LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 255, 16 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The summary of tho work of the New Zealand Division for .fune, juet received from General Richardson by the Jlinisler of Dofpiire, shows that our men had. n fairly quiet time during that month. They remained in the Hcbuterne sector until the 17th of .the month, when they were removed into reserve. The change nnd tho good weather, the report fitnl.es,, havo been very beneficial to the troops. Tho division*!] sports and horse show were held, with large attendances.

Owiiic to His Honour Mr. Justice Bosking bsing kept busy in the. Supremo Courl , in Banco both on Saturday and yesterday, tho delivery of the judgment in the Kelbnru raid appeal case had to bo postponed. The decision may bo delivered on Thursday, if not earlier, but no dalo has been fixed.

In an advice to the Defence Minister General Richardson, O.C. New Zealand Forces in England, states that the Thirty-fourth Reinforcements are very good in physique and in training.

"This eort of conduct, if allowed to go on ns n general thins in the city, would lead to a. riot every timo the police had occasion to arrest anybody," remarked Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterdav in a case in which Johannes Antoneus Wilhelnuis Jansen Iras accused of having asFaulted Constable Robert Anderson in 'the execution of his duty. It. appeared thnt on Saturday the constable was arresting n drunken woman, • when accused camo along nnd attacked him. After a severe struggle, the constable managed tohaiidenf? Jnnsen. "The only thing to rio with this class of case is to hit it lard when It crops up," said Mr. Frozir, who sentenced - .Tanson to a month's imprisonment with hard labour.

Five prisoners escaped from the detontion yard at Featherston Camp early on Saturday morning. They were Privates Boyle, Johnson, Peters, Saunderfi, and Costigan. Privates Boyle and Johnson were -recaptured at Masterton on Saturday, but tho other three men were still at largo yesterday afternoon. The prisoners appear to have made their escape by climbing the. fence sumunding tho detention yard. In accordance with ths military rule, the sergeant of the-guard has been placed under arrest pending an inquiry. The Minister of Marine (tho Hon. T. M. Wilford) said yesterday that the date for the opening of the inquiry into the loss of the Wimmera had not been fixed, nor had the composition of tie Court.

A collision between a motor-car and a motor-cycle occun-.'d in Jlolesworth Street on Saturday night, about 8 o'clock, near the place where the accident occurred which resulted in tho death of Jfr. Orinond C. Cooper Inst week. According to a report in the hands of the police, a motor-car, driven by Mr. W. G. Talbot, accountant, was proceeding up Moleswortli Street from Lamhton Quay. When opposite Mr. Barr.iud's chemist shop, tho motor-car passed in front of a tramcar travelling in the opjKisite direction, and collided with a lnotor-eyclo ridden ■by Sir. A. Palmer, of 6 Park Street. Mr. Palmer was going towards LauiM'on Quay at tho time, and his sister was sen ted on the kck of the motor-cycle. Fortunately no one -was. hurt.

Furthor refcronco was made nt the meeting of the council of tlio Central Chamber of. Commerce yesterday to the postal curtailments, which operated as from July 1. Ono speaker stated that the Postal authorities might arrange for the same late-foe servico at the branch post offices in Wellington, such as To Aro, Courtenay Place, and Newtown, as existed at the General Post Office. At present no eucli provision was made, with the result that, if ono wished to take advantage of the late-fee service they ' had to come into town to the ■G.P.O. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt said that, though the branch post offices closed at 7 p.m., after which there was no collection of mails that night, the authorities might niTfingo for « daylight collection in order to catch the early trains. Mr. J. F.. Atkins 6aid that since 1015 St. Martin's le Grand (London) had been using women for the collection and distribution of mails, but further than employing girl telegraph messengers, clerks and sorters, this source of labour had not been taken advantage of here. It was decided that a deputation should wait upon the Secretary of the Department to discuss these- matters.

A. married woman named Mrs. B. Chauey met with an accident nt about ten o'clock last night.. She foil off a tramcar whilo it was in uiotiou, receiving injuries to her head and face. She was admitted to tho Hospital shortly after midnight.

The Minister of Public Health has interested himself in a plant which he saw in operation in Auckland for "tho cleaning of milk. It has been claimed for this process that in taking out of tho milk all the simple dirt it takea also the harmful bacteria. Mr. Kuesell has sent a. sample machine to Dmiedin to Dr. Champtaloup, who will examine whether this claim is well founded.

Stephen Island, tho sanctuary which is tho special realm of that aristocrat among reptiles, the tuutarn, was recently visited by Dr. J. Allan Thomson. Director of the Dominion Museum. He took with him a quantity of seeds of trees, mostly pohutukawa, which ho planted in suitable places, and he left a quantity of seed to be planted later by the lightkeeper on the island. He took with him also" seeds of ngaio and ako nke. He found that the fenced bush on the island was full of dense undergrowth, but there was practically no undergrowth in tho iinfenccd bush—a circumstance which ho attributed to the fact that cattle can stray into the unfenced bush. He has recommended to tho Minister of Internal A flairs that another urea of bush should be fenced.

A man was. arrested by Detective-Ser-geant Scott and Detective Torrance yesterday on a charge of having assaulted another man at Wellington South on February 21 last. The accused will to brought before tho Court to-day.

Approximately three .years ago Sergeant George M'Aiieny, of Wniigniuii, was taken prisoner l>y llin Turks on the Galiipoli Peninsula. Homo tw6 yen re ngo he made a valiant effort to escape, but <lid not manage to net clenr of tho Sultan's dominions. For some time, after his dash for freedom lie, with other New Zciilnndcrs, was more closely watched lty the authorities, and ho was transferred to a safer pliuo. This was Adabazur, n locality not far from Constantinople, and remote enough from' tho borderlands of tho Turkish Empire. Nothing daunted, however, Sergeant M'Aneny made iiiiother iittompt to escape , early in tho present year, but, according to a postcard recently received by his sister (.Mrs. Welch, of Wellington), ho was again recaptured. Whether or not ho was wounded in the struggle for freedom is unknown, but il is significant thai the postcard was written in a. hospital. Prior tn his second attempt to escape Sergeant M'Aneuy was employed, with other English prisoners, on roadmaking on a highway which tho Tmka hud already aaincd. the English Road. '

The industrial value of the eel was referred to at a. meeting of the council of 'Hie Ancklnnd Acclimatisation Society. The chairman, Mr. C. A. Whitney, said that prior to the war a great profit hud been made out of the. sale of eels in Germany. The Germans had largo eel farms, and produced about 2,flOfl,ODolb. annually. Since the war tho industry bad declined. Mr. H. 11. Ostler paid the eel was one of the waste products of tho Dominion, out of which Komcono would yet make a fortune. To purchase tho requisite plant a considerable sum of money would be required, and it was not. within tho province of tho society to embark on such a venture.

The organising by the Government of men over military use, and those (it only for homo service, was considered by tho Auckland Farmers' Union Executive on Friday. Mr. C. C. Mimro, president of the Clevedon branch, said he ivas sure many farmers could bo spared if the services of homo service men mid men over military age were organised. He knew of a number of men just over military age who biid retired, and their services should bo utilised to release othn-s for. Kervieo or increase the production of tin: farms. Other speakers agreed with the proposal, though sonio expressed the opinion that tho increasing of production was probably of greater importance at present than the releasing of men for military service. It was eventually decided to urge the matter :ipon the Government.

At tho meeting of the council of tho Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon the president (Mr. C. M. Luke) reported on the recent inaugural meeting of the Hydro-Electric J'ower League at rnlmcrston North. Jt was, he thought; the most representative conference that he hod ever attended, and it had gone iiilo tho whole question most thoroughly and enthusiastically. Tho work would be delayed by the war, 'mt there was essential preliminary work that could be done, and which had to bo done sooner or later, mid that work wiis discussed most thoroughly. In bis opinion all objections to tho project melted away before the pressing urgency of this lvork. There wore plenty of public works going forward at the'present lime which were not so important as the prosecution of Ihe preliminary work in connection with the Miingjihao hydro-electric scheme. There was raid-makiug, ,tun-nel-lwring, the cement work (which could bo done just as cheaply as before the war), and shingle was as readily available as ever it was. He would even go as far as to say that men should be taken off gome public works and put on to this great work, on which the whole district was waiting. Then there were fit returned men from the war who might be employed on the work. The league which had been formed was a very representative and enthusiastic one, and it would be deplorable if tho Government proved adamant (0 tho pressure that would be brought to bear on it. After all, tho Government was the servant of the people, and it was for the Government to give expression to tho wishes of the people. Mr. A. L. Emit also stated that the conference was a thoroughly representative one, and with tho live' secretary who had been appointed it should accomplish something practicable. The council decided to contribute £2 2s. per Minim to the funds of the league.

The Featherston Borough Council has decided to instal an air gas system of street lighting.

The Wellington Trades and Labour Council has purchased the property in Vivian Street formerly occupied, by tho late Dr. Martin,' and will use it as a site for a Trades Hall. The section lias a frontage of 8S feet lrith a depth of 220 feet, and the front portion is occupied by a wooden building of sixteen rooms. Slight alterations will make some of these rooms available for occupation by union secretaries, and will also provide several ■ large rooms in which meetings and conferences may be held. The Trades Council intends to proceed with the erection of a permanent Trades Hnll in brick when funds aro available. It will be possible to begin the new structure on the ground at the back of the present building, and work forward, thus enabling the unions to have continuous use of tho site. An appeal is to be made to tho unions affiliated with the council for funds. Tho Labour secretaries will Iμ able to movo to Vivian Street from tlie present ciuarters in Cuba Street in tho near future.

The sum of £3L raised as tho result of concerts and collections on the Moeraki, has been handed to the Shipwreck Relief Society by the master of the vessel (Captain Collins). ' '■

According to Mr. Sidney r Jones, tho vaudeville performer who was among the Wimmera's passengers landed at Mangonui, tho boat in which they covered the distance from tho scene of the disaster was followed for many miles by a school of big sharks, whose presence did not add to the comfort of the" occupants of tho boat. At one stage in tho journey the boat's rudder was carried away, and an oar had to bo used to steer the boat, but tho blado of it was snapped by the attack of one of the' voracious monsters of tho deep. The scene as the Wimmera san!; wa? very impressive, as flare-lights were burning all along tho deck as the steamer up-ended and plunged. A bencn.t performance in aid of Mr. and , Mrs. Jones given in Auckland realised -£200.

Tho engineer of the Napier Council has been instructed lo report on the proposal to construct a. new service reservoir on Bluff Hill.

Tho Coroner, Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., opened an inquest yesterday afternoon regarding the death of a widow named Mary Ann Edwards, who died n't her residence, 27 Martin Square, on Sunday night. Dr. Mackin pave evidence that in liis opinion the deceased, who was 76 years of age, did from senile decay. At'this stage, the inqiiirv was od.iourned until 9.30 a.m. to-day. Sergeant M'Lean conducted • the proceedings on behalf of the police.

Tho report by the Public Works Department on the cause of broken axles on tho Napior tramcars stated that the breaks were probably due to the material and were not due to any error hi construction of .the cars. Tho Icey-seat-ings in the axles were too large, which might have been a contributing cause. The Council decided to send q copy of the report (© the electrical engineer.

An inquest touching -the death of Mr. Kobert Caldwoll, aged 63 years, who died nt his residence, View Road, Karon, shortly after 9 o'clock on Sunday morning, was conducted by the Coroner, Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., yesterday afternoon. Evidence was given that the deceased had been in fairly good health up to Sunday morning. After breakfast, he complained of a pain over Ins heart, and before he had risen from his chair he fell forward on to the , table. He was assisted to a couch, but died a few minutes later. Dr. Uislop stated that the causo of death was heart failure, and a verdict was returned accordingly. For n number of years Mr. Caldwell was a draughtsman in tho Lands and Survey Department, retiring on superannuation ,i tow months ago, but since then had been temporarily employod by tho Department. By his death the Anglican Church at Karori has lost ono of its most zealous workers, Mr. Caldwell bavins' been a churchwarden and n member of 'tho vestry of St. Mary's, as well as a representative of the parish on (lie Diocesan Synod. For some time he was clerk of the old Kmwi-Makara Road Uoard, and when Karori was made a borough he bpcamn ils first town clerk. Mr. Caldwell has left a widow and a family of nine Three of his sons, one of whom is a major, are at tho front, and another will ko into camp next week. The deceased's eldest daughter is the wife of Major H. TCicluvrfem, D.5.0., M.C.. also at the front/ and another ilaujrhter is Mrs. Ledger, of Nelson. The service , at St. Mary's on Surnhiy night was in memory of the lato Mr. Culrlwc!!. The vicar (Hip Rev. G. Y. Woodward) referred to tin. , deceased as a splendid churchman, and a man whose many good qualities had cuilrarwl him to all who knew him. Mr. Woodward also alluded to ilio familv's fine war record. >U tho rnnchtsion of Iho service, the nr-jrnnir-t (Mr. S. B. Shorll) played (he Dead .March in Saul.