LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 270, 3 August 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Mimsler of Defence has been ad ■vised that thp Thirty-ei K hth Reinforce ments have arrived at their destination "These regulations avo not mnrio foi ho benefit of the Railway Department they are to protect fools from them selves;' observed Mr. S. B. M'Carthy b.il., in a case at the Magistrate's Cou'ri yesterday, in which throe men namec Joseph Coster, Michael Connor, and Join Davis were charged with having tres passed on the railway lino at Larabtoi Station on July 13. The defendant; pleaded guilty. Inspector Marwck saic that the men invaded the station yaw and boarded a race train on the ivronf side. On previous occasions there line been similar breaches of the Railway.' Amendment '.Act, aiul one day ■ then would be a tremendous accident." Hi' Worship pointed out to the defendant! .Iho risk- they ran, and lined each ol them Ids., with costs 2s. . ■■ ; ■11: is calculated that if the Governmenl falls in with the proposal of the Wellington City Council to closo as many ol (heir offices as possible at 4.30 p.m. iiv stead (iF 5 p.m., in order to relievo the congestion in the tramway . traffic between 5 p.m. and G p.m., "it will aflfeel about IlflOO people who .rely on (he car: to reach their homos. That would mean (providing the public rushed the cars at ■1.30 p.m., as they do at 5 p.m.) that fift.v .enrs would obtain full. loads before 'J o'clock, which would afford very considerable relief. Up till yesterday afternoon (ho Mayor (Mr. J." P. Luke) had not hoard of decision on the part of the Government, which was, however, evincing every desire to. help the municipal authorities in the emergency. The State schools of the Wellington Education District "broko up" for n fortnight'** term holiday yesterday. The Bchools will reopen on Tuesdny fortnight.

"That (ho attention of tho authorities bo drawn to the amount of drinking carried on in railwny trains, iu the amioy-nuou-nl' the (ravelling public, jind that the authorities be asked Iα take measures to hav-j the nuisance abated,' , was a motion brought forward at the Farmers' Union Conference yesterday by Mr. J. Christie, an Otago delegate. Several numbers said that drinking on trains had become, a. nuisance, but others said that the train guards had power to deal with offenders. One delegate said that' ho "carried a flask" when travelling. Was ho to be put off the train? The notion was heavily defeated. ' . Tho General Post Office notifies that 1 mails for Kningnroa, Owenga, anil Pitt i Island, which were on board the Himitnngi when wrecked on July 20, have been lost. The mails for Waitangi had been landed. > Shortly beforo 8 o'clock last night a t returned soldier named Edward Green wns found, in a fit in Tory Street. He was admitted to the hospital. "According to (he lists of officers sup- , plied to us officially there are fourteen ' chaplains, at an average cost of JCJ3O each ;. to the State, on duty at the different '■ military camps," states .the Defence Kxi pendi'ture. Commissioners. "Of course, ! they comprise various religious deriomini alions, but we could not help thinking ■ that a little more co-ordination of chaplains would not only ade-tjualely provide ' fur the spiritual needs of the camps but '• nave a good'deal of expense. We think [ it only right to stale that the padres . seem io be fully occupied attending to various personal and social demands of ' tho men, and they appear to be generally ' popular. The Y.M.C.A. representatives in camp are not chaplains." A. Gazette Extraordinary issued last night further prorogues Parliament until 1 -Thursday. September 5. i Kef erring to (he purely honorary work ' of Colonel E. 11. Hiley as Director of ', Gimp and Banrack Construction, tho Defence Commissioners say:—"Th'o work 1 is undoubtedly well done; and by drawing ' a light rein groat expense has been saved ; but possibly safeguards have become ! irksome in minor cases. Not one penny is allowed to bs spent without- reference to the Director of Railways and Works, consequently when a'shelf or a small 1 alteration, or. addition is required the enterprising soldier requirim; it simply i purloins some Umber and nails, puts up his shelf or addition, and says liothing • about it." ; Tt was stated at the annual reunion > of the Mnsterton Fire Brigade on Thurs- ■ day evening'that the fire losses in-Mas- ; torton since the Fire Brigade came under the jurisdiction of the Fire Board, were . lower.than in any other township in )■ New Zealand. [ Allotments and allowances for soldiers . paid from August, 19H, to the end of Febvuarv; 1018, amounted to about ' .£7,000.000. The amount paid ..(included " in that sum) for the year ended Febru- ' ary, 1918, wr/s J5,355,000. Thick woollen underwear, heavy wool- . len socks, and big boots are not ideal ■ clothing for a clerk in mid-summer, but . the uniformed clerks of the Defence Department are supplied with them. The report of the Defence Commission'states: [ "Home service men are allowed full 1 clothing outer and inner, and boots, but i the same thickness ft underclothing is issued to- soldiers at Invercargill as at Auckland, which, if quite suitable at Invercarrill, proves "too wnrm at Auek- ; land. Boots are of the thick, heavy ser--1 vice variety, useful for training camps • and battlo-gwmnds. but quite'unsuitablefor ofriee wear. Either variation should [ be made, or. where desired,, a sum ot money granted in lieu, with which a man could obtain more suitable articles. Nomenclature of Army Staff officers al- , -ways did amuse the chairman of the Defence Expenditure Commission. llns is 1 wlnt 'he report of the commission says ■' about one position: "The Director of Or- ! "anisation deals'with odds and, ends, such , as the editing of the regulations, genera ' orders army lists, establishments, and ' other publications. This branch. provides 1 chaplains, and deals with the issue, of ■ medals <%T<l decorations. Why an officer , dealing w'iih such matters-should be call- . Ed a 'Director of Organisation we shall , have to leave to Your Excellency to de--1 termine, for we have .to admit that he ' more explanation we received as to tne ! reason: the'more foggy became our ideas • on the subject." ;, • A. woman secured a separation, order i from her husband in Master'm cm tho t ground that he'had not spoken to h E r ; for over six months, and prior lo that [ had blnekened her otherwise ill- . treated her. t A charge of bavins sold, light-weight , butter was heard by .Mr. )V. &. Biddell, '' SM at the Magistrate's" Court yester--1 day, the defendants being. F. Is. H. • Meadows and Co., Ltd. Mr. .T. Prende--1 ville of tho Crown Law Office, prosecutI ed, and Mr. ]?. E. 'Ward appeared for the defendants, w-lio pleaded not guilty. 1 Evidence was giveV- by J. H. Cowdrey ! aiv inspector under the Sale of lood and -. Dru°s ict, lo the effect that on May b - he went to buy'lib. of butter from tho t shop of Tucker and Farley. ■It-weighed , lfloss. (i drachms. He also bought a Mo. 5 jar, which'weighed slb. 12oz. 1 drachm. "■ Francis .Tames Tucker, member of the ' firm of Tucker and -Farley, stated that - the butter had been purchased from 5 Meadows ■ and Co. ■ . In reply .to Mr. , Ward, witness said he had not received . complaints previously regarding the ' weight of the butler, which was the 3 Golden Valley brand. The case for the. 3 defence was that tho ..defendants .used - every reasonable means to ensure that - their butter was of. the proper weight. Percy Walter Blake, packer employed J>y defendants, detailed the process of cutting the butter into lib. pats. Iho cutters used could be set to a very fino 3 adjustment. Light-weight butler wits put 1 aside. His Worship said' the duty lay - upon those who sold butler to see that s . it actually contained the weight marked , on the outside of the package. The cutJ ting-machine could bo properly adjust- ', ed, and if there were underweight, pat9_ the natural assumption was that the per- . son operating the machine had not taken : -sufficient care to ensure that each pat of '. butter weighed what it should. A. conviction would have to bo recorded. De- } fendants were fined JCS, with costs .C 2 12s. l An llford resident -finding himself liable, to be called up under Jho new f Military Service Act wrote to Sir Auck--1 land Geddes complaining that "men of . 43 are being forced to leave all they have , to become soldiers at Bd. a day while you, a younger man, remains in your ' London office, taking £1(1 a. day of the 3 country's money." The.following reply was received from Sir Auckland Geddes s private secretary: "Sir Auckland Geddes desircs mo to assure you thai, he does not get the sum of =£10 per diem, or anythin." approaching it. -He thinks you may like to know Unit ho, 100, has served as ii private at the rate of Is. a day; that be joined the Arniy ,in -the early days of the war, has been in France, ' anil is now only in <i civilian position ■ as he is unfit for further active service >• us'tho result of injuries received, by him - in France. Perhaps I may. add that . Sir Auckland also served in the houtu t African War." .' . ... .\n inquest was conducted by tho 1 Cm-oner, Mr. W. G. Biddell. S.M., yestcr- ' day regarding the death ot a four-yew--1 oil child named Bernard Charles Clarke ! which died on Thursday afternoon at 28 Murphy Street. Mr. J. Scott appeared 1 for tho father and the deceased, Joseph [ James Clarke, of Sentoun Heights, Miramar Sergeant Wade watched tho pto- !' ceedin»s on behalf of the police. Dr. ' .1 'Mason etated that when he was called '' to attend the child it was in a fit. From 1 tha appearance of the child witness was ! of opinio'i that its death was due to convulsions. Tho father of the child said " tho deceased always enjoyed good health. ■ Witness mentioned that the mother of ■ the child was buried on Wednesday afler- ■ ntion, when the boy was taken lo a Mrs. i Cooney's, 28 Murphy Street. During the ■ liMil the deceased had a slight cough, • anil the next day he was unwell. A > verdict was returned in accordance with i the medical evidence. ■ At the Magistrate's Court, says a Press , Association telegram from Invercargill, Maurice Tlnlph, mnnagev of the "Peg o' . My Heart" Company, was lined .£;), and [ 7s'. costs, on a charge of exhibiting on a ! programme an advert i?<"inent for n pro- ■ hibitod racing consultation., Defendant ! said the programmes were, supplied free lo (ho company by a Sydney ■ printing firm,' nnd he had not seen them tili Thursday. The Magistrate said Hie ofi fence was a serious ono in this country, • the maximum fine being XlO.

Tho following- from Southland was among tho remits on the order paper or tin , Farmer*' Union (.'(inference yesterday: "T.uil this conference strongly protests against Hie increase of railway rates and which apparently help largely to pay a'war bonus to employees of tho Department. By increasing fares an unjust hardship in placed on. many of tho travelling public who are not eo well paid as Civil Servants, and the increased cost of living is as great an expense to them as to those who will get the bonus, who in inuny cases are getting better pay." Without being discussed thu remit was.withdrawn. The Collector of Customs at Westport yesterday advised Ihe Marine Department that the master of the Canopus reported sighting a large whale at noon on Wednesday in hititudc ■!!, U south, and 17!, 23 east, which is north of ('ape l'alliser. :• -''The Military Force enjoys the benefit of the general' Public Service Superannuation Fund, , ' states the Defence Commissioners. ''Annual contributions arei according to nge at date of joining the service, as follow: Under .'lO,. ii per cent, of pay; under 35, C per cent, of pay; under 40, 7 per cent, of pay;.under 45, 8 per cent, of pay; under i>o, i) per cent, of pay; over 51). 10 per cent, of pay. Unfortunately there has beim a clash of opinion between the Military Hoard, which decides when soldiers are medically unfit for-further service in the. New Zealand Forces, and the Superannuation. Board's medical officers, who., certify when men are unfit for ordinary service —for instance, in civil callings. There are two gallant oflicerc, both of whom. havD won rhe D.5.0., who have been declared unfit.by'the Defence medical nuIhori.'iep, and therefore cannot return to the front, although both are keen to go, and they are fitted for nothing else in the Defence Department- so far as can be ascertained, but they are declared, not-.'obc sufficiently medically unfit lo bo a. charge on the Superannuation Fund. Their, position is-naturally serious. I heGovernment has the matter under consideration, and "doubtless a way will be fou.id out of an unfortunate, situation which is.causing a painful impression. Before his: departure for Christchurch yesterday on his way to the West Coast Mr: K,.'Semple. stated that meetings of eoalmlners' unions had uli rejected the employers' recent offer of an "encouragement "bonus." This was resented by the men as tantamount to an insinuation that they had "loafed." In two mines in the north tho employers, ignoring _ the protests of unions, had added the encouragement tonus" to the men's pay envelope. The employers had tried to bargain wiih individuals. Tlyj men were handing this money over to the unions, and it was being put into:a fund for a purpose which had not yet been decided. ,It might be sent back to the employers. Jlr Sempie declared that the'mine-own-ers, by their present tactics, were trying to break down the .national organisation of the miners. Thus the employers, retaining their own strong national organisation, hoped to be in a position to dominate comparatively weak unions of workers. The miners' representatives knew of no reason why a. conference should not bo held immediately in the interests of the community as. a whole.