LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2591, 13 October 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The_ postal authorities advise that tho Maitai, which left Sydney about noon on October 9, has on board an Australian mail. She is duo in Wellington to-day.

Mr. L. M. Isitt suggested in Parliament yesterday that tho work of Colonel Rhodes in Egypt might be supplemented by tho cending of throe -or four civilians with official authority to move about amongst the wounded, and the men in the ranks for tho matter of that, to cheer the men up, writo letters, etc. The Minister of Defence (tho Hon. J. Allen) said that there were committees in Egypt that did such work, and tho British public in Egypt constantly assisted the men. If Colonel Rhodee recommended the sending of civilians they would be sent, but nothing so far had convinced him, as Minister of Defence, that they wore needed in Egypt. From October 16 the freights on wool from New Zoaland to tho United Kingdom will bo as follow Greasy wool, Id. per lb.; slipo wool, ljd.; washed and scoured, 1-Jd.; all plus 25 per cent, war charge. Tho Australian rates are lid. for greasy and l|d. for scoured, plus 20 per cent, war surcharge in each case. New Zealand and Australian rates are subject to 10 per cent, primage, 5 per cent, of which will be returned to shipper on arrival of freight'. A 1 strong appeal was made by the Mayor of Karori (Mr. 8.. G. H. Burn) at last night's meeting of the council to members present to do their utmost to forward a scheme whereby a sum of money could be collected for the Red Cross Fund. At the conclusion of a general discussion it was resolved to call a meeting of burgesses of Karori for Monday, October 18,. to consider His Excellency's appeal for Red Cross Funds. To be wounded in four separate places and lose an eye all at thj samo moment was the unfortunate experience of Sapper J. Coyle, of Auckland, who_is with the Second Field Company Engineers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces. "Tsie damage was done by a bomb," said Ooyle, relating the exIporiencelin S.Vdney.t «'!There was. a gen.eral charge, and a 'smack up' resulted; I was at Quinn's Post, where the New Zealanders occupied' Nos. 4, 5, and 6 posts. Some of the trenches were about 15 yards apart; in some places the distance was less on this part of the line. Ilie majority of my company got cut up badly. We had a great number wound-

cd, but not so many killed. I was in the firing line for ten weeks, workinc night arid day sapping, before being put out of action." In the House yesterday morning Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) asked the Primo Minister if it was a fact that tho banks

in many cases, where thoy let men away on half-pay to serve at the front, wero not filling the vaoant positions? If they were putting the extra work on the men who were left behind their action was

not so generous. The Right Hon. W. F. Massey said that he would bo glad to have inquiries made. -He could not speak from personal knowledge of the wholo of the banks, but he could speak for the Bank of New Zealand. He knew that'bank had taken on quite a number of men to do the work formorly done'by their officers who had gono to tho front, and lie undeijgtood that they were also employing women.

Tiio momber fqr Christcliurch East (Dr.; Thacker) asked tlio Minister of Finance yesterday by what method the members for the proposed Board of Trade were to bo appointed. The Minister of Finance (the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) said that' applications would be called fori and they would be carefully considered by Cabinet before any appointment was made.

Mr. A. S. Maloolm (Clutha) asked the. Primp Minister yesterday if he would give returned disabled soldiers an opportunity to take part' in rocruiting demonstrations. To his mind they were

the men needed., Mr. Wilford: "TJiqy say that .Sergeant O'Leary, ia worth a thousand troops • a month." Mr. Massey said that he would be very glad to accept the suggestion made by the momber for Clutha.

The Wellington South, Island Bay, and Berhampore sections of tho ■ National Resorve paraded the City last evening. They mado a good showing, and at various points oil the route were choerod by those who turned 1 , out to 6ee the display.

The great change whjch has recently tikon place in the spirit of the peop.e of Groat Britain in. regard to the w*r was commented -upon h.v, " r . R. lice, ox-chairman of the Wellington Education Board, who returned to New Zealand from Great Britain by the ura " kina, which arrived at Auckland on Saturday afternoon. "I roached London just two days after war- broke out, said Mr. Lee, "and I could not holp noticing what an easy attitude most of tlio people adopted in regard to the war. It took them a long time to wake up to the fact that n real effort was required to win the war, but I thin* that tho magnitude of the task is now realised. TIIO men flocked to th© colours iji a- nagnificent spirit, and large military camps are now established in all parts of England I visited several of them. 1 hoy. consisted of liutmouts, each providing beddin" accommodation for 60 soldiers. The c[Traps were linked up with the railways and careful attention had been devoted'to tho sanitary arrangements. What surprised me," added Mr. Lee, "were tho cheerful spirits displayed by the vohmteors. There is n 0 sense of depression nor are the people m any way alarmed bv the Zeppelin raidj." I

Nino building permits were granted b" the Karori Borough Council during U'ie quarter ending September 80. .These were valued si £3335. Three other permit's were under consideration, amounting to £1670, thus making a total of £5005 for the period mentioned.