TOWN EDITION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14646, 2 July 1918, Page 6

TOWN EDITION.

The Maoris of Hawke's Bay are making an appeal for funds to build n hut for the use of the Maori boys at the front.

According to a statement made hy the Hon. W. p. S. MacDonald the Government is going to deal with the conservation and export of timber by regulations, which are now being prepared.

The Telegraph Department advises that there is no communication with stations south of Kaikoura and east of Greymouth. Telegrams for the isolated districts are posted from Wellington. The ferry steamer with southern messages is expected to arrive at Wellington about 5 p.m. to-day.

When the Clansman left Mangonui for Auckland with the survivors from the Wimmera, all the people turned, out and cheered the departing ship. The cheering was followed by a Maori haka, which brought forth a response from survivors of "Fop They Are Jolly Good Fellows," as the vessel steamed down the harbor. A Military Board took evidence in camera at Dannevirke on Thursday respecting the circumstances concerning a mishap to a local member of the reinforcements while on leave in Dannevirke, whereby he severely injured a foot through his gun going off while out shooting with his brother.

Mrs. W. A. Smith has received a number of letters from soldiers on transports, conveying thanks to the Women's Patriotic Society for supplying papers and periodicals to troops leaving for England. The Society would be grateful if the .public would fill up the boxes placed for the purpose at various places about town in order to supply the next reinforcement with the usual supply oi reading matter.

In the latest Gazette the Secretary of Marine issues the following warning : "It has been brought under the notice of this Department that a package of charged cell batteries was recently shipped at an oversea port and brought to New Zealand. Such charged batteries are very dangerous, as they are liable to start fires in a ship's hold. Shipmasters are therefore cautioned against accepting them for shipment on their vessels."

Mr. J. Douglas Perrett, the Auckland artist, was in Wellington when he received the news that his eldest son, 'Mr. William Perrett, had been drowned in Rangitoto Channel, Auckland. The deceased, who was 28 years of age, was out fishing in a small boat with another man named Steele on Wednesday night. When getting the anchor up the boat capsized. Perrett clung to the upturned boat, but Steele stripped arid swam ashore. He returned with assistance in a defence launch, but there was no trace of Perrett or the boat.

-Caustic comment was made at Auckland by Dr. Florence Keller on the utterance of the Hon. T. M. Wilford in regard to women sitting on juries. Dr. Keller said- that after a good deal of experience attending the courts she felt certain that women on juries or on the Bench could' not mete out worse justice than men do. In whose hands was the justice in the home but in the hands of the mother, who was constantly constrained to adjudicate between brothers' disagreements? She thought the Minister's comments a slur on the hoine where women constantly mete out justice to its inmates. It is stated by those who should know (says an exchange) that there ,is likely to be a severe shortage of seamen and firemen in New Zealand in the near future. The reason for this possibility is said to be consequent on the number of men who are deserting from New Zealand ships on each of their trips to America) and Canada. The wages for both seamen and firemen are considerably higher in America to-day than those ruling here, and this is put forward as the chief reason for the- men thus talcing the opportunity to leave their vessels illicitly for the purpose of signing on on American steamers. For instance, the rate for firemen on the Pacific Coast of America is 75 dollars a month, as compared with the award wage. in the Dominion of about £13.