LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 309, 24 September 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Relatives desirous ot seeing members of the Forty-fourth New Zealand Engineers Reinforcements, and A and B Companies, Forty-third Infantry Reinforcements, may do so to-morrow. The trainr, for Trentham Camp will leave Lambtoii Station at 9.45 a.m., rereturnmg at 4.47 p.m. i

It has been suggested in the course of the present election campaign that the Government in holding back the report or the Magistrate who made tho inquiry into tho complaints made against the treatment of conscientious objectors in Wanganui Detention Barracks. The Minister of Defence said yesterday that he had not yet received tho report, and that it had not come to Defence Headquarters. He had been daily expecting it, but it had not arrived.

The contract under which the Trentham canteen is conducted will run out at tho end of next month, and tho canteen is"likely' to be taken over then by tho'Defence Department. The Featherstou canteen has been run by tho Department for some time, and this system has been entirely successful. The officers in charge have been able to fix low prices, and still mako substantial profits, which go to the recreation funds of the various units.

A slight shock of earthquake was experienced in Mastcrton at 6.50 o'clock on evening. Factory butter is now being sold by dairymen of Mnsterton at Is. 7d. per pound, says our special correspondent. • Tho slow running of tramcars yesterday caused annoyance to very many people.. Journeys took longer than usual, with the result that suburban residents arrived late at their places of business. The addition of five minutes to a fifteen-minute run makes much difference to people who are accustomed to going homo to lunch. Early in the evening tho overcrowding of cars became very serious in the centre of the citv. Cars wont along Lambton Quay with passengers clinging to the footboards and packed tight on the platforms, and it did not appear that the conductors _ could possibly, make complete collections of fares. Members of tho Kelburn Bowling Club entertained n't a progressive euchre party on Saturday evening two of its members, Major G. B. Dalj and Private J. M. Hutchison, who will bo leaving for the front shortly. _ After spending a pleasant couple o£ hours with cards, refreshments wore served, and the occasion was taken by the president (Mr.', Gray) to make a few appropriate remarks. Major Dall's long acquaintance with and great knowledge of "yo ancient gamo" was referred to, and tho loss it would bo to the club to lose his services as skip, a position ho had always filled to his team's satisfaction. Mr. Gray went on to refer" to Private Hutchison's good qualities and geniality in all circumstances', and regretted that such a good member of the club should have to leave for the front. 'He trusted, howover, that both tho departing meni»ors would he long snared, and would have a safo and speedy return to their families. Tiiosc .-present then enthusiastically honoured the health of the guests, both of whom briefly responded.

At a meoting of tho Wairarapa branch of the Teachers' Institute, held on Saturday last, a number of remits wore passed for discussion at the annual Dominion conference of tho Teachers' Institute. Among the remits were tho following :—"That those teachers who are 'qualified for their certificates, but arc under twenty-one years of ago, he not penalised by tho 5 per cent, reduction of salary, that some of tho school inspectors be women; that the war bonus be paid to teachers in ratio to their family responsibilities; that separate infant school buildups and playgrounds bo provided for the infant department at all schools with an attendance of threo hundred pupils and over; and that a permanent staff of relieving} teachers be appointed.

At the meeting of the Early Settlers' Association last evening, the chairman, Mr. J. E Jenkinson, stated that the association had applied to the City Council to set apart a rooin in the Town Hall where 'tie association could bang pictures of histoi ical interest and keep other articles relating to the early history of Wellingtcn,

The Appeal Court was yesterday formally adjourned until this'morning, when a Christchuroh case will bo heard. The Judges who will sit are His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), His Honour Mr. Justico Cooper, His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman, and His Honour Mr. Justico Sim. Among the soldiers who returned to Wellington yesterday was Corporal A. Shoebrijge, who was for over two years a prisoner of war in Turkey. He was captured on Gnllipoli on August 8, 1915, and had to endure great privations' during his period of captivity, especially at the time when his wounds were fresh, and he required skillful nursing. His right arm being quite useless, his exchange was at last arranged for, and ho readied London in March, IPIB. Corporal Shoebridgo comes from Feilding, and was in the Wellington Regiment of tho Main Body. At the inquest in Nelson oil the late Mr. Archibald Hansford (manager of the Kairuru Marble Works) on Friday last, William Brooks Atkins, farmer, residing at B-iwaka, stated that he accompanied deceased 'from Motueka to Richmond on Wednesday in the mail car, which left Motueka at 4 o'clock. He sat with deceased in the back seat of tho car, which contained other passengers When about half a milo from Richmond deceased mentioned to witness that ho would like the car to stop, and witness told him that ho had arranged with the driver for tho. car to stop at the Railway Hotel, whore lie (witness) was going to stay. As tho car slowed down to pull up at the Railway Hotel ho saw deceased put out his hand to open, the door Witness then lookedtownrds the driver, rnd on turning round found deceased missing. From the time, he saw deceased put his hand on the door till the car stopped dead it did not travel more than eighteen feet. He next saw deceased King on tho road within ten foefc of the car in .in unconscious condition, and he immediately sent for the local doctor, but ho was away. He carried tho deceased into the hotel, aixl then, on receipt of a message, brought him into tho hospital in the same car. Tho coroner found that deceased had mot his death from injuries received through stepping out of a car in motion at Richmond, no blamo attaching to the driver of tho car.

A motor-car left by tho side of a road at Hamilton hst- \YcdnesJay night was stripped of everything that could bo removed. The carburettor, exhaust, manifold commutator, cushions, lamps, and horn were all taken. Judging by the manner in which the parts were removed it is considered that the theft must have been committed by a skilled mechanic.

To have a celluloid collar partly burnt round'his neck, without knowing it, "was on fire until the ignited composition came in contact with the skin, was the rather startling experience d a motorman in charge of a trauicar in Auckland on Friday evening. The incident happened while the motorman had his thoughts on driving the car. A spark from a blow-out behind alighted on the collar, and, burning slowly fti first, broke out into flame, causing the motorman considerable pain before the collar had been hurriedly stripped off.

In emphasising the importance of the magistracy and the need for proper emolument for those who accept those responsible positions, Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., who has just retired from the Bench, made some pointed remarks, to members of tho Bar at Auckland on Friday. "I am free now," said Mr. Kettle, -'to express my opinion on the question. I suggest that the Governments—and I am not referring to any particular Government—have not recognised the importance of thcTixagistrate's Court as should have been done, and t think that the magistrates, during the last fifteen years at least, when tho work has greatly increased, have been wretchedly paid. ( It should lie evident that a magistrate should have sufficient income to allay any fears as to tho future arcl old age. The great responsibilities attaching to the office make. it necessary that a magistrate should earn sufficient to lav nside means for the future. He should bo relieved of any such anxiety, and his work should not be interfered 1 with by his future provision. Judge or magistrate should have no snob apprehension, ai:d the positions should be so assured that their minds were free of material fears."

Sir Robert Stout.(Chief Justice), in a recent address; said if thei;o was to be any hopo for democracy and the future of humanity the war must so on and on until Germany was utterly defeated. He emphatically ridiculed the Bolshevik idea of "no indemnity, no annexations, no reparation," which parrot cry was being echoed by some, of our owiii people, the so-called pacifists. If this were to bo the adopted principle, then murder, theft, and rapine were to be condoned, and instead cif punishing wrong-doing wo should shake hands and live amicably with the wrong-doers. Those who held those views should 1 go to Russia, where the ideas were being so dreadfully put into practice. , There was no doubt whatever that part of tho German plan was- to conquer England as well as France and Russia, and seize the British colonies. Reports hod actually been made of the mineral and other possibilities of New Zealnd. The members of the J. C. Williamson "The Thirteenth Chair" Company, which is to open at the Grand Opera House this evening, arrived from Sydney last evening. '