General News.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 29 January 1918, Page 1

General News.

The export of plate and sheet glass from the Dominion is prohibited except with the consent of the Minister of Customs.

It has been decided, after an inspection, to make certain rearrangements in the accommodation for prisoners of war on Kipa Island, and this means that a few days will elapse before Count von Lucknor, Lieut. Ivircheiss, and the German prisoner who will act as "batman''' can be received at the island. — Christ church "Press."

For the Wellington North seat, which will be vacated shortly by the appointment of the lion. A. L. Headman to a seat on the Supremo Court Bench, an Independent Liberal candidate is announced in the person of Mr A. N. Polsen, for live years past secretary to the Hon. Dr Pomare. Mr Poison has been connected with the Ministerial private secretarial staffs for ten years. He has (the "New Zealand Times" states) resigned his position in the Civil Service to contest the seat and while he is not brought out by an\ r political party, he says quite definitely that he will go to t lie poll.

At a meeting of the Wanganui Hospital Board a letter was received from the Minister of Pensions concerning a woman at Wanganui East whose pension was stopped. It appears that she got behind in her payments on her house under the Advances to Workers Act, but a local resident came to her aid and paid to the Department the C 322 ow ing on the building. The result was the Court refused to renew her pension. The Chairman (Mr T. H. Battle) claimed an injustice had been done, and if the debt was paid of! gradually the pension would not have been lost. The woman, however, will be eligible for the pension next year, but meanwhile she is receiving charitable aid.

For some days after the six o'clock closing measure came into operation, the arrests in CUristchurcli for drunkenness were very few, but now they seem to be drifting back towards the old standard. A well-known member of the legal profession expressed the idea to a reporter that the earlier falling-off in the matter of arrests was due to the fact that the drinking fraternity had by then not discovered the best remedy for the early cutting off of their supply. Now, however, they had "got into the running" in the way of laying in overnight stocks, establishing "plants" etc., and hence the rise in the drunkenness statistics.

A. Mastertoll soldier thus humorously describes a "blighty" he got in France, the letter being written from a hospital lie, Oi'lober 14:—Well, here I am, landed a bit of Friizie's high explosive, and in hospital getting overhauled and remodelled. My engines were unharmed except that I ran a little short of petrol, and got a bit hot. Lights went, out \V"ticn 1. got the breakdown, and it was a minute or two before I could gather my wits anil locate the trouble. Well, he has not absolutely disabled me, and I was able to get into port under my own steam. I have' my right axle in the lathe at present, and some American mechanic:', on the job. I haven't decided what colour I shall have my body painted, but: there is one thing I do want, and that is a very fast, easy manipulated, reversible gear. I. think they .will lie able to fix me up all right without too many rivets or any extra purls, which are difficult to obtain, the model being as ancient as-1891. However, in a. few weeks I hope I shall be able to jam in the gear, slip in the clutch, open the throttle, and set the engines singing again.

A prominent New Zealanuer, writing from London, says: The coming in of America is going to be an enormous help, and as the German expectations in regard to the submarine menace have not been fuliilled, we think it safe to assume that ships will be available for bringing assistance from the United States. Speaking of American assistance, I may say that I attended a most interesting service in St. Paul's Cathedral on Independence Day. The gathering was a representative one, and the excellent sermon was by one of the finest preachers I have ever heard. I think the introduction of the American spirit into this war will do great good; it will correct the tendency to run" in old grooves. The American troops inarched through London a

short time ago. It was a glorioic sight to see them, they had a magnificent reception, and they deserved it. One sometimes hears expressions of jealousy that the Americans may say they had to assist us to win the war, but I hope that spirit is not general. Even if they should boast a little, they are entitled to do so, because thier assistance will be of immense value to us.

A girl again won the international typewriting championship and a £200 trophy cup at the New York annual business show. The winner, Miss Margaret Owens, has held the title and trophy for four years. Her new rceord was 1-13 words a minute for one hour.

Importations from the United States bid fair to become luxuries judging by the way freight rates are advancing. Kecent quotations by cable give freights for sailers at £S per ton, and for steamers £14 per ton. This means adding considerably to the landed cost of goods, with insurance, war rates, and other charges included. Bulky goods such as motor cars will necessarily be correspondingly dearer and the cost of future shipments of benzine may be higher. Already benzine is quoted on the local market at 24s to 25s per case, which adds to the cost of transit by motor power. Australia is taking the advantage of the opportunity to get its goods on this market. A large business is now being done in axe and other handles -which .formerly came from the United States, but are now made in the Commonwealth from spotted' gum, which appears to be a very suitable wood for the purpose.

An amorous British youth was being In ken !o task for his flirtations. "Engaged t,i four girls at once! " exclaimed his horrified uncle, "llow do you explain such shameless conduct?" "I don't know." said the graceless nephew. "Cupid must have shot me with a machine gun.''

"I em losing :.10s a day every time I conic here." staled a waterside worker at the silting of the Third Wellington Military Service Board. Captain Baldwin : "That shov s why '•registered plumbers at 12s a day are hard to get." (Laughter.; Another waterside worker stated that lie had lost 2Ss by attending the court. The spread of blackberry in ilax

swamps is causing some uneasiness as to the future of the hemp industry, says the Auckland "Star." In some places the blackberry is now so bad in the swamps that the flaxcutters refuse to go in to cut the flax leaf for t»?c mills. It 'will be a serious matter if th:s evil is allowed to increase, but the eradication of blackberries from flax swamps will be a very difficult problem to solve in the future.

The shortage of dentists owing to so many being sent away with the Expeditionary Force is being seriously felt. The position 011 September 30th last was that there were 134 dentists serving in the. New Zealand Dental Corps abroad, and in the training camps, and only 41S were left practising 111 civil life in New Zealand as compared with 554 at th<! outbreak of war. The New Zealand Dental Association held a meeting recently, when the following resolution was passed: "That the members of this Association place their services unreservedly in the hands of the Government and the Minister for Defence, to be used to the best advantage."

If anyone thinks that we have not many stern lessons yet to learn lie need only let his eyes res!. 011 the vast crowds that day by day throng the shops (writes Christopher Cheshire in the "Commonwealth"). Oxford Street is one solid swarm of buyers; the pavement is impassable; round the windows people swarm like flies. It is the same everywhere; all over the West End there are the same keen, pushing, tpnse, greedy multitudes. It is an ugly, unpleasing vision. The whole place smells of coin. I\o price is too high, 110 bargains too stiff. Everywhere Mammon is master and vulgarity ascendant. And this shopping mood bodes ill fsr the future. It is morally and financially disastrous, and fatal to the virtues that alone can build the better days. Will nothing sober us? The best mind from} the front loathes the whole scene.

This story was told by a chaplain of the forces who was preaching in Salisbury Cathedral recently (says the "Queen"). Near Femes, the westernmost town in Belgium, a dozen children, lean from starvation, knelt at the foot of a shell-smashed crucifix at the crossroads. A Belgian officer, without any insignia of rank, stood near. The children said their prayer as far as ''Forgive us our trespasses," and then there was silence. One voice joined in, and concluded the petition—"as Ave forgive them that trespass against us." The voice was the voice of the Belgian officer, and the officer was King Albert.

At least one resident of Auckland is convinced that thirteen is an unlucky number. lie landed in Auckland in the year 1913, ad found that his luggage had been broken into during the voyage and a considerable quantity of clothing stolen. On the thirteenth day of the following month he had the misfortune to break his arm. Thirteen days later he received notice of the death of one of his relatives through a motor accident. I''ur a few months nothing further happened, then 011 the thirteenth dav of April his house caught fire and lie'lost some of his most valued possessions, though the house was not greatly damaged. Finally, on the thirteenth dav of this month he lost a valuable horse which he had recently purchased. He is now convinced that thirteen, for him is a number that is fraught with disaster, and one 011 which it is not wise to undertake any new work or. dealings. Par. from a soldier's letter, written to a friend at Otaki: —''Long before t{lis reaches von you will have more casualty lists." Oh, what a place Ypres is! Multiply what you imagine it to be bv ten, and then you will only get •1 very faint idea of what the conditions are like. It is Hell absolutely. Influential circles in Germany already want some arrangement that will allow Trance in the future to be her friend and yet will not check Germany's economic development. If the Allies can see it through the military, way, they hold the whip-hand economically. Germany can only produce onetenth of the copper she needs. As her supplv, "we come first, and then Australia. Tims we hold the whip-hand 011* her machine industry and lier electric industry. Australia has a similar power over lead, of which Germany produces onlv a third of what she needs. Great Britain and the United States supply most of her gold and silver. She is dependent 011 France for aluminium, and 011 France's island, New Caledonia, and Canada, for nickel. Russia and Columbia control platinum. It is easy to understand, therefore, why German thinkers consider peace mostly in terms of economic treaties.