LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 27 December 1918, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A united Christmas service, under the auspices of the Whangarei Ministers' Association, was held at 8 o'clock on Christmas morning in the Presbyterian Church. There was a good attendance, notwithstanding- the early hour of meeting. The Rev. J. R. Clark presided a;ul the Rev. W. E. Lambert gave the address, on "Thanksgiving and Prayer." Christmas hymns were heartily sung by the congregation. The assistance rendered in the service of praise by Mr A. Dobson and members of the Presbyterian choir was appreciated by all present.

The Manawatu County Council has passed a resolution suggesting- that a conference of delegates be held from all hospital boards throughout the Dominion with a view to establishing training and nursing schools so that girls could be trained sufficiently in order that they would be able to render practical assistance in their homes and hospitals in the event of another epidemic in New Zealand. It also suggested that a clause be inserted in the syllabus of technical schools making it compulsory for girls attending State schools to take v course of such training.

An Australian told a London pressman this story: "We were advancing, and had been going about an hour, and my platoon-- numbered 15 men. Going over a ridge we saw a pill-box. We poured machine-gun fire at it, and threw grenades, too. No reply came, and we congratulated ourselves that we had no casualties. All the time we could see smoke coming from the aperture; this worried us, so we decided to charge it. We had our charge, with whoops and yells. I got to the doorway, and was met with: 'Say, digger, what the is all the noise about?' There stood an Australian with a frying pan in his hand cooking bully beef over a fire which the Huns had left." "I have inspected the houses built by the council," said Mr Hurst Seager, in the course of a lecture at Wanganui. "They are very nice homes, but they are not for the workers. They can't afford to pay 22s Gd or 25s a week for houses costing £750." The Mayor: "You will have to come up here later and tell us how to build them for leas." Mr Hurst Seager replied that an inexpensive type of house could be built for £250. Later on on G or two questions wore asked Mr Seager as to how he proposed to build a house for £250. He gave no further information, however, promising to give it when he again visited 'Wanganui early in the New Year. "One of the lessons to be learnt from the war is the necessity of fostering patriotism in our schools," said Mr T. Shailer Weston, in his presidential address before the New Zealand Employers' federation. "Religion is not one of the subjects there taught. Some high standard of life should be impressed upon the children's minds Love of country seems the only one open. But somel thing more than this is required. When every child, upon becoming 21 years of age, is entitled to a vote, i surely the study is most desirable in our schools of some short textbook explaining the growth of States from small village communities, the purposes of the State, the protection and other advantages derived by the citizens therefrom, the correlative obligations due in return by its members, the purpose of laws and punishment, and, in short, the doctrine of civic rights and responsibilities. A democracy, to be successful, must be an educated democracy. At present, democracy, mainly for want of any education in the elements of sociology, is as insistent on the rights due to ft by the State as it is silent on its own duties towards the State. For I example, though the New Zealand : Labour Party demands further privileges from the State, such as an extension of the benefits of the Old Age Pensions Act, it resolutely opposes compulsory service for the protection of the State." A vivid account of the armistice celebrations in Sydney is given by a lady who left "Wellington by the last trip of the Manuka. She says: "'Sydj ney went quite mad for a week, and I began on Friday (Bth), when news Jof the armistice came out at 9 a.m. ; By noon the streets were like a huge I carnival, flowers, confetti, and col-, i oured paper being thrown at every- ' one. With the hot sun, blue sky, J and many coloured dresses, and street stalls with their red, white and blue striped awnings, one felt as if one must be in France or Italy. But what amused me most was the different noises—to make a noise any old way was one's first duty to show how glad one was. Every kind of vehicle had some kind of empty tin tied on, the most popular being kerosene tins. Most people carried an empty tin to bang, and bands of children went about beating tins till far into the night. I really think that the national musical instrument of Australia should be the kerosene tin! I was amazed at the orderly and sober crowd—the returned soldiers were very quiet, and watched the disorderly behaviour of some of those men who had not been to fight—indeed it seemed to me that the only unplea- ! sant demonstrations were made by ' the "Vote No" men and women. One lorry paraded day and night (all the week) with an effigy of the Kaisersitting up in the middle of a brass band of soldiers, which played Chopin's Dead March with a most I miserable effect. One man sat with ' a muffled gong, which he beat at regular intervals—a most doleful affair altogether. No work or business could be done here for a week. Sydj nod is a wonderful place, every day seems to be a carnival day, and I often wonder when and how the people work to have so much money to play with."

■j. chanced npen » soldier from Nsvi* Zealand—a Maori/ writes an evident linguist in the Daily Sketch. He put a very big thumb on a paragraph in an evening paper: "Speaking in Cologne, a member of the Prussian House of Peers said Germany's peace aim.* could be <?inbodicd in two word:--- —'Our -.-kin?. , '" "That is truth, mister; U:. j \ are iig/iiing ju.J now for .-:kins!" The blank.--he lilicai up Willi ii variety of choice Maorian. I never knew boi'ore that I was acquainted with that language, but it bears such a strong resemblance to the British vernacular that: I understood him at once. During the lunch hour one day last week, writes a correspondent to the Sydney "Morning Herald," the peaceful air surrounding the recruiting stand in Martin place was disturbed by the raucous voice of a foreignlooking person who mounted the steps, breasted the barrier waving a blue handkerchief, and shouting: "Ladies and Gentlemen, —I stand before you to wave the emblem of liberty, a true representative of the 'One Big Union.' We are going to" —he got no further. "Shut 'up,'-' shouted a returned soldier. ".Revolution is the only way," continued the speaker of the square head. "Get down; get back to your own country," shouted soldiers in the crowd. One soldier, a well-known figure o.i the recruiting platform grabbed the Bolshevik by the back of the neck iind seat of the trousers, ran him across the platform and down the steps, to the delight of the crowd. fhe police subsequently escorted him up Moore street.

"Tena-koe! does not mean 'good day,' " said Colonel Porter, speaking at a meeting of the historical section of the Wellington Philosophical Society, "it means 'that is you.' The reply is 'tena-ra-koe,' meaning- 'and that is you. . Then comes the final 'tena-aro-ra-koe,' meaning- 'and that is you again.' Maoris did not 'rub' noses. They mately took each others ha.ids and touched their noses together, with closed eyes, for to look was a breach of etiquette. Whon a stranger paid a visit to a kianga or pa he was required by etiquette to sit silent until spoken to by his host. Another peculiar custom * was the manner of speeding the parting guest and welcoming him home. His departure was treated in an off-hand manner, lest a show of grief should depress the wayfarer and render his way heavy and weary. When he returned, however, he was greeted by weeping and wailing, f or 'then there was no reason why his near and dear ones should hold back the evidences ot their affections."

A very pleasanc little ceremony took place at the Settlers' Hotel on Christmas Day morning, the explanation of which is indicated in th c following address:—"The staff of th* Settlers' Hotel wish to express their appreciation of the earnest and kindly attention which Mrs Wright exerted, endeavouring to alleviate the sufferers laid up with the epidemic. Although not in good health iierselt, she did her voluntary duties n-ght and day, and it is sufficient to cay .that no serious cases developed The staff wish Mrs Wright to accept tiie accompanying little present as a memento of th e . noble effort which overcame the dread disease, and with it wish both Mrs and Mr WrMit many happy days o f prosperity, and the compliments of the season.—A H. Bennie, for the staff." The presentation, consisting of a handsome salad bowl, was made by Mr W Mogford, as the oldest member of the staff, and appropriate response was made by th c recipient.

«n •?, at the moment as if bmis may be written to the political career of William Morris Hughss (writes the Wellington "Post's" Sydney correspondent). The discordant note lie introduced to the armistice conditions has profoundly irritated Australia, and one cannot hear anywhere a good word for him. Australia knows Hughes so well, and is convinced that his outburst is the result of pique. When he paid his second visit to London, he did not enjoy the adulation he received on his first visit, and was much annoyed. He was treated as the representative of Australia, and nothinmore. Lloyd George has a wonder" tul capacity for "sizing-up" a man bo, as is well known, Mr Hughes has been simmering wrathfully, and 1113 attack on the Prime Minister is the result. Meanwhile Australia is getting along very 'nicely under the direction of the saturnine, but very strong and able, Mr Watt, and Tio one will be in the least surprised to see Mr Watt drop the qualifying word from his title of Acting-Prime Minister.

The investigations which the Sydney Board of Trade is making, into what constitutes a living wage for the woman worker, have now reached the stage where it only remains for counsel for the unions and the employers to place their respective final arguments before the board. Evidence was to the effect that there are some 80 restaurants in and about Sydney where a woman can secure in comfori a decent meal for 9d. The story was told of the existence of a women's hostel, run as a commercial ; proposition, where single rooms, or cubicles may be obtained for some 4s t;d to 7s Cd a week; where there are six hot baths available without extra cost; where breakfast, dinner. or tea (each of three courses) rnav be obtained at an all-round rate < ; f sixpence, or a breakfast "tray" for fourpence; where there is a library and a living room with an organ and where the only restriction is that you must be home before 11 o'clock, "unless you have given notice, in which case somebody waits up for you. Uμ- | fortunately it was elicited from the ! witness that the hostel is at the mo- • ment full up, and that it' had been i generally in that condition for some j time.