GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 22, 31 December 1915, Page 7

GENERAL.

Tlie “Birminghajn Post” is responsible for the statement tliat the WatOffice inspectors are raising difficulties with regard to the leather used by manufacturers, and are objecting to large quantities of goods on the ground that the leather is colonial. There is no doubt that owing to the shortage of English leather, the colonial supplies have been freely used, and up to the present this class of leather has boon accepted by the Government. It i s urged that colonial leather is far superior to some of the “shoe stuff” used in certain districts, and also to the American and Japanese kinds.

A neutral correspondent to “The Times” says: “We want England to feel the war,” a German remarked to me. “She is touting it too easily.” So as London quiets down Berlin speeds up.. “We are supreme,” muses the German. “Strike up the band and let us show England that we have taken her place.” Perhaps the Government is acting wisely. “When everything is bright confidence bubbles over. Soldiers, back from the trenches, need relaxation and change.” At night Berlin is filled with confidence. The “morning after” may be another story.

The War Office has now placed the huge contract for knives, forks, and spoons which were tendered for several weeks ago. The quantities mentioned at that time were 3,000,000 table ) knives and forks, 2,500,000 table spoons, and a million pocket knives. The actual contracts have been distributed in varying quantities among a large number of makers, , in order to get deliveries completed by the end of March. One firm is making half a million knives and forks. Electyoi plate makers are turning away private orders for spoons and forks, and even .othe ■ kinds of plate, because they cannot obtain enough material.

Previous to the departure of the steamer Odland from Dargaville on Saturday week for Sydney the police searched the vessel and discovered a stowaway, a laborer, 30 years of age, secreted in the chain locker. He had previously applied for a permit under the war regulations to leave New Zealand, but was refused, and adopted the course of departure stated. He was charged at the Police Coqrt on; Saturday with the offence, and was; convicted and allowed the opportunity! of enlisting. In consequence be pass- j cd the medical officers, and yi.ll one of the next contingent , leayipg i there for Trentham.

The British indu%raj'V|fe' assurance offices have paid, since the beginning of October, £131,630 in; . respect of 8267 soldiers arid sailors killed. This brings, their total claims to 64,967, for which £J,170,160 has been paid. The Prudential’s quota to this huge sum represents £570,000 for 26,500 claims. The claims paid by the. ordinary “life” offices amount to £3,300,000. The insurance offices in the overseas Dominions have paid more than £l,000,000 while the thrift and friendly societies’ claims have amounted to £760.000. ■ The total sum is therefore nearly £6.200.000. /'i \

Messrs Warnock and Co., drapers, got somewhat of a surprise on Monday (says the Wanganui Herald), when they received a small parcel containing several pounds’ worth of valuable lace. lu the parcel was a piece ol paper bearing the words: “Taken from Wellington branch years ago. Conscience returned.” The person returning the lace was evidently afraid of her handwriting being identified, for the last two words were printed, while the other words were printed on scraps cut from newspaper and pasted on the paper to make the sentence. Mr Warnock says that this is the third case of conscience refund he has had within the past 12 months.

“Germany- will not freeze or starve to death this winter, says a neutral correspondent. “To judge by the amount of coal stored along the railway lino from Holland to Berlin, someone ha s . been busy in the mines this summer. No .matter how short she may hp of other supplies, there should always he a few potatoes to tide her over till the spring. It looked to me as though the Government bad ordered, every farmer to •plant potatoes, and no one had disobeyed the order. Working in the potato fields, you see French soldiers, conspicuous by their red and bine uniforms, Russians and Belgians, hut I did not recognise a single British “Tommy. They were busy harvesting a crop which is said to have broken all the records.”

Th© effect of the war on the steel 1 trade is plainly marked. Every steel ! wor k s of importance entered upon a I policy of rapid extension of premises, i a nd the exact output now is stupendous when compared with pre-war 1 days. Acceleration of.munitions proj duction has created an abnormal do- | maud for tools generally, but especial- ! lv for lathes and other machine tools, and the rate of works extensions has frequently been limited by the mabd- , ity of makers to turn out these im- | piemen ts in sufficient numbers to fnrj lush aid equin new “shops.” AmeiI ica lias contributed to some extent. but generally the need is being met m | tb© borne markets and, rftc- alh | America lias none +oo many nf such 'tilings to spare. Files, saws, cutters. twist-fHlls, ingot in'cuVK and hydraulic presses are conspicuous among tb. requirements in most urgent request. All mjikers of high-speed steel bwe enough work in band to last for many nionllis even without booking orders. 1 \ •

Much amusement has been caused (says a Petrograd correspondent) by the announcement made frrtm time to time to the effect that the Austro-Ger-man soldiers are compelled by their superior officers to swallow pills to induce bravery. These, nills, it was stated, have the quality of appeasing hunger, but this i s not the ease.. They are prepared from drugs which have xn exciting effect on the human organisation. Those who swallow the pills feel slightly intoxicated, but the sensation of cheerfulness soon departs, and there is a reaction. People accustomed to take doses of cocaine state that the action of the pills resembles that of the drug. Two pills are given out to each man daily. ' The taking of these pills, if continued for any length of time, develops a certain weakness in the . pien, who dp not take them very willingly, and the officers are often compelled* to. make, the soldiers .'swallow the'pills rA* their presence.

tiihe past, Mr'A. E. Tver hps been endeavouring to start frulv canning, works in the Motucka district (says the Nelson Mail), and says that ho has now succeeded in making final arrangements. For years Mr Tyehas • advocated this business to save waste. He states tlf&t ho was in an orchard, at Ngatimoti when the finest ten-year-old ’’F.hglisb plum trees were cut down for firewood _ for want of canning facilities. ¥he same thing applied to the dairy industry 25 years ago, but directly the factory started the price of butter advanced. ■. Mr Tyer further states that he has contracted (Tor all the fruit he requires for t}ie season, is in the happy position of having more orders in hand for the canned article than be can possibly do this year. The labor difficulty he has solved by simply ‘.‘getting it.” Mr Tver is satisfied that by capable management and practical knowledge of all departments, fruit preserving can be made to pay, and that it will prove of great profit to the growers, as it takes up all grades and supplies districts which are unable to get the raw article.