LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 16824, 28 August 1918, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tli* first green peas of the season made their appearance at the Wellington markets on Friday, and were, said at 5s 4d per peck—probably the highest price ever paid for peas in Wellington. They are not exported to be plentiful in. Wellington until uhe end of next month. Captain T. E. Y. Beddon, Ivl.P. (a brother to .Major Seddon, whose death by the bursting of a shell was mentioned in our cables on Monday), appears u> have "made good " by his recent mission to the United Mates as a member of the British Military Mission. lie visited important people, appeared at public gatherings, and addressed meetings oi all kinds—meetings oi shipyard worker*, Keel Cross members, schoolgirls, business men, and War Loan subscribers. Ihe newspapers gave much prominence to the pa-it played in Labor and social legislation bv hiss iauii-i'. the late Right Hon. K. .1. Seddon. Captain " Tom" told the Americans about New Zealand's military effort, describing some of the deeds of Xew Zealand's sous, and ■acquainting huge audiences with the fact that the bo-minion, is "a real live country." with a will and a destiny of its_ own. Some very nice things were said of Captain Sedd'ou by his new American friends. The New Zeaiander and Major Lanwester (another member of the .British Mission) were entertained at dinner by tiro United States Chamber of Commerce in -Now York. "We were all of tin?, opinion that we had none of us ever seen a more charming personality on his feet than Captain Seddo.n," wrote a prominent member of the chamber afterwards. "He speaks fluentlv and to the point, and is exactly the man for such a gathering of redblooded men as we had at our dinner. His tact, his sense of the 'fitness of things, and his conservative presentation of facts were just what one might, expect of a British officer and a gentleman. Although 1 have spent a good deal of time in Washincton with the- representatives of the Allies, and in New York as well, I have never attended a, more interesting dinner nor enjoyed the company of any of our visitors quite so well." L'vic-ntly Captain Seddon did his important tvork in quite the right way. On June 25 a sergeant of police and two constables paid a surprise visit to a room m the Hotel Cecil, Wellington, and throwing open the door found six men round a table with a game of poker in progress, with the result that the licensee (.banes MTnrland) was charged with permitting gambling on the hotel premises. The room In which the game was played was used as a store for luggage, and lor the defence it was contended that, as the room was unfit for habitation, it would appear that the men were keeping their game out of <i<dit of the licensee should he chance to go round the hotel. The Magistrate (Mr Frazert said the porter was placed in charge' of the hotel, and there was no question that, for some reason, he had not carried out his duty fully. When the man was left in charge, his omission was the omission of the licensee ; he should clearly have stopped the game. The good record of the hotel would be taken into account, but the fact that the game involved fairly laive sums of money must also bo considered. A fine of £3 and costs was imposed, the -Magistrate that no order'would be mado as to endorsing the license. An" elderlv man named Thomas Mitchell was found "drowned under No. 7 wharf, JA'ttelton, on .Friday afternoon. It is surmised that the deceased, a fisherman, tell into the water when returning from the slip, where his boat was being overhauled, to his home in Sumner road. Iho deceased was born in Dundee, Scotland in ibiO. Prior to entering the fishing industry tie followed the sea. Sentiment, the impelling force behind every war effort in Australia, has not yet offered tribute to the silent workers and 6iiffcsrer&—Uk womenfolk of the soldiers (savs the Melbourne 'Argus.'). America, keen to appraise the value of sentiment in war, tpeadilv put into practice eomethmg Australia thought of but months ago. Every home in the- United States from which a" man has gone to the " Liberty battalions" displays a blue star, set in a" tiny flag. It has teen mado the subject of some admirable war appeals, the most effective of which, perhaps, is the picture of mother and. child at the casement, window beginning _ the day by gazing on the symbol of service and sacrifice. This pretty token is woman's right in Australia. The stiain of war on the finer fibres of her nature is generally astiuaged by still further service in the realm of patriotic endeavor. Collective tribute to the magnificent work of women has been imstiuted, but expression has yet tobe given to individual sacrifice. The sentiment would not be sullied if the symbol were made a new channel of war giving. The star, or whatever device is decided upon, could be wjurked into curtains, blinds, flags, or even window transpa± oncies, to i e disposed of by one of the patriotic bodies. While it is a recognition of the bravery of the mothers, wives, and sisters of the fighting men, the sign would also be a silent recruiting appeal. The Red Cross house badges were a marked sucoefß, and these " symbols of sacrifice" would have a two-fold value. An English paper records the death from wounds received at the timo of the bombing of the Canadian hospital at Etaples of Private James Atkinson, of the Canadian A.M. Corps. He was a victim to the brutality of t3ie Hun in bombing hospitals. " It takes £3 a week for a single mam to live," remarked a defendant in a judgment summons case at Wellington the other day. " Does it?" replied Mr F. V. Frazer, S-M. "If it costs you £3, I am afraid that you live on something stronger than water." The offer by Mr Jas. J. Boyd of the animals, plant, and buildings of the Onehunga Zoo for £B,OOO, or the zoo complete (including land) for £12,000 was " turned down" by the Auckland City Council. The Hon. W. H. Herries, Minister of Native Lands, stated at VV'bakatane on Monday that tho Government had purchased approximately 256,423 acres of Urewera land, and are operating on blocks totalling 437,719 acres. Tha Natives' interests purchased number 8,124. Operating was only begun in June, 1915, as the Native titles were not settled before. Some blocks, particularly near Waikaremoana, have been reported by the department officers as not suitable for settlement, so the Government are not making purchases in them. The total area of th* Urew»r» district is 644,566 acres.