LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 7564, 7 May 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In two years the number of medical students has risen from 6682 to 9490, of whom 2692 are women (states the Brir.ish "Lancet").

A cable uWsnge to the Australian papers, under date of March 27, .states that the Food Ministry is opening motional r,estrvura.ms in the London parks, reducing the prices, and ousting inefficient private caterers.

The Wellington Provincial Farmers' Union will hold its annual conference.«t the Farmers' Institute, Wellington,' on May 27th and 2 v Sth. Originally the conference was to have been hold in Feilding.

One of the handicaps of the fruit growers of Ha\vkers Bay, the Industries Committee was told, is the difficulty of Retting timber for cases. Last year no fewer than 300.000 cases were sent out of Hawke's Bay. Encouragement to paper mi 11..? to make corrugated paper boxes wsts suggested.

The Southland Education Board decided unanimously on Friday to recom. mend that a teacher who has been aosent on ;io.tive service should have this fact considered when he is graded unds>r the grading scheme. A resolution on these lines will be forwarded to the Minister for Education.

At the meeting of the Borough Council last night, Cr. J. Donaldson asked if there was any possibility of reviewing the Opera House lease. The Mayor replied that the present lease would not run out until next November, and it could not be dealt with in the interim except by mutual arrangement.

" Thinking, hard thinking, is what the Association needs," remarked the general secretary of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association (Mr. W. p. Seymour) at a meeting of tho Wellinff+on Association last Wednesday. " Thinking, hard thinking, is'what the country needs, and in no place is it more needed than is the Government itself." (Applause;.

The Feildmg branch of the Farmers' Union has forwarded tho following le mits to the Provincial Conference to L-e held at Wellington this month: >1) That a local committeeoorir practical far. mers be appointed in each district from time to timn to act with the Land Purchase Board in selecting land for returned soldiers; (2) that in viow of tho serious menace aggregation of land is becoming to the welfare of the country, the Government be urged to take more effective measures to prevent same.

A suggestion arrived at serving the dual purpose of pushing on the preliminary work for the Mangahao Hydro Electric scheme and finding employment for rtturned soldiers who desire such work was made at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce by Mr. A. Harris. His scheme was that the Public Works Department should cut up its road-making operations on the site into small contracts, which could be placed with the various Repatriation Committees for letting to returned soldiers. Mr. Harris said that several soldiers had complained bitterly to him that they could not get work in the country where Jthey could work alone. The Chamber decided to bring the ' suggestion under the notice of the Mangahao Hydro Electric League.

Addressing a meeting of soldiers' wives m Melbourne last iveslc. Lieuten-ant-Colonel Sir James Barrett, a Melbourne doctor, said that it was not tho ts-ult of officialdom that there was not fi terrible smash in ligypt alu-r ms if.nding at Gallipoli. Act a jiint had Iteen given to the medical staff that terrific casualties were pocsibie. It was owing to two officers that the smash was averted. General J)irdwo<:;f told him that it was probnhle an effort v. on Id be made to land" on CialliptjU, r.nd, if so, there; would be fearful casualties. lieutenant-Colonel Barrett told Surgeon-General \V'il!iams anil General Selheiin. Genera! Selheun undertook the risk of giving permission for the expenditure of thousands ol: founds upon stores against a pos.sibl;? need. lie was willing to face the penalties oi' nob referring to Headquarters. First, the prevention ci: chao-, was due to the General having the courage oi his opinions, and not worrying about consequents. There ■■vere 50U0 casualties briught in the first day, and thereafter aliout 500 daily for about eight r.umths.

The position of the hemp market is si sited In bo not nt nil promising at proIfi'.nt, and the majority oi the flaxmiilrs m the Auckland district wiil pruimtiiy close. down this month (says the "New jZefilnmi H"raid''). The lepresentative. of a firm largely interested in the flax industry slated on Monday that tin; .London market for hemp wa.s very woilc i jmo inactive, owim; to bein^ flooded witli' pxooptmnally large stocks oi' conipotitivo fihi'es, such as nianila and sis.it. Tlie Ativru-an market \v;\s also weak, and (.wiim to trio heavy shipping freights it <iid not )>ay to prndm c li(>mi> at th;' [Tires otferiri-j;. Tt was difficult to predict v lien an improvement in i'iw market amid be looked for, Hut nn'rss eonsidera.My inffeaserl prices \\<>ro rAl'rv--1112; in the sp'rnitr, many of the nulls now elosincc for winter vronl<l prohaMy not re-open. Tn rf"ard to shi^jiiiTr srinc-e. he said if was anticinnted that iniih s])a.eo would he available henceforth, h'l't tho heavy freights riilin? :;l present wonM nrrbal>!y nrevont ONPort-. ers from shir-nincr, more h^nu> tli-in wmi'd be piiffi'.'ient t-o. conip'e-te contracts. The forintiiic v.as ir.'uwr. a fairiv benrv pliinm'nt of hemp front , \n,.]i! ! iT)fl iie?:t. '-t-"1:. and tTiis v,-nn!d 1 ho]v, t'> r-]o:,<- c-ini? of ihe wbicli | weiv slill carrying loiga stocks of fibre. '

encexl

The Mayoral instalUition will take place at noon to-day.

Yestorday was the anniversary of tho <\cees-ion 01 King Li^or^e to the Jinlish Throne. 10 nv.irK tiie event tho Luion Jack fle.v over tiie Post Utfiw.

During tho past twelve montlis SlCj^v. ;v building permits, valued at £C>4,676j "'■;';' were issued in the Borough, a considerable drop compared with the previous year. Jk The Borough Council are arrß^ng to meet the Dune Hill liotepaycrs' Association next Saturday afternoon at 2.30, at the flagstaff, Dime Hill, to disou-ss matters in connection 'with the Duri*> Hill lift.

At the meeting of the Wellington provincial executive" of the Farmers' Union at Palmerston North yesterday, the n. 1Hignation of Mr-W. J. Birch, 'of Marton, wlio has held thy position of provincial secretory for some years past, •was accepted with regret, and it decided to send him a letter expressing appreciation of his past services.

Writing to Mr. Fred. Pirani \y ius| English mail, \lr. Fred. it. Ban:e<s. headmaster of rA\e Haverstock (io .tr.'li bclmol. and for 27 years a headnust-et tnder the London County Council, says: " I was only too p<( used to show you rr.y B'hool and its wuk, as your inten^i and knowledge of school life was trost evident fiqm the jiioinent you ente.'fi the school." ' ""

"Our boys disported themselves iragnificontly, so that the people at England, Scotland, and Ireland were jilad to welcome New Zga'landers into their homes/ said Mr G. Densenx, .returned V.M.C.A. secretary, in the course of his address at the Hamilton Methodist Church. "Their conduct ivas splendid, and any failings and faults were duj rather to circumstances than to the men themselves. "^.

There are a good many thefts of motor cars reported from various t.nrt» of the Domirion. A Hawera gentleman recently in Palmerston left his car in the backyard of v hotel. Next' aiorjinig it had disappeared. A few days later a Wanganui car also mysteriously disappeared, 't would be we1! it»r motorists leaving their cars abo'it to 'fat take the precaution to lo<jk them; nlfn )■ • to put their tools, etc.. under lock arnl key, as there is •* lot of theft of loots, pumps, etc., going on.

Many a silver wristlet watch valued by its owner was oxch.ing<?d for a'loftf of bread by New Zealand prisoners uf war in Germany. Lance-Coroporal Henderson, of Wellington, was for many ■->*_ months in the hands of the Germans, and during the whole time he, as well as many oilier nrisoners, were cally starved. Conditions were «o bad in one place, "The Black Hole of Trillo,"' that the prisoners were forced to barter for food many valuable articles, keepsakes, clothing, etc., being given to members of the German garrison tlre*e :i exchange for bread to relieve *he pangs of hunger. Even then the breaJ was hardly fit for consumption.

An application was received from "'si returned soldier at the- meeting of the Palmerston North Patriotic Society for a grant of £50 towards the buying of a home. Thoi<quesftion arose as to whe. frher the iratter was one for .the Repatriation Board to deal with. It was explained that all the Repatriation Board dealt with was advances on -urrn' ture and tools. After some discussion a member said he considered the time had arrived when some scheme should Iw arrived at with regard to the disposal of the Society's funds in this connec* , Hon. He moved that the matter be re » ferred to the executive to draw up -'a scheme. The motion was carried.

fn concction with the Hospital an? Charitable Aid Board election la-si week the large number of 357 informal votes were cast. These were mosth due to the fact that six names weiv left on the paper instead of four electors evidently not reading the instructions. Another matter m connecting with informal votes which 'is ca<usm<_i discussion is the fact that 4594 Vote* of that description were cast at the licensing poll. It is stated that Wie cause of the great majority of these, votes was the practice of voters soaring out the words " with compensa-:. tion." Repeated warnings were given that this would invalidate voting papers', but it was evidently persisted in.

A returned soldier wishing to C'cqulre a house or farm lias first of all to pay a valuation f; <?. Oftiiuos, indeed almost invariably, so far as this district is concerned, the v;>l'i:» r-ons ure always i givat jfleal bo.o'v the prices fif-i;>"l «.nd no business results. An ex-soldier meiijber of the New Plymouth Repatriation Board mentioned at Mondny night's meeting the case of one man who li;.cl paid a foe of two guineas and his appJicitioit had been refused. He then in. speete"l another property. ,paid nnothrr two guineas for a valuation, and the proposal was ag.in 1. turned down by thfc Innd L'oani "Tlie speaker sucgesknl that RometJiing ouiht to be dnno :•:» snve thf. money for the men who rou.y not affni'd tn nay th? fees. In the »n r suiiip; discussion it was pointo,! out th;r,t in another district returned s"lcl;"rs harl n.ceess to tlio Oovcrnmont val'*ati )>is $'f pronorties. sinrl tlie information virus fivailaii] > rfffnrtlod n rr;ncif n«i to ivlit'tiier the propositions wore worih rro^fdiJifl: with. Tt wn.s n'timateiv flerirle rl co set Up ll sub-fomiiiittce to iv.s>K-e inqi'-'rics 7^ 1o -wiiat. foulr] be don? to help tho e:c--'■c!'-li"rs in this re«pwt.

Mr. F. T. Wooles. tli-.> nietcoro'ofnnl o-pprt. write* to tlie " Lytknton Times'' jas'foHows:—The .'H.ribituMi of atmir*jpherin pressure during the past *T<r.r. I months has been similsir^ in ehnraetev (,o jihe autumnal conditions . nrcva'ljtv-j prior t*> the omefc nt m::iiv rf the h-'H'l winters of the vv-i. Tlk> artumn tvp.' [this year, in fnt't. hns mur>!i th*? r»!~ a raster of t'-.o cnmlitions Tree 'ip"; most of iiim oolrl stonvy vint'M-s r<" ih~ veri.il j hetwe-n'th^ yonrs 1^:? mri ISSO im-lri-!«ive, v.-lirji fiord. va\v .tk] fvo\y iv"i"; a it)rnvai!in-:r fenture. Siv.re the oi"ht\>« there h;<9 l,o pn n" s'l" li rini:ir'-;il--l(-' -?- Irtv.enot* (; f I.ad winter?, t!'.o'!;jh on" (J (two iHo!:it-fi insiJ'ntM--. naiv.cK*.- T.S° : i.' ! 1903, anrl l»;-t yor.r, were exceptionailv i.si-vcre It Is 'lo'uvj too Tar to pnv.tlitt ihrcanst' n cortaiTi type oi autumn we;ither in t'le past has \v;o.n f'o'.lowed by a hard wi.Ht^r. this autumn must iirro.,sariiy b; 1 io'.iuwed liy cevrc ucatli-r. lint ' jievcrtholfss as fnr ns -.1; drrtion v/iil ii-lo-.v the outlook for the cumin-.'; winu'r may be as follows': —i?i:riiitr May and tiio early i:avt or .):\nv stormy v.oatlrr >::!ou'l;l i:e h. prcvaiiinf/ f^-atunv, vrith t.i.e us-;.-il fiiie r.<'ntlr. r mlerva!. It is no« i;n:i!ce!\' tliat fioorl rain»i and a hea'y ):::;■!; coiintry snoAvfa'l '.vili li.^exjK>rien > ■d smnp nnie during that. p«'ri(xl.. Mulwinter should Ik* nutrked by a, rather lengthy sne!i of iin-.- tr^i.y weather, nir.l . r-itJier'in July or A:\gust a oonsirJera-'))© 'period of vet storiuy weather vhouid :wj:-.in set m. T!e \virt f'r should bo.sv i'ii'i ono for the ba^k coinUrv fu'stricts. wlK'ro tpucm snov/ is likoly to be expen-