GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 3, 7 December 1915, Page 7

GENERAL.

The secretary of the New Zealand Institute of Journalists is at present compiling a roll of honour of all Dominion pressmen who have enlisted for active service abroad. On December 11 the pressmen of Wellington intend to entertain all press soldiers now in the Dominion at a smoke concert.

"How 'nany nips are there to a hot tie of whisky?" asked an examining counsel in an appeal case at. the Wanganui Supreme Court (says the Herald). "About sixteen," replied the. witness, a country hotelkeeper, "but not in the King Country," adding, with a knowing smile, "where the number of nips per bottle are considerably reduced."

j The average trades unionist of today does not know the ABC of trades unionism," declared the Hon. J. Barr, in the course of the stonemasons' dispute at the Christchureh Conciliation Council on Wednesday (says the Press). "He is prepared to take all he can, and give nothing in return, the same a& some of the wealthy families of Canterbury in connection with the war."

A touching incident took place in connection with the preparations for a sale of stock to be" held at Ngangataha in aid of the patriotic fund. A little boy, Benjamin Munro, son ol Mr A. Munro, of llotorua, recently crippled by an accident which caused the loss of his leg, has offered his pony to bo disposed of at the sale, saying that he can no longer ride it, that he wishes to do something to help the wounded soldiers, and that giving his pony is the only way in which he can do so.

One of the nursing sisters with the army at the Dardanelles mentions, in a letter home, the service that is being done by dogs on the-held of battle. Sue says : —"The lied Cross St. Bernard dogs are a great help to us in raiding the wounded, and it is remark able how they know the dead from the unconscious. When they find a luing man they give a low mournful howl to fetch us. We don't let them out till the battle is over, and sometimes we can't tell exactly where they have have found the man; so when no one goes to them they come to u s carrying the man's cap, which lets us know whether he is a Turk or a Britisher, and they lead us to the spot."

During tho course of an.appeal case in tho Wangauui Supreme Court, a witness said that at Ohakune there were people who always had their eyes on the railway .station looking for cases of whisky, and were not satisfied until they had found where it went to, and until they had helped to drink it. His Honor (Mr Justice Edwards) remarked that itwas a very unsatisfactory state of things. '•Unfortunately it is the case," said counsel. "In that case prohibitionstraight out, downright, positive proniijiuon—is required in some- places, replied his Honor. "Perhaps some licensed houses are required," suggested counsel, "it seems ( to me Hiat some respect of law is required," reported his Honor. He went on to say that, jf what the witness said Was true, it was something shocking to any well-constituted mind.

There was au unusual incident at the ChristcJiurch Supreme Court on Friday morning (states the Sun). A long and rather dreary trial was dragging on through its tnird day when a diversion was caused by Wie sudden invasion oi tiie usually-unoccupied gallery by about 30 boy s aud girls. His Honor explained to the wondering counsel and jury that he had given' permission lor the pupils oi' a school to visit' the court and see it at work. The present trial, he thought, was a good example oi the procedure of the court. Although the evidence called while the young .students were present was not particularly thrilling they maintained a kind of stoic interest, i which brightened into something like quiet enthusiasm when a witness produced a number of loaves, cut them up, and solemnly smelt them, and ate a little, in which interesting occupation he was joined by a very staid foreman of the jury. There is nothing particularly undignified in eating, but a man does not look his best while he stands before a smiling gathering, slowly masticating a piece of bread with his eyes fixed on the ceiling in a determined attempt to find any possible trace of mustiness. So far as the children were concerned this was the best part of the morning's entertainment.

A Napier resident made an exciting dive on Saturday morning about two o'clock (says an exchange). After seeing some friends off on the Tarawera he mounted his bicycle to ride borne. Despite the lights being turned oil', the cyclist forced the pace until he struck something hard, and then he found himself and bicycle falling through space, and the next thing he met was the Pacific Ocean scbout 20 feet below the alignment of his original track. Then a rope struck him, and seizing it he was pulled back on to the wharf. In answer to his questions, he was irfformod that he had ridden over the end ot Glasgow wharf.

One of the exhibits in the "bread and Hour cases,'' which has been before the Supreme Court for the last three days (reports the Christchurch Sun), met with a sad fate on Thursday evening. It was a loaf of bread—one ot the many which have converted the Registrar's table into a semblance of a baker's counter—and yesterday it was taken away by a bacteriologist for examination. It was asked for in court to-day, and the scientist went to fetch it—but it was a very sorry specimen of a loaf which he brought hack with him. During the night it had been attacked by rats, and nothing was left but" the merest shell oi' crust. For the purposes of evidence it had been destroyed as completely as if the rats had been subsidised by one of the parties to tho suit. The seriousness of the loss was not toe great to prevent a hearty laugh at the expense of the "germ hunter" who had failed to place the exhibit in his strongroom.

The almost incredible toil of those engaged in the Mesopotamia campaign is faintly described by an artillery officer in a letter homo from which these extracts are made:— . . We

cannot carry nearly enough water one's tongue soon siveljs when the sun gets up. After marching about eight miles we struck .water and got settled into camp at about 8.30 a.m. This was a bad camp on burning sand, and a hot, damp wind blew off the marsh all day. The temperature was 110 degrees, and that. for damp heat is about tho limit of human endurance. A great many men went sick. We lived through the day somehow and moved on again' at 0.30 p.m. . . . We lay down for

the night. This camp was on hard alluvial plain, and the heat \va s awful. In the hospital tent the temperature varied between 125 and 130 degrees. All this time avc were living on tea, sugar, hard cheese, tinned beef, and biscuits. ... 1 covered eight

miles iu about H hours, and my horse was about cooked. My goggles were so hot that they blistered where they touched my face even under the shade of my helmet. . . We got to the rafts, and theu had to push them back to camp through two miles of water from Ift to oft deep.