GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15567, 17 April 1916, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

« Tho Postal authorities advise that the Manuka, which sailed from Sydney at - p.m."on Thursday, for Wellington, is bringing mails from the Australian Slates, and a small English mail via Suez. The Christchurch portion of the mail is duo to-morrow morning. Wo arc advised by our London correspondent that, after paving for the six thousand Christmas plum-puddings subscribed for by the readers of "Tho Press" for soldiers at the front, there was a balance in hand of £2-G 16s Od. Acting upon instructions from tho Editor, the correspondent handed this amount to Lord Plunket, to be spent in comforts for sick and wounded New Zealanders iii England. He encloses a letter from Lord Plunket gratefully acknowledging the receipt of the donation. Tho Durham street Methodist Church celebrated its fifty-first annivcrsaiy yesterdnv, when largo congregations attended, the evening _ service being crowded. The Rev. W. A. Hay, of Trinity Church, Duuedin, preached impressive sermons both morning and evening, while the choir san«; special anthems appropriate to the occasion. At tho evening service Mr L. Bowi'on sang Haydn's "In Native Worth." Speaking on the subject of giving while tho war is in progress, Mr J. P. Firth, headmaster of Wellington College, said 011 Friday night that lie did not agree with those who advocated a sense of proportion. "These people say that wo will have to dip into our pockets a great deal after the war, so wo must not give too much now. But what is the use of our saving our pounds, shillings, and pence if the war is lost? Then wo will have nothing. 1 am also a firm believer in the system of 'keeping your hand in.' If we give noAv to help in the successful prosecution of the war. it will be much easier to give after the war." A returned soldier informed a Masterton "Age" reporter on Friday that quite a number of New Zealanderg of independent means have made Egypt their temporary homes, with the object of making the lives of invalided soldiers as bright as i>ossible. stated that Mrs Studholme, wife of a*well-known South Island runholder, had a car continually at tho disposal of injured and convalescent men, and besides the outing the men were treated to all sorts of luxuries calculated to build ui> their health. Mr George, a son of Mr George, of George and Kersley, Wellington, was also doing similar good work, he having recently purchased a new car for this purpose. "It is this sort of thing, said the soldier, "that roa-kec us think kindly of New Zealand and the people for whom Ave arc making the supreme sacrifice." The teaching profession has put up a good record (writes our London correspondent). From statistics compiled by "The Schoolmaster." it appears that 1.1,400 men teachers are already serving with the forces, and approximately 9000 have attested under the Derby scheme. In addition, there are 147 sen-inn- with naval forces, and 23b women acting as nurses. According to the casualty lists. 232 have been killed, 118 wounded, and nine are missing. Teachers serving at. the front have already gained five Victoria Crosses, 25 have received the Distinguished Conduct Medal or Military Cross, and 12 have been mentioned in despatches. Although "The Schoolmaster" has , raised ° £1-6,500 for the Prince of Wales's Fund, and over £43,000 for local funds, an endeavour is being ' made to accumulate the sum of £250.000 in aid of the dependents of teachers killed in the war. Yesterday morning, the trams comi menccd running across the new causeway at Sumner, which has been built to 'remove the tram lines from under- ' neatli tho cliffs, thus doing away with ' any danger from falling rocks, shortly ! after ten o'clock on Saturday evening the Tramway Board put on a gang of . about twenty-five men, and these worked all through the night in shifting the old line and connecting it up 1 with the causeway. Special electric ; lights were arranged for the night- » work, and the work was sufficiently far ! advanced to allow the traffic to com- | menee by ten o'clock yesterday morn- ' i ing. The whole business ha's taken I j about nine months to complete, and ' ' the cost has been tyorne by the Sumner ! Borough Council and the Tramway . Board, the former paving one-third and the latter two-thirds. The first tram yesterday morning was crowded, a larce , number evidently travelling for the ! purpose of being on the first- passenger I tram to cross

Soecial Lenten self-denial offerings •were made at St. Paul's Church, Papa- I nui, yesterday, the total amount of the offerings being £87 Is 6d. The Chief Postmaster, Christchurch. advises that owing to a block on the Otira read, the mails that were duo from the West Coast- on Saturday night will not arrive in Christchurch until this evening. An election to fill a vacancy on the South Waimakariri River Board, caused by the death of Mr E. Smith, place on Thursdar. May 4th. Nominations close on Friday, April 28th, at noon. Tho Marlborough Educational Institute has tabled the following remit for the Conference in Well'i-gton : —"That this institution is of opinion that tbo education of the children of this Do- j minion is suffering very materially from moving pictures, and better control by the Government is desirable." The remit was cordially endorsed by tb* Canterbury Institute on Saturday. At the Picton Magistrate's Court last week, Charles Thomas Clarence Powick, 18 years of age, was charged with the theft, whilst letter-carrier at Picton, of a wristlet watch contained in a postal parcel, and three letters, containing in all the suni of £3 15s. Tlie accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Tho teachers at the Educational Institute meeting in ChristchurcW cn Saturday, in considering the remits from other branches, were in some doubt as to the meaning of several clauses. "One would have thought." dryly observed a well-known headmaster, "that lawyers had had a hand in drafting these remits. They are not very clear." The lawyers might have retorted that they were drawn up by school-masters. The Wellington Educational Institute is urging the Senate of tlie University of New Zealand to include Agriculture for the Degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science, and for Senior and Junior scholarships, and also, that in view of the number of persons taking University Degrees, it is urgently necessary that education become a .subject for Honours and Doctorates. It has been decided by the members of tho Wellington Savage Club to give the sum of £137 10s towards a Returned Soldiers' Club in Wellington. Tho money was originally subscribed with the object of helping to provide additional machine-guns for the New Zealand troops at Gallipoli. When a considerable sum had been collected, however, it was officially announced that machine-guns would not be required from New Zealand, and the money had to be diverted. One of the cases which came before tlie l/ondon Tribunal this week was tlie application for exemption of a surgeon in St. George's Hospital (writes our London correspondent under date of February 2!) th). Thirty-eight years of age, lie said he had served for eleven months in the Royal Navy, and was then released for civil work. Besides his work on thp staff of St. George's Hospital, he was senior house-surgeon at the New Zealand Military Hospital at Walton-on-Thames. The Tribunal gave the doctor olio month's respite, expressing the opinion that he ought to go to tb ( . colours. It has been decided that a returned soldier on final leave, prior to discharge, will be permitted to take up civil employment, if ho so desires, and may continue to draw his Expeditionary Force pay up to the date, of discharge. A returned soldier on sick leave will only be permitted to take up civil employment under exceptional circumstances, upon a medical officer's certificate. that such occupation will in no way retard the health of the convalescent, and provided that he is Avilling, to forego his Expeditionary .Force pay during the period. In all eases, permission to accept civil employment must be obtained from the Director of Base Records through the applicant's Group Com mp. ndcr. "When the deputation from the War Necessities' Committee waited on the Prime Minister at Wellington hist week to request that wet canteens be established in the camps and that early closing .should be brought into force, Mr Massey stated that the present legislation did not allow the Government to excrcise the control of the liquor traffic that was intended. Questioned by a "Post" reporter on Saturday as to the legislation it was -proposed to introduce into Parliament during tho coming session to remedy the defect, tho Prime Minister stated that from the point of view of the Defence Department the Government had not tho desired power of control so far as licensed houses were concerned. "It will not be a matter of alteration to the licensing laws," said Mr Massey. "It is a matter concerns the War Regulations Act." Many families in New Zealand have some of their loved ones lying buried in Gallipoli. Over their graves will ever be a halo of glory for all living hero and hereafter in this Dominion. How, then, will the Turks respect these graves no-w----all our men have been withdrawn from the Peninsula? Mr Ashmead-Bartlett the war correspondent, said in his lecture at Wellington, on Thursday night, that thero need be no anxiety. He thought the graves would be quite safe with the Turks. In warfare tho Turk wag a gentleman (as much as war would let one be), offering a striking contrast to the Hun. his master. Furthermore, he had no hatred of his English foe. He seemed to realise that he was always fighting somebody, and it did not matter to him where the bullet came from that hit him; but he bore no malice to the English, and often did not know whom he was fighting, and what it was all about. Interviewed after a visit to Trentliam camp, Mr Ashmcad Bartlett said that Trentham struck him as being a very good site for a camp. The arrangements for housing the men were admirable, and everything possible was done for their comfort. Also it was a fine natural training ground with excellent rifle ranges. The hutments for the men especially impressed him. Tlicy were better than anything he had seeii in Australasia. He also said that the camp appeared to be well run, and be was much impressed with the seriousness and earnestness of the men. Their physique also was very remarkable, and seemed to compare very favourably with the first contingent that landed at Gallipoli, although there seemed to be a number of elderly men among them. The New Zealand Reinforcemnt drafts on arrival at Gallipoli were thought very highly of, especially the Mounteds and Infantry. If the policy laid down by the principal sponsor of the new council of the Auckland Acclimatisation Socicty is an index of the opinions of the new regime, sportsmen (says the "New Zealand Herald") may look for fresh enterprise in the «'a"y of game importation to the Auckland district. Mr C. A. Whitney, on whose nomination the new president and council were elcct- ' ed. advocated a departure from the policy of relying mainly upon the pheasant for field sport. That bird, he pointed out. must have cover, and : the country in the Thames and Waikato valleys, and the King Country, was ■ open', and more suitable for such birds as the partridge. There was also the 1 snipe, the woodcock, and tho stubble : quail, all adapted to open country. Mr 0. F. Willis, on the other hand, in criticising Mr Whitney's proposal, con- • sidered that settlers would say they suffered enousrh from the toll taken by the Californian quail, without these being reinforced by the stubble quail. Lieutenant-Colonel Hazard pointed out that some years ago the . Society had arranged for an importation of stubble quail from Australia, ■ but when thev were ready for ship- : ment the Farmers' Union throughout ■ the district raised such strong objections that the scheme was dropped.

The Dunedin Patriotic Committee during the past week promoted the collection of over £3000 tor the Y.M.C.A. national work. The Mayor requests citizens to. observe Tuesday, 2oth inst. 3 Anzac Dsy? as a holiday from 1 p.m. His Worship also asks that the day should not be celebrated by the holding of sports or * similar gatherings. Councillor W. H. P. Barber is to move, at to-morrow's meeting of the Wellington City Council: "That- the council suggest to the Municipal Conference the desirability of urging the Government to procure four up-to-date trawlers for the purpose of supplying 1 the four chief centres with a quantity of fresh fish." "I have been informed by an officer v of the Agricultural Department of a f i rumour to the effect that a portion of I the cheese which the New Zealand Gov- -y ernment contracted with the Imperial j authorities tp supply for the troops is being utilised for commercial purposes."' said'the Prime Minister to a reporter * at Wellington on Saturday. "1 wish J to deny the rumour. The whole of 1 the cheese is being used for the pur- t poses of the troops and in no other , way." ] • The latest Gazette gives the popu- . lation of Greater Auckland as 119,336; ( Wellington. 75.055; Christ church. , 83.793; and Dunedin, 68,347. On the basis of these figures the death rate t for March was heaviest in Wellington. ( being 1.02 per 1000 of population, as , compared with 0.6S in Auckland, 0.78 , in Christchurch, and 0.54 in Dunedin. j The number of deaths from infantile < paralysis-(according to the Gazette) in ( March, was only four for the whole of , the Dominion, of which three occurred j in Wellington, and one in Auckland. i When out of sorts, ask your neigh- ' hour what to do for it. Ten to one the i answer will be "Ask T/oasby about it. o Wo have a modern electric brougham for sale. Less than half the price of j petrol to run. Turnbull and Jones. Ltd. b j As showing the keen interest taken j throughout the Dominion in the dis- , posal by tender of the stocks of drapery i saved from the lire in Reynolds and Kinvig's warehouse, we may state that "lots were secured by buyers Auckland, Napier. Wellington, Dunedin, . and Invercargill. Practically the whole of the Canterbury portion was secured by Messrs Armstrong and Co., — Vk?this city. ' Your home pets photographed in a manner you will appreciate, and results will last for ever. Steffano Webb, 252 liigh street. Wo specialise in No Uubbing Laundry Help because it, washes all garments clean without rubbing or injury. Imiillinc package sufficient lor seven washings. Kincaid's, Ltd. H-1238. Early rising is not so easy unless von have a good alarm clock. Lewis and Anderson, Ltd., Cashcl street, for best value. 631 Renovations and Repairs.—"Wo shall be pleased to estimate for all classes ot repairs re-upholstering, and re-cover-ing. A. J. White, Ltd. » One hundred and eighty varieties ot charming carnations will bo iound in Bradbury's Catalogue. Plants, all well rooted, now ready for delivery. Priccs from 8s per dozen. Plants posted to any district. Catalogue free on application to Hastic, Bull, and Pickering, Cashel street, who are booking orders. 5Gv Hockey and Football.—Players are reminded that Lewis and Andcison, Ltd.. have j*isfc opened their season's supplies. 631 Latest collapsiblo push-cars, rubber tyres, nickel handles, facing-mother style, Cos; also, cheap line push-chairs, usually 455, now 22s (id net, cash. Drayton's Emporium, 7C5 Colombo .street. I" 1330 : WORLD'S BEST SOLO MACHINE THE "T.T. TRIUMPH." Not only is tho "Triumph" tho motor-cycle with the longest record m this country, both in point of time and ; iii number of competitive successes, but it has maintained its -position m the forefront of tho motor-cycling world with absolute steadiness and consistence during all the long years it has ' been on the market. Among the latest successes of the. Triumph m this country were tho winning of tho Middle-weight Championship of New Zealand, at tho I bifT Patriotic Motor Carnival at hr, . s , 1 church a few weeks ago, together with every other event in which the Iriumpn was "eligible as a starter at that meeting. In the beach-racing events at New Brighton last season, tho Triumph scored fastest timo in nine out of ten events. The wins of the Triumph in reliability trials in New Zealand aro innumerable, and afford indisputable evidence that the Triumph is the most reliable, efficient, and economical motorcycle ever introduced into New Zealand. ©win £to the fact that the Triumph Works have been practically commandeered for the manufacture ot military motor-cycles, we e™ obtain no supplies of the new-geared Triumphs, but we hnve limited sunoly of the "Tourist Troohy" (ungearer) model ' and can heartily recommend +bese magnificent machines as the finest solo motor-cvcles in the world. ©rders ' should be placed early, as the supply ! is small, and further shipments very : rinrertain. Adam*. Ltd.. ,Wnts for TVhimph ; Gnracte and Show-rooms. High «+roet, 1 Christchurch. CG P.. P.r'>«-,v Motorcycle Department Representative). o