A GALLANT IRISHMAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 138, 11 June 1917, Page 4

A GALLANT IRISHMAN.

] The news of the death of Major William Redmond, M.P.—we assume that our cable measage refers to the elder of the two William Redmonds—will be received with deep regret by Unionists and Home Rulers alike throughout the Empire. The brother of the Nationalist I leader was a very gallant Irishman, who saw clearly the issues involved in the war, and was moet anxious that Ireland should do her full share in winning it. Although some years above the military age, he volunteered and saw a good deal of lighting in France, and did his best to bring home to his countrymen the obligation resting on them to keep the I Irish units at full strength. His contri- | butions to debates in the House of Com- ! mons -j-ere marked by common sense, , confidence, and a warm desire to settle ! Irirsh grievances. In the Home Rule ; debate on March 7, which culminated iin the \ationalist party leaving the House, Major Redmond made a moving i appeal for a settlement. "Speaking with great eloquence and earnestness," says the "Times" summary of the debate, "he ! besought the House to let the dead past i bury ite dead, and to make a new start jin the relations between England and J Ireland. He made a personal appeal to Sir Edward Carson to come to eomo arrangement with the Nationalists, and j offered to go to any length to meet the ! objections and secure the confidence of j lister." And in an interview on the eve lof his return to the front he expressed lhe opinion that in reality Irishmen

were never better disposed towards each j other than they were to-day. 'The bereavements and eoirowe which have resulted from the war have been common to the homes of all Ulster as well as the rest of the country. In spite oi all the apparent bitterness, I believe the hearts of the Irish people are 6oftcned towards ] each other, and that it would be a very easy thing tor Edward Carson and his friend.s, by taking a little step towards tho rest of Ireland, to unite the whole country."

The removal of such a force is a severe loss to Mr. Redmond's party nn.i to Ireland. But the fact that he died in the company of UVtermen and Nationalists, who went forward side by side in the attack on the Messines Ridge, may, in hw own phrase, soften the hearts of opponents who find it difficult to agree on the Irish question. It ie a common experience in the little theatre of everyday life that death heale quarrels. Should it not bo possible for death, operating on the vast stage of war, to help to heal differences dividing a people? When the Irish soldiers of different origins and faiths return home they will enrry with them the sense of comradeship, the bond of common sacrifice, acquired in the trenches, but must Ireland wait till then for lipt lesson? If tho passing of Major Redmond and fellow countrymen in France and Flanders moves stubborn wills at home, then indeed death will have been swallowed up in victory.

Following is the official weather forecast Jot 24 hours from 9 a»tn. this day: " The indications are for southerly winds strong to gale prevailing. Heavy rain is to be expected, with rivers flooded. ! Barometer rising fast soon. Tides very I high; sea very heavy on the coast."

Ail employer eprang rather a large order -upon the First Auckland Military Service Board to-day. He had put in an appeal /or an employee, who. however, had been classified unfit for active service. The employer mentioned that as the man had been rejected, he suggested that he be exempted from home service while in hie present employ, owing to the scarcity of men dodng his work. I" You are asking for a good deal, aren't yon?" eaid the chairman (Mr. Burges), and the appellant soon left the box with the knowledge that military exemptions lare not to be obtained merely for the leaking.

It has happened in Home cases recently that returned eoldiere have died within a month or two of being discharged from the Forces. As they are not members of tho Forces, the Government is not liable for their funeral expenses, which, in some instances, have been paid by patriotic societies. The matter came before tho Patriotic Society's Advisory Board at Welling-ton, when Mr. V. J. Lamer (Auckland) etated that hie society had met such expenses willingly. but the Returned Soldiers' Association had considered that the cost of tho funeral, when the man died as the result 'if wounds or sickness contracted in the Empire's service, should be a charge upon the Government. The Board decided t<l recommend the Government to pay such expenses if a man died within twelve months of his discharge from wounds or sickness contracted in the country's service. The fact that for the first time in New Zealand the case for tho union was conducted by a woman at the Arbitration Court this morning, wae commented on by his Honor Mr Justice Stringer at the conclusion of the hearing of the uplioUtrcsees' dispute. This was the first time, he said, they had had the pleasure of listening to a woman advocate in Court, and it was only riffht that Mrs. Baume should be complimented on the care in which she had prepared her case. Evp.n if women, he said, could not cut loohc covers, as required in the upholstering trade, he was convinced that they could conduct an arbitration ea«e as well as men. A sad sight to he seen in the streets of Balclutlia last week was a lorry drawn by seven horses, and loaded with tlip cardiacs of drowned cheep These ivero on their way to the freezing workfl. where, after the pelts were removed, the c.iiva-cH would ho consigned to the digester in the manure works. For tho purpose of preventing the wasteful consumption of coal-gas and electricity, regulations have been <ra/.ottcd whereby it shall be lawful for any lighting authority to impose inch reductions as it thmk fit upon the omil-ga.- or electricity euppKed by that authority. In the midst of a sea of flood water one would not expect to sec a o.ottnge burned down (says the Clutha "Press"), yet that is what oecudred at Otanomrimo last week, when a two-roomed place belonging to Mr. Thomas Dale, a settlor ill thr flooded area, was completely dc* J roved. The cottage was used as a storehouse, and in it were stored a ton of lime, four tons of chaff, GO bacs of em's and three sacks of grass seed, t.he whole .being burned. There is no doubt tuat the water getting into the j lime ca used the fire.

The cost of living, particularly ac applied to women, was mentioned at the Arbitration Court during the hearing of the upholstresses' dispute this morning. The claim was for a minimum wage for women in this trade of £2 per week. This was based on the following estimate of the lowest amount on which a woman could live: Board and lodging, £1 per week: drees (including boots, underclothing and millinery), II: travelling expenses, 2/; amusements, 1/; laundry expenses, 1/6; medical expenses (eyes, teeth, general heal'h), 1/ti; an nuity of £1 per week from the age of 35 to 72, 7/; total, £2. The estimate of a woman's necessary requirements from week to week, apart from tho annuity mentioned, was £1 13/. This, it will stated, allowed nothing for books, education, or music

At the Hamilton Supreme Court Jamoe Alexander Ritchie, eh-.irged wit 1 the theft of a bicycle at Ngarunwabui. wu.9 acquitted. It was stated by witnesses in the lower Court that accused had found the machine, but took no steps to find the owner. Accused stated ttuit he purchased the bicycle from a man named Brown for 30/, and produced a receipt.

An officer in a military bo«pital tells how hia life was nearly sacrificed by his having a glass eye. He was brought m heavily gassed, :ind the overworked doctor at the field dressing station did little more than lift the eyelid, and, seeing it he expressionless, insensible orb, conI eluded he wae dead, and ordered the stretcher-bearers to take him away and bury him. (>n this being done, however, one of the men thought he saw a movement of life; the officer was brought Iback, a second examination was made, and this time the mystery of the eye wae revealed.

The Stratford correspondent of the "Taranaki Herald" 6ays : "There is no sign, of that salutary settling-down of the farmer-folk for which the best friends, of the country are hoping. Indeed, Veiling out , seems to be more than ever the really vital issue "with many eocalled aettlprs, the crowning achievement of their three years' coureo. One is reminded of an old nursery game, 'one (year) to scoop, two to stay, three makes ready, and four —away. . Well, it ie all right for the land a.'ients and tho lawyers, and brings grist to other little mills, but the farming community as a whole ie much the poorer for it, the land is less productive, and social life lacks much of tho charm that attaches to long-continued intimacies. There may be some advantages to set against these drawbacks of the habit of unrest. The rolling stone loses its unpleasant angularities, keeps bright and unmildewed on the surface, and may by good luck some day roll into quite an enviable position. But a constant change of tenants is not good for the land, nor for tho dairy herds."

Readers who have relatives at the front should adopt the plan of a Sydney lady. She keeps a "writing pad, and every day she and the members of her family and any visiting friends write a message to tell some interesting item of news. At the end of each week (or when there is a mail) the pages are torn off and sent to the relative at the front. Little amusing cuttings from newspapers are also pasted on a pad sheet and enclosed with the letters.

At a large meeting of the shareholders of the Wairoa Meat Company the chairman urged the shareholders to provide for the additional capital to increase the storage space in view of the shipping shortage. He proposed to ask for £10.000 additional, of which half was subscribed in the room.

A resolution in support of fhe movement for the 6 o'clock closing of hotel bars during the war and for six months thereafter, in the interests of national efficiency and economy, has been adopted ■by the Franklin County Council on the representations of the committee that has the movement in hand in tho Pukekohe district.

The necessary preliminary arrangements for the public banquet to be tendered by the Franklin County Council on behalf of the people of Franklin to the Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey, M.P. (Prime Minister) are well in hand. Subject to the Prime Minister's approval a gathering will be held in the afternoon on the Pukekohe showground. In the evening a banquet will be held in the Premier Hall. Representations are to be made to the Minister of Railways for a special train to be run to and from Pukekohe for visitors attending tho ceremony to be held on the Showground.

Upwards of £70 was raised towards the Patriotic Funds at the sale of work on Saturday afternoon at the Northcote school, which was promoted by the pupils, wiio, with the aasistnnce of t-he teaching staff, worked most assiduotisly to ensure the success of tie project, and arc to be complimented upon their efforts and the substantial amount raised. As the result of the Victoria University College elections the following candidates have been appointed ■by the Court of Convocation: Meesrs. P. Levi, C. B. Morison, W. H. Morton, A. R, Atkinson, R A. Wright, M.F., Hon. J G W Aitken, Mr. W. S. iJa Trobe, Hon. A. T. Masin,ity, Mr. F. H. Bake-well Professors Garrow and Hunter are the representatives of the Professorial Board on the council.

"At the end of the season," said a delegate at the Beekeepers' Conference in Wellington, in discussing a paper on "Working an Apiary on Shares," "1 get half the profits." "And." queried another delegates, "if it is a bad season and there are. no profits?" "Oh, in that case,' , answered the first delegate, "I still get half of them." (Laughter.)

New by-laws will come before' the Taimaki West Road Board for confirmation on Thiir.sday, June 2S. The object admed at is to prevent the reduction of air space on buiWiug sites, and the* erection of tents without the permission) of the Board. Another object is to prevent the use of insanitary or unsuitable materials in the •■rovtion of tents ami otiiT temporary dwellings.

A somevuhat umisunl incident at St. Matthew's Anglican (.'hunch yesterday evening win? the reading of tie latent wjir news from tho " ><t«.r Sports bxlition." This was done by the Rev. Ja»por l'alder !wf«r<; the religious sen-ice opened. He sa.ii! he. felt all present won. interested in the latust news from Uie front, whore our boys had been ensragud, aiui then read the hi.te eu-bles from the "S|ii>rt.s Edition." The National .UitJiem wa.3 then tningj afi usual, at lie opening of the service.

"It ip easy to ascertain an Australian soldier's Ixnia fides," said .Mr. V. Lamer at the Patriotic Societies' Ad vißory Board meeting at Wellington, "'because V,ie Australian Government sup; lies discharges which do not require the use of a microscope to decipher. They a:e on parehjr.eiit. and contain ru'l particulars enabling ii man to be identified; not on poor paper as in New Zea land, no that they 00001110 useless and undecipherable after two or three months."

A solution of the dearth of domestic servants was sought by his Honor at the Arbitration Court this morning during the hearing of the upholstresses' dispute. "Can you tell mc," he asked of a wiUiese who gave evidence to the enect that wages for her particular work were 25/ per week, "why girls do not go into domestic service, where their wages, with their board, appear to be about £'- pel' week, instead of working for a very much lower wage?" The reply given was to the effect that the only reason witness oould give was that there was a greater freedom in business. There were no regular hours of work in domesic service, it was stated, whereas there were in business, and the evenings were free.

Owing to the fact that a full agreement lias been arrived a.t between the Federation 01 .Miners and the Federation of Shipowners, all the disputes filed by various shipping firms against the respective WuLeroide Unions have now been withdrawn from the Conciliation Council.

Charles Garrett, a boy in knickerbockers, was sent by his mother to purchase half a dozen fresh eggs from a dairy shop kept by John Bowler. When the lioy returned houie it was found that he bad not carried out his errand a= directed, as he had hrouyUt egga bearing a stamp indicating they i»ad come Iroui California. He f.a» cent back to the chop to exchange the i a for the correct, ones, and other eggs were given hun. On returning home the becond time his mother examined the egg.i and could find no f-tanj}/ or date mark 0:1 them, and, concluding that they might he of any age, sent the boy back to the shop to make a second exchange. The ohopman win. angered at the second appearance of the lad, and toid him to tell his mother to get her egga somewhere else, at the same time giving the lad a sniacK across the fa<-e. The boy went home crying. This formed the basin of a charge of assault against Bowler ia the Magistrate's Court, Wellington, last week, when the above facts were brought out. Mr 11. F. O'Leary, who appeared for accused, baid the rranon why the boy was t-truck was because he. placed hie thumb to his nose and extended his fingers in the traditional manner of showing contempt. Mr. L. G. Reid, S.M.. who heard the case, said even if the boy did put bin finger to his nose Bowler had no right to strike him. Bowler was convicted and ordered to pay coots. Mr P. W. Jackson appeared for complainant.

An attempt to enliet the sympathy of local bodies in the Waikato, with a view of securing a train to leave Auckland at 5 o'clock is being made by the Tuakau Town Board. Tho present service if- considered unsatisfactory, as with the last train leaving Auckland at 3.30 farmers and business men who are unable to leave for town until the midday train, have not sufficient time to transact business and return the 6ame evening.

Pukekohe's streets, which at present are dimly lit with acetylene gas, will in a few months be illumined with the more modern electric light. The first sign of the coming Installation was afforded last week in Harris Street, where a gong of men were engaged in erecting the neceesary lamp posts.

The twenty-third anniversary of the new St. Paul's Church, Symonds Street, was celebrated yesterday. The original St. Paul's, the first church built in Auckland, stood in what is now Emily Place, at the foot of Princes Street. In the days before Britomart Point was cut down it was the church of the Governor and of the garrison, which was housed in the fort on the point and the barracks close by. The foundation stone was laid by Governor Hobson on July 20, 1841, and on June 11, 1594, it was relaid on the present site by the then Governor, the Earl of Glasgow. Festival services were held yesterday, the preacher in the morning being Rev. H. C. Bourne, and in the evening Rev. Dr. O'Callaghan.

An extraordinary incident occurred the other night while Mr Briden was driving a pary to a Masonic function at Murrumburrah, says the "Sydney Morning Herald." The motor car was travelling at a fair pace, when suddenly a noise like the report of a firearm was head. Mr. S. Clift, who was sitting in the front seat next to Mr Briden, heard something whizz past his head, and on looking round a moment later was startled to see Mr G. B. Buckland prostrate. The latter had been sitting directly behind him, with two others, in the back seat. The car was pullgd up, and it was found that Mr. Buckland was insensible, and bleeding from a blow he had received on tho left ear. A wooden splinter about an inch long was protruding from hie ear. Fortunately it had not penetrated far enough to do serious da.mage. He recovered before reaching Murrumburrah- The cause of the trouble wae a stick being knocked up from the road by the wheel. The report wae caused by it striking the mud guard. The stick proceeded on its course until ft struck Mr. Buckland.

Major H. L. Reilly, Indian Army, attached to tho R.F.C., who is a prisoner of war at Afion Kara Hissnr. in Turkey, is a grandson of Mrs. White, Sherwood, T.ikapau. Hawke's Bay. In a letter dated February 11 he was well and cheerful. He stated that tea was 36/----a lb and sugar 7/3 in that remote spot.

Speaking of the question of the classification of prisoners to a Christchurch "Press" reporter, the Hon. J. A. Hanan said he was as anxious to bring it about, sis anyone could possibly be, but there wore many difficulties in the way. The chief were the unsatisfactory locality of most of tho prisons, and the obsole+" methods of construction and yard accommodation which rendered effective separation of the different classes of prisoners impossible; further, the nature of the, work of the prisoners did not lend r.self readily to the employment of prisoners in a number of emali groups. In spite of t'lieee dirftcultires, the Minister hoped to make t'oine arrangements whereby some improvement might obtain, lit was hopeful at all events of \ oviding so that first offunders did not hstve. to associate with ha.Jeno.l criminals. The cure for the present position was the remodelling of all oM fashioned and obsolete pr'sons; the whole problem was ore of suitable buildings and yards, and to carry out such a work would require a large expenditure of money, and lark of funds hampered the work.

A meeting of the Thames Goldfield Jul.il. c Committee dcci.led t<> hold a celebration on August 1, and a further L-e-lobration of a more extensive character next February.

Mi. C. J. Par., M.P.. C.M.G.. will deliver a lecture entitled "Britain at War: Personal Impressions, 1016," to-morrow night at the Grafton Library Hall.

Mr. !'. K. Taylor, Deputy-Registrar of the Supreme Court at Wan.sanui. was on Wednesday admitted a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Now Zealand by his Honor Mr. Justice Chapman.

Engineers are positively delighted with thr quick ami i-il'ecUvr "way •' No llubl>1114; -, I-aundry Help washes their working overalls clean. Shilling piudcets every -time.—Auckland Grooera.—iAi^