NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9171, 11 October 1915, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Owisng to the slow progress which was - made with* the long list - of bills brought down by the Government last week there, it every probability of the Parliamentary session ; riot- being brought to a close for two ! or three more days. The House of Representatives sits to-day at 2.30 p.m., and the Legislative'Council at 8 p.m. . A somewhat startling incident marked the parage of' the troops on Saturday past i the. “New Zealand Times” office. At the spot a policeman mounted on a spirited horso was controlling the traffic, whenv frightened by at passiftg band or; perhaps, 1 through being too tightly reined- in, his .charger roared suddenly, and slipping on - the wood-paved roadway was unable to recover itself and fell over backwards. Happily, its rider got clear, only slightly, bruised and shaken by his fall, and nobody in tho cirowd was injured.

Captain E. B. Atwood, marine surveyor, examined the cargo taken out of No, 4 hold of tho Wimmera, on Paturda.V morning in order to - ascertain the amount of damage resulting from the outbreak'~of fire "during - the - vessel’s passage from 1 Melbourne;; The examination is not complete; but apparently very little. damage was caused by flames, two boles of rubber goods having suffered most. As there were only 40 or 50,gallons of water actually poured into the hold it. is probable that the rest of the cargo cannot Tiave" suffered much. ” Though, hundreds of tickets which were issued to soldiers’ next-of-kin for Saturday’s - parade were , never demanded by any officer at any point, two elderly-ladies -who -had -failed, to provide themselves -with the necessary card were resolutely refused passage through a gateway to see the last of their own particular, boy in khaki. Their pleas to' the man in charge - were of; no avail 3-here-were two women without passes, and they must not go through on - any - account, even though : scores, 1 indeed, ..hundreds, -of people■ with no pass, at all - were permitted, free access to all . points- It seemed - 'a strange way of ‘‘arranging’-’, things It is stated to'be common knowledge in Sydney that a number of men hare deserted from the Australian forces after; they have spent months in camp and been clothed*-; and-fed*. and-.trained there atjthe- country’s expense. They' are occasionally brought to book, and after suffering* the ordeal of a • courtmartial aresentenced to varying terms of imprisonment, which are almost invariably reduced,' .‘‘The .-conviction is growing,” says the Sydney “Daily Telegraph,” “that it is high time that some .more drastic,steps were, taken to deal with men. who have made a Convenience of the military camps of the country and 'havoj displaced 'the,; endea-. vours wo are making to effectively deal with the Empire’s * enemies. - There is, a very firm" conviction: that deserters — it is not suggested.that the proportion is great—have been treated with a.de-, gree of leniency which almost amountsto a reproach on"the efforts the Com--monwealth* is making-' to keep our units, at the r front adequately reinforced.”

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Moeraki, which left Sydney on the-7th, instant for Wellington, has on board an Australian mail only. A large number of recruits have been arriving in Wellington during the past two days, to go into the camp. The Maori yesterday morning brought 239 soldiers from Lyttelton. After baking his seat at a picture theatre the other evening, remarks a u exchange, a Chinaman was pelted with paper missiles hy some youths. Highly indignant, he rose and rebuked the offenders thus: “You cheeky devils. You want to throw, you go light Gelmans.” ■

Local merchants will bo interested in two oversea shipping arrivals at Auckland ; the Turahina on Saturday, Irom London, and the Muritai ' yesterday, from' New York via Panama Canal. Both vessels leave a considerable quantity of cargo to put out at the northern port before coming to Wellington. While proceeding to his home at Kaiwarra in the 10.35 p.in. train on Saturday, a; man named George Smith got into an altercation with a man in the guard’s van, and ns a result had his head pushed through the glass panel of a door. Smith’s head was cut about, and he lost a good deal of blood. Ho was carried on to Petone, and after receiving medical attention there was sent to his homo in a cab. •’

By the s.s. Marama, which left Wellington for San Francisco on the 16 th ultimo, the * Agricultural Department shipped to the-Panama Pacific:Exhibition, on behalf of a number of New Zealand sheep breeders, some very fine specimens of the Romney, Lincoln, and Corriedalo breeds, r the shipment including 31 sheep altogether. A cablegram has just been received from the New Zealand Commissioner to, the exhibition, stating that one of the animals, “Westminster Fourth,” a Romney ram' the property of :Mr G. E. Allen, of Mastcrton, had died on the voyage, but that the balance of the sheep had. reached their i destination in good condition. •A report has, been received':by* the Minister for Defence from Colonel McGavinV who is in charge of No. 1 stationary -New Zealand hospital, at Port Said, stating that it has been'established on a sandy‘beach near'the entrance to the Suez Canal. .There are 65 tents each accommodating eight patients. There is also a large,building adjacent, which is used in conjunction with the tents, and this contains .thirty-eight bods, a ; dispensary, orderly ; room, ojxirating and ‘ sterilising rooms, and officers’ quarters. The., situation, f.ays Colonel McGavin. is one of the best obtainable. > There is a fine and constant breeze blowing -night: and day, and in summer the climate is the best in Egypt. ' Twenty-nine New, Zealandnurses: have arrived, and their help-is invaluable. - During, six, weeks 700 patients have been admitted..

' A suggestion of how farmers might contribute ,to , patriotic funds in kind has been made by Mr A. P. 1 Whatman, of Master ton.' He suggests that every woolgrower in tho Horn inion should, contribute on© fleece" from every bale of wool for the provision and maintenance of military' hospitals. Tho. appeal, he says, should bo made through the Farmers’ Union; and’ tho wool "collected and sent Home in one lot. Mr Whatman calculates that as the output of wool is 'approximately 500,000 bales,: equal to £10,000,000, at Is each, a contribution of one fleece per hale would realise a - total of £200,000.: Dairy farmers and grain growers could contribute, say, ’ 2 per cent, of-their output, ' and-merchants 2 per. cent, oh their’ profits, to the same object. Thus, he says, a substantial sum would bo raised without involving" any great financial strain on anyone.

'Mr., and Mrs Garvin, of itclson, reports an eschange, received a nick from .the 'Defence Department labelled “Deceased's "soldier's effects,” eontairinss their son’s personal On August 21« t Mr Garvin s was advised .that his son. had been wounded in the neck, and two days, later that, ho was on the hospital ship Dongola. On September 22nd' Mr Garvin was advised that his son was "progressing favourably.” No further news being received the parents concluded that everything was all right. The shock of receiving their son’s effects was thus all the greater.' An inquiry was dispatched to the Records Office at Wellington a few days ago by Mr Wallace Snodgrass, secretary to the Nelson Sick and Wounded fund, and a prompt reply was received from Captain Vine," officer in'charge, suggesting that 'Private Garvin was probably still alive, though his effects may have been collected -and • sent home. Captain Vine further stated that cable inquiries. would at once bo made concerning Private Garvin. : One piece of dry bread with a little sugar on it was all that a number of the troops had to eat on Saturday between rising" at Trentham at 3 o’clock in the-morning and the arrival of the evening meal. When their relatives came, to speak to them in the afternoon" some" of the men were almost famishing, - but . then, .unfortunately, owing to the crush and the general hustle, it' ’.was practically . impossible for private foraging parties to get to work. Many bitter complaints were made in consequence." “What a shame it was,” said one lady to a "Times” representative. She has a brother in the 7th Reinforcements, and with her mother bad come to town specially to see him. "If we had had any idea they were to bo starved like this,” she declared, "we would have taken something down for the boys to eat. A bit of dry t bread and sugar! Was that enough" food ta keep - a boy going all-day ?? * >;> They will' have hardships enough to face later on, goodness knows, and those responsible might might have- seen to it that they had sufficient' to eat * while in New Zealand.”

At the People’s Picture Palace last night/ under the auspices of the Social .Democratic -Party,-Mr P. Mickey reviewed the Pope’s appeals fa* peace. The speaker. said that" while Ithe Christian churches; in all the belligerent'countries had been turned into recruiting agencies - for - the tragedy that was. being enacted in Europe, the present' Pope (who was a cultured noble of his race), with all the historical learning he-.had —acquired, ■ was wise in his day and generation, and knew that the international Socialists’; standpoint as to racial barriers being a false doctrine, was the sight one. They (the Socialists) had to give credit where credit was due, and recognise that the Pope had’ shown courage and manhood when He had .made the appeals: for peace--notwithstanding all the powerful interests' from,the opposing; forces which, had been brought to bear ujion the Papacy. The’ call of humanity rather than- that- of patriotism, had. swayed -'his thoughts, and, in 'the speaker’s opinion, the : Pope would still play a,.great part in bringing about peace between the nations (which; after all,- was one *of the 'primary functions of Christian: institutions).

Hie derailing of a Karori car through a derelict cigarette-tin becoming jammed in the points opposite the Government Buildings yesterday after*, noon caused a partial stoppage of traffic for about a quarter of au hour. The seventy-fourth anniversary of the Wesley Church Sunday School, Taranaki street, was celebrated yesterday with special services. The preachers were the Rev. W. Shirer. (morning). Rev. J. Richards (afternoon), and Rev. J. G. Chapman (evening). Acting on reports from Professor* Hunter and Marsden, the Victoria College Council decided, at its meeting on Saturday, to order a lantern without the kinematograph attachment and to empower Professor .Marsden to procure from Messrs Turnbull and Jones twenty-three cells, the whole to cost not more than LIOO.

Reference was made by Mr Robert Clegg in his lecture on Saturday evening to the character-of the German people as lie found it some years ago in his sojourn in the, land of our archenemy. “They arc a patient, plod-■ ding, and persevering people,” ho remarked, “doing thoroughly everything they take in hand—very patriotic. Their family life is also sound and healthy, and after all that is the backbone of every nation’s prosperity.” During Mr Robert Clegg’s lecture last Saturday evening in the Town Hall concert chamber, a number of lantern slides depicting well-known celebrities were thrown upon the screen. Among these was the. portrait of the late Lord Roberts, and it evoked a great demonstration. Mr Clegg alluded to the prophetic part Lord Roberts played in insisting upon more military; preparations ‘ being made against attack. “He was like one crying in the wilderness,” said the lecturer, ’ "but his warnings were uttered in vain.”-

Thirteen first offenders brought up at the Magistrate’s Court on Saturday, before Mr D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., on charges of drunkenness.. were convicted and discharged. Thomas O’Brien,- with two previous convictions on record against him, was lined 20s, in default three days imprisonment. John Patrick Coyle, with three previous convictions, was lined £2, in default seven-days’ imprisonment.- Charles Fowler and Peter Chalmers, each with one previous conviction, wore fined 10s n, piece, in default forty-eight hour*’ imprisonment. ■With regal'd to the proposals for tho ■ : formation of a University Battalion tor the expeditionary forces, the Victoria College Council, at its meeting on' Saturday, endorsed the finding of tho professorial board that they oinuot sco their' way to approve tho suggestion. It was pointed our that ■ there- were three main reasons against the formation of a University Battalion—(l) The objection - of tho Deleno© Department to recognise any special battalion; <2) the fact that so many university men had already gone to the. front that, it would not be possible to raise a battalion; and (3) that those going from the university went mostly as non-com-missioned officers. During the discussion it was raentionod that at least silt officers' among- the troops that had taken' part in the groat parade through Wellington that day were university men —Major Beerc, Dr. BodlS, and Messrs Sprack, Sievwright, Fell, and Wardrop. Writing of the early . days of the landing on Gallipoli, Private Gibb Johnston, sou of Dr Johnston, of Carterton, refers to'the death of several Wellington men. “Of Jack Grace’s death 1 can give no coherent account,” ho writes, “as the mounted men were operating on our loft, and were holding the - advanced- outposts. - -All I know is that the Wellington mounted men were cut off and surrounded, and sixty of them held hundreds of -Turk* at bay- until relief came. Out of th< sixty men thirty of them Mere killed, among them" being Norman, Cameron, Tos. Smith, Jack Grace and another old college chum. Jack Scales (son of Mr G, H. Scales). They all died at their posts, but it is easily thq saddest catastrophe that has so far hap-, pened to the New Zealanders, and I might say that in atrattack on a Turkish trench the next night wo remembered oiir fallen comrades. .In war every man is a brother, and I can tell you that it is not going into battle that upsets the nerves of men, but it is' when your mates fall round you, and when the roll is called, at the end of tho fight that even tho strongest men break down a little. When we mad© our .advance at Cap© Helles on Slay 9th, eighty-six of tho Ruahine Company asnwercd the roll call (wa days later out of 250 men who comprised the company.” A feature of Saturday’s parade was the bands,- The New Zealand , Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool’s Own) Band, under Bandmaster Colo, and Trentham Band, - under Bandmaster Pox. were tho most prominent, as these two bauds comprised men from the troops. - As was naturally expected, New Zealand's national war song, “Tho Soldier. 5 ’ was featured by those bands throughout the parade The National Reserve Band also ployed “The Soldier.” At the conclusion of tho parade ’the “Earl of Liverpool’s Own” Band played “The Soldier” again, and tho troops and crowd around sang the chorus. ■ *