LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Times, Volume XL, Issue 13947, 27 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The annual meeting of the Y.W.C.A. will be hold at the Hostel. Queen St., on. Tuesday at 7.30 p.m. F. J. Donnelly was lined os, in default 48 hours ’ imprisonment, by 'Mr W. F. Durward, .T.P., yesterday morning far drunkenness. The Chamber of Commoree. has been revivified lately and its activities have induced a large number of citizens to join irp. During the past month 70 new members have joined. A small girl of six years, Maud Oliver, was knocked down by a boy cyclist at Terrace End. Her injuries consisted of a broken leg and severe bruises. The Mayor has received a letter from Colonel Potter, C.M.G., expressing warm thanks to the people of Palmerston for their treatment of the Camp Band and bayonet fighting class on the occasion of their recent visit to this town. The treasurer of Hie Wellington Facing Club was charged at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday with allowing money to be invested on the totalizator in the Trial Plate at the recent races at Trentham after the time of starting the race. Chief-Detective Boddam explained that there was no suggestion of fraud, a technical broach of the law only having been committed. Air Kiddell, S.M., imposed a nominal penalty of isos and 7s costs. Good towels priced lower than today’s English cost, at the Htoro for Value, Heavy white, towels, 23 x 4.U, 9d pair.—The C. M. Foss Co.' t

Yesterday at. the West End school Arbor Day was celebrated, and a large number of trees were planted by the boys in tho school grounds. , “Is the proposal of the prohibition party to pay £4,500,000 for compensation to the liquor trade preposterous?” will be iho subject of" the Rev. F. W. Boys’ address at St. Paul's Methodist Church. Broad Street, on Sunday. Miss Bennett will sing “I Stood Outsidb the Gate. ’ ’ , Present weather indications are for moderate to strong southerly and easterly winds. Mr Bates expects cool and changeable weather generally, but unsettled conditions with rain are probable shortly in the northern ami cast coast district of the North Island. The barometer is unsteady. A. very interesting and instructive lecture on “John Knox” was delivered by Mr J. 8. Munro at a well-attended meeting of the Protestant Political Association last uight. Revs. Doull and Grinstoad contributed interestingly to the subsequent discussion. The lecturer was warmly thanked. At the meeting of members of the Hospital Board with Dr. Watt, of the Public Health Department on Thursday, in reply to a question by Mrs Gill, Dr. Walt .stated that coss-pits in the Borough were nuisances and under the provision of the Public Health Aet, their owners were liable to prosecution. The Mayoress and her committee are making preparations to pack their Christmas parcels, and would be very grateful for Vi and %lb. tins. It is hoped to include a pair of socks in each parcel, so donations of knitted socks are much desired. All gifts may be left at the Red Cross depot, Council Chambers. During proceedings of tho First Auckland Service Board reference was made by a solicitor to the hardship and inconvenience occasioned by sending men to the Cl experimental camp. It was true, he said, that in a number of instances some of-the men wore made fit, but it seemed that many were soon returned home. Even regarding those passed as fit,-nothing was known as to whether or not they ever reached _the firing line. The Board, as it has done before, agreed with counsel's remarks. Regarding a suggestion that the Government will compel farmers to grow wheat, Mr Jones, President of the Canterbury Farmers’ Union, said the farming community would never consent to be treated in a dictatorial manner. The problem of compulsory wheatgrowing was interwoven in some measure with the question of industrial conscription. The Government could not compel the farmers to grow wheat unless it provided them with sufficient and efficient labour. A spirited declaration of his willingness to serve his country was made at the Military Service Board sitting at Auckland by the father of an appellant, himself a veteran soldier and ex-non-comniissioncd officer of the Life Guards. “Yes,” he exclaimed, “my youngest boy enlisted as soon as war broke out, and I did my beat; to follow him! .1 shaved off my beard and moustache and told them a lie—yes. Your Worship, I lied to them!—and told them I was 45 instead of (55, I was so anxious to.go. But it wasn't any use.” he added, sadly; “they wouldn't take me.” In proof of his statement, he exhibited a document , stating that he had volunteered, but had been rejected as being over military ago. A Press Association telegram from Christchurch says: Tho relationship of members of friendly societies to hospitals was referred to yesterday by the Hon. G. W. Russell, who said that although he was in sympathy with the work of the societies, he wgs satisfied that one of the causes of the large increase in hospital expenses was the lack of definite relations between the societies and the institutions. He had obtained a report from every hospital board in New Zealand as to the terms on which the members of societies were admitted. It was shown that in one of tho largo hospital districts the friendly societies, by a payment of £,-’SO in ono year, had received over £2OOO in value in the .shape of treatment for members and their families.

Wa-sto of labour is just as disastrous as waste of material, said Mr W. H. Hemingway, in his lecture on “ Compulsory Loans” at the Auckland University College. He expressed the opinion that while the people might be willing that money should bo raised, they did not wash to see it wasted by an army of officials far removed from the theatre of war. It was discouraging, he said, to the patriotic citizen who had lent money to the State to sec officers and non-commissioned officers walking about and apparently doing little more than drawing their salaries. One extraordinary fact revealed by the war was that whilst the smallest farmer ■would not allow a man to look aftnr liis stock unless ho liml some training* for tho work, tlio Government seemed to think that anyone, if dressed in a uniform, could look after other

human beings. A well-known Wellington commercial man, with large landed interests throughout the Horth Island, has expressed sc«rlons concern regarding tho highei* prices being paid for dairying land. During the last few weeks properties of this description hav e changed hands at prices ranging from £3O to £9O an acre, according to the quality of the soil and the proximity to u dairyfactory. These prices are equivalent to an annual rental of from £.) to £3 an acre, and contemplate the continuance of the present high prices for butterfat for all time, if not an actual increase? following upon the development of the dried milk industry. The chances, this authority says, are all against any such assumption being realised. The supplies of dairy produce will increase more rapidly than the effective demand a year or two after the war. and buyers of lurid who ha\e ealculafed upon famine prices being maintained will be left lamenting.