LOCAL AND GENERAL
The clearing of soldiers from the transport Malta and the hospital ship Mamma yesterday was carried out with a promptitude and dispatch that reflected credit on the officers concerned. The Malta was cleared within an l>our. The Napier and the Gisborne men. were got awav on the Napier express Ijy 0.15, the Auckland men by the Auckland oppress and the Wairarapa men bj: the rrdinary afternoon express. The rest of the men, who were borind for the south, got away laat night. It is reported that the draft' was a very good one to handle.. The Mnvama berthed at 9 a.m. She tfos mot by Sir James Allen and the Mayor, and the Wellington men were cleared from her. as from the Malta, within-an hour. Tnu southern men were given leave till 1 p.m., nml the Jlara:na left in the afternoon for the eouth. Advice has been received by Base Records that 33,013 Harry Sievivright, a discharged soldier, died at Invercar'gill on January 25. Deceased was 23 years pf age and, single, his next-of-kin being his mother, Mm. S. Sieuvrifht, Princess Street, South Invercargill. It was notified to the Education Board yesterday that the Department had intimated that the usual war bonus would be paid, and also a special war bonus for tiw period from October 1 to Deeember 31. The usual war bonus is Xli to married teachers and ..£" His. to single'touchers. Tho extra bonii; for the December, t[unrter will bs ,£3 ' i.js. for married niul ill 17s.'6d. for f.in.,'lo tc-ucii-era. The general court-martial which was to 'have opened nt Wanganui yesterday, for the purpose of investigating tho charged against Lieutenant J. W. Cranipton, has been adjourned to Fobruarv 12. The resignation of II r. A, H. Burns, head teacher of the Jlutt District High School, was accented by the Wellington Education Board at yesterday's meeting. Mr. Burns, who has been an acting inspeotor for some months past, is now permanently attached to tho inspectorial .branch of the Education Department.
An abundant source of anxiety to men returning by the transport Malta to New Zealand was the dearth of information about the progress of the epidemic in this country. The Mayor yesterday informed a Dominion representative that he had come across one very sad case. Ho was casually discussing the epidemic with a soldier,, when the latter quite unexpectedly eaid: "I have just received a telegram, Mr. Luke, and it says that I am going back to a home without a wife. My wife has died from tho effects of influenza, leaving two young children." Not all homecomings are joyful. A collision between car No. 17, bound from Wallace Street to Government Station, and a van belonging to M'Ewen, Carter, apd Co., occurred at the intersection of Bunny and Featherston Streets about half-past 12 yesterday afternoon. Fortunately no one was hurt, but part of the glass front of the tramcar was smashed, and the off front .wheel of the van, which was pushed a few feet along the track by the force of the imjjacti was broken away from the axle, j The van also suffered other minor damage. In the opinion of Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P., many a beauty spot in New Zealand is hidden behind an unsightly fence, and its value is thus largely depreciated. Speaking at yesterday's sitting of the conference of the New Zealand Nurserymen's Association, he remarked upon the "horrid plan we have in New Zealand of putting ugly galvanised iron fences and palings outside our houses, and so .shutting out the beauty of the gardens." In San Francisco "and other places such practices are not followed, and he sincerely hoped that the people of New Zealand would speedily abandon these methods. Dr. Newman also put in a plea, for the growing of a greater variety of vegetables. In England, the people went in for a ?reat many vegetables which we had not pfot in New Zealand. The people of NewZealand w.ere very backward in this respect, and remained satisfied with a few varieties of common vegetables. That was to be regretted, and ho suggested th'at the subject should receive consideration by the nurserymen of tho country with a view of introducing other varieties. The report of the Fruit Tree Committee presented t6 the conference of the New Zealand Association of Nurserymen yesterday pointed out that owing to the calling m> of _ tlf e Second Division in 1918, nnd the high cost of materials, etc., the eale of this class of stock dropped lo a minimum, with the result that inurserymen had 'been hit very hard, and heavy losses had been made. From information carefully gathered ,among3t members it was learned that the total number of unsold apple and pear trees at - the end of the 1918 season was approximately 750,000. "We regret that the National Government has not seen .its way to. plant orchards for returning soldiers, and thus assist the nurserymen, the returned men, and tho State," said the report "It is even now not too late for something to be done." A feature of the Anniversary Day regatta, says a Press Association telegram from Auckland, was u race between two flying boats and a seaplane. The race w..s held over a lli-miles course, und passed off without a hitch, being Hatched by largo crowds. The race is tho first of the kind held in Australasia. Tho position of the drivers' dispute was placed before the conference of National Labour Organisations by the Drivers' Federation yesterday. The efforts to obtain increased wages and a 48-hour week, and the refusal of the employer!) to concedo the demands, were explained. The conference decided unanimously to support the Drivers' Federation, and to give every Support required by tho Transport Workers' Advisory Board, in whose hands 'the dispute has been placed. "Yesterday, soys a Press Association , telegram from Wanganui, the borough raepayers endorsed the proposal to borrow .£SOOO for ■_ ii. refuse destructor. A proposal to raise a loan of .£12,500 to purchase a town property as the site of a proposed municipal theatre was defeated. Mr. A. W. Hogg, of Masterton, reintroduced, an old oomplaint at the meeting of the Wellington Education Board yesterday, when ho raised the matter of the dominance of the city and suburban members over the rural clement on the board. Mr. Hogg said lie knew retiring about the city schools, and did not have time to visit tho schools in his own district. Ho felt that he was a nonentity on the board. Mr. J. P. Shand suggested that the board might arrange a schedule of visitation such as he i;nderstood was done in Auckland. Mr. B. A. Wright, M.P., said that the constitution of the board was in the mind of-'the draughtsman when the Act was drawn. He naturally took it that the city members would know all about tho city schools, Isad the rural members all about the country schools. He could not see how it could be otherwise under any system. The board was in general agreement with Mr. Wright's view. Now and then quite a casual remark ie unintentionally barbed with irony. A young soldier on the deck of the Marama was yesterday moruing exchanging scraps of conversation with people who were standing on the wharf about a chain away. There was nothing notable about the talk till the soidier queried offhandedly: "Any o' you people had the 'flu.'?" "Ask us!" was the burden of the reply given by several bystanders amid a burst of general laughter. Mr. C. 15. Daniell, chairman of the Wellington Harbour Boaird, ha.s reoeived a letter from Mr. James Marchbanks, engineer of the Harbour Board, written on the point of leaving New Orleans for Panama. Mr. Marchbanks (who is travelling in company with Mr. Hamer, engineer to tho Auckland Harbour Board, says that the prevailing shortage of steamers, delayed his departure from that port. There were only small coastal steamers available, and they took on an average 24 days to make tho passage from New Orleans, via Panama, to San Francisco. Generally speaking, it was very difficult still (the letter waa dated December i) to get about. The feature about. New Orleans was the big cotton warehouses. One inspected could hold no fewer than 250,000 bales, and it contained no cargo-handling applianoes at all. The transport of the cotton, from the sheds to the steamers was. all done by electric tractors. Tho coaling was done by means of floating plants. Mr. Marchbanks stated that he expected to leave Panama in time to travel from San Francisco by the Palooua for Wellington. Throughout the trip to the States ho hud done a lot of rushing about, and had had comparatively little leisure. Beferrin* to a teaoher-corro6pondent's reflections in the Press on the Newtown School, tho chairman of the Education Board (Mr. T. Forsyth) at yesterday's meeting stated that the strictures passed did not approximate the truth. Though the school was not a new one, the rooms were large, well lighted, and well ventilated, whilst from ii sanitary point of view there was nothing lo complain of. Referonoe had b?en made to its resemblance to a gaol, but as he had no knowledge of a guol lie could not say anything on the point, bul was. awe that the school still had years of usefulness before it. Dr. J. G. O'Neill, who for many years and until recently was a well-known fieure in Auckland, died thero on Monday, at the age of 73. Dr. O'Neill, who was born at O'Neill's Point, wa3 a eon of the late Hon. James O'Neill, one of tho early Auckland settlers, who was a member of the Legislative Council from 18C9 to 1872, and a one-time director of the Bank of New Zealand. Dr. O'Neill was educated at Trinity College,' Dublin, and he held tho record of being the youngest graduate of- tho college up to his time. After biking his medical decree, Dr. O'Neill practised in England, and subsequently also in San Francisco., Ho was in the latter city whan tho destructive earthquake and iire occurred in April, 1906. He then returned to ■luckhmd, and resided there up till his ileath. Amongst the soldiers who returned by tho Mamma yesterday was U>r]>oral H. Jones, who lei't with tho Fourteenth Reinforcements. While in France Corporal .Tones was a company sniper, and he hud only returned from leave a week whon he was severely wounded in the abdomen. So far he has' been fourteen months in bod and has undergone- ten operations. Before leaving New . Zealand Corporal Jones was working on his father's farm at Kaimata, Taranaki. At the present time he is at tho Victoria Hospital, but hopes to proceed to tho New Plymouth Hospital on Tuesday next. >
The proposal to rate oa the unimproved values in the Manawatu Cpunty was, according to a Press Association telegram, carried by 679 to 193. The following vessels will be within wireless range to-day:—-Maori, Mararoa, Monowai, Moana, Manuka. Applications are continually being Teceived by Air. W. E. Lcadley, secretary of the Ohristchurch Heturned Soldiers' Association, for men to fill casual positions, in other words, to take up all descriptions of work lasting on the average about one or two days. "This kind of j work," said Mr. Leadley to a reporter, | "is no good to returned soldiers. Their j aim is to secure permanent positions and j to settle down cs quickly as possible into I the routine of. civil life." I Mr. Walter Dowie, of North-East Valley, has received from Sir Douglas Haig . an autograph acknowledgment of the re-1 ceipt of two pairs of socles, knitted by , himself, which, after he had completed | the knitting of two hundred pairs of 6ocks for the troops, he forwarded in Außiist last to the Field-Marshal. In his letter ro Mr. Bowie, Sir Douglas Haig pays a high tribute to the New Zealand division. Writing ,on November 5, he says:—"Please accept my very best j thanks for the two pairs of beautiful j socks which you have so kindly sent me, | find which have just arrived. I am j greatly touched by your thinking of mo j at this time, and I appreciate your thought, all the more as you come from the Kingdom of Fife. The New Zealand Division is a great credit to you all. You must feel very proud of the splendid fellows you have sent, to Europe to fight for all we hold most dear. lam personally very proud to have the division fighting under my orders, and I can't tell you how my heart goes out to your grand fellitws; they are each thorough men in every way." 1 While so much help was given gratis I !>.y, many sections of the community, others endeavour to make money out of the recent influenza epidemic. A case n point w<>3 before the Taieri County Council a few day? ago, when an account was handed in from a Middlemarch resident asking for &l a day for use of horso and gig for driving a V.A.D. worker for a distance not exceeding three and a half miles from the hotel. The council expressed their astonishment at the charge, especially as others had given conveyances free, and determined to have the charge reduced or. net piiy it at all. Before leaving England in December on her return voyage, the hospital ship Maraina made a trip to Havre, where slii! took on board a large number of repatriated soldiers from'un internment ciiinp in Switzerland. Included in the draft were New Zealanders, Australians, Canadians, and South African soldiers. One of this Now Zeaianders, sergeantmajor of a Wellington regiment, who had been ir> captivity since the battle of Mtssines, brought with him his wile, a Swiss girl, whom he had met and married while at the internment camp. ' All the 'prisoners were in good health, having been well treated during their stay in Switzerland, but they told of very hard times while imprisoned in Germany. Only recently the relatives in Wellington of the late Private Frank Arthur James Barton, of the Twelfth Now Zealand Reinforcements, learnt the facts in connection with his death. Information i to hand shows that Private Barton went I out to secure a wounded comrade, but I was himself wounded. He took refuge in a shell-hole that proved to be mined by the enemy. An explosion followed, I nnd Private 'Barton was roasted alive. I Tho late Private Barton's comrades I refer to him as a brave man and a splendid soldier, who .more than' once distinguished himself in the field. Tho first news of tlm tragedy was a great shock to his widowed, mother, who resides in Abel Smith Street, Wellington, but she is comforted by tho knowledge that her son would deem no sacrifice too great for the cause of right. Private. Barton, who was born in Hokitika thirtyseveji years ago, and was an unmarried man, was a nephew of Mr. W. A. Barton, at Gisborne, and his brother is Mr. "Harold Barton, accountant, of Messrs. Levin and Co., Ltd., and Mrs. Mcrryles, of Dnnuevirke, is a sister. He received his education at Hokitika. and Timam. and as a youth was on the staff of Jlessrs. Guinness and Le Cren, merchants, Timaru, leaving their cervice to join the Seventh New Zealand Contingent for South Africa. He was one of the Bothasberg heroes. On his return to Nfw Zealand ho joined the clerical etnff of the Wellington City Tramways Department, and was in it for thirteen years. His rank when he left with the Twelfth Reinforcements was that of quartermaster-sergeant, The wounded oomrade whom he rescued on the Western front is now in Now Zealand.
At at meeting of the Christchurch Hospital Board yesterday correspondence from Miss Thurston, lady superintendent of the hospital, who is at present on leave for miljtaj'y duties, was considered in committee," and a motion was carried to the effect tlint at the termination of her engagement with the Defence Department she be given sis months' leave on full pay. with a view to terminating her engagement with the board—Press Assn. An event of interest to lovers of the sister arts of poetry, song, and dance will take place on February 13. On that date the musical and elocutionary competitions originally fixed for November last will open in the Town Hall, Wellington. The principal sections will be judged by Mr. Harold Gregson (music), Mr. J. F. (elocution), Mi. Mackenzie Forbes (national dancing), and Mr. Bert Royle (fancy dancing). Mrs. A. M. Montague will be the ofheial accompanist. No fewer than 1535 entries have been received from all parts of the Dominion, nnd the success of the competitions is assured. The G.O.C. has approved of the formation of a company of senior cadets in connection with .Bunks College. The number of the compauy will be No. 116. By the steamer Talawa, which is now lit Adelaide., and is due in Melbourne at the end of the week (says the "Argus" of January 16), 1,200,000 pennies nnd 1,140,000 half-pennies, minted in India, will be landed to the order'of the Commonwealth Treasury. When the 6carcitv of copper became pronounced in November, a cable message was sent to India asking for the urgent dispatch of <WOOO worth of pence and worth of half-pence, and shipment was made by the Talawa on December i. Tlie vessel has already delivered .£3OO worth each of pence and halfpence to tho Perth Mint. According to arrangements, the Muriel Starr Dramatic Company was to have commenced ft season at Auckland at Christinas, but shortly before the sailing date the membors of tho company pre6on(;ed a signed memorandum declining to proceed to New Zealand (presumably on account of the epidemic! at that time quite stamped out). In view of this ultimatum, the Williamson firm arranged for tho "Business Before Pleasure" Comedy Company to tiiko up the Muriel Starr Company's dates as soonas steamer communication was restored. The result of this shuffle is that the comedy company is playing in a "clean" city, and Miss Starr and her confreres, are in Melbourne, where the epidemic appear** to be gaining ground. Expressions of grntitnde that the war had come to a successful end were put on record by. various speakers at the annual conference of tho .Vev Zealand Association of Nurserymen, which opened in Wellington yesterday. Mr. A. W. Hamilton (Hastings) moved: "That this conference expresses its gratitude and thankfulness to Almighty God that the world war lias come to nn end, that vie. torv has crowned our arms, and that tho ambitions of military despots have been defeated, and prays that the Peace Conference now assembled will be given such wisdom, foresight, and strength of,purpose as will enable it to promote « just nnd lasting peace among the nations." The motion was carried, On the inition of Mr. G. A. Green (Auckland), tlio/nssociation expressed appreciation of the work of the men of the New Zealand Army, whose splendid spirit, heroic conduct, and valitint deeds were beyond all praise.' To the women of New Zealand, and female relatives of the soldiers, the association also tendered its warmest appreciation for the splendid devotion which they had oxhibjted under such trying circumstances. The members of the Education Board were notified yesterday that tho Education Department did not propose to make any reduction in capitation during th'i' time the schools were closed on account of the epidemic.
Through an outbreak of fire at 5 o'clock yesterday morning a large dwelling in Featherston, on the v;ell-knovrn property, "Duncroft," formerly the home of the late Mr. Antlers Anderson, was totally destroyed. The Public Trust Office has control of the property concerned. Protest was raised at yesterday's conference of the New Zealand Association of Nurserymen against Government competition in Hio supply of ornamental trees and shrubs. A remit on the matter was received from Auckland. It was submitted by various speakers that the supply of trees by the Government jvas unfair to nurserymen. Mr. T. W. Kirk, Director of «he Horticultural Division of the Department of Agriculture, stated that trees were not supplied to persons residing in village lots or in towns. The regulations laid down that principle distinctly. It was decided to bring the matter under the notice of the Lands Department, and to draw attention to its own regulations on the point, it being alleged that people living in towns had been supplied with trees. The restriction on servants of tlw Education Board retiring from its sen-ice during the war have been removed. That the Government should send year by. year two or more members of the Horticultural Division of tie Department of Agriculture overseas for a term in I order that they might obtain experience I which would fit them for giving the best service.to the State was a suggestion put forward by Mr. G. A. Green (Auckland) at yesterday's conference of the New Zealand Association of Nurserymen. Mr. Green said the question had been raised four or five years ago, when it was promised that favourable- consideration would be given to it. However, the war prevented the suggestion from being put into execution. Instead of bringing high-ly-paid experts into New Zealand, who would learn at the expense of this country something that could be taught them here, the Government should tram the best men available in the Dominion, and use their abilities for the benefit of we producers' of this .country. Mr. L. \v. Kirk, Director of the Horticultural Division, said the Minister-had alreadv announced that an officer of the Dairy Division and an officer of the Horticultural Division would be sent to America before very long to investigate the latest methods of dairying and horticulture in operation in that country. The convenes resolved to urge'the Government to adopt Mr. Green's proposal. • In July nn<l August of last year the Now Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation. Ltd., offered prizes to ?ehool children of 2<R, in.?., and ss. for the best essays on "The Fruit Industry of New Zealand." Entries were received from the Gladatone, Mauriceville West. Mt. Cook, Clyde Quay.' Okaramio. Fnrirmlnmls. Petnne West,' Eoneomni, Table Lands (Martinborough). Hamua, and Ugbrooke Schools. The prize-winners, announced .it yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Education Board, are as follows;— First, Nancy Dunn, Bongomai School; second, Miriam Cameron. Okaramio School; third, Ills Connolly, Uebrooke School. Some attention was given to the question of the conveyanceVf school children from Ngahauranga to Kahvarra. at the meeting of the Wellington Education Hoard yesterday. The board had /iskcd the Department on behalf of the parents of N<rah:iuranga children for a concession to allow the children to travel backwards and forwards by rail. The reply to the request was that Department had no money" for such a purpose. The chairman (Mr. T. lvdrsyth) said that this was a matter that should be faced at oncp. The road, with ell the motor traffic , , was very dangerous to the children, and ho thought the board should carry the children and pay the money cut of maintenance or some other fund. Mr. 11. P. ■Rishworth moved that tho question be referred back to tho Department. Mr. E. M'Callum moved as an amendment that ttie board accept tho Department's decision', and nay for season tickets for the Ngahauranga. children to travel to Kaiwnrra. Mr. Harknefs seconded the amendment pro forma, and, in doing so, pointed out that if tho concession were granted . the Department would have applications from all parts of the country. In the case of Ngahauranga the children only had to walk a mile and a half fllong a fine road with a splendi'd footpath, whereas children in the .country frequently had to walk four or' five miles to school. On being put to the meeting, tho. amendment was lost. Mr. J. J. Clark then moved that the application of the Ngahauranga people for a school of their own be again referred to the Department. He was satisfied that the provision of a new school at Ngahauranga was the solution of the difficulty. The amendment was carried.
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 107, 30 January 1919, Page 4
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4,005LOCAL AND GENERAL Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 107, 30 January 1919, Page 4
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