The Hon. Jas. Allen's circular to local bodies inviting suggestions as to the employment in temporary service of young fellows exempted from training under the Defence Act, on the grounds of conscientious and religious scruples, came before the Clutha County Council at its meeting on Friday.
If the suggestions of some of the councillors were adopted, exempted territorials would find that military training was much more desirable, and ''conscientious scruples'' would in all probability be generally and rapidly abandoned. Clutha County councillors have evidently not much faith in the ''conscientious'' objections. The Chairman suggested that the objectors to military training should be set apart as cooks' assistants, ''slaveys,'' and general rouse-abouts at the territorial encampments.
It was also suggested that they could be employed at rabbiting or stone-breaking. Eventually, it was agreed that the Minister of Defence be informed that the council had no time to worry about finding employment for the exempted young fellows, but would submit the following motion as a recommendation:- ''That the Minister find some means of employing the 69 religious objectors in acting as servants to the territorials in the camps; further, that the Clutha lady rifle shooters will fill the places of the so-called religious objectors, who are too cowardly to defend their country.''
• A heavy earthenware bowl, filled with a dark and slightly viscous fluid, and a case containing a number of queer tubes and pipes, made an interesting exhibit in the watch house at the police station last night. At 7.30 p.m. Constables Sievier and Kelly had visited a house in Stafford street and found three Chinamen smoking a substance which they suspected to be opium.
Two of the men got away, but the third, a well-known Asiatic, was arrested, on a charge of having opium in his possession, and will appear at the City Police Court to-day. Among the articles seized was the bowl full of the dark liquid suspected to be opium, and the box contained a complete opium-smoking outfit. The pipe was like an ordinary tobacco one, but had attached to the bowl a peculiar rosette-like projection with a hole through the centre into which the opium might be pushed with a long steel needle. There was also a lamp to keep the opium ignited.
• The new post office at North-East Valley was opened on Saturday afternoon by the Hon. R. H. Rhodes, Postmaster-general. There was a very large attendance, and at 3 p.m. the Minister, mounted on a platform decorated with bunting, briefly declared the new building open. A tour of the building was then made. It is of brick, and is two storeys high. It is a combined office and postmistress's residence.
The office portion, which is confined to the ground floor, comprises a vestibule 8ft by 5ft, a public office 20ft by 9ft, a telephone bureau room 4ft by 3ft 6in, a mail room of irregular form, containing 380 sq feet, a telephone room 8ft by 5ft, and a private box lobby 5ft by 5ft. The residence, which is confined to the upper floor, comprises a sitting room, 16ft by 11ft; two bedrooms, 14ft 6in by 11ft and 120 sq feet respectively, a kitchen, 12ft 6in by 10ft 9in; a scullery, and a bathroom. A washhouse, and the usual conveniences for office and residence are provided in an outbuilding. The width of the building is 33ft 9in, and the depth 40ft. - ODT, 6.4.1914.
