LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16824, 15 April 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A six-year-old boy, Kenneth Moore, was, on Saturday evening, reported to the police as missing from his home, 56, Edenvale Road, off Mount Eden Road. The boy, accompanied by a brother aged 24 years, wandered away from home on Saturday afternoon. Tho younger child was found wandering about on Saturday evening and was taken to the Mount Eden polict station, where it was subsequently recovered by its mother, who had called to report the disappearance of the children. At a late hour last night the police had received no information regarding the elder boy. Mrs. Moore, tho mother of the children, whose home is in Sydney, has been in Auckland only about a month, on a visit. Yesterday was observed by the Presbyterian Church throughout New Zealand as a special day of intercession. This was in accordance with the wish of the Moderator of the General Assembly, who considered that at such a critical timo in the war an intercession would be appropriate. Special addresses and prayers were given in the various churches, and at the conclusion of the services the National Anthem was sung. The Auckland Trotting Club's Autumn Meeting, held at Alexandra Park on Saturday last, attracted a large attendance, and the totalisator investments amounted to £24,542, which is £8806J above the sum handled on tho corresponding day last year. The leading event of the programme— the Campbell Handicapwas won by Mr. S. Wootton's gelding Pitiroa, from a field of nine opponents. In order to regularise the making of wills by members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force a wills department has been established at London headquarters, where all wills mads will be filed, says the Herald's London correspondent. A special will form has been printed, and all officers and men are asked to make their wills on it, or to file a written statement to the effect that they dc not wish to make one, or that it has been made elsewhere. Tho will form in the pay-book, which was liable to cause trouble by loss or mutilation of the book, is being cancelled. The officer in charge of this department is Captain C. A. L. Treadwell, who is a solicitor by profession.

During the passage in the House of Representatives on Saturday of the clause in the Finance Bill dealing with exemptions from tho amusements tax Mr. L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) asked if exemption could not bo applied to poultry shows. Sir Joseph Ward replied that the exemptions could not be extended. Ho explained that tho difficulty in regard to agricultural and pastoral shows was that the. show tickets were annual, and it was practically impossible to levy a tax upon them. The Waitemata bowling green has been closed for the season on account of its being *considerably damaged during the recent storm, the sea having inundated it. Owing to lack of definite information regarding the intention of the Little- Shoal Bay Reserve Board regarding tho replacing of tho damaged wall, the club has decided to send a deputation to the Birkenhead and Northcote Borough Councils, urging the need of immediate action. Tho Remucra Firo Brigade recoived a call to Rangitoto Avenue at 7.52 p.m. yesterday. The call, however, proved to bo a false alarm. An instance of remarkable pluck and presence of mind on tho part of some small Maori children occurred recently at Ohinemutu, Rotorua. Five children, of ages ranging from three to a little under seven years, were playing on the banks of the Utuhina Stream, where they had a swing. A littlo boy of three was accidentally bumped by a child who wan swinging, and knocked into the water, which is there about sft deep, while the banks are steep. The oldest child, a son of Lieutenant Kepa Ehau, promptly called out, " Form chain ! Form chain!" His sister Heni, about fivo years old, throw herself down on the bank and extended her arms. Ho caught one of her hands, and lowered himself down to tho water, while the other two children held on to the other hand. He was just able to grasp the drowning child's hair, and called out, " Pull away ! Pull away!" Exerting all their strength the children on the bank managed to drag him and the child ho was grasping to safety. Very little interest was manifested in the proposal of the Mamirewa Town Board to raise a loan of £650 to acquire tho public hall. A poll was taken, 11 persons voting in favour of the proposal, and three against it. Three offenders came before Mr. F. V. Frazcr, S.M., in tho Juvenile Court on Saturday. For cycling on the footpath a boy was convicted and discharged, and another was ordered to pay 7s costs. A boy, aged 14, for committing a nuisance in Market Square, was admonished and discharged. Great admiration for the Maori Pioneer Battalion was expressed by Mr. Varney, national field secretary for the .YM.C.A., in tiie course of a lecture at Oisborne. Mr. Varney said:—"The Maoris are doing magnificent work. They go out at night time or in day time too, if required, mending trenches, or doing heavy spado work, and doing it in a magnificent spirit. They have filled up millions of sand-bags, and ono Maori remarked to me, 'By golly, I hope we don't have to empty them before we get away from France.'" The receipts in connection with the Red Cross Day effort promoted by the Rotorua branch of the Auckland Women's Patriotic League, the Red Cross Society and the Red Cross Guild, amounted to £216 12s Id, and the expenses to £9 Os 9d, making the net receipts £207 lis 4d. In view of the urgent need for money for Red Cross work the promoters decided to make regular monthly efforts,- in the form of social gatherings, to augment the funds.

The fine weather which followed the heavy rain on Thursday night lasted only until .yesterday morning. Towards noon heavy ruin clouds drifted from tho eastward, and early in tho afternoon light rain began to fall, lasting but a-.brief space. Shortly 'after 7 p.m., however, a steady downpour set in, and continued until a late hour, with no indications of clearing up. The barometer, which had risen slowly since Friday, was fairly high last night, the reading being 30.27 m, with no signs of falling. The rainfall for the 48 hours ended at midnight, as registered by tho Herald gauge, was .47in. An Auckland resident who wrote to a member of tho New Zealand Expeditionary Forces regarding gifts for soldiers has received a reply in which are enumerated articles specially welcomed by the men. Tho soldier in his reply says:—" Don't send large parcels; send small ones, and often. Butter in tins arrives in bad condition and is useless as food. If arrangements could bo made to have the butter tinned in England and sent across it would be very much appreciated, as no butter is issued, nor can it be bought at the canteens. Insect powder is of no use. Cigarettes in packets do not keep. Send only in air-tight tins. Dark tobacco in plugs or tins is unknown and unprocurable at the canteens, but cigarettes and light tobacco can be bought at half the New Zealand retail price. Good pocket-knives and heavy woollen socks are issued, but light socks—cashmere— appreciated." The following list of suitable parcel gifts is given : One or two pound cakes, one or two pound tins sweet biscuits, coffee and milk and cocoa an! milk in tins, email tins salmon, extract of meat, soup powders, condensed milk, chocolate tablets, dark tobacco, playing cards, writing pads, ink pencils, strong twine, safety matches, Bengal razors, warm lined gloves and books of Y.M.C.A. coupons. Au Army Order, issued early in February, decrees that men who have been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal or the Military Medal shall be entitled to add tho distinctive letters D.C.M. or M.M. after their names, says the Herald's London correspondent. The order applies to officers who have received the medals before being commissioned. An Army Order lays down that a mere visit to any theatro of operations for a temporary purpose by officers or soldiers not definitely appointed for duty with a unit serving overseas will not make them e.igible for war medals or for the "crossed swords" entry in any Army List. Oft.cers and men who are discharged from tho service after being wounded may, on their own option, continue to wear the gold braid wound badge on plain clothes. The Northcole Ramblers Football Club has decided to approach the Birkenhead and Northcoto Borough Councils, which! bodies administer the Little Shoal Reserve, for permission to transform the north-eastern portion of the reserve into a condition suited to the needs of footballers and cricketers, and for the use of tho ground during the football eeason. Should the necessary permission bo forthcoming a working beo will bo formed and the work put in hand almost immediately.' The reserve consists of about 24 acres at the head of tho bay, between the two districts. Designs have been completed for the plaquo and scroll, recommended by Sir Reginald Brade's Committee, as the most suitable form of commemorating the services of men who lost their lives in the war. The work of production, says the Herald's London correspondent, will be put in hand as soon as the King has approved them. The plaque is described as a handsome pioco of metal work, while the scroll will be of vellum, and contain a lithographic copy of the dead man's record. These will serve as a memento of a permanent character, and will, bo presented to tho nearest surviving relatives of all the men who have fallen in the war, no matter to what part of the Empire they may have belonged.

Strong condemnation of the methods of the Railway Department in despatching perishable goods by rail have been made by the head of a well-known fish supply concern at Wellington. His firm receives largo consignments of oysters from the South weekly, and a quantity of these are railed north as far as Auckland. On Wednesday, March 27, the usual consignment was received from the South boat, and, in conformity with the practice in vogue, a largo number of these was sent direct to the railway stations. Correspondence received by the firm from tho consignees showed that the oysters had all arrived in a stato of decay. The Palmerston North consignment did not reach its destination until the Friday morning—two days after tho oysters were- delivered at the Thorndon station. Tho Auckland quota was received by tho consignees on the following Tuesday, being a whole week on the journey, and there were other cases of a similar naturo. Representations were made to the Railway Department, and tho only reply received to date is that " the matter will be duly inquired into." In order to ensure the utmost economy in the purchase of supplies for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the United Kingdom, Brigadier-General G. S. Richardson has set up a Contracts Board to consider all tenders and to make all contracts as required. The board, says the Herald's London correspondent, consists of Lieu-tenant-Colonel G. T. Hall, C.M.G., A.Q.M.G., chairman; Major J. T. Watson, 0.8. E., Military Landing Officer, Auckland Regiment; and Mr. Gilbert Anderson. Mr. Anderson was nominated by the High Commissioner. Additional expert assistance will be engaged as required. The inmates of the Costley Homo were on Saturday entertained by pupils of Miss B. Sanford with an exhibition of English, Irj>b and Scotch dances. Tho old people greatly appreciated tho entertainment. The acquisition by the State of land in the To Awamutu district for returned soldiers is to bo urged upon tho Government by the To Awamutu Chamber of Commerce, the contention being that land in the district is not highly valued, is suitable for closer settlement, and has a very real prospective value. A short sitting of the Police Court was held on Saturday, when Mr. F. V. Frazer, R.M., presided. Susan Brunton was fined £1 for being drunk while prohibited. A garden fete in aid of St. James's free kindergarten was held* in tho grounds of Mr. Alan St. Clair Brown. Ranfurly Road, Epsom, on Saturday afternoon.. The grounds wero decorated with flags, and tho various stalls were tastefully arranged, Dances were given during the afternoon by the kindergarten pupils of Miss Wiseman and Miss Boult, and shooting competitions for boys were held. The following were stall-holders: — Afiernoon tea, Misses Ferguson and Macfarlane; work, Misses Mac Donald and Peacock; produce, Mesdames O'Halloran and Chambers; sweets, Mrs. Carrick Robertson and the Misses Oliphant; icecream, Misses Hcsketh and Ferguson; children's bits, Mcsdames Alan Brown and Walkley; cakes, Mrs. Rosser and Miss Cox. Tho takings at tho fete amounted to over £60. A bazaar in aid of National Reserve Nursing Division Funds for equipment was held in the St. John Ambulance Station, Rutland Street, on Saturday, and proved to be highly successful. The bazaar was opened by Mrs. Kenneth Mackenzie, after which the various stallholders were kept busy disposing of their wares. An exhibition of stretcher drill was creditably given by members of the division, and at intervals musical selections enlivened the proceedings. A peculiar accident happened at Gisborne a few days ago. When a taxi-driver was, franking his car the engine " back fired," with the result that tho starting lever flew off and crashed through a large pane of glass in a shop front. The total received in response / to the Red Triangle appeal in Wellington is now £27,640. It is reported that there is every probability of £30,000 being reached before the fund is closed. The amount aimed at was £26,000.