LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3089, 21 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In a speech at the Commercial Travellers' Club, Auckland, the Hon. A. Myers (according to a Press Association telegram) said he was confident the tonnage difficulty would be cleared in a few months. The Imperial Government had, he said, undertaken to advance two millions on account of meat in store *awaitinjr shipment. , The new ward added to the Trentham Camp Hospital at the expense of the Wellington Racing Club will be opened on Friday next by the Minister of Defence, (tho Hon. J. Allen). At the time of the drought two years ago (says our Masteiton correspondent) a number of springs o,n Wairarapa stations went dry, and have not since been running. The heavy rains of last week liavo caused a free flow of water. Complaint has been made by some balloted recruits that they are being sent into camp without the two months' notice they expected to obtain. The Defence Department wishes to allow an interval of two months between the ballot and mobilisation in the case of en' .'raft, but this is not always possible, owing to shortages in the drafts and the exigencies of the training system. The minimum period of notice provided by law is ten days, and members of the First Division ought to understand by this time that their turn in the ballot cannot be far awny. They should make their preparations in advance. It was mentioned on Thursday last that a Highland bullock, presented by Sir Walter Buchanan to the New Zealand Nurses Memorial Fund, had been auctioned at Masterton by Messrs. Dalgety and Co., and had realised 45130. Further advice states that the bullock was again auctioned and realised another .£IOO. A body i)f home service men, who have enlisted for duty in various capacities in the military camps, will Lc mobilised this week. An inspection of the harbour defences was made mi Saturday by the Coast Defence Commander (Colonel G. I , '. C. Campbell) nnd the Director of Military Training (Major J. L. Sleeman, 1.G.5.). A boy named Hamilton I'uge. fourteen years oV age, fell from a. bicycle at Kiibirnie on Saturday afternoon, nnd fractured his right arm. He was admitted to the Hospital,

Two Bluff fishermen had an exciting experience last Tuesday afternoon while fishing off Dog Island. They have been troubled for some time by a shark clearing their baits affd driving fish away, and on Tuesday the monster again appvonclied, when they baited a hook -with a 401b. groper and successfully liooked the shark. An exciting fight followed, tho shark towing the launch for over an hour before tiring and rising to the surface, when the fishermen successfully killed him. The shark took two hours to tow to Bluff, and when landed tipped the ecalo at 1 lon 2 cwt., measuring Uft. lin. from tip to tip, and 9ft. Cin. around tho girth.

The eiicce33 that has attended the efforts of the Government to introduce the quinnat salmon into New Zealand waters was emphasised by the Hon. G. 'W. Russell at Timaru last week. The Minister said that the quinnat salmon had become established in the big rivers of the South. Island, and' would become the basis of one of the greatest fishing industries in the Dominion. Next season it would not be a question of fishing for quinnat with the kkl, but of taking tho salmon in big quantities as an addition to the nations food supply. The Government had gone to groat expense to establish, the ciuinnat, and was entitled to get. some of its money back. Before long New Zealand would be exporting quinnat to Australia, where it would bring Is. per lb. He had been informed that the' run of the fish lasted from February 12 to llay 12, and this could not be termed a short run from the sportsnians point of view.

In an interview in Auckland, Mr. H. Suzuki, a Japanese merchant who has been touring Australasia, was emphatic in urging upon hia own Government and that of Australia and New Zealand the extreme necessity' for combination and organised effort in maintaining the trade of,tho Pacific. Mr. Suzuki said: "For many years New Zealand and Australia have misunderstood Japan and her people, but now that bo much depende on co-operation and combined organisation, I think it is cur dnty to realise that after the war Germany is not to enter the Pacific with her merchantmen, and the only way to prevent that is to work together for the betterment of the people directly interested in the Pacific —Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, and Japanese. By excluding Germany from the trade we are going to mantain peaco in the Pacific and Tea,lise the broad possibilities of its trade and turn them to channels of mutual benefit."

A question lias arisen whether volnntcera ant! balloted men who have been classed CI and C 2 are liable to be reexamined and regraded. The "Otago Daily Times" has it on the authority of the Minister of Defence that it is intended to call up these men for further examination hefore anj ballot of men in tho Second Division is taken.

A possibility of Australia's -unwonted millions of mice conveying disease to human beings, is suggested by Mr. Edgar R. Waite, curator of the Adelaide Museum, and formerly in charge of the diristchurch Museum. "I have been informed," said Mr. Waite recently,, "that the mice plague favus, which so often decimates the animals after a period of great increase, is breaking out. Several mice sent to the -museum developed the disease and afterwards died. The plague is generally known as honeycomb ringworm, and is caused by the growth of i> .fungus on the skin. The disease, when contracted by mice, nearly always proves fatal. . . Tliere is little doubt'that the liberating of favus-infected mice in districts most affected by the mice would be a rapid and certain means of coning with thn present trouble." Mr. Waite ■added tliat this ringworm disease was very easily transferred to humans, and particularly children, and that its effects were often most serious. Ho urged that, when it wa« • clearly established that fayus had affected'tho mice in any district, cfery precaution should bo taken against its transference to human beings.

"One of the most interesting- features of the recent conference at Wellington between the Minors' Federation and representatives of tho coal mine owners," says the Dunedin "Star," "was tho fact that several prominent delegates for the men were, agitators who had been released from custody, their release Leing one of the amazing terms of the remarkable Ministerial settlement of the seditions strike! Tt is stated that the employers had boon given to underata/id from » high authority that the men in question would show that their experience in gaol or court had chastened them in spirit and in truth. That understanding merely proved that on occasions even great statesmen may have a child-like faith." ■ . .

A well-known resident of Hokitika had an annoying experience while en routo to Christchuroh by tho overland route. He had been asked to look after an old lady, who was ateo making the journey. Upon reaching; Otirii ho placed the old lady in one of the coaches and then saw that'her luggage was put safely aboard. Just before the coaches left Otira the lady' complained to Mm that ehe had lost a sum of money consisting of two ton-pound notes out of her bag. A search failed to discover the money, and when the coach reached Arthur's Pass the Hokitika man had the mortification of beinjj taken to the lock-up by the local constable and searched. Eventually Tio was allowed to proceed. The old lady found the money later in one of her boxes. ■

The Hon. G. W. Russell, who visited Oamaru, Timaru, and Ashburton , last week, went with the object chiefly 1 of inquiring as to the possibility of helping maternity cases, on the same lines as the St. Helens Hospitals. At Oamaru he met the chairman of the Hospital Board and chairman of the Hospital Trustees Board, and ascertained that they would favourably consider the Government' 6 proposals. He was invited to return and discuss the* subject at a conference of the boards, and to address a public meeting m Oamaru, which he will do as soon as other engagemente permit. He met representatives of Hospital Boards at Timaru and Ashburton also, and found that the wish to reduce the cost of babyhood was fully appreciated there. The financial proposals of the' Government were explained, and Mr. Tfussell hopes that maternity wards will be established in the three centres visited.

Members of the Council of the Canterbury Philosophical Institute interviewed Mr. J. A. Frostick, Efficiency Commissioner for Canterbury, last week, and placed before him a proposal which, iC put into practice, they believe will bring about a saving of 50,000 tons of coal a year in the city fnd within a radius of twenty miles of the city's boundaries. Details of the proposals aro not yet made public. It is understood they involve an organised extension of the use of electric power from the Lake Coleridge installation.

Eacing clubs are already showing the anxiety they are feeling about how the Government will set to work when the time comes for the reduction of totiilisutor permits for next season. Tho Government is already committed to a reduction in the number of permits, but the agitation for the total prohibition of horse-racing during tho war period is growing in strength. It is fully expected that when the Houso meets tho demand will be. a formidable one; wmo members are of opinion that it will bo supported by a majority of the House. The Government has not yet iwivoil the recommendation of the National Hl'fieiency Board ou thu mutter. Kor tho present the country racing clubs ui'o Inking action through their association to ensure that in the curtailment their interests are not subordinated wholly (« those of the big metropolitan iilulw. Circular letters are being addressed Iji mom* bers of Parliament and to tho Miiii»li<r of Internal Affairs, in which Uii> iwsoi-in. tion urges that the allocution of tint reduced number of permits nhould not be left to the Eacing Conference. Tor thu reason that the metropolitan rliilvilinvc a stronger representation 'on tho I'Onfoi--ence than the country- clubs, Tho nii(t« sfcstion is.thnt the Country Olulw , Association should have an equal vnico wllli the conference in deciding this qmvtliun,

On May 25 nnd 26, £% will lin jtivou jwayin sums of fis. or 10s. lo .'.how who on request can prndmv n Crippled Sold'ers' Flostol Art. Union |.i>il< o |; stamped "Suraturu 1)."*