NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16008, 28 August 1915, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

WOUNDED AT MALTA. A member of a nursing unit stationed in Ma it. contributes to the Nursing Mir- ' ror nn interesting description of the ar- I rangements for the reception of the sick j arid injured there: and, according to I this, the hospitality of the residents leaves j no doubt as to their appreciation of the i valour of the troops. On 0110 occasion cigarettes, matches, biscuits, chocolate in bars, cut oranges, cakes, lemonade, milk, tea. and bread and butter formed the refreshments, which were all gifts to the men, and, in addition, there were, flowers and good strong walking-sticks. A certain | number of ladies undertook to bo present 1 in relays. The less badlv wounded were the first to come, a lighter being filled j with them. As, however, most of them 1 were, injured in the legs, their landing i took even longer than if they had been i stretcher cases, especially as they hail to j pass a row of ladies with inviting trays ' containing drinks. biscuits, chocolate-, | cigarettes, and matches. Every man as I he passed was allowed to help himself to anything he specially fancied, in addition to receiving a cheery word. After the

terrible experiences through which many of the sailors and soldiers had passed before reaching Malta, it is not surprising that they were deeply touched by a welcome so spontaneous and warm-hearted. One lad of about 18, it is stated, insisted on'leaving his bullet precious possession—in the hand of a nurse. Each week brings fresh wounded to Malta, but also sees many cured, while some of the more complicated cases are sent Home for special treatment or operation.

THK ÜBIQUITOUS NAVY. | It is necessary to keep a close watch i on official publications ii one would oh- | tain anything approaclung a complete t knowledge of the activity which the* navy is exhibiting in various waters. For instance, from the London Gazette, after many weeks of absolute silence, informa- j tion "is obtained of a remarkable incident j which occurred towards the ecd of April j on the River Danube. Lieutenant-Com-mander Charles Lester Kerr, a distant | connection of Admiral of the Fleet Lord 1 Walter Kerr and Rear-Admiral Mark J Kerr, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Order. It is stated that he "was in command of a picket-boat which reconnoitred the position of the Austrian monitors on, the Danube on the nights of April 21 and 22. and torpedoed one of them under heavy fire, the enterprise being boldly and skilfully conducted." This constitutes the first public reference to the presence of any British officer on the Danube. The official statement has been supplemented by the special correspondent of the London Times at Belgrade, ho gives an interesting account of the embarrassment from which the Austrian monitors have suffered. "The Austrians have three picket-gunboats which look like toy Dreadnoughts, with machine-guns mounted in their turrets. Any Olio of them could eat tip the Terror —Lieutenant-Commander Kerr's craft in a few minutes if it could get at it. But the Terror comes up when it is dark and makes rude remarks with its single ma-chine-gun to one. of the Dreadnoughts, and then runs like a hare. Ten days ago one of the Dreadnoughts chased her into a prepared mine-field, and the Dreadnought's remnants drifted ashore on Kojara Island, in mid-stream, where the hull and turrets are plainly seen from Belgrade. The crew escaped, and they threw the machine-guns overboard : but ev*n so the Terror next day got. a lot of plunder out of her. from machine-gun ammunition and automatic pistols to a gramaphone with an excellent stock o? records, as well a.--, the Dreadnought's ensign and pennon, three admiral.-' and one general's flags."

WORKERS AND THE WAR LOAN. The Vickers Company has offered to its workers in all factories a scheme, having a threefold advantage—encouragement to thrift, incentive to good tinie-keepjaig, and participation by tie worker in the war loan. The workers are asked to give a written authority to the -wages office in each department for the deduction each week, from now until the end of November next, of any amount from their weekly wage, which must not be less than 5 per cent, of their wages, or a fixed weekly sum equal to or in excels of 5 per cent. For this amount, the firm will credit the worker with a subscription to the war loan of a corresponding amount. Workers complying with this condition are to get ,l bonus from the firm at the end of each month as an addition to their subscription to the war loan, the amount ing equal to 2$ per cent, of the wage earned in that particular period. By ttilyMTilung Is or more per £ of wage*, the woiker gets 6d per .'.'l from the firm. I ha.-, any workman allowing only 5 per cent. to be deducted from his wages. will be credit with 7j per cent... or an addition of 50 per cent. In other words, he ill receive a 5s loan voucher tor cai h 66s 8d of wage earned per week. It he allows a deduction of Ik per cent., he will be credited with a -.inn equal to 10 per cent, of his wage ; in other words, he will get a 5s loan voucher lor each 50s of his wage, Ihe preponderating majority of workers can earn at least, this amount, mail} of them double, and some of them quadruple. The condition attached by the firm to this addition of a large bonus is that the worker shall be diligent and eflieient, and that he shall keep god time.