LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 3 September 1915, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Mr Massey said on Wednesday that he proposed to lay on the table of the House copies of letters received from Mr Malcolm Ross which fully explained the great difficulty the official war correspondent had experienced in getting to the front after his arrival in Egypt.

The Prime Minister states that the war has somewhat interfered with the consideration of the proposal to estabiish a permanent Board of Trade anl Commerce as recommended by the Select Committee set up to deal with shipping matters in 1914, but the Government intends to introduce legislation on the subject as soon as practicable.

The Auckland Star says that the feat of building a church in a day is to be accomplished at Glenfield to-morrow (Saturday.) under the supervision of Mr Marmaduke Souster, the architect. The work will commence at 5 a.m., the voluntary services of over fifty carpenters and 100 hands altogether being engaged. Religious services will be held on Sunday,' the day following the erection of the edifice, aijtd a social and concert will be held in the building the following Wednesday.

Mrs Henry Pilcher, of Nainai, Lower Hutt» writes to the AVellington Post of an experience which should be a warning to all mothers. The writer says:. "I am sending you a "report of a very uncommon thing that happened to my 16-months-old girl last night, at 7 o'clock. I had put her to sleep in her cot, and was in the kitchen when I heard a terrible scream, and on rushing in to the bedroom was horrified to find a large rat on her cot. It had gnawed a hole in the neck of her nightdress, and also bitten her thumb very badly, leaving a gash,'and she was smothered in blood. I think if this was made known it would put mothers on the alert, especially concerning tiny babies that sleep in cradles, and cannot cry out, as an older child would."

The number of persons brought before the Melbourne City Court on charges of drunkenness shows no decrease since the closing of hotels at 9.30 p.m. On the contrary (according to a telegram published by the Sydney Daily Telegraph) there is a very marked increase or about 20 per cent over last year's figures. Taking the figures ffom January 1 to August 25, there are for that period of 1914, 4461 names m the register, and for 1915, 4638. July 6 was the last date on which the hotels did business during the usual hours. There were before the Court 1006 persons from July 7 to August 24, 1914, as against 1201 for the same period of 1915, the increase being 195. These figures present an interesting problem for the temperance reformers. Lodge doctors in- Wellington, through the local branch of the .British Medical Association, have called upon the friendly societies to agree to a new scale of payments for medical attendance. In the city the present payment is 15s per annum, but the doctors have asked that this be increased to 255. Though some of the friendly societies regard the claim as an attempt at imposition, it is understood that the doctors are likely to have their way in the matter, as no practical alternative is open. A similar increase has already been claimed and secured by the doctors in other districts, including Hutt, Johnsonville. and Petone.

A young and rather pretty teacher from Lincoln County (TJ.S.A.) told the following experience: "It has been my custom to encourage discussion of subjects outside the lesson papers, and along this line I one day spoke of ambitions. After I had set before the class the desirability of having hi"\h aims, I asked my pupils what each planned to be. One wanted to be a doctor, another president, another an aviator, another an electric car motorman, another an engineer on a railroad, and so on around the class, until I reached Tommy. Tommy is a bright handsome youngster of seven years and I was expecting him to want to be someone of great importance in. the world. 1 was puzzled to find him plainly much embarrassed. He didn't want to. tell me his ambition, but finally asked if he might whisper it to me. Much interested, I gave him permission, and he trudged up to my desk. Even there he hesitated. 'Come here, 7r° mmv' I said somewhat impatiently lell me what it is you want to be m ate. He raised himself on tip-toes and slipped one arm about my neck, as he whispered, 'Your—you>- husband !' " According to the retiirns received by the Government Statistician up to August 18th, the total threshings of wheatand oats wove 6,632,687 bushels' of wheat and 6,785,461 bushels of oats. The ascertained stocks of wheat, oats and flour in the Dominion as on June 30th. according to a census, the results of which are just published, were---Wheat, 4,124,273 bushels (including 72,288 bushels, estimated quantity of wheat still in stacks; oats, 3,750,17s bushels: flour, 10,4-11 tons. In "addition, returns were received showing that there were approximately '441,030 bushels of oats in stacks intended 'fov threshing, and 2.391,361 bushels in stacks intended for chaffing.

t^'l^W 3* wseidelit-to FrwoA Baßjitsmhji on a grotwe moor Whilst'on leave.from the front, a London message states that his eyes were 1 «JU^ and it is possible one may be blinded. ,

•r^W?®*" 108 Minister states (says the N^Tinies) that he i» unable to givl any general undertaking to pay coinPol^*^ ll to"ien wh° have been found medica'lv unfit after admission to camp. He is willing to enquire into cases wher« distinct hardship has been inflicted The point is that frequently a man conceals his disabilities and makes misleading statements to the examining medical officer; consequently, these disabilities only appeared after training or active service.

A story told in a letter from London vouched for as a fact well known, is worth repeating. A trawler was sent to sea apparently dragging trawl nets, and proceeded to "fish." What she really dragged was a submerged submarine at the end of a tow-rope. Presently a German submarine hove in sight and prepared to torpedo the trawler. But the signal had already been given to the British submarine at the end of the tow-rope. It rose till its periscope enabled it to sight the enemy vessel, and then—poof!—to the*bottom vent one of the most modern of the German U boats, >ent there by a torpedo from the British submarine. ■

"I have become a fatalist since T have/been 'up there," is the remark made by a soldier in reviewing his experiences in a letter written from a Cairo hospital, "The majority of the men are, too, and one simply cannot help it. You will, see on© man expose himself all day long and bullets seem unable to hit him, yet another man will show his head for just an instant and it is : the/finish. One shell will kill a couple.vi©f -fiea* «hd teave another xnan standing Between * them untouched. I know ■.. 'fellows> who have come out of several fights and then, been hit by stray bullets while wandering Tound their bivouacs. If you are to be hit, you will be hit, is the way most of them put it.' , Under the heading "Fifty Years Ago," the Taranaki Herald publishes the following: "Saturday, September 2, 1865.—0 n Thursday the first letting of town lands reserved by the Provincial Government took pla,ce, consisting of a portion 'of the reserves in Brougham street, and under Mount Eliot. There were two lots offered, each with 80 feet frontage and 60 feet depth, one lot adjoining. the Taranaki Institute and the other at the corner ot King street, opposite the Taranaki 'Hotel. The leases were for the term of 21 years. There was a large attendance and brisk competition. Both lots were knocked down to Mr H. T. "Sates at 30s per foot frontage^ which1 will give £90 per annum ground rent ,for the 60 feet."

The New Zealand Times gays that a strange affair was mentioned in the House of Representatives on Wednesday by the member for. Timaru (Mr J. Craigie). He said that a Timaru man had enlisted in the expeditionary forces and had left, according to the information at the disposal of his wife, with the sth Reinforcements. He had paid her a visit prior to his departure, and had told her that he had made an allocation of pay in her favor. She had received from him a letter posted at Albany and describing the voyage on the transport. But she had got no money from the Defence Department, and when she had made enquiries on the point she had been told that her husband had not left with the sth Reinforcements or with the 6th. She hai been able to get no further information. The Minister for Defence (the Hon. J. Allen) promised to make enquiries regarding the case.

At a- meeting of. directors of the North Canterbury Freezing and Agency Company, Ltd., held on Saturday last, instructions were given to Mr A. S. Mitchell, consulting engineer and architect, of Wellington, to prepare plans for buildings and plant for freezing works at Kaiapoi. The works are to have a daily capacity of two thousand sheep and fifty cattle, with storage accommodation for 100,000 carcases. The site, of thirty acres, adjoining the railway line, has an ample supply of artesian water, and is well situated in respect to drainage, either to the Waimakariri or Ayr rivers. Power for the. project will be obtained from the Lake Coleridge hydroelectric scheme, ■ about 350 kilowats being required. It is the intention of the company to complete the works in a little over six months from the present date, and they are to be ready before the present season closes. Provision is to be made for the treatment of by-products, and later smaller works are to be erected at Waipara, where a large number of the shareholders reside.

Mr F. W. Jones, manager of the Christchurch branch of the International Harvester Company, has returned after a visit to the "United States. He says * that, in his ■ opinion, there is no country on the face of the earth to beat New Zealand, and the more he saw of other countries the more firmly that opinion got fixed in his mind. While in America he travelled from New York to Hamilton (Ontario, Canada), and the thing that struck him most was the stagnation in the general industry of the States and, to a less extent, of Canada. With regard to the situation in the States, he was not at all sure that it was the war that was solely to blame for the poorness of trade. "From what I have seen lately, I am satisfied that at the present time New Zealand is absolutely the most prosperous country on the face of the globe. All the primary products are in good demand at high ■ prices, and everything ,a New Zealander touches lie should be able to make money out of."

Mr J. S. Neville, assistant town clerk in Christchurch, when visiting the South Sea Islands for pleasure, took special note of the way local government affairs are conducted there, and brought back with him some very quaint information. In Tonga, for instance, every village or township has its mayor or chief. One of the mayor's duties is to see" that young people are married when they reach the marriageable age, which,, for women, is fixed at 18. Once a month he calls a "fono," a gathering of heads of families. Any representative who fails to attend is heavily fined. The only hotel in the Tongan island is at Nukualofa. The proprietor is an old Christchurch boy. There are neither telegraph offices nor wireless station in this group, and the only communication with the outside -'world is by mail, which, arrives once a month. In Nukualofa there is a Gentlemen's Club, where the European men meet and read the newspapers, spiie of which are already a mouth old when they ore received. The Tongrms ; i\ Nukualofa are cricket mad. The s«:riß got such a tight grip of them that they neglected their work in the plantations, and the Premier had to prohibit -them from playing. Suva, iho capital of the Fiji Islands, is a borough. The councillors are elected by the householders, and the town clei-fc'is-a lady. There is a town hall. :<.vi in it a museum, which has a £oo 1 r'-I-riiun of native etliuo-

>■ -:\-W& 'vHaw&ra■■' AgTicultiiiral class will meet in the. Technicar School at 1 30 to-mbrrow (Saturday).

i^^ew^vZealahd Gerald's literary staff numbers foiirieeh,' of whom five f?^ B**"8**" ion S ago for service at the fronty and another, nv© are going how: and the proprietors of the paper allow them half-pay foi six months—surely an unquestionably generous thing to do.

The Rarawa will leave Onehunga for Auckland on Saturday, September 18, for her annual inspection, and she. will be away a fortnight. During that time the Rimu will tal^e up her running, leaving Onehunga on Monday, (September 20, at 2 p.m. Intending passengers are asked to note that no steerage tickets will be issued for s.s. Ritnu.

At the Manaia Methodist Church on Sunday, Rev. W. 'S. Neal will preach in the morning on "The Church and the Open' Door," and in the evening at 7.30 Mr H. J. Berry will conduct the service. A' Foreign Mission servica will, be held at Otakeho at 2 p.m.

A team of local ladies challenged the Railway team, who have been sue-, cessful in the Friendly Societies' card tournament, to a friendly match on Thursday evening, and after an interesting contest defeated the gentlemen players. The match wes for a supper. An'enjoyable evening was spent. .

A letter received in Auckland from an officer of the headquarters staff of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, written from Gallipoli on July 7, contains a paragraph which will be of interest to many anxious relatives; of men reported wounded and missing. "If your brother is a wounded ' prisoner, you may rest assured that he is being looked after by the Turks, as we have overwhelming.evidence that they are looking after their wounded prisoners well, in spite of the fact that they have over 60,000 of their own wounded." This h borne out by an extract from the letter of another officer recently invalided home, after being wounded in a heavy engagement at Quinn's Post: "If taken prisoner, and .sick jof wounded, he will be well cared for, and if unharmed, will be treated with consideration. The officers of the enemy, in the great majority of cases, are treating thgir prisoner® with the same consideration that we extend to ours.'*

Speaking the other day to a wounded Russian officer at Portsmouth (says Albert Dorringtpn), he told me that seven-eighths of the wounds received in Galicia were from shells fired from the Austrian big calibre guns. Bullets played no part whatever. The rifle is the infantryman's toy. The infantryman does not fight. When the big guns have finished the fighting, he occupies the trenches which have been tvon. The effect of the Skoda 17-inch howitzers, known as the "Pilseners" is worse than the Krupo "Fat Beri£ m;\' T1 »© Skoda shell* weighs 2800 ibs (lton sc»vt.) Their usual curve is near 4* miles high, and in ©oft ground they penetrate 20 feet before exploding. The explosion occurs two seconds after the impact. The "Pilseners" shell kills 3<veryone within 150 yards and kills many who are farther off. The mere pressure of the gas breaks in the partitions and roofs of bomb-proof shelters. Scores of men who escape metal fragments, stones and showers of earth are killed, lacerated or blinded by the pressure of the gas.

Writing from-Trentham, an Auckland member of the Eighth Reinforcements says: "The meals are good and there seems to be plenty to eat, though i I can pick that there won't be much change This morning we had mutton stew; for lunch fresh bread, jam and excellent cheese; and for tea roast beet and vegetables. The huts are well built, well ventilated, and roomy w ,4. J\ in thlf str-eet anyway, has 350 stretchers. At night the camp is a lively place, and trie church institutes, billiard saloons, picture show, shooting galleries, canteen, etc , are crammed with men. Our platoon sergeant is a line fellow. All our officers are out tp make us the best company that has yet left Trentham. Our noncoms, seem to think we will put in six or seven weeks here, seven weeks up country, and then another two weeks here before sailing. One sees some unusual thmgs. For instance, there is in our crowd a solicitor who is a BA and an LL.B. He :s a fine fellow, and a private. His officer is an erstwhile law clerk of tender years, also from Auckland. It seems somehow strange to see the barrister stand at attention, salute, and call the younger man sir. . . . This soldiering business looks as :f it is going to be 0.X., and it s me for the stripes."