LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 263, 25 July 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The recruits of the Forty-fourth Reinforcements, who entered camp last week, have not yet been transferred from Trcnth.im to the isolation camp at Tauherenikau. Drafts usually go to the isolation camp a few days after mobilisation, in order that any infection the men may liavo brought with them may be detected, but tho recent severe weather made it, desirable that the Juiy recruits should be kept at Trenthani.

The condition of the two soldiers at present: sull'ering from cerebrospinal meningitis in the military hospitals, were reported yesterday to be satisfactory. No additional cases have been reported, but the examination of contacts and tho search for "carriers" is being continued.

Among the married men who have been called up recently are some who expect additions to their families' soon after the timo fixed for mobilisation. The military authorities have recommended tho Military Service Boards to grant leave in these cases until tho first draft after tho confinement, if Ijiat is expected to lako placo witliin two months of the normal mobilisation dale. Reservists who wish to take advantage of this concession will require to lodgo an appeal in tho usual way, and produce medical evidence.

To attempt to steal moneys belonging to a fund in aid of Neiv Zealand's stricken heroes is about as contemptible an action as can be imagined; yet there aro individuals who stoop tp such miserable unscrupnlousncss. Recently, the Bed Cross Society's collection box at Courtonay Placo was rilled, and on Tuesday night the cabinet in which the lady collector receives contributions at Courtenny Place was opened and tho box was again tampered with. On the first occasion the thief was successful in his particularly mean enterprise, but on Tuesday night nothing was stolen, as thn box had been emptied of its contents before the cabinet had been locked up.

Two enemy aliens were arrested in Wellington yesterday and were taken •to Somes Island for internment, l.t is understood that the men were formerly resident in Christchurch.

Ueferenco to Government. ITnro-o in 18GC was made by Jfr. Amciius Smith in the courso of nn address lo the emrly seltlors' last evening. It was, he said, ii one-story bungalow, jutting out in all directions. Where it all was now it would bo lmrd to say. Some of it had been Auctioned, part of it was in Jlolcsivorth Street, and pairt in Tarniiaki Street (which used to bo called Johnny Martin's paddock).

America is dealing firmly wilh the question of German influenco in civil life. The following resolutions were recently passed by the New York Athletic Clul>:—"That the use of th« German language for any purpose by members, nr their "uests in either the cil>- clubhouse or (he clubhouse at Travers Wand, or on the ground? 'thereof, •:<? prohibited dnriii" the period of the war. Violation nf this rule by a member or Ins snout will be deemed sufficient reason for the expulsion of the member." "That any member who introduces an c-nemv alien, whether man or woman, lo the privilege;! of the city clubhouse or the clubhouse at Traveix Tslaiul duri"!? -l»e period ot the ~•(.!• "-iii' l be exnelled from Hie club. His Honour Mr. .Tustio- Chapman, in Hie Snnreme Court yestord-v declared r>->w T.nrenzen. baker, of Carter ton. a bankrupt, on the petition of certain creditors.

A tlismiln betiveen ;v Greek named Zisi- I mns Mourilntiis nnd avother man named 11...1, „.;. ?n ,|_ jn C'piirtenay Place on Tuesday evening, resulted in the amiPiu'tinre of the two h"fnre Messrs. J. AY. Ellison and T. Salek, .l.l'.'s, at the Majis!rate's Court yesterday, on •■• cbarec of flu-nl'-nini hjliavimn-. "Mead sol a | Itlack eye nnd the Ur.-rk seems to have coino lift' I'ctter ef the two," remarked Inspector Marsack. A constable trave evidence as to witnessing the disturbance, and said the Greet was the agsres. : sor. "If you want to fidit you must fii'i Hie ri''lit Niid Mr. Ellison to the accused. Each accused was fined 10;., in default three days' imprison-1 meat.

Frequent Iravellera by tho Union Company's Paleena between Wellington, Picion, and Nolson, and vice versa, are. advised of tho proposal alteration in tho lime-lablo of tho vessel as from Monday i>ext. Tim l.ime-biblo on Mondays ami Fridays will be the *aiim as it i.s now o.wpi: thill. Hie vessel will 'eiive. Wcllingliiii at IJfO p.m.—throe-quarters of an hour later. Special attention is, however, drawn to tho arrangements for Wodnesiliiys. On this day Hie Palcena. will sail for Piclon only at 1.30 p.m., sailing on I lie return trip at 1.30 p.m. on Thnrsd.ivs.

Another case concerning theft from n Rhip came before tho Magistrate's Court yesterday,,when , a member of the crew ill' nn overseas steamer was charged with having stolen three tins, of jam, valued al Ps. fld., the properly of Hie New Zealand Shipping Company. Tlie accused's naino was Joseph Edward Hood. Evidence, was given liy Constable Cleverly that about 7.25 p.m. on Tuesday ho accosled the man when he was leaving tho King's Wharf, and asked him what wero I lip'contents of a bag he was carrying. Accused replied, "Jam, which I am taking to a, friend." Willinm Loekliead, chief floremiin of the vessel to which the accused belonged, snid the jam should not have been taken from the ship. When there was a surplus in jam issued to tho individual members of the crew, who were each allowed lib. of jam per week, it should be returned to the storo at Hie end of Hie voyny. Accused exmessed reirret for his nclion, statin? that lie had had some drink. A fine of .("2, in default fourteen days' imprisonment, was imposed.

"Tho military police have very onerous work tn (In liorc, and they are subjected in all kinds of ainw from eonio observed Inspector Marsack fit Hie Magistral c's Court yesterday, in a case in v'lic'i -i ymmg man named Hiitrli Walker pleaded guilty to having used nbspeno language in Taiwaki Street, on Tuesday. "Tie was going silonjr Taranaki Street when he saw some military policemen, pnininnnly rail"'' 'rod cap?.' and insullml them," remarW the inspector, "lit seems extraordinary that this man should say these things wilhout provocation." s:\id Mr. P. W. .Tnckson, accused's wnnsel, who'proceeded to explain Hint ~v liid V"i) invalid Om fh»,f™Tit ?m----fpriTw from fever nml shell shock, and, havinir a very Iwd npmiw. =nni"l'!"■■"! said and did thin»s without i"iv npwrent reason." "H" drinks a little, ."ml if im f->W- nno r'nss h" i-~ w , "" added Mr. Jickson. Messrs. ,T. W. j,™' T. Salek, J.P's.. were on Hie bench, and My. Allison smrf Hi-ir Hip limmingc nsnl '■■n= more nhu«ivn than nb'cno. _"T darcpay he had some old score n"ain=t '■' '~'-. i nine'" Jfi- T, ,,; con \v""l o'i. "Wo will let him down li<rMly." W«IW was fined Ills.. i'i default forty-eight hours' imprisonment , .

An intorenin , ; departure in the system of iTwncv-raisi'nr for wnv rc'icf pnrnopes wtis piade recently in th° To Awsinntii 'lis'h'ict in coni'°' ,f ion wit' , fie eon?" , ' - ■•<••■! I enntpst. -Tlio sum f>lWt»d to T" \v;imutu, forniiiiir a pa't of the Aiiflt]>i"(l Bed C'-ops enropn'sn. is ,Cifl.OoO, nnd tho rodent!, dc-ided on a system of direct nnpnal. IV=t n com-

>- : H;--> voiirnonnHf-iv" nf Hip district was elected to allocate to each resident iv f Hi-

:•• Mi-i fi-li'iod nrri {\-> ->i>'oiint 'm won'd l>e oxnecto'l to sivo, am! w'th tliP=r> r l '"- duK' niiifle a cP'cnl.ir v.'fis issued to each subscriber. Hot tho circii iv.is wived is bnrnp out by fl> A fnct thnl ivi'hin fnurwci°.t<; nearly £!(V(\ iv^s ill llitiul, OT'l '= nynry O.P? , '"I""" r'ml- f'>» ."in.ftin rnnli-ibuiinn will b° (iv^ r .-iil>=T ; l>"fl i-v '-li« time the campaign f.V"? in n fnrtnisht.

Quito recently the truant inspector mndo a point of attending a week-day matinee performance of "Dick 'Whiitington," and there made the discovery that thi' I'lentrc was half filled with boys and girls who should have been at school. "'These children," says a correspondent, "have been made to feel that it was iin olmicc to miss school for tho sake of witnessing the pantomime, yet such are the inconsistencies in our system that a few weeks ago the children in one school wero nllowedjou!; early to witness a kinematograph representation of "A Tale of Two Cities," and this week something similar is happening with respect to tho picture, "My Four Years in Germany." Is it any wonder that the children aro apt to regard the "show" as part of their education, mid to puzzle as to why iine lines are drawn between 'Pick Whittinjlon, , and a Charles Dickens romance.?"

Addressing the Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, the Governor of New South Wales (Sir Walter Davidson) said:—"l am rather of tho view that the eighthour day is not the highest 'thing to hi attained in the happiness of the worker, and that to work a 'ton-hour, day, as railwaymen do in the United States, would not be altogether unpleasant. I am not at all certain that fewer hours nro in the interest of all parties concerned The ten-hour day would give to all workers tho opportunity of increasing their earnings.'

Owing to the high price of pnper -Hie price of school-children's note Mid oxerciso books has increased by at least 100 per cent., and it is not by any means an uncommon occurrence for headmasters or chairmen of school committees to re-i-eive letters of protest from parents against the cost involved where three or four children are involved. In a number of inland districts the schools have gone back to the slate for the lower standards. Somo of the school comimttcos of Wellington district schools aro seriously concerned about the largely increased price of writing books, and are to consider the' advisability of reverting to slates "as a war-time measure." At the animal meeting of the Headmasters' Association. Mr. W. H. roster, of tho Clyde Quay School, was re-elected chairman for tho fourth year. Mr. 0. Biity, of the Mount Cool; School, was reelected honorary secretary for the eighth year, «nd at 'the same meeting Mr. Law, recently appointed inspector, was heartily welcomed to the district. ,

At the meeting of the City Council this evening Councillor .T. Castle is to wove:—"Thiit tho Mayor bo appointed to wiifer with tho City Organise and tho Education Board with a view to instituting regular afternoon organ recitals for the scholars of tho city schools." Sneaking to a Dominion reporter yesterday, Councillor Castlo said that lm understood that recitals for school children by Mr. J. Maughan Barnott had been quite a success in Auckland, and there was no' reason why they should not bo in Wellington.

Tho engineer of the Wollinglqn Harbour Board (Mr. J. Marchbimlcs) is about to leavo Now Zealand on a journey u> gather information regarding tho handling of coal and other harbour works in Canada and tho United States. His departure was mentioned at a meeting of the board last night, when members presented Mr. Marclibanks with a case of pipes as a mark of their esteem. Tho presentation was made by Mr. B. I'lotcher, M 1 ,., who assured the engineer that he carried with him the esteem and good will of the members of the hoard. Tho chairman (Mr. C. E. Danioll) mentioned that the example of the board in arranging for its engineer to visit America had been followed by other local bodies. He thought tho "board had done tho right thins in seeking to secure through Mr. Marehbanks the latest available- informal ion regarding harbour and engineering matters. Several members of tho Ixiard extended their good wishes lo tlie engineer, who relurned thanks briefly and snid he believed his trip would be of viiluo to the community. The port of Wellington had a nerind of grunt expansion before it, and the latest and best terlinicnl information would be required.

Will there be emigration from Britain io New Zealand after the war? is .1 question that is often asked. In the opinion of Corporal Boldt, of Inglcwood, who left with the Ninth fleiniorcenionts and did his full shave of fighting before bis health gave way under the continuous pressure, wo can look for a considerable accession to our population by immigration, lie found, in talking to the Tommies, a groat desire to learn all about New Zealand, its conditions, and ils opportunities. In fact, eo great was the curiosity that at several of the camps prominent New Zealanders gavi; addresser! in the Church Army huts lo the nion who bombarded them with questions, and evinced a very keen interest in all that was told them, nnd thu acrecment was fairly general that after the war they would turn this way. England's population was very great, and. in Corporal Boldt's opinion, it would be to the advantage of both countries that facilities should b? provided for emigration to New Zealand, which, all a?reed. was the finest country in the world to live in.

Tho first union to consider tho proposal that a levy of half-a-crown per member should be made by labour unions for the purpose of assisting to raieo tho money needed for the acquisition of a new Trades Hall is tho Timber Workers' Union. This body had the subject before it on Tuesday evening when the president, Mr. A. G. Wilkins, moved that (he levy should bo agreed to. The motion was carried unanimously.

A lost bale of woo! was mentioned at the meeting of the Wellington Ilarboiir Board laet night. A certain bale cannot be traced, ami tho board has to adjust Ilio account, though there aro hopes still that the wool will be recovered. Tho chairman (Mr. C. E. Daniell) mentioned that tho board had handled 800,000 bales of wool and this was the lirsl; occasion a bile had gone astray. A member remarked that years ago a bale reported lost in New Zealand had been found wjien a shin was being diecharged in London.

There was an impressive scene at the Cliristcliurch railway station on Monday at tho departure of tho express for the youth, when members of'the Railway Of'ficers' Institute, together with 1 the staff of the goods office and representatives of other branches of the Railway Department, including members from Lyttellon, assembled to pay their last tribute to tho lalo Mr. J. 1\ Matheson, hile goods agent at ChristclniTch, who died "on Saturday morning, and whose body was being conveyed to Dunedin for interment. The assemblage stood uncovered m the mortuary van, containing the body of tho deceased, moved out of the station.

"These fellows are all mad, I think," said Mr. It. W. B:shoi> .it Monday's sitting of tllo Second Caiilerbin-j- ilililary Service iloairil, when the case of a conscientious objector was under review. "If tho world were composed of them, I don't know what we should be l.ke." The appellant wns a member of tho Society of Friends, aiid in the course of his written statement set out various statements as to why he could not serve, several Quaker documents accompanying hie appeal, showing Jivsrs reasons why members of the society should not take up arms. All these were characterised by Mr Bishop as "all rubWsn." Eventually it transpired that the appellant had net "yet attended the niedciil examination, and lie was given ten days in winch to do so.

I The steering-soar of the harbour steaI nipr Duchoss broke when she was nearin;; tho Day's Bay Wharf on her first trip yesterday, and though only partly disabled the strong south-westerly gale mace it a risky undertaking to berth without ' assistance. Blown by the gale the vessel was in dauber of drifting on to Downes Point, when the Cobar steamed ! alongside and helped the Dnehess an her ' course to town. Repairs were effected in time for her to take up her running at 2.30 p.m.

li. A. Wilson, of Torn Street, Mira.iiar, was crushed between a sling of halw of wool and a cart, while working alongside the steamer -Manuka at the Queen's Wharf yesterday afternoon. Wilson, who is an employee of the Harbour Board, was not seriously irjured. He was removed to the Hospital for treatment. "

Tho record of the Xgntiwhahia tribe in regard .0 enlistment was referred to by Mr. Tun Hontire, M.P., at a large gathering of the tribe -held at l!eweti, in the ICaipara district, on Saturday. The meeting; was called to discuss Maori matters, particularly in relation to recruitiujt, and over 200 JJativt.? from v'i'f Jfaori Council district were present. Mr. Tau Hciiare spoke at some length on conscription. He said the young men had volunteered to tin; number of over GOO, and this had rendered the record of the Ngatiwliutuas so worthy of its traditions that the Government had refrained from applying conscription (0 the district. The remarks "of the speaker were henuti'/y applauded, find replies wore made by the Tiev. To Paa, King Kuarangi. and Tapihnwa Paikea, on behalf of the tribe.

An important pronouncement in rejrard to a certain class of military appellant's was made by Mr. 11. W. Bishop, chairman of the Military Service Board at Christchurch yesterday (sta f es a Press Association message). He stated that lie had received a telegram from Ihe authorities stating that where appellants applied for leave on account of the approaching confinement of their wives, the hoard should grant leave to the first concentration after the event in all cases where tho confinement was due in two months. This practice, Mr. Bishop slated, had been followed by the board in all cases. Where the event was tether off, leave from camp could be obtained on application.

Many a young man. enters politics with a keen desire to do something for his country, Mr. Amelius Smith observed in an address at an early settlors' gathering last evening, but once in the House finds that he is merely one of n party. "I believe," he continued, "that the only true patriot I have ever known in New Zealand—one who sacrificed his all for his country and his opinions-was that noble man, Sir Maurice O'Rorko. Sir Maurice was an ardent provincialist, and when Sir Julius Vogel brought in his Bill to nbolish the provinces he would lmvo none of it—that; traitorous business, as he called it. Sir Maurice got up, folded his arms, wnlked. out into the alley, and stated to the Home his reason why lie could not stay any longer in the Government. And ho walked over to the other sido of the House, amidst the applause of both sides. He was a poor man, but he would not wicrinco his jpinions."

For reasons which are no doubt apparent in .England, certain restrictions have been imposed'on the marriages of New Zealand soldiers to women in England. Any soldier who wishes to manry m the United Kingdom must first obtain permission from Himdqunrtovs. New Zealand Expeditionary Force, More the application is made to Hciriquartere, it must first, be submitted to tho applicant s commanding officer, and ho must forward with his application a certificate of character of the person whom he wishes to marrv which certificate must be furnished by a clergyman, a magistrate, or a leading resident. After this it is the dutv of Hie officer commanding to eatisly himself that the marriage is one that oii"ht to bo allowed. He has lo satisfy himself that, the soldier is not proposing lo contract an undesirable marriage, and that he has somo prospect of being able to provide n passage for his wiie to IScti Zealand. No marriage is to be. appio\e<l unless the allolces aweiviiig the pay of tho soldier are willing to transfer the allotment to the futwo wife.