LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 149, 24 June 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Minister of Defence (Hon.' J. Allen)' has approved of the issue of a universal badge for members of the •New Zealand Expeditionary Forces. It will be placed on the cap and collar, and consists of a fern leaf with the words, "New Zealand" embossed

Heavy rain in Palmerston yesterday interfered considerably with the attendance at the National Show. During the three previous days the attendances compared very favourably with those of last year. The first two days showed a falling off in the takings of £30 compared with last year, but on Thursday there was an advance of £57 on the takings for the third day in 1915.

Two correspondents have written to The Post enquiring if in the. case of a married man going into camp the production of marriage certificate is necessary before his wife can receive separation allowance. One correspondent signing himself "18th Reinforcements" states that he would have to send to England for his certificate. The official reply is given as follows:—"The Department asks for the^'production of the marriage certificate if the parties were married in New Zealand. If the marriage certificate has been lost or destroyed it requires particulars of the date and place of marriage, and on securing these communicates with the RegistrarGeneral; who checks the claim without expense to the applicant. If the parties were married oritside New Zealand and are unable to produce their certificate a declaration giving full particulars is all that is required."

The narrowness of Wellington's streets is not altogether a sourqe of danger, according to Mr W Pryor, who in speaking at the deputation to the Bylaws Committee of the City Council yesterday, stated that he believed it to be a fact that there were fewer motor accidents in Wellington than in Christdhurch, where the streets were wider. ' "The narrow streets make drivers careful, and keep people on the alert," said the speaker.

Referring in the provision in the Estimates of an amount of £400,000 for the payment of a war bonus to public servants in receipt of salaries not exceeding .3315 per annum, the current issue of the Public Service Journal says:—"The scale is not so liberal as that contained in the proposals laid down, by the association, but the Government's action in conceding in part to the as-Ociation's demands, is not only a tribute to the reasonableness of our request, but is also in the nature of a God-send to the lowerpaid public servant who has in the last twelve months been realising that the cost of living is not merely a catch-cry of the Labour agitator."

A conference between the inspectors of the Auckland education district and the Auckland Headmasters' Association will be held next Friday. It is hoped, that similar conferences will be arranged, in which probably teachers generally and others interested in education will participate. A lengthy programme has been planned for the first conference, the subject set down for discussion covering many aspects of the primary school system.. The sj'llabus generally, the training of pupil teachers, probationers, and of inexperienced teachers, and school architecture, with the related questions of school furniture and equipment, are some of the general subjects of discussion. Various questions relating to the teaching of reading, writing, spelling, and history will also be submitted to the conference.

The method of equipping recruits is set forth in the report of the Minister of Munitions as follows :—As the men called up arrive in camp a "first issue" is made to them. This consists of—One greatcoat, one felt hat, one kit-bag, three blankets, one pair boots, two pairs drawers, two working-shirts, two undershirts, one denim suit, three pairs socks, one jersey, one set knife, fork, and spoon, one plate and mug, two towels, one waterproof sheet, one pair braces. Fourteen days after arrival in camp the men called up^ receive a "second issue," as follows : One jacket, one pair trousers, one pair putties, one set brass'titles, one set chevrons (if necessary). A "third issue" is made to men sent abroad. This is made three weeks before sailing date, and it consists of one jacket, one pair trousers, one- forage-cap, one pair boots, one pair canvas shoes, one cholerabelt, one holdall, one sea kit-bag, one Balaclava cap, one mess-tin and cover, one housewife. The cost per man is as follows : —Mounted men,-' personal equipment, £14 2s 9^d; accoutrements, £8 5s ; total, £22 7s 9Jd. Infantry, equipment, £13 16s B|d; accoutrements, £8 9s Hid; total, £22 6s 7d|d.

An old-time item of interest to Wellington people of the present day was reprinted by the _,Tew Zealand Herald this week, exactly fifty years after it first appeared in the columns of that paper (22nd June, 1866). It reads as follows : —"The attention which we drew a few days since to the utter impossibility of constructing a patent slip in Wellington which could be safe for the reception of vessels, on account of the effect which ■ the. constant shocks of earthquake would havo upon any such construction, has drawn fi-om a gentleman now residing in Auckland, who was formerly a resident of Wellington, a confirmation of all that we then stated. A vessel upon the Wellington slip would stand in as great a risk as a brick building on shoro in,that city in the' case of an earthquake, and we all know that no man would be mad enough to construct a building of stone or brick in Wellington. The truth is, no foundation for a patent slip can be constructed capable of resisting the shock of an earthquake. Solid rock itself would not do so, and, as we before stated, the settling of one end of the slip, or the upheaval of the other end, would •either" break the back of the vessel upon it or lodge her there as a fixture, or throw her over on her beam ends."

lii emphasising how training in .me clubs has proved of value to men w;ho have, gone to the front, Mr. Halliday, at the Karori Rifle Club's Smoke concert last night, said that recruits in the training camps at present did not get enough time for deliberate shooting.

"They do not-get time to know thaw rifle,"-he declared, "and if they do not know their rifle they might a_ well have a piece of gaspipe in their hands ; unless they know their rifle they might as well be lying down in the trenches."

"I think legislation will 'come on the question of exterminating flies, as it did in the matter of consumption," said Professor J. C. Johnson in the course of his lecture at the Leys Institute in Auckland on "Flies in Relation to Public Health." He added that when flies were most abundant the death-rate was highest, and as the flies fell off so did the number of deaths. The co-operation of every housekeeper and others was essential for the destruction of the pest. Professor Johnson also pointed to the reduced deaths from disease on the battlefield _as the result of improved sanitary conditions, while with the' absence of flies infantile paralysis in New Zealand had been, practically stamped out. As a remedy for the mosquito, of which only the female was the biter, he suggested drying up swamps of flooding the surface with kerosene.

Speaking at Lithgow recently Archbishop Kelly said: 'The strike"'weapon is a terrible thing. -You are not the worst, but even Lithgow has made* us anxious sometimes, and especially in this time of war it is necessary that we should co-operate as brothers; and while you are prepared to protect what should be protected in regard to your own interests, I hope you will secure men at the head of your affairs who will adopt other and perhaps just as effective methods to accomplish what you desire. Strike in the_ha-nds of a democracy is a terrible power. There have been terrible doings in Dublin, and these began, in the first place with what was called a sympathetic strike. Therefore, let us see that these desperate remedies, which frighten trade away, and inflict untold misery on little are not had re-, course to."

In a letter from Egypt, a soldier from the Feilding district relates some coincidences. A parcel of socks had arrived from New Zealand, he states, and the socks were distributed at random amongst the troops. One lad go. a pair which he discovered on examination bore a slip of paper showing they, had been made by his own mother. The writer of the letter and his mate were in the tent together, and Private B. was reading a novel. "Have you read .his yarn?" he asked his mate, giving the name of the story. _ "Yes," answered Private C, "I read it a long time ago. A copywas lent me by Mr. L. Cohen, of Wanganui." "This is the very book," replied Private 8., ."hare is Mr. Cohen's name in it!" "By. the way," said Private C, later, "this shirt which has been given me was made by a Miss L. B. Is she any relation to you?" "Yes," again replied 'Private B-, "she is my sister. She is now a nurse in the N Hospital." "Well, Pm blowed," con-, tinued Private C_ "my wife is-ia nurse in the same hospital'!" '

"The dairy industry is- doomed." That, stated Sir. J. G. Harkness, speaking this week at Palmerston North, was what a prominent witness stated before a recent Commission sitting in the district. " Doomed ! " said Mr. Harkness:, "Doomed! Oh, no, it is not-doomed-There is no. going to be any aggregation of small farms for the purpose of rearing sheep and cattle. Instead of tha*, the large estates everywhere are' going to- be, cut up. (Applause.) I hope to five- to? see the day when the value of our dairj. produce will reach the high figure of tert millions. It will come." Mr. Harkness' incidentally paid a tribute to the excellent work of the Agricultural Departs ment, to which, he said, the great success of the industry was largely due. Wheii the grading schemes were first announced many dairy farmers regarded them as an infraction of the liberty of the subject. But grading had set a high standard all round, and New. Zealand now held a top place m the toarkets of the world. The Agricultural Department did not force advice upon the fanners, but led them along generally—just as their wives did. (Laughter..

The question whether- a Parliamentary enactment overrides the city bylaws relating to the lighting of vehicles was raised in the Police Court in Auckland by the employer of a man who -was charged with driving a motor-car at night without two headlights (reports the Herald). The employer explained that the defendant was his guest at the time of the offence. They had been driving at Manukau Heads, and one of the headlights was accidentally lost. When they reached the city they, were stopped by a constable, and were charged with a breach of the bylaws. Witness produced a copy of the Licensed Vehicles Act, which provided that only one headlight was required. The Magistrate, Mr. P. V. Frazer, pointed out that local bodies were allowed to make bylaws for the areas within their jurisdiction. In certain country districts the.c were no bylaws, and the requirements concerning vehicles were provided for in the Licensed Vehicles Act. This enactment did not override the'bylaws. When entering the city at night with only one headlight, motorists should obtain a lantern in order to avoid conflict with the bylaws.

- Tremendous interest was manifested in the Bingara (N.S.W.) by-election, which resulted in a substantial win for Mr. G. R. W. M'Donald, the Independent candidate. Referring to the result, Mr. Wade, Liberal Leader, said:—"This election, to my mind, is of great importance constitutionally, and io the Bingara electorate falls the credit of having struck an emphatic note condemnatory of the caucus system of government.. It is a triumph of principle and commonsense, single-handed, over intense organisation without merit. Mr. M'Donald has stood alone in this contest, while the __abour party havo flooded the electorate with Ministers, members, and organisers, and still they have failed. Mr. M'Donald resigned as a protest against the system that admits of making an irresponsible outside body the keeper of members' consciences. Ho has struck out for freedom of speech and thought. He has won, and his example may possibly give courage to a number of his old associates, who have submitted to repeated public castigations at the hands of Mr. Hohnan, for daring to express disagreement with the actions of the Government. It is undoubtedly a severe blow to the industrialists at i-he very outset of their new policy of extreme socialism and coercion."