LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 141, 10 March 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The southern portion of returned draft No. 219, which disembarked at Auckland from tho steamer Port Melbourne on Friday morning, arrived in Wellington by special train on Saturday afternoon. A large crowd assembled to welcome the returned soldiers, who were speedily disi>osod of by representatives of the disem. Dnrkation staff. Thero was a good muster of member? of the Volunteer Motor Corps and tho Patriotic Society's Rand enlivened tho proceedings with appropriate music. In tho absence of tho Mayor, Councillor W. H. P. Barber acem'ded the mon the city's welcome, and Chaplain A. 11. Sausuin, Y.M.C.A. field secretary, welcomed tho men on behalf of the 'Y.M.C.A. As Mr. J. D. Howell, of tho Christchurch Technical College, could not see his way to accept the position of director of the , Wellington Technical College (for health reasons), the Standing Committee of tho board is to meet to-morrow ovening to select another director from tho long list of applicants for tho vacant position. •For six or seven jc-nrs past 1 lie advisability of removing the band rotunda in .lorvois lias been persistently advocated. The, rotunda was crcclcd for band performances, but the number given there during tho last ten years could be counted ui the fingers oi' the hands, and no performance of the kind has Ijocn given there for ovor six years past. Tho rotunda is sifiirtted squarely in front of the Central Fire Brigade Station, where all tho street room possible is needed for a smart got-awav. It is therefore with gratification that citizens will learn that authority has nl length been given lo tlio Cilv'Engineer to remove the structure to the prepared , rotunda site iu OrionUil Bay,

At the Methodist Conference on Saturday several recommendations from the Taranaki-Wanganui Synod regarding work amongst roturned and returning soldiers wcro approved. These recommendations urged that everything- possible should be dono by church members to give the men a suitable -welcome home, that all allowance bo made for tho nervous condition of many of tho men, and Unit cll'orto be made to counteract pernicious social influences. It was also urged in view of the possibility o:\probition and the consequent net'-d of p'teces to meet tho social needs of tho men the Church should cater in this direction wherever possible by linking up with the Y.M.C..A. It was resolved that tho Church keep in touch with the Returned Soldiers' Association.—(Press Assn.). San Francisco to Wellington is not a long trip for u sailing vessel in favourabij weather, but when calms and adverse winds set in life on board may become irksome through its monotony, which is not lessoned by the sameness of tho preserved food, however good it may bo What sailois would call an ideal trip has just been finished by the America.'! ship Dunsyre, an arrival at Wellington on Saturday from San Francisco. With favourable winds she covered the distance between the two ports in thirtyeight days—a record run. To show how American shipowners arc treating their men as regards food, the caso of the Dunsvro may bo citod. An ice-chest is earned. and t'resh meat in particular is stored iu largo supply for general consumption. Usually it lasts for tho best part of tho voyage, but this run from tho Slates having been made in such fast time, fresh meat was oil the up t) the early days of last week—certainly a cliango from the old days.

A rccciit cablegram to Australian papers states that the annual report in connection with tlio Rhodes Scholarships shows that only i.ino scholars were in .residence during 1918. Of these four had previously been on active servico and two had been medially rejected. There were also in residence 15 holders of overseas scholarships granted by tho Rhodes Trust and certain other bodies. Twenty Bhodcs scholars nnd former Rhodes scholars were killed during 1918. Included in this number were six South Africans, two Australasians, and one Canadian. Military honours were awarded to 28, including seven South Africans, nine Australasians, and nine Canadians. Of the 50 scholars elected for 1917, 46 took militarv service. Two were medically rejected, but were accepted for Government, work instead, and two were otherwise employed. The election of scholars will bo resumed next October, when it is hoped that the completion of demobilisation will enable intending candidates in the Army to compete.

In theso days of increased cost of living clergymen and other ministers of the Gospel who have large families find the strain of keeping their expenses within their incomes fairly hard. The diffiuultv is added to in some cases by the tact"that the clergyman or minister is living in a honsa provided' for him, ot a size involving an expenditure which counter-balances tho freedom from payment of rent. It is seldom (says an exchange) that siioli a case becomes so public as'that of tho vicar of St. Luke's, Christchurch. In the last issue of the "St. Luke's Parish Magazine" the vicar (Rev. F. N. Taylor) explains to his parishioners his reasons tor leaving the vicarage and taking up his residence in a smaifcr house. He points out that to do tho work of a house like the vicarage, and at tho same time look after iivc- or six little children, is beyond the power of one woman. Not only, says Mr. Taylor, was it impossible to pay for a servant—it was impossible to get one even if the money had been forthcoming. The vicar 'adds that ho is making no complaint; he does not seek to put any additional burden on the finances of the parish, but ho claims the right to live in such a way that he can meet Ins expenses out ot his income. At the foot of Mr. Taylor's letter in the parish magazine appears a note, signed by tho churchwardens, Messrs. H. D. Andrews and C. Hastings Bridge, stating that the churchwardens and. vestry disapprove of tho vicar's action in vacating the vicarage. It may be added that in the last issue of the "Diocesan Year Book" tho total stipend of the vicar of St. Luke's for the year 1917-18 is shown as ,£350.

During the interval of the German i Naval Surrender pictures at the Town Hall on Saturday evening Mr. Maurice ,Ralph, on behalf of Messrs. J. and N. Tait, entertained members of the Ministry and other leading citizens in the City Council committee-room. There were present Hon. G. W. Russell, Hon. Arthur Myers, Hon. J. A. Hanan. Captain Ball-Thompson, _ R.N. (Naval Adviser), Commander Keily, R.N., Messrs. W. H. Morton (City Engineer), W. A. Konnedy (manager.uf the Union steam Ship Company), and stveral of the Consuls in Wellington of the Allied powers. Mr. T. Forsyth (chairman of the Education Board) and Mr. It. W. Shallcrass (secretary of the Navy League) found it impossible .to attend. In the health of "The King and the British Navv," tho Hon. G. W. Russell extended the thanks of the community to Messrs. J", and N. Tait for affording thorn the opportunity of seeing such a splendid and remarkable picture of a great national event never to lie forgotten. The toast was drunk with enthusiasm. Other speakers voiced their enthusiasm _as to the distinctive merits of the picture. Mr. Ralph replied briefly on behalf of Messrs. J. and N- Tait. Four small boys were charged before Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., at tho Juvenile Court on Saturday with having broken mid entered the Te Aro Infants' School between January 28 and February 3, and caused damage to tho contents of the various oupboards. It wits stated that one of the boys had been under the supervision of the probation officer for theft from the Mount Cook School some time ago. This boy was committed to the Wellington Receiving Home, and the other three were convicted and ordered to renort to the probation officer when required to do so, and instructions were given that they should not be out at night after 7 o'clock. "The one foodstuff you don't grow which you could and should," said Mr. A. W. Porter, tho San Francisco millionaire packer, "is sweet corn, tho dish that appears on nearly every table right through the yoair in America. You could grow it all right in New Zealand, and as it is nutritious and a thoroughly delightful dish which can be palatably served in many ways, I wondor it is not taken up. Sweet corn is a special kind of corn, not tho variety you raise hero as maize, bub it is a foodstuff you can hardly afford to _do without, as it is cheap and satisfying." Tho Dunedin City Council was appreached on Wednesday cvoiiii# by the Salvation Army, not as guardians of the public purse, but as civic fathers of the "flappers" (says an exchange). Captain M'Kehzie, missionor of th« Army, related a story of two girls of 17 and 18 years respectively, who, he said,, had been induced by the sight of an advertisement to sign contracts with a travelling "vaudeville" company. The agreements were unstamped, the persons running tho show were without credentials, and there was no guarantee that tho girls would not bo stranded in strange towns, where they would be in grave peril. Tho matter had been brought under his notice by tho parents. A solicitor had been seen, but could do nothing, and all ' tho police could do was, if necessary, to arrest the girls as persons without means of support. Tho captain inado it clear that ho was not denouncing accredited vaudeville, but unaccredited shows without means. Ho added that a girl employed as a pianist, stated that she had to leave on account of disgusting language used. Tho request of the Army was that the council should assist in Retting legislation promulgated to prevent girls under 19 years of age from ioinin" such companies, it was decided to remit tho case to the Society for the Protection of Women antl Children. \ Press Association message from Dunedin published last week stated that a new political parly wns being formed. The following paragraph from tho "Otago Daily Times" covers tho ground trnv-or-ed l).v tho Press Association message, mil adds a. little more:-Quietly and without any beating of drums, a new and powerful political party is being formed in New Zealand. In Dunedin a. meeting of representative business and legal men has already been held, and two of their nuii'lier have been appointed to proceod to Wellington next week to meet delegates from the rest of the Dominion. At ihis conference a political plntform will be drawn np. It is rumoured that, so fir as Ihe Dunedin meeting was concerned little sympathy with or admiration of tho leadership of ilfr. Massey or Sir Joseph Ward was expressed.

An inquest was held by the Coroner, Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., on Saturday morning touching the death of Thomas Alexander Munro, a returned soldier, 36' years of age, who collapsed while swimming at Lyall Bay on Friday afternoon. Dr. Puttie, who wag summoned after deceased's body was brought out of tho water, stated that he hardly thought deceased was drowned. He crnsidered that deceased lost his breath while swimming, and that heart failure was responsible for the man's death. Constable Binns, who wag. present at the time of tho mishap, said he did not think deceased was in any danger as the water was so shallow that Munro could easily have walked ashore. After further evidence had been g'iven b.v Bertram Lewis, Mounted-Constable Wilson, and deceased's mother, Isabella Munro, who were eye-witnesses of the fatality, the Coroner returned a verdict that deceased died from heart failure while bathing at Lyall Bay. Tho evidence showed that tho caso was not one of drowning. "We will not be caught napping in tho event of another epidemic," says tlie Mayor of Christchurch. "Wo had another meeting of' tho committee today, and arrangements have been made to rrat all machinery into operation in an Tiour or two in the event of another outbreak." Mr. Holland explained that block committees had been 6et up. The annual leave for which members of tho New Zealand Permanent Forces arc normally eligible, but which has been withheld by reason of war conditions, shall bo allowed to accrue, and shall ho granted subsequently as ciirciMiistances permit (states a General Order just issued). Tho estates of members of the New Zealand Permanent Forces who bocame deceased during the war period shall be credited with the monetary value ot any annual leave accumulated during tho war period. The leave year commences on December 1 and ends bc-r 30. Members of tho New Zealand Permanent Forces who received no niinual leave during the leave year December J, 1913, to November 30, lj)l±. or in any subsequent leave year during tho war, will bo credited with the accrued leave for which they would have been eligible on account of such periods undei normal conditions. In event of death the amount payable to the deceased sodier's estate will bo arrived at by valuing tho period of leave standing to his credit on account of each leave jeai up' to November 30 next following tho date of casualty separately at the rates of pav issuable to him for each such year in his substantive rank in the New Zealand Permanent Forces. Expeditionary Force rank or rates of pay cannot be recognised in connection with claims for the monetary equivalent of accrued leave.