LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3014, 27 February 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Minister of Defence has received , advice that the transport carrying the iirst detachment ef the Twentieth Iteinforcements to leave here lias arrived at its destination, and that the Twenty-first Reinforcements were safe at their last port of call.

The addresses of some hundreds of First Divisiou men who have been picked up in the ballot are unknown to the Defence authorities.' These men in most cases have left the addresses given in their registration forms without notifying the Government Statistician of their present whereabouts. The names of some of these missing Reservists wore gazetted last week, and other lists will follow. It is hoped that the men themselves will corno forward for medical examination as directed. Any person who knows the whereabouts of one of these men pan assist in tho operation of the Military Service Act by drawing the man's attention to the Gazette notice, or, if necessary, informing tho Dcfwco authorities. A. reservist who attempts to evade his responsibilities is liable to severe .genalties,

A suggestion considered by the Industrial Efficiency Board in connection with the shortage of skilled farm labour is that retired farmers! should bo invited to place their services at the disposal of tho Government during tho war. Many hundreds of retired farmers are living in Now Zealand, often in the towns, mid they possess expert knowledge, oven if they aro not able to take any active part in farming operations. It might bo possible to arrange for them to supervise tho work of unskilled or semi-skilled men who could tako tho places <rf men called to the training camps. Experience on sovoral farms lately is staled to have shown that under'export direction and guidance a man who knows practically nothing of farui work can quickly be niado useful on the- laiul provided that ho has a reasonable share of health and strength. ' '*. In accordance with an order issued recently, six senior officers of the Territorial Force aro at present, undergoing a course of training with the Eβiurorcenißnts in the military camps, three at Trentham' and throe at Featherskm. The Dofenco authorities hope that many Territorial officers will bo able to take advantage of thtis scheme, thus improving their military knowledge by contact with tho Expeditionary Force training ,branch. These officers will be able in turn to instruct their Territorial units according to the latest methods.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that-George William Shadbrooke Martin and Harry Hutehmson pleaded not guilty in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday to aesaiutiiu? Benjamin Palon, aged 60, at Pakuranca, so as to cause liini actual bodily harm. Thoy 'were committed to tlie Supreme Court for trial. Bail in. one surety of £50 was allowed.

Ib is understood that on tho completion of tho new police headquarters in Johnston Street, tho stalf of tlie Commissioner of Police will occupy the offices on tho Johnston Street sido of the building, whilst tlie district headquarters will be those facing Waring Taylor Street. When the change takes place, somo three months lienco, it is believed that tho present police station on Lambton Quay will be occupied by one of the other Departments. The Government has also secured a lease from Keir and Co. of the premises on the corner of Brandon Street and Customhouse Quay, lately in the occupation of Aitken, Wilson, and Co. and J. J. Curtis and Co.

Whilst quietly perusing a book in tho reading room at the Melbourne Public Library on February 13, Mr.g Thomas Shaw, orchardist; of Croydon, was struck on the head by a small piece of plaster which fell from the coiling, a height of 115 feet. At first he was under the impression that someone had struck him, and rose up to defend himself. The attendants, who had witnessed the occurrence, informed Mr. Shaw of the real facts of tho case, and he proceeded to Melbourne Hospital, where six stitches were inserted in a wound on tho scalp. There is a crack in the ceiling, aud the architects for the library have had under consideration, the advisability of renewing one of the panels.

The'weekly expenses of the Red Crose are stated to.be £34,000, and only recently have the subscriptions reached the amount required. This may almost certainly be attributed to the fact that all distant parts of the Empire have co-operated to' support the Red Cross funds and maintain as far as possible the necessary average. In England the j expenses of living have enormously in- | creased, the taxation is very heavy, i aud as the war progresses, all classes of the community will feel the strain more severely. Those who have subscribed generously at first will not be ; able to continue giving on the same j scale now. In view of this possibility, ] and considering liow comparatively ; small our share of the burden of war j has been, it is up to us now to take a larger share of the responsibility of seeing that the wounded do not suffer i by any decrease in the funds.—"Red , Cross." I At the Dunedin Police Court yester- I day, says a Press Association telegram, | William Lalor Shiel was charged with unlawfully killing Niel M'Culloch, who died on February 14 as the'result of a collision between a bicycle and a motorcycle, ridden by Shiel. Accused was remanded till Friday, bail Being allowed, accused in £200, and two sureties of £100 each. The first annual meeting of the Wellington Hostel for Returned Soldiers was held last evening. Mr. E. C. Levvey presided. The annual report, as printed, 1 was adopted. As thero were no nominations for the board, the former members we're returned unopposed, viz., Messrs. E. C. Levvey, A. H. Hindmarsb, M.P., T. M.. Wilford, M.P., and Sir Joseph Ward. Speakers congratulated the hostel on its satisfactory position. Votes of thanks were accorded the secretary, the staff, and all who had helped the hostel. It. has been decided that the new building that was to have been erected for the State Fire Insurance Department at the corner of Lamb ton Quay and Waring Taylor Street is not u> be goue on with at present. Moro-roomy quarters, however, for the staff aro needed, and the one-storied brick building, now known as Nathan's .butter store, is to be altered to suit its requirements. The State Life Insurance Department is''at present packed in a .portion of the ground floor of the Government Life Insurance Building, out of the track of the moving populace oF the city, and as "it pays to advertise" it is desirous that a shift should be made at the earliest possible moment to a, site within tho focus of the public eje. Tlig following cablegram has been received by H.M. Trade Commissioner (Mr. R. W. Dalton) from the Board of Trade in London:—"Exportations of the following prohibited TJnited 1 Kingdom February 19 and 23: Copper manufactures, telegraph and telephonos, various implements for munitions, foodstuffs, starch, refined tallow, albumen, casein, dextrine." "No-Rubbing" Laundry Help is what we recommend for trashing silks, prints, muslins, linens, woollens, and creamery ■ workers' overalls. Geo. Thomas and Co., The Osborne Manufacturing Co., Ltd., lisery, and Co., Ltd., Wright, Stephen6ob, n'ad Co., Ltd., Bannatynb and Hunter, Ltd.; Lvovin and Co., Ltd.; J. Nathar. and Co., Ltd.; A. S. Paterson and Co., Ltd., Johnston and Co., Ltd., j Thompson Bros., Ltd., P House, whole- ! Bale agents for "No Rubbing."—Advt. Just'landed, a big rango of heavy TV«d Trousers—-10s. 6d.—at Gco. Fowlds, I Ltd., Manners Street.—Advt.