LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 14, 16 July 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Official information of the casualties of a New Zealand Entrenching Battalion on the Western Front three months ago is given in the following cable message received by Sir James Allen : "All New Zealand reinforcements in France were, last February, on the absorption of the 4th Brigade, organised into three entrenching battalions, .and are now so organised, but when surplus numbers are absorbed they form an entrenching group, strength one batttalion. On 12th April, No. 2 Entrenching Battalion, sti-ength 22 officers and 1120 other ranks, moved hurriedly by motor buses from Abeele to St. Jans Capel, to fill up a gap. near Meteren. Attached to the 19th Division, they rendered excellent service, and fought well, but some were captured through being cut off. Casualties 251." The First Wellington Military SeTvice Board will leave Wellington for Palmerston North to-morrow.

Mr. .Bartholomew, S.M., yesterday, at Dunedin, gave his judgment in the case under the Defence Act in which, a member of the Expeditionary Force in Class C 2 was charged with failing to render personal service with the Territorials. When the case was heard it was stated that the Defence Department disagreed with the ruling recently given by Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., the Department maintaining that the Defence, 1809, with the Expeditionary Force Act and the Military Service Act made the Expeditionary Force part of the 1 Defence Force of the Dominion. Therefore, if a Territorial was drawn in the ballot and claflaed C 2 he was still liable for training. The defendant contended that as a member of the Expeditionary Force he was free from such service. Mr. Bartholomew, in entering a conviction, said the fact that the defendant was classed C 2 was not of itself proof of unfitness to ■ render personal service, and there was nothing to prevent the obligation under the Act from operating in his case.

It is stated that the offence of driving vehicles on the Hutt-road after dark without lights is on the increase. Last evening the Wellington Automobile Club clvaw the attention of the Petone Borough Council to tho practice. So far as its own district is concerned, the Petone Council decided to draw the attention of the police to the matter, and it was also resolved to refer it to the City Council, which controls a portion of tho H-eifr-iroad. Councillor Clmrchhouse stated that he-had seen tws motor cars using the cycle Irach at night, and when they had approached him iSo drivers had extinguished their lights so ttlat fcliey could not be Identified.

"We want to remove from New Zea land everything that may be offensive to the French people," said the ActingPrime Minister in a speech at the Town Hall last evening. "In the city. of Christchurch, I understand, there are in a church some Herman bells made out of metal from artillery taken from the French in the campaign, some years ago. Those bells are to be taken down—(applause), and unless the French Consul at Auckland,suggests that they go to some other purpose they will he melted down." (Applause.)

In connection with the "Copper Trail" competition between Wellington and Auckland in aid of the Eed Cross funds, the Mayor (Mr. Gunson) has (states The Posts Auckland correspondent) communicated with the Mayor of Gisborne conveying the desire of. the Auckland Joint Committee that the Poverty Bay district should co-operate with Auckland m the contest. Wellington, he points out, has the assistance of the Taranaki and Hawkes Bay provinces, and as the Poverty Bay district forms part of the Auckland province, it is felt that it should support the northern organisation, i. ".We 1, shall need the support of Gisborne to win," said. Mr. Gunson in mentioning the matter yesterday. Consideration was given last week by the executive of the Auckland Farmers' Union to the question of the organising by the Government of men over military age. Mr. C. C. Munro, president of the Clevedon branch, said he was sure manyfarmers could.be spared if the services of home service men and men over military age were organised. He 'mew of a number of pen just over military age who had retired, and their services should be utilised to release others for service or increase the production of the farms. Other speakers agreed with the proposal, though some expressed the.opinion that the increasing of production was probably of greater importance at present than the releasing of men for military service. It was eventually, decided to urge the matter upon the Government. A young man who went motor cycling and a lady friend who accompanied him, riding on the pillion of the machine, on Saturday night, had their evening cut short a few minutes after 8 o'clock by a head-on collision with a motor car in Molesworth-street, almost at the same spot at which a serious accident occurred on Thursday last. The cyclist was proceeding towards the Government Buildings. He was well over to the left side of the road when passengers in a city-bound tram and others in the ■ vicinity noticed the bike swerve vie lently further to the left, and immediately afterwards saw the machine drive head-on to the motor car, which, proceeding uphill, and, meeting the tramcar, which was then pulling up at a e^op, had crossed well over to its wrong side of the road. Fortunately, neither the motor cycle nor the car was travelling at a fast rate, but the impact threw both the rider of the machine and the pillion rider some six. or eight feet on to the footpath. Strangely enough, neither was seriously hurt, though the front wheel and fore part of the cycle were battered badly out of shape, and • the radiator of the motor car was somewhat damaged. An unusual point has been raised in an Auckland district appeal case. Bobert Whitten was convicted at Paeroa on a charge of allowing cattle to stray in the borough. Against this decision he appealed, mainly on the ground that the summons was issued by Mr. P. Brenan, J.P., who was a member of the Borough Council, and Deputy-Mayor of the borough, and as such was interested in the result of the prosecution. Dr. H. D. Bamford, wito appeared for the informant, contender! that a justice in [ issuing a summons was performing a : purely Ministerial act, n-jicl i:6fa judicial one, and it, therefore, followed that such act was not invalid, even if interest was proved. Mr. Justice Cooper said that the point had art important bearing on the administration of the Justices of the Peace Act, and that he ■ would take time to consider his decisionWhy not a Daylight Saving League? A proposal to form such a league was made before the Council of the Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday. It was decided to support the following motion forwarded by the PaJmez'ston North Chamber of Commerce: —"That this chamber is of opinion that immediate steps should be taken to obtain daylight saving; that the adoption of such a measure would be in the best interests of the populace, and conducive to the physical, mental, moral, and financial welfare of the Dominion—the clock to be advanced one hour from Ist September to 31st MarcW, and readjusted from Ist April to 31st August." A proposal made by the -Philosophical Society that the clock should b& put on permanently for half an hour in order to place the Dominion exactly twelve hours ahead of Greenwich time was referred to the executive for full consideration. The question of interning enemy aliens was somewhat, fully discussed by the Petone Borough Council last evening, when it was unanimously decided to support the action of the Gisborne Borough Council, which had requested the internment of all enemy aliens, whether naturalised' or not. The Mayor, Mr. J. W M'Ewan,' was temporarily absent during the discussion, and Councillor Brockelbank occupied the chair. Councillor Cox moved that the council give its hearty support to the resolution. Many valuable lives might have been saved if the course had been adopted at the beginning of the war. Councillor Jvewland seconded the motion. Councillor Churchouse, while, agreeing that something should bo done, pointed out some of the difficulties and anomalies which would occur in regard to children of enemy, aliens. The child of an alien mother and British father would not suffer the same disability as the child of an alien father and British mother, owing to the latter taking the father's name. Councillor , Brockelbank said that sons of enemy aliens were being called up for military service, and the country could hardly send such boys to the front and intern their parents. All aliens should be required to take a fresh oath of allegiance* Councillor Cox, in reply, said he did not expect the suggestion would be carried out, but something should be done, and the' resolution would be a protest. Personally, he would prohibit all enemy aliens sitting on local bodies for twenty years or entering into business. All enemy aliens should pay a poll-tax. Wilsons (N.Z.) Portland Cement. Company, Ltd., has been formed, in Auckland to purchase the assets of the Wilsons Portland Cement Company, Ltd., the Dominion Portland Cement Company, Ltd., and 'the New Zealand Portland Cement Company, Ltd., all of which have previously, carried on the manufacture of cement in North Auckland. Thecompany has already commenced operations. The' capital is £600.000, in 600,000 shares of £1 each, which will be allotted to shareholders in the old companies as follow Portland Cement Company, Ltd., 285,000; Wilsons Portland Cement Company, 220,000; New Zealand Portland Cement Company, 95,000. To-morow is Bargain Day at Kirkcaldio's, and there will be offered a. line of navy and black serge skirt*,,all good styles, at 9s lid each. Hundreds of other bargains too. Call curly in the Bargain Room.—Advt. Two boot items you'll be interested in —Glace Derby Boots, high toes, Durox soles, 35s 6d; Chrome Romeos, 17s. Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners-street.— Advt.

Mr. George Sievers, late of Clareville (Wairarapa), and his son, Mr. Sid Sievers, have sold their farms at Levin to Messrs. Esson and Thompson respectively. The price paid is said to be well over £70 an acre. "About 70 per cent, of the defects detected by the medical inspection of school children receive attention," stated the Minister of Education (the Hon. J, A. Hanan) yesterday. He remarked that more inspectors and nurses were wanted, but there was an acute shortage of doctors. His Department had tried recently to obtain two additional medical inspectors, but had failed. A letter, typical of many, has been received by the Applications Committee of. the War Belief Association from a wdihan in "appreciation of the unfailing kindness, patience, and courtesy shown on every occasion when I 'have sought hek> and advice." The writer sa.ys she feels it incumbent upon, her to state her deep sense, of gratitude for the sympathetic treatment of her case. Writing to Mr. Edwin Arnold; J.P., Mr. W. H. Hill, editor of the East Grinstead Observer, Sussex, England, says: "We are rationed for several essential things now, but there is no real shortage yet of general commodities. Cheese is unobtainable, and one or two things are difficult to get, but we are very far from starvation stage. We all long for the end of this terrible struggle, but would sooner suffer far greater privations than! give in." ■ A suggestion has been made to the Chamber of Commerce by the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and • Joiners that the Chamber should call a conference of bodies interested, to ascertain if the building of wooden or concrete vessels suitable for trade in the . Pacific could not be commenced in Auckland. The Chamber has decided to reply that, after making exhaustive enquiries, it has found it was impracticable to build wooden vessels in Auckland at present. In regard to the building of concrete boats locally, enquiries were now being made.

Giving evidence before the Select Committee appointed by the "Federal Senate to enquire into the liquor traffic in its relation, to .military efficiency, A. L. Blythe, hon. adjudicator of the Amelioration Committee of New South Wales, said he estimated that it had and would cost Australia 22 millions 'on a capital basis for sending to the front men who ~ for various causes were unsuitable for military service; and who had to be returned home. That amount included also\the providing of pensions. Of the men who had been sent back one was 73 years of age. Commenting on a case at the sitting •of the First Military Service Board at Rangiora, the Chairman (Mr. J. S.Evans, S.M.) said it was both a wrong procedure and aft unwise one on the part of an appellant to obtain a report on his case from the- National Efficiency Committee of Advice before his appeal had, bean heard. If the members of the committee"wished to express their opinion on the merits of an appellant's case, they should appear before the board and give evidence. It was for the board to decide whether it was necessary to have a report from a committee of advice. He trusted that appellants would note this information. .Mr. W. Q. Biddell, S.M., yesterday conducted an inquest regarding the sudden death of Mr. Robert Caldwell, aged 65 years, at his; residence, View-roadi, Karord, shortly after 9 o'clock on Sunday morning. Evidence was given that the deceased, who had been in fairly goodi health up to yesterday morning, rose at about 7 o'clock, and then complainedl of a headache. After the morning meal was .over, but before Mr. Cald well-had risen from his chair, he complained of! a pain over his. heart, and fell» forward on the .table. He war assisted! to a couch, but expired a few minutes later. Dr. Hislop, who was. summoned;, stated: that death was due to heart failure, and 1 a verdict wae returned accordingly. Sergeant Wade represented the police. The opening, of the Church of England Soldiers' Institute at Eotorua has been postponed until 30th July, when the ceremony will be performed by the GovernorGeneral. The .Anglican Bishops of Auckland, Waiapn, and Wellington "will, it is expected, be present. The New Zealand Herald states that the proposal of the V.M.C.A. to erect a social hall for soldiers close to the King George V. Hospital on Pukeroa, Hill, Botorua, is not favoured by the Rotorua branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association. ' The latter has passed a motion protesting against the Government allowing the grounds to be used for this purpose, and also against such an expenditure of public money, it being considered that ample temporary accommodation of the nature is already provided, and that the moneys could be disbursed to greater advantage at the front. The fact that there is increasing loss through the pilfering of goods arriving from overseas has been brought under the notice of the Council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce by the. New Zealand MArine Underwriters' Association. It was stated that the experience of insurance companies covering the risk of pilferage had been uniformly bad since the outbreak of war, the reason probably being the exposure of the goods for a longer period on the voyage and in stores, and also less secure package, canvas in many instances taking the place of zinc and wood. Unless there was a material improvement shippers would be unable to find cover lor the abnormal risk undertaken by some insurance companies. A complaint about the losses suffered by Auckland importers from pillaged and short-landed goods w*s also received by the council from an Auckland firm, which stated that all carrier.;, except shipping companies, were obliged to deliver goods in the same good order as received, or pay the market price for them. It was suggested that a short Bill should be introduced into Parliament to place the shipowners on the same level with other carriers in (his matter. The council decided to recommend the Associated Chambers to ask the Waterside Workers' Union to. incorporate in its rules a provision excluding from membership a man convicted of pillaging cargo.' Members expressed the opinion that watersido workers as a body were thoroughly trustworthy, but one expert thief could suffice to discredit a port.

The Red Jenrey Appeal Fund in Auckland now totals £112,500, just half the amount which it is desired to collect. The tempting aroma, tie rich, and refreshing qualities, the delicious and full flavour* of Desert Gold Tea, at 2a 4d, make 3 -it different from ordinary tea. Quito a good tea at 2s 2d.—Advt. Goods that give universal satisfaction :—Golden Rule Candles, Golden Rule Soau, Keep Smiling Sandsoap, and tho famous No Rubbing Laundry Help in Is 3d packets. William Campbell, Ltd.— Advt. Got to move? Well, engage the New Zealand Express' Co.'s special motor, ""nick. And it's saving. Storage if re- - 4..->ed—the best—so safe and clean. 87- ;i. Customhouse-quay.—Advt. The big advances in the cost of kapok during the past few months has unavoidably increased, the prices o£ bedding. Recent cables advise further advances. O. Smith, Ltd., Cuba-street, are well stooked with bedding at present so bo well advised and secure a good reliable well-made mattress while prices are moderate. It may mean a big- saving later on. At The People's Store" you can always rely on the best value in tho city. Single Kapok Beds, from 255; Double Kapok Beds, from 37s 6d.—Advt