karon Koad, moro particularly from the Gardens to tho Tunnel, and that a letter bo forwarded urging some speeding up." Tho secretary, 'Mr. A. Jx Lambert, eiwo a report of tho annual meetin" of tho Greater Wellington Association. Captain Hargreaves -was appointed delegate to that body, and Mr. .I. Clark elected a member of the local executive. ' Miss Alice Pitt, a young woman who was visiting friends in Wellington, was found dead in bed yesterday morning. Tho deceased's homo was at 136 Cranston Street, St. Albans, Christchurch, and it is believed that she had been under medical treatment • there.

An accident that but Tor tie promptitude and resourcefulness of her seven-teen-year-old son might hayo proved fatal, befell lira. Eyan, wife of Constable- Ryan, of tho South, Eden police station, on Sunday morning. Mrs. Byan, in oponins a door, pushed the glass panel, which brolco, cutting nil tho sinews and the artery in tho right arm, tho flow of blood being so great that in a few minutes she must have bled to death. Her son; George Eyan, howovor, seized tho injured limb and stemmed the flow, and as there was no one else in the house he' drew his mother toward tho telephone, by which ho summoned a doctor and a chemist. Professional attendance was promptly forthcoming, and Mrs. Eyan was sent to a hospital. When one ■of the Duncdin fire engines overturned on Thursday evening, tlio bystanders were requested not _ to smoke or use naked lights in the neighbourhood of tho disabled machine, and police constables were stationed in the street to see that theso instructions woro carried out. Notwithstanding tho precautions taken, Somebody threw a match or a cigarette butt into tho gutter near tho Law Courts Hotel, and this ignited tho petrol which was flowing from the tnnk of the machine. The flames traveled quickly along tho roadway and sot firo to the machine itself, which by this means received additional damngo to that it had already suffered in tho accident.

Tho combined South Auckland racing clubs, with the object of improving tho breed of horses in tho district, somo lime ago decided to import one or more thoroughbred stallions. Tho ncheme adopted provided for tho club associated in the venture eaoTt having the opportunity of ft certain number of subscriptions to the horses purchased, thus enabling tho various districts to socurs thn now'thoroughbred strains. In view of tho difficulty of transport from England, inquiries were made in Australia regarding the possibility of obtaining suitable horses in that country, but no business resulted. Eventually it was decided to communicate with Mr. E. D. O'Eorkc, who is now resident in England, with a view to tho purchaso of suitable horses at Homo. Information was received from Mr. O'Rorko by a cablegram last week that he had purchased two stallions on behalf of the combined clubs, and it is understood they will leavo for New Zealand very shortly. The horses purchased are Arohiestown, by Sir Archibald -Craigcllachie, and Day Comet, by St. Frusquin-Catgut. Both horses are direct descendants of St. Simon on the sires side, St. Frusquin, the sire of Day Comet, being a 60n of St. Simon, while Desmond, the grandsiro nf Archiostown, is also a son of St. Simon. : '

Candles on tho altar arc regarded bj many Anglicans with very strong aversion, but a word in their favour was said by the Rev. C. H. Houchen, M.C., at tho reception given lura in Auckland on his return from tho front. Mr. Houchen remarked that lie knew church people wero much divided on the question, but he had found at tho front that when two lighted candles wcro placed upon the altar at celebrations of the Holy Communion they seemed to convey to tho mind an idea of the light and warmth of the presence of God. He had found them a help, and when he became Bishop of Auckland—(laughter)—he would enjoin the ci(»gj'lo use them. A Christchuvch paper is informed that a reservist, whose name appoared in this week's gazetted list of reservists ordered to report for medical examination in Christchurch, left Now Zealand with tho Fourteenth Eoinforcoments in June, 1916- Some time ago ho was invalided to England, suffering from tronch fever and gas burns, and is now on tho New Zealand Headquarters Staff in London.

The fact tb.nl there is no resident medical practitioner at Eastbourne was referrKl to by Councillor 11. Mayer at the last meeting of the Eastbourne Borough Council, and Councillor Mayor offered the (suggestion that the council make representations to the Government, with a view lo obtaining a subsidy towards a trained nurse, who would i;esido in tho district, and who would bo availablo in case of emergency. A spec-' ial committeo was appointed lo confer with tlio Rev. Mr. Stout, who was interesting himself in tiia movement. Tho Navy League intends to celebrate tho late Queen's Victoria's birthday, May 21 (Eriday), with a demonstration j in the streets. The proceeds of this street effort aro for the Sailors' baby. Men from tho Navy have a good surprise in store for tho public. The Trentham Band will bo assisting, ladies will offer souvenirs of the Zeebrugge and Ostend raids, and in addition flowers of great beauty will be sold. French newspapers describe tho attacks by the Navy on Zeebmggn and Ostend as the finest naval feats of all times and all countries, so tho public will no doubt appreciate the souvenir tings which will bo on sale. It is hoped that the Sailors' baby will be present in the street to solicit votes. An interesting description of the manner in which ho was wounded during the fighting in Flanders last year, was given by the Rev. C. Ilouchen, M.C., at a welcome tendered to him at Parnell. Mr. Houchen, who received a serious shell wound on the side of his head, which resulted in tho loss of tho sight of the left eye, facetiously described the injury as a "shell hole," and said that after receiving the wound "he went to sleep and did not come round for a fortnight." His nerves, as he expressed it, had "all gone bung," and the process of reooverv.- as might be expected, was not a rapid one. Mr. Houchen, who wears the Military Cross, received that decoration for gallantry in tendjng wounded under heavy shell fire during the battle of Flers in October, 1915.