LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 1, 26 September 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Telegraph Ofiico advises that tho British Post Offico Cablo , Companies and Pacific Board notify that they liavo discontinued advices of; noil-delivery or Redirection of soldiers' expeditionary force messages (E.F.M.'s). ' , A mother of a soldier who has been four years at the front appeared at tho Military Service Board yesterday, and asked that lie should be returned t<3 New Zealand. The chairman of the board explained that the position now « that where a eoldier lias over three years' service to bis credit be can ap- , ply to his commanding officer to be returned. Men were being returned v in batches of fifty per month, as approved by tho officer in command.

A Wellington soldier, now , in camp, points , out an anomaly in connection with hygienic -.matters in camp. Ho states that when a man entered camp he was given a leaflet, which advised him to observe certain precautions as safeguards to health, all of which were quite sound, One, piece of advico was to tho. effect that a soldier should retain his own (tin) plate, pannikin, and knifo.and fork; to prevent any possible contamination. That ho conceded was good advice, but was rendered impossible to carry into effect; as there was a common cupboard in every hut (for thirty men), into which tho men had to place the utensils mentioned, and as they were all of the same brand the men were unable to distinguish their "table furniture" from that of their comrades. Our informant, who has benefited wonderfully by camp lifo, and considers that, if he wins through, it will put years on to his life, merely mentions this fact to illustrate how cosily it is for good intentions to go astray. Every man in the hut would like to give effect to the official advice, but regulations effectively picvent them doing so.

As a guide to tho courses' of currents in Cook Strait, the Marino Departmont has adopted .a novel inethod for the information of mariners, Tho Department is arranging with captains of vessels to drop in certain parts of tho Strait at short intervals wooden discs eight feot in diameter parrying a 'tin flag. These objects, which will bo painted red, aroto be first put in use about Wednesday next. A bottle containing instructions to report to tho Department should any of these floats be washed 'ashoro will be attached to them.

The following further donations havo been recoiyed by the Italian Rod Cross Society :—Ross .and Gleiidining, £50; Wellington Fruit Brokers' Association, £25; Mr. and Mrs. A. E.'Pearce, £10 10s.; T. Young, £3'35.; J. J. Berry, £1 Is.; Watorworth and Co., £1 Is.

Several substantial cheques have come to hand for the Copper Trail this wock. Smaller sums include the proceeds of a penny concert organised by three young ladies, and of a sale of sweets at Johnsonville. Mrs. 6. Johnston has forwarded a sum of £30 14s. Old., the result of a "dressing of tho soldier" at Kelburii recently, and of two bridge parties held at her home.

A meeting of the fixeeutivo Council of tho AYcllington Competitions Society was held last evening, Mr. Hclliwoll presiding. The secretary reported that entries wero coming to hand from all parts of Now Zealand, and , the council's estimate of probable ontrins would be greatly exceeded. Messrs. C. S. 8. Kelly and E. E. Hammond and Captain Macfarlane wern elected members of the Executive Council. It was resolved to allow competitors in the children's action songs to havo their own accompanist. Mr. W. Brown was appointed official piper for tho Highland dancing. A number of- applications for enrolment as honorary members have been received, and as tho number of members will bo ; limited the council advise oarly application to prevent disappointment.

Tho First Wellington Military Service- Board will conclude its Wellington session to-day, and on Saturday will proceed to Wanganui. At last evening's meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board permission was given to the Wellington City Council to extend the bathing accommodation at Evans Bay, subject to the approvnl of the plans by the Governor-in-Coun-cil. '

When the First Wellington Military Service Board reaches Wanganui on Saturday it will bo rejoined by Captain Walker as military representative. Mr. James Alexander Fuller, whoso name appeared among; tho' First Division reservists called up in last week's ballot, enlisted last month upon attaining tho age of twenty years, and iiis liiimn should therefore have been "starred" in the Gazette. Reforeneo was mado at yesterday's meeting of tho War Relief Association to the casoof an experienced-far-mer whoso application for assistance in getting on a pig farm had been declined by the Government. It had been suggested previously that this returned soldier had been treated badly. Mr. fi. Sliirtcliffo stated yesterday that tho mnn himself had appeared to say that lio was entirely satisfied with tho way the Government bnd treated him. His original proposal had been to take 55 acres of steep country some distance from the city. The Government officers had pointed out to him that ho would have difficulty, in getting pigfood to his section, and might not bo able to carry on. Later they had financed him into a section in tho Upper llutt district, and had provided a sum of £500 for stock. The soldier considered that he had been treated very well.

The Government has acquired Mr. John Grey's "Kinloch" farm near Otautau for a soldiers', settlement (says the Otautau "Standard"). The property, which contains 471 acres, is one of tho richest blocks of laud in Southland, and should prove an ideal pkee for dairy farming. It also grows heavy crops of .wheat. The proposal is to. cut tho property up into five farms, and the Purchase, Board has expressed the opinion that it is the richest piece of land submitted for its inspection. Mr. GTey expects to remain in possession until after shearing.

Tho diminishing value of the poundnoto is the- reason for a demand on the part of the "Public Service,. Jour,nal" for "a measure of relief" to Givil 'Servants. The "Journal" ' says:— "The man in the Etrcet does not care a continental whether tlit public servant has cue, two, or three meals a day) He is lookiug'after himself and getting what ho wants. The manufacturer claps another ten or twenty per cent, on prices, the wholesaler sees that and goes five or ten per cent, better; the retailer sees both with, his ten or twenty per cent, better, all of which is piled on to the consumer. Tho latter, if a private employee, demands .higher pay—that or strike—and gets the pnj'j which satisfies him for the time being. But the public servant, restrained by the spirit or loyalty, and true to the best traditions' of the service, may .ask in vain, just because the powers that control his destiny are aware of his sentiments. With'the purchasing power of the sovereign somewhere in the region of 13s. 6d. iho offer of a bonus of £15 per annum to a'married man on a salary of £140 is little short of irony, and it is not consoling to that unfortur.nt.e-to know that the same amount of bonus is behig paid to the. £315 man. The association has asked that the minimum wage for married men shall be increased to £156 per annum, tho s standard minimum in the Commonwealth of Australia'at the present time. It was announced in the public Press.that the request o>f the association bad been granted, but the announcement was afterwards contradicted. When the book of revelations is printed the reason for this- change of mind will no doubt he made- clear. In the mean? , time we take leave to say that the present ruintmum is a disgrace to the Government of a prosperous country clniiuing to , be progressive." A South Australian farmer, Mr. Joseph Nykiel, has readied London, after being interned in Germany since the outbreak of war. He was in Germany, visiting friends near Posen. Hβ was kept in solitary confinement, for four weeks, and wa*S then taken to a prison , camp af'Zerbst, in' Prussia, where- there were 12,000 prisoners. The treatment was very brutal, and the dieting was on. the most meagre- scale. During thirteen months at Zerbst he witnessed dogs being set upon prisoners, and one 70-year-old Frenchman was bsdly mauled , by the animals. The prisoners were frequently told that they would.bo shot as spies. Many werelashed to posts for hours, with their feet just touching the ground. The dirtiest camp work was given to the British prisoners to perform. Wlien Mr. Nykiel told an officer that he was an Australian, the ofiicsr remarked: "The Australians are too democratic; that sort of democraoy won't answer here." He was removed to Ruhleben in 1915, where the treatment was much better than at Zerbst. The attitude of the Germans towards , .prisoners changed greatly in 1917. The German soldiers often searched the tubs for food or begged for. food from the prisoners' parcels. Receipt of: the latter was regarded by the Germans as proof that Britain' was not starving. .

In fining Hehare Jiailiau £5 at Waiuku last week, for failing to obey the rabbit inspector's instructions, Mr. P. K. Hunt,' S.M., said that if defondant did not comply with the 'instructions within a month ■he would fine him £100.. In opening the proceedings at a soc-. inl held in Curistcliurch in connection with the Canterbury Justices of the Peace Association, Sir John Dcniiiston said that, although 'during the last 52 years he had occupied many public positions—most of them detached and the nature of a figurehead—that was the first occasion on which, ho had filled tho post of chairman, of a public meeting, and, strange as it may seem, he had to tionfess to a feeling of nervousness. In returning thanks for his election to tho office of patron of the association, Sir John said that he wished to plttco on record his high appreciation of tho work which liad been done, and was being done, by Justices. During the 30 years which ho had occupied a seat on tho Bench, ho had had many opportunities of judging of tho value of the work done by members of the Commission of tho Peace, and he had no hesitation in saying that the services rendered were of a highly valuable nature. . ■ The, New Zealand Expeditionary Force 1 Masonic Association carries on its work despite tho war conditions. A brother, writing from France, says;— "I have just had the pleasure- of attending a meeting of tho brethren over hero when they hold a. practice- lodge. It all seemed to mo to he so strange, held under the conditions it was. Picture to yourself an old French estaminet in a village right in tho war zone, with the usual heavy war traffic and thousands of soldiers passing by and guns barking within rosy distance, lie lodge wns a truly representative military one, from a colonel down to a private. One hundred and fifty signed the attendance book, and all were 'tried' before the lodgo opened. I lie coremouy was gone through very well, and when they sang the various hymns I can tell you they inado tho rafters ring. A flashlight photo was taken after the ceremony, and I hope I shall he lucky enough to get hold of one.