LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2765, 8 May 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Wes'tralia arrived at Auckland from Sydnoy yesterday afternoon, bringing an Australian mail only. The southern portion should arrive in 'Wellington by to-morrow morning's Main Trunk express. The Manuka, which is due at Wellington from Sydney this afternoon, has on board an Australian mail only. The Pacifio Cable Board advises that week-end cablegrams for tho United Kingdom may now be accepted as usual. At the Auckland Police Court on Saturday, Joe Gai, a Chinese, was charged with being the owner and occupier of a common gaming house. He was fined £100. Three others, for assisting in tho nuuiagomcnt of tho house, were lined £10 each. Smaller Dues were imposed upon about twenty "t-Ws.—PrcsijifißasiftJiifin..

The proposal made by the Hon. G. W. Russell as a possible means of loosening the deadlock at which the dispute between doctors and friendly societies on the question- of fees has arrived is shortly to bo considered at a special meeting of the Wellington branch of the British Medical Association. Mr. Russell's suggestion is that the doctors shall assess their charges on a per visit basis. Several friendly societies all over New Zealand have written to the Minister approving the suggestion, and Mr. Russell is hopeful that the scheme may be the means of settling tho dispute. •

Tho Wellington Central branch of the National Reserve has addressed tho Prime Minister as follows: —Sir, — At a meeting of the Wellington Central Branch of the National Reserve a statement was made to tho effect that when a soldier .was reported as missing his pay was immediately stopped, and that no pension was granted until he was declared to be dead by the Board •of Inquiry. In tho meantime his dependants were left without. resources. As this idea is prevalent among not only the members of the Reserve,, hut the public generally, we would be pleased if you could inform m as to its truth. If this statement is true, we would bo glad if you would take steps to have such an unsatisfactory state of affairs rectified. —(Signed) Frank Goldberg.

Certain mombere of the War Relief Association are not satisfied with the reply of the Recruiting Board to the association's request that all children (under 1G years of age) of a man who has enlisted should receive the allowance mads in tho case of four children. The reply was, in effect, that the allowance would fie increased to Gd. a day for five children, and that it was not desirable to encourage a man with a larger family to enlist. But, it is pointed out, such men have not been warned of. the Recruiting Board's viows on the subject.. Now that they aro known, it is thought that instructions should be issued to all recruiting offices and authorities, making it quite clear that men with more than five children should not he encouraged to enlist if they cannot provide means out of their own pockets for their families.

Tho Defence authorities were consideiably hampered in their dispatch of tile Sixteenth Reinforcements from Duncdin on Thursday by the presence of. a large' number of; sightseers, who gained access by various expedients to the platform (says the Daily Times"). Deeply interested relatives who had been refused permits to go on the platform naturally felt aggrieved at seeing girls and others-wandering up and down there more or less ainilessly watching the entraining and incidentally making it both difficult and dangerous. Investigation showed that a number of passes had been issued by unauthorised persons, aud in future it has been decided to bo much moro strict. A special train bearing an unusual freight arrived at Oamaru on Saturday, its cargo consisting of 2000 cases of tabbits from Central Otago. Owing to want of ships'to bear away frozen meat, all tho refrigerating works are becoming so full of carcasses awaiting shipment that it has been found impossible to receive rabbits. Under the circumstances r (says an exchange) the only course available has been to utilise the freezing chambers of the dairy factories. The Taieri and Peninsula Company's freezing chamber at Dunedin lias already been filled, and the large, cargo that reached Oamaru on Saturday has gone into the company's local factory's freezing chamber.

In discussion the case • of an applicant for relief,-a.man who said that ho had been employed on one machine only in an engineering shop in England for a number of. years, Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp, speaking at the adjourned meeting of tho War Belief Association on-Friday, said he had heard of a case where a [man had spent years of his life working a machine that turned out nothing but wooden pips for use in tho making of strawberry jam, which statement was eclipsed by Mr. William Ferguson, who said ho had heard of men being engaged on the "manufacture" of artificial coffee beans, leading one to the 'conclusion that an interesting volume could bo written on the mysteries of artificial food-stuffs, to be supplemented later on by chapters to be supplied by German writers in : tho sweet days of peace to come, i , There was a rather unusual incident ■at a veterans' dinner at New Plymouth on Tuesday week, when an old soldier, of German parentage harangued ' the gathering regarding his own patriotism. Ho related that, in the 'sixties, bo, with other Germans who had fled from tho military tyranny of their native land, when in. Melbourne, read of the trouble with tho Maoris. They at once decided to come to New Zealand and help the settlers. From' that day he had been a Britisher, and was proud of the fact. He detested the tyranny of the Germans; he had no sympathy with their methods of warfare; and he asked if anyone in the building had anything'~to say detrimental to his loyalty to stand forth and say it. The challenge was nob taken up, but enthusiastic .applause prevailed. The old man was visibly affected. -Then he went on to complain of not receiving the Maori war medalbecause he had not been under fire, he having acted' as hospital orderly. He would die happy if he got the medal. The veteran was greatly cheered, and left the function a much happier man for having unburdened himself.

The proprietors of the coal.mines in Otago are finding a great difficulty' in securing miners; consequent on the large number who have gone to the war (states a Duncdin paper). The Waronui mine is working short-handed; and the Kaitangata proprietary csti'mate3 that no fewer than 100 miners from that district have enlisted. The Otago miners', however, are not the only ones that have answered the call of Empire, as it is stated that 300 men have gono from, the Wcstport mine. As a result of the shortage of miners, tho output of the Otago mines has been seriously restricted, and orders for coal have had to be cut down or delayed in execution. Under the circumstances (adds the exchange) the cabled information that as tho result of appeals to relieve unemployment at the Newcastle collieries the Federal authorities arcplacing' orders for 100,000 tons of coal is rather surprising, and'.it would prob.ably bo in the interests of both the users of coal, and the producers, tuo, if tho Government of New Zealand were to make it known in Newcastle that employment could be found Hero for n considerable number of men.

At the adjourned meeting of the War Relief Association hold on Friday it was. decided that in the case of soldiers' children, who luul-been receiving secondary education, when their fathers left for the front, and through stress of circumstances, tho widow, relativss, or guardians could not afford to keep up tho payments for such education, the association would pay tho money required for tho continuation of such education. The matter of subsidising the work of training tho halt, lame, and blind soldiers who had been so affected througn tho effects of tho war was also rajscd, and is to be further considered at a future meeting of the association. The matter of establish-'' ing a hostel for returned soldiers, which has been under consideration for tho past month, was further discussed. A proposal to take over certain premises with that object in view was rejected, leaving the matter of setting up a hostel in. abeyance.

A winter coat? Good value nap and flscce cloth in navy, brown, and grey, 50s. Geo. I'owlds, Ltd., Manners Street.—Advt. To tho credit of commercial travellers bo is said, "No Rubbing Laundry Help" is selling fast, Is. package sufficient seven weeks' washing. Contains nothing injuriouo; £10 guarantee. All grooors.—

Particulars of tho fire and explosioitl ,which occurred on the New Zealand trader Matatua in the middle of March, at St. John, New Brunswick, contained in letters received by an Auckland business firm, show (says the "Herald"), that tho outbreak was undoubtedly duo to the explosion of the gas generated through water coming into contact with : the carbide portion of tho cargo. When, it was found that the fire could not otherwiso be subdued, tho steamer's seacocks wore opened, and it was in this manner that she was sunk. Practically no damage was done to tho structure of the ship.

It is reported that as tho outcome of correspondence between LieutenantColonel Stoneham (chairman of the Otago Recruiting Committee) and the Recruiting Board, a letter has been 'received in Dunedin stating that the board, at a meeting on the Ist inst., decided to reduce the number of arm badges to two —viz., a khaki band with red crown for all men who enlist, whether accepted, rejected, or exempted, and a scarlet band with yellow crown for men who are honorably discharged from the Expeditionary Forces. There is now no excuse for any man not -wearing his badge or armlet, even though rejected, and the Recruiting Committee want this fact brought out strongly, ' pointing out that it is the duty of. men ' to do so, and they will help recruiting . immensely if they comply.