LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 257, 18 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

"I hope sincerely," said (he Minister of Agriculture nt the Council of Agriculture yesterday, "that this will bo the lust year of this dreadful war. Last March the outlook was very black, but now that it is blown definitely that America has 1,000.(100 men in the field there is a feeling of greater confidence." ' During a discussion on the man-power the Wellington Education Board had furnished the Now Zealand Expeditionary Forcc, Mr. T. Moss (of (ho National Efficiency Board) stated that already over 20,000 farmers and farm labourers had been acceptcd for military service overseas. Tho late Chief Justice Madden, of Victoria, prided himself, liko many Judges, on his ability to tell whether a witness was truthful. On one occasion, he save a judgment as follows:—"Plaintiff is a facile and fairly resourceful liar—the defendant is a linr of less resource—verdict for the plaintiff.'' Another time, ail undefended man came before him in criminal jurisdiction, and testifying on his own behalf, started oat on a rambling and ridiculous story. Sir John Madden stood it for ten minutes, (hen said blandly, "Kxcuso me, but you're lying so clumsily that I should certainly advise you to'get a lawyer." A largo object was seen floating about ton miles outsido Wellington Heads yesterday morning, and early in (ho afternoon the Marino Department dispatclicd tho small steamer Janio Seddon to make a search of tho locality. Tho vessel re turned to port at 6 o'clock last night, and it was reported that although _ a ! thorough, search was made and n strict lookout kept, nothing was seen. At one time an outward-bound steam »r, at a point some miles ahead of tae Janio ■ Seddon, was seen to alter her coiitrse, : circle round something and then pass on. Tho Corinna, which arrived here . from New Plymouth at 5 p.m., reported : tlmt about 3 p.m., when off Karon Hock, a dead whale was seen two miles off. It ' was whito with decomposition, and was fully ei"ht feet above vatiy, and showed a length of from 15 to 20 feet. tho | Corinna steamed near, and something , HI-o sixteen shots vere fired from a ' rilie there being only two mis-shots. It is quite likely that this .whale was the 1 one that was washed up in Palliser Bay : recently and during the rough weather ! refloated. ; Tho Minister of Agriculture said at i the Council of Agriculture yesterday that j the rabbit problem was to be gone into, with a view to dealing more drastically ' with it than at present. They would " have to reinstate in tho Babbit Act somo . clauses which were repealed some years . a"o The onW solution was to stop the I export of rabbits; and quickly exterminate them. j Tho patriotic work of our school-chil-dren never ceases. At yesterday's meet- ' in" of the Education Board it was decidI cif ou the recommendation of (ho executive, that tho arrangements made for the supply of garments for tho Naval DcnendanU' Belief Fund be continued on 'he same lines as last year. With reMicct to a Qiieen Carnival proposal from flu- Marlborough Patriotic Society, Blenheim, it was decided: "That the hoard cannot see its way lo approve (ho full proposals of (ho Patriotic Society that tho schools should support a given candidate; but that, as in other cases there lie approved a collection on one day to be arranged bv tho head teachers aftei l consultation With their respective committees.'' Inspecting tho Training College at ICelburn, it was decided at yesterday s mect- • ing of the Education Board to furnish a the Director of Education with informar tion regarding tenders for the work involved, with tho request that tho necessary giant be approved.

Word lias come lo hand from Palestine Hint when Major Cliarlos Somincirvillo was severely wounded through both less ->■ wounds which eventually caused his death— a young Now Zealand soldior who had only loft tho Dominion towards (lie end of last year rushed to tho wounded ohker's assistance, and was in the act of bandaging the wounds when a ballot from a treacherous native gun killed him on the spot. Major Sommorvillo and tho soldier-.-) under his command had l»rcviously protected tho inhabitants of tho . village from whew tho shots cume that ■ caused not only the. commander's death ' but also the death of many of his men. Treachery had not been expected irom such a quarter, and it is interesting to Vnow that the villagers were soon afterwards severely punished for their base ingratitude and deceit, qualities very prominent during the Eastern campaign. resident of a town north of Auckland; who somo tell years ago was a member of the clerical slnlf rf a big company, nnd a prom'.'ient lay reader »t t,;e Anglican Church, has pu! up something like a record in the way ol making a most extraordinary effort to do his ' hit in the firing-line. Being over lie military ago, he recognised the tact that a transformation was nccess iry, so lie proceeded to dispense with his heard and moustache, and then dyed his hair. His youthful appearance deceived the authmitics, ho passed the doctor, went to camp going through the mar-lies and < ril s as well as the best of them but alas! Uie dve wore off, and tlw author]i les began to investigate l . with the icsult that lie was retired from the. active service list to that of home service, it is not insfault he is not no.v at '-he honl. Tho Education Department has written to tho Wellington education Board requesting information as to the number of teachers who during the last fi\o jo.us have withdrawn from the boards eiiiplo)limnt. 11l the course of a discussion at the board meeting yesterday member reiterated tho opinions they have ahead} expressed that the most suitable candidates for the teaching profession will >*■ attracted to other callings unless tle> are offered equal inducement:, to remain as teachers. It was pointed out by some sneakers that the information sought bj tho Department did not really cover tho position, as very largo numbers of suitable young peoplo are m the first uibtanco deterred from becoming teachers by the better inducements offered elsewhere. That the proverbial long arm. of tue law has a lengthy reach, especially m ca«es where sailors desert their i was exemplified at tho Magistrate s Court yesterday, when a man named Francis Isaacs pleaded guntj to ha - | ing deserted an overseas steamer lh> . offence took place on May 19, 1914.-Ac | ing-Sub-lnspectov Emerson said that the Sed took the name of George Tho«« . and found employment on the' where he had been working ovei since. He was .now married and lived in one of the suburbs of Wellington. As the shinning company concerned did not | wish to take action now, i. 4 ed that the chargo be'ivitluhawn. HWorship Mr. S. K. M Carfhy, S>.JU ac ceded to the application. At yesterday's meeting of the Chantable Aid Coinmitteo of the Wellington 1 Hospital and Charitable Aid Board notification was received that Messr.. J. Staples and Co., of the Thonukn erv had again placed at the hoaid.. disposal thirty tons of coal for distribution among the poor of the citj durin„ the winter months. The announcement was received with much gratification, and a unanimous vote of thanks to the i donors was adopted. "A mistako has been made by tion boards in not appealing for more of our teachers," said Mr. I-, K. Hodder at the Council of Agriculture yesteri day "I look upon teaching as an essential industry, and teachers are just as • essential as slaughtermen and others who. i arc appealed for." : When the Wellington Education Board was discussing at yesterdays meeting the endorsement of the proposal to estah- . li=h a district high school at Mnsterton. : Mr R. M'Callum (Blenheim) strongly ad- ' vised tho Wairarapa representatives who ' were urging the matter to start in ■ rieht." Mr. M'Callum said that the i number of people who knew what secondi ary schools, district high schools, oi colleges were in status were, oompnrntivel) few. Marlborough had lost pupils fiom 1 its district high school to the kelson [ and Wellington colleges simply on acI oount of the name, the people not ■ realising that the district high school . had the status of the ordinary «cond. . arv school, such as the hoys and ,uls 1 colleges in Wellington. He strongly advised tho Masterton people to " bnardiiur accommodation, at least foi the ) girls, which would convey the status ot I the school to many, nnd would also bo . a factor in its general success. When the great German offensive lieKan tho Church Army had more than .00 huts and recreation cctres in the uinu mm. About half of these .were wiped nnf in the rush towards Amiens and St. Venant. Many were not abandonee until long after tho evacuation of n;l----r jacent camps. The heroism of those in - ohargo has been commented upon, v.ome 3 of tho helpers refused to leave as long t as there were any wounded or strnggleis t waiting to be helped.. In one Church t \rmv Hut the superintendent and Ins 1 iielners were all blown _to nieces by a. shell while prewiring hot drinks tor inr men. As the Church Army, which siipl r'.ies so many essential comforts for our La. has no Government resources to 1 fall back on, it depends entirely on the real patriotism of those at home. Money 1 is urgently needed. . - The Victoria College Council met last night. ' Present: Mr. C. Watson (chairman), Sir Robert Stout Professors Hun- ' ter, and B. Sommerville, Messis. I*. ♦ Ar<rviimn 1U P F IT. A. «v. 3 Atkinson,'P. Un, F. W. Smith, and 5 I wri"it, M.P. The Finance Commit 1 tee asked that tho Atliol Hudson Fund ( * for Scientific Eesoarch should he vested ill the chairman and Professor Bayfield as trustees, and placed in a separate ' account The report was adopted. AcI counts' amounting to .£lOBl Us. lid. were ? approved for payment. The executive of the Wellington Eduo cation Board is to visit Muntai. shortly e to inquire into the school requirements of the district. t It was decided at yesterday's meeting ■ of tho Education Board to change the L namo of the Otaki (Marlborough) School J to that of Finnier's Bay, owing.to cono fusion with the other Otaki in the Welk lington education district. It was also : decided to change the namo of the a Waterfalls School to Tivaumea, the t school being quite adjacent to the latter e estate, which was now being well settled, a Traffic on tho railway to West Ause tralia has increased so rapidly that it is i. now necessary to run trains three times 3 oneli week to cope with the hooking, e When ballasting and other work are com<l pleted an average speed of 45 miles an hour would he maintained. The train :t is utilised to simply tea, sugar, and other s articles to peoplo along the route, there '-1 is nl c o a travelling butcher on board. 0 Tfe kills, dresses, and generally prepares " meat as' he goes alcng, and fresh moat il is a great boon to tho people. \t the meetino: of the Wellington Edu--0 cation Board held yesterday it was agreed, y on the motion of Mr. A. W. .Hogg: r "That the resolution. postponing tho erection of a school at Poroporo (Wnira- * Tapa) be Mr Hogs said ■ t that the people wore sticking to the '> land, and there were children enough to y justify tho erection of a new school.