GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16216, 20 May 1918, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

Wo have received 5s from J.C. (two months) for our Serbian Fund.

The first catch of the season was made by the To Awaite (Marlborough Sounds) whalers last week, two humpbacks being secured.

Our Dunedin correspondent telegraphs that the Hospital Board havo cabled to Melbourne accepting the o.uotation (£2047*) for a supply of radium for the Dunedin Hospital.

Mr A. P. "Whatman, of Masterton, has received word that the half-ton of frozen eels forwarded to England have reached their destination in splendid condition. The eels were taken from the Wairarapa Lako and were frozen at the Waingawa works.

Four more men took their pilot's tickets with credit at Sockburn yesterday these being G. A. Morse (Wanganui). A. T. Allen (Waikari), A. E. "W. McDonald (Invercargill), and W. A. Hopkins (Oxford). The examining officers were Colonel 1?. A. Chnffey and Captain D. M. Hobertson.

"Unless this Government understands the soldier woe betide it. The men who fight for the country own it," said a member of the "Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association at Thursday night's meeting. "Ought to," commented another, laconically, in a tone which indicated that the ownership was very remote.

Sir William Fraser, Minister of Publit: "Works, together with Mr J. McEnnis. District Engineer, Public Works Department, motored out 10 the SHwvn traffic bridge on Saturday, to meet officials of the local bodies interested, and confer with them as to the work of renovating the bridge, which is in need of thorough repair at "resent.

At a general meeting of tlio.Cantebury branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, held yesterday, the following resolution was carried: "That we, us a bodv of workers, wish to protest against the severe sentence passed on Messrs Langley, Flood, and Hunter in connexion with the recent seditious utterances."

A Tiinaru telegram states that the executive of tho South Canterbury School Committees Association discussed the 'demand for the restoration of the South Canterburv Board (.f Education. It is understood that most of the School Committees favour re-

storation, only one (Rangitata) having opposed it. A motion will be proposed at the annual meeting of the Association.

Says the Featuerston corro.spmidi'iit of tno Wairarapa "Daily News": — Considerable • comment is being made oil the number of alien subjects who are at present in the town. Most ol these men are of military age, and if subjects of the Allied nations they should be doing military service: if of enemy origin, tho general opinion is that they should be interned or put to work on one of the State iarms. For some time past a number of these men have been unemployed and fill in their time hanging round the town. Tho fact of these being here, adjacent to a military camp, is strange whatever way one looks at it. Before the Military Service Board at Wellington on Thursday Mr George Girling-Butcher appeared in support; of the appeal of bis son, Gunner Bernard George Girling-Butcher. who went into camp as a volunteer on March 6th. He asked for exemption on the ground that he is, to all intents and purposes, the last son. Tho elder son, married, is at the front, and his sccond and third sons were killed in action. All of them had enlisted. Witness suffered from heart trouble, and ho also put in cortificatcs as to tho state of i his wifo and two of his daughters. lie made the appeal on behalf of the boy's mother and sisters. The. Board granted indefinite leave without pay.

1 Another big draft or returned sick and wounucci sokueis arrived in oiirist-cnurc-ii at iu.o a.m. vesteruay. Tnevc were about iiui) men ui tne uraft altogether, übouc llii) being lor Christci.uicn, and liio balance ior the southern parts of Canterbury, Otago, and bouuiiand, these men ueing taken on by a special train. Thouga tho public were excluded from the station, there was a big crowd assembled outsiao. Tne iteienco jJepannicnt was represented by Majors Morrison ami 'Conway, ana ti.o Mayor (Mr i-JL. Holland) was aiso present, though there was no opportunity for speechmaking. The Canterbury Automobile Association, who had been liotiiied in good time by the Defence authorities of the arrival of the boat, made, excellent arrangements lor tho transportation of the men, and the eighty ears present soon convoyed their loads to their different destinations.

To help to meet the food shortage in England, the New Zealand Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurcli is attempting to make itself as_ sell-support-ing as possible. An officer who returned to New Zealand last week said that 30 acres of tho grounds were under cultivation, and potatoes and vegetables were grown in great quantities. Tho patients had recently planted 60,000 cabbage plants. A noultrv farm was also being run -n connexion with the institution. The breeding of rabbits was also an important feature of the food department. Belgian hares had been crossed with rabbits, and a fine large animal had been the result. "The officer commanding rabbits is an important nerson," said the officer, "and he has been able to add considerably to thw food supply." The whole of the work is carried out by the patients as part of their convalescent treatment.

[ Tho matter of the production of fuel alcohol in New Zealand was referred to in a letter from tho Hon. A.' M. Myers, Minister for Customs, read at a meeting of the Auckland Industrial Association last weej;. There would bo po unnecessary embargo upon the distillation of fuel alcohol, Mr Myers stated, provided such distillation took place in sufficient quantity to warrant proper supervision, nor any difficulty about granting licenses for stills for the recovery of alcohol in large quantities for commercial purposes. At the same time it might be mentioned that DrMaclaurin, Dominion analyst, who had made investigations, had reported that it was doubtful whether alcohol coukl be economically produced in New Zealand. Various experiments wero at present being made with flax refuse, wood, sawdust, waste fruits, and other materials, and it depended upon the success of these experiments whether! the manufacture of fuel alcohol would be proceeded with.

Writing from Franco on March 14th to a friend iti Masterton, the Itev. G. T. Brown, formerly minister of Knox Church, Masterton, says: The other rlay another padro and I were about five miles away at another camp. We saw a plane resting in a field surrounded by about 100 men. Someone was trying to start the propeller. Suddenly it started to whir round. The mncnine began to move along the ground. It turned right round amongst the men, knocking many of them over. 1' noticed when it came round that thero was no one in it. It had run amok, and there it was careering round the paddock uncontrolled, knocking n\n down like ninepins. There was a great scatter —some fled into trench holes, and others took to the hillside. Eventually the great mad thing took a little jump, and with a loud crash stood on its head and fell over on its Jirl'c. A flame came out of the engine, and I thought the ivhole "shoot" would go up in blazes, but with a puff of white smoke it went out, and the huge thing lay still on its hack. The aviator evi° dentlv intended some of the men to hold it until he got in, but they must have let it go. Only four men had to be carried awav, and I don't think any were kUled.

Under the heading "Another Carnival Week"' some notes on the Competitions just concluded will appear in the "When Found" column of the "Weekly Press" which will be published tomorrow.

Three soldiers at Trentham Camp have been found guilty by district court-martial of "disobeying, in such a manner as to show a wilful defiance of authority, a lawful command given personally by his superior officer, in the execution of his office," and have been sentenced in each case to imprisonment with hard labour for two years. The names of those so sentenced are: 7852'J Private L. Codv. Details; 78535 Private G. L. Schultz, Details; 75309 Private T. B. Struthers, Details.

A peculiar position taken no by the Education Department was related by the secretary of the Hawke's ilav Education Board at the last meeting of the Board. He stated that the settlers at "Waikohu had built a school and given it to the Board. "When that body asked the Department to furnish it, a reply was received that as the Government had not built it they would not furnish it. Had the Government been asked to shoulder the whole cost, that would have been done: but because the settlers helped, flu- Government would do nothing 1

"You know, captain, that although {.ppellant is in the First Division, lie has a wife and nine children." said Mr .J. W. Poynton. S.M., to Captain Bealu at the sitting of the Military Service Board at Masterton, when the captain was questioning an appellant. Mr Poynton further explained that the man had married a widow with nine children since the Military Service Act was passed. The information evidently convinced the captain of the man's courage, as he remarked: "I think, then, iio is jr.si the class of man who i.s wanted at the front!'' The Board allowed appellant to stay at home with his family for the present.

Speaking of the New Zealand Division in France, Colonel Plunge, of Auckland, who lias just returned, said that when th»» recent Soi/ime offensive started it had just completed five weeks' training and recreation behind the lines. 'Ihe men were in splendid condition when tliev left to resist the great German push. One battalion ma relied 38 miles from the railhead to Uio trenches and went straight into the light without a rest, and the men conducted themselves most gallantly. Such a feat of endurance, ho said, was noteworthy. The New Zealanders filled a four-mile gap at a most critical time, and undoubtedly had done their share in holding the Germans.

James llyder, of Hie 2nd Manchester Regiment, who was taken prisoner during tlie retreat lYo;n Mons in 1914, writes an interesting letter to Jiis relatives in New Zealand. Ho says: "1 am pleased to ,sa,v I am very fit and well. I cannofc express the joy and happiness this release from Dante's 'Inferno' has brought me. Yes, and worse than that. The kindness of the people here is beyond all expectation. and it is a beautiful place, very residential. The house I live in is not three minutes from the sea front; it is in Franken street, The Hague, Holland. They have lot some of the prisoners from Germany go to Holland, and 1 am going to be allowed home for six Weeks."

At a meeting of the Hanrner Springs School Committee, held on Friday evening, the following resolution was unanimously carried: —"That this committee strongly urges the National Government not only to resist any proposal to encroach on the present national system of education', or to in any way reduce the efficiency of the nresent system, but also, in view of the recognised fact that a cold or otherwise neglected child is never a normally brilliant child, that the Government bo strongly urgpd to make adequate provision for all necessary improvements ill the way of both comforts and efficiency in schools to enable the rising generation to take their proper place after tho war, and to be able to copo with after-the-war conditions."

So much is heard of soldiers' parcels that go astray and never reach tlicir destination that it is a pleasure to record an instance where the authorities take great pains to deliver the Roods entrusted to them (says the "Levin Chronicle"). Some months ago a Levin resident sent a parcel to a friend, Private R- Alloy, of th 0 Canterbury Battalion, now in Franca. When the package reached the trenches it bore evidences of immersion in water, and an explanatory official stamp stated that it had been "Salved from a torpedoed ship." Tho recipient cut the label off juid sent it to his Lovin friends as a souvenir, with the comment that tiie contents had not suffered much by their adventures. "We let the wind blow on them for a while," lie says, "and they were not much the worse."

It is not customary for the police to make application for a prohibition order against a man. but at Auckland oa Friday they applied for an order against a returned soldier who got back here in .March with £90 odd and went through in three weeks. It was made plain that tho man was quite a decent fellow, but suffering n little from shell-shock, and inclined to take more than was good for him, with theresult that hf got into an ultragenerous mood which made him a mark for "spongers'' and "sharks" about the hotels. The greater part of his money had been thus given away to ■ people who had little or no claim on him for assistance. Tho soldier very strongly objected to be prohibited, but decJarVd his willingness to voluntarily tnko the pledge, and the matter was held over till next day on the understanding that no order would be made if lie bad then taken the pledge.

Tho Cashmere School vrill re-open today. A sale of work will bo hel<3 in tlie afternoon.

The magazine of the Napier Boys' High School, the "Scindian," is to hand. It is bulkier than any of its predecessors, probably duo to tho steady growth of the institution, but the issue is practically devoted to school news. The last page contains auditions to the 801 l of Honour, the complete fijrures being' Number on roll 401. killed 51, wounded 70, missing 1. distinctions 18. A lady, writing from Guildford (Surrey, England), to a relative in the

Manawatu district, says:—"Guildford had an aeroplane week, and was asked to raise enough money to buy 25 aeroplanes; value £2-500 each. "We collected £2(6,700, and bought 50 aeroplanes at £2500 each, and 27 tanks— I think £5000 or £10,000 each—and an aircraft gun, value £625, from funds collected by the boys' school." Tho

population of Guildford is 23,800.

The difficulties of the postal officials in regard to maintaining a staff still remain acute, as men are constantly leaving for camp. In the course of conversation Mr J. C. "Williamson, Chief Postmaster, Auckland, mentioned that in the last ballot alone 25 men had been called up from the Auckland postal district, thirteen of this number being from the city office. The shortage of men was now being felt in the country branches also, and girls were being taken on wherever possible, either to release a hoy for work in town, or in cases where no boy was available. In all such cases the appointment of girls was proving entirely satisfactory. A certain measure of relief, said Mr Williamson, had recently been afforded by tho Postal Department having sanctioned the engagement of extra lads in country branches, so that when a vacancy artfse in town, or where the need was urgent in another country district, senior qualified lads could he transferred without detriment to their own offices.

I When an officer is returned to Aus- | tralia on account of wounds or illhealth rendering him unfit for service his appointment is terminated, and if ho rc-enlists he must do so as a private. Replying to a question, Mr T. Trumble, Secretary of the Defence Department, stated that if the officer subsequently recovered and wished to proceed again to the front with the Australian Imperial Force, he would not do so with commissioned rank. This action was taken, he explained, because the overseas authorities had notified that the need at present was for men. The supply of officers was sufficient. He did not consider that this was likely to prevent officers serving again, as, if they were really anxious to go to the front, they would be content to do so as privates, and depend upon their experience and qualifications to lift them into the commissioned ranks again. When asked what would be the position of a commissioned holder of the _ Victoria Cross or other special qualification in these circumstances, Mr Trumble replied that in such cases action might be taken to depart from the rule, but this would only bo done in special circumstanccs. He added that tho services of returned officers Vere largely availed of by the department in Australia-

Thc secretary of the New Zealand Educational Institute has received a letter from the Hon. J. A. Hanan, Minister of Education", in reply to a request for information regarding the tenure of scholarships at private schools. The Minister says that for many years, probably ever since the passing of the Education Act, 1877, scholarships have been lield at the two "endowed schools"—the Wanganui Collegiate School and Christ's College— which, though endowed with funds originallv granted by the Government, and accordingly occupying a different position from private schools ,as generally understood,, are not included in the list of secondary schools forming the ninth schedule to the Education Act. The first private school which was approved as a place of tenure for a national scholarship was St. Mary's High School. This approval was given early in 1914 ou the application of the Grey Education Board. National scholarships, the letter states, have been held at the following private schools: Sacred Heart College, Auckland; King's College., Auckland; Wanganui Convent High School: St. Patrick's College, Wellington ; St. Mary's Convent, Greymouth ; Coluniba College. Dnnedin; Christian Brothers' School, Diinedin. Out of a total of about 800 scholarships now held. 18 are held at private schools, and four at the endowed schools named above.

All coughs, recent or c'uronic, in young or old, yield to Loasby's Stop It. Grocers and chemists. 1

Tho week-end sale of home-made food supplies at tho Red Cross Sales Depot was in charge of Mrs Edgar Stead, and resulted in the sum. of £39 being added to the funds. Competitions were won by the following:— JJoudoir cap. E. A. Rowe; turkey, Mrs Godbv. • 1

Jlig events occurring at a distance affect us less than do smaller ones at our own doors. A new gold mine discovered in the centre of Africa would not be half tho real benefit to Christchurch residents that they will derive from the seasonable offerings at Strauge's stocktaking sale, which starts to-day. Readers who study economy should not miss the opportunity for cheaper buying afforded by this clearance. 1 For smart evening wear Armstrong's are showing some very effective lines in crepe de luxe, silk voiles, silka brilliante, etc., in all good shades, and at exceedingly low prices. A limited supply only of these pretty goods at Avmslrong'.s. 1

Lost and Found Jewellery.—lt is astonishing the amount of jewellery that, is lost every week. This has prompted us to open a lost and found depot. If you lose jewellery or spectacles let us know. We will attend to all details free of charge, thus relieving you of all worry. We will also advertise same for you. Watson's, Jewellers, Ltd. ' 1

At the conclusion of his address to the Workers' Educational Association on "Tho Progress of the Press" on Saturday night, j\lr Triggs underwent ,1 process of questioning lasting nearly half an hour, which partly took tinform of a good-natured •'heckling.'' One question was to the effect whether it was not a bad thing for democracy that all tho newspapers should be lii '• he hands of capitalists and run hv editors who wrote as they were told to do iiv tho capitalist owners. In reply he said that it certainly took a good deal of capita! to start and run a newspaper, and it was very easy to lose a Targe sum of money in such an undertaking. In that sense persons who owned newspapers were generally persons possessing some capital. 7t was quite open to tho workers or any other section of the community to co-operate and start newspapers of i their own. and this had been successfully done. As to editors, it was a complete fallacy to suppose that thev were a set of persons continually writl ing things they did not believe in at I the dictation of some capitalist tvraiit. A journalist who took his profession seriously naturally attached himself to a paper with whose general policy he was in sympathy. If that policy' was j . . chanced, and he could not conscien-1 "Big Bon" still procurable. In spito tiouslv support the new policv. or if his of difficulty in shipping, Messrs Hastie, own views diryiged, it was his duty to ' Bull, and Pickering, have secured a get another job. When the London limited supply of "Big Ben' 1 and "Standard," which was a freetrade i "Sleepmeter' 1 Clocks, which aro on sale paper, was purchased by the Tariff Re- at their Cashel street warehouse. 207 formers, the then editor gave un a ~ „__ i . , , position supposed to be worth £3000 Alarm Clocks ! , a year rather than remain on and nmv " M v D ?f A Lh n f "gentlv switch round" the paper to warn J cr V \ • p " rm T-irifF Reiorm When ' Po l may be found at Ashby, IJergh 6. Prices S, rawtt™ chanced bn,,S o , ft" I™™ 8s to 17s 6d. each representing the the whole staff resigned, and with! the heln of some of their friends start-1 ed the ''St. James's Gazette," in which j THREE SECOND-HAND CAR thev were able to continue to write j BARGAINS. according to their own conscientious» mt r views. Asked whether these were not j Now on view.— I Three five-seater exceptional cases or whether he thought' touring cars, cach newly painted in upeditors in general would act in this to-date lth r ."ad wav, Mr Triggs said he had sufficient equipment:—:Darni(:q (Fre; Dch }> - > confidence in his profession to believe Rega l ! £I * a } Siddely-Deasy (British), that most editors would act in the way i £250. AH m running order. Adams, , he had described. (Applause.) I Ltd., Garage, Tuam street. 6 I

Some specimens of the famous low prices ruling hi Armstrong's mercory department:—Gents' neiv designs in pyjamas, good materials, 5s lid, 7s Grl. 8s lid, 10s Gd. Fine "Wincey shirts, light grounds, bands. 5s lid, 6s lid. Stout knitted sox, ribbed, spccial price Is 6d, Is 9d. 2

Havo us pnlarge that old portrait you treasure so highly. Wo retain the expression of the original. Steffano Webb, 252 High street. Telephone 1989. 5

Christchurch ladies are greatly pleased with the quality of "No Rubbing" laundry help, "Golden Rule" soap, and "Golden Rule" candles, Wardell Bros, and Co. 6

Hats for men; new shapes and shades in felts, 4s lid, 5s lid, 8s lid, 12s 6d. at Armstrong's. 3