LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 214, 29 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Defence Minister (Sir James Allen) was still unable last evening to make his promised statement' as to the decisions of tho Government regarding the demands of the Second Division League. Ho hopes to bo able to give attention to tho matter 10-duy. It had been intended that the exccu. live of tho Newspaper Proprietors' Association of New Zealand should liavo met yesterday to select tho delegation of live members from this country to go to England in acceptance of the invitation sent by the British Ministry of Information. Two of the members of the executive, however, found it impossiblo lo bo present, and tho meeting is to bo held today. In the case heard in the Supremo Court yesterday in which a corporation roadman sought to recover damages for injuries alleged lo have been caused to him through being knocked, down by a motor-car, tho jury added the following recommendation to their verdict: "The jury strongly recommended that tho City Council should take proper precautions to safeguard their employees on main arterial roads over which they Hive control when work is being performed." While in the .South Island last week, the Commandant (Major-General Sir Alfred Robin) ii'nd tlie DireclopGcneral of Medical Services (Surgeon-General IJ. S. F, Henderson) inspected tho Officers' Training Corps at the Duncdin Mcdical School. This corps, which consists of young New Zealanders who arc studying medicine at the Otago University, has provided n considerable number of junior medical officers for tho New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Its scope is limited at present owing to lack of foresight in the past. Many students were allowed to enlist in the early stages of the war, and other youths'who would have become students in the ordinary course of events have "been taken into the forces cither as volunteers or balloted reservists. Exemption has been granted only in the ease of youths who hud proceeded-a certain distance with their training. The j of this policy, or lack of policy, ' has been to cheek the production, of medical men in New Zealand just at the timo when the shortago of doctors is being felt aculoly.

It does not appear that the calling up of Second Division men has had any appreciable effect in overcoming the shortage of houso accommodation in Wellington. The demand for homos is as kecr. and as fur from being satisfied ns jt was a year a?o. 'Plus at any rate is the opinion of agents who have opportunities to judge. "The shortage of houses is just as bad as ever, as far as my experience goes," said one agent yesterdnv, ''I have dozens of people nn my books seeking to rent houses of from four to seven rooms nt rentals up lo .£2 a week, and the supply falls far short of tho demand. My own opinion is tbat the calling up of the Second Division men is not going to relieve tho position in Welling' ton at all. It- may empty houses in other centres, but the nositinn here is that wives arc. coming to Wellington in order to bo near the training camps. That process seems likely to continue,"

As is well known, the urices of wheat have been gazetted, ami anyone overstepping the mark is liablo to prosecution. The Minister nf AnrTnuHure fitated at Masterton vestcrdny that. tho ease of a man in tlio liangilfkoi who was elided to have ovcrsfenped l:ho merk had been referred ia Hie Solicitor-General, who bad advised that action could be taken, "and we are troin? to take action," said the Miiiislc'. "and pul.'these neoplo on one side and let everyone see where tlicy are." It wa« resolved by the Wellinuton Farmers' Union Committee yesterday that "The Dominion Executive further confer with Ihe Farmers' Co-operative Federation ia order to fonv.n'd the movement to'.vird owning and controlling their own sliippin,!! that they may he ready for immediato action when peace comes." Tho subject is not now, and the disoussion was on familiar lines.

I here wns a rather awkward interlude lit tho meeting of tho Central Chamber o) Commerco last evening, A visitor was addressing tho meeting after Mr. Thos. J'orsyth had read a paper on education, when Iho chairman (Mr. C. M. Luke) whispered to tho secretary (Mr. A. ,T. .lick) that tlie.v would have to limit Hie time of speakers. At this the speaker asked what the chairman had said, to which Mr. Luke replied that he hud only addressed the secretary. This response only fired the speaker Ihe more, and lie was about to retire from the meeting in high dudgeon, when the chairman explained what ho had said, and expressed his regret that lie had unintentionally given offence. This had the effect of calming tho troubled waters.

The Ked Cross Society is establishing a convalescent home for soldiers at l)unedin, in a large building overlooking the harbour. The necessary alterations nro being nutdo at the present time. The Director-General of Medical Services inspected the homo during his visit toDunedin last week, and was very pleased «'ith the site and the arrangements that aro being made. The grounds tlint surround the homo will bo used to provido employment for the patients in gardennig and other vocational work. Speaking nt a Farmers' Union social m Mastorlon last night, Mr. E. Campbell mentioned what he said was important news to farmers, and was not yet generally known. The union had been agitating for some time regarding tho drafts on moat and wool, and he had been informed thai the British Government now accepts our meat at store weights. A delegate nt tlie Wellington Farmers' Union at Masterton stated that when some Manawatu land was offered to th? Government at .£7O an acre it was refused. At the public sale of the land a little later an average of ,£77 per aero was obtained", and now it was valued at over ffilOO per acre. A long list of undefended divorce cases is set down for hearing during the present session of the Supreme Court, and yesterday His Honour Mr. Justice Hosking fixed Thursday, June 1, commencing at 10 a.m., for the heaving of cases. The Wellington Patriotic Society is making arrangements for its thirl annual naval and military church parade, which is to take place on Sunday noit (June The 6ervico will be held in the Town Hull at 3 p.m. "i have seen something of other armies," said Colonel Adams, Camp Commandant at Featherston, at a Farmers' Union social at Masterton last night, "but there has never been a crowd of men with more 'bite' in them than the New Zealand eoldiers in the making." He proceeded to relate this story:—"Today I was watching the first big draft of Second Division men and a number of youngsters coming into Featherston camp from Trentham. I went up to ono youngster and said, 'Well, son, how are you getting on?' 'All right,' was the answer. 'How do you like it?' 'AH right. The oid man went away two years ago, and I have been waiting till I turned 20 to follow him.'"

In declaring that the policy of tho Heturned Soldiers' Association is constructive and not destructive. Dr. Boxer, president of the New Zealand Association, stated at an Auckland Orphans' Club gathering on Saturday evening that tho people were being led away by the catchphrase, "Put the returned soldiers on the land." Dr. Boxer said the Government had advanced money to settle soldiers on the land, but not more than 10 per cent, of the returned men made a success of agricultural work, because not more wore suited to tho land. The speaker said he questioned whether the Government should not. advance money under proper security td every returned man who needed it, in order to re-estab-lish himself in the occupation he lost when he obeyed his' country's call.

A meeting of the Buckland branch of the Second Division League passed tlic following resolution:—"That this mooting views with alarm the tendency of some brandies to depart from Hip original constitution of the league, ns formulated by tho parent body. and embodied in the rules controlling the league's organisation. Further, we protest nraiilst, our organisation being used by oolitifcians to further their private. noljtical, or narty aims, therein - prejudicing the lengue in the eyes of Hi" public and consea uently defeating by their actions, the obiects for which the league was formed." The Wellington Education Board has been advised by the Education Department that as from June 1 the following increases in salaries ivill be made:— Pupil teachers, a year; pupil teachers (whilst at Training College), .£lO a year (,£SO instead of JMO); probationers (part time teaching, and in Training College), ,£ls a year. The student teachers at the college have already been notified of the advances. I The Farmers' Union Conference al Auckland discussed what speakers termed. tho meat and shipping trusts, and passed a series of resolutions advocating action by the Government. It is intended to send a deputation to wait on Cabinet after the Dominion Conference, ami another at the opening of Parliament. Conference rejected a proposal to form an Independent Farmers' Party for political action—Press Assn. ' Tho sports which were to have been held at Trentham Camp yesterday afternoon wero postponed. Tho present arrangement is that tho sports are to be hold on Friday next.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the _ Wellington I'Yeo Kindergarten Association on Monday evening on the subject of better accommodation, 51 r. H. Pearson said that he had interviewed the Minister of Education and had found him fluito sympathetic. A. voice: ''Hut aren't Ministers of the. Crown generally sympathetic to deputations?" (Laughter.) Extra money for, education purposes is always a crying need. Mr. T. l'orsytli, ill his paper on education read before the Central Chamber of Commerce last evening, told that body where the money could be obtained. "A responsible staff officer, in giving evidence, assured tho Defenco Commissioner recently," said the speaker, "that' half ft million pounds per annum was being absolutely wasted liy faulty administration, and yet if a" third of that amount were diverted to tho crying, needs of education it would go a long way to cover the cost of placing tho service on a proper footing."'

At I lie meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce last evening Jfr. W. Cotton read a paper on "Bread" j which interested' everyone present. Mr. Cotton, who is a practical baker, said ! that New Zealand flour was not to be 1 compared with Australian for break-mak-ing purposes, and he gave forco lo bin contention hy exhibiting loaves baked with New Zealand and Australian flour, i wiiich, as far as colour, texture, and liiste were concerned, showed the latter I to 1)0 obviously the superior article. Mr. Col ton was of the opinion that w.licat should not ho grown in New Zeai.icd when such line quality Hour could h-; produced from the superior wheat oi Australia, and said that, if the rich Can. terbnrv l'lains thai, were s;iy*.ii over to cropping were divided up into 40-acro dairy farms, tho result would 'x bench- j cial lo the whole of tin- Dominion, lor a ■10-acro farm could ket-p a man u'.ul his family going, whorens a tO-aci'e wheat paddock could ml do so with wheat at normal prices. A decreo nisi was granted, to be made absolute in three months, by His Honour Mr. Justice Hosking in tho Divorce Court yesterday afternoon in tho 6uit ot Albert Vincent White, a seaman, who s° u K'. l t dissolution of his marriage with \iolet 11. White, on the ground of misconduct, a coloured man named Fitzgerald vUivk being named as the co-respondent. Jno parties had bcon soparnted, and on tho petitioner requesting his wifo to return homo it was alleged that 6ho went away with Clark. Mr. P. W.' Jackson appeared for the petitioner. Mr. A. Dunn, who was present, said that tho respondent had filed answers, but later decided not to defend the case, and he would tnpi'Gforo watch the proceeding on licluill of the child of the parties. The petitioner was allowed £15 costs and disbursement against the co-respondent. Mr. Dunn mentioned tho costs of respondent, but Ilis Honour declined to allow her costs.

Mr. L. M'Millan, listed ns a missing reservist, volunteered on attaining twenty year of age, and is now in camp as a member of tho Fortieth Mounted Rifles. I/iftini! tile world into peace, love and harmony is (ho ambitious design of Golden Rule Soap' and Golden Rule Candles. Please always ask us fot "Golden Rule."—Wellington Grocers.— Mvt.

Referring to the great things science had accomplished, and incidentally how the advanced stage of education had been and was beim; starved and neglected, llr. T. I'orsytli, in a paper 011 tho improvement of our educational system, read before tho Central Chamber of Couuuerco last evening, said:—"Just lliinli for a moment what scieneo has done for our primary products, particularly in tho storago ami carriage of frozen meats, elc., and the enormous wealth that has accrued to tho Dominion from this, and yet if Iho Government would rightly handle tho matter and grant'the necessary assistance in (be scientific development of our industries there is no reason, with our natural resources, why many such important and payable industries could not bo stimulated anil created in our Dominion. It was stated recently !>y one of our leading educationists that 'where England had six chemists at work 011 industrial investigations Germany had 250. The research work which enabled Germany to destroy the British indigo trade cost: .£2,000,001).' This is a tremendous indictment against the Old Land, and yet what are wo doing to obviate a similar state of things in this fair Dominion'"''

The president of (he Royal British Colonial Society of Artists, Mr. T. C. Gotcli, recently wrote to the High Commissioner for New Zealand kindly offering the services of that, society in an advisory capacity should New Zealand decide to have a collection of war memorial pictures painted for the war collection in tho Dominion Museum. Tho Hon. (t. W. Russell, Minister of Internal Affairs. has instructed die High Commissioner to thank the society for their kind otfer aud advise Mr. Gotch fhat if it is decided to do anything in the direction indicated beyond what may be undertaken by New Zealand artists who aro now serving at the front and also by those who have returned, the advice of the society will be gladly availed of. Thero are several prominent New Zealand artists nt present at the front, including Messrs. Johnston and M'Cracken, of Auckland, Mr. Nugent Welch, <if Wellington, and several younger men. Mr. A. F. Nicol, who served in Egypt and I'rauce, and lost a leg at the front, and is now in Wellington, has made numerous war sketches.