LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 40, 15 August 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

"It takes all sorts to make a world," ie an oft-heard remark. One of the sorts is a species of "conscientious objector," in a state ■of doubt, apparently, as to whether he is in this world or another. In expostulation against a call to camp he has written to the Defence Department: —"As a born-again man (John iii. : 3), I can have nothing whatever to do with this world's wars, politics, associations, or such like, because, being a child of God (John iii. : 2), I am not of this world, even as He (Jesus) ie not of the world (John xvii. : 16)." However, the man's uncertainty as to his position on this planet is only in' regard to military service. He had interested himself in such worldly matters as a dairy farm and a mortgage. He mentioned the mortgage in his appeal for exemption.

Base Eecords Office advises that returning draft 172 .will arrive at its destination six days! later than the date previously advised to next-of-kin.

So short are stocks of tobacco in Auckland that the wholesale houses are strictly conserving them by limiting the quantities sold to customers. Some brands cannot be procured at all, and others are in very short supply, states the Herald. Cigarettes are also growing scarce. No further rise in the price of tobacco is forecasted at present, and a shipment due in about a month should relieve the position considerably.

Arthur Hill, boot trader, appealed at the sitting of the Second Canterbury Military Service Board on the ground of unnecessary alteration from civilian to military duties. Applicant said that his religious belief prevented him from having his beard or hair cut. He was the sole eligible male representative of the Latter House of Israel. Members of his persuasion had Teceived exemption in England. He'considered his present employment was more useful to the country than he could render in camp. The appeal was dismissed.

Reserved judgment was given by Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court this morning, m the case of "Oowan v. Huddart, Parker, Ltd. Plaintiff said that in April, 1913, he sold a Hoover potato digger to the Principal of the Gatton State Farm, Queensland, and through Us agents delivered it to the defendant company at Auckland for shipment to Brisbane. Instead of being carried to Brisbane the company unshipped the digger at Sydney, and "plaintiff claimed that he had therefore no opportunity of carrying out his contract and delivering it to the State Farm. He further alleged that later defendant sold and delivered tho digger to a purchaser, and he claimed £45, being £40. the value of the digger, and £5 damages for failure to deliver. His Worship gave judgment for plaintiff for £12, with £2 lls costs.

Some amusement was caused at the Supreme Court, Palmerston North, when a witness was being examined as to his knowledge of business and his ability to make calculations involving, fairly simple sums in arithmetic. Examining coun sel asked witness to calculate how much a girl would receive for two and a-half days' work at the rate of 20s per week of six days. After considerable calculation by means of pencil and paper, witness made tho answer 3s 9d per day, and finally said the amount would he 9s lid. On counsel pointing out that witness's' figures were a little astray, witness said he usually made use of a ready reckoner, and afterwards said that although he had managed some big businesses, he had had the services of a clerk to assist him.

One of Auckland's oldest settlers, Mr. Samuel Blomfield, died at Birkenhead on Monday, in his 83rd year. Mr. Blomfield arrived in the Waitemata in; 1862, with the Albertland settlers, in the ship Gertrude, and was soon settled in the city, following his trade, that of a joiner. When the Thames goldfield was opened in 1867, Mr. Blomfield was a member of one of the earliest parties of pioneer diggers. Failing to make any discovery of importance in prospecting, he reverted to' his handicraft, which he carried on at Thames until about 1880, when he returned to Auckland. The deceased is survived by Mrs. Blomfield and by ten eons and daughters. His sons are Mr. William Blomfield, Mayor of Takapuna, Messrs. Charles, John C, Fred., and Thomas Blomfield. The daughters are Mrs. Milton Porter, of Wellington, Mrs. C. Huddlestone, of Birkenhead, Mrs. J. M'Leod, Mrs. M'Lennan, and Mrs. Carlsen, all of Auckland. There are aleo a. large number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The arrest, trial, conyistion, and sentence of a young man in Syracuse, State of New York, for idling in war time has peculiar interest as marking the first pronounced and clear-cut case o£ the kind under the "anti-loafmg" law in the State named. He had committed no offence in an ordinary sense. He was not a .vagrant, for he had money. The new statute, however, had made him an offender, subject to penaj correction, in. that he was performing no useful labour at a time when the industries of the country, as well as the,army and navy, were in great need of man-power. This young man said that he had never worked, did not find it necessary to work; in fact, would not work. But he will work, nevertheless, since he was sentenced to six months' hard labour in the county penitentiary. The possession of "visible means of support" (comments an American writer) formerly excused this type of idler. He could fritter his time away, while the penniless loafer was constantly liable to arrest for vagrancy. War is a leveller ill more senses than one.

"What is coal tar used for in New Zealand?" asked Professor Eacterfield of the members of the Philosophical Society last night, and, supplying the answer, said, "for asphalting, and, it is said, for tarring and feathering unpopular persons in country districts." Coal tar, the speaker continued, entered very largely into the production of munitions, and was of the'greatest importance to the Navy as a fuel. Some of the largest battleships consumed a 6 much as 1000 tons of oil in a day when steaming at full speedl, and to get the same power the boilers in use would have to be greatly enlarged to use coal as fuel. An important controversy has been raised by this need of the Navy as contrary to tho requirements of the manufacturers of munitions. During the war there had been a tremendous demand for toluene for the- making of high explosives, and as a ton of coal produced only about half a pound of toluene, it would have meant, under the old 6ystem, that all the nation's coal would have been required to produce the necessary explosive to fill tha shells. Consequently, the British Government made a compulsory order that all works producing over a certain quantity of gas should install systems for the washing of all gas by a coal tar oil to absorb the toluene and benzine that would otherwise escape. These^ systems were paid i'or by the Government, which also undertook to purchase the products. As a result, the proportion rose "from half a pound to the ton to as much as ten pounds to the ton. This "scrubbing", of gas resulted in a slight falling away in thermal value, but that was not of such great importance. The point that was l-aised was that the Navy required a low temperature tar for fuel purposes, whereas the munition makers wanted a high temperature tar, as the low temperature tar produced practically no toluene or benzine. Both needs were uiyrmfc, and the question was an important one.

The possibility of standardising footwear is at present receiving the attention of the Board of Trade. The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald stated at Auckland that the board, was being assisted in its investigations by an expert. Evidence upon the matter would be taken in. Auckland. The Minister said he hoped that cheaper footwear would be obtainable as a result of the enquiry.

"In 1911 an installation for the manufacture of coke was erected on the coast of Yorkshire, which, after heating the ovens with a portion of the gas generated, still produced gas sufficient to generate 7000 horse-power—aa much as is generated at Lake Coleridge," said Professor Easterfield in the course of an address to the Philosophical Society last night. "With such an amount of gas coming away it is possible to generate electric power very cheaply, far more so than is possible in an hydraulic system, which involves the bringing of power over long distances."

An electric skate wae caugSfc in th« Hauraki Gulf by the City Council's trawler, Cowan, and brought to Auckland on Monday. It was exhibited in the council's fish-shop window, and attracted considerable attention. The fish weighed 1321b, and was 4ft long and 3ft 6in broad. Mr. Cheeseman, curator of the Auckland Museum, states that the electric skate is allied to the 6tingaree, and is sometimes called the electrio ray; any of the three names would be applicable. Very few are fonnd so close to Auckland, but it is not uncomjnon in the sea around Hawkes Bay, where a number have been caught. The term electric is applied to the fish, because of its ability to give off a decided shock when touched; . "It is not generally known," said Professor T. H. Easterfield to the members of the Philosophical Society last night, "that the manufarture of coke is a very much older industry than'the making of coal gas, for though coke was generally used in metallurgy in the 18th century, it was not till nearly a hundred years' afterwards that coal gas cams into general use." The speaker then outlined the development of the coke industry from the old-time bee-hive ovens, belching forth flames and throwing waste tar, gas, and all by-products, to the modem great inetallations in which by-products were conserved, and even the gas treated in order to extract constituents vital for the carrying on of the war.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Wellington Fanners' Meat Company, held yesterday at Masterton, the chairman of directors (Mr. J. C. Cooper) reviewed shipping and other matters. He stated that in his opinion there would be a greater shortage of shipping'this year than in former years. Thj company had increased its storage, however, and intended making further additions to its works. In consequence of the large expenditure and abnormal cost of maintenance, the directors had decided to increase the charges for freezing of sheep and lambs by a shilling a. head. ' It was considered that at the termination of the war by-products could be largely utilised. Messrs. Walter Cameron and George Pain were elected to fill two vacancies on the directorate.

Critics had said that the Defence Department was sending more men to th» front than New Zealand was capable of doing, remarked Sir James Allen in th» course of a speech at Grevmouth. When.big casualties had been anticipated the Army Council had asked that ths reinforcements be donbled for the follow ing five months. The request had been complied with, as had been done with £.11 requests that had come from the Army Council. When it was found that the casualties were not heavy lie had com municated with the Army Council, ask ing whether the increased drafts should be continued, and he had received th» reply that it would not be necessary. The Defence Department had been criti cised, but it had never sent one more man from New Zealand than was necessary. It had acted on the advice of th» Army Council in the Motherland itself. To-day reinforcements were being sent There were some who said that New Zealand had done her part, and that America should now be left to finish the war, and that we should not send more men. He hoped that the people of New Zealand would not subscribe to that doctrine. The Minister, who expressed the opinion that if this year did not end the war that it would end in 1919, added that he hoped it would not be necessary again to increase the reinforcements from New Zealand.

Describing the benzine-store fire at Auckland on Monday, the Star states: "There was a big Maze in Beach-road to-day, i when between 7000 and 8000 cases of benzine, stored in a shed, were destroyed by a fire that lasted for over three hours". The outbreak occurred shortly after 10 o'clock, and the alarm was quickly given to the City Brigade, but the highly inflammable contents of the building blazed up_ almost immediately, and when the brigade arrived they were faced with a practically hopeless task. The flames soon enveloped the whole of the larger of the two buildings, and in spite of the half-dozen leads of hose that were brought into play, the fire lasted until the structure collapsed and the whole of the contents were destroyed. While it lasted the fire was ail impressive (spectacle. As case after cas« of spirit exploded and ignited huge flames shot into the air, and great clouds of black and grey smoke burst upwards for hundreds of feet. The firemen were handicapped by th>s nature of the build ing—a corrugated iron structure without windows—and had to play the hose through the single door in the front of the building, and from tho railway lino at the back. A smaller building adjoiningl caught alight, and for a time tho benzine stored here was also threatened. The brigade managed to keep the flames back, and enable a party T>f men to remove a portion of the contents, and eventually this building, though badly damaged, was saved."

New War Precautions (Prices) Begulations have been gazetted in victoria, by which lists of fixed prices must be exhibited in the shops of every person who, in any proclaimed area, sells or has for sale, retail, any foodstuff or necessary commodity the price of which is fixed. Traders must, within seven days of 3rd August, exhibit the notice of prices, which must be displayed in such a place in the shop window and in the shop, and be prepared in such a manner as to be easily legible to persona desiring to make purchases. In metropolitan shops the name of the articles and the maximum prices fixed must be shown. Where the price in a proclaimed area is fixed on the basis of the price in the metropolitan area, plus the cost of transport, particulars must be given showing maximum price fixed in the metropolitan area, cost of transport from that area, and the maximum price thus fixed in the particular area. A second regulation provides that where the maximum price chargeable by a wholesale dealer for the sale of foodstuffs or necessary commodities is based ou the cost to the wholesaler, plus a specified percentage, or where a definite wholesale price is fixed, any wholesale dealer who purchases any such foodstuffs or necessary commodities from any other wholesale dealer shall not bi> entitled to charge a greater price for the article than the maximum price at which the wholesale dealer from whom he purchased was entitled to sell it.