GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 48, 1 February 1916, Page 7

GENERAL.

The price of bread lias been raised by the New Plymouth bakers to od per 21b loaf and std booked. Since the inception of the scheme for supplying meat to the Imperial Government, Waitara has exported 60,921 quarters beef, 03,779 carcases mutton, and 56,661 carcases lamb. in the course of an interview in Dunedin on Saturday, the lion. -1. Allen stated that he did not: think Parliament would meet earlier than usual, unless there was reason to pass a Compulsory Service measure. Here i s a New Plymouth ffi’h yarn: Freaks amongst animals and birds are fairly frequent, but it is not often' that a freak is met with in fish, especially mature fish. A few days ago an angler secured from the Waiwakaiho a 2’lb brown trout with two tails, each tail being perfectly developed. One of the biggest land deals of recent times in the Dominion has just been put through, being the magnificent estate of Mr R. D. D. M'Lean, at Marackakaho, two mile s from Napier which has been purchased by a North Otago man for something approaching £IOO,OOO. Southland evidently holds if own when compared with other province's in respect to the breeding of horses suitable for military purposes* .writes a southern exchange. Since the war broke out something like HOOO horses have been purchased by the. military • authorities, of which number 1200 havebeen provided by Southland. Ot the latter number 1000 were for artillery and transport purposes, and 200 for the Mounted Rifles. The police cell at Marton in which the man John Harris hanged "himself forms part of a new lock-up just erected by the Public Works Department (says the Wanganui Chronicle). The facility for such a happening is amply provided, and occasion was taken by the coroner (Mr J. McDonald), at the inquest, to draw attention to the matter. Inspecor Wilson, in reply, said that the cells were recenly built to a modern plan by the Public Works Department, but lie bad never been consulted. He would convey the opinion of the coroner to the authorities. Questioned regarding the recent rapid rise in the price of kerosene . and benzine, Mr A. G. Cate, Wellington manager of the \ acuum Oil Company, told a Gisborne Herald representative that freights for kerosene and benzine from New York wore now at the rate of 150 cents, per case, or equal to about 6s 6d 1 and 6s 8d (according to exchange). It was now practically impossible to charter steamers from New York to New Zealand and Australian ports, and the question .of future supplies was one • that- was likely to • occasion some little anxiety. c o 5 $ 4 ■ft ■ 1 ,)« * i ■} ii ■ * J .‘, • The Clifford Settlement, recently acquired by the Government, situated between tlie r l iru railway station and Okoroire, has been balloted for, and the largest of the eight sections, into which it was sub-divided, comprisirig 312 acres, has been drawn by a returned soldier. An adjoining section, of 107 acres, was drawn by a member of the Expeditionary Forces at present at the front. The Clifford Estate is all first-class land, and the Prime Minister, in stating the above facts, expressed great satisfaction that two out of the eight sections had gone to soldiers.- "i f' j A band of workers began to arrive at G o’clock last Saturday morning at the Church of Christ, Queen's road, Lower Hutt. They had come from ab parts of Wellington in response to ike invitation of Mr Grinstead, the minister of the church, to build a primary Sunday school. The five churches in Wellington each sent a contingent in motor cars and on motor bicycles. At 6.30 the work Commenced, and when the gopg announced breakfast the piles were in; at 9.30 the foundations were laid; at 3.30 the sides were up ;■ and at 4.30 the roof was on. At 6.30 the windows were all in, and the job finished. The school was occupied on Sunday’. A characteristic incident in connection with American journalism is related by Mr J. Cunninghamc, who Ims just returned from a visit to California. The “Manawatu Standard” says that while in San Francisco fie was greatly surprised one day to notice extras, printed in red ink, being issued from the office of “The Call” newspaper. The extras were headed, ‘‘lrishmen escaping from conscription in New Zealand,” and referred to the shipload of men who left for America ! prior to restrictions being brought in by the Government to prevent military eligibles leaving without the Government’s consent. Being of opinion that the information was not correct, and cast a slur on a patriotic section of New Zealand’s citizens, Mr Cunninghame called on the editor of ‘‘The Cell,” and explained that the Prime "Minister of New Zealand was an ; Irishman, as also was the Loader ol the late Opposition, and both had sens at the front, that lie (Mr Cunn nghame), was also an Irishman, and had a son fighting at Gallipoli, whilst hundreds of other Irishmen had volunteered for all our Reinforcements, and j wore a most loyal section of our com--1 muuity. The editor said the informa- ; tion came from one of the men who came from New Zealand! and that he had made the excuse that he was leaving tlie Dominion to join the British Army, when, a.s a matter of fact, ho intended to settle in America

Qhc of the witnesses for the plaintiff in a case at the Feilding Magistrate’s Court the other morning proved a veritable stumbling block to tbe cross-examination of counsel (says tlie Star). Ho was prepared to admit anything that would suit the opposing side except that he had paid for some drinks, no matter how contradictory and delighted in displaying Ids legal knowledge if it was at all apropos. All efforts to get him to admit that lie had been actuated by a spirit ol revenge or bad temper tailed, and "bon counsel suggested that witness bad some animus against him personally, tbe garrulous gentleman s?i v “May God bless you and keen you alive, is all 1 wish!” to the audible amusement of those present. Subsequently Inadded. “It is only the German who hates.” Returned soldiers who find it difficult to secure employment (says the Auckland Star), are implied to resent the fact that young men who are apparently fit to serve manage to secure Government positions. A ease has cropped up in Auckland, where a young man has informed two returned soldiers (his erstwhile mates) that ho does not contemplate going to the war. He told them that he has secured a Government job, and intended to be married without delay. The soldiers state that the man who intends to stay at home admitted that he had not attempted to enlist, and had every reason to believe that if ho did get to the recruiting office he would he passed ns fit for camp without any bother whatever. It is understood that the Government position is not a permanent one. | ■ Due To leave Wellington yesterday, the New Zealand cable steamer iutanekai .will proceed to Lyttelton with part of the 1 household staff of the Governor, Lord Liverpool. Tlisee passengers will comprise fifteen persons, the vessel will return on Wednesday, remaining long enougn to lake *n com and stores. Sire wnl tiien proceed i>' Auckland, where she will pick up the Uovernor and i-ady Liverpool. Alter a cruise auoui me nortneru coast, lasting anout ten days, Jboru ifiverpom. win go to mytteitOn, and tn e aucmiekai will return to Wellington, arriving aoout uie ibui. Hie JUiianekai, wlnen lias oeen out ol commission *oi upwards of eleven months, lias been, completely overiiauled lor her future passengers. The accommodation has oeen repaired and rejuvenated, and is now quite up to the standard set by the must up-to-date vessels .airoat. Alter this trip tlie ship will be engaged in repairing cables round the coast. j A great deal has been written about the abnormal intelligence of the elephant, but it lias been left to Jileuheim to record the latest incidence — an elephant that can read (says the Marlborough Express), it must be remembered that a placard adorns the top hamper of tlie Alfred street bridge, setting forth to whom it may conctp-p the, fact that, the bridge is unsafe to loads of over one and a-hall ton Weight. One of Messrs Wirth Bros.’ elephants was asked to cross the bridge harnessed to a heavy load. The animal paused on the threshold, and anxiously scanned tlie warning notice. Finally ho slapped the flooring, as much of it a s ho could reach, with his trunk. Turning towards his keeper he flapped bis ears and shook bi.s head, as much as to say: “No go, governor; the bridge is not safe.” Argument and other means were useless, and tlie sagacious brute was taken across the river per medium of the High street bridge, which, upon inspection, was not objected to. 1 A chase after a lai’ge sting-ray—-called by tbe Maoris woku—the other afternoon was attended with rather disastrous results for a valuable dog owned by a well-known Native resident of Matapihi (says the Bay of Plenty Times). A number of Natives, armed with three-pronged forks, were wadling in shallow water in a portion of the' harbor between Whareroa and Matapihi in quest of fish, when they sighted the weku and pursued it. Two | dogs were accompanying the party, and one of the canines got too close to the sting-ray, which succeeded in driving one, of its stings through a foreleg* and then into the body of the dog, the sting penetrating several ini elu-s in the vicinity of the heart. The , weku made off, and the dog was taken j ashore, where the sting was extracted. I The poor animal lost a great quantity 'of blood and eventually collapsed. The possibility of its recovery was very re'motc. Subsequently, the Maoris secured a boat and resumed the pursuit I of the weku, which they succeeded in ' killing. The sting-ray measured about I five foot across. A few weeks ago a ' fishing party killed a large sting-ray, and several others have lately been sighted in shallow waters in tbe inner reaches of the harbor.