LOCAL km GENERAL HEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 23 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL km GENERAL HEWS.

A number of soldiers who have been on their final furlough returned to camp by this morning's express train. There are now 800 members of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Club. With the return of so many men from the front, the roll of membership is increasing rapidly. Of the total length of the Australian transcontinental railway between JPort Augusta and Kalgoorlie —1051 mues — 946 miles have been completed, leaving 105 miles of track still to b.e laid. It is expected that the first through train will be run about the end of August. A number of miners at Newcastle, England, intend to help the nation financially by investing in the War Loan or some other Government) stock, and then publicly burning tht- bonds in a brazier, which will be preserved as a memorial. Mention is, made in a London paper of a cockerel', the property of a wealthy brewer which at 48 auction sales has raised the suni of £2626 for the Red Cross, and was to be sold yet again "by the latest buyers. Colonel Murdoch, of the War Chest Fund, has received from the Mayor of Lyons a necklet, for presentation to Lady Helen Munro Ferguson, wife of the Australian Governor-General, from the Soldiers' School, in recognition of the Australian gifts made (to French sol. diers. There has been no noticeable abatement of the diphtheria epidemic in Christchurch yet. Since May 1 20 cases have been notified, while during the previous seven days the number was 22. It is still distributed over a very" wide area in North Canterbury, and as far south as Burnham. In one of the schools on the West Coast the lady who cleans the building is evidently a true unionist. When requested by the headmaster to perform some additional work, she bluntly refused, with the curt comment that it was "not in her scuttle of duties." The whole time of the Magistrate's Court yesterday was occupied in the hearing of a defended action, in which Walker Harris (Mr ODea) claimed to recoved from Noti Rameka (Mr Spratt) the possession of four cows, or their value (£45). Considerable evidence was taken on both sides, and the hearing was adjourned until Thursday morning to enable counsel to address the Court. The members of the Park Tennis Club, as a fitting wind-up of the season, held a most successful dance in the Foresters' Hall last evening. There weire between o*o and 70 couples present. The floor was in first rate order for dancing. _ Excellent! music was supplied by an orchestra consisting of Mrs Hook (piano), Messrs Gould (cornet) and Cameron (violin). The duties of M.C. were efficiently carried out by Messrs Wilkie and Grinlinton. A dainty supper was provided by the ladies. At a meeting of the Prince of Wales' Committee for the care 'of soldiers' wives, held a/; the War Office, it was decided (writes the Wellington Post's London correspondent under date 27th March) that the question of the future status of the committee and arrangements for the care of military graves should be submitted to th© Imperial ! War Conference. It was~stated that the Government had decided that the cost of the provision of land for the grav<es of Dominion soldiers dying in , this country should be borne by the Im- \ penal Government. It was also stated that arrangements 'had been made by the War Office for the temporary marking of the graves of all soldiers dying ; in the United Kingdom. Mr Massey writes an article entitled "The Self-Sufficing Empire" for the Empire number of the Manchester Guardian, and according to the Welj lington Post's London correspondent writing on March 27th, the New Zealand Premier quotes sugar as a most glaring instance of the unwisdom of the .pre-war policy. He says: "The policy of the past by which we allowed foreign Governments to strangle a most important British industry by an iniquitous system of bounties is to my mind indetensible. I have no hesitation in saying that what we have allowed to take place in this respect has not been for | the good of the Empire or the individual members of its population. Take our own case in New Zealand. We do not produce sugar in the Dominion, though we refine it there the raw I sugar coming from Fiji; but just because Germany was not able. Jo reach us with its bounty-assisted sugar the price of, that article in New Zealand to-day is ijZl per ton, with a lower price to -non 6 CS mers- In England it is nominally £42 per ton, and almost unobtainable at that. Our cas.e i» a lesson which should not be lost sight of even view"*" g extreme free trade The Christchurch Press directs atten tion to the fact thait. an interesting and important decision, bearing on the sub. •S<? n^ tura, hsation, was given by the Xing^s Bench Division of the High Court of Justice recently The casp related to the son of Austrian parents ™ was born m London January 23rd' 1896 and whose father became a natur' iqql |" tl?V übiect on November 9th, aij 20Ji, 1910, and required to join the colors. Various appeals to tribunals followed, all of which were unsuccessful and on September 7th, 1916, he was sentenced by a court-martial to a term or imprisonment for refusing to obey orders In 1917 he cam e of age, and on February 12th he made a declaration °f . awenagP ™der Section 14 of the Britisn Nationality and Status of Aliens Act. He now contended that at the time of his birth, by th e law of Aus- ;" a > he was an Austrian subject and that .the effect of his declaration of alienage was to restore him to that «il legianoe, to divest him of his British na" tionahty, and thus to remove his liability /to military service under the Military Service Act, The Court held tnafc a man could not get rid of British nationality during a period of war and change his allegiance to allegiance to an enemy State. The applicant was therefore, still liable jfco military service under the Act. What does your race reveal? Tt is like an open book, and reveals much; but, unfortunately for some ladiea, superfluous hair is a constant and dreaded worry, and mars the whole racial beauty. In such case? we would like you to know of the effectiveness and^ complete destroying power of UU&MA. The removal of superfluouo hairs by this method is painless and permanent. Rusraa destroys every hair root, and leaves no scar* behind. Do not experiment with dangerous depilatories. Be treated with Ruama— you can use it in the privacy of your home without the slightest inconvenience. MRS HULLTCN, Toilet Specialist (nest Plunket Nurse's Dept.), 3 Courtenay Place. Wellinaton.v-Advt. That tickling, irritating cough can he promptly relieved by a few drops of "NAZOL" taken on lump sugar Get "NAZOL" to-night. Sixty doses, Is fid. —Adyt. DR. SHELDON'S MAGNETIC LINIMENT, THE PAIN BANISHER. Cuts, burns, and scalds quickly vanfeh if Dr. Sheldon's Magnetic Liniment •s iniftfed. Price, Is 6d and 3s a bottle. Obtainable everywhere. —Advt.

Letters received by the last mail from England throw light on recent ehangea with respeot to rationing military forces engaged in home duty. There ara, it appears, now two potatoless days, one meatless day, margarine is substituted for butter, and the ration of sugar is not served at mess, but used up in the cooking. The Otago No. 2 Military Service Board continues (says Saturday's Otago Daily Times) to put up good records in the matter of travelling. By the time the members return from Queenstown on Monday night they will have covered, in six days, a distance of 870 miles, sat in seven towns, and dealt with upwards of 300 appeals. A recent letter from England states that a "permanently unfit" camp for New Zealand soldiers is being established at Torquay, in England. The idea, the correspondent states, is to draft all permanently unfit men into the ne\v camp, and treat them there until there is accommodation for those well enough to be shipped back to New Zealand. The maternity home at Picton, which has just completed its fourth year of working, has been greatly appreciated. There were 56 patients last year, and in each case the mother was fit and well, able to leave the home in two or three weeks. The charges were moderate, and there were practically no bad debts. Dr Redman pointed out that the home was part and parcel of the big hospital, and was therefore run at a cheaper rate than otherwise would be the case. The sudden acquisition of wealth does not disturb "the even tenor of the way" of some people. A Maori woman in Gisborne last week had over £1000 in notes tied in a silk handkerchief fastened to her waist. Until a pakeha friend called her attention to it some £20 notes could be seen bulging out of the "wad." Another Maori woman had over £170 concealed in her clothing, and others had greater or lesser sums in their possession. A well-known Palmerston business man had an unusual experience on * train journey to Wellington one d»y during the week, but it emphasised the necessity for a person carrying his registration papers with him at all times. As the train was nearing Wellington, a military officer entered the carriage and asked the Palmerstonian to show his registration papers. Being unable to do so, he was reminded that he was liable to be handed over to the police, but luckily another Palmerston citizen was on the train, and was able to identify his fellow-townsman to the satisfaction of the officer, who informed the travellers that three passengers had been apprehended the previous day for not being able to produce their papers. A curious case came before the Third Military Service Board at Wellington. A member of the twenty-sixth Specialist Company at Featherston, in applying for exemption, said that he was a voluntary recruit, married -over eleven years ago, and with one child ten years of age. He entered camp last September, but on each occasion on which he was to have gone away he had been kept back on a doctor's certificate. Now his wife's health was breaking down by reason of his being ir. camp, and she objected to let him go. He added, in reply to a question, tliat his wife had not made any objection when he first told her he was going to enlist, but he was sure that now she would never agree to his returning to camp. The board decided to recommend leave of absence for two months, appellant to endeavor in the interval to persuade his wife to allow him to serve his country. All steamers now engaged in th© trade between the United Kingdom and Australia and New Zealand have been, requisitioned by the Imperial Government. The terms are what are known as "Blue Book" rates as to charter. These provide for the usual terms of charter of ships, the Government paying all charges for loading and discharging the ships as well as for the ooal required for bunkering. It is also understood that the Government pays a small percentage on the gross earnings of the ships to satisfy claims; also w«r risk insurance. The ship has to pay all other charges, such as the wages of officers and crojvs, and their victualling, and the usual marine insurance, repairs, and maintenance charges. The Government has (says th« Dominion) approved of a recommendation by the National Efficiency Board to add the flour milling industry to the tentative classification of industries already submitted under Class Br—Essential. Industries and occupations included under the B heading are regarded es essential, and aecond only in omportanoe to those in Class A—Mast Essential. In this classification it may be found that a very much larger percentage of men can be released for military service than may be possible in Class A. But no person should be removed whose removal would imperil the successful maintenance of the industry or occupation. ♦ The introduction of basketmaking among returned soldiers at the Rotorua Sanatorium has (the New Zealand Herald states) proved a most gratifying success, both financially and as a means of providing light employment for men physically unfit for more arduous forms of work. Tuition was commenced by Miss E. Fenton shortly before last Christmas, since which time about 50 soldiers have received instruction. They have also learned wickerwork, basketmaking, woodcarving, wool matmaking, raffia work, twine bag work, and poker work. The men are given the full price for the articles they make, minus the cost of material. Since Miss Fenton began her work among the soldiers, nearly £200, has been earned, £136 having been paid to the men, the remainder representing the cost of material, freight, and jother charges. An important branch of the work, and one which has added greatly to its success, is the dyeing of the cane and raffia used in basketmaking, and the lining of the finished article, this being done by Mrs Dyer and Miss Feirton. Tke success of the basketmaking scheme at Rotorua has encouraged its introduction at the Devonport Convalescent Home, where Sergeant ' Johns, Privates Small and Vallely, all expert workers, from Rotorua,* are acting aa instructors, with most satisfactory results. The men's winter underwear at Gillett's is the best value in town. Heavy ribbed shirts and pants, 4/6 each; heavy wool and cotton shirt? pnd pants, 4/11 each; natural woven shirts and underpants, winter weight. 3/11, 4/6, to 6/6; all-wool underflannels, 5/9; allwool ribbed and nlain heaw socks. Petone and Kaiapoi, from 1/6; fleecy undernants and shirts, from 2/9.—Advt. Watches for Chain or Wrist, handsome, moderate in price, and thorough, ly reliable. Repairs by competent workmen promptly executed. If you have a watch or clock deemed incurable, bring it to E. Morris, the Leading Jeweller. Hawern. —Advt. Famous hosiery bargains at the Melbourne Ltd. Ladles' black cotton hose, j Is pair; plain cashmere all-wool hose, ' Is lid pair; fine quality ditto, 2s lid j nair; all-wool black cashmere ribbed1 hose, 2s 3d pair; three-quarter socks, i sizes 3 to 10, Is 9d to 2s sd; men'a \ black cotton and wool socks, Is pair; j finer quality. Is 6d; all-wool ditto, Is * lid and 2s; fine Mosgiel socks, grey Is 6d, black Is 9d pair.—Adrt.

After having been closed for six we^ks by a great" snowstorm, the main roads leading from Teesdale and Weardale into Westmorland were opened out during the last winter in England. The work had to be done "5y men with shovels, and some of the cuttings are 12ft deep. Looking at it from a patriotic point ot view, the value of anything is extremely uncertain. This weeic a; Highland bullock, presented by Sir Walter Buchanan, was sold by auction in Masteuton and it realised £130. K. has since been resold on behalf of a patriotic cause, and it brought an additional £100.' "What will you do with your farm when you go to camp?" was a question asked of a witness at the Third Military Service Board in Wellington. "I will either have to dock the gate's or else let it fall back into the mortgagee's hands," was the reply. "Do__you suggest that seriously P' said" Mr Mack. "I do indeed," exclaimed the appellant, "it is far too valuable a farm to leave in charge of .a man I do not know." "A Conciliation Commissioner requires to possess the heart of a lion, the hide of a rhinoceros, and the patience of Job," remarked Mr Harle Giles at a sitting of the Conciliation Council in Auckland, after having saifc for about a couple of hours on a case. "You have certainly displayed the latter gift," was the comment of one assessor. It will probably interest many to know that a steamer from America landed enough motor cars in Lyttelton to make up a goods train to Christchurch (says the Xew Zealand Locomotive Engineers' Journal). The cars were unloaded in the Waltham yard, two cases high, and about two or three hundred yards long. General orders contain an extract from Imperial Army Orders relating to the powers of courts-martial rto deprive a soldier of orders in punishment for military offences. Formerly a Court could forfeit any Order except the Companionship of the Bath or the Victoria Cross. The new rule protects the soldier in possession of "an Order such as {the C.8., C.M.G.. D.5.0.. etc., or the following; decorations: V.C., M.C., V.D., or T.D." The use of New Zealand beech timber for butter boxes is advocated by a Southland sawmiller. Beech, he told an Invercargill reporter, had been 'tested in Melbourne by an expert butter packer, and found absolutely free from taint, while it was also light and easily nailed. The timber would now b.e used by Australia for butter boxes .if shipping space could be obtained, and he suggested that it should be tested officially. There was sufficient bjeech in Southland 1 to supply the whole of the Dominion for many years, the timber available amounting to hundreds of millions of •feet. It had lately come into extensive use for cheese and other cases, and there was no reason, in his opinion, why it should not make excellent butter boxes. The Australian Prime Minister believes that an annual conference of representatives of the Dominions arid India, constituting an Imperial Cabinet, would be an effective instrument to formulate Imperial policy. He stated last week that he considered Mr Lloyd George's suggestion for an annual Imperial Cabinet a, good idea. He had no doubt whatever that the future policy of the Empire would be moulded by an Imperial conference after peace had been declared. The resolutions at the recent conference were merely suggestions. The Imperial policy for the future had not yet been moulded. The present conference, which was about to conclude its deliberations, must be regarded as tentative, held merely to make suggestions. The conference which would meet after the war would have a most important duty cast upon it. In an interview in Auckland, Mr H. Suzuki, a Japanese merchant who has been touring Australasia, was emphatic in urging upon his own Government and ♦that of Australia and New Zealand the extreme necessity for combination and organised effort in maintaining the trade of the Pacific. Mr Suzuki said: "For many years past New Zealand and jAustralia have misunderstood 'Japan and hor people,' but mow that so much depends on co-operation and combined organisation, I think it is our duty,to realise that" after the war Germany is not to enter the Pacific with her-mer-chantmen, and the only way to prevent that is to work together for the betterment of the people directly-interest- , ed in the Pacific—Americans, Australi--1 ans, New Zealandere, and Japanese. By excluding Germany from the trade we are going to maintain peace in th# Pacific and realise the broad possibilities of its trade and turn them to channels of mutual benefit." On the evening of Saturday, April 28, a number of .young men were having supper at a restaurant in Masterton when an argument ensued over the possession of a hat, which ultimately led to blows. It is alleged that one, named Arthur Barnes, struck another named Leo Dixon, an employee at the post office^ a blow causing Dixon to strike his head against the wall with such force as to inflict a scalp wound. The injured lad, however, felt no serious effects, and went to work as usual on the Monday. Later, however, blood poisoning set in, and Dixon was removed to the Masterton Hospital, where he remained in a precarious condition. Last week Barnes was arrested ? and charged with assault and causing bodily harm. On the application of the police he was remanded, bail being fixed at— self £50 and one surety of £50. The bail was found. At the monthly meeting of the Otago and Southland Fire Underwriters' Association, the chairman (says the Otago Daily Times) intimated that he had received a communication from Superintendent Napier, of the Dunedin Fire Brigade, drawing attention to the dangerous nature of the damp-proof lining paper that was at present being largely used in the construction of wooden " buildings. On a small piece of this paper, which was produced, being lit, it burned fiercely in spite of repeated efforts to blow out the flames, showing that the use of this paper will greatly increase the risk of total loss if a building in which it is used catches fire. A still more serious consideration is the danger to life, as the paper when burning produces a thick, black smoke that would quickly overcome the inmates of a burning building and so prevent their escape. It was the imanimous opinion of the meeting that the use of this paper constitutes a menace to life and property, and that the dangers attendant on its use should be made widely known. Until lately the U.S.A. supplied New Zealand with three million pounds of tobacco per year. Now, however, New Zealand grows its own, p.nd Gold Pouch Aromatic is the sweetest, coolest and most distinctive tobacco you could smoke. Gold Pouch Aromatic has quite a different flavor because it contains only l"i per cent, of nicotine as against 4 per cent, and 5 per cent, in imported tobaccos. This makes for health, since excess nicotine has a very bad influence on the heart. You should try Gold Pouch Aromatic—you should try it ber>?>use 'tip pure, flavorons, and free from bite, and in smoking it you will help the Empire. Gold Pouch Aromatic is the bigtrpst shilling's worth in the tobacco world— 2k oz. bag for Is. Try N.Z. grown "Three Diamonds" if you're a cigarette man—same price.—Advt. 10

A correspondent writes to the Christchureh Press as follows: "Looking over an old Hansard (vol. 119) tonight, I came across a point in a debate on October 23, 1901, which I hand on to you for whatever interest it may possess. Mr Herries was speaking (on the Cook and Other Islands Government Bill), and he said (page 659): 'For instance, if we went to war with Germany, the first thing we would do, no doubt, would be to send an expedition to take Samoa.' Mr Seddon: 'No, that would not be prudent.' " According to the Southland Times, two fishermen had an exciting experience on a recent afternoon while fisning off Dog Island. They had been troubled for some time by a shark clearing their baits and driving fish away, and on Tuesday the monster again approached when they baiit.ed,a hook with 401b of giioper and successfully hooked the shark. An exciting fight followed, the shark towing the launch for over an hour before tiring and rising to the surface, wh.en the fishermen successfully killed it. The shark took two hours to tow to Bluff, and when landed tipped the scale at 1 ton 2 cwt, measuring 14ft. lin. from ,-tip to tip, and 9ft. 6in. around the girth. An application for a permit to burn rubbish on Sunday having been refused by the town clerk, »tho .applicant (Mr A. P. Firiend) made application through, his solicitor to the City Council, pointing out that it was not any business of City by-laws ±o provide for Sunday observance. The city solicitor's opinion was taken on the point, and he advised that it had been ruled in what is called the "Sunday Golf Case" in Wellington recently that any question of Sabbath observance was beyond the scopu of municipal by-laws. In view of this the Council has (says the -Star) instructed the town clerk hot to make any distinction of the kind indicated when dealing with applications for permits to burn rubbish. A correspondent, writing to the Auckland Star with reference to the Acting-Premier's reply about 6 o'clock closing, asks: "Has Sir James Allen an opinion from the Solicitor-General that there is no authority to close the bars of public houses at 6 o'clock? If there is such an opinion it ought to be published. I doubt it. The Su : preme Court has upheld the power of the Government to dispose of State funds without the sanction of Parliament in the butter-fat case, which seriously aifected small farmers. Surely closing an hotel bar is not a greater stretch of authority than declaring how State moneys are to be dealt Avith. But no doubt the SolicitorCereral would tell Sir James Allen that he has ample power under the Defence law and our Civil Service legislation to absolutely prohibit all soldiers and all civil servants from entering hotels after 6 p.m. Let that regulation be enacted." A number of youths under 21 years of age were brought before the V*c" torian State Commandant (BrigadierGeneral Williams) in Melbourne last week, and charged with having made false statements to the recruiting officer, either concerning their ages or as to their parents' consjjnt. There were 25 cases in all. Most of the offenders were summarily discharged from the Service, and cautioned ,that a second offence would render them liable to court-martial and imprisonment. Although these lads had been treated with leniency, said the Commandant, in future the regulations would be strictly enforced. Boys under the age of 21 years who falsely declare that they are of age, and those under 18 years, who enlist without their parents' consent, will be required to refund all money paid to them, as well as the cost of articles issued by the Department. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Dunedin Free Kindergarten Association, Dr Emily Siedeber^ made reference' to the evils of small children being taken in the evening to picture shows instead of being put to bed at 6 or 7 o'clock in the evening to rest the tired body. Let them conjure up in their minds the hot, overcrowded, and ill-ventilated picture shows, the atmosphere laden with the breaths of two or three hundred people, many of them suffering from consumption, some from colds, influenza, and, perhaps, mild unrecegniged attacks of measles or scarlet fever. The child of three or four years was taken out at night, tired, after a long day's play. It got home at half-past ten, its eyes dazed and strained from the cohtsant vibration of the pictures, its nervous system excited with the depiction of all the passions of adult life, so that it dreamt them all over again in its restless, nervous sleep, and thoughts were set going which should be dormant for many years. In this way the desire for excitement and still more excitement was implanted, and the nervous system soon became a wreck, xinfitted for the duties and strain of life. After the election campaign in Australia was over, there came to light an astounding example of the morality of the P.L.L. mind. A number of private telegrams sent in connection with the election were stolen by telegraph officials and handed over to the P.L.L. leaders, who did not scruple to use the purloined information on the platform and in their publications. The grave menace to the public involved in the existence of dishonest officials in the service has been appreciated by the Postmaster-General, who is taking steps to discover the offenders. The P.L.L. organisation not only used the stolen messages, but even approved the stealing of them. One of them, a Mr Bennett, who was a P.L.L. candidate for one of the seats in the House of Representatives, and who is a vicepresident of the P.L.L., delivered a speech in which he deprecated the fuss that was being made. He confessed that his party had a number of sympathisers in the Post and Telegraph Department, who, in his opinion, would be failing in their duty if they did not divulge any messages passed through their hands which appeared, from their political viewpoint, to be "underhand." Dunedin is angry at what are termed "matters of absolute insanity," in connection with Defence Department red tape. At the last meeting of the Patriotic Society there was related the case of a man who was ordered to have his teeth replaced, who did so, who was afterwards rejected, and then received a command to return the teeth. It would be interesting to know what the department intended to do with the teeth if the man surrendered them. Bite the Government, perhaps! (suggests the Star). This'story is akin to one that tickled the gossips recently. It concerned an incident at a military funeral at Invercargill. A horse attached to a gun carriage broke the line, as they say in military circles, and a soldier was ordered to go to its head. In doing so the beast swung violently round, and the shaft of the carriage poked the man in the back. He calmed the horses and resumed his place. After the funeral, however, the minor injury annoyed the soldier, and h e went to a chemist for a liniment, vMch cost 2s 6d. Later he sent in his bill to the department for 2s 6d. The account went right up the ladder of authority, | with the result that an enquiry was ordered, and officials had to go from Dnnedin to Invercargill to investigate and to take evidence. There was. you see, a principle involved. It is not told whether the soldier got his half-crown!

A Sydney firm was recently fined.. £25 for storing 10,000 cases of benzine within three feet of an electric? switchboard and within ten feet of a lighted forge. In announcing the decision to suspend publication on Saturday, the Chnstehurch Evening News 'stated: 'The main reason for this step, which ' has been taken after due deliberation and with a good deal of regret, is the increasing difficulty of securing supplies of printing paper, which is now more acute than ever. Not only has the price more than doubled, but with the reqTiisitioning of the cargo steam- • ers trading between Canada and New Zealand, almost our only available source of supply will be cut off." A grand patriotic euchre party and dance ; under the auspices of the Hawera -Friendly Societies' Social Club, ' ia conjunction with the Red. Cross assemblies, will be held in the Foresters' Hall this evening. As the proceeds are to be devoted to the,, funds cf the-Ret-rned Soldiers' Club,'there is sure to be a large attendance. The progressive card tournament will commence at 8 o'clock, after which therewill be a dance. A pleasant evening is assured patrons,, and every indication points to the gathering being most successful. Samples of three-ply • board manufactured at Taumarunui have been o~* exhibition in London lately at the offices of the Board of Trade's' Department of Commercial Intelligence. The woods used are rinvu, matai, and white pine, and the quality of the work has drawnfavorable comment from British usersof this material. The United Statesand Japan are large exporters of threej ply board, which is in demand in thej furniture and building trades. TheI material is produced by cementing to- ; gether three very thin' sheets of wood' •< i with the grain of the centre sheet running crossways. Major Rawdon Beere, of Wellington, writing from somewhere* in France, • says: "The Maoik are great boys over here, and are easily the most cheerful' people in Europe. Wherever there isa Maori there is laughter." Soldiering is worse than the law in its neverending changes. There is always cropI ping up some 'leading case' to alter I one's former ideas of how this or thatrj should be done, and a soldier * musti ever be on tne alert to avoid some act I which would have been all right yesterday, but is all wrong to-day. Theline is wonderfully interesting, and playing, with 'Fritz' is better than tennis or hockey." The last progress report of the Dis•harged Soldiers' Information Department, dated May 16, shows that the^ to£al, number of men on .he register of the Department is now 5792. Of. | these 171 are on the employment wanted register. The men seeking, work in the districts near to Wellington are distributed as follows: Taihape, 2; Feilding, 1; Palmerston N., 3; Taranaki, 7 ; Wanganui, 8; Napier,, 7; Hastings, 3; Wairarapa, 3] Wellington, 6; Blenheim, 1; and Nelson, The proposal to establish a line of steamers owned in New Zealand for the carriage to the markets of the world of ]\ew Zealand's produce was. mentioned at the meeting of the Wel--1 lington Central Chamber of Commerce on Monday (says the Dominion). Mrj Leigh Hunt said that the scheme was. 1 a very big one, the amount of capital contemplated__being no less than five millions sterling, but the scheme wasas yet only in an embryonic stateHe believed that the promoters were determined to go on with the scheme,, and he moved : "That this chamber ! views with satisfaction the movement. j to establish an overseas shipping com- • pany, owned and controlled in New . Zealand, and wishes the enterprisesuccess." Mr Nelson said that he did ' not think the proposal was one to call i for the approval of a body such as 1 the chamber. Such a recognition might, tend to put a false value on thescheme, which, was really a private enterprise. The motion lapsed for lack of a seconder. The question of the revisioH off Stratford's by-l,aws occupied the attention of borough' councillors at their last \ meeting, when some peculiar anomalies were disclosed (says thePost). It was pointed out that the by-laws were framed in 1898, when probably there were no motor cars in New Zealand, and the draft of the bylaw© does not allow for the definition of "vehicle" including the now übiquit- ■ ous motor. The Council are up againetJ the fact that their inspector is absoI lutely powerless to deal with the motor traffic, for where there is no "vehicle" I known as a motor there can be no offence against the by-laws! Again,, the by-laws make no provision for the storage of dangerous goods such ae~ benzine, and the clerk stated that according to the statute no person must keep more than half a pint of benzine! The Council resolved to delete theclause in the committee's report to> place the whole of the borough by-laws in the solicitor's hands for revision,, the cost of which was stated Avould be about £100 or more.