LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8269, 14 October 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Replying to a question put' to him iv tho Houso of Representatives on Tuesday, the Minister of Finance (Rt. iHon. Sir Joseph Ward) stated that applications would be invited publicly 'for tho three seats on the Board of Trade. The Government would consider the applications and make the best selection possible. , . ; Our Wellington correspondent writes; —Two cases of apparent injustice to returned soldiers wore mentioned in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Mr Okey (Taranaki) asked if it was just that, a man who had been through the big fighting at the Dardanelles and had been invalided home, should be required now to take his. discharge from the forces without first being medically examined as regarded his fitness for work in a civilian capacity. The Defence Minister said he would be glad to receive details of the case. Mr Wilford (Hutt) mentioned a soldior who had been refused a pension, although disabled, on the ground that his condition was duo to an apoplectic stroke arid not to the conditions.,of the service. The Minister said the man had two courses open to him. He could either apply for a pension under the amending Pensions Act j just passed or ho could put his claim j before his local patriotic society. . j When addressing the Ashburton County men who left yesterday for the training: camps in the North i Island, the Rev. Father J. J. O'Donnell gave a very' vigorous denial to rumours which lie said had been spread j about concerning him. He stated that a report had been circulated to the effect that.he had advised members of his flock not to volunteer, for active service. In refuting such an unfounded and base charge, he dared not trust himself to the use of the King's English^ Ho had to' 1 say, however,' that the charge was absolutely false, and whilst he said that, he would like ■ to add the suggestion that the people who had so maliciously spread such calumnies- concerning him ' could be tetter employed at a time of national crisis like tho: present.. He asked: How could anybody with a sense of decency do anything.but strive to swell tho armies that were out to fight in the sacred cause of patriotism and freedom ? Who, lie asked, would be so base as not to fight for freedom and for the honour of the country of their birth ? lie said he trusted he would hear no more of such vile and untruth-. ful rumours. (A voice: "We don't believe you said it, sir.") ' Trooper P. H. Atkinson, of Warepa, writes from Limn Park, Egypt, on August 16, to a Balclutha friend (says tho Clutha "Leader") as follows: — " I was in a very big bayonet charce a week ago. I got through all right and got to the Turks with my bayonet. Most of them threw away their rifles and ran. Our squadron took about half a mile of trenches. I was shot through the chest the day after, but am getting better quickly. Tho bullet went in tho left shoulder and the doqtor took it out of the right one. I am walking about very little the worse, and, in fact, I. think I will get ■•back to the fighting line next week. We lost heavily.'but-the Turks lost far more than we did. Ido not think the Turks will fight much longer, because they are sick of it. I will bo pleased 'when it is over. Oallipoli is a verj; rough place to fight in, as there is so much cover for the enemy snipers. It was ■■a- sniper that got me. but I am pleased to say that I have givr-m. their snipers a good go. Major Grigor was all right when I left. He was close to me when I was hit. and wont for a stretcher for me. He led. us in the charge which I have told you- of, and wo could not havo had a bettor leader. T. wns- vory sorry Licutcnant-colonol Bnuchop and Captain Hay wo.vq killed. They will bo missed very. much. I havo lost a lot of mates."

Ton women help conduct the affairs' of the city of Topeka (says an American paper). Two of them hold official j positions, Miss Etta Coveil, city clerk, ■, and Miss Alberta Hale, city treasurer. ■Tho highest salaried woman employee iis Miss Coveil, who receives 1500 dol- ! la.rs annually. Miss Hale receives 1200 I dollars, the next largest amount. Miss j Flora M. Vesper, chief clerk in the j office of the water department, holds ! the distinction of having worked for : the city lpnger. than any other .woman employee, having served in her department for over 11 years. A majority of the county school superintendents of Kansas now are women, according to the report of W. I>. Ross, State superintendent of public instruction. At the last election 53 women were chosen to this office. Ten years ago there was hardly a woman holding ah elective office in the States Calgary, Alberta, now has two women judges. They are Mrs R. R. Jamison and Mrs Langfard. The women of Calgary hope soon to have a woman's court and women jurors. Mrs Price, widow of the first Labour Premier in the State, has been nominated as a justice in South Australia,

' A young Southern solicitor who recently enlisted was passed as medically i fit in Dunedin. and accepted for service c with the reinforcements. He sold his f legal practice, and after receiving, a j send-off from his friends journeyed to Wellington and entered the camp at j Trentham. A subsequent medical ex- « aminatidn there, it is stated, resulted \ in his being rejected as physically, un- - ( fit, and he is now out of the force And ■ in Wellington—a very angry man. It is even rumoured that there is a possibility of legal proceedings arising out \ of the matter. ■ _ J A ■well-known Christ-church "sport" '■ who came to Dunedin last week to attend the races, declares that ho has discovered the champion mean man (says the " Otago Daily Times"); Beforo ho- left Christchurch the sport was asked by a casual friend to telegraph up a tip if ho heard of " anything good,' 1 and in compliance with the roquet he did so. on Friday morning, .sending along the.'names of-three horses, two of "which proved to bo winners, while the other one drew a second dividend. Imagine the sport's surprise . vrhen he received-a collect' telegram—Bd to p;aj—on Saturday morning, thanking him for the tip. It is quite safe to prophesy that no more tips will be sent on to the " grateful " Christchurch friend. . ■ A Winton correspondent writes as follows to the "Southland Times " :— , " One of our soldiers from Trentham arrived in Invercargill by the last express on Saturday night. As he had only two days to spend with his friends before leaving to sail with the Seventh Contingent, he stalled on the following morning to walk to Winton. Several motor-cars, whose occupants were probably on pleasure bent, passed him on the road. One would have ' expected that the sight of the khaki uniform would have almost compelled the owners or occupants of any of these cars to stop and gladly offer a lift to its wearer. .But, no ! He was allowed to trudge the whole weary way on foot. ■Well might the question whether such people, were worthy the sacrifice I whig made on their behalf. Want of: consideration, may almost amount to ;< crime." An unusual application, the first of its kind hoard in Now Zealand, was made at the Wellington Magistrate's Court yesterday, when the Director of Education asked to have a child committed to the Simmer School for the Deaf. The pni-wits were opposed. The point lit issiio was whether the child was capable of receiving education in tho ordinary _manner. Mr Steven-;, director of the Sunnier School, said that the child had"become expert iii lip rending, the result, no doubt, or instructions ho had left with his parents some time ago, but it was thought hopdoxs to attempt to teach the child in n public: school. The child gave at) exhibition of her ability, of. lip reading, and answered questions shouted oioise to h«r ear. The Magistrate agreed to Mr Wilford's ■suggestion to.,send her to a. convent for three months as a final test. The applicationwas adjourned sine dieIn conversation with a reporter, a New Plymouth merchant expressed the opinion (says the "News") that there would be no change there in the price of butter, for the present conditions • of the market were rather in favour of a decrease in the price than an increase. The weather now being, ex-, perienced in Taranaki was particularly favourable to the supply of butter. The price now ruling in Taranaki for butter for export is Is 3£d per lb, and at some shops in New Plymouth the best brands of butter can be bought retail for cash at Is Id per lb, which is only Jd more'; thari; the wholesale price. The general retail price ruling is Is 5d per lb booked. This shows that Tarattaki people are getting their butter Id per lb cheaper than Auckland, and in this connection it is interesting to observe that through all the changes which the price of butter has undergone recently it has always been about Id per lb lower in Taranaki thau in other parts of New I Zealand. A statement in regard to recruiting was made at Sydney last week by Mr A, Fisher, Federal Prime Minister. "The latest news from the front," ho said "is very satis factory, but there is no reason for any slackening of effort on oni" part. The need.is still*as great as o.yor. We ask for men, and .we. put no limit on the number we arc- ready to t«-ko. We will take all the men offering. The call still continues, and it is a, call that is particular as well as general. But as to conscription, I have nothing to add.to what I told the deputation in .Melbourne, on the subject. I am absolutely opposed to it." Mr Fisher was asked whether there were hot a pnnibf"- of members of the Federal Labour Party who were in favour of conscript-ion. "That may be," he replied, "but- in answering the deputation I spoke -for the :; Government. 'There.will be no change|f|ithout referring the matte** to the people. It is for every man to decide whon and where he will, fight." It is stated to bo qommon knowledge in Sydney that a number of men have deserted from the Australian forces after they have spent months in camp and boon ek>t,Sn;d, and fed, and trained there, afc the country's expense. They are occasionally [ brought to book, and after suffering the ordeal of a courtmartial, are -sentenced to varying -terms of imprisonment, which are almost invariably reduced. "The conviction is growing," says the Sydney "Daily Telegraph," "that it is high time that some more, drastic stops weva taken to deal with men who have made a'^eon■venionce of the military camps of the country and have displaced the endeavours we are making to effectively deal with the Empire's enemies. There is a very fnun conviction that deserters —it is not 'suggetcd that the proportion is great—have boon treated with, a degree of leniency which almost amounts to a reproach on the efforts the Commonwealth is making to keep our units at the front adequately reinforced." ' i

The following sales took; place at the' Addington. live stock sale on Wednesday on behalf of Ashburton County, farmers: —F4t Sheep—Wethers: For M. McLeod. (Methven), 102 at 29s 6d to 39s 6d, 1.4 merinos at 29s 6d; T. B. Richards (Windwhistle), 28 merinos at 32s 6d to 33s 6d. Ewes: For M. McLeod (Methven), 3at 41s. Hoggets:' For J. Cow (Tinwald), 22 at 21s 6d to 24s 9cL; ... •■ - Arrangements are to be made to* enable depositors in the Post Office Savings Banks to leave money on fixed - deposit at «..n annual rate of interest yet to be determined. The present rate of interest on savings bank deposits (current account) is 32 per cent, per annum: but provision is made for raising the rate to « maximum- of 5 , per cent, per annum-should the con- . tingency arise. Tho same provision is . made-.in the case of. interest on the proposed fixed deposits., but'it does not ; follow that that rate will be fixed. , However, it will probably not be ai lesser rate than 4-J- per cent.—the rate of the Government's £2,000,0U0 Public ; Works loan, shortly to be raised in the ; Dominion. The deposits aro to be • amounts not less in any case than ; £50. Such deposits aro to bo, lodged !■ on the condition that they shall not be withdrawn within such .period-as maybe agreed upon, between the Post— • master-General and the depositor, , being not less than 12; months/ f '