LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume xc, Issue 79, 1 October 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Order Paper of the House of Representatives was relieved last evening of eleven Bills of more or less importance, that number being the tally of the night's work. The prospect of the session ending on Wednesday next was considerably brightened by this sustained effort against unnecessary loquacity. Tonight the Public Works Statement and the Railway Statement will appear, and possibly the House will sit to-morrow morning, though that is not yet quite certain. The Legislative Council sat late into the night discussing the War Funds Bill, the Hons. J. Paul and Barr re-, sisting a proposal to give an additional totalisator permit to the Wellington Racing Club. Finally progress was reported at 0.40 a.m. Warm praise of the kindness of Wellington's citizens in their support of various funds connected with the war was given yesterday by the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) in conversation with a Representative of The Post. The people have responded generously to every appeal — not in a spasmodic manner, but with consistent liberality. The Mayor's working day has been much lengthened by the war, but he makes light of his own continuous tasks. "The labour we delight, in physics pain," wrote Shakespeare, and that is the way one finds Mr. Luke, who is glad to do his best, by day and night, to help these many worthy causes. He has always the comfort that the people are willing to do their part well. This is also the experience of Mrs. Luke, who is a tireless director at the Town Hall — calm and cheerful Amid many tasks. _ Her record of executive achievement gives a sever.c knock to the old saying that woman's helpfulness is mainly in matters of detail. i 'Many members of the Wellington Racing Club have joined the forces for service at the front. At last night's annual meeting of the club the chairman, Mr. W. H. Sefton Moorhouse, brought forward a motion from the stewards that such members be elected to lifemembership of the club. After some discussion of the matter, it was resolved that, while the club was in favour of conferring life-membership on members who have served at the front, the question be deferred till next meeting, when a full list of those to be so honoured will be submitted. The attention of the Hon. James Allen (Defence Minister) was drawn by Mr T. M. Wilford in the House of Re presentatives yesterday to a statement in an Auckland paper that soldiers who had returned wounded were destitute and without money. The Minister replied that he regretted exceedingly if such was the case. Each man, before leaving the troopship, received £5, and since the last lot of men had come ashore the paymasters of the Department had been working night and day to get their pay-sheets completed. Up to the present 355 pay-sheets had been sent to Auckland. He would do his utmost to expedite payments. • The soldiers in the ranks at Rangiotu include many well educated and professional men, and members of wellknown families (states the Manawatu Herald) One of the first to greet the Parliamentary party which visited the camp on Sunday was the Prime Minister's son, lately a solicitor practising in Auckland, 'now Sergeant Massey. Another member of the party, Mr. L. M. Isittj was met by his son, a sturdy young sergeant ; and yet other members of the regiment are sons of the Hon. S. Thome George and Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P. In one small section, when the regiment was first formed, there were two privates with the degree of M.A. and another with LL.B. IThe Wtellington Pipe Band and £he sth (Wellington) Regt. Band are to be mformted that the City Council cannot increase the number of bands at present -Bnhmdmad^f<^.muiucipM^P^' I fflM c .68^ . ,

The Local Bills Committee, reporting to the House of Representatives yesterday, recommended that the Wellington City Basin Reserve Bill be not proceeded with. Authority has been given to the City Engineer to effect alterations and improvements to the doors, exits, etc., at the TWn Hall and Concert Chamber, at an estimated cost of £200, in order to make the building comply with the regulations for licensing halls. Prom the Selwyn Football Club 31 members have gone to the front with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces. Six have been killed in action and four wounded. Mr. J. G. Faulkner, an old secretary and life-member of the club, was among those killed. At the annual smoke concert last night presentations were made to Messrs. A. Clinberg and M. Batchelor, the latest to join the forces. ' J Good use has been made of the Mayor's War Distress Fund (for the relief of local people whose livings have been injured j by the war), but happily the need of this aid has not yet been as extensive as was feared a. year ago. Mr. Luke says that the fund has been well maintained, and it is now in a strong condition. As chairman of the committee he has au- i thority to deal with emergency cases, I and a report of his stewardship is presented to the committee at its fortnightly meetings. "Citizen" writes to The Post : — "Before being called upon to subscribe to another Hospital Ship, I think the following questions should be answered by the Minister of Defence: — (1) What was the cost of the outfit each doctor had to provide? (2) Is it a fact that he had to supply himself with clothes and accessories — even spurs — all costing about £140? (3) Is the same extravagance to be followed in the second Hospital Ship? (4) Was any part of the supply of the surgical requirements supplied by a retail chemist? (5) Were tenders invited for such supply?" Unremitting efforts *are being made by the Board of Trade to supply in all British markets at least the goods in which German and Austrian manufacturers and exporters specialised. , Mr. W. G. Wiokham, British Trade Commis- j sioner, has received advice showjng that the foreign samples section of the Board of Trade, whose duty is to 'collect samples of German and Austrian manufactured goods and show them to British manufacturers, has held meetings almost every fortnight since September of last year. Nearly 20,000 samples have been exhibited to merchants "and buyers, and there are prospects that British goods will replace 1 German and Austrian in a number of cases. Arrangement® have been, or are being, made, to hold exchange meetings in the following trades : Electrical accessories and apparatus, cotton goods (printed and dyed), and stationery and printing. It is proposed to deal similarly with the trades in hardware and tools. Arrangements have also been completed for an exhibition of English furniture, suitable for export, more particularly with the object of displacing the Austrian bentwood furniture. Samples have been received from South Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, Fiji Islands, Bermuda, Straits Settlements, West Africa, Zanzibar, West Indies, India, Portugal, South, America, (Turkish Levant, and France. Interesting observations on details -of the work at the Dardanelles are made by an officer of the New Zealand forces in a letter to his parents at Wellington. "After two months' strenuous work ashore," he writes, "I spent a couple of days' holiday on board a hospital ship in the bay. It was completely staffed with Australian nurses. It is pleasing to our people to know that New Zealand is following suit.' . . . There are very few of my old troop* left. Most of them, of course, should be back soon, as they were sent away j sick or. slightly wounded. . . On new Zealand mail days a , spirit of secret, ] silent cheerfulness obsesses everybody, and it is then you see the far-away looks. . . At present I am in^ charge of the bomb-throwers of our section line and trenches, 15yds from the Turkish trenches. Bombarding is very exciting, and makes one feel like an Anarchist. An Indian mule driver pinched one of my bombs the other day, thinking it was a lamp. Shortly afterwards there was no Indian. . ._ . Poor old Captain Henderson was hit, the other day, and may lose his leg. j He had just gone past my dugout, and was about 15yds away when he was hit by a shrapnel bullet. The bone of his leg was broken beneath the knee. • • • j We liave had two months of continuous rifle and big gun fire,' and it gets very monotonous • keeping one's head down and dodging shells. . . . When in j Egypt I could write every week. It is impossible to do so here, but I will | write a line or two whenever possible." An interesting letter has been received from Tpr. Alan Smith, son of -Mr. W. Smith (of Smith and Smith, Ltd.), relative to the big attack on Gallipoli. The letter is dated from the Heliopolis House Hospital, Cairo, to which 'institution Tpr. Smith was admitted after being slightly wounded. "Up to sth August we had only been holding the Turk at Anzac, and getting things in readiness for the big attack, which started on the sth. Our bit was all cut and dried beforehand. We had to take places called Destroyer Ridge and Table Top Hill. Both are very steep, and only a goat track leads up to them. Our orders were to keep our rifles empty, and do it all with the bayonet. Well, we started off at dark on the sth, and,, by some good luck or other, we got 4x> behind the Turks at Destroyer Ridge. They were so surprised that, after very little resistance, they fled to Table Top. (We lost two men from the troop here.) We then proceeded to Table Top, where again our silence surprised the Turk, and his trench fell without loss to us. All we did was to charge with the bayonet, without even a cheet. Our General had told us that our piece was finished when we took and held this place. Meanwhile, the Maoris, over to our left, caught a number of Turks asleep in their posies. The Turks fled without even their rifles, and w« intercepted them, and took about 200 prisoners." In another portion of the letter it is mentioned that "Alex. Newton's son got hit badly through the arm. My nerves are all to blazes, and I can't get used to the quietness, but I think a few weeks will fix me up." A small shopkeeper. Ann Jane Leggett. was charged before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court to-day, with selling milk without being licensed. She pleaded guilty, stating that she did not know she was breaking the law. It was stated that the premises, although not insanitary, were unsuitable for the storage of milk. After being warned as to the seriousness of the offence, defendant was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. ' Good strong work boots, easy-fitting and smart appearance: 13s 6d, 14s 6d/ 15s 6d. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Mannersstreet. — Advt. What lady has not heard of "Tobralco" — the famous British-made cotton wash fabric? Everybody buys "To. bralco" in summer, and here at Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd., are all the wanted shades and small designs. "Tobralco,". 28 inches wide, Is per yard. Choose

The Mails which left Wellington on the 19th August, and connected with the Suez despatch per R.M.S. Morea, arrived in London on the 29th Septemberdue date. In the course of a letter to the City Council on the subject of the Municipal Golf links, Dr. R. A. Cameron forwarded' a cheque for £10 10s. The council last night decided to thank him heartily for his donation. On the strength of information received from "a correspondent from out the railway line," the Buller Miner reports that coalminers want an increased wage to meet the increased cost of living, and are contemplating a strike with this end in view. A letter from Mr. W. Tonks protesting against the erection of a caretaker's residence on the Zoo grounds was read at the meeting of the City Council last night. It was decided to reply that tb*erection of such a residence is absolutely necessary in the interests of the Zoo. An examination for the grant of elementary kindergarten certificate for teachers will be held at the four centres during November, December, and January. Regulations governing the examinations appear in this week's Gazette. The necessity of fencing sections along the Upland- road wan brought under the notice of the City Council by Councillor LucMe last night. The Mayor said, in reply, that the powers exercisable by the council would be exercised at the earliest possible moment. Letters received in Wellington % front; the nursing sisters who left in t|he Hospital Ship Maheno, show that the sisters . had a busy time on the voyage to Egypt. The letters, written off the coast of Arabia just before the steamer reached her destination, show " the nurses thoroughly enjoyed their short stay at Colombo, and have spent their spare moments aboard the ship in instructing the orderlies in first-aid, padding splints and preparing dressings for the operating theatre. At the meeting of the City Council last night, the' By-laws Committee' recommended that an application for permission to erect a continuous picture theatre in ' Manners-street be not granted, as the proposal does not comply with the regulations of the by-law, and also in view of the adverse report of the City Engineer. Councillor Barber said the pro. posed site was on the south side of Manners-street, near to Willis-street. The committee considered, that the site ■was entirely unsuitable from the point of view of the safety and comfort of the public. The report was adopted. Discussing the recent advance in the price of butter at Auckland, the Taranaki paily News states: "There has been no similar advance in Taranaki. In conversation with a News reporter a New Plymouth merchant expressed the opinion that there would be no change here, for the present conditions of the market were rather in favour of a decrease in the price than an increase. The weather now being experienced in Taxanaki was paxticularly favourable for the supply of butter. The price now ruling in Taranaki for butter for export is Is 3£d per lb, and at some shops in New Plymouth ' the best brands of Gutter can be bought retail for cash at Is 4d per lb, which is only £d*more thaD the wholesale price. The general retail price ruling is Is 5d per lb booked. This shows that Taranaki people are getting their butter Id per lb cheaper than Auckland, and in this connection it is interesting to observe that through all the changes which the price of butter has undergone, recently it has always been about Id lower in Taranaki than in other parts of New Zealand." A settler, of Te Whara, recently Parliament for compensation In connection with land taken in 1906 for a branch railway. The Petitions Committee recommended that the petition be referred to the Government for further recommendation and enquiry. A long discussion ensued upon the report, and eventually the subject was " talked out," being ended by the dinner adjournment. Opportunity was taken of the occasion for some members to denounce a system which they said was growing up of petitioners coming to the Legislature for the righting of grievances which properly should be adjusted in the Law Courts. In this case, it was pointed out, six years had been allowed to elapse, and no reference had been made to the Law Courts, and no satisfactory explanation had been offered for that course not being taken. Moreover, it was said that provision for a railway station had been made on the petitioner's land, which it was believed in time would become the centre of a township. This would greatly enhance the value of the land, which already had risen in value by reason of the' construction of the line many time* its original value. " I am going to appeal strongly to the members of the Natives' Association for assistance in the matter of dealing , with the wounded soldiers and others among our brave men who have gone to fight for us and who will eventually return to these shores. I know I am not going to appeal in vain, and I will expect much help from members of the association. There will be ample opportunity, not so much in regard to financial assistance, but more in the way of providing work for the wounded." Thus spoke the Hon. A. L. Herdman at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Natives' Association. Mr. Herdman gave a brief ,resume of the work already done by the new Department of which he has been given control. "I am determined that none of these brave men will suffer by the great sacrifice they have made, and such a system has been evolved that no returned soldier will escape nor will he want if he is in need of assistance." Already, continued Mr. Herdman, some generous offers of employment had been made by people who were inspired by a patriotic spirit. One man i from Palmerston North, for instance, had offered to pay a maimed man £80 per year for light accountancy work which would occupy him for one day in each week. The soldier would be kept on this gentleman's farm, and the engagement would be for three years. As soon as the session was over Mr. Herdman intended to visit various parts of New Zealand for the purpose of arranging matters on a thoroughly satisfactory basis Business people would readily realise, concluded the speaker, how they might assist the Returned Soldiers Department now and for a long time to come. Tennis is beginning. We recommend a smart well-cut trouser at 9s 6d. 15s 6d. 17s 6d, 21s. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Mannersstreet. — Advt. Work good, charges reasonable, promptitude ! That's our service. Wg pass entries, forward parcels, move fur* niture. The N.Z. Express Co., Ltd., 87-91, Customhouse-quay. — Advt. Many stories are coming to hand regarding the value some oi our quickwitted Britishers are proving themsehes. Perhaps one of the most important of recent date is that of Sir Ernest SweeU Escott, the Governor of Fiji, in which! he narrates his ruse that saved Suva from bombardment by the German cruisers early in the war. Likewise the departmental buyers of C Smith's, Ltd., \\ho quick-iviltedly instructed their English buyers to forward their new season's goods early, and have now the finest selection on record. Those dainty summer blouses at 5s lid, 6s lid, 7e lid, 8s 6d, 9s lid arc good examples of their season's special values C. Smith, Ltd., Cubajstn^WeUingtaa.—&&&