LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 121, 15 February 1919, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities advise that the mails for the United Kingdom which lcfl New Zealand on December 23 arrived in London on February 11.

A Press Association telegram from Carterton state,?:—A. meeting of returned soldiers last night resolved to request the U.S.A. to inquire into the whole of the circumstances connected with the Westmere estato for returned soldiers, and that the Land Hoard withhold the estate until the result of the inquiry i? known.

"We have yet a great deal to learn regarding tho epidemic. I. have hardly found two medical men who agree on tho main causes of it, and how_ it was spread," said the Hon. G. . Russell, when addressing a eenference of local bodies at Wangamii on Wednesday. He went on to say that some said it was spread by personal contact. We have yet to learn how it reached the Chatham Islands, 'M) 0 miles awav." The bacilli of influenza was very small. A test had been made of pressing the serum through a niarblo slab, from six to ten inches thick, and they emerged jilst the snme as before, being pressed through tho stab. The size of thesd germs was very infinitesimal, one being about- o'lie twenty-five thousandth part of an inch.

"With a knowledgo before us of the seriousness of the American and Japanese competition', this meeting urgently insists,. in the. interest of British trade in New; Zealand, that British manufacturers should grant marketing terms as attractive as thoso of their competitors, together with tho heartiest co-operation and support to overseas representatives whoso loyalty during the war period bus fostered public sentiment to the advantage of British manufacturers." Tho foregoing motion was passed at tho annuul meeting of 'tho New Zealand Association of British manufacturers and agents yesterday.

A complaint that tho Patriotic Fund Committee in Christchurch employs girls whero it might employ returned soldiery was referred to by the Mayor at tho last meeting of tho committee (according totho "Lyttelton Times"). He said that there was only one clerk in the office, and ho was a returned soldier. A younglady was. employed also, hut only ns it typist and shorthand writer. It, was found impossible to obtain returned soldiers with sufficient experience for that class of work. He was convinced that the secretary, Mr. W. A. Smith, would be the last to "turn down" a returned fjoldier. The commitlee, indeed, encouraged the employment of returned soldiers in every possible way. The great .majority of returned 6oldiere were without experience in typing and shorthand writing, aud the work seemed to ho suited to young ladies.

During the absence of; the liev. C. F. >\skew in England the Rev. ,T. G. S. Bartiett, vicar of Featherston, will carry on tho organising work in connection with the Cathedral in the Wairarapa district, and the Rev. W. Fnncourt in Wellington and suburbs.

<The Baso Records Office reports that NV 20,903 Joseph John Capper, a discharged soldier, died at the .Hamilton Hospital on February 10. Deceased was 42 years of age, and married, his next-of-kin being his-wife, Mrs. A. Capper, TO Kenny Street, AV'aihi. No. D'lllil Gunner Robert. Francis Berwick, a discharged soldier, died at the Pleasant Valley Sanatorium on February 10, the cause of death, being tuberculosis. Deceased was 28 years of ago and married, his next-of-kin being his wife, Mrs. M. J. Berwick, 32 Harbour Terrace, Duncdin.

Tho quarterly meeting of the Publio Service Superannuation Board was held on Thursday. Twenty contributors, retired under Section 35 of the Act, by reason of age or length of service, wore granted allowances totalling J130(i7 14s. per annum, and four contributors, retired as medically unlit, were granted allowances ■of a total of .£2-17 4s. per annum. The case of ono offieor whom it was sought to retire as medically unfit, was referred back to the Department, with a request that further sick lea.ve.be granted. Fortyone widows and seventy-two children were granted the statutory allowances amounting to .01(174 per annum. In consequence of" retirements undeusSection 35 of tho Act, accrued compensation to the amount of Jc7274 became -a liability of tho Superannuation Fund, and a corresponding relief to the Consolidated Fund.

The land upon which the Chrislcluireli Hospital stands is a "No Man's Land"; it is not. in the city, it is not in Riccarton Borough, it is not in AVaimari County. Consequently, Hie ICO people employed at the hospital, and residing there, have not tho right; to vote at. municipal elections. To remedy this Councillor Nicholls has given notice to move at the next meeting of the council: "That the ncmsary steps be taken to have the urea of land occupied by the Chrislchi"'ch Hospital Urmrd included in the city."

His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman on Thursday resumed the hearing of the divorce, suit brought by Arthur South against Mary Helena South, _ on tho ground of "constructive desertion.'" Mr. p. W. Jackson appeared for the petitioner, and Mr. 0. C. Massengarb for the respondent. Affidavits for the dcfenco taken on commission in Dunedin were put before the Court. Tho purport of this evidence was that the respondent was in a delicate condition of health latterly, and was not in a position, to continue ordinary marital relations. . Tho jury, after an hour's retirement,. found a verdict for the respondent.

Tho koa pest was a subject of discussion at the last meeting of Hie -Mackenzie County Council. Complaints wore niailo that the trouble was increased by tho action of Government, guides who did all tliey could to protect tho keas, as they would havo them to show to tourists. It was said that through (he action of tho guides keas wero being bred on tlin Hcrmitago rosorwvlo tho great del rimcnt of Mar.kcnzio riinlioldors, and it was decided to join tho Lakes County Council iu seeking Government assistance to combat tho pest.

'l'hcre is no truth in tho rumours that are being circulated concerning the recrudescence of influenza ill Dunedin (stales the "Otago Tillies"). There have been no fresh cases this year, two which wei'o admitted last month being really last year patients whose admission to the Hospital was delayed. The rumours seem to arise from the fact that there are still influenza convalescents ill two wards, and naturally all precautions are. taken 1.) protect visitors from the possibility ol infection.

Mr. It: Sernple. M.P.. who lias been conducting ton l ' of the Smith Island on behalf of Hie New Zealand Labour I'ai-ty, informed nn "Otago Daily Times- representative that ho had addressed meetings ill; Nightcaps, Mataiira, Invercargill, and Kaitangata, ami that in ouch of these centres a strong branch of tho party had been formed.

There are many complications in tho way of obtaining passports at present. An' Auckland "Star" reporter was Informed that quite a number are from men wishing to inquire into ami establish commercial agencies in England, tho United States, and in the Jiar East. Most of Hie women travelling .ire those who had been prevented from going away earlier owing to restrictions. Applicant:! for passports still have to comply with tho regulations, which canflot be abolished in New Zealand yet, as, without passports, 110 passengers are allowed to land.

Owing to the fact that tho largelyincreased number of ■ returned soldieis who require orthopaedic treatment cannot be all accommodated in the military ward of tho Christchurch Hospital (states tho "Lvttelton Times"), tho local Defence Department is arranging to take over some of the rooms at tho 1.31.L.A. and the soldiers will be accommodated there at the expenso of tho Defence Department. With a view to bringing Hie matter to finality the Minister of Defence, Sir -Tames Allen, together with Colonel Ilogg, Assistant Director or Medical Service, and Colonel Acland paid a visit to the T.M.CA. on Tuesday, and 'made an inspection of the building .the actual number of rooms which the. Defence Department will require is not yet known, and will -not be known until tomorrow afternoon, when si general meeting will be held at the I.M.C.A. to decide whether tho proposal is practicable. An advertisement appears elsewhere in this is«UB advising that jurors summoned to be in attendance at the Supreme Court on Monday. February 17, will not be required until 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday, lel> ruary 18.

In reference to the wiliest of the A ic-torian-Government for 50 nurses from New-Zealand in connection with the epidemic. the Minister of Public Health (tjie Hon. G. W. Pussell) states iiiat Cabinet cannot see its way to send the full number asked for, but has approved of 25 being sent. The nurse's will leave by the Moeraki on Tuesday.

The election for a member of the Post and Telegraph Promotion Hoard, under the Post and Telegraph Deiinrtment Act, 1918, resulted as follow—James Joseph Mulvey, 3501; James Aitken, 950; informal, 17.

A startling statement was contained in a letter received by the executive of. the Auckland Patriotic Association from the Waikato "Returned Soldiers' Association (stales (lie "New Zealand Herald"). The communication, which was dated December 16 Inst, asserted Hint at Te AVaikato Sanatorium no room had been set aside as a mortuary. As a consequence, it was declared, it had been the practice to place bodies awaiting burial in the office of the superintendent. Colonel Scott. The executive decided to refer the letter to "the Minister of Public Health.- . ■

"In reference to a paragraph which appeared in The Dominion referring to a. "baptismal service 'where watery from the Kiver Jordan' -'was-' 'used. 1 ' 'writes a correspondent,""this is not the' first occasion in New Zealand. Some thirty years back, the Rev. T.. Porritt christened a fellow clergyman's' cldeM child in Greytown with water from a sealed bottle that had been brought from the River Jordan. But it had not the uniqueness of being brought back by a returned soldier." * .<