LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 280, 15 August 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Minister of Defence has received advice that the Thirty-ninth Mounted Reinforcements have reached a port of call on their voyage to the front. The medical boards have 'been instructed that reservists who are forty years of age or over should not be classed CI. It has been found that men who have enteral their fifth decade do not as a rule obtain much benefit from the training provided in the CI camp, and it has been decided, therefore, that if they are not fit A they had better be classed CI This means that if a man aged -10 years or over is not sound enough to go direct into tho ordinary training camp he will not bo taken into tho Forces at all. ,

Additional cases of influenza have been reported at tho military camps the lastday or two, but tho total nunvber .of cases -under treatment is rot increasing materially. Tho influenza is of a mild type, and seems likely to disappear when the weather improves. ( The trans-Pacific liner Niagara arrived at Auckland yesterday from Vancouver with English and American mails. Thero aro 232 bags of mail matter for Wellington, which should arrivo hero by this afternoon's express.

Base Records Office advises that returning draft 172 will arrive at its destination six days later than the date previously advised to next-of-kin. . Tho possibility of standardising footwear is at present receiving the. attontion of the Board of Trade. The Hon. W. f). S. Mac Donald, when in Auckland on Monday, stated that the board was being assisted in its investigations by an expert, and ho hoped that cheaper footwear would be obtainable as a result of the inquiry.

Stocks of tobacco in Auckland aro so short that the wholesale houses aro strictly conserving them by limiting tho quantities sold to "customers, Some brands cannot be procured at all, and others are in very short supply. Cigarettes are also growing scarce. No further rise in the price of tobacco is forecasted at present, and a shipment duo in about a month should relieve tho position considerably. .

Tho laving of the foundation! stone of tho new Fever Hospital at Newtown will bo performed bv the Minister of Public Health (Hon. G. W. Russell) at 2.30 p.m. to-day.

Amongst the correspondence laid liefore Tuesday's meeting of the Executive Committeo of the Wellington branch of the Navy League was a letter from tho Christchurch branch, asking for support for its effort to secure for New Zealand men serving in His Majesty's Navy the benefits of tho Financial Assistance Board. It was pointed out that the Government had already made some concessions by providing separation allowances for married men serving in tho Motor Boat Patrol, and that these men will also participate in tho New Zealand war pensions scheme. Members, however, expressed the opinion that those serving, in the Navy should be placed upon the same footing as' the members of the Expeditionary Forces,-and tho following motion was agreed to:—"That this meeting of the Executive Committeo 'of the AVellington branch of tho Navy, League- considers that the benefits of the Financial Assistance Board should bo extended to idl New Zealand men serving in His Majesty's Navy, and as these men arc serving tho Empirein tho same degree as the members or tho Expeditionary Forces, tho Government should place them on tho same footing as far as pay and allowances are concerned, and that the Government should not relieve itself of these just obligations on tho plea that tho nava men are serving under Imperial control. Progress is being imido with the scheme suggested by the Director of Military Training (Lieutenant-Colonel Sleeman) for introducing tho army gymnastic system into tho training of Territorials and Senior Cadets. Tho proposal has been taken up readily by tho officers of tho Wellington Garrison, and arrangements are being made for tho formation of a. class of officers and non-commissioned officers, who will receive under, nn instructor from tho Tren ham Camp staff. They will return to their own units later and put-tho new schemo into operation throughout the .garrison forces. '' ~,-,,•• A. shortage of potatoes in tho Dominion was referred to at Auckland on Monday by tho Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald Minister of Agriculture, who said thai supplies were available in Australia, but tho shortage of shipping made it dimcult to obtain freight. The arrangements made to ship the wheat purchased bv the Government from Australia to New Zealand would not interfere with the ordiuarv inter-colomal cargo trarte, and there .should be space available for moderate cargoes of potatoes.

' An appeal for support to his proposal for the establishment of a patriotic fund from anv surplus profit accruing from the purchase of New Zealand wool by the Imperial authorities has 'been mado by Mr E. Newman, M.P., to the executive committee of tho Wellington branch of the Navy League. Members spoke enthusiastically in support of tho proposal, and tho following motion was earned unam-niously:-'"rlwt in view ot «ie very profitable returns secured to the woolcrowers of New Zealand by tho disposal of the Dominion clip to the Imperial authorities, this branch .of the Navy League is strongly of opinion that any surplus profit accuring from the arrangements with the Home authorities could not be better applied than to a national fund for the benefit of the men and their dependents of the naval and mercantile marine, whereon, under the good Providence of God, the wealth, safety, and strength of the Empire chiefly depend. The branch calls upon the woolgrowers of the Dominion to' consider this proposal generously, and urges, the Government to use all its influence in support of same. The branch also desires to express its appreciation of the efforts being made toy Mr. E. Newman, M.P , to secure the establishment of the fund, and oilers its support in every way within its power." It was reported that the Ladies' Auxiliary had also passed a motion offering to assist the proposal, and n su""estion was made that a public meelfng of Navy League members and business peoplo should be called to promote the movement, and Mr. Newman should be asked to attend and address the meeting. A sub-committee was set up to make the necessary arrangements. 1 vas also decided that other branches of the Navy League throughout New Zealand should be communicated with, and ■\ made that they should pass similar motions, and assist the movement in their own localities.