The Ensign FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1919. WORK OF REPATRIATION.

Mataura Ensign, 19 December 1919, Page 4

The Ensign FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1919. WORK OF REPATRIATION.

When the full record of New Zealand’s repatriation work is written it will astonish many people. During llu election campaign we J stened to torrents of abuse from the lips of the Government’,s polit cal foes, provided, of course, with the intention of showing how the Dominion had failed in its duty to the men who,, fought for us overseas. The arguments advanced tjrpre mean and trivial. Individual cases of hardship were pilloried, mountains made out of molehills by many candidates, and the vast amount of useful work accomplished was forgotten or absolutely ignored. The pubhc was invited to believe that the treatment of our men at the hands of the Reform Administration was a scandal. Bui sucli statements are far from the truth, and indeed unworthy of any man who believes in a certain degree of honesty. When the drums of war ceased over 12 months ago and l thousands of our young men were released from the work ot fighting the enemy forces it was generaly anticipated that the repair ation problems would' be of such a nature as to require more ingenuity and resource than was necessary to raise tintroops in the first instance. The Government faced the task sternly, and without any fanfare of trumpets get in to work in earnest. A steady stream of men began to How back to this country, employment was found for those fit to take up duties of any character, assistance was provided for the needy, the sick and wounded were cared for m up-to-date hospitals, provided with tlie best brains and instruments, and many men are now being speedily restored to health and strength. New trades and l professions have been taught, and the Repatriation Department, in co-operation with other State Departments, is opening up new opportunities for the men better than any that had come to them in the years before the war. The highly-specialised organisation of hospitals and convalescent homes under the control of the Defence Depatrment has evoked tributes of from many impartial observers, and anyone who has seen the work of these institutions cannot fail to be impressed by what is being done. As far as the employment of the soldiers goes the number of men out of work at the present time is practha.'.y negligible owing to the good" work of tlie Government Repatriation Department. Altogether 49,042 soldiers have returned to this Dominion since ihc beginning of the year( and out of this number only 218, according to olfieiii returns, were awaiting employment fit the end of last month. Of this numbe; only 11 were receiving unemploymeu pay, one of these being in Otago, 39 of the “waiting” soldiers being in o .same district, tlie smallest number for any district in New Zealand. In the first eight months of its existence, ? at is up to October 20 last, the Repatriation Department had 74,118 men on its register, it had expended in way o f loans ,etc., £504,215, and had out 2664 men in training, of whom 428 had completed their course. In many other ways to those mentioned the Gover iment has been doing its part to fulfil its pledge to the men when they first took up arms. It cannot be said that the Government has failed. For “those men who have the 1 will to wo. k every opportunity is placed in their path, and not only a happy but also a prove.-ous future lies ahead of them.

‘ - aking after the poll Air J. AlcCombs. AI.P., prophesied that the ■Tabor Party woulld have to find the Leader of the Opposition. “I have a frog in my throat.” said Air E. J. Howard, the new AI.P. for Christchurch South, when returning thanks, but his hoarseness he viewed witli equanimity, “for my opponent has a whale in his,” he averred. A Dunedin message states that Ethel Victoria Andrew, who pleaded guilty iu the Lower Court to a charge of concealment of birth, came up for sentence at the Supreme Court, and was admitted to probation. A Dunedin message says that - a young man named Albert Alartin Aletzger, a shepherd, working at Campbell Islands, pleaded guilty in the Police Court to a charge that at Campbell Islands lie unlawfully took 13 seals during the close season. The defendant was fined £2O and costs. Special attention is directed to an important land sale being held by the National Alortgagc and Agency Comianv to-morrow (Saturday). On the one hand valuable freehold house property is being offered, and this should, interest many people wanting dwellings. The other sale is a very choice dairy farm with all stock given in. AVc commend these sales to the notice of those interested in such investments. The. ‘Government Aleteorulogist report* as follows; The indications; are for. variable and strong breezes, from the north, strong to a gale, prevailing, and veering by west to ‘south after about 24 hours. The weather appears likely to be cloudy and unsettled. There are indications for electrical d sturbanr-cs. Heavy rain is to be expected, with rivers rising shortly. The barometer is falling but will rise after about 24 hours; then expect colder weathey. Air L. Af. Tsitt, AI.P.. who won Christchurch North by over 2000 votes, ■mid the results disclosed that Labor 4 bad. to a large extent turned him (the speaker) down. (Cheers.) He did not care a halfpenny for that. He bad never turned Labor down, and lie was going back to the House to carry ■ui on the same lines he had previously followed. “I shall stand on the one hand for honest effort to right every genuine economic injustice that exists but on the other hand I shall stand for hitting lawlessness with a steam hammer.” (Uproar and a count out. The county poll for the Southland Hydro-Electric Power Board members takes place to-morrow between 9 a.in. and 6 p.m. All ratepayers on the rolls :n any riding are entitled to vote, and as the occasion is of great importance to the future of the district we hope to see much interest manifested. Five members are to he elected out of 11 seeking the honor, and tlfe candidates are for the most part well-known and' respected progressive residents of the d’strict. so that it would appear probable that the personnel of the Board will leave little room for complaint. An election of one member for the con> bined districts representing parts of the Counties of Tuapeka and Chitha will be held at the same timc. ; and for this const tuency two progressive calibrates (Messrs" A. A-. Atatheson and R., A. Rodger) are seeking election. Each elector has one personal vote only, though Irs name may appear in more than one r’ding. If. a ratepayer’s name appears on a roll in any other interest beside* bis own he has a vote in that interest. “NO RUBBING” Laundry . Help is free from all caust : cs, or other injurious chemicals, lienee the popularity of “NO RUBBING.” Is pecket sufficient for seven weekly washings.— f. AlacGibbon and Co., Ltd. Form the good habit of inhaling “NAZOL” and you’ll keep free from roughs and colds. Eighfceenpeuce buy* IH) doses.

“A city, with 250,000,000 inhabitants,” said Sif Joseph Ward at the Auckland Town all, when speaking of one of the centres in France that has been swept away by the war. “ Wasn’t it thousands p” whispered someone on the platform. “Well,” replied Sir Joseph, with a laugh, “we have been dealing so much in millions lately that die slip must be excused.”

“I believe in punishment-—at least i do now,” said Bishop Julius, amidst laugluer, at a prizc-g ving ceremony at Christ’s College, Christchurch. “Punishment, however, I look upon as a confession of failure on the part of the man who administers it.” Laughter,, ming'ed with loud applause, particularly from the college boys, greeted Ins Lordship’s remarks.

*sTChristchurch message says that a young man Richard Joseph Barrett, the eldest son of Mr J. S. Barrett, the well-known Christchurch solicitor, was found on Wednesday evening lying unconscious beside his motor cycle on Riccarton Road, and removed to hospital, whore he died this afteropn. It is believed his motor cycle skidded. He was a student of the Canterbury Agricultural College and was educated at St. Bede’s Collegiate School.

A fatal motor accident occurred in Cuba Street, Wellington, yesterday afternoon. As far as can be gathered an Army iService Corps motor lorry was proceeding down the street when a little girl, aged 13, whose father is Mr H. W. Lawton, of the Agricultural Department’s Staff, stepped off the footpath to cross the road. She had almost passed in front of the lorry which was travelling at about four to five miles an hour when she stepped hack and was knocked down and killed by the wheel passing over her body.

The family-which can “sport” a turkey as Christmas fare can certainly say mat they are celebrating “regardless” (says the Christchurch ’Sun’). It is imost impossible to obtain these birds in the ordinary way, and then only at an extraordinarily high price. Indeed, all classes of table poultry are extremely scarce, and prices show an advance of about 40 per cent, over last season’s. -The-reason for the scarcity Is ;hat providores of vessels have secured large quantities of poultry and the special festivities since the spring also have made inroads into the supply. One large dealer states that usually lie has about 500 turkeys for the Christmas season. So far, lie hasjume n hand. They certain’y would not retail at less than 30s each.

“If there is one thing more certain than another,'it is that if we do not educate our young people decently Now Zealand will drift back*” remarked Dr. A. K. Newman in the course of an address in Wellington. “1 was reading the other day that a child would 1 be better unborn than be brought up uneducated. With the new industries that are being established in New Zealand, if we do not educate our boys and girls the result will be that they will do the poorest aud hardest work and will get poor wages, and the best billets well go to those who come from elsewhere. “ You will not make your mark in the world unless you bare education, physical; fitness and .high character,” remarked General' Gf. S; Richardson when addressing the pupils of Mount Cook (Wellington) School on the occasion of the reading of the school Roll of-Honor, ‘‘l hope you boys will try to develop that character. It wag one of the-char-actea'istics of the New Zealand Army during the war that our men were mei of good character. There was very little crime throughout the Expeditionary Force.”

The fossil beds in the AV ynyard Blutl, Tasmania, .-which have already been shown many times to be the restingplace of the holies of rare extinct animals, have again yielded up onc-of .those scientific treasures which only occasionally come into the. possession of a public institution (says the ‘Launceston Examiner 1 ). The fossil whale which was obtained lately by Professor Flynn, ol the Tasmanian University, and thought a its uncleansed 1 condition to belong to. the interesting group of beaked whales, has now been taken to Hobart, and the greater part, of covering rock has been removed. It has been lound to be much more valuable and. rare than at first supposed. Jn fact, the specimen is absolutely unique. It is one individual of a race of whales long extinct, in which some of the teeth w'ere serrated 1 ke those of a shark. A few teeth of these whales have from time to time been found in various deposits in Australia, but never before has the complete -slxX2.il been 'l'hit unique specimen is closely allied to a whale Prosqualdon, of which two very much broken specimens were found,in certain tertiary beds of Patagonia. One of the skulls is in the British Museum, die ether in the Museum of La Plata 1 . .Besides the skull, Professor Flynn was- able to obtain the skeleton of the arm, a number of ribs and vertebrae, the breastbone, the bones of the ear, and some others. It is very rarely that it is possible to obtain so much, material from' a fossil skeleton of this kind, whose age can be reckoned as not less than 2,000,000 years.

Such gusts of laughter as probably its dignified walls never echoed to before rang through the vestibule of the 'lown Hall, Sydney, recently (says an exchange), when a multitude, of women gathered to discuss the matter of improving the status of domestic service. The meeting, convened by the Mayor, created much interest. Airs Edgeworth David was in the chair, and' a. great many well-known women were present. Airs Sydney Herring told a story, certified as absolutely true, to the effect that an elderly widower with a large family of young children was seeking to engage a woman to keep house for him and care for the children. He could offer only 10s per week as wages, but added' that if no one could be found to accept those conditions he was willing to mary the woman. There was something in this hit of real life that (in spite of its pathos) appealed’ to the essentially feminine quality of the audience. No son of Adam would ever really comprehend why the whole assembly rocked with laughter? The “domestic arena” is an expression that has displaced the old. comfortable phrase, “domestic hearth,” and it rather aptly indicates the changed conditions of life. The desirableness of raising the status of the domestic helper, legalising the hours and remuneration, and increasing the facilities for teaching practical domestic science and mothereraft were among the resolutions passed by the meeting. One heartily-supported' suggestion was that every architect should bo forced to serve six mouths 'in a kitchen before being allowed to plan a homo. It was conceded that mistresses are often as badly in need of training for their special duties a« are maids. .

Anyone who walks through “MacGibbon’s” will have no doubt as to the splendid condition of our stocks. There is’a holiday atmosphere all through bhe store, and in these early days of the holiday season there is a freshness and special charm about the Christmas merchandise that makes it well worth while to begin shopping now. AVe would adv.se our pptrons to start out with their lists right away and secure better service and better selections than they would do by leaving their shopping until Christina* Eve.

At the weekly gathering of-the Palmerston'North Luncheon' Club Mr J. H. Watt, who has recently returned from a trip through America and Canada, gave an entertaining account of lus experiences. In referring to the gravity of the race riots in Chicago he said that this had been very much minimised by the press generally. It had been stated by the newspapers that there had l been 36 deaths of negroes, but the inside estimate was nearer 3600., During, the time that the riots were going on it was dangerous to go about lin tlie streets of the city. Fleeing negroes were pursued by the crowd and shot at in every direction. Even white 1 women took a hand in the game, firing from the windows of their houses, in* on© place Mr Watt .saw a- black thrown from a seventh-storey window and killed. A police patrol simply came along and removed the body, but no inquiries appeared to be made as to where it came from. The trouble arose m the first place through the spirit’ng away of white girls. Then the returned- soldiers took a collective hand. Trouble also arose because negro soldiers, who -had been treated as. equals in France, were relegated to their inferior status on their return, and against this they showed active resentment. While the trouble was on great numbers of waiters and waitresses were ejected from restaurants and hoardinghouses and transferred in pobce waggons to the native quarters. When tlie trouble was over the proprietors were glad to get them back because they Were much more industrious and efficient than tlie casual helpers.

A maintenance case having unusual features came before Mr McLean. S.M., at Timaru. A retired farmer nafned Patrick Fahey was sued tor maintenance by his wife, whom he loft in Melbourne ■ with four children 18 rears ago when he came to New Zealand for a year or two. He wrote to her and sent small sums, the wife said onlv £2. He also asked her to come to New'Zealand’, but sent her ho money for her passage. She replied that she would com© if he sent the passage money. Since then she had heard nothing more of or from him, txntil ;teiCently. and had to get her own living by washing and charing. She had suffered in the influenza epidemic and her ; doctor had advised her to give up work if she could. The defendant admitted that be had £2OOO in War Loan bonds and £IGSO -on mortgage, and had bought a house he occupied in Timaru, bisi income being about £4 per week. H<f had sent nothing to his wife for 15 years. He came to 'New Zealaxxd with his wife’s-consent'and would have made a. home for her if she bad come over. He did not wish her to live with him now. Miss Walker, a cousin of the defendant, gave evidence that she all along disapproved of the defendant's neglect of his wife and children and had tried to get the wife’s address. Only recently she had succeeded, and it was due to her that the wife was now- bringing tlie action. The defendant had always had a housekeeper and sometimes a housekeeper 1 with children. Witness had no grievance against the defendant except* his neglect of his wife and children. The Magistrate made an ox’der for £2-5 in respect of past maintenance, and £1 los per week henceforward and a deposit of £2OO or to find a bond for £2OO to ensure compliance.

Practical suggestions in Christmas and New Year Gifts are in evidence in all departments at Thomson and Beattie’s, and their display is well worth paying a visit. Articles of utility are in abundance, such as Ladies’ Handbags, Handkerchiefs, Blouses. Linen Goods and many useful items for the men folk, such as Ties, SOx, Umbrellas, Shirts, etc., etc. Be sure and see their window displays.

When one man presents a Christmas present to another it .is usually some article of wearing apparel. He knows that this is what will be most appreciated. and he knows what to select. The woman buyer, however, ushally feels that■ there are only ■ one or two such Article's she can safely buy,’ fearing she might not correctly judge his taste and preferences. We give her a. list of Articles sold in our. Men’s Outfitting Department and their prices. The things men ,select, and, designed to suit every taste: —Men’s Neglige Shirts, from 7s Gd to 12s Gd; Silk, from 13s Gd to 255; Cashmere Sox, 2s lid to 5s 6d; Silk Collars, Is Gd to Is 9d; Ties, Is Gd, 2s Gd to 4s 9d,: Pyjamas, 7s 6d to 17s 6d; Hats, 5s 6d to 19s Gd; Gd each; Silk, 3s Gd to 5s Gd; Initial, Is Gd; Braces,! Is Gd to 3s lid; Linen Collars, all shapes, Is Gd each. A largo selection of other suitable Gifts at H. and J. Smith, Ltd., Gore.

Message boy wanted. Palace Pictures to-night. Sale at Rialto to-morrow. Cregan wants farm hands. . Sale of grazing rights Dec/20. Xmas and New Tear train fares. Farmers’ Union meeting to-morrow. Pictures, Princess Thcatrd, to-night. Wendonsidc Soldiers’ Memorial Committee meeting, Dec. 23..