LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2571, 20 September 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Malcura, which is due in Auckland to-day, has on beard an American mail, tho sotitfesrn portion of which should reach here to-morrow morning, per Main Trunk express. Tlie usual Australian mail should reach hero dircct by the Moeraki, which is due hero at 10 o'clock tftis morning.

During tlie coursc of his remarks at a social gathering on Saturday evening, tho Hon. James Allen, Minister of Defence) niado reference to the good work which had been done by our own man-'o'-war —H.M.S. Philomel. He said that ho had been in constant communication with Captain Hall-'flionipson, and the vessel had dono her share in tho present war. Lives had been lost, but not in vain in the great service to the Empire. The speaker also referred to New Zealand's gift ship in complimentary terms.

It has been arranged that the Hon. Dr. Pomare, Minister in Charge of tho Cook Islands Department, shall accompany tho steamer which is to leavo New Zealand shortly for Niue Island, where 200 natives are to be embarked for tho training camp at Narrow Neck, Auckland. Thol-o is no doctor at Niue at present, aud it is necessary that the recruits bo medically examined ,fcefoi\» they . are taken aboard. Dr. Pomnre will undertake this duty, and will also attend to a number of Departmental matters which require his attention there.

Tlie Imperial Government has commandeered all sheelite produced in Neiv Our export of this ore last year was 20-1 tons, valued at £21,498. The -value has increased to about £180 per ton, owing to the great demand for tungsten for use in the manufacture of toughened steel. The procedure to be adopted to secure our output for the use of the Imperial authorities will be similar to that adopted for meat. The Government will, buy all the tungsten ores available for export at tho current price, and forward it to England. The increased price will, _it is expected, make for considerably increased production, and it is thought possible that we shall export at the rate of. about £75,000 worth per year.

"There has been a lot of talk about some of the men who have come back from Egypt having liad 'cold feet'," said Dr. Newman, M.P., at the Combined Shipping Go.'s patriotic concert on Saturday evening. "I give tho statements an absolute denial. 1 '

A Presu Association telegram from Dunedin states that tho price of flour will be reduced from to-day 10s. ,_ arid will- then be £14' per ton. Bran will be. reduced 255., and will then bo £5 os,, and pollard 305., making it £6.

According to Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh, M.P., Parliament is a very tame affair just now. It was a time of war, but peace in Parliament. At the Shipping Companies' patriotic smoke concert on Saturday, Mr. Hindmarsh said that the Minister of Defence (Hon. J. Allen) was discharging his duties well. "Mr. Allen has to bear all the critioism, because,. in the opinion of members, no matter wh'o makes the mistake Mr. Allen is responsible for it."

A suggestion was recently made to the Postmaster-General (Sir Joseph Ward) by Mr. R. Fletcher, M.P., that bundles of sis newspapers, the . supply for one week, should be remitted to soldiers at the front for the same as a single newspaper. The request was made to Mr. ileteher by a constituent, who urged that the postage was a ■ heavy chaTgo upon peoplo not well-to-do who wished to send newspapers to their relatives. Sir Joseph Ward (has replied as follows: —"I have the honour to express regret that the suggestion cannot be agreed to. The present postage rate is uiiremuherative,-.the Department paying out for the convoyance of the newspapers considerably more than it receives. Tlio Department would have to pay just as much for- the transit, of. the newspapers if they were in bundles, as the payments are by weight. Arrangements are in existence under which tho Defence Department carries bundles of books and newspapers free by transports conveying reinforcements to the front, and extensive use is made of this facility.". -

Officers of the Wellington Operative Butchers' Union have been returned unopposed as follow:—President, Mr. A. Needhain; vicd-president, Mr. J. Cartner; secretary, Mr. A.. H. Cooper. For the offices' of treasurer and minute secretary, and for members of the committee, a ballot will be taken.

Tho Minister of Marino (Hon. B. M'Nab) told those assembled at the Shipping Companies' patriotic concert on Saturday evening, that at the present time complaints had been made that vessels could not obtain crews. This was on account of the number of men who had enlisted. Although, as Minister of Marine, it 'was his duty to see tliat i the public travelled in safety, lie did not believe that becauso there, were not enough men to fill tho vacant positions tho ships should be tied up to. the wharves lying idlo. Tlio industries of the country must go oh. It was war time, and 'if a vessel was hung up by not being property manned he would send her to sea with what crew she could get, provided it was safe to do so.

An apt illustration of the cheerfulness of the New Zealand troops at the front was quoted by the. Prime Minister (Bight Hon. W. F. Massoy) at the' Orphans' Club on Saturday Jiiglit. One man,' who had been very daring, was shot, and was . being carried down a, sap to the beaoli when he met an officer, who made an inquiry about the man. "Yes," said the man, "I've been shot —this is my sixth wound." ho said cheerfully. "Why," said the officer, "you only want another one to have one for every day in the week." "Oh, give us a chance," said the wounded soldier, "I want a rest on Sunday I"

As a result of the Combined Shipping Companies, Customs, ' and Customs House Agents patriotic smoke concert, held on Saturday evening, the patrio'tio funds will benefit by over £100. During tlio evening the football with which the annual match was played was put up to auction, and it.realised £45 175., being finally knocked;down to Mr. J. I'indlay, New _ Zealand representative for Shaw, Savill, and Albion Co., for 23 guineas. Mr. A. Jacobs acted as auctioneer.

The Prime Minister (tho Right Hon.. W. I\ Massoy) on Saturday visited and said "good-bye" to tho officers and men of tho Trentliam Regiment, who are the advance guard of tho Now Zealand Riflo Brigade. Thoro are about 100 officers and men in the detachment, which goes to the front along with the Maori Roinforccmonts. The remaining officers and' men of tlio First and Second Battalions of tho Brigade will leave "with the Sovcnth Reinforcements, shortly, and. tho other two battalions in four months' timo.

Replying to the toast of the "Shipping Companies," at tho annual' smoke concort on Saturday evening, Mr. W. A. Kennedy, manager for tho Union Company, said that tho directors had considered the jieeds of tho .Empire first, and liad made every endeavour to keep tho various services running, despite the fact that so many of their vessels bad been engaged in carrying, troops. Although tho public has had to suffer to a certain extent in this respect, it must bo realised, bo {.aid, that the needs of tho Empire in this tinio of strifo must come first.

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. I .11. I .1.1111 I *I_ || Mi ni JJII IUMEI.'.J,* Blockhouse 13, situated a{xJut flv-ai miles from Luderitzbucht, German S.W. Africa, became a noted post in the .re* cent campaign against the Germans.When the .British .Central Force, under. Sir Duncan M'Kenzio, pushed inland, threo men of the Eastern Rifles were left in tlio blockhouse. These men employed their spare time in gathering jewels in the . diamond fields of the desert round about. When tho Central Force returned after their success in the field, it was learned that the men in the blockhouso had collected some 3000 precious stones of varying size.

The Gisborne Chamber of Commerce passed tho following resolution on Saturday : — 1 'That this Chamber notes with regret certain resolutions passed at a sparsely-attended meeting of farmers held on Saturday last-, ■ and which resolutions were carried by only a small majority of those present, had been forwarded to tho Government and telegraphed to the Press in all parts of tlio Dominion as representing the views of sheep-farmers of the district. The fact that not more than 50 out of some 600 sheep-farmers- in tlie Counties of Cook and AVajkohu (to say nothing of Waiaj)u) attended the meeting is sufficient indication tliat the farmers generally are not in sympathy with the movement-."—(Press Association.) '

Poisoned water-holes had to be contended with by the Union Forces' in the campaign against the Germans in South-West Africa., but Messrs. H. C. aud H. D. Tennent, who took part in the campaign, informed, a reporter yesterday that there were no serious casualties frotn this cause. The poison was quickly discovered, and a substance was added to make, it of no effect. Thus the difficulty was easily overcome. Another difficulty, which did not prove as serious to 'the Union Forces as was at first anticipated, was tie lack of knowledge of the country into which the war was carried. This was because the natives rushed to assist our men. It that the German polioy of extermination had pressed heavily on the Hottentots and the Hereros during tlie past decade, and the blacks welcomedy the entry of the British. This was an important factor in the campaign.

Two men will appear, at the Magistrate's Court this morning 'to answer a charge of attempted theft at the Empire Hotel. They were discovered in the upstairs portion of the hotel on Saturday evening about 8 o'clock, and, as they were unable to give a satisfactory reason for their gresenco there, they were handed over to the police.

A woll-known shipping manager stated at the annual smoke concert of the Combined Shipping Companies on Sat urday evening, that there was an impression that the Union Company was making enormous • profits out of 'their vessels, which had been commandeered for transport work.' This idea, he'said, was quite wrong. He stated that he beliov.ed that the New Zealand Government had made far better terms in regard to this matter than the. Imperial Government had been able to make.

"Are we playing the game?" was the title and subject of ail address delivered yest-erday by Mr. J. T. M. Hornsby, M.P., at one of"the regularly organised "Pleasant Sunday Afternoons" which' are a feature of the church in Donald M'Lean Street, Newtown. Mr. Hornsby spoke of the public life of the various countries now at war, of-the. sacrifices being made by the French people, the Russian people, the Belgians, the British, and ourselves. He pointed out that while a great many of our people were doing magnificent work, others, still showed a tendency to behave as if no war was going on at all. These peoplo were enjoying all their ordinary amusements, apparently without a thought of tlio great struggle. He deprecated a too generous support of sport and amusements, and, on the other hand, he did not think tlio people sfiould aim at living a drab but there was much'"missionary", work still waiting to be done to induce everybody to play the game'.' "He condemned very 6trongly those women who lav-' ished attention on'pct dogs, counselling them that thoy would be better employed caring for the children of women compelled to work for their daily bread.. In. marked contrast to the conduct of some of our fashionable women was the - 6elf-sacrifico of fashionable women 111 France, where there was no longer any frivolity. France had been regenerated. He believed that the war would result in the reconstruction of society.

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