LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 234, 21 June 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

To-day and to-morrow nro tho two shortest days in the year. In Wellington tho sun will rise at 7.16 a.m. and sat at 4.28 p.m. on both days. As eliowing tho clt'ect of tho topography of a place, tho sun will rife in Auckland to-day and to-morrow at 7.3 a.m. (thirlen minutes before Wellington), and will set at -1.12 p.m. (fourten minutes later than Wellington), a net gain of sunshine, if tho weather is clear, of 27 minutes.

The recruits from Group 5 (Wellington City and Suburbs) for the Forty-third Koinforcoments marched through tho city and entrained for 'J.'rentham Cam]) yesterday morning. Tho number of men summoued for the draft was 135, and tho number paraded was 126. All but one or two of tho other men were accounted fo'r. When a reservist who has been ordered to parade to enter camp does not appear, an urgent order is sent to his address. If ho has failed to report after the lapse of five days a warrant is issued tor his arrest.

An exceedingly graceful action by a number of her neighbours has earned tho gratitude of a lady who lives at Kaikorai, Dunedin. This lady, whose husband has been on active sorvico for about two years and a half, some weeks ago broko down in health, and had_ to leave her'homo for an extended holiday and rest. When she returned a few days ago she found that during her absence the place bad been taken care of by her neighbours, who had apparently formed themselves into a working bee and had kept the hedges trimmed, tho lawns cut, and the garden in order generally—a task which involved no email amount of work, as the section is half an aero in extent. Needless' to say, she appreciates very highly the kindly thoughtfulness of he* neighbours, who showed a spirrl of; practical patriotism and helpfulness that could doubtless be emulated with cn.ual advantage in the case of other .Mldieis wives.

At a public meeting held last night under the auspices of the Wanganui Second Division League the decision of the Government to hold an inquiry in camera into the alleged brutal treatment of prisoners at Wanganui detention barracks was discussed, and a resolution was carried urging that the inquiry should bo of a public nature-Press Assn. «

"This is a very moan thing you have done; how would yon like the same thing to be done to you?" asked Iff. W. G. Kiddell, S.M.. \it the Magistrate's Court yesterday of a middle-aged woman, named Elizabeth Hansen, who pleaded guilty to stealing n friend's purse. It appeared that accused, who, Chief-Detective Boddam stated, was the mother of seven children, visited the house of a. friend, Mrs. Beatrice Bubbard, on .Tune U. After slie bad taken her departure, Mrs. Hubbard found that a purse, containing £>, was missing, The matter was reported to tho police, and accused admitted the offence to Detective-Sergeant Andrews, who interviewed her. There were two previous convictions against the accused, one for theft, and the ether for false pretences, but as these were recorded some years ago, ITis Worship said ho would treat the woman as a first offender. She would havo to repay the ,42 in instalments of lis, per week, and would be ordered to came up for sentence when called upon.

Tlie depth of humiliation, according to an American motor, paper, is the experience of a man who went through Mesinfs and Passcliendaolo unscratched, and then broke his arm cranking a motor-car. .

The ordinary general meeting of the shareholders in the Bank of N£\v Zealand will be held in the bank premises. Lambton Quay, at It a.m. to-day.

As announced aljont a month ago Iho contract for the erection of the new Fire Brigade Station at Constable Street lias bcon let to Trevor Bros. Tho con* tract prico is i' 21,600. Tho Inspector of Awards, Mr. Tj. T. Bailev, proceeded against Mrs. N. Dickel, of tho Kelburn Tea Kiosk, beforo Mr. \V. G Riddell, S.M., at the Magistrates Court yesterday, on an information of having committed a breach of tho Wellington Hotel and Restaurant Workers Award in employing an assistant named C Tripp from January 23 to April 10, at the rate of 245. per week, in lieu of 325. Gd. Defendant wrote n letter to the Court admitting tho breach. A fine, ol «£2 was imposed. A. bv-law which is not sufficiently conilidercd by the general public was brought into operation against two lads who appeared before Mr. B. D. Mosloy, SM. at Auckland. Tho regulation prohibits the throwing of fruit peelings or skins on tho footpath, and theso lads, who had thrown apple peelings on the footpath of Great North Road in a rather careless endeavour to throw them into the roadway, were convicted of a breach of the by-law, and wero each ordered to pay 9s. costs.

"China, in the future, is to bo the world's greatest producer, and tho world s greatest customer." It is with this message (says tho Sydney "Daily Telegraph ) that Mr. D. V, Hall, tho Attorney-Gen-eral, returns to Sydney after an absence of three and a half months on a visit to Japan and China. "English firms in tho cotton trade," Mr. Hull stales, "are in many instances abandoning nil idea of developing their factories at home, and arc devoting their attention to China. In Shanghai I have been through cotton mills where children of ten years aro employed to attend tho looms. They come on at six in the morning, and knock off at six in the evening. Their places are then taken by other children who do tho next twelve-hour shift. The wheels run constantly from January 1 until December 31, save on one day, tho Chinese New Year. Each child receives art to threepence a day. Knowing that, and realising how similar cheap labour may lxs utilised in other manufacturing processes, I feel instilled in believing that in the future Chinn is going to be a serious menace to the great manufacturing nations. No one could hopo to compete with her so long as conditions remain in their present state."

lii' Auckland there is at the present timo an interesting controversy on the question of municipal organ recitals. It has been suggested in the City Council thai the recitals of tho City Organist, Air. (Jlaughnn Barnett, should bo of a moro popular character (states tho Auckland "Star"). Tho organist reported ihat tho recitals wero gaining in popular favour, and stated that during tho last three months tho attendance had increased by over one thousand, ns compared with a similar period, last year. He considered that the adoption of a lower standard of programmo was net only unnecessary, but would bo a regrcttalMo departure from the generally acknowledged purpose of municipal music —Luc raising of public taste.

Instructions to masters of merchant ships trading in tho war area are published in this week's Gasotto. They deal with lisrh.ts, tho oboyinj: of orders lcceivod from H.M. ships, and the use of mine-protection gear,

A man was arrested on tho wharves yesterday on a charge of having stolen certain articles from a ship.

Tho elfect of war conditions upon American industry is shown by nn extract from a circular received from Now York last week by Auckland business houses. "Many ot our factories," say the authors of the circular, "are overloaded with work, and tho indents taken will require from three to twelvo months Io fill, and further business is being continually placed with them based on delivery when it is possible. Other factories are working to a considerable extent on Government business, and dates of delivery are mere guesswork. Again, some manufacturers aro running entirely on Government work, nnd will accept no indents. The Government is now contemplating as well tho concentration of work at different factories, which may mean the closing of a number of establishments, and the operation of the others on a larger scale. This is 'duo to tho labour question and. economy, and the moro rapid supplying of goods for war necessities. Alanufacturers aro no longer willing to guarantee.deliveries. They may promise to furnish the goods at specified limes, but there is no guarantee, and tho filling of the order is generally several months behind expectations."

A would-bo .burglar got a bad fright on Saturday evening wliilo he was ransacking a house at Fendalton, Christchurch. Tho occupier had gone out for (ho evening, leaving tho doors locked. They were met on the road by Constable Porieous, who is stationed nl Fendalton. Some time afterwards the constable had occasion to pass the house, snd lie noticed that a 'bicycle, with a lamp burning, was reclining against tho fence. Tho constable waited for a moment or two for Ihe person to couio out, but, ns there was no appearance, be decided to investigate. He went to the back door, thinking that the caller might be waiting'there; but bis inspection failed to reveal the presence of any person. He retraced his steps towards tho front, and was just in timo to seo a dark figure rush across the lawn, vault tho front fence, and run away. An examination of the house showed that the intruder had made a search of the rooms, leaving a trail of dead matches in his wake. His illicit enterprise met with no reward, a fncbjjthnt was probably due to the interruption. Such was his haste to escape that ho left his bicycle.

A meeting of the Wellington central branch of the Protestant Political Association was held in the Masonic Hall last evening. Addresses were given by Messrs. ,1. Aston, Watt, and Barley, who oil referred to the need for organisation. Several musical items were much enjoyed.

Tho following is an extract from a, letter received in Wellington by the last mail from Regimental Sergeant-Major Tuckey (recently reported as dangerously ill from wounds):— "By tho way, do you know anything about the different tobacco funds in New Zealand? The Domikion newspaper tobacco fund is head and shoulders above anything else in this way. They only supply tho brands our men like, and though wo do not often get an issue it is keenly appreciated." Sorgeant-Major Tuckey goes' on to say that the tobacco supplied by somo funds is very inferior, and much of it is wasted, while the men aio longing for a smoke.

Somo interesting facts regarding the suburban forests of Paris, a number of which havo lately come into prominence as defensive barriers blocking tho advance of tho German armies, aro supplied by Mr. D. E. Hutchins, the wellknown forestry expert. In his work on "Australian Forestry," Mr. Hutchins mentions the French forests as on example of the results good forestry makes possible. Within a 30-mile radius from Paris there arc some 30 separate wooded areas, varying in size from a few hundred acres to State forests nearly 50,000 acres in area, such as Font'ainebleau, Lyons, and Compiegne. It has been stated that Compiegne is the third largest Stale forest of France. It is 36,000 acres in extent, and yields tho State an average net incomo of .£32,000 yearly. The trees ore mainly beech and oak. Local tradition says that the oaks are tho finest, in Western Europe, n strain of peculiar excellence, so that people send from a distance to got the acorns for planting. Bo that as it may, there is no doubt about the excellence of the oak trees in the forests of Compiegne and Fontaineblcnu. These forests were left unharmed by the Germans at the siege of Paris in 1870; but the Forest of Ohantilly, which is nearer Paris, was badly damaged, and has not by now had time to recover. These three forests come within range of the present German advance.

At Folkestone, on April 20, a well-set-up boy, named Henry Arthur Stevens, was charged with being in military uniform without authority. The Chief Constable said the boy was brought over ifroni France, but the competent military authority would not consent to proceedings against the boy under the very remarkable circumstances of. the ease. The boy had an elder brother serving in a regiment, and he went homo on leave in November. He failed to return to his unit, so he was notified as an absentee. Inquiries were made by the nolice, but he could not be found. In February accused dressed himself up in khaki, iin'd surrendered himself to tho police by impersonating his brother. Handed over to the military authorities, he was sent to Franco to join the unit to which ho was supposed to belong. Ho went slralgnT up to tho fighting line, and was engaged for sixteen days during (he German offensive on the Somme. He declared that during that time he killed a good many Germans, nis impersonation was 'discovered, and ho was sent bade to England. As the competent military authority, declined to grant tho neeessarv permit' for a summary prosecution, be had no evidence to offer against the, boy. The .Magistrate discharged the boy, and complimented him upon his pluck.