LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12110, 12 September 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Some extremely unfortunate ca.ses com© before the Military Service Boards from time to time. During the hearing of an appeal at Wellington on Tuesday, one appellant stated that his only sister was dying of consumption, his brother was practically an imbecile his sister's husband was subject to epileptic litis, his father had had three paralytic strokes, and was now permanently paralysed dawn one side, and his mother was not in the best of health. People tendering ten shilling note's to retail traders or others will require to scrutinise the.m and see if such are issued in New Zealand, says the Wellington " Post." There may be notes issued in Australia in circulation in New Zealand, and such are liable to discount, by way of exchange, but any notes issued by banks trading in New Zealand are by law as good as gold, or Bilver, and cannot be refused in payment at their full face value. To deduct anything from them is as illegal as it would be tio account a sovereign worth only 19$ or 19s 6d. Complaints are made to the "Post" that tradesmen have been deducting 6d from change of ten shilling notes,_ on the ground that It hey are Australian; but as many people, especially women, do not read a note, -to or closely, it is essential to see where the notes are issued. If by any bank trading in New Zealand, they are worth their full face value; if issued in Australia, then they are liable to exchange. A Sydney "Bulletin" contributor supplies the following tale of grit and mateship:—When one of the Darcysf was hurt at Hall's Creek in the l 1 an Nor'-Wast of Australia, his brothers Walter and Thomas started out on tha night of August 1 from Wyndham, 250 miles, to succour him. At 141! miles, Turkey Creek, they changed horses, and covered tho last 110 mile*.) in fifteen hours. The ride was dond without blankets and with little food. They found their broiher in a critical position from a fall from a horse. There was no doctor within a thousand miles, yet the only hope was in immediate operation. They wired Perth (1822 miles), and arranged for a doctor to leave on a boat on Angus!) 9. In the meantime Mr Tuckett, tho postmaster at Hall's Creek, cut with a razor, directed by telegraph from Perth. Each day, at a given time, the doctor went to Perth G.P.O. and exchanged messages with the postmaster who was saving a man's life at Hnil's Creek. Small incisions being found of no a.vail, a more serious operation was' performed by telegraphic direction. Morphia for anaesthetic, Condy's crj-stals to keep the wounds aseptic, and a razor in the hands of a layman for an operation on a distended bladder following rupture of the urethra.! The patient is progressing well. Another doctor has "taken the daily seat by thei telegraphic key. while the one who was formerly in charge goes north. The pluck of brothers who acted as thei Dareys did can be merely mentioned alongside the pluck of him who would dare to treat a man for his life with only the rudest appliances to aid him. But what do you think of the man who suffered that series of operations with a, little morphia?

A Press Association telegram _ from Wellington states that the hearing of charges against John Edward Fitzgerald and John M'Williams for attempting to defraud Henry Martindale arid others of £975 and conspiring to defra.ud was continued at the Magistrate s Court yesterday afternoon. The whole sitting was taken up with the examination of Fitzgerald. The ease was adjourned till Friday.

All who have relations or friends atl the front will be interested in the splendid photograph now displayed in one of W. Strange and Oo.'s windows representing the medical officers and staff of No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital, Balmer Lawn Section, Brockenhurst, England. In the front, two places from the 0.C., LieutenantColonel Acland can be easily identified, and a good many other Christehurch people are recognisable, including several Christehurch H ;pital Sisters. There are over 300 in the group, but eacK face is clear and distinct. The photograph was sent by a former employee* of Stra-nge's, now a, staff sergeant at this hospital.

Every enlisted man and officer of the U.S.A. Navy is to wear an indestructible metal tab, by which he may be identified in the event of death or injury. The tag is t-o be made of monel, an alloy which is not affected by heat, and which will not corrode in salt) water. It will bear on one side the wearer's name, date of birth and enlistment', and in the case of an officer his rank and date of appointment. On the other side will be etched the print) of the right index finger. Under that system, which is held to be superior to that adopted bv European armies and navies, there is not one chance, in 65,000,000, the finger print experts estimate, of a mistake in identification. Monel, which is an allow used as the material for bat&eship propellers, was chosen in preference to brass or any other metal because it is unaffecteel by any except the most intense beat, nob melting until it has readier a temperature of 2480 degrees Fahrenheit: it will not corrode and is not affected b\* ealt water.

Silver is now worth in London 46<i a standard ounce. The rise, in the value recently has "been phenomenal. In 1015 the appreciation was not marked, the prices fluctuating between 22 5-16 d and 27£ d, but in 1916 silver rose as high as 371 d. The increase in value this year has been steady. When silver was quoted at 40d, it was thought that the limit had been reached, but within the past few weeks several marked advances have taken place. The demand for silver |t>r coinage purposes has, in the past years, been very large, due to the payments to soldiers yi all parts of the worffl. and also to the increased spending power of «he people in those Eastern countries where " white" currency principally prevails. It is estimated that in the twelve months ended March, 1917, the importation of silver to India was equal to one-half of the world's production. The advance in the value of silver in the United States has been fully equal to that in Great Britain; and the increasing requirements necessitated by the Republic's entrance into the war ha's brought about that necessity of increasing the supply of coinage. The substitution of a paper currency in Panama for the silver currency hitherto in use has been made with this object in view.

Religious ceremonies in connection with the centenary of the founding of the religious order of Marist Brothers took place on Sunday at St IMary of the Angels' Church, Wellington. His Grace Archbishop Redwood paid a great* tribute to the work of the Marist Brothers. He briefly touched on tho hfe of the founder of the order, tho Ven Father Chamaquet, S.M., and congratulated the brothers on the progress which had been made during the past century, there being to-day no less than 6000 members of the order, spread all over the world. It was only the other 1 day that he received a letter from Pekin, eulogising the work which tho brothers were doing in China, where many Chinese were now members of this' world-famous order. The Rev Father Stanislaus Mahony, S.M., parish priest of St Mary's, and one of "the old boys of 1876, preached a touching, interesting and eloquent sermon on the founding of the Marist Brothers Order and of the life of its founder. He traced the growth of the order from the tiny mustard seed sown in 1817 in Franco to the great work accomplished by the brothers for Christian education and society generally. He expounded the teaching of the Church in connection with Christigm education, which demonstrated that jio system of education was complete without religion, which must be intermingled with the secular training. He concluded bv congratulating the brothers on the splendid progress they had made, which he trusted' would continue until the end of time.

For one week only a full size 2oz tin of VITAFER, the all-British Tonic Food, will be sent- free to all inquirers, This remarkable offer is made so that everyone may have an opportunity of testing the merits of this splendid food for brain and body. Send 6d in stamps to cover postage and packing, together with your name and address, and also the name of your chemist, to J. A. < OLTART, Fitrgerald Avenue, Christchurch. X 42 Spring cleaning made easy. Messrs Hastie, Bull and Pickering are offering all the latest and best devices for quick yet efficient house cleansing. Dustless methods, latest vacuum cleaners, brushware, polishes, etc. Vacuum cleaners on hire. 'Phone 2103. X