LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 43, 19 February 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An election for the return of five members of the Wellington Licensing Committee is announced. ; ■ Nominations may be made up till noon on 2nd March, and the poll will take place on . 12th. March. Each candidate must be nominated by two "electors."

The Greymouth branch of the Labour Party has_ received from Sir James Allen the following telegram:—"Your telegram received. On enquiry I find that the Military Service Board has considered application for re-hearing of Mr. P. 0. Webb's appeal, and refused to grant a re-hearing. I regret that I am unable to interfere further in the matter, as decision with respect to exemption rests entirely with the Military Service Board." ■

Friends of members of the crew of H.M.S. New Zealand have recently received from the battle-cruiser an extremely clever Christmas card, showing that the hospitality during the New Zealand's visit to the Dominion is stjll remembered with pleasure. The card has a coloured drawing of three men of the ship, quaffing beer from German mugs. They % are labelled "Jutland," "Heligoland," and "Dogger Bank." And opposite is ar laconic little motto, taken from a popular music hall ditty.; "Another little drink wouldn't do us any harm!"

The Southern Maori electoral roll contains 892 names of male and femaJe electors, with 105 upon a supplementary list (states the Timaru Post). The roll is peculiar, in that the surnames are not classified; the classification under the respective letters of the alphabet are upon the baptismal or first- names. Therefore the families are distributed throughout the ■ list. All the Marys (Mere) are on one page, and there are 28 Henrys (Henare). There are 19 Teones. Tinis, Titis, Rubys, Daisys, and Susans occur frequently. At last election there were 33 pojling places; therefore, the election for a Maori constituency is a pretty expensive, one. For the 1914 election 792 electors voted, Parata securing 434 votes, Erehana 196, and Bore 162.

The Hon. G. W. Eussall made a careful inspection of Queen Mary's Hospital at Hanmer qn Thursday, and he stated next day (states the Christchurch correspondent of the Dunedin Star) that he was very pleased with-his visit except in a few directions. There were 130 men^ in the hospital now, he said, and the proportion of soldiers to discharged soldh.-s had. considerably increased on account c£ the large number of soldiers who recently returned. As, however, the term cf convalescence in soldiers' institutions usually averaged about only six weeks there would be soon, no doubt, a considerable evacuation from Hanmer, as well as from other hospitals. Mr Russell enquired into the work done by the soldiers in tlie shape of training for future vocations, and he regretted to find that the men, while in residence, did not appreciate the opportunities afforded. When he visited the .hospital only three men were in the basket-making room. They were being instructed and helped by 'Miss Clifton, daughter of the military officer in charge. It was evident that the soldiers regarded basket-making as a recreation or hobby. It was very useful as a means of drawing their minds off their conditions, but it was. evident that the training of men seriously for change of vocation must be conducted on sound lines in the cities or on the State farms, where they would be under skilful iußfcruGlkm, and where they would 'bo thoroughly trained few thai* -vocations,

It .is stated (says a Christchurch paper) that the police are making enquiries regarding the sale of a peri«dical published at Melbourne, whose current comments on the war are at times the reverse of optimistic so far as the Allies are concerned. . Rowland T. Bailey, Inspector of Awards, proceeded against P. Mills, licensee of the Royal Hotel, for having employed a general hand from the sth. to the 23rd November, and paying her a lower rate of wages than was required by the Hotel Workers award. Mr. H. P. O'Leary, who appeared for the defendant, admitted the breach. Tho Magistrate, Mr. W. &. Eiddell, S.M., imposed a ' penalty of £1.

The Hospital Committee of the Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, in tho report to be submitted to the next meeting of the board, recommends that in accordance with the suggestion of the medical superintendent, the matter of custody of mental patients at the Dunedin Hospital be referred to the Minister in charge of Mental Hospitals, -with a request that the Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals should confer -with the. hospital authorities in New Zealand and forward a report on the whole position.

An inquest was conducted by Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., Coroner, regarding the death of Frederick Keys Hazlett, a married man, aged 40 years, employed by the City Corporation. On Saturday the deceased was moving into a house he had built in Coutts-street, Kilbirnie, and had just carried in the last package late in the evening, when he collapsed and expired. Hazlett some time ago enlisted, and was classed 02. Dr. Couzens, who was called in to see the deceased, gave evidence that in his opinion death was due to heart failure accelerated by a heavy meal and by the strenuous work he had been engaged in. A verdict was returned in. accordance with the medical evidence.

Two young women had a trying "time ono afternoon last week whilst attempting to negotiate the break in the Teremakau bridge (says the Grey River Argus). They were returning from a bathing expedition, and all went well till the cage was reached. After getting comfortably seated, the cage was started on its journey, but did not proceed far before it. took the notion into its head to stop, and. stop it did, right in the centre of the stream, and, despite the strenuous exertions of the occupants, it refused to move either one way or the other. What to do they did not know, but between intervals of singing, crying, and praying the yoang ladies managed to put in a couple of hours in their unenviable position. Darkness was fast coming on, and the probability of having to spend the night suspended over a raging torrent was anything but cheerful. However, after hope was almost gone, Mr. E. Foley happened on the scene, and after some trouble in scaling the wire rope managed to land thecage and its occupants on shore with nothing worse than a good fright.

Mr. T. F. CheesemSn, of Auckland, has received advice that his son, Ca-ptain G. S. Oheesema.il, has been promoted to the rank of major in the Auckland Mounted Eifles. Major Cheeserhan, who is now in his twenty-fifth year, is a native of Auckland, and was educated at King's College, Remuera. He left Auckland early in 1915, with'the rank of lieutenant. After a short sta-y in Egypt he was transferred to ©allipoli, and was shot ■ through the leg ■; during the severe fighting of August, 1915. • At the 'Endsleigh Palace Hospital, London, he made a quick recovery, and in January, 1916, was able to rejoin his regiment in Egypt. He took part in the advance from the Suez Canal, and the operations in the Sinai Peninsula, after which he received his captaincy. He was present at the capture of El Arish, at the battles of Maghdabad, Bafa, and the first attempt to capture Gaza. He has been through the whole, of General Allenby's recent offensive, including the fight at Beersheba, the advance on Ascalon, the capture of Jaffa, and the fighting in that region.

A large number of passengers have been earned 'by the Monowai between East Coast ports of both-islands during the past few weeks (remarks the Dunedin Star). The Monowai is the only steamer now regularly employed in passenger service between Dunedin and Auckland, as one Huddart-Parker vessel ■which formerly visited this port every four weeks has been sold, while another steamer of the same line has not come south from Auckland for some weeks past. When she arrived at Dunedin on 7th February from Northern ports the Monowai was. almost -a full ship^ as far as her passenger accommodation was concerned. ...She left here again on 9th February 'with an exceptionally large number of passengers for all ports of call en route to Auckland. The' vessel- arrived at Napier on Wednesday last, and was practically a full ship. An additional large number of passengers joined the vessel, -at Napier for Gisborne and Auckland, .and it is stated that when she left the Hawkes Bay port on Wedneday night her passenger list was a record one. The Monowai is a. very popular boat in the Dunedin-East CoastAuckland trade.

A Palmerston gentleman, who is deeply interested in economic botany, has been instrumental irf introducing to that district a plant which has already proved itself a, valuable aid in reclaiming sand and other wa-ste areas. The discovery of the plant in these latitudes is rather interesting, and was supplied to a Standard representative by the gentleman referred to. " Between Tasmania and Victoria," he stated, "there is a fair-sized island, called King's Island. Years ago it was a waste of white sand. A wreck occurred', and from it a bed mattress floated ashore. Where it rotted a green patch appeared, and the growth ultimately spread over the sands of the island, converting ths barren areas into excellent pastures. The Victorian Agricultural Department introduced the plant to the coastal areas of that State with "great success. For a long time it* nature was not determined, but now it is officially classified as 'melilotus parviflorus,' It is a legume, and related to the clovers and lucerne. It grows luxuriantly, and the dying leaves add humus to the sand's, and being a legume, with abundant root nodules, it quickly nitrates the soil. In America it has been used on poor clay lands for reclamation, with good results." The gentleman further stated that he believes that the sand areas of the west coast of the North Island could be turned to good use 'if this plant were extensively .introduced. He has been successful in producing a quantity of the seed, and lias supplied the Standard office with a parcel for distribution over such areas. It would bo useless sowing it on good land, as its value is to reclaim poor soils. Correspondence from King's Island shows that the effect of this plant has not been exaggerated. The timo to sow is in themonth of February, and the seed sliould be soaked in water for several hours before sowing.

Sco a display of beautiful model blouses in one of Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd.'s Lambton-quay windows. These delightful garments are suitable either for' street wear or evening wear, and are very ' attractive in style and finish. Inspect this evening or to-mor-row.-—Advt.

No present raoi'o useful to a soldier than a good pair of khaki socks, Is Gd, & 6d, 3s 6d, fis 6d, at Geo. ffowlds,

The partially-restored evening suburban train service between Wellington and Lower Hutt and Wellington and Johnfionville commgnced last evening, and was fairly well patronised.

It was announced at the meeting of the Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon that the membership of that body now stands at 270, and in. a week or so will be 290 or 300. The membership, it was stated, exceeds that of the Wellington Chamber.

Tho extra harvest labour supplied by the Christchurch implement manufacturing firms has been greatly appreciated by farmers in the Ashburton county, says the Christchurch. 'Press. Some of the men have returned after making good cheques, while others are still employed in the fields. It is stated that one mill in the Dromore district is practically staffed with Ohristchurch men supplied by one firm. ,'

In the course of a report of a meeting of the Farmers' Union in llasterton onThursday, when, the question of dealing with seedy wool was discussed, the Wairarapa Times says that speakers mentioned instances where wool had been bought at 5d to 6d per Ib, from which 45 to 55 per cent, of seed had been extracted by mechanical means in New Zealand at a cost of 4d per. lb, showing that the grower, though only receiving 6d per lb for -wool in the state in which he offered it, actually was receiving equal Is per lb if it had" been free from' seed. Sir Walter Buchanan said that it would be to the advantage of the settlers if the Government would offer the ntmost possible facilities for treating this kind of wool^ and putting it into a marketable condition, thus saving freight and also eliminating some of the difficulties that obviously attach to valuing very inferior classes of wool.

, The following motion was passed yesterday at a meeting of the Public Questions Committee of the Wellington Presbytery -.—"The Public Questions Committee of the Wellington Presbytery desire to express their profound sympathy with the Rev. T. Miller and the Rev. A Stockwell in the indignity and bodily injury to which they have been subjected at the hands of a brutal mob; their alarm and indignation at a manifest intention of certain bigots to suppress, if they can, by insensate violence, not only freedom of speech, but even attendance at public meetings held to claim for Protestants their full political rights; their satisfaction that the Minister of Justice has promised to do his utmost to discover and bring to punishment the perpetrators of the Feilding outrage; and their determination to uphold in all legitimate ways the right of the Protestant people to assemble in public meetings for the vindication of their' political liberties and the exposure of the wiles by which these liberties are erdangered." ' -

When a woman named Mary Sweeney boarded a New Plymouth tram car on 20th January, and some of the passengers moved up to make room for her, she evidently misconstrued their politeness as an inßult to herself, and commenced using abusive language. After a pause, she made another outburst, using disgraceful language, and assaulting a nurse by stabbing her in the kneo with a hatpin. Some of the passengers ther/ demanded that the woman should be put off the car, and the conductor put her off near an hotel. Here the woman again used bad language, and stabbed the conductor in the. arm with a hatpin, although she appeared to be quite sober. When she was called to appear before the Court on Thursday last, it was found that the woman had disappeared, but was later found at Hawera, and brought, before Mr. A. Cooke, S.M., on Saturday. The Magistrate .said he was reluctant to send a woman to gaol, and on the charge of using indecent language convicted accused and ordered her to,come up for sentence if called upon._ A fine of 20s, in default 14 days' imprisonment, was imposed in the case of each assault with the hatpin.

A deputation from the Manawatu Live Stock. Auctioneers' Association waited on the Genera) Manager of Railways in reference to the shortage of trucks available for the up-country districts. It was pointed out that the inability •of the Department to meet the requirements of the sheep farmers was causing serious loss and inconvenience to breeders, and" to those who wished to feed off their crops of rape and turnips before the crops were attacked by blight. The trouble was particularly serious in regard to lambs, which are,liable to be seriously depreciated by long drives at this time of the year, even if the necessary drovers are available. Eeplying to the arguments raised by the deputation, Mr. Haley pointed out that the slack trade until two weeks ago had been responsible for a shortage of about 500,000 sheep carried by the railways as compared with last year, and the consequent pressure on the Department had lately been particularly severe. He said that the Department was fully alive to the necessities of the position, and everything was being done to cope with the difficulty.

A recent issue of the Gisborne Times notes a new and valuable work shortly to be undertaken by the Salvation Army, which has purchased 2060 acres of land between Cambridge and Rotorua for ths purpose of establishing a boys' training farm. TKe land was made available by the gift of the lease of Messrs. G. Alexander and E. M'Gregor. The lease carried a right of purchase clause, which has been availed of by the Salvation Army authorities. The idea is to secure the sonß of fallen soldiers and others, such as those from the orphanages, between the ages of 14 and 18, and inculcate in them a love of the land, while giving them' a sound training in farm life. It is the intention to cover all branch^—agriculture, pastoral, dairying, and poultry raising—and in addition to give the boys a smattering of allied industries, • such as blacksmithing, saddlery, carpentry,, and the like—a thorough course extending over about four years. The majority of those turned out would be good .farm labourers, but others, who showed a particular aptitude, woulfi complete the course more or lees finished farmers, and perhaps the Army would help them to start on their own.

* A call at the Agricultural Department yesterday (says the Lyttelton Times of Saturday) elicited the informatibn that the yield of wheat for this season does not seem likely to come up to expectations, and will be below the farmers' own estimates in the Ell'esmere, Lincoln, Ashburton, and South Canterbury districts. The wheat generally, >t is said, is showing too' much straw. Questioned on the subject, Mr. W. G. M'Donald, the Wheat Controller, said that there were no official returns yet available, as it was still early in the threshing season. However, advices from independent sources, and a few figures from men who had threshed, iudieatcd_ that the yield would be below the estimate. In New Zealand this year there were between 270,000 and 280,000 acres in wheat, as against 224,000 acres last year. The area, approximately, sown in wheat in the North Canterbury, South Canterbury, Ashburtoii, and North Otago districts was 240,000 acres, and in the whole of the South Island about 263.000 acres. The Hangitikei district .grew about four-fifths of the wheat produced in. the North Island, and' Mr. M'Donald stat&d that when in Wellington the other day representative farmers from that centre had told him that the.yields were very disappointing. They had anticipated a return of about fifty to sixty bushels to the acre —and this, it is said, they get about once in every six years—but this season the results were about half.

The Conciliation Council, which i; dealing with the engine-drivers' dispute sat ail day yesterday, but adjoamec without having completed an agreement Sittings will be held in Napier, Palmer ston North, and Wanganui, and afterwards there will be a final meeting ir Wellington. It would be an act of real patriotism^ for women to give up. tobacco. Thii, opinion is expressed by the British Toi bacco Controller, who points out that •smoking among women has increased. ■ enormously since the war. and there is now a serious shortage. ''The needs oi the soldiers, both in the trenches anc in the hospitals, must be supplied first and these are continually increasing while the stocks of tobacco in this coun try are rapidly diminishing."

Wages are said to have risen during! the war, but from a paragraph in the. Hawkes Bay Tribune this does not seen! to apply in the cases of clerks. The 3$ applicants for a clerical position in thef Napier Harbour Board's office ranged iifi age from 21 to 48, and from ths details! they supplied it is evident that.there is! ample room for an improvement in the? pay of clerks. The wage offered was £« a week, yet one 'applicant wanted onlyl 555. Many of the men are working for! large firms, yet they were eager for the! job. ■. I

Is the title " Industrial Association " a| misnomer? Mr. Vickerman, at last! night's meeting of the Wellington Indus-1. trial Association, said that he considered j. that it was, and thought that the title; " Manufacturers' Association" would be; more suitable. The secretary (Mr. H. F.. Allen) explained that some years ago the association endeavoured to have the name changed, but as the name was registered no ' alteration could be made. "We would have to die," said Mr. j Allen, " and then be born again, before! we could have the name changed." I

' At a meeting of the Christchurch Min-1 isters 1 Association yesterday (states a Press Association telegram) a long discussion took place on the present position of conscientious objectors in the Dominion. The meeting was unanimous in its support of the sacred right of consciences, but was anxious not to shield the shirker. Finally the Rev. J. J. North moved: "That in view of the charges of gross ill-treatment recently publicly made, the Christchurch Ministers' Association urge that the Government appoint a commission oi enquiry into the treatment of conscientious objectors by tho military authorities." The motion was carried unanimously.

A matter which came up for consideration, at the meeting of the Wellington Industrial Association last evening was the proposed shop display week. It was mentioned that Easter time would be suitable for the holding of such a display, as there would be many people in Wellington then on holiday, but it was generally considered that it would be impossible for manufacturers to prepare any^ goods for show at the present time, owing to the shortage of labour and the large number of orders being placed. It was afterwards suggested that midwinter would perhaps be more suitable, but it was thought unwise—to fix at present any definite time.. The committee set up some time ago to go into the matter was: instructed to make a report at some future date, a suggestion being made that show week be held at the same time in all the centres.

Mr. D. M'Dougall (Mayor of Gore) waited upon Sir James Allen (Minister for Defence) last week with respect to the proposal made some time ago and subsequently cancelled that the members of the Main Expeditionary Force should he granted a /holiday tn New Zealand. Sir James Allen, in reply, said the term of the contract was for three years or for the_ duration of the war. It certainly implied the duration of the war,-no matter how" long it might be, not the shorter period. Af to the men gettitnga holiday, everyono. was treated alike. Every effort had bet'.!l made by the New Zealand Governmeu' to bring the men back, but it had bee; found impossible and impracticable tn give effect to the wish. The Imperial .War Council was supreme, and objected to the proposal. Sir James said everything was done at this end and by General Godley to give the men a holiday, and the best that could be done was to let them have a short furlough in England, and this was being done. He was as keen as anyone to do all he could for the boys who had done so much, but neither he nor anyone else could do the impossible. If Mr. M'Dougall was aware of all the facts, he would come to the same conclusion.

The Dunedin' Star, in an editorial, says :—"lt is not .surprising that the people of Canterbury and the West Coast have at last united with, promising enthusiasm to urge the Government to complete the Otira tunnel without further expensive' delay. The completion of the Midland Railway would mean a great deal more than provincial advantages; it would mean a. national- service of considerable importance. The question of coal transport alone warrants the speed-ing-up of the Department's- dawdling efforts on the work of construction. The real weakness of the Public Works system in New Zealand is, as Ml". L. M. Isitt declared at a public meeting in Christohurch this week, , when a representative assembly of public men urged the speedy completion of the Otira, tunnel as a national work, the absolute impotence of the private member of Parliament, and the absolute rottenness of political conditions in matters of this kind. The first sod of the Midland Railway was turned 31 years ago, and a Ministerial declaration was then made that it would be finished in ten years. No wonder the people of Canterbury and Westland are disgusted at the delay over the work, and and at the deplorable waste of. public money. It is to be hoped that the Canterbury agitation will galvanise a hopeless Government into the practice of a policy of real national efficiency and economy in respect to essential public works." " . This morning's cojrt "list" was yery short, only two first offending inebriates being 'brought before Mr. S. E. | M'Carthy, S.M. Each was fined 10s, to. default 24 hours' imprisonment Up to the present time, motor tractors I have been used principally for plough-1 ing, but a visitor to the Mount Hutt (Ashburton) district recently ndticed a tractor in a field nl gTain, ■ and doing speedy and altogether satisfactory -work. The claim for £1000 damages brought by E. J. M'Cullough, of His Lordship's Eiotel, Christchurch, against the Canterbury Licensed Victuallers' Association, has (according to the Press) been amicably settled. . ~'"