Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1918. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1865, 17 August 1918, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1918. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Of 105 sections taken up by returned soldiers in the Wellington Province, 29 have been forfeited. It is officially announced that Lenin (the Bolshevik leader) has declared that Russia is at war with the Allies. The senior and junior teams of the Palmerston and Napier High Schools mot on the Palmerston Showgrounds yesterday afternoon. The juniors’ game resulted in a draw, and the senior contest resulted in a win for Palmerston by 11 points to nil. Why bother making cakes when there is such a good assortment at Perreuu’s / * ,

The friends of Mr H. Coley will regret to learn that he is at present seriously ill with an attack of appendicitis.

The Queen of the South, from M ellington with a. cargo of general, is due to-morrow morning. Sluj will sail again for Wellington on Monday night with hemp.

There is at present on view in the rooms, opposite the Town Hall, in which the technical classes in woodwork carry on their operations, a display of articles of furniture made by pupils during the past quarter. The articles are very well finished, and of excellent and popular design, and relied great credit upon thq instructor and pupils.

Thursday was the fourth anniversary of the departure of the Samoan advance guard from New Zealand. The force, which consisted of between 1.100 and 1,200 men, sailed from Wellington early in the morning of August 151 h, 1914, and arrived at Samoa on August 30th, according to New Zealand time, Apia was occupied without opposition on the same day.

Al the fortnightly meeting of the local Druids’ Lodge held last night, Bro. E. G. Martin was appointed to carry out the secretarial duties from the time the Lodge secretary (Bro. A. Smith) goes into camp, until tho end of the current half-year (November 30th). During the evening P.D.P. Bro. Woods presented Bro. T. Chaffey with a framed PastArch diploma, and congratulated him on the able manner in which ho had carried out his work during the time he occupied office.

The day was drawing to a close. Judge, jurors, witnesses and lawyers all were growing weary. Counsel for the prosecution was crossexamining the defendant. “Exactly how far is it between the two towns?” he asked at length. For some time Pa,ddy stood thinking, then: “About four miles as the cry Hows,” came the answer. “You mean ‘as the tlow cries,” corrected the man of law. The judge leaned forward, “No,” he remarked, sauvely, “he means ‘as the fly crows.’ ” And they all looked at one another, feeling that something was wrong somewhere.

Speaking at Napier, Mr J. \V. Foynton, S.M., (old how education may regenerate a nation. Denmark, after the war with Germany in 18(54, seemed a hopeless case. But the Danes realised that their salvation must come not by arms, but by education and industry, applied to their meagre resources, and the result has astonished the world. De- 1 fore the present war they were able to export millions of pounds worth of cheese, butter, bacon and other farm products. A country less than one-seventh the size of New Zealand supports millions of people, besides exporting much to her neighbours.

A meeting' of I lie committee of Hu* local Bowling Club was bold last night, when the question of getting the green in readiness for the opening of the seasoit was fully discussed. It was decided to have “working bees’ on the ground every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon, and all members able to do so aro asked to be on the green as often as possible on these afternoons. The committee will make arrangements for any necessary work requiring to lie done at any other time. Several accounts were passed for 'payment. Next Wednesday afternoon seed is to lie sown on the croquet lawns, and it is also intended lo give the bowling green a light top-dressing.

“It takes all sorts lo make a world,” is an oft-heard remark. One of the sorts is a species of “conscientious objector,” in a state of doubt, apparently, as to whether he is in,this world or another. In expostulation against a call to camp, he has written to the Defence Department : —“As a born-again man. (John iii. :3), I can have nothing whatever to do with this world’s wars, politics, associations, or such like, because, being a child of God (John iii. : 2)’, 1 am not of this world, even as He (Jesus) is not of (he world (John xvii. However, the man’s uncertainty as to his position on this planet is only in regard to military service. He had interested himself- in such worldly matters as a dairy farm and a mortgage. He mentioned the mortgage in his appeal for exemption.

The adventurous career of a Maori youth named Hori Keri has again been interrupted. Though quite young, lie has already escaped from the Weraroa Training Kami on several occasions, and each time used his liberty lor various offences. On the last occasion he induced several other boys to run away with him, and they made a camp, furnished with stolen goods, on the banks of the Otaki river. Hori Keri escaped when the constable came along at 2 o'clock one morning, and is alleged to have broken into a house, stolen (among other things) a cheque book, and has since been using the cheques for the purpose of raising money. The Wellington police have now been informed that he has been arrested in the Taranaki district on a charge of forgery and uttering. Oh, what a blessing to possess Provision for each winter stress; A well kept home where yon obtain Snug shelter from the wind and rain. A coal tire always burning bright, To cheer you from the gale-swept night; And when you’re sick with cold, are .sure Of warmth and Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. 23,

A woman at Acton Police Court, London, referred to another woman in the following graphic phrase; “I would not lower myself to speak to her. In fact, I have seen better things than her crawl out of cheese!” •

Edwin Day, an Englishman, formerly in charge of a munition plant in Bussia, avlio refuged at Vancouver, states that Baron Stunner, the* ex-Bussian Minister, was responsible for the death of Lord Kitchener. Stunner, who was German born, and a sympathiser with Germany, knew Kitchener sailed in the Hampshire for Bussia, and informed Germany. After the Hampshire was sunk Stunner disappeared. The Golden Bay Cement Works at Terakoho were partially destroyed by tire a few days ago. As far as could be gathered, the fire occurred, in the drying-room, the cause being apparently bell friction. The lire was confined to the one room, but did considerable damage before it was put out. The amount of dam* ago is variously estimated at from £I,OOO to £4,000, but probably tins is over-estimated, (hough considerable damage lias undoubtedly been done to the machinery in the room affected.

The Bev. Howard Elliott had a big meeting and a good hearing at Wanganui on Wednesday night. The P.P.A. organiser attacked the Herald for refusing to publish an advertisement sent in by Protestants. Editor Wehb-Jones replied that he refused the advertisement to save sectarian trouble. Mr Elliott, then said: “We are now as well organised as the Boman Catholic Church, and we are going to have fair play from the press. We only want them to be fair to us. If they do that, oven though they speak against us, we shall have nothing to say. But if a paper is not fair to us, we shall ask our people to cut th'at paper off.” •

“But how are we going to make up the loss in revenue if Prohibition is carried?” The National Efficiency Board carefully weighed this matter and comments thus; “The people should be better able to provide the necessary taxation if the inefficiency at present created by the effects of alcohol is removed. Less expenditure will be required in connection with the Police and Prisons Departments, the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards, the mental asylums, the inebriate homes, and for other public institutions.” Surely the electors should have an opportunity of voting on so important a proposal. The Alliance Monster Petition will give us the poll.*

Sister Kilgour, one time on duty in the hospital ship Maheno, and now matron of the Old People’s Home at Awapuni, gave a very interesting account of the work engaged in by that ship during the early part of the war, in the Town Hall supper-room on Wednesday afternoon. Despite the inclement weather, there was a good attendance. The sister spoke of the trip made in conveying wounded from Gallipoli, and subsequently across the Channel from Prance. The various incidents recorded by Sister Kilgour were full of interest, and were keenly appreciated. At the conclusion, the speaker received a hearty vote of thanks for her very interesting and instructive address. Afternoon tea was dispensed, and a very pleasant time indulged in.

The recruiting authorities have decided that for the future ail medical examinations of reservists must take place in the districts in which the reservists reside. A Mauawatu reservist, for example, will not be allowed to be medically boarded in Christchurch, Wellington, or Auckland. The examination of reservists outside their districts has caused trouble in the past, complaints having been made that those so examined were seeking special favours away from their own districts. Applications for re-examination must be made in all cases to the group commander. He will transmit application to district medical headquarters, by whom a decision will hq forwarded to the Director of Recruiting, who will advise the applicant of the result.

Describing the benzine-store tire at Auckland on Monday, the Star states: “There was a big blaze in Beach Hoad to-day, when between 7,000 and 8,000 cases of benzine, stored in a shed, were destroyed by a lire that lasted fur over three hours. The outbreak occurred shortly after 10 o’clock, and the alarm was quickly given to the City Brigade, but the highly inliammable contents of the building blazed up almost immediately, and when the brigade arrived they were faced with a practically hopeless task. The 11anies soon enveloped the whole of the larger of the two buildings, and in spite of the half-dozen leads of hose that were brought into play, the fire lasted until the structure collapsed and the whole of the contents were destroyed. While it lasted the lire was an impressive spectacle. As case after case of spirit exploded, and ignited huge flames shot into the air, and great clouds of black and grey smoke burst upwards for hundreds of feet. The firemen were handicapped by the nature of the building—a corrugated iron structure without windows—and had to play the hose through the single door in the front of the building, and from the railway line at the back. A smaller building adjoining caught alight, and for a time the benzine stored here was also threatened. The brigade managed to keep the flames back, and enable a party of men to remove a portion of the contents, and eventually this building, though badly damaged, was saved.”

A meeting of the Moutoa Drainage Board is convened for Thursjay, 22nd inst., at 7.45 p.m. Business : to deal with rating.

One of Aushburton’s earliest settlers, Mr James Storey Bland, died on Tuesday* night at his home at Winehmore, in his sixty-ninth year. His family consists of four sons and four daughters, the former being settlers in the country.

Miss Edwards, daughter of Mr and Mrs G. Edwards, of (he Ladies’ Mile, took suddenly ill this week, ami her condition was such that her removal to Palmerston Hospital was necessary. From inquiries made we learn that there is no marked change in her condition.

Jack Johnson, who is now in Madrid, has expressed a desire to get into the American army and fight for his country. “There is no position,” he says, “that yon could appoint me to that I would consider too rough, or too dangerous. lam willing to light and die for my country. I cannot offer any more.”

The death is announced from Christchurch of Mr Bonaid Opie as the result of a motor accident that, occurred a month ago. Mr Opie was a prominent amateur sprinter, winning the Australasian championship, also representing the Dominion at the Empire Carnival in England in 1911. He was a schoolmaster, and the son of Mr C. H. Opie, chairman, of the Education Board.

“A fine record” is the phrase which the Hon. G. W. Russell used at Wellington otr Thursday in re* gard to New Zealand’s provision of public hospitals. He gave the following figures; —Total cost, £1,650,000, comprising £293,000 for land, £1,105,000 for buildings, and £192,000 for equipment. The revenue for the year 1917 was £705,000, thus: — Contributed by the Government, £221,000; rate levies, £200,000; voluntary contributions, £18,000; rents, £15,000; fees paid by patients, £231,000; other sources, £20,000. The total annual expenditure on hospitals and charitable aid was £603,000 (11s per head of population).

The Hon. J. A. Hanan (Minister for Education), replying to a deputation yesterday, stated that in some quarters vicious attacks had been made upon him because certain of the proposals for new schools, additions to playgrounds, and additions to existing buildings had not been rushed into operation. But his Ministerial colleagues, who knew of his efforts on behalf of education, would know how unfair such criticism was. No Minister could gel his own way in regard to everything he submitted to Cabinet; and each had to be loyal to his colleagues. To provide for all the educational improvements proposed would cost £1,000,090, expended over a period. In one breath, the Minister pointed out, some people opposed the exemption of teachers from military service, and in the same breath they asked for a reduction, in the size of classes in the schools. There was an acute shortage of teachers throughout the Dominion, but to carry out some of the proposed reforms an adequate supply of properly-trained teachers was absolutely essential. This could not be achieved in a day; and he. was not responsible for the present state of affairs.

“We want more population; that is a primary necessity of this country,” stated the Minister of Public. Health on Thursday. As one result of the war, he said, the public debt would be increased by probably about £100,000,000, and the annual payment of war pensions might be about £2,000,000. The Dominion would not be able to carry on successfully without an increase of population —and the best possible increase would be in a belter birthrate. It was estimated that if the rate of the year 188(1 had been maintained there would have been 240,000 more people in New Zealand now —and, of course, many of those would have been of an age now to be fathers and mothers. Numbers of persons committed a sin against God and the race by the methods they adopted to limit the birth-rate, From the economic viewpoint, the State must recognise that population had its value. It was the duty of the State to stand by the fathers and mothers who accepted the responsibility of having children, and to assist them by direct cash payments in bringing up their families.

The arrest, trial, conviction, and .sentence of a young man in Syracuse, Slate of New York, for idling in wai* time lias peculiar interest as marking the first pronounced and clear-cut case of the kind under the anli-loadng” law in the State named. lie had committed no offence in an ordinary sense. He was not a vagrant, for he had money. The new statute, however, had made him an offender, subject to penal correction, in that he was performing no useful labour at a time when the industries of the country, as well as the army and navy, were in great need of man-power. This young man said that he had never worked, did not (ind it necessary to work; in fact, would not work. But he will work, nevertheless, since he was sentenced to six months’ hard labour in the county penitentiary. The‘possession of “visible means of support” (comments, an American writer), formerly excused this type of idler. He could fritter his time away, while the penniless loafer was constantly liable to arrest for vagrancy. War is a leveller in more senses than one. When your child cannot sleep because of cold in the head, use NAZOL. Sprinkle some drops on nightgown or pillow. Quick relief will follow. Sixty doses 1/6,