LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2537, 11 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tiie postal authorities are in daily receipt of letters from the parents, relatives, and friends of thoso.at the front complaining about the non-delivery of letters, papers, etc. If there is delay in the deliverauco of mail matter at the front, it is not the fault of the l'c6tal Department "here, which weekly dispatches liuge quantities of mail matter, that is growing as tho Reinforcements depart. At tho outset of the war the military authorities were offered a staff of capable moil to go forward to Egypt to deal with the mails ■ as they should be dealt with. Theso men may not have been fit to go il!fco the firing line, hut had the suggestion heen adopted—and all tho confusion that has arisen was foreseen—it would have relieved for service those men who ars now dealing with tho mails in Egypt and at the front, .but-the Defenco authorities did not favour the proposal, with the result that there certainly have been delays in the handling of soldiers' mails at the oamps in New Zealand at Samoa last year, and now in Egypt. "We have decided to contribute another £500 for war purposes," said Mr. W, G. Foster at yesterday's annual meeting of tho Wellington Meat Export Company. "Wo would liko a lead as to tile direction it should be expended." Mr. A. E. Mabin said that it was a matter that they could with safety leave to tho directors, who . could bo trusted to do tho right thing. Mr. Foster—"You've got a better opinion of them than I have." - (Laughter.)^ On Account of the Mararoa' not being ablo to leavo Auckland for Sydney on Monday, as arranged, the Australian nursos who returned in charge of our wounded on the Willochra, returned from Auckland by yesterday afternoon s express, and will depart for Sydney from here by the Moeraki to-morrow. Whilst in ' the north the nurses were taken to tho Waitonio Oaves, Rotorua, and Auckland, and from all accounts had a most enjoyable time. The case of Professor von Zedlitz is to bo discussed at a meeting of the oxccutive committee of the Wellington Patriotic Soeioty. to N held uu ii'iusy fiveuiagi -i

Tho Alice Parkinson Petition Committeo held a.mooting at the Esperanto Hall, Lambton Quay, last night, when it was decided to hold a public meeting at tho Town Hall, 011 a date to be' announced later on. Mr. Doran, the counsel who defended Alico Parkinson, will bo invited to speak, also other prominent citizen's. A writ lias been issued' for £10,000 for alleged slander against W. A. Mowbray, merchant, Wellington, by F. F. Munro, merchant, Wellington. Tho case will come before the Supreme Court at tho ■August sittings. At a. well-attended meeting of tho Alice Parkinson Petition Committee, held last night at the Esperanto llall, a strong protest was recorded against the attitude of tho City Council in not granting tho free use .of tho Town Hall for a matter of public importance; also at tho discourtesy shown by the council in not having roplied to that conimittco as to what decision they had come to. A question was raised in Parliament somo days ago about the action of a Magistrate Li reducing an old ago pension because tho pensioner, an old woman, was receiving a certain allotment of pay from her son, serving at the Dardanelles. Tho matter was referred to tho Pensions Department, and the caso has been investigated. It appears that tho Magistrate at Thames who dealt with tho matter, ordered the reduction of tho ponsion, but bofore the first payment at the now rate was duo tho Commissioner of Pensions at Wellington instructed tho local registrar to re-submit the papers to the Magistrate, and draw his attention to tho (ilause in tho Act which would have exempted, from consideration allotmont of pay up to £52 per year. This clause . was among the amendments made in 1913. The mistake was corrected forthwith, and tho pensioner has never received less than her full payment at tho rate of £26 per year. A police station is to be opened at Miramar next week in temporary premises that have beon secured by the polico authorities at the rear of tho jiolo grounds, The new station will bo in charge of Constablo Hickey, of Collingwood. _ Colonel Porter, Commanding the National Kosorvo, and Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., interviewed tho Minister of Dcfenco yesterday morning, and discussed with 'liim tho terms of a proposed amendment to the Defence Act to give recognition to tho National Reserve. In brief, it is proposed that the Reserve shall be recognised as a voluntary military. organisation throughout the Dominion of all men over the Territorial ago of 30 years and upwards, excepting those under 30, who may, from medical or other good reasons,, be exempt from Territorial sorvice. The Minister assured the representatives of the Reserve that great interest in the movement was being taken by the Government, which desired to support it in every way possible. The conference of officers commanding the four military districts, which was convened for tomorrow. has been postponed until after the proposed amendment has been introduced into Parliament. . A Birmingham firm, writing to its representative in Wellington, says:—"We much regret to report that we havo been compelled to advance the cheap lines of tinware from 20 to 35 per cent. This is due to the abnormal advances of raw material. Those lines were previously made by girl labour, which is now unobtainable through their 'being drafted into the ammunition factories, consequently wages have had to be mora than doubled in order to get tho' work through. Fixed prices at tho present time cannot be given. We shall only increase sufficiently to cover the extra cost in materials and labour." The business man who received tho above letter was able : to cast some light 011 the effect of the war 011 tho'prioe of hardware in England. The rises'in prices on those prevailing just before tho outbreak of war were as follow: — Tinware and ..japanned-.' goods,' : 20 per cont.; table cutlery; 12£ to 33 1-3 per cent, (the latter on tho cheaper lines) ; pocket knives, 15 per cent.; grates, .20 per cent.; T hinges, 25 per cent, (since March last) ; aluminium goods, 17} per cent.; garden tools, 30 per cont.; locks, 17J- per cent.; sarking (roofing felt), 35 percent. The result of the voting in connection with the representation of the HuttHorowhenua. Ward on the Wellington Education Board was announced yesterday as follows by the Returning Officer (Mr. G. L. Stewart), secretary of the board): —Mr. John Itebbell (tho retiring; member), 118; Mr. D. M. Yeats, 80. There was ,one informal, vote. As alreadv announced. Mr. William Allan and Sir Walter Buchanan have been reelected members of the board as representatives of the City Ward and tho Wairarapa Ward respectively. | A well-known Hawke's Bay pioneer has offered to give £100 towards tho Overseas Aircraft Flotilla Fund provided the amount required to purchase one aeroplane, £1500, is subscribed within a fortnight. At the Petono Drill Hall last evening a send-off social was' tendered to the Hutt- Valley members of the Gth Reinforcements. The building was packed, and .an enjoyable time spent. Appropriate speeches were delivered by th'e Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) and Mr. J. Piper, in which the hope was expressed that the boys would bo spared to return safely to Now Zealand. A foolish practice in a certain section of the' City is that of placing detonators upon, the tram .rails. The .oxplosion which results, besides being no doubt vastly edifying' to the facetious perpetrator, is qiiitc apt to tail so something of a sensation among the occupants of tho car. 0110 gentleman last evening openly set at defiance all by-laws relating to alighting while the tram is in motion, and sought tho safety of terra firma with surprising speed and agility. A deputation, of ladies headed by Dr. Edith Huntly waited on the Minister of Defence yesterday to ask whether care was taken to protect the community from ( venereal diseases that might have been contracted by soldiers who returned to New Zealand, and whether tho Minister would provide, for a women's patrol of tho streets aud of the vicinity of. military camps, etc., to mitigate the spread of the disease. The .Minister in reply said that every precaution was being, taken to protect tho public, and returned troopers with the disease were kept and treated till it Vas safo to let them go. With regard to the women's patrol, he requested them to place before him any information at their disposal in reference to anything of the kind that had been done elsowhero. In conscquenco of rumours regarding men who returned by the Willcclira ho said that he had had special inquiries' made, aud had been informed that tliero had been only seven cases, in all of venereal trouble on the ship. These men were all well and free from infection when the. ship arrived. A dinner to the officers of the Sixth Reinforcements was held at Trentham last evening, those present including the Minister of Defence (Hon. J. Allen). The toast-list comprised "The King," "The Sixth," and "Our Cause." Speeohes were made by . BrigadierGeneral, Robin, G.0.C., Major Samuel, Colonel H. 11. Potter, Camp Commandant. Major Allen, and Colonel the Hon. J. Allen. .. During tho evening . songs wero contributed by Lieut. Williams, Liout Dunn, and Lieut. Tomlin, and the Camp Orchestra rendored several items. The congestion of shipping in New York ] has interrupted the deliveries of motor-cars to New Zealand. This has been felt oven by tho Chevrolet cars, which are at present attracting a great deal of public interest, and also tin envy of competitive agents. Now, however, supplies ore coming to hand in large numbers, and the controlling agents—The Dominion Motor Vehicles, Ltd., 60 Courtenay Placeinvite inspection of tho latest sclf-start-l»S ami Hshtlug Chevrolet, which sells at wavflste.-AiiV

"The Trentham Camp is 2going on! splendidly," said the Hon. J. Allen last night, oil returning from a brief visit to the (lamp. "When tho improvements that are noiv proceeding are completed, it will be a model camp, and I ao not' beliovo there will bo a bettor one in the world." ' A police station is to be opened at' Miramar noxt week. A house has been taken by tho Department at the back of tho polo ground, and it is to be in charge of Constable Hickey, of Collingwood. Lieutenant A. J. Shout, son of Mty Shout, of Trentham, was recently, awarded the Military Cross. He is. a! member of tho Ist Infantry Brigade of the Ist Battalion of the N.S.W. Expeditionary Forces. . During tho South' African War, Lieutenant Shout (then a lance-corporal, and a member of tho Border . Horse) was promoted to the rank of sergeant, in recognition of a deed described in Army Orders as 0119 of great courage, in which lie assisted in keeping tlie men together. Under a heavy lire, ho also brought out of the firing lino a wounded comrado, and took liim to a place of safety. Ho was then only 20 years of age.

A petition containing 5000 signatures/ including 28 country Mayors, was pre-" isented to the Mayor of Auckland yew terdav asking liim to call a public meet* ing in support of the movement to establish a military camp in the Auckland district. The Mayor intimated hia sympathy with MlO movement, and pr<y mised to acquaint tho deputation, with! his reply at the earliost opportunity. Dr. Violet Field, daughter of Mr; T. A. Field. M.P., who was recently on a, visit to New Zealand, has been appoint, od to the position of bacteriologist at tho Ladv Hardinge Memorial Collego,Delhi. As the college will not be opened for about a year Miss Field will probably be dispatched by the board for special work in Britain in tho meantime. At the conclusion of tho annual meeting of the Wellington Meat Export Company held yesterday, tho managing director (Mr. W. G. Foster) stated that though ho had not beon able to get exact figures, tho quantity of meat in. cold store in New Zealand 011 June 30 Was approximately double tho quantity, ihat was held 011 the corresponding date last year. This, of course, was solely duo to the shortage of insulated vessels in consequence of the war. The company's Ngahauranga stores were lisnally well stocked in Juue, but this year' • they were full to capacity. Ai further store to hold 100,000 carcasses has now being provided at Ngahauranga.

TJireo Napier men, H. M." Tiffen, of tho H.wke's Bay Farmers' Co-operativo Association, W. S. King, of Dalgoty and Co., Ltd., and A. J. Busting, of Frost and Menzies, arrived in Wellmgton last evening to join the special ambulanoa quota. An appeal is being.mado to the puln. lie by Major A. M. Samuel, Officer Commanding the Ctili Reinforcements, fox 1 gifts of gramapkono records _ and games, such as draughts, dominoes, chess, and so on, for tho use of tho mon on the troopship. They should be addressed "Major A. M. Samuel, Officer. Commanding 6th Reinforcements; H.M.T. Willoclira," and forwarded aa soon as possible. Monsieur 0. M. Watteeuw, Belgian Consul-General for Australia, has arrived in Auckland for the purpose of meeting the consuls for his country in the various centres of New Zealand with Tefcrence to the Belgian Relief Funds. Some time ago the shareholders o! the Wellington Meat Export Company, at an extraordinary meeting, authorised an increase of £100,000 in the capital,': and at "yesterday's'; meeting tho chairman, Mr. AY. 6. Foster, stated that the directors would : take steps to secure subscriptions. It waa stated that settlers in the Raiigitikei district' I had "undertaken:'to. apply for £35,000, aaid the balance, is to be offered to thd present shareholders at par. .. ;■>' \

Madame Boeufve, of Wellington, haa been advised by cablegram that her husbajfd, M.. R. Boeufve, of tho. French' Corps Diplomatique, has received the distinction of being appointed Consul(JeDoral and Minister Resident for. Ecuador (South America). M. Boeufve, who has many friends here, camo to New Zealand thirteen years ago and was consul for France for nearly seven years, when he was promoted to be French Consul at Liverpool, where ha has resided 6ince. Madame Boeufve remained in New Zealand to be with her son, who was studying for the law. Mr. Alio Boeufve at present holds a 'ieutenant's commission in the . New. Zealand forces now in camp.

■ As showing the manner m which gal-vanised-iron is: jumping m I>nce, it is related that.a southern busmess mail indented some time ago a line that had cost him £18 10s. per ton land in New Zealand. By the time the_iron arrived there was a decided shortage ahead, -and the price rose. Ho was asked by a Dunedin firm to quote a price for his iron, and as he would hayfl liked, some of his smaller customers, to get what they wanted, lie put what lie Considered then to be the prohibitive price of £33 10s. per ton at the ship s side in a southern port, cash down on. the arrival of tho vessel. To us great surpriso tho inquirer bought tho whola line at the price named, and telegraphed tho money through at once. The Wellington Education Board announces tho following appointments of teachers:—Lansdowne, assistant master, Mr. C. Gordon; Pahmtua D.H.S., secondary assistant, Miss ]V. MHardie, 8.A.; Northland, assistant master, ilr. e! Rowntree; Martinbprough,. assistant, & M. A.Clarke: Waione, solo teichcr Sir. K. Holdaway; New-town, Levin, assistant, Miss R-. ""ton, Ma ngatainoka, assistant, Mrs. J. Huglian'Arrangements have been_ mado. whereby tho departure, from V, t' l ® last train to Trentham will be delajod Opera. House.