LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7717, 9 May 1916, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An Anzac Fancy Fair will be held at Te Aute to-morrow afternoon. The appointment of a secretary to the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club lias been deferred for another month. Saturday *8 receipts at the Soldiers’ Parcels and Red Cross shop totalled £9 17s. Next Saturday Mesdames F. Witherow and D. Kelly will be in charge. A well known business man of Hastings, Sydney Martell, has been arrested in Auckland on a charge of misappropriating £IOO, the property of the Hastings Produce and Cool Storage Co. “It is absolutely disgraceful that the public should show so little interest in patriotic affairs,” said Dr. Deck at last night’s meeting of the Patriotic Committee, a remark which found general endorsement. Regarding the question of military service in New Zealand, Mr T. M. Wilford writes to the “Post” as follows:—“In my opinion the Military Service Bill should provide that all male persons between the ages of 2(1 and 50 years who are medically fit should be liable for military service at home or abroad; and that the Govern or-in-Council be empowered tc make regulations to carry this into effect; and providing also for such exemptions as may be necessary to carry on the work of the country and production of necessary supplies.” A special meeting of the Patriotic Committee was held in the Borough Council Chambers last evening, Mr G. Hunt in the chair. The proposed alterations to the rules of the Hawke’s Bay War Relief Association were discussed and approved. Mr Hunt was appointed to represent the committee at the conference of delegates to be held at Waipukurau on Wednesday. On the motion of Dr. Deck, seconded by Mr H. M. Rathbonc, it was decided to call a special general meeting of the committee for the purpose of forming a new working executive. A small account was passed for payment and the meeting adjourned. Reference has frequently been made to what is apparently laxity in dealing with applications for enlistment when sent into the sub-area olfiee. Further complaints come from Otane, from which place three cards were sent in some time back and up to yesterday no advice lias been received from the Department as to whether the services of the men were needed. One of the applicants has now left the district with the intention of going into the back country for employment. Prompt attention to the three applications would probably have saved the wouldbe recruits considerable inconvenience.

The Rev. J. D. Smith, one of the candidates for the vacancy on the Borough Council, delivered a short address to the electors in the main street on Saturday evening in explanation of his candidature. He said lie was not actuated by any personal feeling in contesting the election, hut he thought that the training of a minister enabled him to look at questions from all standpoints, and he believed that he could he of service to the ratepayers. He criticised the action of the Council in its administration of the gasworks, and said that if ordinary foresight had been exercised in providing for a sinking fund for depreciation there would have been no necessity to increase the price of gas. The speaker referred to the present Council as a one man Council, and said that if elected he would not hesitate to express his views. He was proceeding to refer to his opponent as being one who would be likely to follow the lead of the Mayor, when a voice interjected “Stick to facts,” and the matter was not pursued. The speaker was given a very attentive hearing, and at the conclusion of his remarks he thanked his audience for the opportunity they had given him to express his views.

Compulsory saving lias been introduced on a small scale in at least one district of Germany (slates a despatch from Berlin to the “Springfield Republican). This is revealed in an order issued by the military commander of the district of Cassel, famed ns the early schooling place of Emperor William. The order is aimed at the extravagance of young men and boys who are earning high wages in war industries. The order recites that young men in receipt of swollen war earnings have in many cases been leading profligate lives and sometimes neglecting to support dependent relatives. In some places, it is observed, boys have been seen lighting their cigarettes with paper money, which is issued in denominations as small as 25 cents and 50 cents. As this class of youth has not desisted from his practices after repeated warnings, the commanding general decrees that persons under 21 years of age must henceforth “make such economical use of their wages as accords with the gravity of the time, must adequately support their dependents, and must deposit in the savings bank their surplus earnings,” or they will not he allowed further to collect their wages. Instead, their money will be handed over to a duly-appointed trustee, who will withhold such amount as he sees fit for deposit in a savings hank until after the war, or until his charge has attained his 21st year.

A sign of the times. The tofalisator returns at the Hastings races showed a failing off of over £4OOO as against the receipts at the last autumn meeting. The poll for the election of a councillor to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Cr. Tricklebank will take place to-morrow, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

A concert was given in the main street on Saturday evening by the Waipawa Brass Band Society, and was much appreciated by the townspeople. A Government “Gazette” notifies that certain specified firms trading in Greece, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Portuguese East Africa, Spain and Sweden are declared to be enemy firms.

As the result of Mr D. McLaren’s visit to Otane, a meeting has been called for the purpose of considering the question of forming a branch of the Red Cross League, on the lines suggested by Mr McLaren. Complaints have reached us of a most objectionable smell near the Tikokino road just inside the borough boundary. If it is anything like so laid as represented it calls for immediate action on the part af the borough authorities. The Municipal Association has decided not to hold the biennial conference this year owing to the session being a short one. The executive meets in Wellington on the 19th inst. to deal with any remits received and any legislation affecting municipalities.

It has become known at Defence Headquarters that certain men who wearing arm badges are mutilating them. This, then utborities point out, is a grave offence, and anyone found wearing a mutilated badge is liable to a heavy penalty. It appears that a number of men have cut the crown out of the ann badge and sewn it on their sleeves. This is not in accordance with thes pirit of the rgulation under which arm badges are issued. It is suggested that if it is considered that the crown is not prominent enough, it could he worked up with gold thread and thus made effective. A high official said that a man’s sweetheart, sister, or wife would no doubt be only too pleased to do the work, and in addition to preventing serious trouble to the wearer, it would make the badges look more attractive. An incident occurred on the Main Trunk train recently that should teach the lady who was the principal figure in the episode a lasting lesson on the virtues in minding one’s own business (says the AVaikato “Times”). Sitting near the lady in a first-class carriage was a young man studiously perusing the pages of a small booklet. Suddenly the woman arose, and crossing over to the young man, took him by the shoulder, and asked him in a loud voice, calculated for the whole carriage to hear, why he was not in khaki. The young man turned his head, and without a word resumed his perusal of the booklet. Later in the journey, as the day he* came hotter and the carriage stuffy, the young man removed his great coat, and on the sleeve of his jacket was the khaki badge of the man “waiting to be called up.” The lady sat apparently struggling with conflicting emotions for a while, and as there were strong rumors of disapproval of her action throughout the carriage, she at last went over to the recruit and apologised for her action, but the young man, still without a word, continued to study the leaves of the booklet, which proved to be a manual of infantry drill. The remainder of the journey was made somewhat uncomfortable for the interfering dame hv the other lady passengers in the carriage.