LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, 16 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A new league has boon formed in the Dominion to further many praiseworthy objects, says a Wellington paper. It is called the Empire Service League, and the objects are to extend the practice of good principles, forward united effort for the defence of the Empire, discourage waste, ensure proper treatment for the Dominion's defenders', and to promote a better understanding ')otw.;-'.i employers and employed. The Hon J. G. YV." Aitketi is president of the league. Captain de R. Barclay the hon. secretary, and Mr Percival Pitherby, of -Vi pier, hon. general secretary for the L.minion.

An estimate of the amount direcily contributed to patriotic funds in Australia was recently made by the Melbourne Argus. It calculated the total at £6,619,252, in adition to which is the immense quantity of gifts in kind, iYr which no value figures can well be assigned. The unexpended balance of all funds in the Commonwealth set apart for the aid of returned and discharged soldiers and their dependents now exceeds £1,500,000.

A meeting of dairymen was held at Christchurch the other* evening, w-hen about 150 dairymen, at the invitation of the Board of Industries, met Mr A. W. Jamieson and discussed a. proposal tt initiate in Christchurch the "block" system of distributing milk, and the coupon—cash—system of collecting payment for milk distributed. The. proposals aimed at a- method of cooperation under which the time occupied m delivery would be economised and competition controlled, placing the industry cm a more efficient and satisfactory l>&- f is. The meeting appointed the executive of the Dairymen's Association a committee to consider the proposals and report to a future meeting. If the proposals are adopted, the National Efficiency Board will be asked to approach Parliament with a view to obtaining legislative protection for the system during the period of the war.

The probability of the Imperial Government; purchasing next season's output of butter and cheese was the subject of a. question put to Mr H. E. Pacy, at Auckland, on Saturday, says the Herald. In reply he said it was quite impossible at "present to say whether the Government would purchase next season's output of either, or both, but'ter and cheese, but some of the advices i which were generally considered to be verv reliable had indicated the possibility of the Government acquiring the output of both commodities. Since the. advices had been received, however, the shipping problem had become more acute, and the position might be considerably influenced thereby.

Critics of the classification of the Second Division have objected to the bridge of age made at 35 years, and the Min*ister for ..Defence was asked- whether he could state the reasons for the age factor in the classification. "The matterwas very carefuly considered bv the Defence Department." the statistician and others," he said, "audi they came to the conclusion that tiiis w,ij a reasonable age at which to make the ditfTuTCtion. Some of the reasons were that- men between the ages of 20 and 2-5 years suit us best from point of view. .As a matter of fact the number of men between 40 and 45 years who can be accepted are few proporionately.. We also came to the conclusion that it was likely that the HabiTTlies of men under 35 years would not be so great as those of the older men."

A rather unusual case came before the Christchurch Magistrate's"" Court the other day. John Downie Stewart, who was described by his counsel, Mr Johnston, as "the family ,probTem," pleaded guilty to the theft of 381b of brassfittings* valued at £2 17s. Mr Johnston said that a brother had decided, to enlist simultaneously with accused, so as to keep an eye on him, and they had both received notice to go into camp. The chief detective said that the brother, who was a very respectable man was making an endeavour to reform the_ accused, and would accompany him into camp. where he hoped to see him thrbugh. He thought that this would be the best course, although the _ accused had a long' list of coimctio is against him. Accused was ordered to come up for sentence when called on. conditionally upon his going into < rap

A ißiiblical reference occupied the Third Wellington Military Service Hoard for a few moments' yesterday, says the Dominion. A Reservist who had lodged an appeal had forwarded- a letter calling the attention of the Board to the fifth verse of the 24th chapter of Deuteronomy : "When a man hath taken a new wvie •he shall not go out to war : neither shall he be charged with anyi business; hut! :he shall be'"free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken." The .Militnrv Service Act runs counter to the ancient Jewish injunction. Tt provides- that a man who has married since April. 1915, shall be a member of the First Division, and shall share the "nances of the ballot with the unmarried men. The appellant had been found unfit for acHve service, so that the board did not have to give a ruling on the textCostumes at Trathen's. You will get what von require at a- reasonable price here.—Trathen and Co., the .Special House for (Ladies' Apparel; Is in each £ discount for cash.* After a visit to the Canterbury Avia- j tion Company's grounds at Sockburn on Saturday, the Hon. G. W. Russell made. the following statement to a Christchurch Sun reporter : I have come to the co-j elusion that aviation should be brought under direct and immediate control by legislation. (It is desirable that the science should be under direct control not only with a view to the safety of those engaged, 'but also for the safety of t.ie inhabitants. It will be in every way desirable that those who seek to establish aviation and enter into avia tion as a matter of business, whether as companies"or individuals, should be under "the control of a scientific Govern ment (Department. I propose to submit to Cabinet a scheme for the a. Bill, to come down in the -approachm-!? session, providing 'for the issue of per mits. not onlv for the establishment of aviation grounds, but also for permit? to persons before fhev are allowed to fly. I hard.lv need to sav that if it is considered desirable that a man should have a permit, as is the case in Christchurch. before he is allowed to drive a motorcar, it is more necessary that there sOionld be a permit or certificate of competency before he is allowed to fake an aeroplane up." Special mnvh".s« of Ladies' fine quality Navv -Serge S!-: : rl.-\ These are of oxcepTTbnal oua'ilv. nndi made in smart styles. Prices. 29s 6d, 32s 6d. 35s 6d.— Tralhcu and,- Co.* M* M. Webster is not too shy to tell thrifty housewives that. " No Rubbing" Laundry Help does wa.sh all clothes spot lesslv clean without rubbing or injury, also "gives Thinker Note 7?.00k free with U p*ck*t of "No Rubbing."

The Cromwell canning factory is now permanently established. Upwards cf 2000 rabbits are handled daily.

A record price for Australia was recently paid in Melbourne for Merino wool. Under the Imperial requisition scheme, the appraisers fixed 30J per lb as the value for the top lot of a clip grown near Beaufort, Victoria. Values up to 30Jjd were also paid in Geelong recently.

The epidemic of diphtheria at Gisborne is causing the local Borough Council to take energetic measures for the thorough c.leaning-up of the town. What a local paper calls a "campaign of cleanliness" has commenced, and efforts are being made to remove the causes responsible for the outbreak.

The secretary of the Typographical Union told the Third Wellington Military 'Service Board yesterday that he had the interests of 1000 memibers to attend to in addition to the interests of 153 members who had enlisted, and their dependents.

North Canterbury recently experienced one of the heaviest downpours as yet recorded. In. ■Christ-church, in the course of one day, 3.69 in of rain were registered.

An, unusual natural phenomenon ifor Auckland, 'was noticeable in the sky about 12 o'clock o-i Friday night in a display of the Aurora Australis, the southern equivalent of the Aurora Borealis, or .Northern 'Lights. The display, corresponding with the description of auroral rays, as distinct from auroral arcs at the period covered practically the whole southern sky. Broad hands of light, quite distinctly defined, streamed across the sk.yi, radiating from an arc some distance above the horizon. The greater portion of the display had faded bv 12.30 a.m.. but in the south-eastern sector of the sky. Dearer the light of the moon, the rays persisted, showing move briglitly than elsewhere.

Parents should be more than usually careful not to allow their children to fondle cats. It. is not only infectious epidemic diseases, such as scarlet fever and diphtheria, which are spread in this way, but an eminent oculist, Mr Arnold Lawson, in a paper recently read- before the Section of Ophthalmology of the Royal Society of Medicine, gave three cases of very serious eye disease caused by infection from cats. Mr Lawson mentioned that he had brought the cases forward because the general public do not yet realise the great danger of cats as" carriers of disease, especially amoiis; children. He adds: "The constant habit of licking themselves in which cats indulge (thereby distributing their saliva) has led to the view that they are cleanly animals."

According to Mr <W. H. George, the work of the Wellington Y.M.C.A. 5s now verv largely one of attending to the wants of' soldiers. He told the Military Service Board yesterday, says the Post, that the institution hadi control of the Soldiers' Hostel in Boulcott street, and every, weefc- crowds of soldiers are accommodated, as 'best they can, in the Y..M-.C.A. building itself. Last weekend, ho added, over 100 soldiers were billetted in the Y.REC.A. building, this mim'ber being in addition to the 100— the limit of accommodation at the hostel —and last Easter over 400 men were given accommodation at the Willis street mstitution.

The latest progress statement of the discharged .Soldiers' Information Department showed that the number of men on the register last week was 7698. 0-f these cases, 6650 had 'been disposed oi, as under:—Men who have work to <"• return to, and men who have're-enlisted or returned to military duty, etc., 2838.: men placed in. employment, 1514"; men who have signed "assistance not required," 1621;..-left New Zealand' or cannot ascertain address, 157; men who have not responded to repeated communications, and .men who have accepted work the department found for them but failed to start work, 620. Of the.remain.der, 402 are men convalescing, not ready for emplovment, and not yet discharged by the military authorities. 'The number on the employment wanted, register is 169, of -whom* five desiro work in Wellington. ..

"We must "have here New Zealand's chamipon pessimist," says an Auckland officer, writing from -Sling Camp. "An officer the other day was endeavouring to instruct a very clumsy soldier in the noble art of bayonet-fighting. As the recruit continued to manipulate his bayonet very gingerlv, the officer, in desperation." said: "My dear man, if that is the best you can do, you had better write home 'and tell your people they'll never see you again."' "I have alreadydone so, sir!" was the mild but unexpected reply. "At a lecture on aeroplanes we were told a rather good story ' the writer of the letter continues. "The Germans, last spring, were using a new type of aeroplane, of which the British authorities were anxious to obtain a specimen. At last one was shot down behind our lines, but on the arrival of the /authorities they found _the soldiers had already carried off the valuable prize piecemeal for ' souvenirsWorse than that, the pilot happening to haxs. a wooden leg, they had cut the leg off and split it up also for souvenirs . Sounds tall—doesn't it?—but we had it on excellent authority, and, after al\, it is just the kind of thing, a number of soldiers would do."

The Anchor Company announce that the steamer Kaitoa will.be laid up on Saturday next for overhaul and annual inspection extending over five or six. days, consequently, they will have lio steamer leaving here for Wellington oii the-19th, 2nd, or 24th ihst.'*