LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 179, 24 April 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The steamer Monowai, with men from the returned transport Coriiithic, will berth at Glasgow Wharf to-day at 7 a.m. The hospital ship. Malieno (Returning Draft No, 831) will come alongside tho same wharf at 8 a.m. The. Secretary, General Post Office, lias been advised that legal time will be advanced one hoar in Austria from April 28. . The Pacific Cable Board notify that traffic congestion has been overcome -in both directions, and the Pacific route is now working without material delay. . A Press Association telegram from Dufiedin etates that the rain has stopped in the south and the flood waters are receding. The local waterside workers hare iefused to work the intercolonial liner Moeraici till Friday,. The vessel arrived in the stream on April 21 from Sydney, and berthed at the Tilrnnaki Street Wharf ■ yesterday morning, having completed the prescribed 21 hours' quarantine. However, the waterside workers consider that it is inadvisable to touch the vessel until she has 'been at least seven days out from Sydney. Tiity consider tho -present quarantine arrangements, insufficient in view of the epidemic in Sydney and have decided not tn work the vessel till Friday. This has delayed 'the 'vessel's departure on the return trip, and she is not expected to be ready to sail till Monday next. A returned soldier who suffered from Bhell-shock fell into the vrnter while walkin" along Rona Bav.wharf on Monday evening at 6.40. Two youths. Thomas Leslie of Wellington, and William Wright, of Bona Bay, both 17 years of age lumped into the water and fiwam towards the soldier, who was shouting for assistance, and drifting away with the tide The two rescuers succeeded m bringing the soldier lo tlte wharf, where a rope was thrown out to them. The 'people on the wharf then pulled them towards the stops where they were lifted out exhausted. .After a while .the. soldier was brought round mifficiintlv to allow him to proceed to his home. Great credit is given by spectators to the two Tescuers for the prompt; and unhesitating manner' in which they acted. At about a quarter lo five' yesterday the "fire Brisade received a call to a fire of nine needles, at the rear of 35 Scarhorongli Terrace. As a result of the fire fifteen feet of the fence was burnt. 'Hie property is owned by Air. Jacobs. Several Wanganui shopkeepers failed to close their shops on the day when the licensing poll was taken. The Labour Department intends to hike Court proceedings against them for their failure to comply with the requirements of the law. According to an officer of the Labour Department, the observance of Easter Monday or of Anznc Day as a holiday absolves a shopkeeper from the obligation to close down for the statutory halfholiday this week. ,

The last mail From Home brought u letter from a New Zealand padre now in Germany, who expresses Ins feelinga towards Germans in general iu no uncertain terms. The writer, who is not un- | known in DunedinJ etate9 the ','Otago Daily Times," very probably had. i'O thought of publication, luit his cofimienis ire of all the more Interest on that account. "I am still in Germany," he says, "just on the Rhine by the city of Cologne. Demobilisation of New Zea- j land troops is taking place fast, and noon, thank flodfwe shall all be out of this damned, rotten, filthy, immoral, <legraded, debauched, earthly, sensual, devilish place. It is playing havoc with our boys, who have not strength enough to sr.nrid.up to the iniquity of it all. Oh, how I hate the Germane and their damned hypocritical friendliness. They hate us lil"> lio'S'in. yet i'iev crawl n">l our blessed boots. To H —• with the whole damned crew! Their men me bullies, and their women are mostly sensualists. I used to feel sorry for tue wives and children when J saw a dead Hun on the field of battle. Now I am sorrier for tho wives and children of the Huns who were iwt killed on the held of battle I Irish Fooh had got his way and had killed off a few more of them. That's how good I feel towards the Oermans'. Personally I have had very good billots, and evervone to me has been personally kind and Rood, and since-rely, so, but still they hate England with a bitter and intense hatred. Repentant Germany? Don't you believe it! If it naid her to strike to-morrow she would do it, and I believe Pint even now vhile she is whining she is preparing ffr a greater and a more deadly wnr. So long as I have life in my body I shall never trust the Germans."

The latest Expeditionary Force List | contains the names of over 140 n.c.o.'s and men who have been given commissions -with the rank of second lieutenant The commissions are dated in January, 1919, and nearly all Hie appointments are supernumerary to establishment. Seven n.c.o.'s and men who hare been appointed instructors under tho N.Z.E.F. Education Scheme have been mads second lieutenants, with the temporary rank of captain. Sinca the signing of the armistice several hundred members of the. N.Z.J , :. I l ', have been granted commissions supernumerary to establishment, JOf. Trade Commissioner ha 3 received information from London to the effect that the undermentioned goods'have recently been taken from the list of i articles-for which an export license is necessary (except for oountries bordering Germany): — bichromate of ■ soda, eulphonal, caeein and preparations thereof, gallnuts, juto thread, pulpboard waste, sawlward waste, certain proprietary brands of dyes, certain vegetable ediblo oils, pineapples, nectarines, grape fruit, cereal foods containing milk, chronometers, woodpulp, sheepskin pelts. It was stated at last night's meeting of the Harbour Board that 101 members of tho 'board's staff had joined the Army (luring the war.* Of this number! 17 lost their lives on service, 31 were discharged from camp, 19 have returned and resumed work, 7 have returned but have not yet resumed work, and 27 are etill on active service. A sitting- of the North Island Kailway Appeal Board will bo held this morning to hear appeals against their status in the service by .A. N. Longton, clerk, Lambton Station; C. O'Leirry, inspector of permanent way, Wangauui; and M. Outline, locomotive foreman, Palmerston North. Air. Hewitt, S.M., will preside. .

Officers of (lie automobile service of the French Army now 6tationed in Lorraine have some interesting revelations to make concerning the Gorman transport systems and the disadvantages under which they have worked. The crisis as regards rubber was reached in 1916. The shortage made itself felt abruptly, and plain wooden tyres, or those of wTiod with' iron hooping, had to b.e dubstitutod for the worn pneumatics; aud solids'. Each automobile'unit, however, reserved one, and only one, lon'y with rubber tyres. This was devotod to the- transport of fragile and important material, or, on occasion, for towing or breakdown work, when the grip of the wooden tyres was not sufficient. This principle was followed until the end of the war. The ' Wellington Land Board was engaged the whole of yesterday in dealing with the applications of returned soldiers for land, and in interviewing the applicants. The board will deal with, its ordinary business ( to-day.

Canadian papers ar? commenting on the rictiyitv of the Japanesn throughout the Maritime Province of Siberia. Agents of Japanese syndicates =re reported to be negotiating for the purchase of a large number of mines, flour mills, brickworks, sawmills, and other; industrial undertakings, while commercially they are making every effort to extend their influence. Thjj Japanese firms, which, for the most part, have only recently been established .at- Vladivostok, are enlarging their operations and endeavouring J.O obtain as lari?c a share as 110sSTMe 01 the trade of the territory. The snouts of theee firine pro reported to be scorning the country for scrap iron, littifts. wool, bristles, hfans and other Sfherian and Manclunian products required in, Japan. ,< Excellent service was rendered by the white residents of Tonga during the epidemic in tho group, their strenuous labours in succouring the sick natives mid comba-ving , th'e disease being in a large measure responsible for tho lv moderate death-roll, st.ys the "Sanioan Times." In recognition of the assistance so given, the Privy Council has allocated nearly .£7OO to bo distributed as gratuities. Each helper ih.thia way has received seven guineas.'

A distressing occurrence happened in the village of Malaela; Aleipata, when Tamati, the five-year-old son of Lesaniatauanu'u. I'aamasino of the District, was accidentally ehot dead by his fathor, says the "Samoan Times." A shotgun had been left loaded ami cocked against the wall of the house by the Faaniasino's eon, who had been out hunting wild piss. Lesamatauanu'u not knowing that the gun was loaded, picked it up, and sitting down placed it across his knee, when the gun instantly, went off,, killing the boy, who was standing noar-by. The shot struck him immediately over the heart. Lesamatauanu'u came into town anil reported himself to i the police, who, after investigation, concluded that the occurrence was a pure accident. The matter of the compulsory traimug of the young women of the Dominion in the principles of hygisne and home nursing was discussed by ihp Auckland Hospital Board, when a letter was read from tne Wallace Hospital Board tequesting the Auckland Board's support in urging the Minister of Public Health to introduce legislation providing for tho compulsory training of young women between the ages of seventeen and twenty in the subjects of hygiene and nursing. Mr. P. J. 'Hoskitig paid he did not think the suggestion would accomplish the ol>ject arrived at. Tho school curriculum ohould bs extended <o that every gin in the Sixth Standard-should get elementary training in hygiene nnd nursing. lliero was a tendency among the education authorities to encourage this form of education. Mr. P. M. Mackay agreed that' the school was the proper place for girls to acquire nt least an e'ementary knowledge "of tho subjects mentioned. Tho course was already being taught in some oT the secondary schools, and ho suggested that provision should be made at the hospital to enable the g : rls to continue tho course. Mr. S. J. Harbutt said ho was in tavour of the introduction cf compulsion. Ho expressed the opinion that the age suggested hy the Wallace Board was too old. Ho moved, that tuo board endorse the principle of compulsory training. The motion vus carried.