LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3182, 5 September 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

During the week ended August 31 eleven married and eighteen single men applied to the Stato Labour Bureau in Wellington for work. Seven married and fourteen single men were placed in employment, and a surplus of ciglit men was left. In addition to the foregoing, ono returned soldier was assisted. Tho bureau lias positions for general labourers, farm workers, and married rouples. Business was slack at tho Magistrate's Court yestorday, only one offender for insobriety being brought before Mr. L. 0. Reid, S.M. The man, whoso name is Daniel M'Farlano, was fined 10s., in default throe days' imprisonment. Their Excellencies tho Governor-Gen-eral and tho Countess of Liverpool havo intimated their intention of being present at Iho forthcoming TJutt Valley Patriotic Spring Flower Show, to bo held next week. At a conference of small steamship owners, and tho Federated Seamen's Union delegates held yesterday afternoon ft preliminary discussion was held on the interpretation of certain clauses in (ho recent agreement, chiefly the ono affecting tho eight hours .day. The conference will Ims resumed to-day. The new regulations for tho control of the wharves at which overseas vessels berth wero put into operation in Wellington on Monday. At present these regulations only apply to tho Glasgow and King's Wharves, but should oversea vessels havo occasion to berth at any of tho other whawos of the port the regulation* will automatically apply to such whnrves, Captain lTall-Thompaon has been appointed tho officer to carry out tho regulations. ■ A Gisbonio household had a startling oxporionco during a heavy thunderstorm. Following a vivid flash of lightning, camo a heavy thunderclap that seemed to bo right overhead. Tho oonenssion causod ft portion of tho chimney to'collapse, the scattered brickwork falling on tho roof in all directions. The occupants of tho house wore in bed at tho time. Tho bedroom was enveloped in r cloud of mortar dust, which belched out of tho fireplace, and tho whole of tho ornaments on tho mantelpiece wero thrown down and broken. Notico was given in tho House of Representatives by Mr. Webb yesterday afternoon of his intention to ask tho Minister of Defence whether it is a fact that at tho recent examination at Trentham for commissions 100 candidates camo forward and only four wcro successful; that among tho candidates was the son of an Anglioan bishop; that tho candidate was ono of tho youngest and his nama came at the bottom, or nearly tho bottom, of tho list; that this candidate nevertheless icceived ono of tho four commissions granted; that his brothor is, or was, aide-de-camp to tho Governor-General; that his father was a guest of His EiceDcncy at tho time tho commissions were allotted. The Speaker remarked that tho question would havo to be revised before it went on to the Onfer Paper. A reporter subsequently asked Sir James Allen for an explanation of the points raised in Mr. Webb's question, it beinir understood that tho officer referred to is a son of the Anglican ißishop of Auckland. Sir James Allen stated that young Averill passed second on tho list of all tho candidates examined, and he was quite satisfied that tho examination, was a perfectly fair and proper one.' As regards the question of youthfulness, Sir James Allon stated that Sill who como into camp are placed on exactly tho same .footing, and advancement depends upon their own energies and abilities. Tho examination was not merely a written one. Practical knowledge, capaoity for leadership, and general efficiency were also taken into consideration. If young Averill had been pnssed over ho would "havo had very strong and just grounds for complaint: An interesting story of hopes' for ths future was unfolded' before the Land Board in Auckland last week. Two inon appeared in support 'of their application for a rather largo farm. After hearing all particulars, _tho Commissioner summed up tho position. "Tho ■ practical farmer is a brass-founder by trade," he said. "He has been on his grandfather's farm in the north, and on a pig farm in the Waikato. He is a practical farmer who will assist the clerk;. It is pleasant to hear such a decision. Well, I wish you luck." Tho clerk had been a clerk all his life, but confessed to a 'hankering after farm me. He had spent sovoral holidays on farms, and hod a fair idea of its working. Ho ; was relying on being rejected for rtihtary servico, and by Uxj Fimo bis partner, a m£.u with three children, was callod up ho would bo able to run tho farm himself. ' ■ •

A deputation of Duoiedin members .of Parliament, comprising- Messrs. T. K. Sidey, C. E. Statham, and A. Walker, waited upon the .Eon. J. A. Hanan (Minister of Education) yesterday afternoon, and stated that they had been asked by the Otago Expansion League ' to bring under liis notice the necessity for establishing open air gymnasia at tho public schools. The deputation pointed oat that the apparatus would not cost more than .£2O, and that the system enjoyed a great advantage over, closed-in gymnasia, where accumulations of dust were stirred up. 'They asked that the experiment be tried in some of the schools with a view to its nniversal adoption.' The Minister sympathised with the deputation's requestybuit pointed out that the whole question was the need for money. What he could do would depend upon tho amount 'of money the Government wouild allot to.tho Education Department for expenditure. Mr. Walker asked the Minister if it would be possible for him to get sufficient money from Cabinet to.supply an onen-air gymnasium for one of the public schools in Dnnedin as an experiment. Mr. Hanan said be wouihl be verv pleased to consider the matter when Cabinet dealt with the Supplementary Estimates.

' Tho proposals of the Disputes Committee respecting rates of pay for working coal with a "grab," which were submitted to a referendum of tho coal workers belonging to the Waterside Workers' Union, have been accepted. The voting was: 116 for acceptance, and 99 against.

Tho experiences of some or the Military Service Boards, particularly those whose duties take them into the country, are extremely interesting in one particular regard. That is, the manner in which individual capacity counts in tho management of farms. Ono member of the board stated in the course of conversation that it was very puzzling to know exactly how much work a man on the land could do. There had been occasions wbere men,, pleading for exemption' for this or that person, had informed tho board how very difficult it was for him to manage a couple of small farms, whilst perhaps the next day another man would testify that he found it no hardship to manage threb or four largor farms of a limilar character in the same district. In dairying districts the inilking was tho chief trouble—work which had to be done d.v? in and out, night and morning. .Owing to the conflicting'nature of the evidence it was almost inmossible to judge what a "failday's milk" was for an individual. Whilst hearing evidence, mainly on the milking cmestion, in Taranaki recently, the board was staggered by the evidence of an old lady, who wanted six weeks' exemption for her son. She was G5 S-enrs of age, and yet. she testified without tanv evidence of boastfulnes!) that 6ho milked by hand .IS cows a day, night and morning, and said that, she did not feel the work anv too much for her. As arainst 'that, the board had heard bid able-bodied men talk of the hardship in having to milk a much less number of cows.

Mr. C. 15. Piper, who is serving with the Motor Patrol Sen-ice, writing to his parents in Petone, states: "I lin<l a fairly narrow escape recently, "but fortw.in'telv for me. it. resulted in nothinp worm than a duckins;. The after petrol tnii> of our launch had been taken out for repairs. This tonic held about 370 colInns, and was made of nnc-ei<rhth inch plato and riveted. T had been showmp Iho engineer of a trawler this tank, and u-e had iiwt walked,away from it ami ,v»ro sliwilins in I-'"' edso of ,n0 ( ' 0 7■ when it seemed as if someon" had. unshod us Mb into the wntnr. H tran.wireel that one- nf the dock workmen had e<iroles=lv applied a blow-r.iw lamp, and the tank of course exploded, and was wrecked, lloth this man and hi* mnvc were blown into the water, and lioth wiw.spho'.'slv ininml." _ "No Unhbi'iT" Lnnntfrv Help is what i= recommended for washlnr clothe* r\ n r, without TVibVnir or iniurv to th« hands or fabrics.—Levin and Co., Ltd. —Advl.

Dr. S. T. Darling and Dr. M. A. Barber, of the Rockofeller Foundation, New York, havo been investigating the prevalence of hook worm in Fiji (says the Auckland "Star"). At Nausori, a sugar centre on tho Rewa River, they found 100 per cent, of tho Fijians and Indians infected with .hook worm to a moro or less degree. "In a general way," said Dr. Darling, "wo found the indentured Indian in Fiji in a very good physical condition as compared with the Indian labourers of Malay and Java. We also found that tho indentured Indian was in a better condition than the Indian who was out of his term of indenture. Tho reason for this, of course, is that tho indentured man is compelled to go to hospital whero the other.man neglects what should bo a duty." Among Europeans no hook worm was found excepting, amongst' those who hud been born in Fiji. Tho half-castes were affected moro than the Europeans, but less than the Indian or Fijian. The hook worm lives in grass, and on dewy mornings mnkes its way to the .top of tho blade. Infection is gained by 'means of tho hair follicle on the upper portion of the foot, and' not through the. eole of tho foot as is generally assumed. This nccounhs, io some oxtent, for tho apparent unevonness of the infection, as far m tho various races are concerned. Tha ratio depends very largely on the extent to which boots and shoes nre worn, although ■ tho European constitution resists the disease better than that of the coloured races.

■ A young nian who was engaged rolling wheat near Pleasant Point on Thursday last, was taken from bis work and lodged in Timaru gaol by two military police, wh,o had been given instructions to do this (Gays the Christohurch "Press"). Tho young mau'a father had applied to the Second Canterbury Military Appeal' Board to allow his son time to nelp him get the crop in, and the board granted leavo till September 17. Tho young man had a telegram from Mr., Bishop, chairman of the board, in.his possession, stating that leave had been, given him till September 17, and though ho snowed this to the policemen they said they simply had to carry out instructions. On Friday morning the father went to the Defence • Offico in Timaru to try to secure tho releaso of his son from gaol. The got into communication with Christ-, ohurob by telephone, with the result that the voung fellow was released. The father feels very koenly the indignity that has been put upon him in thus taking his son to gaol. He is a man well up in years, can only do light worfc, and tho 6on in question was the only one he had on the farm. His Honour Mr. Justice Hosking yesterday delivered judgment in the case of William Bowley, sawmill worker, against W. Booth and Co., Ltd., sawmillers. The claim was for damages' for injuries received, and when tho caso was first before tho Court a number of issues were submitted to and answered by the jury, which found that the plaintitt was.entitled to £500 damages. On Au-. gust 8, the plaintiff moved that judgment bo entered for him, while tho other side moved that the findings of the jury be set aside, and that judgment be entered for the defendant, or a new trial ordered. His Honour yesterday dismissod the defendant's motion, with costs (£lO 10a.), and Pravo judgment for the plaintiff ,for ..£SOO. Stay of execution has been granted, pending an appeal. An np-to-date method of discharging crude oil, which has been put into owra-, tion for probably tho first time'in New Zealand, has been adopted m connection with tho unloading of a vessel at Dunedin. The oil cargo was brought in bulk. A pipe was laid under the wharf ana the street, and the oil pumped through this pipe from the ship into-tanks in the yard of the consignees. The total quantity is understood to be about 10,000 gallons. A solid silver model of a German Bubmatino is at present on view in Dunedin, says an exchange. The K. It. Osmond, an ex-I!oyal Navy man, and member of the Southampton Seamen a Union-was, in August, 1915, employed as a greaser on tho oil tank San MUtQ. bound from Southampton to a MexiCafi. port. Thirty-six hours* steam from Southampton,a ship flying Dutch colours and showing distress signals was fallen in with. This vessel proved to be a decoy, for it was shortly followed _by the appearanco of a German submarine, which opened fire on the San Melito and kept the shells going for iO minutes. The ship had been built to steam only 11 knots. The engine staff, however, coni"menced to get 15 knots, out of her, but not in quick enough time, and in response to tho'order: "Abandon ship," all hands went on deck, excepting Osmond. He stuck to his post for six minutes longer, and got tho ship full speed ahead, doing this contrary to orders. Then, with the assistance of a deck officer of the ship, ho got the vessel put of range of tho submarine firo. In recognition of his remarkablo coolness, the owners of tho San Melito, at a luncheon in London, presented Mr. Osmond with a substantial cheque and the model of an enemy under-sea craft. Tho deck of the model, when opened,-displays a cut-glass ink bottle. Mr. Osmond is at present a member of tho crew of a New Zealand hospital ship. , An officer who returned to.. New Zealand a few days ago states that his impression of England was one of wonderful cheerfulness. There was absolutely nothing in the nature of depression, and he was assured that_ the theatres _ and music halls were doing more businoss than ever. He was astonished to seo the indifference' with which the average Englishman viewed the enemy air raids. At night, while a raid was on,' one wo,uld imagine that tremendous damage was being done, but when morning came it was difficult to find traces of the bombardment. It seemed as if the public forgot all about the raid five minutes after the aircraft had' been'driven off.