LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7915, 7 August 1917, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Arbor Day will be celebrated at Russell Park, Waipukurau, to-mor-row afternoon, when it is hoped a large number of the public will be present to assist in the proceedings. A new scheme for reaching our soldiers on active service with gifts from their friends and relatives has just been set on foot by the Y.M.C.A., with every prospect of meeting a widely-felt need. Acting promptly on the suggestion of a soldier, it has completed arrangements for the issue of threepenny coupons in neat little booklets of ten and twenty that can be conveniently enclosed in a letter. These coupons are redeemable in goods at any of the Y.M.C.A. canteens, which are to be found practically wherever the men are. An initial order for 100,000 of these booklets, some at half-a-crown, and some at five shillings, is already in the printers’ hands in Wellington. The obvious advantage of these coupons is that they provide a specially convenient and attractively simple means of sending small sums of money to the front, where they can be readily turned into eatables, or some other requirement of the moment, procurable at the Y.M.C.A. huts. The scheme has the approval of the Government, and the postal authorities have consented to handle the coupons and see to their distribution without fee or reduction of any sort. The Wellington district is to be first supplied, and within a few days the booklets will be procurable at any of the 80Q money-order offices throughout the Dominion. It is anticipated that as soon as the simplicity and economy of the system becomes known to the public it will be very widely availed of. Forty cases of smallpox have been reported as a result of the outbreak in western towns of the State (says the “Sydney Sunday Times”). All are of a mild type. The non-viru-lence of the disease is characteristic of what has been the experience since the first case was reported in New South Wales during the recent epidemic. There have been 3000 cases, and not a single death has resulted. The outbreak of smallpox in such a mild form is regarded by many medical men as a blessing in disguise. It has caused those fearful of contracting it to be vaccinated, while those who caught it have not suffered severely and have been rendered immune against virulent smallpox should it become prevalent. Generally speaking, the victims of the disease in New South Wales have not been badly marked about the face with pock marks.

Residents of the Springhill district are invited to meet at Mr Moulder’s woolshed on Monday, August ,27tK, for the purpose of electing a School Committee. Members of the Savage Club are reminded of the korero to be held in the Oddfellows’ Hall to-night, commencing at 8 o’clock. Included in the programme will be two items by the newly-formed orchestra.

It is understood that the Government has decided to increase the Old Age and Maori War Veterans and Widows’ Pensions by at least 3s per week, possibly by 3s 6d a week.

In the Estimates which came down with the Budget there appeared the item, “Payment to State Collieries employees during the war under industrial agreement, £9OOO and amount paid during 1916-17 for war bonus £9239.”

Danger of a gigantic fraud is exceedingly remote, states the Finance Minister. War loan certificates art already printed on a special description of paper specially made and water-marked for the New Zealand Government, and it could not be easily counterfeited.

At a meeting of the executive of the Hawke’s Bay War Relief Association an inquiry was” received from the Otane Patriotic Society regarding money for the Wounded Soldiers’ Fund lying to their credit in the Post Office. Mr moved:— “That all moneys held by Associated Societies be handed over to this Association.” This was seconded by the chairman, and carried. The cost of furnishing in the various offices of the Efficiency Board was the subject of severe criticism in the House of Representatives by Mr Witty, member for Riccarton. He

stated that the furnishings of one set of offices in Christchurch had cost £SOO. Mr T. K. Sidey has also moved that there be laid before the House a return showing the cost of furnishing the various offices of the Efficiency Board.

The “New York World’s” Washingon correspondent states that a British freight ship which has arrived reports having fled from a mysterious vessel. The latter is believed to have been a German raider, and was sighted two-thirds of the distance from Europe. Another British steamer which has arrived reports having been engaged by a U-boat. The submarine fired two torpedoes, both of which missed, and the steamer returned the fire. The submarine was driven off.

A new departure was introduced by Mr Acheson, S.M., at the Assessment Court, Balclutha (says the “Free Press”) when several farmers, who were objecting to the values made by the Government valuers, were asked to name the price at which they would sell to the Government. One man, whose property of 315 acres was valued at £2545, promptly said he would sell for £I6OO, and signed a memorandum to that effect. The Magistrate said he would recommend the Government to take it, seeing that it was after land for returned soldiers.

How Britain’s Prime Minister, Mr Lloyd George, nearly met the fat(e that befel the late Lord Kitchener is hinted at in the following, which appeared in a recent issue of the “Weekly Despatch.” “The Germans,” it stated, “are smart people, but they should get their tides right. They were cocksure about catching Mr Lloyd George on his return from the Continent, only they were a tide too soon. They calculated accurately the time the Premier left Paris, but they did not reckon on his motoring any part of the distance. It would be a pity to tell them any more. Theii shells on the French and English coasts were wasted; they lost two destroyers in addition, and their quarry all the time was miles away.’.’