LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 40, 15 February 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At the Warden's Court yesterday, Mr F. O'B Loughnan, Warden, granted prospecting licenses to John O'Donnell and George Wise for claims adjoining each other in the Baton district, on the banks of the Skeet river. 'Mr J. P". Hayes appeared for the applicants. The Central Executive of the Second Division League, Wellington, met the other evening, says the Post. The secretary reported a steady increase of membership. A request from the National Efficiency Board for a further supply of the Handbook for Reservists was complied with. Letters were received from yarious parts of the Dominion regarding the failure of the Financial Assistance Board to meet the requirements of Reservists. Further communications were considered, complaining about thg. failure of the Government to pay th e increased separation, allowances to home service men who aF 6 actually separated _ from their families. The executive decided to call a general meeting of members of the league for next week to place these matters before them. The first of; a series of lectures on "Singing" will be> given by llr John Tait in the Academy of Music rooms, Hardy-street ,to-night. Admission cards ' may be had on application. Messrs Wilkins and Field have on view in one of their windows the contents of a five shilling parcel which has been sent out by (Messrs Harrod and Sons, of London, by request, in order that contributors to the Overseas Club Hamper Fund may see exactly what is being sent to soldiers through their generosity. 4 Inquiries-made by a reporter (says a Napier correspondent) indicate that there is no real shortage of station managers in Hawke's Bay, ■ while farm hands can still he obtained where reasonable wages and prospects of a period of work ar G offering. Some difficulty has been experienced in obtaining, labour for harvesting, but this was generally in cases where only one or two days' work was offering.

Referring to the transfer of Mr J. Wilson, of the New Plymouth Post and Telegraph Office, to Shannon, the Taranaki Herald says: —"A few days ago Mr Wilson had a narrow escape from drowning at the baths, the ac■cidlent happening under very simple and unexpected circumstances. While standing on- the edge of the baths, he was playfully pushed in by another bather. ' Happening to be taken with a coughing fit at the moment, Mr Wilson 'got a mouthful' so badly that he was sinking for the third time before anyone noticed liim to be in difiicul'oies, and "was insensible when rescued. Luckily he was soon brought around,, much to the relief of the practical joker. Mr Wilson happens to be well-used to swimming, and the result of the joke was little to be expected by anyone."'

The Verv Rev. D-r Rentoul, Melbourne, Chaplain General of the Australian Military Forces, Dr MacFarland, vice-chancellor of the Melbourne University and Mr William Gray., principal of the Presbyterian Ladies College, Victoria, accompanied by the Rev. T>r Gibb, visited on Tuesday the military training camp, _ Trentham, says the Dominion. The visit had been arranged by the militaryi authorities, awl tue -Camp Commandant received the visitors and gave instructions for their thorough inspection of the camp.. The Australian visitors expressed them selves as delighted with the camp 10 all its various aspects —roads, drainage, sanitar" arrangements, cooking, clothing. baths, and sleeping facilities. They seemed particularly impressed bv« the. perfection of th e surgical, denistrv, and hospital arrangements, and by the. institutes and modes of social recreation provided bv the various churches and the Y.M.GA.. Chaplain General Reptoul, who had visited officially the French and Belgian fronts in 1916-17, spoke in term s of the warmest admiration of th e heroism, skill, and discipline of the New Zealand troops and officers.

The sailorman has always had his pets, sometimes for comradeship, sometime sfor luck. But such a strange quartet as that reported by a Liverpool youth, who ia now on patrol round the British Isles, would be hard to find. A schooner had been severely handled by a U-boat, the skipper and the helmsman killed, and the crew driven away. Before the ship could be sunk, nowevey,, a patrol boat arrived, and the living creatures found on board were the following A black sheep, complacently munching a Sraw mattress in the forecaetle; a black dog, serenely asleep on deck ; a black cat; 'and a blackbird, the two latter noisily disputing the possesion of scraps in the cook's galley. AH "black in this case had certainly not brought luck.

The :Rev. J. J. H-nrdy, one of the Congregational chaplains at the front, has been working amongst the men of the heavy artillery, and he writes:— "All ports and conditions do you find m the R.G.A. —lawyers, plumbers, clerks, actors, publicans, warehousemen, journalists, mechanics, old soldiers, young apprentices —but never yet. have I felt anything but a pardonable pride in being their padre. They are all simply splendid fundamentally heroic® Of course they are human. They can swear, most of them. They can 'pinch,' some of them-. They can slack, a few of them. But when it comes to the push—when the hour demands it. —they can be, and they are, absolutely great."

It was stated at South Shields .(England) that *in order to evade military servic e Charles Edward Millar, 27, a joiner, had hidden in a small front room for over two yiears, and had not left it during the whole time. He was handed to the military authorities, and his parents were fined £2 10s eaich for aiding and abetting. Sir James Allen, Minister of Defence, made a statement in Dunedin on Saturday night regarding the officers., non-commissioned officers, and men who had returned to New Zealand. Sir James Allen said the number who had come back to January 31 was 16,138. Of these 12,690 had been discharged or gazetted out, 309 were awaiting discharge, 1362 had returned to duty, 1399 were under medical treatment, and 54 had died. A penguin has made its home in the rocks of the eastern extension mole at Timaru breakwater. It was a very bedraggled and sick-looking bird when it came up from the south one stormy day three weeks ago (states the "Herald") It looked then as though it would not long survive, but it . found a fairly comfortable home in a sheltered nook in the mole, where it gained protection from the wind and got the full benefit of th» sun. It was observed every day during the first week of residence in its newhome, to venture out of the rocks and eo to sea for .a bath, and it appeared to be getting weaker every day. Then it did 1 not venture out for a week, and a search in the rocks revealed the bird moulting—a change which it took very badly. Last week it appeared out again, this time resplendant in a new coat, of which it seemed justly proud. Now it leaves its rock-house home for the sea every day, and never fails to return

The following motion was passed by the executive of the New Zealand 1 Typographical Association at its last meeting in Wellington : "That this association views with approval the reported statement of the Secretary of Labour, in which he states that he thinks it is desirable that the Arbitration Act should be amended at an early date, to enable unions to make provision in their rules for benefits; and, further, that this association urges the Government to pass th e necessary amendment during netft session to give effect to the view expressed by the Secretary of Labour." Th e Minister for Labour is to be asked to receive a deputation from, the association in support of the above resolution.

iSilas ~K. Hocking, the eminent English author, after a four months' tour visiting training camps, writes"SThe one green spot in the desert of the soldiers' lives is the TLjM,.. Hut,that provides a home from home." "The huts," he says, "not only hum with humanity, but bubble with, sympathy. Here the men alw-aya/ finds warmth apd: welcome, friendliness and good cheer, and can read or write letters, chat or sing, get a mug of hot coffee and a bun, study or pray. These huts are the only bright spots on the desolate moors. The helpers come from all classes of men, from ministers to bank clerks, and you see them in their shirt-sleeves swabbing floors, washing dishes, selling- behind the counter, and handling the proj gramme." The whole aim and purpose | of \the Y.M.C.A. on Active Service is to bring that "home" touch to the boys that they so long for. When one con-, siders the enormous' amount of work' done by the Y.M.C.A. on behalf of the men, one cannot but be surprised that for the past three and a-half years the service has been maintained without making a direct appeal for funds to , the ! public of New Zealand However, the time has now come when such an appeal is necessary, and during the Red Triangle Day campaign it is hoped to raise ; the sum of £1 for every soldier for one f year—not a great deal to ask.

A man who had earned a cheque on a station, and then enjoyed a jamboree at Queenstown, tried unavailingly to get a drink on the Earnslaw as she was crossing Lake Wakatipu last week. Enraged' at the refusal, and declaring that it was a shame that, though he had a pocketful of money, he was dying for a drop, he proceeded to revenge himself upon society by commencing to throw overboard the wraps that were left on the seatfe by passengers who. had gone below for morning tea, and three of these articles were over the side before the steamer's men could intervene. Then came the question of reparation, and after "the • transgressor had though over the options which the law allows by way of satisfaction in such a case, he contritely paid £8 Bs, as the assessed value of the wraps which he had set afloat.

Whin ?a certain man who had just "done his three months' Hard" stepped from the" portals of Lyttelton gaol on Saturday,' he was confronted by a ser-Igeant-major and a couple of military policemen,'and presented with a notice requesting- 3 his immediate attendance be fore a.military meclical board for th*. purpose Tot ascertaining whether he was capable of performing further service for his >count'ry, in another class of work, viz., fightin'g at the" front, ha having been drawn in a ballot during nis incarceration in , gaol. ' It is stated that this is the practice now being adopted by the military authorities in th'e case of men who are in prison when they are drawn in the ballot, and whp are likely to be hard to find after being released,, unless their presence is immediately secured before a medical board.

In view of the importance of the subject of brown rot,, tEe Stoke Fruitgrowers' Association- has called a special meeting for this evening,' when a paper will be read by Mr. W. C. Hyde, Orchard Instructor, dealing with this" disease. Following the paper there will be a- general discussion, which, should, prove of great interest and bene fit. The meeting will be .open to the public, iand there should be a large attendance in view of the prominence recently given to the subject of the evening. After the War conditions weTe discussed bjr Sir Richard Vassal* Smith, the President of the Institute of Bankers, at its annual meeting in London, on r.lie'- 7th ult. We should, he said, b e faced, with a huge debt, upon which we siiouM have to provide annually, the amonit required for interest and sinking fund, and in spite of the entry of tho L-'mte'd States into the war, and the large advances made 'by them to our Aliies as well as. to ourselves, our own expenditure did not show any tendency to diminish. There would also be the cost of repairing the wastage caused by the war, and money found for en'arged works and machinery to. provid e for increased industrial production. He- referred to th e need for hamonious working betweeen capital and labour, in order to secure the vast expansion" of which our trade was capable, and which he thought would bring better remuneration for labour. Why 3 should the conditions of manual service be different from clerical service? Why, when works must be closed for a periodical overhaulage of machinery, should the men be compelled to give up their occupation without recompense? Our manufacturers and traders must' organise for united effort. Without such organisation many of >tlie obstacles which would face us would not be overcome. Mr F. Huth Jackson spoke of the, importance of cooperation between capital and labour. He "believed in high wages, but there must be every economy in the use of labour. —British Trade Journal;

In a letter receired by the Y.M.C-A.% the other day from a patriotic society, the secretary", in referring to a cheque? enclosed, wrote'-'Our society is pleas ;v ed to help sustain the work of an organisation to which our fighting men constantly refer with expressions of ap-' preciation and,, praise." It generous acknowledgment of the Y.M.C.A.'s efforts that has enabled the Association to carry on its excellent t work among the soldiers for the pasjb three and a-half years The time has now arrived when the National Executive feel called upon to make the first general appeal for funds for thie Y.M.C.A., and on 'Red Triangle Day the people of the Dominion are asked to, give as liberally as possible towards themaintenance of this necessary work:

For some time past certain Queensland growers have been sending theit* : potatoes to market packed in salt bags (says th e Brisbane Daily Mail). This is naturally detrimental to the contents, as the salt absorbs moisture from the air, and keeps the potatoes continually damp. It has been found that as a general rule potatoes so packed begin to rot within 48 hours. So much loss has enseud that the Brisbane mer-. chants have decided not to buy any more potatoes packed in salt They intend issuing a notice to \ the effect that on and after a certain date they will not accept produce done up in "this way. Salt is not only detrimental to potatoes, but to other produce as well, and bags should never be used for anything else once theyi "have had salt in 'them. Somewhat of a problem faced the First Auckland Military Service Board on Monday, when the appeal of Noel W. P. Briscoe was heard. Appellant ' n .l} pleaded occupation and hardship. He was an electrical radiologist arid was c'apabl.e of effecting repairs" to. Xrav apparatus. He was an onlv child, and at the present'timo his mother.'was seriously ill. (counsel -for apnella-nt) balloted in 1917 and was rejected 1 ;' it: being later a,c- ; certained through the Prime Minist??'.' that he unfit because hie was suffering":, from. )&n incapacitation known as "flat. fe§t. 0 ' Counsel woulft put in certificates. from four- doctors concerning tlie trorjble. The doctors said it was One of"'the worst, cases'"He". "flat feet" that had ever come under their notice..' It .was. understood, to-.bl a cause of * rejection of many. mer£ : Counsel failed jfo see 'how an eixpefci'm'ental term "at / the. Cl camp cojutd benefit a man had had- this ability-journ-ment jVuv. ©mhaiuj produced' further medical' vtp the -' effect that Briscoe could never be' a Soldier.' as he would, not be to. march. The b<?ardi atljouriiied the appeal commend that.' Briscoe should ' reexamined.

->'lr W. J. Sinclair, whose application for admission-as a home missionary in the Presbv/terian Church has* been endorsed by thfe Ohristchurch Presbytery, is a young man whose case is an,-il-lustration of the manner in which great difficulties' may be overcome (states the 'Ohristchurch Sun). ; Mr Sinclair is almost totally blind,, such vision as h e has only enabling him -.to distinguish between light and dark-- , ness. But he passed his matriculationL examination _ jvell, had gained a scholar^ and his wrork in theological has .been' excellent. It was atatedv iii ' th e Presbytery by several. ministers that Mr. Sinclair had preached to Inariy congregations Tvith acceptance. Mr Sin- • clair had originally studied * for the law, but he had felt \an irresistible call to the rriiiiistryi. - Very ,-hipH. encomiums of his ability and personality were expressed. It appears. certain that Mr Sinclair will be accepted as a home • missionary, and it is very probable that he will be stationed at Hornby. Crepe de Cheries; at Trathen's. Big rang e of colours and . prices. See. ad-, vertisement on page 3. „ ! For progressive people! GOLDEN" iRjUEE Soap, NO-RUBBING Laundry Help. Ideal goods for every home.—T. Pettit.