LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 245, 4 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The response to ll.e invitation of the City Council for citizens lo apply for a limited number of flowering shrubs unci trees available from the reserves' nurseries lias been sn numerous that it is probable lhal Ihere will be ton nwny for tho number of plants ivailablc. It has therefore been decided that, no further applications can be reosivetl. Owing to the oxcentionally heavy <md continuous rain, which has made Ihe ground rather too sodden for planting most nf (he varieties (hat are beiug offered, the distribution will not lake place for a few (lavs—not. until Saturday next at tho earliest. The new Church of England Institute at Rotorua for the use of soldiers in the military hospitals will be opened shortly., Tho Bishop of Wellington stated last night that he hoped Chaplain Gordon Gavin, a returned officer, would lake charge of the institute. "How are the girls turning out as telegraph messengers?" inquired a Dominion reporter of the- Superintendent of Telegraphs (Mr. Talbot) yesterday. "Excellent!" said Mr. Tnlbot. "Much, very much, better than expected. They are. smart and attentive to duty, and in these times, when it is simply impossible to get, boys, the girls are answering splendidly. Mind you, wo are looking after them well. I have forty girls at work in "Wellington, and 60 far have not refused any that look at all suitable for the work. Their neat costumo has been much admired, and everyone says how well they look. The girls start at 15s. <v week, and, in addition, we provide them with a dress, overcoat, macintosh, cloth hat, sou'-wester, and leggings, bo that they arc always well protected in all kinds of weather/ Tho experiment has proved quite a success. No girl messenger is employed after 5.30 of -An evening, indeed, the greater number get away at five o'clock. Only boys are. employed of an evening." "The dirtiest hole in New Zealand, bar none." was Chaplain T. F., Taylor's description of Trentham Camp last e.venin" "It is the. wettest placu in New Zealand, ar.d the coldest place ever invented," he added.

Eeferring to a statement m a paragraph in Monday's issue to the oflect that ■■the- highest widowed mother's pension rate in New Zealand is 15s. per week, the Commissioner of Pensions (Mr. G. Fache) points out that the War Pensions Board can give up to 30s. per week to the widowed mother-psolely dependent —of a New Zealand private soldier, and the amount l= increase,! for the higher Milks. If I'm mother is partly .dependent she is ratified to at least halt" that rale. Thavf. aro 353 widowed mothers in receipt of at least 15s. per week. Others r.ro receiving more.

A survivor from the Wimmora, Corporal Chapman, who got away in No. 5 beat, said: "I should like to draw attention to the splendid condition in whicn all the lifeboats were found, and I think all credit for this should be given to the Huddtirt-Parkor Company and the crew. The sails and tackle were new, there was plenty of fresh water and biscuits aboard. Had it not been for the forethought and care in attending to these details tliero is no doubt but that our experiences would have been very much harder."

Many people deem the restricting of the telegraphic licnirs a real hardship, but the number of telegraph messages nut in'in Wellington between S p.m. ;md midnight has never averaged forty per night. At the Supreme Court this morning His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir ltnbert Stouij will pass seiitenco on the followintr pri-i'.iiipr-f :— William Augiistu.-i Callnglma, indecent, assault on a male; Mary (jiiiene, breiikini; and entering;' Margaret .lakeman, bigamy. ■

At a meeting of the AVnnganui-Waito-tara Patriotic Association yesterday it was resolved unanimously that the attention of the. Minister of Defence be drawn to I In- l)»li.ivionr uV ii number of syldiers in Welliiij-lon last week, as it-port<> t l in a Wellin«lcii piiper. The soo-k-ty is strongly uf opinion that this state tit' affair's should not be allowed to recur, and that the Government should take the necessary steps to effectively prevent a repetition." —Press Assu... i

A pntlwlic etory was told before the First Auckland Military Service Board on Monday, when.a returned 6oldicr applied for sine, die exemption, on the ground of family hardship.' He had volunteered when 18 years of age, unci after two years' service had returned homo on furlough, owing to his father's illness. The father, however, hnd died before he reached home. Another brother was also on service, and had been wounded twice. There were four other members of tho family, the youngest being four years of age. His mother was at present waiting to undergo a serious operation, and expected to be in hospital for several months. It .would bo impossible for her to bring up the family, now her husband was lead, on tho pay of her two soldier sons. He was therefore asking for exemption in order to carry on his trade as a boat-builder, and so bo able to support, the family. The appeal was adjourned until October 31, to be renewed if necessary.

A canvasser for pitriotic funds, writing to the Christuliurch "Press," says — A friend hns told ir.e 1 hat. on Ihe whole, it is better to go collecting in a town than in the counby; events are possibly more varied. Our. day, wbile in a train, she requested a subscription from an elderly man, who declined on the ground that he hnd already given; "but," he cqntinued. indicating a lady at the other end of the car, "my wife has not, you can asl; her for something, , ' and accordingly .tho request was repeated. "Here is hali-n-CTO-.vn for you," replisd the lady, "but: I have never seen that man before." Back went this energetic collector to the man. "That lady is not your wife, and you must give me ten shillings for telling hip such a story, and it is to bo eaid for -him that he pave her the ten shilling promptly; aml within a month the lady and he were married. Perhaps he had that happy emlinsr in view all the time really, but certainly be took a curious way to il.

Practically the whole of the northern flaxuills we closing down for the remainder of the- winter, about twelve milk.between Tiiakau and Ngaruawahia, several at Morrinsville and on tho Hauraki Plains having already ceased work, states the "New Zealand Herald. Before the outbreak of war. when prices for hemp wero not quite so hi*!' as at propent, it was customary for the flaxmills to close down during June, July, and August, but during the Inst two or three years the heavier demand for hemp and the consequent, rise in prices have induced the millers to keep the nulls going throughout the winter as far as possible. At present the stores are well filled with fibre, mid in view of the pressure on shipping space the millers decided to revert to the old practice and close down until 'about Seutember next. A contention on the part of employees that they should be represented when there was any redistribution of labour by employers, following the introduction of new machinery, was voiced at a Conciliation Council at' Auckland on Monday. This contention was raised in connection with tho dispute between tho Auckland Tnilorcsses , Union and employers, in reference to a claim by the employers that they should have, tho ri"ht to introduce whatever machinery tlieir business might require, and to subdivide- labour in any wny' they might deem necessary. There was a strong divergence of opinion between the parties on the matter. The Hon. J. T. Paul, employees' advocate, suggested that sui industrial council, comprising representatives of the union and employers, should be appointed to consider tho question. Such a conrnittee, ho said, would Do more likely to reach a solution satisfactory to all parties thus if it wero sent to tho Arbitration Court for a decision, for the committeo would consist of experts, thoroughly conversant with the matter. Ho considered Hm chairman of Biioh a committee should lmve a casting vote. The employers' representatives agreed to place the-.proposal before ;\ meeting of the employers concerned, and ihe council adjourned further consideration of the disimte in the meantime. Mr .1 Harrison .loncs, of "Duncdin. returned last week from a trip to America. When ho arrived nt San 1-ran-cisco on April 1 he- was somewhat disappointed to see enormous crowds ol eligible men about the streets and the theatres, and it was a bit disquieting I" learn I hat. tho Western States were m>l at that time Inking tho war very sennuslv It was a. long way from (,nluornia to Franco, and the' od to think that the doings l,nrop-s did not concern them very deepiy. Ilw difference in the temper of the people was very marked as lie journeyed oast. Tlrro Iho Americans were very mucli in earnest. Many Now Yorkers of varying shades of political opinion were exnresshi" themselves, not as a, matter ot politics, but as a question of Ihe honour 'of tho country, that President Wilson should have gone into the war when tho Lusitania was sunk, Public feeling was verv keen. By the time Mr. Jones had got'back to the Western Stales ho found (hat the Eastern influence had affected tho people—thnii- attitude was quite changed, and they were as much in tho war as the New Yorkers, 1 ravelling through those Western Stajes, ono now hears'not a. word in opposition to the national policy. The universal feeling (.here and right through the Sta os is one of admiration of the splendid stand that, the Allies nre making against.odds and friendliness towards Great .Britain, and the peopln are- at ono in the hope and belief that there will soon be enough American soldiers on the western, front to turn the tide. According to the "New Zealand Locomotive Engineers , Journal," '.the depletion of the locomotive running stallcaused by resignations and enlistmentsis becoming a more serious matter than some people seem to realise. There are few cleaners entering tho service, and those who do so are in n year or two called to the 'colours,' so it seems a waste of time taking them on at all unless exempted from military duty. 1 his system, of course, is eoins; to hit tho ninn in ohargo-.of n locomotive very hard, because, there will be no trained men to assist him in his work' in running the train. When we get back to a normal state of affairs it will lie found that locomotives- will bo manned by firemen who have had no practical training, and this will placo a great lond of responsibility upon the engineer. The inevitable result of such a state of affairs will be a very serious accident, and. as usual, ive expect., the engineer will be called upon to 'carry the baby.' There have been obiecf. lessons iriven all over the world of placing unskilled men upon a locomotive, and many homes have been plunged into deep mourning, and the State has had to shoulder huge compensation claims. The depletion of the si alt on our railways in the locomotive department has cot far Mow the safety line, and if not taken in bund soon will prove Id be irrecoverable."

Matters connected with school propaganda; were referred to at Tuesdays meetiife of the Wellington ■branch of the Navy League. The • education sub-com-mitte.o reported Hint all the education "bonvcls within the Wellington. Taranaki, and Hnwke's Bay provincial districts had passed resolutions' approving of tlie formation of Navy League school branches. Archbishop Redwood also stated that ho would be pleased to promote the movement amongst the sixty schools in his archdiocese. It was mentioned that the total number of, schools in the. districts would be almost MOO, and that there would be considerable work in seenrins their co-operation. Tt was agreed that the AVellin'ton Education Board should lie apnroached for the purpVo of obtaining the services of onn of its touchers for two months to visit the various schools throughout the dMricts in the interests of the lensne. The report stated Hint lantern lecture had been delivered_ nt the -Mnranni School and at the' Renmen's Institute, and Hint im address had been given bv the Vex. .A. F""t nt tlm Porirua School, Tho PnWr Prize Fund has now renehwl nlninst Sm >,»d it was snecc'tod H'(>.t the Rim should bo , invested in wnr bonds, and (hat the income bo devoted to the purpose of nrovidji'.ir nri7.es for an essav comnol-'Hon ain'ongst the primary and secondary sfhools.' Jfan! lnuWwenr is not snob nn ev li'iifivi it"m i' f yon buv from n?—2?. Hd.. S=. ]Ifl. l=. (!''.'. 11 rl. —lianN or flini:lets, (ieoree Fnwlds T,ld.-Advl. The DOMINION MOTOR VKRICr.KS. TiTH.. are now prpwwl to loennt nrrWn for tli" fnmons nmlnl. "T'our-Ninnty." wiili ci'iiil? Uv-f tin's enr -'K-'* /'oiiimlM". pmlw.!y : '->r rf li ; "h?r-nn>od »nrs. Th» fi'i:=hine to"ohrs si-nii this ;.dv:i"c= 1018 rindel lenve nothing more to nifh for. It is (-omplete in every way. Call or write for catalogues or demonstratioas.—Advt.

Tho body of Hugh Dick Cameron, who was staying with 31 r. D. A. Cameron, Glenfalloch Station, Nokomai, was recovered on Wednesday afternoon from tho Mataura .River (says the Dunedin "Star"). It is understood that deceased, on horseback, attempted to cross the river some distance bolow the traffic bridge, in order to round up some horses on the opposite bank, but was carried awav by the. current, which is exceedingly rapid. Added to this, the river was considerably swollen, and Cameron was an indifferent swimmer. Deceased, who wan a journalist with extensive Home and oversea experience, was a son of the late Robert Cameron, M.P., Durham, Ulasgow, and nopliew of Sir Charles Cameron. Ho was in his twenty-eighth year.

Complaint regarding linderstaffing in the schools under the jurisdiction of flic•lucklalid City Schools' Committee was made by 31 r.'Ernest Lilly, chairman of the committee, at a meeting on Monday. II- said that in 33 classes the roll number was betwen CO and 70 pupils, in 29 classes between 70 and 80, in 17 between 80 and 00, in U between !)0 and 100; in c-Hit classes there were 110 pupils, and in" one class there were 115. Mr. Lilly «aid liir»u classes were in charge of one •issistant, who eomatimos had llio help of"a pupil-teacher. The former was responsible for the instruction, and the strain was far too great. It had been said by a high educational authority that no class should consist of more than thirty pupils.