LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16500, 28 March 1917, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The results of the Government examiua tion of candidates for the elementary kindergarten certificate, held in January appear in the Gazette of March 22. Th< four Auckland students of tho Aucklant Kindergarten Association who entered have all been successful, namely, Mia Dorothy Butler, Miss Olive Dean, Mis; Winifred Gow, and Miss Valerie Great batch. One candidate from Christchurch Miss W. 0. Brown, also received a corti ficate. The victims of two accidents were ad mitted to tho Auckland Hospital yesterday. A single man, William Clement; Keid, aged 23 years, residing at Whar: Road, Avondale, was suffering from th< effects of a fall from a waggon belonging to Mr. H. T. Fendall, carrier, Devon port, but the extent of the injuries wai not ascertainable last night. Chas Robert Bernsee, aged 18, a seaman or the ■ Aupouri, was suffering from severe bruises, caused through a wave throw ing him against the rail of the vessel. An inquest was held yesterday by Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., into tho circum stances of the death of Mary Ann Bishop a widow, 64 years of ago, who died a the residence of her sister, Mrs. Berthi Billett, 12, Stanley Street, Archhill, las Sunday night. « Deceased had resided a Suva for the past 10 years, and had beei on a visit to her sister for abou a month. Evidence was given t< the effect that the deceased wa: taken ill and died before the arrival o a : doctor. Dr. P. M. Keller deposed t< death being duo to heart disease, and i verdict in accordance with this evident was returned. A special meeting of tho Auckland Pres bytcry was! held Inst night to consider i call from tho Mount Eden congregation to the Rev. J. W. Shaw, M.A. Thro* commissioners appointed by tho congregation to support tho call, stated that 10( members out of a communion roll of 114, and 36 adherents, had signed the call. The stipend was £350 per annum, with houst allowance and one month's holiday in eacl year. The presbytery resolved that th< call be sustained and placed in Mr. Shaw's hands. The latter intimated, by letter, that he.would accept the call.' The induction will take place at Mount Eden Church on Thursday, April 12. The Rev. Geo. Butt will preach,, the Rev. R. Sommervillo will induct the minister, the Rev. R. L. Walker will present the charge, and the Rev. J. Patterson will address the congregation. A military funeral was accorded the late R. H. Beamish, formerly of the British section, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, at Purewa cemetery yesterday, The firing art was supplied by the Royal New Zealand Artillery ep r 0 . scntatives of tho Returned Soldiers' Association were present, and 'the members of the association also sent a wreath/* " Four months after tho last award was given," said Mr. T. Bloodworth, secretary of the Carpenters and Joiners' Union, at the Arbitration Court yesterday, "war was declared in Europe The workers in our. trade were second., to none in their response to - the call of the Empire. ;: Out of a membership of 1000 in. the Auckland brancJiCH of the union, over 150 went to the front as) volunteers. ' ; A large proportion 1 of those who did not goto the front have been engaged upon work which was and i 8 as essential to the well-being of the Empire as being actually ; in ■ the firingline. I refer to - the erection of buildings tor cold;'storage,; camps -id' : Aw '■■ troops in training,': fitting .: up -troopships, and -preparing other, insulated vessels.'! x mm : .. . .■ -

A remarkable view of the interior, of a, British; factory containing a huge store of shells, covering an ; area, of. nearly 10 acres, ; forms one of the chief - : pictorial v features in to-day's issue of , the Auckland Wiiekly News. It occupies ' two pages, and. affords .ample" and . striking ,■ evidence, 'if I that 1 were ' i: wanting,'-; of Great Britain's : preparedness ; ; in; the j matter of \ munitions. The part played by . the New Zealanders against \ the 'Turks •' at 'i Rafa ; I early in :; the year is ' comprehensively { illustrated. Many of those .who fought on that occasion can bo - seen on the march through the desert, and views of.,- the Turkish, and . German prisoners taken by them \ also* • appear,' A fine set of snapshots of the ■;■■ twentieth reinforcements | carrying , out sports on their transport while ' proceeding ~to ■ the front will also command v great attention. The advance of v the • British • on the • western , front is pictorially touched upon, there being excellent views of the Somme' country, - besides; a most dramatic picture of the British storming one of the enemy trenches with bomb and bayonet. Great Britain's efforts to l deal with the submarine peril is*' evidenced 'by' a striking scene at Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.A., showing many "submarine chasers," or "sea wasps,"i constructed for the British Goveminent. A wide range of other war subjects is illustrated, , the publication generally reaching a particularly high standard of excellence and interest.

Referring to tho rising cost of living and its effect on the members of the Carpenters and Joiners' Union, Mr. T. Bloodworth stated at the Arbitration Court yesterday that not only had real wages been reduced to the extent of about os 6d in the £ by reason of tho increased cost of the necessaries of life, but income, in terms of money, had also been reduced bv slackness of trade and consequent loss ol employment.

An interesting exhibition of war souvenirs is displayed in the window of Smcoton, Ltd. The exhibits were brought back by Mr. H. M. Sraecton, who recently returned from France, whore he engaged in Y.M.CA. work. Included in tho display aro a trench periscope, respirators, ammunition, weapons of the different armies, and articles of German equipment.

A meeting of'the Claims Board of the Auckland Patriotic Association was held yesterday, when Mr. V. J. Lamer, chairman, presided. Mr. McLeod, of the Wairarapa Patriotic Association, was present, by invitation. Thirteen cases were considered—six from new applicants for aid, and seven from men who had _ been assisted already. Four of the applicants had enlisted from Southern districts. Assistance was granted in every instance.

New Zealand soldiers who are suffering from paralytic troubles are benefiting by the services of a medical man in Sydney, who is of German birth, and is understood to have been interned by the New South Wales authorities early in the war, but to have been released owing to tho value of his services as a specialist, and his willingness to employ his talents for tho benefit of British soldiers. One Auckland man, who was sent to Sydney some time ago, has already _ derived material advantage from the special treatment administered by this doctor, and at yesterday's meeting of the Claims Board of the Auckland Patriotic Association arrangements were made to grant a passage to another soldier who requires similar attention.

Tho following statement with reference to the destruction of a munitions factory in the East End of London on January 19 was published in tho London press on February 1 :—" German papers nave announced the destruction of Woolwich Arsenal at the time of the recent explosion in tho East End of London. It is officially announced that this statement is pure invention. The explosion occurred at the works of a private firm, and other factories damaged were private establishments. No Government factory was in any way concerned, and the output of munitions has been practically unaffected."

A statement to the effect that the Auckland City Council and the Auckland Harbour Board were entering more largely into the building industry, and' were competing with private building firms, was made by Mr. T. Bloodworth, secretary of the Carpenters and Joiners' Union, at the Arbitration Court yesterday. Mr. S. E. Wright, who appeared for the local bodies mentioned, denied the allegation. Mr. Bloodworth said he did not actually mean that the council or the board made a practice of tendering for building works, but they each allowed employees to perform carpenters' and joiners' work to the detriment of those engaged in the trade, masters and employees alike. Mr. G. Baildon, who represented the Auckland Builders' Association, and who is a member of the Auckland City Council, said he would support the remarks of Mr. Bloodworth. The City Council's workmen were at present engaged on a work for which tenders bad been called, but on the recommendation of the engineer the tenders had been rejected and tho work undertaken by the council

The work of the boys' division is one of tho features of tie activities of tho Auckland Y.M.CA. During the year }*ust ended the boys' division increased in membership by 343. The membership roll is now about 700, and it is claimed that this department is ono of the finest in Australia or New Zealand. A summer camp was held at Hunua. During New Year week 120 boys were under canvas, and throughout the six weeks 150 different, boys attended the camp. Fourteen different denominations are represented in the division.

The proposal to amalgamate tho Taniwha and Waerenga branches of the Farmers' Union was adopted by a meeting of farmers held on Friday. The meeting was addressed by Mr. Tancred Cooper, provincial -organiser. The following officers were elected: Chairman, Mr. S. J. Bennett; secretary, Mr. S. Waite; delegate to conference, Mr. J. G. Browne; committee, Messrs. R. Storey, F. A. Martin, J. Bell, J. Keith, W. Carter, and J. Mftwson. About 30 members woro enrolled.

In. his statement to tho official assignee Mate Delich, taxicab-driver, of 54, Durham Street West, showed debts to secured creditors totalling £185 8s 3d, while his total assets were book debts £16, which wore not expected to produce anything.

Referring to the part played by tho New Zealanders in Franco, Lord Northcliffo, in an article published in various English papers, says that they " occupy a fair stretch of the front line, and their billets, rest camps, lines of communication, and bases go a long way back. They therefore form a New Zealand world of their own, and tho average French peasant, who had never heard of a New Zealander before, knows all about them now, and likes them. For the war has placed New Zealand 'on the map,' as tho Americans say, with a prominence that could not have .been obtained in any other way."

In his article on "Tho Tall New Zealanders" at tho front, published in the English papers, Lord Northcliffo states v that to-day Australia and New Zealand are bettor informed of tho individual deeds of their soldiers than any countries except, the German and French. "These oversea people," ho says, " had evidently | studied the German, War Book, and its i prescription of the need of publicity. As a result, the New Zealand newspapers, the best in our language for a population of a million, keep the people in both islands in close touch with the doings of the New Zealanders in Franco and England." '•■'•.'•'..

By a typographical error in the particulars of the judgment in.the case of Kirihini v. Cruickshank, reported' in Saturday's Hkbald, Mr. O. J. Hodge, who, with Mr. R. McVeagh, was counsel for defendant);, was made to appear to be one of;the defendant litigants. ".':''

.' ;An indication of the magnitude.;pfj the Y.M.C.A. war work is contained in the report , presented at the annual meeting of tho Auckland Y.M.CA. last' night. The" statistical ', analysis ; gives ,the number of cablegrams : sent on- behalf of soldiers as 500, and the number of inquiries concerning soldiers ;as . 6200, an average; of ■100 a j week. This work, 1 stated the presi- ■ dent, Mr;' ■W.? E. Bush, threw ■; a,; heavy/ additional burden: upon /the staff. » ■ VitiWA :.;-■-,■■-'■ :':'--;-.,.;..'i,' .... -,v.-. •■:;.■. :.~?.;.;as-'.-, -W-.