NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 January 1919, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

RETURNING DRAFTS. THE LATEST ARRANGEMENTS. WHEN NAMES ARE AVAILABLE. WELLINGTON, this day. Close to the shores of New Zealand, or to be on the water by February 10, are 10,500 New Zealand soldiers returning from England. There are also three ships en route from Egypt with New Zealanders, carrying about 1400 men, aaid due about the end of this month.

Publication of these facts usually results in the Base Records Department being deluged with inquiries from the relatives of soldiers as to whether their particular kinsman is on board one of the saips. This is a vain and fruitless task, disappointing to the relatives and also to a department ainxious to oblige them with news, for the information is not available until a short time before the arrival of the; transport, and immediately it comf-s it is sejut out to the next of kin. It is always possible to forward the embarkation state of a transport ahead of the ship, and the information arrives in ample time to enable relatives to make arrangements for the reception of their soldier friends. But unless Base Records receives the embarkation state, it is in no better position than the relatives to say whether particular men are on any ship. Fourteen days before the probable date of the arrival of a transport, a notice is sent to the soldier's next of kin, stating that he will arrive within the next fortnight. Relatives should await tue arrival of this notification, for earlier enquiries will produce negative results, simply causing congestion of work in a busy department. Finally, from the "first port of arrival of the vessel, a telegram is sent to the next of kin stating that he will reach his home by a particular train, or if immediate hospital treatment is advisable the telegram will give the relatives this information.

INDULGENCE PASSAGES. FOR SOLDIERS' WIVES. WELLINGTON, this day. The position in regard to Indulgence passages granted on ships returning to New Zealand from the Old Count;y is evidently not thoroughly understood in the Dominion, the result being that a heavy demand has set in for free passages for relatives of soldiers who ■wish to visit Prance,, or return from England to the Dominion. There are hundreds of people who believe that indulgence passages are obtainable, but this is not the case. The privilege is necessarily limited, and is going to cost the country a large sum. as all British overseas shipping is under the edntrol of the Admiralty (Ministry of Shipping), to whom the New Zealand Government pays a per capita rate for all persons carried.

Free passages arc only provided for the wives of deceased soldiers who are in England or Egypt, and assisted passages arc available only to wives of soldiers who married since going on active service, or (if married previously) their wives reached the United Kingdom or Egypt before the 31st December, 1917. The Defence Department does not assist in respect to passages to the Dominion for New Zealand soldiers' finances, but the Immigration Department will do so as far as possible. Applications should be made to the Chief immigration Officer, Wellington.

BREACH OF LICENSING LAWS. DANNEVIRKE, this day. Wni. Love, hotclkeeper at Ormondville, was fined £5 and 7s costs for exposing liquor for sale during prohibited hours. Four me}i on the premises were each fined £2 and costs. THE RECENT EPIDEMIC. ■ HEALTH DEPARTMENT TON DE.VIM :d. DANNEV ERICS, this day. The Deunevirke borough councillors fast evening expressed some crj did oniions on the Health Department in connection wtih the influenza epidemic. Dannevirke was fairly hard hit. and the Council decided to support other local bodies in any action they might take to have the Department and its methods reformed. Cr. Thomson considered the Department had been very much at fault in not taking practical measures to meet the situation. Had precautionary measures been taken he believed many people who had lost their lives here would not have died. This was a serious statement, but he thought it was deserved. , Cr. J. Drummond said the Department had failed miserably in its efforts, and deserved the censure of the people of the whole Dominion, and the officers thereof should be shifted from their jobs. Any liody of scientific men caught napping were not worthy to held such important positions.

THE MEAT TRUST.

LEGISLATIVE CHECKS.

WELLINNTON, Jan. 10

The Slaughtering and Inspection i Amendment Act of last year was. passed for the purpose of placing checks on the operations of the Meat. Trust. Regulations- 'under the Act were gazetted last night. They set out the form of the meat export licenses, which will have a currency of one year unless previously revoked. and will be issued on the following conditions: (a) That the licensee will at all times during the currency of the license supply to the Minister of Agriculture all such information as . the Minister shall require regarding the business in respect of which the license is in force, and will if so required by the Minister,, cause any information so supplied to be verified by a statutory declaration; (b) That the licensee will aT all times during the Currency of licenses,, when so required by the Minister of Agriculture afford the Minister or to an officer of the New Zealand Government appointed by him in that behalf, reasonable facilities for examining all books, correspondence or other documents relating to the said business.