LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2955, 15 December 1916, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Military Service -Board for the Wellington, district will sit in. New Plymouth on Monday next, arid .will hear some appeals in Hawera on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will sit at Wanganui on Thursday'afternoon anil at. Marton on. Friday 'afternoon, returning t<> Wellington on .Saturday. ■

"Can New Zealand keep up this monthly drain?" the Defence Minister was asked by a Dunedin pressman. Mr. Allen replied: When the First Division is exhausted we have the Second Division to fall back on, and that will last us much longer than the First. And then, if we are . stuck, we have the resource of either a reduction or an increase in the age. But >v$ are all praying that it will never come to that, nor necessitate the calling up of the Second Division.. Let us hope that the war may be over, before tljat. .

An important conference is to bo held in Wellington to-day in connection with the administration of the .compulsory clauses of the Military Service Act. The members of the four Military Service Boards and the four military representatives are meeting for. the purpose of discussing some of the points that have arisen during the hearing of appeals. The most' important point is the interpretation of tho clause of tho Act rotating to the exemption of religious objectors. The boards realise that there should bo a uniform system of dealing with appeals under this heading. Then thero are questions for consideration relating to particular trades, in which the maintenance of a full supply of workers is essential. The boards mav have some recommendations to mako vto the Government concerning provision for the! financial liabilities, in the way of rent, interest on mortgages, and insurance, or reservists who may be summoned for service.

The medical examination of reservists of the IJirst Division, summoned for service under the compulsory clauses cf the Military Service Act, was continued in the Bucklo Street Drill-Hall yesterday. The work will be completed today. Of the first 70 men examined, 39 were passed as.fit, 8 were classified as temporarily unfit, and 23 wore rejected as unfit. The proportion of unfit, roughly one-third, appears to conform to tho general average for the ballotted men, ag far as can be gathered from the reports already raado by the Medical Boards.

A detachment of the Twentieth Mounted Infantry, accompanied by the Featherston Camj> Trumpet Band (under Trumpet-Major Chegwin) arrived from Featherston early yesterday afternoon, and marched up to the barracks at Buckle Street.. They reassembled there at 3 p.m., and once more paraded through the main streets. ThoMounteds were a remarkably finelooking body of men. Brown ana hard and of even-height and weight, they looked fit for any emergency. The playing of the Trumpet Band caused much favourable comment in the city.

A Cbristchurch correspondent says: The dry Bpoll that has continued .without break now for some, weeks is causing farmers a good deal of anxiety. This dryness is fortunately only confined to a radius of from 20 to 30 miles around Christchuroh, but within this radius things are by no means looking bright for the crops, especially oats. Wheat is also showing signs of wanting rain. The Ashburton farmers are not so badly off in this respect, and the country is looking fairly well, whilo up towards the hills, in districts like Methveu, the crops aro looking exceptionally aright.

"We do not like the term 'shirker,' " stated the members of the Medical Board, who were examining the balloted men at Gisborne last week, when talking to a "Herald" reporter! "In Palmerston North we havo- examined a number of -men, who had been called up under Clause 35 and sent to us, and. our experience has been that-in no .nay is the term 'shirker'-- justified. The men who have come up have had the virtue of not even betraying any resentment at being; classed as a -shirker. When they have anything to say, it is in the direction of giving, what is to tlieni a good reason why they liad not volunteered before. We havo nothing to do with the conscientious objector, but at no time have wo.discovered any reluctance on the part of those who make this a ground of appeal, to come up for medical examination. -We think tho cause of recruiting would be very much better served if people did not sit in judgment on men of whose circumstances they are entirely ignorant."

■ A sum of £100 has been voted to St. Dunston's Hospital for Blind Soldiers and Sailors by the Wairarapa Patriotic Association.

The Claims Board of the Wairarapa Patriotic Association has been authorised, after investigation, to pay .the war premium on life insuranco policies effected by Wairarapa soldiers on active service, up to a sum of £300.

At a meeting of the executive of the AVairarapa Patriotic Association, Mr; A. P. Whatman proposed. that a fat stock sale be held. early in the New Year, to provide funds for patriotic, purposes. After considerable discussion, it was decided to send out a circular to settlers, suggesting -that 1 per cent, of their net earnings bo devoted to the patriotic cause.

Tho annual meeting of t'he Gear Meat Preserving and Refrigerating Company is to be held this evening-in tho company's premises, Lambt'on Quay.

"You children are moro lucky, and perhaps more unlucky as well, than any who-have been born during the- last hundred years," said Sir. AY. T. Grundy yesterday, in. farewclling the Third and- I'ourth Standards of. the Clyde Quay School. "Many of you have brothers, fathers, uncles, cousins, and other relatives away fighting for the Limpire, and some, 1 am sorry to say, will. 'never return. That is where you are unlucky. On the other hand, it is your duty to work hard day after day to fit' yourself to take their positions in life. Many positions will be opened to you that have been closed in- the past, and to bo able to fill them satisfactorily you must become efficient in the school work and always try to do a little hotter."

At Monday's meeting of the City Council, the members will be asked to consider the question as to whether it is advisable or otherwise to appeal against the Magistrate's decision that golf, may be played on Sunday ou the Municipal Links at Berhainpore.

At tlio closo' of the weekly parade of tho Wellington section of the New Zealand Forces Motor Reserve Corps, the opportunity was taken to meet Captain Thriiig,- R.N.Z.A., who has acted as instructor to., the' corps' in. map-reading and field-sketching. Members present expressed their .appreciation of the sacrifices Captain Thring had made in order to assist the corps, and of the value of his instruction. Reference was made to the-fact"-that all the officers of'the corps who went up for examination in these subjects had passed, this result being largely due to the carefnl.instruction imparted by Captain ' Thring. Some little time .ago the officers of the corps, who .were'.members of Captain Thring's, classes presented him, : for Mrs. Thrinj*, with a 'silver, rose bowl. At the same time the corps made [a presentation to Lieutenant K. E. Luke, a member who had volunteered for active' service with the' Expeditionary Force, and who is now ail officer of the Twenty-second Reinforcements. ».

; The moonlight excursion ui the. harbour last evening was highly Successful both from a financiaPa.nd entertainment standpoint.. . Nearly. 400 people. "made the ■ trip,., and/during the evening .the New Zealand Natives' Association Band arid Concert Party supplied tuneful music and merriment; -:which. all helped to-.make the trip enjoyable'. . The proceeds aro to. be given. to the Soldiers' Memorial Fund. - '' -

A commission .of scientists is visiting Nelson at the invitation of .the Cawthron Trustees to advise in the establishment of the Cawthron Institute. 'lbo commission consists of Sir-James Wilson; Professors Benhaui and Marshall (Dimedin), . Easterfield (Wellington), Worley (Auckland); and Dr. Cockayne (Wellington), lu welcoming the visitors to-day, Mr. T. A. Field, M.P.,'actingchairman of the' trustees, said that it •/.'as the opinion of the trustees that the Institute should be' a research institute. Sir James' Wilson,-, in replying, congratulated Nelson on - leading _ the Dominion in such an important direction. The sitting of the commission will occupy some days.—Press Association.

Au interesting.Jecture on "The Science of Business" at WangnuuL Inst evening resulted in the following committee being formed, with a view; to the establishing of a business science circle in Wangiinui. Mr. Hope Gibbons (convener) and Messrs. L; E. Bassett, Allan, Robinson, Nisbet, Smith, and Ball. After the lecture the committee conferred with Mr. Andrew Deer, the lecturer, concerning ways and means for arranging-for a monthly visit from Mr. Henderson, of Edinburgh, who is coming to take charge of the fifteen circles which have already been arranged for throughout the Dominion. Attention is drawn to an advertisement in this issue—and in colours giving, publicity to . "No-. Rubbing Laundry Help." This excellent product, which has more than pleased those who have tried it, may be obtained from William Campbell,'Ltd., of this city, who are agents for, same. .