LOCAL & GENERAL

Levin Daily Chronicle, 19 April 1917, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL

Considerable curtailment of railway train services is likely to result from the New Zealand coalminers' strike. The Railway Department advertises in to-day's Chronicle that on 23rd April (next Saturday) the passenger and goods train services will be drastically curtailed, should the coalminers' strike continue till then. The travelling public is urged "by the department to complete contemplated journeys on or before next Saturday: Cycling and motoring notes appear on page 4, where also are printed commercial news andl an account of an attempt on the life of tlie King of Spain. Three other articles of interest are printed on page 1. A "routine" order issued at Featherston {military camp directs tljat— "Officer commanding units will notethat all observers of the Seventh Day Advontists' faith are to be given leave every week from Friday nights till Saturday nights, and that their services, are invariably utilised for Sunday fatigues and duties, thus relieving other men of Sunday work." Frank Simmonds, an American military critic (says a cablegram of yesterday's date) regards the Battle of Arras as bein 5 the greatest military 'battle since the Battle of tlie 'Marne. Levin School Committee as now constituted in membership held its (final meeting on Tuesday night. Application for a school coach wars received from settlers on Kimberley road. It was shown that eighteen children of school age were in the vicinity. Tlie committee resolved that if sufficient monetary guarantee from the settlers was received the committee would accede to the request.

A Commission consisting of Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., Mr. MoClure, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Wellington, and Mr. Mackay, district land valuer, sat at Shannon -last Tuesday. The business of the Commission was to hear objections, if any ( to the proposed formation of a borough at .Shannon. Mr. P. "VV. Goldsmith, County Clerk, on belialf of Horowhenua County Council, intimated that the council, as the controlling body at present, had no objection to the formation of a Borough of Shannon. Mr. Martin, the Shannon pjstmaster, who was census enumerator for the county, deposed that the population of Shannon was in excels of the minimum required for the formation of a borough. There were '101 i: inhabitants exclusive of Maori?—who numbered fifty or sixty. This completed the evidence, and the Commission then adjourned. Austria has offered Russia terms amounting to a separate peace offer. "It is a disgustingly cruel practice; absolutely inhuman, and only a iit tiling for a. German to do. Now it has ibeen made pu'blic. I hope something will be done to prohibit it 'by law." Thus wards lat the Supreme Court at Gisdeclared His Honour Mr Justice Edborne, when a witness was describing the-practice of cutting off the teats of wild sows so that tlio suckers would die and the sow loose condition. "Tt seems to have been a common practice." remarked counsel. "That does not make it 'any the bitter," rejoined His Honour.

A mercantile liouse in Dunedin lias issued a circular ar follows to its clients:—"We are not pessimistic about tlve future. We have every con l fid?iiC2 that the Allies will ultimately secure a victorious peace. This may not be accomplished as early as we would wish and expect; therefore it becomes necessary to prepare with care to meet whatever the future hold. Traders must act with caution in regard to giving credit, to make window displays, or deliver food supples to their customers. These restrictions are for the purpose of enforcing economy. While it may not be necesary to go> the whole length of refusing to give any credit, we are satisfied that so far a* country storekeepers are concerned it is very necessary that a drastic reform should be made at this time in this direction. The average individual will-not economise until lie is compelled to. Only the other week a local Magistrate refused to make ail order against a debtor for' over £20 owing to a storekeeper, notwithstanding the face that the debtor was in receipt of a salary of £6 per week. Under such circumstances curtailment of credit I;o the only wise course. We commonthis to yonr careful consideration."

The current. Monthly Abstract of •Statistics states that the returns of actual threshings received until (March 19 from threshing-mill owners showed that, so far, 1,320,000 bushels of wheat and 782,511 bushels of oats had been threshed out. The average yield per acre in cases where particulars were furnished worked, out at 23.73 bushels "or wheat and 28.52 bushels for oats The lowest average yield per acre was 10 bushels in the- Auckland district, and the highest 36.76 bushels in Southland. Of 'CiatsJ the. lowest average yield per acre was 20.70 in H'awke's Bny. and the highest, again in Southland, 40.32 bushels.

The Dannevlrke newspaper states that Count Bernstoff, the late German Ambafsaclor at Washington, was at one time a resident of Dannevirke, and was for a time the guest of Mr F. O. Cowper. At that time lie was known as Baron Ernst. Tlie gentleman "had ii. most persuasive manner, and was an adept lady's man. He had a charming way of conversing with ladies, and he had a way of acquiring information from them that in the light of after events was particularly subtle." After leaving Kaitoke, Baron "Ernst" went on a sketching tour to Woodviile, and proceeded to Wangaiiui, where he spent some time with Mr Cowper's relatives. These incidents are said to have occurred 31 years ago.

A few days ago a Southern paper reported a case of wanton destruction of a house and contents at Kurow, belonging to Frederick Steffan, a Tyrolese Austrian, who was absent motoring with a soldier relative on leave from camp. Windows, crockery, mirrors, and furniture were broken. A few days afterwards Steffan threw the place open to the public, in .aid of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund, and a considerable sum was raised. On Wednesday of lti st week the detectives arrested two married women, Hardy and Pratt, on a charge of committing the damage, which is estimated at about £100. Pratt is the wife of the local constable, who was absent from the district when the offence occurred, and the other woman is the wife of a carpenter. Both live nexft door to the Steffans. Steffan is a well-known NewZealand guide, and an expert bushman. iSome years ago he assisted Detective Broberg to hunt down the murderer Ellis in the hack country of the North Island. He also recovered the body of a tourist, Mr Andrews, who was lost in the bush while deer-stalking in the Martinbo-rough district. Andrew's life was insured for £10,000, and a reward of £400 was offered for the recovery of the body or the man himself. An influx of students and staff to the Government Farm, Weraroa, Levin, has taken place this week. The accommodation at the farm is overtaxed, and pending the completion of new cottages, some of the staff are "living in Levin.

Private advices received in Levin state that Dr. iDavies formerly of 'Levin, l:as been seriously ill with bronchitis, and when the last mail left London he was still in a convalescent hospital. A cart load of pumpkins and vegetable marrov.fj 'wab trough, fn 'fjrom Koputaroa yesterday by Mr 'Douglas Gardner, and presented to the Levin Branch of the Red Cross Society. The~e are pumpkins up to 401b weight in the collection. The vegetables are'to be sold for benefit of the Red Cross funds, on Saturday next, at market prices. The ladies of the society are grateful to iMr Gardner fcr h's valuable gift. TII3 marriage cf Corporal A Stuckey, of L'jvin, to Miss Saxon, of Levin, is to take place next week. By a mis-., understand hi g, the irarriage <f another member of the oxpediticnar.v force was announced as having been that of Corporal Stuckey. A capital story is going the rounds in Hastings regarding a dashirg young Hawpe's Bay sheep-farmer, with plenty r.f pluck and a shrewd eye, who was sent out by his commanding officer in Mesopotamia to get information re-i y irding the nature of the ground at tho rear of the Turkish lines. After an abscnce of some days he returned.and inly reported to the general that "tl)e country, if properly handled, would carry about three sheep to the acre!" Loid No: thcliffe eays in connection with the duration of the war.: "All hat can be reported positively is that it is the preponderance of opinion Vre, in Franie, and in Germany, that the war, if not actually finished, will be decided to all intents and purposes by July." The death of Mr Charles Ho'lard, which took place at his residence,' Woburn road, Lower Hutt, on Sunday morning, removes from the district one of its most highly-respected and pioneer residents. Mr Hollard, who was sixtyeight years of age ,'lived at Lower (Hutt practically the whole of his life. A slight decrease in the wholesale prices of drug 6 is at last apparent, and articles that were 1000 per cent, above normal prices some few months. ago now are from 600 to 600 per cent, above normal. This -'comparative decrease is most apparent in synthetic drugs (such as asperin, etc), but it is a problem whether the drop will be peinanent or otherwise, as the -United States supplies are likely to decrease.

A coastal officer informed a Levin resident who was in Wellington recently that week'y wages now earned by some of the best men on the Wellington wharves ran to more than the ships' officers drew for their lengthier and more exacting duties. Some of the mates of coastal vessels have re; signed, and have entered on wliarf labourers' works as being more remunerative. Extract from letter received by Mr H. B. France, of Levin, from luis sou, Private "Geo. France at the front in Franca:—"There is a little Y.M.O.A. "possie" up among the gu'nis where I go every morning on my rounds and get a hot drink free; written up is this notice: 'Soldiere yon are the guests of the residents of Levin'—good, isn't it." At the date of writing hot drinks would have beeM appreciated as a further extract from the letter reads:—"The cold . is intense, canals and "streams are frozen, everything is frozen; I saw a bottleful of 'beer stand up oil the table after the glass had been broken from around it. Even the big crows are frozen stiff, in the trees." The following workers were present at th© Women's Red Orces Guild last Friday afternoon: Mesdames J. Proviso, Goldsmith, W. Thompson, Mclnltyre, Tink, Heslop, Porteous, Vincent, Keedwell, Richter, Vickers, R. D. Wallace, and Malcolm; Miss Sedcole. iMx b 'Plaster* dispensed afternoon tea. Mrs Goldsmith and Mrs Richter were in charge of tlie iR-ed Cross shop last Saturday. The amount taken was £2 4s 7d. The committee wishes to thank the following for donations of produce, etc: MesdamesJ. Prouse, Tully, JRicliter, (Butt, Bagrie, Tomlinson, Heslop, Goldsmith, 'G. P. Brown, F. O. Smith, J. Whi taker, Plae. ter, Masters D. and G. Vickora, W. King and S. Pratt. Sister Lewis has to leave for the front again, and takes up duty next week at very short notice. She now begs for a little help from the "grown-ups" towards the £100 wanted for the up- , keep of the Maori motor ambulance that was used in France on Easter Sunday, and given by the children of this district. £500 was- a good sum for the children to raise, but that only buys the Daimler, ambulance and one month's upkeep, and Sister Lewis is very anxious to get at least enough for the upkeep during the coming "great -./., push," when every ambulance will be. needed. Sister Lewis will be grateful for any small sum towards the £100 before she leaves. The escaped prisoner John Dorn, who was rearrested at Levin, yesterday was sentenced to an additional two years' imprisonment on each of threo charges. These terms run concurrently. As Dovn already is sentenced to five years' imprisonment on a, charge of indecent assault, lie will have to undergo seven years' imprisonment in all. He has been declared a habitual,criminal. A strike in Berlin has caused the closing of all factories. Even munition factories are affected. Over 125,000 workmen are involved.

The Chronicle acknowledges reoeipt of the Niew Zealand Official Year ißook, from the Census and Statistic' Office. The Year Book, though condensed (in consequence of the world-wide shortage of printers' paper) maintains all its informative features. This issue is the twenty-fifth. "What's in a name?" A reservist who t'lm week was fined £5 for failure to notify a change of address hare the surname of Folly. On Wednesday last a New Zealand Times representative asked the 'Minister for Railways "If he had anything further to say about the coal strike. The Hon Mr. Horries replied "No; but it might bo worse if I had." A secret bnl'ot, ho added, was to be taken cn the West Coast to-day, and nothing further could bo said till the result waa known. Edward Higgs, a prohibited person, for having prooiired intoxicating liquor, was convicted by Mr Kenrick, S.'M., at Levin Court today. A fine of £1 waa inflicted. Joseph Wilson, a lad, who broke and entered the dwellinghouse of James Jones, Cambridgestreet, Levin, was convicted, and ordered to be sent to Weraroa Training Farm. ■ ; Wilson had been before the Court oh previous occasions. In the civil division of the Court, the Magistrate entered' the following judgments for plaintiffs by default of defendants: U. C. Higgins v. Kehu Royal £3, costs £1; J. T. Onk v. R. Aitken, £2 10s, cmt'i ss; Tvess Brothers v. Phillip Farqnhar £2 4s. ccsts 10&; Annie Dicgan, Wire Wata Tir.angi, 15s. How woul.l a whisky famine affect the residents of OtagoP asks the Duncdin Star. No one knows as yet, but we r.i • y find out. Stocks are running short in Dunedin, and enquiries as to whether other centres Can land or sell lead to the knowledge that Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland are in the same fix. Distillers in the Old Country are refusing orders except for strictly limited,quantities, and they will not quote at all otherwise than "the price on the day of shipment." Some heavy ploughing has> been carried out at Featherston Camp recently, resulting in some forty acres of land adjoining the camp being made ready for the growing of .vegetables for the use of the troops in camp. A large swamp plough, drawn by six horses was used, and the Work was very arduous owing to the stony nature of the soil. Some immense stones were turned up, while the numbers of smaller cues were considerable. Fatigue pnrties are now at work clearing the ground, and the work of planting and working the ground will be carried out by the samn means.