LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 170, 12 April 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Telegraph Office, advises, thatcable messages for the United Kingdom,-, paid for at full nlte. -may now-be'accepted via Eastern. Messages will be subject to heavy delay. •

Owing to tho increased number of passengers travelling from Auckland by the Mam' Trunk express the number of pas-senger-carriages had been increased to eleven, consisting of ten ordinary aild one sleeper carriage, slates the "New Zealand Herald." 'These will give seating accommodation for about 3OT passengers. Previously the normal train consisted of nine ordinary and one sleeper carriage, accommodating. 315 passengers.

A l'ress Association message received from Auckland last night stated that a threatened stoppage of the Northern Coal Company's Kiripaka mine, owing to bovs employed there being required lo attend cadet parade at Wbangarei on Saturday, had been obviated by the action of tlie Defence Department in granting an exemption to the boys in question.

The Government has received a cable message from the Premier of New South Wales, asking to be supplied with reports on the treatment of influenza during the cnidcmic. in New Zealand. Tho Minister of Public Ileal l b has telegraphed to the chairman of Epidemic Oommission(Sir John Uenniston) asking for copies of air the Departmental reports in order that thev may bo forwarded to Sydney. Tho Minister has also asked tho chair-' mini of tho Commission to expedite the furnishing' of tho Commission's report, in order that any suggestions made therein • may be acted upon as soon as possible.

A Press Association telegram from Gisborne stales that the Maori hui. donations received on behalf of the Maori soldiers''funds from various tribes totalled .£29,000.

A paragraph from n southern newspaper, reprinted in yesterday's Dominion,. stated that the "military authorities" had reduced u certain soldier's pension. As a. matter of fact the Defonce Department and its officers have nothing to do with pensions at all. Pull authority in dealing with pensions is in tho hands of the Pensions l3qaTd; It may be mentioned also that a pension granted to a soldier cannot be reduced. 'An allowance can be varied,by the board, but a war pension, once granted, is not subject to revision except in case of serious misconduct.'

In spite of conditions in Russia the ii'Kiraiico offices continue to do business. "The Polios" Holder," an insurance journal published at Jlanchestor, reprints a report of the situation published by one of (lie bijt Uutsian insurance companies, which indicates that up to December icst business was carried on much as usual.- It was even ;omul that in many cases people took advantage of Ihe life insurance ollices to place their savings in salVtv bv mi'ans of insurance policies. A common practice/ 'apparently, is to pay premiums in advance ill a lump sum. The Bolshevik Government had issued a decree ordering the liquidation of insurance offices by April I. till!', but it is staled that this is regarded only as meaning a temporary stoppage of the work of insurance within a limited area, and that it will go on elsewhere.

The, New Zealand Natives Association Band will play selections at Central Park iR-morrow: at 3 p.m.

The convalescent soldiers from Minimal- and the nurses from the Lowry Bay Convalescent Home were the guests of Sir Francis liell at a picnic at Somes Island yesterday. The quests, with Hiss Monckton as chaperon, spent a very pleasant da v.' The soldiers were seen oil' the wharf bv Major-General Hobin (Commandant). aiid taken to the island in the Government steamer .lanie Seddon. lit the evening the convalescents were tho guests of the Y.M.C.A. If there are to bo many drafts of returning soldiers like those of the Ajana it will not lie a very difficult matter, for the Repatriation Ilenarlnient to deal with them Of the moil who came back to New V,calami -in this ship 95 per cent, i-iid in rcplv to the usual (|iie?tions put nil behalf of'tlm jjopalriation Department that thev had guaranteed employment 1 waiting for them in ,!Xow Zealand.

The Labour Department is slill receiving many applications from persons who' wish to'have the capital value of their dvvelliir'i determined in order In prevent Ihe owners from increasing the rent. In most eases the the Department has been able to elVect a satisfactory seKlem»nt between the parlies. I hough oil a low occasions the ciueslum of va.uc has had to Be referred lo a magistrate. Two prisoners will come, up for senlence iii the Supreme Court this morn jig before I'i; Honour the Chief Justice (Mr I'obert Stout).

Tho master grocers'of Wellington, Jiasterton, and Feathcrston have consented to observe Easter Saturday as a I oliday provided tho employees work the late night ol' the week on the Thursday befne Good Friday. The arrangement lor the observance has been brought about through the oflices of the Labour Department.

' Tim Wellington I'tiiiilers" Union vill shortly hold a. meeting to discuss the amendment recently made ill their award. Tnc painters consider that they have a grievance against the Court for the introduction of a distinction between painters, by which some are classed as skilled and others as semi-skilled. The skilled men, of course, receive the higher rate of wages under tho Court's amendment, but the union contends that the "semi-skilled" painter is the man who is generally the most profitable employee. When tho application for amendment was before the Court Mr. M. J. ]?eardon urged that the Court should not draw a distinction where none had previously existed, and stated that the master painters themselves ,had no desire to establish n new grading.

Mr. T. F. Morgan, who has been custodian of the Government Buildings at (Jhristcluireh, and .Deputy-Inspector of Messenger Service for tile past, three year.';, has beeii appointed officer-in-chargc of the Government Buildings in Wellington, and Inspector of General Messenger Service-. --He will arrive in Wellington early next week.

The following were elected at the annual meeting of the Wellington City Ships' 'J'allv Clerks' "Union-.-President, Air AV C \~ool: vice-president, Mr. ]!. B. Boll; auditor, Mr. AV. A. Clark; committee, Messrs. W. 1?. Archer. If. .1. Green, .1 K. Horneman, L. Holdsworth, and 6. Stark; 'secretary and treasurer, Mr. li. Alexander.

A steamer has been chartered, fays all Auckland paper, to low piuus iiisipris logs estimated at between three aud iouv million feet of limber, from Cambridge to' Mercer. It is considered that it will take three years to finish the contract.

The secretary of tho Soldiers' Mothers' League at Auckland l-.us received a reply from tho .Minister of Dofeucc .regarding its request that a full outfit of clothes should bo supplied to Main Body men on discharge, in lieu of tho .£"> ss. mufti allowance. Sir James' A'.lcn states that the request has been forwarded to the Commandant, N.Z. Military Forces, and a further reply will he sent later.

The establishment of a Government clothing factory in Auckland was suggested to the Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) on Saturday by .Air. Uoorgo George, a member of the Auckland Jitpatriation Board (states the, "Star"). Mr. George said that the manufacture of Defence, police, and postal uniforms could bo undertaken at such a factoiy,- and that employment might thus> be found for u considerable number of returned soldiers and other workers, ill'. George added that the establishment of a branch Government printing office in Auckland also had been suggested. The Minister said that the suggestion would be placed before Cabinet.

. A London correspondent states that the Elementary Education Sub-committee of the London County Council has given permission for a number of teachers serving ill tho N.Z.JE.I'. to observe the teaching methods in a number of London elementary schools and assist as (supernumerary teachers. They arc to bo billeted by the N.Z.fi.F., and will remain in the Army, and be paid at Army rates, consequently there will be no cost to me council. One teacher will be allocated to each school selected, and .the teacher will not work in any school more tnan ono month.

Tho Canterbury Kepatriation Board spent over half an hour arguing whether a soldier making application should be allowed to buy second-hand furniture or furniture from a "seco'nd-hand firm,'' whether such furniture was new or sec-ond-hand (states the "Lyttolton Times ). Eventually ill''. A. :F. Drayton moved: "That tho board affirms the principle of now furniture." Sir.'Jones moved: "That as' long as Iho'repatriation ulficer'is satisfied tho soldier is getting good value, 110 restriction be put iii tho' applicant's way." Mr. "Jones's amendment was lost on the castiug vote of the chairman, Mr. \V. (.loss refusing to vote. The motion was then put and lost by .seven votes to six, and the board remained, "as they wel'C."

One of tlio minor tragedies of. war is described in ;i letter received by mi Auckland resident from a New Zealand .soldier in Palestine. The writer says:'-"I. was sent out with a party witlr 500 poor old horses, who, being unfit for further service, Jiiid to be destroyed, 300 having been shot the previous day. It seemed awfully tad to think tlnvt the poor old. faithful creatures, after sufferin; from thirst, hunger, and fatigue, and-tarrying heavy loads for hundreds of miles, should have to end their days by being shot down by the very people (hey had so faithfully served. Thank (<od, they had not the intelligence to realise what seemed like man's ingratitude! Some of the poor old beggars had landed here witb the Jlain Body, and jf there is a Heaven for animals Ihoy have earned their pence in it! Aftfirall, it was the most- merciful end, for it; is far better for them to bo dead than to fall into the hands of some of these people, cither here or in Egypt, who-are the cruellest pernioI have ever seen with animals. Better dead than to lead a lifo ot' T misery at tho hands of some gharry driver in Cairo, to be thrashed, starved, and worked to death! But how nico it would Jtavo been to have been able, to turn them: all Out on come boundless prairie to live out the rest of their lives in peaco and comfort, when 0110 could say, with perfect truth, 'Well done, thou good andfaithful servants.' Of course, one ..lias to harden one's heart to these sort of things in warfare, but I can tell you it made some of, us rather miserable for some time." ■ , ~ That soldiers should voluntarily agree, to change their religion in order to retain tho services of a well-loved chaplain is surely unique in the annals of camp life, but this was the exuorienco of men of tho Nineteenth Reinforcements when it was annoftneed that tho popular padre of tho regiment was to he transferred to a. later draft on numerical grounds, says an exchange. A number of men at once petitioned the authorities that their religion should bo changed to the Salvation Army, and Chaplain .T. S. Bjadm \ds allowed to remain with his friends in the ranks.

The well-known Parengarenga Estate in the far North Auckland district has been offered to the Government for the purpose of settlement by returned soldiers, states the "New Zealand Herald." J lie estate eomnrises 43,500 acres, and the price asked by the owner is X 1 17s. fid. an acre. The Auckland fieturncd Soldiers' Association has considered Use proposal, and has expressed the opinion that the estate is not suitable for settlement bv returned soldiers.

The Gisbornc Upturned Soldiers' -Association lias Rival its support to a plan for forming a cricket ground as a memo-i-ial to fallen soldiers. It is intended to j) n.vc massive stone gates with inscribed tablets at the entrance to the grounds.

A complaint that the office of'tile medical superintendent of To AVaikato Sanatorium (Dr. G. M. Scott) had been used ns a mortuary was recently received by the executive of the Auckland Patriotic Association, and forwarded to the Minister of Public Health {the Hon. G. \\. liusscll), states the "Sew •Zealand Herald." A communication ou the subjec.. was received on AVedncsday by the executive from the Minister. The Minister stated that, owing to the unsuitabilily. of the mortuary at the sanatorium, the complaint: was unfortunately true, the circumstances under which tho practice of using Mr. Scott's otlice for niortuary purposes had grown up were, somewhat special. For some time his Hepurtmjnt had been giving consideration to tho whole i[ upstion of dealing with consumption. and unite a number of developments to Te AVaikato Sanatorium had,.oil that account, been suspended, as (lie adopti-m of certain proposals now in vieiv inignt involve a radical in I lie Department's policy in this connection. The Minister said lie had. however, given instructions that a small building, suitable for a. mortuary, was to be provided at tho sanatorium without delay. Steps WT.ro. being tnken accordingly. It wns decided In forward Mr. Uussell's letter to the. Waikato 'Returned Soldiers' Association, from which body the original complaint emanated.

The members of the Williamson Ho.val Comic Upcra Company have arrived in Wellington in Anticipation of their season here, which commences next Saturday evening.