LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 190, 7 May 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Secretary. General Post Office, has been advised that legal time has been advanced 0110 hour in Hungary from April 15 to September 15.

The Minister in charge of the Police (the Hon. T. M. Wilford) stated yesterday tlmt the increased pny of officeVs of the police force above the raflk of constable and .sergeant .would bo fixed this month, and that the increases would be dated back to April 1. Mr. Wilford stated that the recommendations were now in ordeij but they had not yet been passed by Cabinet.

The flour subsidy Echeme rendered necessary by the high price of' wheat and tho fixing of the price of flour at a pries which does not loavo to the miller in every case a profit in working is now in operation. Millers may make application for the subsidy, but eyery claim made is liable to very exhaustive investigation, and this investigation is being made m every case before the subsidy is paid.

A remit is to be forwarded by the Marton branch to the conference of the Farmers' Union-.—"That the Farmers' Union make overy endeavour to organise the farming community eo that tho farmers can act as a strong force in the coming election, and so help to keep undesirable candidates from being elected."

A Press Association message from New Plymouth states that tho wife of the Rev. Napier Milne was found hanging iii a shed at the parsonago at about noon yesterday. .Mrs. Milne only recently arrived from England, where it is" understood air raids had shattered her nerves.

The inoculation of the public with anti-influenza vaccine by the North Canterbury Hospital authorities, as a precautionary measure against the anticipated return 6f the scourge, was commenced this morning at 9 o'clock, states iho .Christchurch "Sun" of Monday. The first group to make an . appearance at the hospital to undergo treatment consisted •of five persons, two young women, two men, and a little girl of 11 yoars. The room in which the inoculation was carried out was the visitors' room, in which was Dr. Walter Fox, who was assisted by a nurse. The. process, which is a very simple one, was .very rapidly discharged. Tho- women raised the sleeves of. their blouses, tho men divested themselves of. their coats, and an arm, being bared, was sponged by the nurse, after which the vaccine, which is in liquid form, was injected by Dr. Fox into tho upper arm. It was obvious to onlookers that the operation was not occasioning much pain, the only evidence of feeling given by those who submitted to it being a momentary wincing as the needle entered the flesh. The inoculation completed, no further treatment was necessary, and the people departed by a door opposite to that by which they had entered. Prior to going into tho hospital, those intending to be inoculated have their names, addresses, and th'o date of entry recorded in a book in the general offica of tho Hospital Board. They also pay a fee of ono shilling. During the first hour that the work proceeded this morning 27 people wero inoculated.

Another'official schemo is afoot to suro us having a plentiful supply of tho right sort of horses if thoy are ever wanted again for a big army, says an English paper. Thoro are 50,000 selected army horses to be loaned to anyone who will apply for them! For these horses £1 10s. per annum is to bo paid by farmers and others, but this covers all veterinary attendance and veterinary modioines and appliances. The horses will be delivered carriage free, and at the end of six years 1 will become the property of the lessee. There is a condition that any horse.so.loaned may bo required for sixteen days' service in tho Army manoeuvres every year.

Numbers of soldiers who have made application for Government assistance in the purchase' of homes for themselves have had their propositions rejected on the ground that the house they selected had tho borer in it, states the "New Zealand Herald." This subject was touched upon in the course of tin interview with Mr. Maxwell, city building inspector. Mr. Maxwell said, lie had direct oxperience of ono rejected proposal through an inspection he mado of a suburban property on behalf of a soldier friend. His only interest in tho matter was to do his best for his friend, and after strongly advising him against the 'purchase of certain properties he went to a house which he found to be built of good sound timber, but iii two places there were clear signs of the lioror. Tho unsound timber could liavo been taken out and .replaced by ono man in a day, hnd ho advised his soldier friend to get that .done, and to purchase tho house. Mr. Maxwell said that if this experience was a fair sample of 1 tho Government's proceedings he was afraid that very few soldiers would get Government assistance to buy homes for themselves. Of the houses that they have beon built for, say, ten years, a very small proportion would 1m found wholly free from borer. Many had beon built of very poor timber, especially in suburbs where there was no regular building supervision, and it was absolutoiy right that soldiers should\ bo warned against purchasing them, but lie was convinced that/if tho Government rojected a proporty upon every sign of the borer it might as well stop lending altogether. Ho was satisfied that tho home ho had recommended his soldier friend to buy, which was not a new property, was better than ninetenths of tho houses now on tho Auckland market. Unfortunately, up to tho beginning of the war'the best ,of our timber was exported, and it was not an easy matter to get good, sound building timber,

In' his address at tho opening of the Anglican General Synod the Primate paid:— "I have received a petition from tlio leading members of the committee set up for the promotion of tho proposed Taranaki bishopric, in which (hoy solicit thfc advice and assistance of the General Synod in this important matter. The Church people of the district have taken some steps in accordance with the recommendations of our last session. 'The Dunedin dioceso was founded under the most discouraging conditions. , T hope tho Taranaki Chnroli people will emulate tlio bravery of their brethren of the south. The petition will be laid before, you."

What is believed to be a record yield of wheat was thrashed on the Taieri last week (says the "Otago Daily Times"). On a ten-acre pa'ddoojtof Mr. G. M'Leod's farm at. Momona a yield of 283 bags of purple Tuscan wheat was obtained. This works out at 041 bushels per acre. ,

Delegates of the various branches of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants continued their conference in Wellington yesterday. The proceedings were private.

Vacancies have occurred on the council of Victoria College owing to the retirement on rotation of the Rev. W. A. Evans, and Messrs. W. S. La Trobo, C. Watson, and I\ Levi. Ail election will bo held 011 June 7.

At a special meeting of the D. Weir Memorial Committee held 'last evening it was decided to solicit subscriptions from tho varipus clubs with a view to erecting a monument over the grave of tho late chairman of the Wellington Rugby Football Union. Should tliere be any surplus of funds after the monument has been paid for it is proposed to erect a at Athletic Park.

It has. beon brought under the notice of the Commonwealth Government that a quiet Italian invasion of Northern Queensland has beenstendily' progressing; and that the Italians are rapidly displacing the British and the Australianlorn sugar growers (says the Sydney "Sun"). In the Ingham district it is stated that nearly all the hotels and the stores have passed into the hands of the Italian traders; that the farms are nearly all owned and worked by Italians; and that they tire :nnkiug satisfactory progress, especially as tliere is a singular freedom from the labour troubles which mark the adjoining districts. The Italians have come from Northern Italy, end are spoken of as people of a fine class.

. iTie report of the director of the Technical School received by the board last night showed that the class entries for ilie year had been 2021, as against 2291 in 1917." Tho greatest reductions were in the commercial (136) and, in the English, Latin, and general high school subjects (98). Ittending the school during the year were 120 paying pupils and 352 free pupils.

The Hon. G. M. Thomson, M.L.C., casually mentioned to an "Otago Daily Times" reporter that when 011 a visit to Wellington recently he looked in at the Court of Appeal, which was then sitting, and was astonished to find that the five Judges on the Bench were ex-Otago soliSir Robert Stout (Chief Justice), 'Justices Sim, Edwards, Hosking, and Chapman. The case being heard was an Otago one, and the four barristers engaged—Sir John Salmond, Mr. W. C. MacGregor,' K.C., Mr. John MacGregor, and Mr. D. Stewart (Balclutha) —wore Otago men. T\v;o other barristers who were keen listeners to the argument were also ex-Otago men—viz., Mr. John O'Shea (city solicitor, Wellington) and Mr, Cornish.

The United States is now afflicted with a terrible epidemic as an aftermath of the dread Spanish iniluehza and pneumonia which has, carried off hundreds of thousands of the American population, slates the San Francisco correspondent of the Auckland "Star." Cases of Bleep-' ing sickness are scattered all', over the American domain, but at the time of writing (March 25) not in alarming numbers. Twenty-one deaths have already occurred. More than one hundred cases have been listed as actual sleeping sickness in seventeen cities, but there are believed to be many as yet unrecorded. Cleveland' and Springfield, Illinois, each reported' twonty-hvo. cases. New York had. forty. Chicago's number was unknown. the health authorities not desiring to make the figures. public. Other points showing "a two" of the malady were:—Richmond, Virginia, San Francisco, Ford., Worth, Calumet, Michigan, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Los Angeles, Lancaster, Ohio, Boston, Harrisburg, Albany, and Pittsburg. In this disease the'sufferer lapses into a state of coma. In many instances the recovery is complete. Sorno have been known to sleep for eight or ten days and then "come to life" in good health. A number Of Committees are considering taking precautions similar to those taken against tho spread of influenza.

For once Australia has been behind Cliristchnrch, says tho Christchurch "Sun." Under < the heading, "Melbourne Gets in First," a Sydney paper reproduces, from a Melbourne journal, an advertisement of .'passenger aerial flights during the Easter holidays. In Christchurch the novelty of passenger flights lias worn off, and. the fees for them have been reduced.

The Christehurch '.'Press" quotes a contemporary's criticism of the letter recently sent by Coloney Chnft'ey to the Christchiiirch Returned Soldiers' Association complaining of a lack of discipline among returned men who paraded on Anzuo Day. Tho "Press" then,states: "Colonel Chatfey took occasion to reply to this criticism when conversing with a reporter on Saturday. His object, he said, was to prcsorvo the discipline of tho' Territorials and Cadets. The mere fact of only a few men being guilty did not alter the fact that their attitude was an insult to him and tho parade generally. He did not like to see the soldiers behave in a manner arousing the criticism of tfhe public. ■ 'This is tho time when wo want to help* them,' continued 'Colonel Chnft'ey, "but they won't help thomselves by allowing a minority to behavo like that in uniform. I feel confidont that the majority of returned soldiers, who have done their work so well, will back mo up in tho 6tand I take. No ono has more respect for returned soldiers than I have, and it is in their interests I am working as much as in connection with the discipline of our Territorials and Cadets.'"

The conference convened .to discuss tho proposed amalgamation of all unions of employees in tho tailoring and clothing factory trades continued its sessions in the Trades Hall yesterday. The chairman .was Mr. Robert Slater, of Dunedin, and the attendance comprised representatives from all branches of the Journeymen Tailors' Federation and the Clothing Trado Workers' (or Tailoresses') Federation. The conference in the afternoon adopted tho proposal to amalgamate.

The French Government has issued invitations to experienced sheepmen who have been serving in t.ho A.I.F. and New Zealand Forces to tales part in a tour of Morocco, and the. military authorities arc making the necessary arrangements for granting leave to qualified applicants for tho .trip (says a London paper of February 16). The object of the torn' is to inquire into the sheep-raisin" possibilities of the French colony. Tile tourists, aro to be the guests of tho French Government, which probably anticipates a possibility of securing some useful colonists. A few of the men who have made a name for themselves in the big war would be a valuablo asset to tho country which owns the troublesome African possession. • . '

The following Tomits for the Provincial Conference in Wellington on May 27 have been adopted by tho Feilding branch of the Now.Zealand Farmers' Union: (1) That a local committee of practical farmers be appointed in each district from time to time to act with tho Land Purchase Board in selecting land for returned soldiers. (2) That in view of the aorioiu monace aggregation nt land is becoming to the welfare of tho country, the Government be urged to tako more effective measures to prevent same.

Those, who have the idoa that the Military Service Act is a "scrap of paper" of the past would do well to note that operation of tho Act is still in/ force. An instance of its operation occurred on Monday afternoon, when a young man refused to answer questions put to him by a police sergeant. Ho thought the whole thing a joke—but not so the officer of the law. Accused was promptly arrested and brought before the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Tho Magistrate (Mr. F. V. Frazcr, S.M.) considered thai accused had been sufficiently punished by being locked up all night, lie would bo convicted and discharged.

In reply to a deputation at Kawhia last .week' the Hon. W. 17 S. Mac Donald promised to have a geological report prepaved concerning a. coal deposit in that district. The Minister also agreed io take steps to preserve the old historic poluitukawa tree at Kawhia, whore it is said tlio original Tninui canoo landed. The tree in question is known to all who havo been in the district, and many intercsNng stories are told concerning it. Amongst others it is 6aid that in the "days wlien tribal fights wero frequent and cannibalism held sway in'Ne»'Zealand, tho tree was utilised for hanging bodies prior to a feast.

Members of the Returned Soldiers' Association are invited in this issue to be present at tho arrival of the northern express to-day, to accord a welcomo to Brigadier-General Richardson. The committee, of tho U.S.A. hopes that employers will assist as far as possible in allowing their ex-soldier employees an opportunity to welcomo their popular commander. Nothing in the way of an official reception is to lie undertaken at present by the association, but the committee lias in hand the arranging of a function at the clubhouse, when Briga-dier-Gonera.l Richardson's movements are definitely ascertained. Special arrangements are being made by His Worship the Mayor for the accommodation of returned men at tho civic reception at the Town llall this evening at 5 o'clock.

The Kev. J. Butler, who was referred to in our issue of yesterday as being the first man to. put a plough into New Zealand soil, .was the grandfather of Messrs. J. and W. Barton, of Trentham and Featherston respectively. It was stated that he was the father of Judge Butler, of the Native Land Court, but we are informed that he'was not related to the latter gentleman.

Tho Minister of Mines has proposals in hand for a move ahead in mining now that the war is over. Mr. MacDouald said yesterday that Cabinet had practically agreed to certain proposals lie had made, and legislation was being prepared to give effect to them, which legislation would bo ready, he hoped, to be submitted to Parliament next session. The intention is to make such arrangements for prospecting and investigation of resources as will ensure a thorough exploration of the whole mineral wealth of the country. The Minister' said that to give effect to the scheme it wouldbe necessary to have 'some reorganisation and a full staff of experts in the service of the Mines Department in order that samples and suggestions might bo more rapidly reported upon than was possible at present.