LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 222, 7 June 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Hon. W. 1). S. MacDonnld notifies that the , British Government, as from Juno 3, has raised the letter post from the United Kingdom to \k\. tho first ounce, -with each additional" ounco Id. Postage on letters 'addressed to soldiers and sailors serving in all the raval and military forces of tholCrown remains at Id. per ounce. - »

The statement attributed to tho Hon. J. Cr. AV. Aitkcn that the land which is now asked for as a site for a technical school. did not belong to the Justice Department;, but to tho Crowii, was brought under the notice of the Minister of Justice yesterday. Jfr. AVilford replied that Mr. Aitken was quite right in eaying that the land belonged to the Crown, but tho Justice Department was in possession of it, and the Justice Department was a Department of ■ the Crown. It was plain that hejeonsidered that insnch a case possession was rather more than nine points of the law.

The Waterside Accidents Commission will-hold its final sittings for the hearing of evidence ai. Port Chaliners next' week. TJie evidence at Port Chalmers is expected to bo important, because.it is the port at which most of the gear for the. working of cargo is prepared "for issue to be used on ships and wharves.' Evidence is expected at tho sitting on such mattera aa tho breaking strains of ropes.

Tho Advisory Board of tho War Belief and Patriotic Societies of New' Zealand, whink up to the 'present lias met in Wellington, will hold its next neetingin Christcburch on June ,20.

Tho finding- of a district court-martial held at Feathersron Military Camp on May 27 having b'cn confirmed by the Commandant of t!io New Zealand Military Forces, is hereby promulgated •-— Private H. Scott, Infantry Details, for disobeying n lavn-i command given by his superior ofliccv was sentenced to undergo or.i/ yecr and cloven months' imprisonment \\Vh hard labour. The Court recommen'lod that if the accused joins u reinforcement within 'sis months his sentence bo remitted.

This year the number of competitors for the Imperial Challenge Shields for marksmanship is a record- for \New Zealand. In the senior section thord , are f>S teams, and in the junior 22, The competition, which is fired on miniature ranges, is controlled by the National Rifle Association, and is open to schools, Cadet companies. Boy Scout troopsjjetc., throughout tho Empire.- Valuable prizes are .given by Lieutenant-Colonel Raymond. W. Schumacher, of South Africa. Last year Tasmania carried oIF the principal prize, but in the 1916 competition both senior and junior prizes came to New Zealand, the New Plymouth Boys' High School winning both. . ■ .

The Featherstou .Second Division League passed the 'following -resolution ftt a general meeting held on Wednesday night:—"That this league records its keen sense of disappointment at Cabinet's rejection of the essential proposals of the organisation, and strongly urges recognition by tlio Government of the JK! 29. basis for the maintenance of a soldier's wife in the matter of financial assistance, such standard haying been set up' by. Parliament in fixing the separation allowance at £\ Is., which, plus .£1 Is. allotment, creates the basis indicated/' The committee set up to promote the establishment of a maternal, medical, and dental services scheme in the Wairorapa was authorised to "oniinue overtures with the Patriotic Committee.

'I'lio name of a claims officer with a certain Australian flivision is especially well known here (writes the official Australian war correspondent, from British Headquarters, France]. Ho was a leading K.C. in Sydney, and would- probably have" been a Judge ]>y now if ho had stayed home. Ho was beyond military age, but in peace time ho and a man who now commands an Australian infantry brigade in tho field had made a hobby on Sundays of doing ackely-ack-ack exercises on. Hie heliograph with each other between Valley Heights and Sydney, and ho considered he owed thereby some additional ulnty to" his country. /He enlisled in tho ranks, meaning to continue his signalling, but hns drifted into being u claims officer instead. And now he pushes iv bicyclo up and down tin's countryside. His short'-lwqeeTiefl fteuro is one of the best known in Oft 'iTivfsion; he can take coffee with his friends of the household at; many a house along the road. Some people say he could be ma ire of more Mian on« little township if lie liked. He knows these peopln a'Snosi nil well as tiie euro does. In the course of settling the claims of tho division he belongs to ho has dono more than shows on the surface to make tillo Australian name good in this land. Tho French 'and Belgian pcopln and Ihe Australian soldiers am good friends enough, but tin , local inhabiliuits within the spheres of activity of this une Australian will surely have a tender memory for his countrymen lone after tho war Is over and ' tho A.I.F. has gone homo ngain,

A recent vieitor to the various sawmills in Southland (says tho "News") was struck by tho heaps of eawdust lying about, and tho question arose, in his mind whether it could not bo converted into wood pulp for iise in the manufacture of newspaper. As far as ho could learn, incountrics that supply printing paper soft woods aro utilised, and he suggests that the Forestry Department might with. advantage put to a test the sawdust from tho wliito pine which is being cut in such large quantities in New Zealand for butter-boxes and cheeso crates. Were this timber found suitable for tho purpose, he cannot seo any obstacles in the way of its utilisation, and.New Zealand would bo less dependent on outside supplies of paper. At present, ho points out, the branches of tho wliito pine trees aro now thrown to ono eide, and ultimately burned when the ground is being prepared' for settlement, and these would supply an enormous quantity of the material. Should conditions in regard to the supply of printing paper remain ns at present, of course such an industry would be a highly profitable one, and he foresees that with the return of normal times t'ho competition by ontsido manufacturers would bo strong; but, in his opinion, ndequnfe protection should be afforded the local industry, at least until it was established on a sound footing.

A. caso of a spectator striking a lineumpire as proof nf his disapproval of the umpire's decision, came before Iho Canterbury Rugby Union at its last meeting. The ninlter-was discussed at some length, and it was decided to givo the offending spectator the opportunity- of explaining his act inn at the next meeting of Wie union. "There is too, much of I his kind of thing," rpinarked Hie AlbionAddinglon delegate, Mr. 1!. W. Britten. "The. enforcement of the rules of the came wants shaking up. There is a dirty element creeping into football on Ihe line, and Fomo of (ho spectators Ihink nothing of nunching fflie referee. It is time tliia kind of thing was ended." A ranger's lot is not a happy one, and fomo unpleasant experiences come his way occasionally during his:- rounds. Tho Hawpra County ranger met with » rather painful experience the other day, being assaulted by n woman, Who used a whip with such effect that medical attention wa= afterwards sought by the ranger. The matter was afterwards ventilhled in the fi.M. Court, the woman being fined Xi, with two guineas costs.

It is announced I hut llfifl British newspapers, including 1-10 dailies, havo increased their prices in consequence of tho war. • . ■

Sounds of breaking, glass attracted a email crowd in Cashel Street, ChVistnhurch, recently, whero it was found that one of tho large plate-glass windows in Messrs. J. Ballantvne and Co.'s establishment had been broken tkroueh a peculiar accident. A customer on leaving the shop had entered her motor-car, but as the machine was starting, one wheel struck a email stone, which flew off at an angle and smashed tlie window.

' English manufacturers have discovered )<ho value of scrap metnl of all kinds, and every week they are tirrhing it over to tlio tune of hundreds of pounds. The Government and the local authorities (etetes nn exchange) do not appear to realise that they have , not yet made sufficient provision for tho collection, in uraall quantities, of the odds and ends that sn easily go to Oho making of munitions. As a consequent much valuable material is lost. .Cannot tlio committee? of war charities and of other philai/thrnpie organiuatious come to the rescuef, With a. little organisation and- a littl* effort they might easily replenish' their funds by the collection and sale of the- scrap •• especially metal—for which no one seriously cares. ,'. Let them follow the example of an ■ enterprising committee in Edinburgh, which has got toH-.her ±G tons of scrap and sold it for -C 274.

Sir Charles Mackellar, speaking at the half-yearly meeting of (he shareholders of the Bank of New South Wales in Sydney a few days ago, said that the Empire and her Allies had responded wonderfully (o the enormous strain, and could still do so. He added that the resources of Australasia were sufficiently large to' enable the people to bear their share, too, but it was certain that the calls for the-war would continue to \ increase until a sottlement was readied. It was therefore more nece.isnry _ than ever that tho national. resources, individual .and public, should be economised in every possible manner.

At an adjourned meeting- of the Napior. Chamber of Commerce, a.t which members of the Waikaremoana League wore present, the Electric Power Board's Bill, to which tlio Southland League asked' for (Support, was considered, and much argument resulted. The Waikaremoiina -League members strongly, opposed support of the Bill. Mr. .Hill (Mayor of Napier) characterised it as a sinister method of upsetting the national scheme. Tlio majority of the speakers condemned the working of hydro-electrical schemes by local bodies, .but Messrs. K. M. Chadwick (manager for Messrs. Mivcn and Co.) and T. E. Crosse (county chairman) strongly supported the. Bill, contending that it would enable the .quicker development of power in the Dominion while not in. ( any way interfering with tlie national echdines,. tho prosecution 01 Tvhicli had been promised by responsible Ministers. Ultimately a motion . was passed approving' of the Southland League's Bill, but placing on record the fact that tho Napier Chamber of Commerce does/not support it as i>. substitute for a national water-power scheme, but only as an addition thereto. The chiinil)or further placed on Tecor<l its adhesion to the policy of the .Waikaremoana League.

As a result of a conference between the Auckland tramways employees . representatives aim the management today tho latter is to interpret 6ome provisions of the ne.v agreement relating to tho pay of conductors after they become motor men upon a broader basis.—Press Assn,

In the course of an interview at Ohristchurch, tlio Hon. J. A. Hanan (Minister of Education) stated, that considerable difficulty was being experienced in carrying on the technical side of tho Education Department's work, owing to the Bhortago in the staff. -As a result the work had been so strenuous that three officers ihad had to bo. granted leave of absence. Under these circumstances it wtia impossible to give- that attention to technical education that was necessary. The day beforo he hail discussed with Dr. Anderson (Director of Education) tlm desirability of appointing a" man ,of the necessary ability and organising capacity to take charge of this branch of fclie wmk, Such an 'appointment, he. considered, toas warranted by the expansion or' technical education which, I\e anticipated, would , take ulace in the Dominion.

At the Otago Farmers' Union Conference tho president moved:—"That; this conference view with alarm the number of First Division reservists who are evading military service, more especially now in,view of the fact that the Second Division is betas called up; and it ;s the feeling of this conference 'that the property'of sitth deserters should be confiscated and I/he proceeds ponied for thn benefit of returned soldiers." Ho said lift understood there were some thousands of these men in tho country. Hβ thought it was hard for young lads of 19 and married men to have to go while' deserters were in the Dominion. , Mr. Christie, in seconding the motion, said thero wero many hundreds of able-bodied men doing camp duties who should be on aotivo service, and their camp work done bv returned soldiers and nion who were not fit lo leave the CDuntry! The remit was carried.