LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 110, 12 May 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Reference is made in the annual report of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce to "the seiious delays,which are taking place in the transmission of cables. It is realised that some cable routes which were pi-eviously available were damaged during the war, but it is felt that better consideration should bs extended' to commercial messages oven if this means the curtailment of press, cablegrams. For many years past a great deal of business overseas has'been done by cable, and the fact that prompt cabled replies cannot be given to cabled offers has meant that business overseas is continually being lost." It was a Ministerial instruction as far as possible, where permanent appointments could be givell, they should be given to returned soldiers, said Sir James Allen to a Dunedin deputation, referring to the employment of returned soldiers in tho Defence Department.. In regard to tho permanent staff of the Defence Department, if they had not done anything in regard to changes-there up till now, the reason, was—and he believed it a sound policy—that they were waiting •the arrival of General Russell and General Richardson and some.of the other 'senior officers from the front before they dealt with permanent staff appointments. He hoped that after a conference with thofieofficers they would be 'able to make the permanent staff of the Defence Department the very best possible for the Do-' minjon. 'Sir Alfred Robin was just as anxious as he was to give every facility possible to returned men; but they did not wish to mislead them by putting' them into positions that were only temporary. • • . The Marist priests, of the Wellington Archdiocese will commence their annual "retreat" to-morrow. . "Owing to resignations from the Service of members seeking more favourable conditions of work, the membership showed a decrease in numbers."—Extract from the annual report of the Petone Railway Workshops Library^ . ' The annual Wellington Sketch Exhibition which came to a close on Saturday night, has been attended' 'by quite phenomenal success. The ■ public attendance, sales of art Union tickets and pictures, are said to be considerably in advance of. the Sketch Exhibition of 191.8. The winning numbers in the art union appear elsewhere, arid holders are requested to select pictures of equivalent value as early as possible. Mr. Laurence Birks, who has just succeeded Mr. Parry as Chief ElectFical Expert for the Government, in conversation with a Fielding Star representative, stated that everything possible was being dono to push on with the development of; the Mangahao scheme": The men were ready on the site. Within a few months the necessary road work, to enable a start to be made on tho work of .erecting dams and building tunnels,, would be completed. . ' . Nob many New Zealand lads under twenty years of age (says the Wanganui Herald) have been on activo service for three years and nine. months, and have passed through the campaigns at the Somme, Passcliendaele, Messine's, La Bassee, Cnmbrai, and Reims. That is tho experience Of a Wanganui boy, recently returned looking-, the picture of health, who enlisted at the age of fifteen years seven months, and was a member of the New Zealand Cycling Corps', : . • The sitting of the- Magistrate's Court this inoi'nirig was presided over by Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M. Eleven first-offend-ing inebriates were dealt with in the. usual manner. One of them. J. Henry, was also oharged with having assaulted the third officer of the Raranga on Saturday night. • Mr. Evans appeared for the prosecution. Defendant . was fined £2, with costs £1 Is,1 in default fourteen days' imprisonment. George Perrin, a second offender for drunkenness, was fined ss, and .John Hyde, another second offender, was fined 10s. James Brown was charged with drunkenness, obscene language, and a -bleach of his prohibition order.. He was fined £5 on ■ the obscene language charge, with the alternative of a month in gaol. Cargo pillaging has. been a matter which has been discussed by the Wellington \Chamber of. Commerce for many years, but probably the losses incurred by-tho commercial community in this direction have never been, so great as during the past two years. The position is the more serious owing, to the high price of commodities (states the annual report of the chamber). Insurance companies have found it necessary to increase their rates for cover against pillage. The matter has been discussed by the Harbour Board, and during the year there have been many cases upon, which convictions have been obtained in the Magistrate's Court. It seems difficult, if not impossible, to find a remedy. Pillaging may take- place in the country of shipment, in docks and oversea ports, on the voyage, during discharge in, New Zealand, or in harbour board, sheds. "Tho majority of the boys are now oxpert swimmers," says the Director of tlio Boys' ■ Institute, in that section of his annual report dealing with tho tepid swimming bath.. He adds that, according to the last annual report of the Royal Life Saving Society, out of 387 awards granted throughout* the Dominion the institute secured 102, Wellington. College obtaining second, place with 55. In addition, tlie institute also gained 57 longdistance certificates, the distances swum ranging from 100 yards to two miles 700 yards. Awards secured included 13 bronze medallions and 17 silver ' ones. These results easily constitute a record for any school, college-, club, or institution in New Zealand. It is a matter of regret, says the Director, that the baths are not botter patronised! by the public, as during the past year they have been worked at a loss. j An extraordinary year/for dairy products is that reviewed by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, whose report states that "the latter part of the winter was the coldest on record, and these climatic conditions continued far into the period when spring conditions should have prevailed. The two previous winters of 1916 and 1917 had been mild, and this fact had contributed in a great measure to inadequate provision being, made by way.of winter feeding to meet the altered conditions. Consequently the mortality amongst dairy herds Was heavy, and considerably above normal. The'above conditions continued in several districts to the end of tbe year, and, together withthe general effects of the late epidemic, materially influenced the supply of milk, and decreased the .output. However, since the beginning of the year 1919 matters have improved, and the autumn output indicates that any losses in production during the earlier period.-of the season will £s ra&do Rood,"-

The' Rev.' Father Duignan^ S.M., of Thorndon, has gone into residence on Somes Island, to attend to tho spiritual needs of the Catholics who have Nbeen quarantined there. . During a football match at Newtown Park on Saturday afternoon, a young man named Thomas Cunliffe, who resides at No. 16, Upper Rata-road, Hataitai, fractured his right' leg. Ho was removed to the Hospital, where he is progressing favourably. Through being knocked down by a motor-car at Island Bay on / Saturday afternoon, a small boy named Harry Harris received a severe injury to his. chest. Ho was taken to the Hospital, and is making satisfactory progress towards recovery. .The boy's home is Lux-ford-street, Berhampore. In Featherston Camp orders it is announced that No. 61595 Private B. 6am-. birazzi, Details, Featherston Military Camp, having been found guilty by district . court-martial of deserting His Majesty's Service, has been sentenced to be imprisoned with hard labour for two years. . . A farmer from the Waikato, who is lit present in Wellington, informed' a Post reporter that owing to a limited rainfall since February last the- land in his district is unusually dry for this time of the year, and the. prospects for the winter from an agricultural and pastoral point of view are not considered too bright.

As a result of. a conference with tho Hon. G. W; Russoll over the payment of 'block doctors^ fees, representatives of the Christchurch branch of the Bri-tish.-Medical Association have agreed to supply the Minister with particulars as to the circumstances under which block doctors operated in Christchurch, also proposals with regard to a recrudescence of the influenza epidemic.

Among subscriptions and donations to the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Clubhouse Society during March and April are the following amounts of £5 and over :—James Macintosh, £12 10s; V Riddiford, £10; Blundell Bros., £10; C. R, Smith, £6; Ti A. Duncan, £5; and Bell, Gully, Bell, and Myers, £5. Subscriptions during the period- totalled £50 2s, and donations £27 7s 6d.,

One of the results of the war, according to Sk Douglas Mawson, will be heavy* emigration from Great Britain. The severe war taxation in England, ho said, in Melbourne recently, would induce many- labourers to coniu to Australia, which, in comparison with England, warwracked and weary, had practically •escaped all the ravages of the conflict. Although, the taxation in Australia was heavy, it would decrease per.capita with the increased population, and this would induce' many English manufacturers ■to com© to this country, where the cost of production ' would undoubtedly " -be cheaper.

The Hon. G. W. Russell states that tho' embargo -upon passengers travelling from Australia, renders it impossible for miners to land in New Zealand. He hopes (says a Press . Association message from Christchurch) that before long the ■ position will have . sufficiently improved to enable a restricted passenger service to be instituted by which New Zealanders at present in Australia may be'repatriated. This cannot take place until tho conditions at the quarantine stations are such as to .enable a full ship's compahy_.to be handled. Till then it is not considered desirable to relax the conditions of-the embargo.

The disabilities suffered by returned1 soldiers minus a limb were discussed at 'a meeting of men affected at the Return-, ed Soldiers' Association, and a committee, consisting of Messrs. C. M'Kenzie, Payne, Irwin, Weir, Adams, and Johnson, was set lip for the purpose of collecting information. for the use of the association. ' The opinion was expressed by tho men that a genuine attempt was being made ljy the Government factory to meet their needs. The artificial limbs now 'being made locally, it was stated, compared taore than favourably with those supplied abroad, but complaint was made concerning the accommodation .provided for men travelling to and from the factory or hospitals.. To overcome tho danger of having to climb steep stairways when travelling steerago on board ship the men decided to ask the association to press for first-class accominiodation for them. The committee appointed by the meeting was instructed to secure information.in regard to bee-keep-ing and poultry raising us suitable occupations for disabled men.

Great Britain in the transitory stagebetween war 'and peace, wa3 the theme of interesting comment by Sir Douglas Mawson, who returned to Melbourne last week. The noted Antarctic explorer, who held responsible posts in the Ministry of 'Munition,?1, in his impressions of England, said it was a land where the top hat was fast; disappearing—the bitter war lessons had. induced a more democratic outlook by the people generally, and'the, sharp class distinctions were being gradually removed. Industrially tho nation had realised the futility of the traditional policy of muddling through ; the slogan was now efficiency' and more power. The war hatf' certainly, stimulated much wider interest in scientific work, and the Government had been liberal in tho endowment of scientific institutions and scientific research. In this connection the British Government created a department' to forward tho manufacture of optical glasses, which formerly had been imported from Germany. The result was that now English manufacturers could' make all. the glasses required, and the.money was kept in the country. Ho regretted that tho Australian Government had, not encouraged scientific research to such a degree.

"At the time I was there," said Lieutenant-Colonel N. S. Falla, of Dunedin, when discussing conditions in Germany, "the people struck me as being unaware of certain salient facts. - They seemed oblivious of the fact that they had started the war, and .wore, inclined to rail against a hard fate. Indeed, in spitfe of the khaki garrison, many of them did not even seem to realise that they had lost the war, and it was evident that throughout its course they had been consistently misinformed. v However, they wore beginning to learn of the chaos that reigned in other parts of Germany, and seemed glad to have the Allied soldiers present to preserve order. Most of them looked a bit thin and peaked, . and with conversation with them I- formed the idea that they had suffered infinitely more privation than the English. However, their habit of obedienoo to authority had kept them from open revolt. A few of the better •class preserved a dignified aloofness in. their dealings with tho conquerors, but most of the people bubbled over with friendliness, and the difficulty was to repulse their overtures. Even the language difficulty was a smaller bar to communication than might 'have been expected, since almost'all of. the Rhineland Germans seemed - able to speak French,, and many of them English." .