LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 259, 29 July 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Makura, according to a Press Association (olegi'imi from Auckland, did not bring any Knglisli mail matter this trip, but carried a heavy American mail.

The Aoting-Postmnster-Geiieral announces that, in accordance with an instruction issued by tlio Imperial Post Office, the use of the words "British Expeditionary Force," or the abbreviation "8.E.F..".in the address of letters, etc., for troops in France, Belgium, and Germany, should now bo discontinued, nnd the'following addresses adopted:—(l) In the ensa of the British troops in France and Flanders, "British troops in France." (2) In the case of the British Army of the Rhine, "British Army of the Rhino."

The train from the Wairarapa whioli should reach Wellington at 10 p.m. was iz> minutes late last night. Tho weather had something to do with the delay, but the chief cause was prolonged shunting.

Inquiries are being made about tho itinerary of Admiral Jellicoo when he comes to New Zealand. No definite information can yet be given by tho Government. Some little time ago Lord Jellicoo submitted an itinerary to the Government, and the Government returned it to hinj. with some fow' alterations. Of these he, has not yet advised his approval, but 'it is almost certain that he will do so. He is due to arrive in NewZealand on August 19.

The fact that Wellington will receive 75 and Auckland only 17 of the 200 dwellings to be erected b\; the Labour Department, has been the subject of some criticism by a member of the Auckland City Council. "At last meeting of tho council," reports the "New Zealand Herald,'' "Mr. P. 51. Mack-ay commentod upon the allocation. The DeputyMayor said that tho allocation to Auckland was all that had been applied for. Mr. Mackay said that it seemed to him to be a very senseless way of apportioning the houses. They ought to be allocated on a population basis." "If ill'. Mackay had his way," observed the Superintendent of Workers' . Dwellings yosterday, "wo should be erecting houses in towns where there were no applicants,, and stinting towns whero tho applicants were numerous."

A warm welcome was extended to the returning soldiers at Dannevirko yesterday. Tlio Municipal Band was at the station and played patriotic airs, and "Home; Sweet Home," and "See the Conquering Hero Comes." i At Waipawa, the two local bands played selections at the reception to tho returned men.

At the meeting of the Petone Borough Council last evening, the Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) said that since the last meeting of the council, the position with regard to coal supplies for thc'boiough gasworks had not improved. Things had gone from bad to worse and last Friday it had been found necessary to cut out the street lighting in the borough. It had also been found necessary to approach tho Lower Hutt Borough Council, and that body had agreed to the cutting out of street lighting, and had also agreed to a reduction of tlw existing pressure from 4 inches to 3 inches. Mr. Appleynrd, the gas manager, stated that at the present time the coal in stock was sufficient for only 43 hours, and it would probably be Friday before additional supplies would be secured. The coal was wharf in.Wellington, but owing to. various reasons had hot been unloaded. There was a possibility of securing 'a few tons of coal from, tho Railway Department on Tuesday, but the sroatest economy would have to bo exercised if the present supply weVe to last out.

A record of tho part played in tho war by tho old boys, masters, and ex-masters of Wellington College has been compiled, and it has just been issued in a war number of the collego magazine, "Tho Wollingtonian." Tho record of the college has been a wonderfully fino one. In tho long lists covering pages of print uro the names of all those who laid down their lives, of those whoisufl'ered wounds, and of those who gained decorations. There are also 140 photographs of old boys who lost their lives in tho war, these 'being nil the photos available of tiieso men. A summary of the members on tho Roll of Honour shows tho following figures:—Died on activo seryiec or missing 222. wounded 314, on' active service or in camp 1690, distinctions and decorations 195. Among the decorations were: Victoria Cross 1, two bars to D.S.O. 1, bar to D.S.O. 1, D.S.O. 13.

Another demobilisation state has been received by the Defence Minister, showing tho numbers ,of men still in the United Kingdopi on July 19. 'Following is the record of the strength of the Expeditionary Force:—ln France )2,-'in the United Kingdom 0002, patients in hos.pitals in tho United Kingdom (ISO, men with wives and families in tho United Kingdom 1016, nurses and Red Cross .workers to be evacuated 56; total number evacuated from the United Kingdom sinco the armistice, 40,165. .

A trade union representative, addressing tho Arbitration Court yesterday, claimed upon the authority of a local tailor that an indigo serge suiting which cost the tailor Bs. 6d, per yard in 19M now cost him 355.

What sort of a man do you think I am?" asked the defendant in a separation case of a witness in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday. "I don't think you are a man at all," replied tho witness, "and, further, I will say there are three sorts of men I don't like —lirst a liar, second a crawler, and third a two-faced man. and during the time I've known you I've found you to be tho lot." "Thank you," returned the defendant.

A Gisborno poultry-owner has in his possession a double egg, says the "Poverty Bay Herald." It has a perfect outer shell 3Jin. in length and 2}in. across. This was broken by accident, and the intorior revealed a complete egg' inside the yoke of t:he other. Tho shape of tho egg is symmetrical, and 110 different from an ordinary one excopt for its abnormal size.

An unusual accident occurred during a football match at Gisborno 011 Monday last, says tho "Poverty Bay Herald." W. M. Burt, when scoring a try for Kowing Club in tho match against V.M.P., struck his thigh with considerable force against the teeth of one of the opposing side, and sustained a cut about an inch and a half in length. The wound was attended to and cleaned. Next day tho limb was swollen, and Dr. Gunn, who was called in, discovered that virulent septic poisoning had set in. and the patient was immediately operated upon. Ho is now making good progress toward recovery.

in support of her application for sep(iratiiin, maintenance, ami guardianship orders, a woman stated, in her evidence yesterday at tho Magistrate's Court, that sho had five children, and her husband imd failed to provide her with adequate maintenance. Sho had to exist on dry bread, and sometimes bread and dripping. Any extras were given lior and the iliililren by neighbours, who also gavo tliom clothing. After paying tho rent sho had ,£t 13s. left to buy food for herself, her husband, and fivo children, and to buy clothing. After hearing the evidence His Worship grunted the separation.

It was slaled by tho Mayor of Petone at the council meeting last evening that a company proposed to erect a tar-dia-tilling plant at the western end of the foreshore, on some land owned b.v the Wellington Harbour Board.

At the Petone Borough Council meeting last night attention was drawn to advertisements inserted by the Government asking for offers of land suita.blo for the erection of workers' dwellings. It was pointed out by several councillors that the Government already owned a largo number of sections in tho Wilford Settlement suitable for the proposed buildings, and it was decided that the Under-Secretary of Lands be written to drawing his attention to the large areas of land available, and also reminding him of a promise made to tho Mayor of Petone that the sections in the Wilford Settlement should bo offered for sale.

Tho Rev. J. E. Ward, Presbyterian Maori missioncr, speaking of a, special trip to tho Urewera Natives (staffs the Auckland "Star"), sniil that the portion pf tho country where formerly Rua held sway is uow very quiet. The "prophet:" is living quietly at Mangapohatu, and his temple has been demolished. The Government has acquired much native land thereabouts.' Non-sellers of land i.n tho blocks being acquired are debarred from using timber on their land, which imposes a hardship on Natives. Roads in Tuiioo and Hotorua districts are only just passable for motor traffic. With prison labour and suitable metal available, 'it should be possible to considerably enhance tho natural 'beauties and reading system of tho Hotorua district. There was much inquiry for land around Galatea, but he had heard of no successful applicant. One largo block had been tied up for over 20 years. The Urewera forpsts on the lower slopes were ripo for timber milling, but no timber options so far had been authorised. Tho Natives were, industrious, raising stock and cutting 'large quantities of grass seed. It had been suggested that access to the inner Tulioe could be obtained by "locking" the Whakatano River in places, and by similar treatment of other streams, so as to allow loss to- be either barged or rafted down the slrenm—a , cheaper method than a light railway.

The Wellington branch of the Educational Institute decided last night, on tho recommendation" of tho Management Committee, to support the Canterbury branch in asking that "weekly attendance" should be substituted for "average attendance" in fixing the grades of primary schools. Teachers urged that schools ought to be graded and staffed on their roll number, without regard to fluctuations in attendance caused by bad weather or other factors.

A Press Association message from Wanganui slates that an elderly man naiyed Alfred Franklyn Hoy was removed to the hospital on Sunday morning from the Central Polico Station cells suffering from the effects of poisoning. He was locked up on Saturday, and was found to Ixj in a bad way. At 10.30 p.m. ho told the police that ho had taken poison. A Press Association message from Taihapo states that a man named Timothy Piekard Christian was committed for trial yesterday on a charge of indccent assault on a girl eleven years of age.

"The. most useful degree a teacher can have at timo is tile Bachelor of Commerce degree, which takes in economics, history, English, geography —actual subjects taught in the schools," said M.r. C. N. llaslam at the meeting of the Teachers' Institute last night. "This teacher can take his Arts degree without touching tho subjects that he will teach. Yet a B.A. degree will givo a teacher a certificate, while the JJ.C'om. degree would not carry any degree at all with it."

Visiting Wellington at the pfesent time is Mrs. Griorson, who recently disposed of the greater part of her' Wairakei property - (near Taupo) to a company, which proposes to, develop ihe thermal wonders of that weird and amazing district. Mrs. Gricrson says that the estate. of some 4000 acres, was originally purchased from the Natives thirty-eight years ago, and had been in the possession of the Gricrson family up till the time the company took it over. The new owners propose to extend the existing accommodation, and erect, in concrete, a big up-to-date spa for the comfort and convenience of tourists. On account of the war—which disrupted the tourist traffic, of the ivlic'ti world—'Wairakei had suffered durijicr the pa«f four years, Iml that it had n great future as a tourjsl; resort, no one had any doubt, and they looked forward with confidence to tho time when it; would lip connected wifli (!i<* N»w Zealand railway svsteni. by the "xtnnsion if th" branch railway from the Uotorua line, the terminus of which was now onlv fourteen miles from Wairakei

Mr, Arthur H. Lucas, of the tendinis stuff ,ot the Sydney Grammar School, who, during the absence of the headmaster at. the ,\ynr, was acting-hcad of tho school, met with an extraordinary accidcnt recently, says the Sydney "Sun." lie was shot, and the antics of the bullet wero remarkable. Mr. Lucas was walking on to the Mortuary. Station at Regent Street, to attend a funeral, when lie-heard tho faint report of a firearm. Almost simultaneously he ielt flight concussion in the head, cull became somewhat dazed, though he recovered quickly. When he reached the cemetery, and took off his hat. ho observed three bullet-holes in it. Ho then for tho first time noticed that the lower lid of his right eye was very sore. Mr. Lucas asked a friend to examine his eye, and when this man pulled down the lid he found embedded in tho corner a'small bullet used in pea-rifles. Ho extracted it, although tho lead had not punctured the membrane. Mr. Lucas sain that the rifle must have been aimed high, for tho bullet came, from above, entered the crown of tho hat, then emerged at the right side, and deflected again to the rim. It passed through this, struck him 011 the exterior of the lower eyelid, and, glancing upwards, glided along the eyeball. Tho force of tho bullet was almost completely spent bv tho time it struck the eye, for Mr. Liicas stated that he does not recollect even feeling it.

• Americans who believe that the United States expeditionary forces wero tljo best equipped and best fed of all the belligerents have been hearing somo plain statements from such authorities as Captain Archie Roosevelt, son of tho lato exPresident, and Captain Edward Richenbacker, America's "Ace of Aces," who has 26 air victories to his credit. Captain Roosevelt, in a magazine article, directs attention to what he calls tho "roseate falsities" circulated by those who wished to show what their efforts accomplished, and in refutation of "deliberate lies" mentions, the supplies received by his division when in. tho •trenches, nine months after the United States had declared war. Tho boots were mostly English and' French, which did uot. fit and caused most of the men's foot troubles. _ In the Battle of Cantigny the men in the Captain's own comnany wore boots supplied by ex-President Roosevelt and Mrs. Archie Roosevelt. A great many of the uniforms worn by the men in his division wero British, actually equipped with buttons stamped with the Royal insignia, and while some men naturally resented the wearing of foreign' coats, most of llieni were only too glad to do so, as they wero far superior, to tho thin, shoddy American uniforms. Their caps wero French, and those later arriving from tho United .States wero so ridiculous that even the General Staff mado no effort to enforce their use. Tho artillery 'used was French, drawn by condemned French horses, and the signal equipment French, with instructions written in French. Tho rifles wero American j but some companies entered the war zone armed with iv-hat Captain Roosevelt believes to be condemned militia pieces. In most cases, ho savs, officers evinced an ineradicable purpose to fight tho Germans on Indian war principles, and the Staff work was execrable, causing blunders that worked havoc with tho moral and cost many lives.

On Saturday evening, July 19, .T. C. Williamson, Ltd., inaugurated a season of grand opera at Jler Majesty's Theatre, Svdnov, with the double bill "Cavalloria liustidana" and "I Pagliacci." Other operas announced for ihe succocding week were "La lioheme," and "II Trovatorc." Mi.--; Army Castles has l)een engaged, and the performances are being given under tho baton of .Mr. Gustav Slnpofi'ski. The cast associated with tho season will have tliat identified with the recent lii"0 season in Melbourne as its nucleus. These include Misses I'atti Russell, Nellie Leach. Stella Wilson, Elsio Troweelt, Leah Afycrs, Thehna Carter, Vera Bedford, anil Gladys Verona. Amongst the men aro Messrs. Balboni, Fillipim, Cacc.ialli, Lois, Goossons, Collier, and Mura--10017.

On July -1 last there appeared a cablegram in the New- Zealand Press, originating from Paris, dealing with the Convention undeF which the Imperial, Australian, and New Zealand Governments are to take, over the interests of the Pacific Phosphate Company, which up to the present has worked the deposits at Nauru island. In the cablegram an error crept in in transmission, and tho message read: "Tho company holds little that the war did not invalidate l /' The cablegram as it was originally lodged and should have read but for mutilation in transit stated, "The company holds a 'title,' which the war did not.invalidate.'

A Dunedin merchant tho other day gave an "Otago Times" representative his idea of tlie chief cause of the high cost of living. lie stated that the large amount of borrowed money, and the increased issue of paper money by the bunks, had caused un of what might bo termed artificial money, and that as a result there was a tendency to pay moro than its actual value for land, for instance, with a general upward trend in tho prices of produce. Another [joint put forward for the high cost of living was that no matter how high prices soared, tho average housewife exercised no restraint in purchasing in the face of the heavy prices asked. Tho merchant went on to say that if tho general purchaser would only refrain from buying at high values, and ask for an article of a more or liTs similar character at a lower cost, the tendency must be to lower tho price of most high-cost commodities.

Union meetings of the employees at the Point Elizabeth and Liverpool State mines recently; carried the following resolutionWe 'protest against tho detention of Paul Freeman, and demand that he be given an open trial, at which all evidence should be produced, so that ho would be alile to defend himself. We consider his deportation and detention is an outrageous act of militarism and injustice, nnd a violation of the fundamental, principles oi' human liberty." The miners have forwarded tho resolution to the secretary of the New Zealand Federation, requesting him to transmit it to tho authorities in Australia. Another resolution carried by a meeting of the same union was forwarded to Sir James Allen. It read as follows:—"We view with indignation tho spirit of vindictiveness and savage brutality displayed by tho New Zealand Government in dealing with conscientious objectors and all offenders under the' Military Service Act and its regulations. We demand the release of all persons suffering imprison;uent under the War Regulations', as their release is the only just and element method of asking nil tbe people in New Zealand to participate ill the colebraiton of peace. The war being over, we contend that there is no need for the retention of tho regulations that hamper, the full and free discussion of all matters that affect the welfare of nations and peoples; and therefore we demand tho repeal of all the regulations that in anyway affect the ( liberty of the people, tho freedom of speech, or the rights of unionists."

An extraordinary statemeut as to a secret appeal which is being made throughout the Dimboola district on behalf of German and Austrian prisoners was made at a conference in Melbourne of country delegates of the Keinroed Sailors' and Soldiers' League (says an Australian paper). Mr. W. T. Laycook (Dimboola) said that a pamphlet was being circulated in the district secretly. Every man who received a copy had to sign it. It was marked.us originating with the Society of Friends in London,and its purpose was to' raise funds for distressed Herman and Austrian prisoners. The money was to be sent to Germany. Collections were being taken up from houso to house. "We have the names of men who have shamefacedly told us that they have subscribed to it," continued Mr. Laycock. "One statement on the pamphlet is .that its contents must not be given to the public Press. It goes- on to tell of the wonderful work Germany did for enemy aliens in Germany during the war, and describes how well they were fed and clothed. We secured some of the pamphlets—never mind how. We locked them up in our office, after making typewritten copies, which we deposited elsewhere. Before we had the pamphlets 21 hours somebody 'went through' place and got them. AVo then took' out the typewritten copies, but had not them out for 10 minutes before they disappeared. Four of us were watching at tho time, but they were taken away somehow. These pamphlets state that tho appeal is authorised under the Defence of the Realm Act, 191 G." Tho president (Sir. Palmer) said that ho would at orice bring the matter under the notice of the Repatriation Department, which had control of appeals. He would also direct the attention of the Intelligence section of the Defence Department to the statements made.