LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 203, 16 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Returned draft No. 159 is duo to arrivo in Wellington thie morning. The transport will berth at the King's Wharf at about 10 a.m. A few of the men of this draft arrived by train yesterday afternoon. ,

The Hon. \V. D. S. Mac Donald, Acting. Postmaster-General, announces that tho Director of the Army Postal Services at tho New Zealand Base Post Office has requested that registered letters from New Zealand for members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forco should be'enclosed in cloth-lined envelopes. A registered letter addressed to the N.Z.E.F. has to be handled a groat number of times, and it frequently happens that the edges become frayed and the contents fall out. If this happens while the letter is in tho custody of tho Post Office the contents ere ie-enclosed, and little damage is done , , though a good deal of delay to. work is causod. But senders of letters should remember that, after delivery to the regimental Post orderly, a letter may bo passed to the regimental quartermaster, and then on to a company orderly, and if a loss occurs it is almost impossible to fay who is responsible. The use of a cloth-lined envelopo will reduce tho danger of loss from wear and tear. These envelopes may he purchased at Post Offices. They aro already embossed with tho stamp representing the registration fee and postage of Id.

At the next meeting of the Central Chamber of Commerce Mr. H, H. Miller intends to move: "That banks trading within the city bo requested to arrange that during Christmas and New Year, and Easter holidays, banks be opened for a brief period to receive deposits only,"

Tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) and Councillors A. K. Atkinson and M. F. Luckio have been appointed a sub-com-mittee of the Finance Committee of tho City Council to draw up a memorandum setting forth tho reasons in detail for tho [council's protest against the big increase this year in the lew- being made by tho Wellington Hospital and Charitable' Aid Board. A confewnco of representatives of tho smaller contributing local bodies is nlso to bo hold ehortly to discuss tho position created by tho now impost. Thoso protcets, when ready, will "be forwarded to tho Minister of Public Health (Hon. G. W. Russell). Until this matter is settled it is not likely that any of the contributing bodies will strike their rates for tho year.

A mooting of thoso interested in tho formation of a musical imd elocutionary competitions society in Wellington was held Inst ovening. The ~üb-cominitleo appointed to inquire as to ways and menns of again holding competitions in this city submitted a most comprehensive report, which slated that if run upon, business lines Uio venture must prove a financial success, while (ho'educative benefit to our young pcopio was beyond -question. After hi interesting ais'cussion it was resolved that competitions in music, elocution, and dancing be held, and that a public meeting be culled at an early date, to properly constitute tho society, elect, nllicers-bearcrs, et«. It now 60HI0 four ir five siheo similar competitions were held here, and in view of the fact that iillkm' centres are holding their annual reslivals with increasinp; entnes, it mm toll that Wellington, with Hβ larger population, should be, able In also hold successful annual competitions.

The- shortage of books is affecting the work of students at Victoria College rather seriously. Certain of the books required for somo subjects are exclusive, iinil in these days when supplies aro precnrioiis, and tho demand from (students likowiso precarious, booksellers are- unnblo or unwilling to stock up with supplies. Tho result is that classes using these expensive books aro hampered seriously. Last night tho University Collego Council approved of a scheme for the establishment of a Book Department in tho college-. Tho scheme was suggested first of all because of tho short supply of nocossnry boolcs. It was ropvesonted tot as the booksellers could not bo sure of tho numbers in a olafa, and could not l>o sure of the number of dealings that would occur in secondhand books in a class, and that for this reason tho booksellers could not safoly stock up supplies. It was considered that the establishing of a central authority through which all purchases of now and second-hand books might pass would be a good institution. •

There are now no jower than-twenty, six lions among tho inhabitants of Mr. J. J. Doyd's "zoo" at Onohunga.

Hint section of wood-blocking which extends from Stewart D.T.vaon's corner -iwthward along /.umbtoii Quay has lately showed a tendency (o swell and push the kerbstones uuder tho pavement, luidi as it was only a matter of time before they would raise :ho pavement for a considerable distance along tho busiest sidewalk in tho city, the City Engineer is employing a gang of men to e.i6o the situation by taking up tho sidechannel bloclca, anil providing a space for any further expansion likely to take plneo.

Eoforonce was made at the meeting of the Education Board yesterdny morning to tho subjcot of Government i rants to private sohools, as referred to in motions passed nt eome' householders' meetings /mid sent on to tho board. Mr. W. Alian asked if thcro was nny money paid to private sohoole bj" way of scholarships. The chairman (Hon. J. Q. \V. Aitken) fiaid the Minister admitted t.het tho Roman Catholic schools had scholarshipholders, and that the Church of England schools also received grants. Mr. Penn^v: "There are several members of Parliament here. 1 move that their attention be called to the matter." 'iTio subject then dropped.

In a letter to his nexl-of-kin in Host- i ings, an officer of the Array Medical j Corps serving uith the Imperial • Forces, who was taken prisoner l>y the i Germans, epeaks most of l;he , attention and kindness hi* received at the hands of (he New Zealand. Iliph | Commissioner whilst he was _ in thn i hands of the enemy, and on his arrival | in London on his repatriation. Hβ says, ; "To my great surprise the New Zealand j High Commissioner sent me parcels on the strength of you being my next-of-kin. I received an extraordinarily kind letter from Sir Thomas Mackenzie. The . New Zealand Government people in London were exceedingly Vind. I wrote and, asked the Higlr■■ Commissioner how much I. was indebted to England, and tho reply stated the amount, but the Department refused to accept any payment. Ifs a good thing to belong to. a country like yours, or even to'be a distant relation like I nm. There appeaw to bo more homeliness and lnndnepe and less impersonality. 'Private- John Jones is not a mere numbo:; he is a New ■Zμlander and one of the family. I will be clad if you could manage to expross to tho Now Zealand newspapers, how deeply grateful I feel to the Dominions representative in .London. However, I have taken, means to see that my gratitude to tho New Zealandors wilUako a practical form." ■Respecting tho escape from prison of. WaX alias Lawrence, the Chi stetarch. "Sun" of Tuesday says •.-"Under cover of a heavy fog, a prisoner at the Poparna Prison. TempleU escaped fromcus tody yesterday morning. He is Eobort D bison Warden, alias Eobert Lawrence who was sentenced at the Supreme urart sessions in Christchurch in February to a term of four years' imprisonment, on a charge of breaking and entering • and who was then declared an liohitunl criminal. Warden is a man with a fairly lons list of convictions. At the present time the Paparua Prison is divided into too Sections. One contains offenders against tho Military Service Act. The othor portion is occupied by hard labour oriminals, whose conduct has teen considered good enough to warrant their being transferred to the new gaol. -Warden is one of tho prisoners who were transferred from Lyttelton to Paparua. He is the first man to escape from Panama. It was while he was engaged with othor prisoners, in sanitary work outside the prison walls, that Warden escaped. A very heavy fog settled downso heavy that persons could scarcely lie distinguished, even only ten feet away. Quietly, Warden separated lumselt ironv the party,, and vanished into the fog without his absence being noted at-the time. He was, of course, wearing his prison uniform. It is understand- that the escapeo was seen near Prebbleton, apparently making for the city. _ Search parties have been looking for him, but without success so far. Warden is a voung, strong,'and active man.- Heps sft. BJin. in height, and is of medium build. His complexion is sallow, his hnir is dark, and hie eyes aro hazel. It is understood that a cargo of about 4000 tons of Newcastle coal which has arrived at Port Chalmers has come to the order of the Government for use on the Otago railways.- The cargo (says the "Otago Daily Times") will prove n welcome addition to the . rather small existing stocks.

All doubts 06 to Mr. Coates'e 'candidature for the Grey seat in the House of Representatives have now been removed Ithe GFreymouth correspondent , of the Christchurch 'Tress" says), and he has definitely indicated that he will stand as a Liberal, supporting' the Government war policy. Hβ is stated to Be opposed to the manner in which the Government has treated tho Second Division and its failure to deal with the cost of living problem.

While the eports clubs of the Dominion have all given to tho Empiro in tho present war notablo contributions of Bplendid manhood, it is probable tho Moniington Association Football Club stands alone for its gift of sevon members of ono family to the Army (says the "Otago Daily Times"). When asked whether in viow of fivo of the family, having already served there would bo an iippeal, one of the brothers promptly responded 'Not on your life!" Tho record of the family Is as follows-.-David Haig, left with tho Main Body, eerved on Gallipoli, died pi enteric; 'William Haig, left with Main Body, served on Gallipoli and in France, recently invalided homo; Fred Haig, left with hospital ship Maheno on first trip, contracted enteric and pneumonia, now discharged: Andrew Haig, /left with Twenty-fifth Reinforcements, now serving in Franco; Walter Haig, loft with Twenty-Seventh Reinforcements, now serving in Franco; James Haig nnd John Haig to leave with, later reinforcements. Probably on no previons occasion could a poet boast that his poems had saved his son's life. Yet Mr. Hubert Hogg, of Wellington, can make such a claim, and produce flio lioundest of evidenco in support thereof, viz., a cony of the noems pierced with threo bnllet-liolcs rtnnn? th'o groat German push early in March of tins year.. Mr. Hogs, under tho pen name of "Robin Blochairn," recently had a collection of his poems, entitled "Singin' to the Weans," published by Mr. Alraandor Gardner, of Paisley, Scotland. Copies of the first edition were forwnrned to Wellington, nnd ono of them was sent on to his son in France., Gunner Robert Hogg, of the sth Battery, Now Zealand Artillery, formerly a linotyno operator in Tnn Dominion Office. Ho was carrying the littlo book of poems In his rifrht breast pocket on tho day ho was hit, and ho would certainly hove been killed hnd Hie Iwok not slopped the bullets. Mr. Hogg declares that ifono copy had not been nold his have proved their worth in saving tho lifo of his eon. As a matter of fact, tho pooms hnvo been reviowed most enthusiastically by tho leading papers of England and Scotland.

At tho monthly mooting of Uio Wnitaki ITigli School Board) n brief report from the rector demonstrated (ho popularity

and tho widespread l'anio of tho Waitaki Boys' High Ssnool (days a Press Assooiatiou telegram from Oamaru). Mr. Milnor, aftor ;nontioning that of this year's boarders 100 camo from tho North Inland, added: ''Tlireo boarders camo from Australia. (wo from the Philippine Mn nds (one of them being head boy of tho sellout this year), and 1 have a dofinite application for entry for 1919 from

Rhodesia. Next a boy enters from Eabaul, Now. Guinea,"

Referring to tho providing of workshops and facilities for returned soldiers disabled, or still receiving medical attention, the Mayor of Auckland says thnt, under a recent nrrangenjont between tho Joint Committco and Did Patriotic Association, tho matter was now a lied Cross obligation, and tho executive 'of the Joint Committee at ft meeting on Thursday would be asked to consider the establishment of facilities at tho hospital annexe. Ho had conferred recently with tho chairman of tho Hospital Board, and it was quite clear that in view of the increasing number of patients who would α-viiil themselves of this facility something in addition to tho present facilities should be provided.

An announcement in -■ aspect to the depredations of rabbits in parts of tho King Country and Woikato is contained in u remit diawn'up by tho Mnihiihi branch of the Farmers' Union for consideration at the forthcoming annual provincial/ conference. Tho remit states .that in tho district under review tho nuisance has reached such a etage that if K-ii!t-::i! lo°islii.lion bo not enacted to meet tho trouble tho rabbits will put many farmers entirely out of business. This \jtii Wen brought about by the large n'iJ!iV:r of. se-ctws left vacant or neglected owing to war difficulties having be- ,..•,-•;■.. '._i--v,.-!iii ; -r froii'i.'is for Hie vermin and exaggerated n situation already int'l",-'••'•!!>>. \>- "■ icr-f-M of combating tho evil it is .iskcd that Government bo approached with a view to getting legislft- , tion.- passed, empowering local 'bodies to borrow money for tho purpose of supplying settlers with tho netting necessary to fence their sections, rating the (sections, to pay interest and sinking fund.

Speaking to an "Otago Daily Times" reporter on Tuesday Mr. Steven Boreham who is attending tho annual conference of tho Now Zjtiiiland Agricultural and Pastoral Labourers' Industrial Union of Workers, stated iEat the most important matter that would be considered would be the decision of munlbera to become a branch of the Australian Workers' Union. Should all legal obstacles to the accomplishment af tjiia _ tfbject bo overcome and tho New Zealand union finally link up with the Australian union, Now Zealand employers need have no cause for fear, because the Australians firmly adhered to the principle of conciliation, and failing that, arbitration. He had every reason to believe that the amalgamation of the two organisations would l>9 tho means of stiffening up the workers of this country in favour of the Arbitration Act, thus reducing to a minimum any chance of a serious strike in the agricultural and pastoral industries of New Zealand. Another matter that would bo dealt with by the conference was the accommodation provided for men on a large number of farms and stations throughout tho dominion. In this matter, said Mr. Boreham, the union had a grieyanco so serious that to avert trouble farmers and equatters would have to remedy, the evils complained of._ The., conference .referred to is now sitting in Wellington.