LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 18, 20 July 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

"No risk to the writers" is practically the assurance given, by the Minister of Defence to the receivers of soldiers' letters which the authorities desire to. peruse in the search of good material for . a popular history of New Zealand's part, in the war. "The fact that the letters ! disclose information about the war which I would not be permitted by the Censor will not be considered a breach of War Regulations, nor will it subject writers to any disciplinary, action," states Sir James Allen. The Minister is specially eager to have a brief loan of, diaries and letters written in the trenches. Every care will be taken of these materials, which will be returned promptly to the owners after suitable passages- have been copied. The Secretary to the General Post Office has been advised that the legal hour, will be put back one hour in the I French zone in Morocco from the 15th instant. Year by year the business of tho PubHe Trust Office expands, and the profits »re increasing proportionately. For the year ended 31st March the net profits amounted to £48,602 after £20,000 had been, retained. An Order-in-Council provides for .the payment of a bonus to the staff up to a maximum 'total-, of £30,000. t In a letter to Tho Post,. "Anti-Graft" complains in general terms- of "profiteering," especially with regard to the necessities of life grown and manufactured in New Zealand. The £3 a week j man, the correspondent spvs, can only pay a bit, and owe a little more. The correspondent contends that the' Government should force the release of foodstuffs. A specific reference to the price of sugar is made by another correspondent, "Storekeeper," who states that under the- last agreement the .merchants paid £21 per ton, f.o.b. Auckland (not £22 as stated in The Post), but charged the retailers £22 with charges _ and 3^ per cent, added. When the retailer paid 52s a owt.' for bags and 3s 8d per lb for twine, in addition to his labour and other costs, there was, the correspondent states, not much profit left for him. The wholesale price of _ sugar as stated by the correspondent is incorrect. It is £22 10s, f.o.b. Auckland. In March last it was £22. The Hon. J. A. Hanan (Minister of Education), at a conference with the Auckland Education Board, referred to the importance of technical education, and stated that, as in' the naval ajid military forces, all those comprising the industrial forces of the should be efficiently trained.» It .was the recogI nition of this fact, that was causingthinking men to turn their attention towards the further development of scientific, industrial, .and technical training. If it were true that the industrial life of the future would be based on the machine and extra human power, then the industrial training should be a training in the use and understanding of machinery. It should be noted by workers that machinery was gradually supplanting manual labour and physical tasks, and that labour that did not come into competition with machinery had a higher value than that which did.

Some critics of the Canterbury Land Board, evidently unacquainted with the facts, have alleged- that the board in its treatment of returned soldiers has shown itself unsympathetic. The criticism (says the Press) appears to proceed on the lines that because a man is a returned soldier he will be a' successful settler, which is palpably a non sequitur. It is also, apparently, overlooked by ' these ready critics that the board is by statute bound to makeicertain enquiries as to the fitness of applicants, and that no matter how anxious the members may be to assist the-returned soldier, they are in duty bound compelled to conform to the requirements of the law. But over and above all these consider*-, tions is the fact, that all the members of the board, from .the Coaitoissioner of Crown Lands downwards, with one exception which does not: in any way vitiate the general conclusion, have sons either at the front or who have been on active service.

One of the dangers of carrying a bottle of beer in the hip pocket—a popular means of transport on account of "the excellent camouflage made by the coat —was illustrated in somewhat amusing circumstances at Melbourne Hospital recently. The "case"—a middle-aged man rendered boisterously cheerful by an over-indul-gence in. liquor, but covered in blood from wounds in the head—swayed into the casualty'room and smiled genially at the attendants. He was entered up immediately in the register as a "cut head and C 2 H5," the hospital equivalent for intoxication. From the rather incoherent story told by the man, it appeared that he had almost reached his Lonsdale-street lodgings, shortly after 6 p.m., when, he missed the doorstep, and fell to the pavement. Then,»he declared, the bottle of beer somehow contrived to reach his head and break. He did not mind the pain in his head, he confided to the lady doctor, but he did regret the loss of the beer.- Oblivious to his injuries—a nasty series of cuts above the temple, which had to be shaved—he borrowed b, shilling from his friend, and gallantly invited the lady doctor 'to the pictures. She refused. The "case," laconically remarking that he had had "a cheap hair cut and shave," went home.

Mr. S. L. P. Free, who has been appointed to *the magistracy, is a wellknown figure in both legal and sporting circles in the South Island. He was born at Loburn, North Canterbury, and was educated in Christchurch, subsequently entering the legal office of Mr. Stringer, later known as that of Stringer and Cresswell. Having passed his examinations, Mr. Free went to Greymouth, entering the employment of Messrs. Guinness and Kitchingham. Some years later he started on his own account in Reeftdn, and his firm, which subsequently developed int;o that of „ Free, Cotterill, and Lawry, extended its Operations to Westport. While on the Coast, Mr. Free acted for various English and other companies in mining matters. About seven years ago he returned to Christchurch, and after living for some time in virtual retirement he took a trip to the Old Country, and was in England when the war broke out. Returning to Christchurch he offered his services to the military authorities, and had been acting on one of the Otago Military Service Boards since the inception of those boards. Mr. Free is at present in Christchurch in connection with matters relating to the West Coast firm. He has two sons at the front. One, Captain-Cuthbert Free, left with the Main Body.^ and after seeing service in various places, is at present in India. A younger son, Sergeant-Major Wilfred Free, is now in France. Mr. Free lias for many years been an active and valued member of the local Polo Club and the' Canterbury Hunt- Club.

The honorary treasurer of the Wellington branch of the British Red Cross and Order of St. John acknowledges the receipt of additional contributions amounting to £2611 10s.

The cup presented by the Camp Commandant; Featherston, for the best-kept hut and lines has been awarded to the 47th Specialist Company for the week ending Saturday, 20th July, with the 44th Mounted Rifles second.

A big Maori hui is to be held at Otiria, Kawakawa, Bay of Islands, towards the end of next month, to discuss matters relating to vie Treaty of Waitangi, and political topics affecting the Maori race. A representative gathering from . tribes . and hapus throughout New Zealand is anticipated.

Quite recently an old-age pensioner -who resides-on-the'banks of the Ashburton River handed to Mr. F. . Ferriman, of Ashburton, the sum he had saved for Iris funeral expenses. He instructed- Mr. Ferrfmau to invest the money until required, the interest to be used for some patriotic purpose. The old-age. pensioner in question has previously subscribed to patriotic funds.

.Decision has been given by the First Auckland Military, Service Board on an appeal by Fred Harrison, pork butcher. In reply to Major Conlan, appellant said he had erected freezing chambers at a cost of £900 to £1000. ' He had advertised the business for sale with no result. For the four months ended in June last he had handled a total weight of 70,0001b of pork. The board-said .the business Was of an essential nature, and on an extensive scale. The board was not prepared to send Harrison to the' front if his removal meant the closing down of his business. It was shown that it could not be disposed of, and the appeal would be adjourned sine die.

"Let me appeal for the young lady teachers who are sent to the country schools," stated Miss Aitehison at a meeting of the Wellington ■ branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute last evening. "I think it should be obligatory upon the education boards to provide proper accommodation. We know of cases where one country teacher had. to share a single bed with a baby..P"iw could she obtain the necessary rest under :those circumstances. There is another case of a girl who had ,to sleep in the kitchen for many months. Many girls have to live miles from their schools, and others are accommodated in private boarding houses frequented by a rough class of men." .

"The play of 'Hamlet' wittl the part of Othello omitted," was suggested by the position disclosed at the meeting • of Addington residents on Wednesday to set up a committee of management £o» the library. It also called to memory (says the Press) the plight of the young lady "all dressed up and nowlier° to go." It came out in the discussion that whilst a handsome and suitable library building had been provided, and a number of subscribers obtained, there were' no books! The. discussion ranged round the necessity for the City Council augmenting its grant so- that books could be provided. ■ The situation was,saved to a certain extent by Counciller E. Peek's offer to .present the library with two volumes. It was recognised^ however, that these two volumes would not long satisfy the subscribers, and the necessity -for further financial support from the City Council was emphasised.

A precept for modern Imperialism has been drawn by Mr. Elsdon Best from his study of Maori history. "We are a people who have many dealings with uncultured races," he said in his recent address on " Social - Usages of the Maori." "We come into contact with peoples of-many grades of human culture, and are.called upon to govern them, but the appointment of men to conduct such dealings is often solely a political action." -The .speaker.'(Mr.- Best) has, often thought that "every person who is appointed to dwell among, or control, such inferior peoples*, should be a.man who has had some training in anthropological science. Such a man would begin .his duties with a great advantage over those not so trained. Knowing the customs and prejudices of his neighbours, he would respect them. Knowing the laws of tapu, he wotJd not disregard them; Knowing the mentality of such folk, he would cause no bitterness by laughing at their religion.. Such a man might prevent wars, and reconcile a high-spirited or even turbulent people. Ignorance of the institutions f.nd prejudices of barbaric races has led to many attacks on Europeans, and this is specially applicable to the Pacific,region, I

The production of alcohol for commercial purposes was discussed by the Automobile Association at Auckland this week. It was stated that the law placed no serious restriction upon the manufacture of commercial spirit, the principal requirement being that a minimum quantity of 5000 gallons a month should be made. Mr. G. Henning said that, while the chief object would be to produce commercial alcohol, the question of making spirits for human consumption might be considered. Whisky was being imported into the country in'large quantities, and if it could be made in the Dominion, why should the question not be considered? The latter suggestion was not taken very seriously by the meeting. In a general discussion upon the possibilities of alcohol as a substitute for petrol, one mem; ber stated that tests in Auckland had not been successful on account of failure in carburation, but another maintained that this trouble was removed by raising, the compression power of the engine. It was further ' stated that an . Auckland syndicate, after investigating the matter of producing alcohol-very fully, had decided that it could not be a payable venture. The meeting decided to refer the matter to the new executive for further investigation. . /.

A deputation from the employees in the kauri gum industry waited on the Minister of Munitions at Auckland, to urge the provision of more shipping space for kauri gum. The deputation explained that in consequence of the war the employees in the industry had shrunk from between 150 and 200 to about 60, and even these were threatened with loss of employment unless the gum at present lying in store could be shipped. All the stores 'were full, and the industry was, as a matter of fact, threatened with extinction,, as foreign countries were finding substitutes for the kauri gum, which could not be shipped. At the present time many were dependent on the industry, and the outlook for them was becoming serious. The Minister (Hon. Arthur Myers) assured the deputation that he was fully sensible of the importance of the kauri gum industry to New Zealand in general, and to Auckland in particular. ; The war had, however, upset all the .routine of trade, and if the exigencies of shipping space threatened those in the industry with loss of employment, the sooner they got out of it the better. The question whether kauri gum was to be considered an essential industry at the present time had already been raised, and would be duly considered by Government and a decision arrived at. He could understand their anxiety to have the matter quickly settled, especially those who were exports in tho industry. But war contingencies had to bo faced, and as soon as the question had been decided whether the industry was to be considered an essential one he would be in a better position to give them definite information on the subject of shipping space.

"For the first time I feel glad I am not a man. It is the only thing that is keeping me from the war."—The frank statement of a. lady teacher at last night's meetinsr of the Educational liiotitute.

A private cable message was received' in Wellington yesterday from India stating that there had been an earthquake in Behgal,~and that the Baptist missionary- house , in Brahmanbaria had been • destroyed, but all the missionaries were safe. '.-'.- Recently the board of directors of the n?n™ New Zealand voted the sum of £1000 to the. Red Cross, Fund (Copper Iraal), to be apportioned equally between Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland, and Wellington. Yesterday, the board decided to donate £200. to the French Day. The bank- has also contributed generously to the Italian Fund in Sydney, and the French Fund in Melbourne.

The civic jubilee of Greymouth was celebrated on Tuesday of, /this week. There was a procession of pioneers and school children. . and' at a function outside-, the Town Hall several addresses were delivered eulogising the character of the men who had "'made the West Coast a birthplace in New Zealand of chivalry and manliness. Among a number of telegrams received from all parts of (the. Dominion was the following from the Acting-Prime Minister :—"Hearty congratulations to the citizens of Grevmouth on this the fiftieth anniversary bt the institution of their borough. I hope that your, jubilee celebrations, will be as successful as they deserve to be." During the, afternoon an illuminated address and a gold medal were presented to Mr. Alfred Ashton, who was the first baby, bom in the borough of Greymouth. •

. One phase of tapu is told -in a story by Mr. Elsdon Best. " One Tokowaru, a warrior of parts,", he says, "was taken captive by a party of enemies under the chief Te Putu, one fine morn some 150 years ago. / Knowing that his feet were already treading the broad patch of Tarte to the spirit world, he rushed at Te Putu, drew his tete, a bene dagger, and stabbed him to the heart. As he did so he shouted : .'Tena te huka a Tokowaru! Tena c rangona ! Tena c rangona!' (' Behold the last man slain by Tokowaru! It will be told through all the changing years'-!') As the ,-ushing blood flowed from the dagger wound, Tokowaru caught it in his hand, and smeared it over his head and body, knowing that the tapu of that blood would save him from the degradation of the oven. The next instant,. Tokowaru; of the-sons of Raukawa, iift«d the old, old trail to the Spirit World. The killing of Te Putu was spoken of down the changing years," concludes Mr. Best, "for, three months ago — : six generations after—old Karaka Tarawhiti, a descendant of Tokowaru, sat on the bank of the Waikato River, at Huntly, and told me the tale."-..

Several matters of importance were touched'upon by the Hon. j; A. Ha-nan (Minister of Education) at the confei--ence with the Auckland Education Board on Monday. Alluding, to the imperative, heed of securing the maximum efficiency in educational methods, he stated that Ministers, of Education throughout the Empire when pleading, with Governments for increased appropriations for education expenditure were always met- with the argument that their department was not a revenue-prod ucmg one. Those who assumed that attitude, however, overlooked certain facts, among which was that the standard of efficiency of the staffs of the revenue-producing departments depended mainly upon the standard of efficiency of the > teaching profession and educational work. No department of public service receiving financial assistance -presented such a. splendid investment and produced such profitable returns to the State, provided, of course, the money a/ppropriated was wisely spent. Educational work was really the foundation of the success of every'trader industry, and department in every country, An increase in educational expenditure meant an increase in the national income because of the = increased! national efficiency that was brought about. When the war was over there w.iuldi be a great' industrial battle between the nations, and if we were wise we wouldi prepare now, so that when we emerged, from our corner in, the industrial ring we. would be well trained, disciplined^ and enlightened.

A link with the past was broken, when at the end of last week Mr. John Bassett died at his hume, South Carterton. For nearly sixty.years ha had lived in Wairarapa; he arrived in Carterton Sfty-three years ago, i young man of twenty. It is no mere ngui.y of speech to say that Mr. Bassett car red out a home for himself. He did that actually, for when he and his father and mother and other relatives move-/' from Greytown to Carterton'after'the great- flood of 1858, the whole region was tbykly clothed with the forest primeval, save where, at long intervals, there were what were called "natural clearings," such as the Moroa and the Taratahi Plains. Those were the days when the settler grew and ground his own corn for his bread, when there were neither-bridges, roads, nor tracks to the sections surveyed for selection; blazed trails served for numy' years. A' bullock track was the only way through the bush oii the line of what was afterwards to be known as the! Great North-road. John Bassett was bOrn at Port Glasgow in the year 1845. His father was a sea captain, and it, is interesting to record here t the fact that in. 1853 Captain Bassett was presented with a medal for life-saving. In a quiet, unpretentious way, Mr. Bassett served his adopted country on one or two local bodies, and even took a keen interest in matters affecting its development. When he found, soon after his arrival in Carterton, that there '•' was neither church nor Sunday school, he set about the task of securing both, and was successful. ■ By this time the families scattered .through the bush had come to -know and trust him, and that trust and deepest respect remained with him till, worn out by long and most industrious life, be went to his rest. He had much of the quiet humour of the Scot, and his stories of the early days and the vicissitudes of the settlers were well worth hearing. His youngest son has returned wounded (crippled) from the war, and another is now in camp. There are three sons alive and six daughters, and there , are nine grandchildren. ' Every sympathy is'felt ior the widow and her family, and the district people . feel that they have lost not only a worthy colonist, of the best stamp, but a- just, kindly, and honourable man; many of the in, indeed, mourn their loss 'of a good friend. There was a large and representative gathering ot settlers at the funeral, at which tho Rev. Josiah Ward officiated. ■.