LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 308, 17 September 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Gazette Extraordinary, calling up tho remaining reservists of Class C, Socond Division, is to be issued tomorrow. In addition to some dOOO.Class C men, the Gazette will contain the names of men who have become available in the First Division and earlier classes of tho Second Division. Tho names of the Wellington men will he published in The Dominion on Thursday morning. Mr. Frederick Shortland, solicitor. Taumarunui, announces that he will bo a candidate, as an Independent Labourite, for the Taranaki seat, says a Press Association message. Some thirty soldiers, some of them; Main Body men, who have participated' in the Palestine campaign, arrived hero from Sydney by the Moeraki yesterday afternoon. ' They were met by the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), who, oil' behalf of the citizens, gave them a hearty welcome back to their native land 1 . Captain Pryor and Mr. Stott, of the Motor Reservo Corps, wero on hand with a number of motor-cars, which conveyed the men to their homes or hotels. Tho men wero all greatly benefited by tho trip. A Gazette Extraordinary contains a number of additions to tho, list of companies, firms, and persons declared to be enemies, and a number of names that have been removed from the list. Some of the recruits who mobilised with the Forty-sixth Reinforcements last week were transferred in camp to the Forty-seventh Reinforcements. Tho draft was well over strength. All drafts are now full as far bs Second Division men -arc concerned' until March' next. Representatives of the coastal shipping companies, chambers of commerce, and harbour boards aro to meet in Wellington this morning to discuss the Admiralty regulations rcgardiug certain waters la be navigated by daylight only. This rule is stated to Imvo caused a great deal of loss .and inconvenience Tho delegates will interview tho Minister of Marine in the afternoon. Tho body of David Sullivan, wlto was drowned at Happy Valley beach on Sunday, was recovered yesterday evening. The time of tho inquest has not yet been fixed. h:, considering the report of tho Shipping and Insurance Committee at the annual meeting of the council of tlic Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday, the president (Mr. C. M. Luke) staled, in regard to the vexed question of pilfering, that some new light had been cast reccntlv on the subject. It was thought that i" some cases the goods were extracted in the warehouses, where weights were put in to make nj> Tor the stolen goods, and as tile weights were all right when shipped there was no trouble at the port of shipment. Then, ugaini, tho goods wero sometimes in the sheds so long that they became a temptation to pilferers. * It was a big question, and had never been so great as at present because of the special facilities for pilfering.

"Tho council of the New Zealand Society of Accountanta have never done anything to justify their existence." — Mr. T. Forsyth at yesterday's meeting of the Central Chamber of Commerce. At yesterday's meeting of the Central Chamber of Commerce the president (Mr. C. M. Luke) niado mention of the conference of shipowners and chambers of commerce to be held today to consider whother some steps could not be taken to resume daylight trading through Cook Strait. Tho authorities had found it necessary to take precautions against the possibility of floating mines. Considerable interference was caused by the regulations, yet the lives of the community were of paramount importance. The chamber would be represented by delegates at the conference. • Tho Defence staff at present includes at least fourteen directors of branches. They are the Director of .Recruiting, the Director of Infantry Training, tho Director of Personal S.erviceSj the Director nf Organisation, tho Director of Military Hospitals, the Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores, tho Director of Financial Services, the Director of Supplies and Transport, the Director of Medical Services, tho Director of Military Operations, tho Director of Dental Services, the Director of Base Records, tho Director of Movei ments and Quartering, and tho Director of Railways and Works. There aro also many assistant directors and de: puty directors. An addition to the-Zoo of more than ordinary interest to the public has recently been procured from Australia. The attraction is a number of Japanese fanta.il fish of extremely varied colour, malting a gay display. At the next meeting of tho Onslow Borough Council, Councillor Iloblis intends to.move: —"That in view of the impending amalgamation of the Onslow Borough with Wellington City, this council appeal for the exemption of His Worship the Mayor from military service until March 31 next." Steps are being taken to form in Auckland an association of citizens to support the policy of keeping the enemy nations out of the Pacific. 'Hie proposed title is "Hands Off the Pacific Club." Similar clubs have been formed in Australian cities, and the 'preliminary steps as regards Auckland wero taken last week at a conference between the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson. and tho president of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Robert Burns. Mr. Gunson is now in communication with tho Mayor of Wellington, where a club i.i also being formed, and he proposes to call a meeting of Auckland citizens | at an early dato for the purnose of considering the scheme. The object of tho club, said. Mr. Gunson, is to create a wider public interest in_ Britain's possessions and interests jn 1.-lie Pacjfic, especially from tho trading standpoint, and from that of continued opposition to tho return to Germany of ker captured colonies. Tho idea is to strengthen tho hands of tho national loaders in their. efforts to safeguard tho Pacific. An interesting souvenir of the destruction of tho German warship Emden is now accessible to the public iii tho form of Mexican silver dollars. These coins aro precisely in the condition they wero when recovered from tho burnt and shattered wreck. The dollars arc being sold at a guinea each, the- proceeds being placed to the credit of the Royal Australian Navy First Families' Relief Fund. Application for these souvenirs should bo made to the Captain-in-eharge, H.M.-S. Naval Establishments, Garden Island, Sydney. There is a- populfir belief that the sole and primary use of a rubbish cart is to pick up rubbish and take it away for effective consumption, but any people who were in the vicinity of the General Post Office at about 12.30 yesterdav could truthfully testify that a rubbish cart makes am excellent rubbish distributor. Whilst the man m charge was lost to viow a fierce gust of wind struck the open flaps of the cart, and in a second or two the whole of tho aerial space between the rows of tall buildings in that vicinity was filled with dying debris, against tho onset of which pedestrians turned their backs. Hie look of amazement on the face of the carter as he saw his rubbish disappearing into thin air was a. study. ' Councillor Hodgson intends to move at the next meeting of the Onslow Borough Council: —"1. That in view of the necessity of conserving the nativo bush and plantation on the catchment area it be"decided not to again let it for grazing purposes after the expiration of the present lease. 2. That owing to the great possibility of the young trees recently planted on the catchment area being damaged by sheep, the lessee be approaohed relative to tho immediato determining of tho lease,". The Forty-third Reinforcements held tho cross-country run in connection with the Chingford Cup competitions ■on Saturday morning. The distance was three miles, with a time limit of half an hour. The conditions were that the full strength of. the various companies should start, and the company having tho greatest percentage of starters finishing in the time limit won the race. E Company proved to bo the winners, with 65 per cent, of starters qualifying. Following aro the results, the first set of figures showing the percentage of men finishing in the appointed time, and the second the marks awarded towards the Chingford Curt:— Ist—E Company, 65, 15; 2nd—C Company, 59. 9; 3rd—D Company, 56, 4; 4th—A Company, 53, 2; 5th —B Company, 47, 1. The director of the Wellington City Council Milk Supply Department has written 'the Mnsterton Co-operative Dairy Company, asking if it could guarantee a supply of milk for the winter of next year. Tho directors of the company considered the matter at a meeting on Saturday last, but decided that it wns impossible to entertain the request. Tho Petone Borough Council is having trouble with its street lighting owing to the regular lamplighter being laid aside by an accident. The Borough Engineer, in his report presented to tho council last evoning, said: "I had a hoy temporarily, but lie has left me, and t. find it difficult to procure another. Many of the lamps want cleaning and adjusting." On account of the. official obliteration marks on tho black 1-Jil. stamp not being always readily discernible, particularly at night, tho Acting-Postmas-ter-Genoral (Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald) has sanctioned a change in tho colour of tliat stamp to chestnut browiii. The first issue of tho now I,\d. stamps has already been made. Philatelists will no doubt be interested in tho change. Tho number of co-operative labourers employed on railway works in the North Island during July was 916, as against 287 in the South Island, .the grand total being 1203. A rot-urn nf labour on railway works in tlfe North Island, as compiled by 'Mr. R. R. Hunt, secretary to the Auckland Railways League, is:—Kawakawa-Hoki-anga railway, 112; Whangarei-North Auckland Mam Trunk railway, 197: Waiotira section, 32; Kaiwakn southwards. 67 : Wniuku branch railway, 55; Waihi-Taurnngii, 75; MaungamiiTaneatua, 173; Gisboruc-Motu, nil; Gishorno-Wairoa, 41 ; _ Napier-Wniroa, 4, Opunnke branch railway, 1; Stratford Main Truu.k railway, oast end, 108; west end, 51. " The total number of co-operative labourers employed on road works in the North Island is 1550. and in the South Island,-251, a grand i total of Did.

No man in Scotland lias become hottor known and respected during the war period than James Jaggart, Lord Provost of Aberdeen, who has recently been knighted by tho King. _ His work if connection with recruiting, raising war loans, and patriotic work is well known all over tlio country. So prominent ciid be become in connection , with recruiting that his townsmen did him the koioui of raising a regiment called ' Jaggavt's Own," which is do-1 ing valient work in France. Quito re-1 cently tho piuvost went to the front, and, although about 08 years of age, lus energy in visiting Scottish troops in tlu most dangerous places of the firing-line was the marvel of the officers who accompanied him. He is also Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeen, and always wears military uniform. Tho King granted him an audience recently, and tho knighthood is the outcome of it. The Auckland "Star" states that the provost has Ifamily connections on the maternal side with people in. Devonport, ono being a member of the Borough Council, wlio devotes a good deal of time to public life. It is not often that a man who has served a. long period of detention in gaol can bo held up as an object of admiration. There is one instance, bowover (says the Melbourne "Age"), where tho person concerncd is to bo commended for liis grit and ability to viso above tho level of those with whom through force of circumstauocs, he was obliged to spend several years of his young life. Although convicted of a crime which resulted from a frenzied impulse, criminal instincts were not developed in the man. Deprived of his liberty, ho decided to turn his confinement to good account. Through the instrumentality of tho Under-Secre-tary, Mr. Callaway, who was InspectorGeneral of Penal Establishments at tho time, facilities were afforded the prisoner of following a course, of scientific study, through a correspondence school. Precautions necessary to the prevention of a misapplication of the privilege were taken. The prisoner applied himself diligently to his studies and passed qualifying examinations, Winn be left Pentridge he was able to start life anew, fully equipped to follow tho profession for which his studies had fitted him. In a recent letter to. Mr. Calloway the quondam prisoner expressed his gratitude, and stated that he had scoured permanent employment. The collapse of the shipbuilding industry in Auckland was dealt with by the president of i the Auckland Employers' Association, Mr. Albert Spencer, in an address on Thursday last. This country, he stated, was exporting kauri that could bo used for shipbuilding, while the shipbuilders who formerly flourished in Auckland had been scattered to the four winds. The Government should have fostered the industry by freeing tho nccessary iron and copper materials 'from import dusties. The local authorities had put practically prohibitive rentals upon the waterfront properties required for the building yards. Some years ago' a large area of land was reclaimed', which it was promised would be made available for the industry at a reasonable rental. Tho land, however, had been thrown open for competition, and had gone to the highest bidder, thus inflicting a crushing blow upon what should be ono of our most -important _ industries. One. old-established shipbuilding firm bad been compelled to shift and re-erect an entire plant six or seven tinfts. Not only, added the president, should wo be. building wooden vessels, but perhaps steel 0110s as well, though this would require the development of the iron ores of the Dominion. The South Australian Government was advancing £60.000 to shipbuilders, but in New- Zealand the industry had not only been disgracefully neglected, but also handicapped by a 2o per cent, duty on New Zealandbuilt boats sent to other colonies, though vessels built iiv those countries came into Now Zealand free.