LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 134, 4 December 1917, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A'™' 700 ahens have registered in the Wellington Police District under the law passed last session, which makes it compulsory for all unnaturallsed aliens to register on or before the Ist day of December, 1917. The maximum penalty for failing to register is £50. The police m this district, and in fact throughout the Dominion, who are the officers appointed by the Act to receive the registrations, have had a very arduous task in dealing with the large numbers of foreigners who have attended the police offices to register.

" How long would it take a qualified solicitor to train in order to fill the position ?" asked Capt. P. Baldwin, of the representative of the legal branch of tho Public Trust Office, who was appealing for the exemption of Francis Edward Kelly, solicitor, attached to the legal branch. "In ray opinion," replied Mr. Hay, " a man could never be- trained for such a posti"

The price of' gas in Unison is to be increased from January to 6s 8d per thousand feet net.

It is doubtful whether the pubKc fully ' reahse the excellent work which is bein°done in the city by the War Relief Association. The public reads that a meeting of the committee has 'been held, j some additional moneys (mostly small sums) received, and extra grants made. It is recorded that so many cases are dealt with daily, weekly, or monthly but there ,knowledge of the association's v.-rk ends. It must be understood, however, that the chief activities are of a confidential nature. The acaociaWon is not a charity organisation in the accepted sense of the term, but, manifestly, there are reasons why it should grant relief in secret. When it is shown that the war has brought about real distress, the a*sociation never stints its funds; it is, in fact, liberal How fully this is appreciated is shown by an extract from a letter just received by the secretary. It reads :—"I do not know how I could have managed if it had not been for the generous help of the War Relief Association-. I lost my house while my husband was at the front, and am just struggling to get one together again. That ia why I have had to ask for help. When I regain my health if my services would be of any help to your committee I -will be only too pleased to offer them in return for your kindness. Wishing you every succeM.'* From another letter :—"I am now taking the pleasure of writing to th»nk yon very much for all you have done for me since my husband has been away. It » now twelve months since he sailed, and through your help my children and I have not wanted for anything "

An increased inclination for work by Maoris in the Auckland district i» fatties the New Zealand Herald) one of the. results of the conditions arising out of the war. It is stated that in all parts of: the province native* who hitherto have done little or no, work are now busily engaged in carting,, ploughing, bushfelhng. shearing, and other agricultural activities. The high wages now ruling are largely responsible for this marked accession of industry.

The following letter, written from, the trenches, was received by the Wax Belief Association this week, showing appreciation of help given to a dependant of a soldier:—"l have just received a letter from my sister telling me of your kindness to her, and I 1 now take the opportunity of thanking you for it, and hope, when I get home again, to be able to repay yon for the kindness shown her by you. . . ■" Such letters, and this is by. no means the first, of its kind received, written by men in the thickNrf the battle, give great «atisfaction to the War Relief Association in dealing with such cases.

It is stated by the Christchurch Son that ,t&> New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation intends this «pj»ra« to take steps in <*der -to develop the borne market for fruit, and for this purpose the sum of £1000 has been allocated. At Saturdays meeting of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association, the chairman (Mt. J. Longton) referred to the inabihty to reach oversea markets with N«w Zealand fruit, and remarked that this year tie fruit yield in New Zealand would be extremely heavy. Th» £1000 was to be spent in,an advertising campaign, and of this amount £500 would be spent m Wellington, £250 in Auckland, £100 in Canterbury, £100 in Otago, and £50 in Hawkes %. The scheme wu not quite complete yet, but it wae hoped that it would be ready by January

A rather unusual divorce case was heard by the, Chief Justice in Auckland on Saturday. ■ Thomas W. Cottibertson the petitioner, stated (report* the Auckland Star) that he was married to the respondent at. Wellington in 1905. Not very long; after the marriage hi* wife became very friendly with a man named Davjd IJeweHyn Williams. In t*e course of his employment he found it necessary to move his home to various places in the Dominion, and Williams invariably followed. Finally he was sent to Waipiaka, in Central Otago, by the Railway Department, and his wife declined to follow him there. He afterwards leaned that she had gone to Christchurch with Williams, and then eloped with him to the United States. Later on he learned that she had been deported from Seattle, Washington, to New Zealand as a person of immoral character. It appeared that before hpr expulsion she had contracted a bigamous marriage with an. old man, and, fearing to remain in New Zealand, she left in a little while for Vancouver. Counsel put in a quantity of correspondence which, he snowed thafrthe respondent was now living in British Columbia with Williams, to whom she had had a child. His Honour granted a decree nisi. '

In order to provide money for the extra bonus, it.has been decided that an increase on freights and fares shall take place, and it gives us much pleasure to know that the increases are being accepted by the public with a good grace, which is another indication that our services are appreciated (writes the N".Z. Locomotive Engineers' Journal, in reference to the increased bonus to married men). So far as it is within our power we will do our best to assist the Minister and Manager to keep the expenditure down. This may bo done in many ways, and we can each and all put the, shoulder to the wheel. If the loads of engines could be increased we would suggest doing so, but at present they are. very much overloaded, iad require reducing in order to do justice to all concerned.: But in 6ther directions we can poesiWy assist, such as being careful with stores and fuel. We have no hesitation in saying that no man wilfully wastes, but there may be somo who carelessly waste stores and fuel, and we would ask all to jgive some attention to those matters. Every engineer and fireman should strive to be as' efficient and economical as possible, during the war period at any rate. By reducing the expenditure in this way we can do much to assist to pay for the present increase, and also pave the way for further consideration in a like direction when the time arrives for consideration.

A recent report of Sir Douglas HWg mentioned the typical instances of bravery shown on tho Western front, and our London correspondent forwarded an extract having reference to the valorous dteed of a. N«w Zealand n.co. On the ■ afternoon of 24th August, it was reported, he swam a. river and spent five and a-half hours reconnoitring tho ground on the Germ*n side of the stream. In th« evening, the extract ran, he found a Taft.on which he returned, and two {murs later took a patrol pf three men across the river on the raft, surprised a small German post, and after killing the occupants brought his patrol back safely to the British lines. A letter received by Mr. T. E. Corkill, of ' Wellington, from an officer at the front serves to identify tho courageous n.c.0., and also introduces a new factor into tho daring feat. The letter says : " Karl Strack did a danng thing the other day. With .a sergeant, Pennefather (who has now tho D.C.M.), he swam the river between tho' Hun and us five times in broad daylight —carrying their clothes across, dressed, spent six hours of the afternoon in Friti's trenches, seeing nobody. Then in .the evening they' returned •■ with two other men and surprised a. Hun poet of five men. killing three, and chasing: the others off. They came back unhurt, except for the sergeant gettirtg a ' Blighty '■ in the arm. I expect he will get a decoration for it." Karl Strack is a son of Sir. Strack, headmaster of the Hawera State School. He has another brother, Con, on active service, and rtiU another brothw, I*. G. 8. Stmck, recently, rtturatd, .

A good record for war service is held by the legal department- of the Public Trust Office. At the Third Military Service Board this morning the representative of the Public Truet Office informed the board that of a total pre-war staff of 16, 11 have gon6 to the front, one has been rejected, one who is at present under age is going into camp shortly, and the_ remaining ones, are in the Second Division, classed respectively ac C and.D.- All the positions of those who have gone to the front are: being kent open for their return.

Bennier, the Kuangaroa ma»derer, tma been brought to Wellington from Wanganui. The date of his execution hag rot yet been fixed. ,

In 'accordance with usual practice. Capt. G. N. Goldie, at thoparadVof tS l> Battery Reserve last night," presented ten ox-members, who are now members of the New Zealand Field Artillery, with a mascotte' previous to their departure for the iront.. , . — r

There l&a. shortage of coal in Giabome, especially for steam purposes. Owing to the harbour trouble colliers all hay? to be lightered and the lighters can'onlytake in half loads. A collier recently left Greymouth for Gisborne with 1000 ord Wh°le °£ tlj 'S WaS alrea(ly

Appellant," aud » Wellington headmaster in appealing for the exemption of one of bis nude t«;vrhers before the Third Military Service Board yesterday, "has in his charge over 70 children and next year will probably have 90." "1 should think," .remarked Mr. M. J. Mack, "that he would be glad of the 'chance of a rest in c*mp."

Owing to the insufficiency of the sup- 1 ply of rate, the only New Zealand timber suitable for telegraph "arms," it is necessary. for the autEorities.to procure Australian hardwood, which has been difficult to obtain during the war. Ths Government has, however, arranged a contract for a. year's supply of telegraph arms from Australia. - This contract has again been secured by a Dunedin firm the Brace Hallway and Coal Company

The success of the Associate* Cricket üb,? at'tiie recent Sports Cainival in WeUmgton' was largely due to the enthusiastic manner in which the undertakine Cncket Olub. The members of the club were heartily supported by the several ladies on the stag of the military office and the fair sax worked untiringly on the two carnival days, as wen as during the preceding weeks, when preparations were M *UoU c l redit is dne to the Becords Office for the thoroughness of its arrangements and the general excellence of its work. . - _. ■>■ -

One thing I admire the English girls for m the way they have taken the place of the men (writes an ex-railwayman. ?° W ded in England, to the Locomo! Uve Engmeew 1 Journal). One will have to be careful after the war, who is <goW to £ear the trousers.' Girk do nearly au the porters work except for a few old men. They are tram conductors, 'bus conductors, and drivers of motor lorries, and .^t is nothing *° see half-a-dozen women -working in the fields. I have been through one of the largest running sheds here_{LiverpooUtreet), and all ftl cleaning is dbne by giris."

The. country throughout South' Taran»ln w beginning to show the effect of the dry weather, and it is not newly «o fresh jookmg m H «m a fortnight ago (remarks the, Hawen, Star). n&ffln£s who fear a. drought ecu take ante ooueolation from the deductions of «n old gentleman ,]W«i in. Mobwiv—Mr Saxon. Jtntt mart esrefnl observer of chinatic ajoditionie for fifty w»b and h» noticed, amongst. other t&nfes, that when ram'came on the fourth fifth or six* day of the new mot*. tterVW iwely, v ever, a drought daring that ? oW!il'l^* ■hooW ' werefer*. be. no drought this moon, bat perhaps Taranata conditions may not eoindae with Nelson's in this wipaet.

_ At a^ «peewi meeting of toe P«too« Borough Council, the Mayor (Mr. X. W MTBrow) moved: "That this corocil w*^ pongratafateg Mr. Thomas M. Wilfonl, M.P., upon his appointment to the National Ministry as Minister for Justice, and tnnU that his promotion *» Cabinet rank will enhance his opportunities of usefulness to this district and the Dominion." The Mayor remarked that whatever individuals might think about Mr. Wflford as the representative of th« district he had secured at'- election times considerable majorities over nw opponents, snd therefore must be presumed to possess the confidence of his constituents. He felt quite sure, that Mr. Wilford . would fill his Ministerial office with credit. Councillor Churchouse seconded the motion, which was earned unaniomusly.

Many South Canterbury farmers, according to the Timaru Herald, are now watching their wheat crops very anxiously with a- view to detecting the first sign of thl trouble which has already made itself manifest in a number of crops which have been partially destroyed.- In order'to ascertain, if possible, the cause of the trouble, Mr. T..Butchers, orchardist, of Fairview, who makes a close study of insect and other pests, undertook this week to make a. close examination of some of the affected fields, and what he found confirmed the opinion he had previously held, namely, thai the pest.in this instance is a tiny.worm which gets in the roots of the wheat stalk, and eats them, thereby killing the plant. These worms are. to be found in great numbers this season on the surface soil, particularly in -wet localities, and they seem to.work in rings, so that a field of wheat which they attack often has the appearance' of having a, disease which might be likened ■ to ringwormln cattle; that is to say, there' Sire rings of dead wheat here . and there among the healthy grain. It has been noticed that the appearance of these destructive little worms occurred previously „in South Canterbury in.: the spring of 1913, when there was a superabundance of moisture, , just as there has been this year. In 1913 they were particularly hard on autumn-sown wheat. With the. advent of dry weather they go more deeply down into the soil—too far below the cereal crops to liarm them.

In consequence of a threatened shortage of water, the Nelson City Councilhas restricted the use of the hose for gardening purposes. Tomato gardeners have been getting all the water they required for the small «urn of 10s »' year.