LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 96, 17 January 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

“The mail services from New Zealand to the Old Country are very badly disorganised,” said Captain Hartman, of the Pakeha, to a Dominion reporter yesterday. “However, on our ship, we have brought cargo with its full complement of bills of lading, etc., as we made them up on the ship during the voyage, as a favour to the consignors.” After the arrival of the Pakeha in Wellington yesterday, four passengers were removed io the Wellington Hospital, suffering from .minor ailments. “As soon as we know what the new President and his Government will do with regord to tariff and protection, we shall be able to make up our minds about commercial representation in the United States,” the Prime Minister informed a reporter on Saturday. It has frequently been stated that New Zealand is inadequately represented in the United States, and recently it was reported that American Press statements harmful to the interests of this country were being allowed to pass uncontradicted.

Information has been received that 300 of the New Zealanders, who have been stranded in Sydney were able to leave on the Manuka on Thursday last. It is expected that 350 more will sail next Thursday. There will then be about 300 remaining unless additional transport is found in the meantime.

In Saturday's Dominion it was stated that a man named John Lawrence, an ex-employee of the Railway Department, appeared’ at the Court on charges relating to sums of money missed by the Department. This should have read John Lawrence Sullivan. Mr. John Lawrence, a clerk at Lambton Station, is in no way connected with the charges. Excellent work is being accomplished by tho 164 Cadets from the various secondary schools throughout New Zealand, who are in training at the G.H.Q. school, Trentham. Tho school is divided into three classes, jthe boys receiving fourteen days’ concentrated training in one of each of the following subjects: Drill, musketry, and physical training. On Saturday afternoon a start was made with the series of tournaments for the district championships, which include rifte shooting, boxing, and general sports. Shooting matches were fired .on. Saturday, and this afternoon will be devoted to the cricket finals. A boxing tournament will begin to-nightl, and will end to-morrow night. About 103 boys will take part in the boxing contests. On Wednesday a sports meeting will take place, and good entries have been received for all events.

The supply of artificial limbs to South African War veterans was a. subject of discussion at the meeting of the executive of the Auckland Returned Soldiers Association at its last meeting. The secretary, Mr. E. F. Andrews, explained that about two years ago he obtained an artificial limb from tho Government for a veteran. He applied again for a duplicate, but this tftne received a letter from the Director-General of Medical Service, Brigadier-General D. J. M Gavin stating that it had been ruled that South African veterans were not to receive medical treatment for war disabilities at the expense of the Government. It was decided that the Minister of Defence, Sir R. iTleaton Rhodes, be interviewed, and that also the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association be written to on the matter. . . The computation of the regimental histories of the various units which comprised tho New Zealand Expeditionary Force has now been in hand for some considerable time. It will be of interest to those who served with the New Zealand Engineers to know that the history of that branch of the service is receiving attention. A committe, with Lieutenant-Colonel G. Barclay, of Dunedin, as convener, was set up some time ’to supervise the work. The services of a writer were obtained, and the history, so far as the operations of the field aro concerned, is now well in hand. A certain amount ot difficulty was at the outset experienced in collecting information with inspect to) the various distinct unite of which the New Zealand Engineers consisted, each carrying out its own special duties and each foiming an integral part of the whole force. There were the field companies, with their divisional headquarters and training and reserve depot, the Divisional Signal Company, the New Zealand Tunnelling Company, the New Zealand Railway Operating Company tho signal (loop and the field troop (botii of winch operated with the Mounted Brigade on Egypt and Palestine), the New Zealand postal services, and the wireless troop which was sent from New Zealand to Mesopotamia. It is satisfactory to know, however, that the difficulties aro being overcome, and that the work is expected to reach completion in tho near future.—Dunedin “Star.”

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“Natator” writes.—“lt was with no little interest that I read in Friday’s Dominion instructions issued by the G. 11.5. School at Trentham governing bathing parades. It detailed that only good swimmers were to be allowed to use the pool, poor swimmers must bathe below the pool, and non-swimmers not at all. What might have appeared was an instruction to the good swimmers to teach the non-swimmers the easiest of all exercises. But no—non-swimmers in this hot weather must not bathe in the river, and must keep on being non-swimmers. Would it not pay the authorities to erect a graded swimming bath in or near the river where all the men who go into camp from time to time may be taught to swim? Already two valuable young lives have been lost in the river this month for tho lack of a little instruction, which might with perfect reason be included in the military training curriculum."

interesting references io the development of wireless telegraphy appeared in the November bulletin issued by the Department of Overseas Trade. The bulletin stated-.—The efforts which are. being made by the Marconi Company, in their endeavour to develop and render efficient a system to make wireless telegraphy proof against listening-in, are shortly to be put to a practical test. Marconi's are erecting a new station near Geneva for the purpose of transmitting to London the reports of tho League of Nations Assembly. These reports will first be passed to- a special section, where they will lie converted into Morse code ciphers punched ou paper tape by a specially-designed machine. This punched tape is then fed into another specially constructed transmitting instrument, which will transmit at the rate of 100 words per'minute. The messages thus sent will be received at a special station in Essex, where they will first, be taken down on a high-speed phonograph record, and then placed on a slow-speed phonograph from which operators can transcribe them. Should, this system prove effective it is believed that, the problem of rendering* wireless proof against eavesdropping w’ill have been solved, for, with transmission at such a high rate of speed, a listener-in will heat only a constant, high-pitched note, rendering it impossible for the most expert operator to transcribe. Much- will; presumably, depend, in the future, upon the tuning of the sets, as otherwise it would appear (hat with similar instruments listening-in could still be accomplished. Mr. S. Turner, of Wellington, has been in the district for some days on a combined visit of business and pleasure (says the Hawera “Star”). He is accompanied ' by two of his daughters, and with them climbed Mount Egmont last weekend. This makes his twenty-sixth ascent of Egmont. He will probably be leaving for London towards the end of the year with his daughter, Miss Muriel Turner, who will study music in London. Mr. Turnel- hopes to be included in the party being organised to climb Mount Everest, and has sent a request for inclusion.

An inquest was held at Timaru on Saturday touching the death of Arthur Massey, aged 35, who died from injuries caused through falling beneath the wheels of a railway carriage while attempting to board the Oamaru train at Pareora, on Friday. A Press Association message states that a formal verdict was returned. Discussing the wool situation with a “N.Z. Herald” reporter, Sir Thomas Mackenzie, ex-.Uigh Commissioner T>v New Zealand in London, expressed the opinion that the. British wool controliei made a great mistake in endeavouring to get the very high prices he put on the staple product, especially after the armistice had been signed. He (Sir Thomas) knew that the British Government was advised by capable experts to lessen the issue price, particularly for the coarser wools, because it was apparent that there would be a lessened demand, and consequently more wool on hand. But instead of reducing the price it was increased, and that largely stopped its use. the manufactured article being above the purchasing power of the great majority of users. Sir Thomas Mackenzie brought this matter up before the Overseas Committee of Trade over twelve months ago, pointing out what the consequence would he. One of the members present, a very active and competent blanket maker. Sir Algernon Firth, stated at the meeting that he was unable tp get wools which ho required, and that the price was exceedingly high for what ho did get. Later on Sir Thomas Mackenzie called attention to the condition of affairs at a dinner given bv Lord Northcliffe, quoting the very high prices asked for wool, and indicating that they wouhl inevitably stop the use of the commodity. The wool controller, in an interview he gave a newspaper, quoted figures which caused the editor to deduce that he expected from £80,000,000 l<» .£100,000,000 profit from his Australasian wool, over and above the 55 per cent, advance above pre-war prices. 11l this brought about the congestion. . the results uf which were being experienced to-dav.

The housing of tho photographic reflecting telescope, costing between .£20,900 and £30,000, which has been promised by the Yale University authorities provided the New Zealand Government build an observatory on a tested site and erect residences for the staff, seems to.' have aroused a spirit of competition between Canterbury and Otago (says the Dunedin “Star”). Dr. Adams, Government astronomer, has visited a number of sites in the South Island and reported to the Government, who will make the final decision. The Otago Expansion League has used its best endeavours to have the instrument housed in Otago Central, and the Canterbury Progress League is equally anxious to have it at Takamatua Hill, near Akaroa. Nothing can be done Until n definite reply is received from the Yale authorities, and the Government makes its decision.