LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2854, 19 August 1916, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

To suit the convenience of Post Office Savings Bank, depositors .who may notbe able to attend during ordinary business hours, the -Department has arranged that withdrawals for the purchase of war loan.certificates may be made this evening from 7 till 5.30. Numerous spurious half-crowns and florins are in circulation in Auckland, and many residents have been victimised in consequence. The counterfeit coins are said to be made of, pewter metal, and are a good imitation of the genuine article. They can be detected by their dull appearance, compared with the coin' of the realm, and by the lack of "ring." A number of counterfeit half-crowns have been handed to the police by residents who have been victimised.. , ..- Private Sid Hickey, in the .course of a letter to his parents at Opunake, says, according to an exchange:—' "Lioutenant Massey, son of the Prime Minister, distinguished himself a 'few nights ago by landing two : German spies between our lines. He got three German snipers in one night, and brought their helmets as evidence, and lie seems to' be more at home on their parapets than on ours." - ,- '. At a meeting of the Palmerston North Patriotic Society last night a resolution was passed that it would be' ■in tho best* interests, of-the-Dominion and the soldiers that Trent-ham Camp should at once be removed to a more suitable and healthy situation. —Press Association. Two cases of special interest to | farmers of the Dominion arising out of a recent prosecution will be heard in ■the Wellington Supreme ; Court • on ' Tuesday next, says a Press Association telegram from Otaki, when E. Demey, farmer, of To Horo, seeks to recover £2000 and £501 damages from P. A. | Gillies and R. Harknoss respectively. "It wo*uld not be so bad if people who stole shrubs from the city reserves planted them somewhere, for a tree' is a tree, no matter where it is planted, and it helps to beautify the place, but to pull up the shrubs and leave them to die on the surface is pure vandalism, and those who are responsible should be shot!" So said a City Council official in a fit of irritation at having found-that a number, of the newly-planted- shrubs on the- reserve at the top of Hall Street-had. been pulled up deliberately and.thrown; -on-'the ground. "SomepeopJc,",a4de.d, ■tho officer-,- "have such a-peculiar- senseof humour that it will get them into very serious trouble one of these days." Thirteen military defaulters came before the Magistrate (Mr. Hewitt) on Thursday, says a Press Association • telegram from Woodville. M. Murphy, and B. Clark were each fined £5 arid deprived of civil rights for three years; P. Jones was fined £5, and 3. Macfarlane £3. The others were penalised in fines of £1 or less. A Press Association telegram from Napier states that the sale of the Oporae Estate, near Dannovirke, reported yesterday, was effected by Messrs. Hoadley, Son, -and -Stewart, Ltd. It is understood that it is the •intention of the new. owners to subdivide the estate into suitable areas and offer tho same in the open market in the near future. '■-.'" "'.." The Hospital Committee of the'.Wellington Hospital Board is to consider; and to report on, to the next meeting of-the board, the motion .by. the Rev\ H. Van Staveren to have the" upper ward of, the Children's Hospital put in order forthwith.. ■_■■:.■ ■ .There is on view at ■ the TouristOffice in Christchurch a very fine 20point stag's head, shot-on-the Tnanga--hua River, about-ten miles fr.oni.Reef-' [ ton, by Mr. R>. Duffy. -This stag is fromthe herd established, about fourteen or fifteen years ago by the Buller Acclimatisation Society "with stock obtained from Miss Chinisido, Wcrribee, Victoria. The head is very even, and all the points are well developed," but-the length (37J inches),- spread'(32 inches),■ 'and beam measurements. (5J inches and" iij inches) are not remarkable.' i The head is well grown', however,- at the tops, and the "cup" formation is-re-markably well defined, especially on one "top.-- There are seven• points on "one top and six on tho other, but on this horn there is an extra, bay tine. This last season was only the second in which deerstalking licenses were issued in the Buller acclimatisation district, and it is reported that the deer are becoming numerous, and several other good heads were -' obtained! this last season. ■■■":: ..■:■"

"If we were to-go round all pur 'schools in the dlniier'hour or-"after J'school we would find hundreds of. boys •and girls taking no part'in -the Various, games, but just loafing "'■ about," ' -re--I'marked-Mr. V. T. Evan's- at- the" annual ■meeting of tho North' Canterbury Public Schools' Amateur' Athletic Association when advocating the need for the physical training' of- school '■■" children. "There aro signs that there will be a change in our educational -system after tho war," Mr'. Evans continued, '■'and though wo don't know what"-the changes will be we-can be'certain that more prominence will be. given to the physical side." Mr. Evans dwelt on the excellence of competitive sports in developing the children, and expressed the opinion that it would bo an advantage if the competitions were held .more on the lines of a standard of one school against the corresponding standard of another than of one school representative team against another. Such a scheme, he contended, would bring into tho sport a very large section of children who now take no 1 part. "There aro hundreds of such children," Mr. Evans concluded, "and you Will usually find that those who don't play games aro always in trouble. . They have popguns or something else to keep them in mischief." A number of other teachers spoke of the need for looking after the physical welfare of tho children. Honourable citizens! You are hereby notified that all reputable grocers stock "No Rubbing Laundry Help," for washing clothes clean without rubbing or injury—Advt. No need to be shabby even though your money may.be short. ..Good.Suits jeduced to 275. Sd., 3"s. 6d.. and 455.. at. Geo.. Fowld6, 'Ltd., Manners Street.— ! Advt.

The Kelburn arid Karori Tramway Company announce .that they will make a reduction in the price of their concession tickets on and after Monday next. Tilie .new charge is 36 one. penny.. clips. for. two. .shillings. . Not ] much has been heard lately. • about infantile paralysis in Otago, saysthe Duuedin "Times." But it; is still with 'us. Quite recently there -were 12 patients in the Dunodin Hospital. Now there are eight, two" adults and six children. It is very, gratifying,' however, to be told, and to see in "the patients the evidence corroborating the statement; that many of the oases are of a hopeful character. Nurse.Bevilaqua came from' Australia to give details as to' the treatment for the reductionof paralysed, muscles, and the nursing sisters liave now a thorough knowledge of this treatment, and-can pass it on ,to the mothers of the' patients. The theory is that though a particular muscle may appear to be functionally dead, it is not'really so, but has-in it. some latent ene.rgj', and that when such . a muscle is put into its. position, and kept there, absolutely at rest,,. the patient will sooner or later be able to . - move it a little. That slight movement is the beginning from which'.the muscle, is educated to efficiency.' During this process. the over-stretching ,6f the muscle is guarded, against by splints, and other appliances. In such a course of treatment the processes "are slow, but as 60011 as definite, improvement appears the. patient may be handed oyer. . to a relative (generally the mother) to . continue'.-.the treatment.. . . . Several of. Auckland's- most' prominent business men have had reason to regret having relatives residing abroad ■ during the past few days (says the "Star"). Some person has evidently, been trading on the generosity of the Auckland ■ public, for several reports: have conic to hand of local business" men • being visited by a man who claimed to be a relative in need. In most cases the "need" has been met with financial' help. A man has been calling at business houses and asking for the manager, says Mr. X. Mr. X lias duly received the caller, who claimed to be a . cousin—a Mr. Frank A., of Hobart, or of . any other place. The. feeling that "blood is thicker than -water" prompted the unsuspecting business man to ad- . vance a loan to the cousin, who was a. school teacher, and a Master of Arts, he said. One of the good-hearted gentlemen referred to met another, and ! they compared notes. That's when the trouble cam?. 1 They had . either to, accept the idea ,of his being-a cousin to both of them or admit that they had . both been had. A hint could be taken from these experiences, for the relative is likely to continue his rather daring method of .obtaining money—probably in some'other part of the Dominion. Members of the City Council will meet on Tuesday afternoon at 4.30 o'clock to consider tho best means of supporting the war loan and to pass ' resolutions as may be decided upon. ■ The Mayor and chairmen of 'the local bodies of "Wellington are iuvited'to attend and take part in the discussion. The need for concentrated, effort for " Red Cross work is greater than ever. Last week' lord Ranfurly • cabled Wanganui asking that' the motor ambulance supplied for France may bo used ■" for urgent purposes between New Zealand hospitals in England'.' Yesterday Lord Ranfurly cabled: "All available ambulances sent to France. More wanted for Home, and money for general store's fund." A recruiting conference of representatives of Hawke's Bay local bodies was held yesterday. The opinion was expressed that many men were chang- ' ing their addresses to avoid getting on tho roll, though Napier had kept its quotas well up to the mark. Speakers thought the Farmers' Union should inquire as to tile possibility of women taking up farm ■ work. One country .: .delegate said that' men' approached asked why canvassers and members of : \ tlia local' bodies "of"military'age: did not themse!tes« enlist;/ The" opinion; was ... ; ■expressed'that' canvassers • returned soldiers, and should be paid. A Central Executive was- set up.— ' ■ Press Association. Th'q official opening of the Salvation Army' Institution .at Russell for the . jtiihan -sons of soldiers took place on .. "Wednesday," the ceremony being .con-.. .; ducted by Commissioner' Hodder, in"., the presence of a large number of., re- .. sidents. . Tho institution, consisting of house and grounds, was the .gift of Mr. E. M. Whatman,, of Masterton. The building, which is to be enlarged, and will bo under the supervision 'of Adjutant Chapman,' will accommodate 21 boys between'the ages, of two. and ten. Although. all inmates, need not necessarily .be.sons of. soldiers, prefer-, euce will be given to such.' It is'pror. . posed eventually to train the boys to farming life. -'Some interesting-details of his ; ex-" periences.as an officer in the Admiralty service have been received in Auckland from .Captain-W. : '-T:- -Williams, late of the* Harbour .Board's pilot launch Waitemata. "My 6hip was lost some nine weeks ago," he writes. "It struck a moored mine, and I am one 'of seven survivors out of a crew of 25. We had left port about 12 hours previously, and We're i steaming'"at 'full'" during the forenoon,- and within about two miles from the land, when a..stun-,-ning explosion occurred, foil owed : fev -a . rattle -as of machinery gone .-mad.-■ : I - happened to-be on the .bridge at the . • time, and quickly- realised-, that' the - ; vessel would not float long. As a, niat--ter-o£-fact-, ■■ she,-saik-'-in--less than 30 : seconds,' carrying us all -down in the: ■ vortex. "The boats,- which had been 'swung- oilt.'on-leaving port, were smash-, ed to matchwood- by - the force': of the ; concussion,, and the, only ones whichcame -to tho surface :had been on' the chocks gripped down.-How they-cleared themselves.-is a.mystery; anyway, although they were- bottom up, they saved the-lives of' myself,; and three ; ■ • seamen.- The-water was bitterly cold, and when ..the patrol' trawlers picked us up'we had no strength-to take our wet clothes off. • Tho engine-room staff had no earthly "chance." They . must have been blown to pieces. The watch below had. no time to get out of their rooms, so you can'gather that it .was - a. close call for all of us. I had a fortnight in bed- with-^bronchitis-after it. I am now chief officer with the rank of 'sVib-liouteiiaiit' in the r - Royal Fleet Auxiliary." '