LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1861, 6 August 1918, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The estimated population of tlio Dominion on June 30th last was 1,109,250, including' 19,770 Maoris. The excess of births over deaths for the June quarter was 4,195. Daylight saving is being tried in the United States this year for the lirst time. It is estimated to effect a, saving of 300,000 tons of coal and to diminish electric light cost by £1,500,000.

The Inglewood burgesses are being asked to sanction a loan of £9,000 for (be purpose of installing an auxiliary electric lighting plant. The purchase of the installation by the Boroughr Council from the original company is said to have proved to be a protitable investment.

The Director of Recruiting announces that no draft will be entering camp in December. The January draft is open for recruiting innongst married men from August Gth. live thousand names will be drawn in the next Class C. The ballot will be, gazetted on September 18th.

During June the total number of cases of diphtheria reported to the Health Department throughout New Zealand was 087 (a decrease of 83 against the May figures). From Ist January to 30th June the aggregate was 3,199 for the Dominion, an increase of (159 on the number for the same period last year.

Sonic people wonder why coil on is so scarce and expensive at the present lime, but one does not wonder when the needs of the navy in this direction are known. For example, H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth, in discharging one broadside uses no less than 10 lo 12 hales of eoiton, each weighing somewhere in 1 ho vicinity of 5 ewt. Last year's revenue of tlie Tinted Kingdom was, according to the Treasury return, £575,023,500 gross, or estimated (rue revenue £520,233,500. For I lie previous year, 1915-10, the true revenue was .1300.090,000. Of the revenue raised, Ireland contributed only a lit Ile over 4 per cent,, Scotland 10:; per cenl., and England 80 per cent. The Vfinton L’ecord reports Unit two Barkly residents recenlly read that, instead of scalding pigs after killing, the hair was more easily removed by sprinkling petrol over it and putting a match to it. They decided to try the experiment. They hoisted the porker on to a beam, applied the petrol, then the lucifer. In an instant the hair was off as clean as the sharpest razor removes the down oIT a-youties face, and no fumes remained.

(tlsborne lias not escaped a severe handling (hiring tin* stormy weather of the last week - .’ The seas were so heavy that at high water they eut into sections in Victoria Township, on the seafront. Fences and fowlhouses were carried out to sea, and there arc steep banks now where the sand was formerly level with the sections. Residents in the'vicinity were greatly alarmed at (he rapid encroachment of the sea, and spent an anxious period during the height of the tide. Very cold weather has been experienced the whole way up lLe East Coast, and snow has fallen on the ranges to a greater extent than during any other winter within memory. Owing to the Town Hall being otherwise engaged on Sunday night, the meeting convened by the Mayor to pass a resolution recording the citizens’ of Foxton determination to continue the war until victory had been attained, was postponed until last night, when a meeting of citizens was held at 7.45 o’clock. The Mayor moved: “That on this, the fourth anniversary of the declaration of a righteous war, this meeting of the citizens of Foxton records its inflexible determination to continue to a victorious end the struggle in maintenance of those ideals of Liberty and Justice which are the common and sacred cause of tlm Allies.” This was seconded by Mr P. de, Ridder, and carried unanimously. The meeting terminated with the singing of the National Anthem. For Children’s Hacking Cough at night, Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. 1/6, 2/6.

The ordinary monthly nicotine ol tlie l Foxton Borough Council will he held on Monday, 12th inst., at 7..J0 pan. Business, general.

A inerting of the Foxton Harbour Boald will be held'in the.. Council Chambers, Palmerston North, on Thursday next, at 1.30 o'clock.

The Queen of the South, hemp laden, sailed for .Wellington last night. She will leave Wellington tonight for Terakohe, to load cement for Foxton, and is due here on Friday morning.

The next of the series of socials under the auspices of SI. Mary’s Church will be held in the Town Hall Supper-room on Friday evening next. Fiiiebre, dancing, refreshments. Admission Is (id.

Nominations for the positions of stewards of the Foxton Racing Club close with the secretary at noon on Wednesday, the 14th lust. Nomination forms can he had on application.

On and after Saturday next an out-patient department will be open at the Palmerston N. Hospital for the children of parents eligible for public hospital treatment. This imporlanl; innovation will doubtless be taken full advantage of. Particulars are advertised.

Says the Auckland Observer: — Several thousands of people in New Zealand play “God Save the King” on a German piano. It is obvious that the people who boil down bells and send a silly boxful of metal to France should tear the wires of the piano out and send them to Franco to make telegraph lines with. One has not heard yet of the man who burnt all the chairs in Ids house on the ground that they were all Austrian. *

The Postal revenue for the -June quarter was £248,511, an increase, of £IO,OOO. The telegraph revenue was £340,948, an increase in telegrams of £6,382, and telephones £10,937. The Savings Bank deposits show an increase over withdrawals of £100,576 as against £1.448,613 last year. The diCl'erenee is pu'i down to subscriptions to Ihe war loan. As a whole the business of the department is considered to show satisfactory increase.

It will be welcome news to residents in this district that Mr A. Grant has opened premises in Pox - ton, in which lessons will be given in the art of sweet-making. Mr Grant has had 20 years’ experience as a lolly manufacturer, and was for 10 years in business in Palmerston N. He has been awarded numerous prizes at various exhibitions. He has taken a shop opposite the Bank of New Zealand, and to-morrow, at 2.30 o’clock, will give an exhibition of toffee-making. Intending learners arc invited to call and arrange for a course of lessons.

The Minister of Justice has announced the following Magisterial changes:—Mr Poynton, when released from Military Service Board duty, will he placed in charge of the Auckland suburban district, Mij Page at Palmerston North, Mr Kenrick from Palmerston North to Rotorua, Mr Ayers from Rotorua to Napier, Mr Hunt from Dargaville to Pukekohe district, Mr J. Wilson will lie the second magistrate at Auckland temporarily, and Mr Frazer will continue as second magistrate at Wellington.

Fighting is bosoming safer each day, says an English paper, -lust now it is the shrapnel-proof! helmet which is being improved upon so as •to serve the further purpose of protecting the wearer’s face and eyes, as well as the head. The Belgians have taken the well-known French casque and added a visor member extending well down over the face. This visor is provided with two openings or windows, each protected by steel bars running across so that there is small chance of a shell splinter reaching the wearer’s face. It will be recall'ed that the newlydesigned Swiss helmet is also provided with a visor. As likely as not the visor will soon be a feature of most helmets.

Those who contend that we arc the belter for having winter weather in the winter months and who desire Unit each season should be accompanied by seasonable conditions, should surely be satisfied with the present slate of the elements, writes “Agrieola” in the Farmers’ Union Advocate. It is quite a long time since lie had sueh wintry conditions. For some reason or other the stock appears to be taking the snow difficulties worse than usual this season. It will be remembered that in former years sheep were left with very little to eat for weeks, and they came through all right, though in a weak, condition. But this season, there were a good many losses, though stock were attended to promptly wherever possible.

The Otaki Town Board has been informed that its share of licensing expenses is £3B 19s fid to June 30th, 1918. The licensing expenses disbursed by the Horowhenua -County Council, from Ist January to July 31st were: Clerk’s salary £25, members’ travelling expenses £8 9s, advertising £5. Appointments: Otaki Town Board (£200) £lll9s, Foxton Borough Council (£100) £9 11s 2d, Levin Borough Council (£100) £5 19s (id, Horowhenua County Council (£75) £4 9s 6d, Hutt County Council (£25) £1 9s lOd; total*£33 9s. Disbursements from August Ist 1917, to 30th June, 1918: Members’ travelling expenses £7 6s Bd, clerk of court’s salary £25, election expenses £47 7s 8d; total £79 J4s 4d, Apportionment: Otaki £27 os’ fid, Foxton £2l 12s 4d, Levin £l3 10s 3d, Shannon £lo.los 2d, Horowhenua County £3 7s 7d. Hutt County £3 7* (id.

Mr .Joseph Cook (Australian Minister for the Navy) has been appointed a Knight Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George.

The Oliva ■■tunnel is the sixth longest tunnel in the world, the larger ones being :■ —Simplon, 12-5 miles ~ St. Golhard, 01 miles; Hoelsehberg, 7A miles; Mont Cenis, 7A miles; Arlberg, (i;| miles; Otira, 5] miles. Oho (Mira tunnel wa’s commenced at the Otira end in April, 1908, and at the Bealev end in .Inly, 1900.

The proceeds from the Patriotic Shop, on Saturday next wilt he devilled to the fund to provide Christmas puddings for the hoys in the trenches, and Ihe assistance of (he public is solicited in order to make the effort as successful as possible. A number of competitions have been arranged, the prizes for which include a ham, case of apples, box ol groceries, etc. The Shop will bo in charge of Mesdainos McMnrray and Ronton.

Generally speaking, the cost of living went up in Australia in .June last, as compared with the previous month, by 0.1 per cent., according to figures furnished by the Commonwealth Statistician. Victoria, (reports ilie Age) was the only State in which it remained stationary, Compared with June, 1917, the aggregate cost of the commodities reported upon was higher in all the Slates. The increase was greatest in South Australia (10.(5 per cent.), followed by Queensland (7.9 per cent), Tasmania (7.8 per cent.), Victoria (4.(5 per cent.), New South Wales (2.8 per cent.), and Western Australia (0.1 per cent.).

The death took place at Wellington on Saturday ,of Mr Zachariah Nimmo, who formerly lived with his son, Mr R. H. Nimmo, at Marotiri. The deceased, who was 78 years of ago, was born in Edinburgh, and was brought up to the building Iradc, eventually becoming foreman ganger on the London Scottish Rail-

way, a position which he held until he left for New Zealand by the ship Dunedin in 1873. He settled in Wellington, and for many years carried on dairy farming in Evans Bay, on land which afterwards formed part of the Haitaitai estate. His wife died 23 years ago. The family consists of Mr Robert Nimmo, (laxmiller, Marotiri, Mr W. IT. Nimmo, builder, Wellington, Mrs Prank Grady, of Wellington, Mrs Charles Callis, of Dunedin, and Mrs Walter Carter, of Palmerston North. The interrment takes place at Karori to-day.

The motor passenger service in New South Wales during the past few years expanded in a remarkable manner, and to-day, according to the Australian Motorist, there are now in operation in New South Wales 224 mail and passenger motor services. The routes vary in length, some ranging from 100 to 180 miles, the total mileage served by (he motors being 11,000. If railways had to be constructed to give similar facilities to what the ears arc now giving it is estimated that the cost to (he Mother State would he iu the region of £153,637,000, these figures being based on (he average cost of railroad construction in New South Wales, viz., £13,967 per mile. In a large and scantily settled State like New South Wales the valuable work being done by motors in opening up the country is well nigh incalculable. Certain it is that (hey are appreciated and their service expanding.

Evidently an effort to establish a, shipbuilding industry in Victoria, was made at a very early dale. In tiie Port Phillip Patriot of 9tb -June, 18-17, an enthusiastic account is given of “a line ship of about 290 lons burthen,” which was rapidly approaching completion on tho south side of the Yarra, “opposite the Queen’s Wharf, down to the portion confronting Cole’s Dock.” This huge craft was intended to be a. wool ship to England, and was described as having “symmetry, strength, and capacity for carrying.” Her “spirited owner” was Captain Cain. Another large craft of from 10 to 12 tons burthen was also being constructed at the same time. The newspaper expressed satisfaction that the colony was not deficient in ingenuity, energy, and enterprise. Had those qualifies continued to manifest themselves (says .Melbourns Argus), the shipbuilding industry in Victoria- might have grown to enormous proportions by Ibis time. Seventy years ago a start was made, and w'e are almost in the same position to-day.

Writes the Eltham Argus: One of our townsmen was carrying on a successful carrying business. He volunteered, was examined and found fit. He went into camp. He has done his training, but on the eve of the sailing of the transport • by which he was to go he was discharged because of a weakness in one of his feet. So the man broke up his business, the country has been at the expense of maintaining him in camp, and just a few hours before his transport sails he\is discharged. Is that good administration? The purchaser, of this rejected man’s business volunteered on three occa-

sums, and on each occasion was turned down by the Medical Board. On the strength of these rejections, and believing that he was medically unfit, he purchased the business referred to, an'd incurred many obligations. Now he has again been served with the notice to submit to examination, and if he is passed upon this occasion further hardship is going to be inflicted. This lack of finality about the medical examinations is causing a great amount of distress and unrest.