LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 161, 12 March 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

According to the latest figures, the five principal armies engaged in the present war possess something Hite 030,400 motor Vehicles. The most patriotic British colony is surely Uganda (Africa), where the white population to a man volunteered for service against Germany in German South-west Africa. The Agricultural Department announces that, in response to representations by the New Zealand Government to the Imperial authorities, the Government of India has removed the embargo on the export of saltpetre so as to allow 90 tons te be exported to New 7 Zealand. This quantity will be sufficient for one year’s requirements.

As indicating the progress made in fruitgrowing in the Nelson district, it may be mentioned that during the last three years over 3(500 acres have beerplanted in trees, eonsisting of 500,000 apples, 27,000 pears, and 12,000 stone fruits. Exports have risen from 18,000 eases in 1912 to 33,000 cases in 1913, and to 0(5,000 cases in 1914.

It appears that New Zealand is represented on the new battleship Queen Elizabeth, which at present is doing great mischief to the forts in the Dardanelles. Amongst the officers is Lieutenant McCulloch, who owns a farm in the Pohangina County. He volunteered for service with the Navy at the outbreak of war. Lieutenant McCulloch had seen service in the Navy prior to taking up his farm.

The number of carcases of mutton carried by ‘steamers leaving New Zealand during the fust five months of the war was one million in excess of the total carried in any previous year. For the first eight months of the present exporting year a total of 216,000 carcases have been exported from Auckland, whereas during the whole of the three preceding years only 215,000 carcases were exported from Auckland.

"We have discovered that the New Zealand boys have the old sea trait of their fathr.s, and that they make quite as good sailors as any boys at sea,” remarked Commander Hooper, at the reception held at Gisborne ft few days ago, adding that he was not saying this because he was in New Zealand, but because he had found it so. They were not all angols, of course, but he might look round the, room and ask who were in their boyhood?

A baby bora flaring the bombardment of Whitby lias been named George Shrapnel.

Stephenson and Linley’s Pantomime Company gave their second and final performance in the Town Hall last night, when they presented the musi- | cal extra-vagana "The Jam of Cath- | ay." The weather was against a j large assemblage but all the perform- \ ers gave an excellent rendering of their ( respective parts. 1

Railway traffic on the Main Trunk continues brisk, and special trains are still engaged conveying timber, coal and fat stock south. Two goods tralins which were suspended some months ago, on account of lack of requirements attributable to the war have resumed running and the present busy time promises to tax the resources of the traffic and locomotive branches for some time.

Our readers are reminded of the visit to Taihape of the three musical geniuses, hailing from a nation with whom our Empire is fighting side by side —Russia. As these young Russians, the Cherniavskys, are in the foremost ranks of the world’s musicians. performers ami composers, it is to be hoped they will be given a hearty welcome at the one recital they are to give here.

Perjury was committed on one side or the other, said the magistrate who (reports the Auckland Star) heard a charge of assault at Coromandel oh Wednesday. A lot of Maori witnesses said the defendant pointed a loaded gun at a Maori woman, and the defendant’s witnesses swore that he only had a manuka stick in his hand. The magistrate instructed the police to look further into the matter.

The Feilcling star states that tit Mr J. R. Perry’s motor picnic on Wednesday Mrs B. S. Penny, of Carnarvon, presented a loaf of home-made bread to be auctioned for the Belgian relief funds, on behalf of the Carnarvon School. Mr A. H. Atkinson, who was present, kindly acted as auctioneer, and bids were registered with businesslike briskness, the handsome total of £23 18s.' On hearing of this a generous Feildingite promptly made up the amount to an even £23.

In the annual report of the Polynesian Society, which met at New Plymouth last week mention was made that the work of preparing the new Maori dictionary, undertaken by the Yen, Archdeacon Williams, was now approaching completion; possibly next year might see the work in print. The author has made arrangements to devote the greater portion of his time to the rest of the work.

The rabbit nuisance is unusually pronounced in the north at present, on account of the lengthy spell of dry weather. Tu the Waitemata, Franklin and Manukau Counties, the settlers have risen to the occasion by formingvigilance committees to assist the inspectors. These committees are arranging simultaneously campaigns of poisoning. One reason why the pest is more in evidence this year is that the usual number of young rabbits have not been drowned in the swamps, etc., after heavy rainfalls.

Auckland city lays claim to a natural ' situation of unrivalled beauty. Every visitor is expected to endorse the local opinion on this point. There is a story of a drunken emigrant, whe was aroused from sleep, and in his half-cons»ious condition he said: "It's all right; I have said ft ten times already; Auckland is the finest city in the world." Mr. Philip Snowden, writing in the Christian Commonwealth, says: “I have seen many towns far more beautifuly situated than Auckland. In my judgment, the situation and environs of Wellington are far more beautiful."

Irish wit and humour sparkled at St. Mary’s schoolroom, Gisborne, during the welcome home tendered to the Rev. Father Lane (says the Times), In describing his wanderings through the Emerald Isle, Father Lane stated that liis motor car ran over and killed a duck belonging to an Irish woman sohnewhere in the vicinity of the Giant’s Causeway. Father Lane immediately stopped his car, and, gathering up the dead duck, took it back to the woman, and handed it to ho* with 5/-. The woman looked at the money in the palm of her hand for some time, and then naively remarked: "HolyFather, I wish you would run over every blessed duck I’ve got."

Paris and Tipperary and London and Petrograd are not the only places it’s a long way to (says :he Bulletin). The great battle of Ypres, in France, gives an idea of how far it is to Berlin. On Nov. 11th the struggle was commenced by Sir Douglas Haig at Zoucheke, and although his army was small as armies go nowdays, it Contained the finest fighting material and the best-trained lot of men in the world. Also, it was splendidly led by Haig and his officers and backed up by superb organisation. The conflict raged with fury until Dec. 19. Then when the dust had cleared away and he got time to take a deep breadth, Haig found he had reached Passehendaele, one mile along the main road from Zonnebeke. It was the most expensive and memorable mile in history.

Nioholi’s Station Street Theatre and the Three Stars have two splendid programmes running', both “Orders Under Seal’’ and “The Life of General Villa” being described as splendid films. To-night and to-morrow. night two wav gazettes will be screened at ehch theatre and picture patrons are being treated to soma good master this week.

Yesterday the "Feathers” changed hands as a result of a rink comprising Drayton, Dymock, Evans and Neagle, skip, defeating the holders, Somerville, Train, James and McKenzie, skip, by 21 points to 17. The game was closely t’.nd on tjie eighteenth head both rinks were oven in points. The Marton club has inti mated its intention of sending a team to Taihape, to endeavour to obtain possession of the Hum Cup, on Wednesday next.

So far the police have been unable to discover the perpetrator fcjf the burglary aril theft at Mr Thos. Bushby’s store at Taoroa. Entrance wa s gained to the store by a side window. The safi’e, which contained a good sum of money, does not show any traces of having been tampered wjith and its dcntents were intact. A quantity of drapery wh/ich was discovered in an adjoining paddock. The value of the goods stolen represented £O. Mr Bushby is anxious thari; the burglar and thief should be brought to Justice, and is offering a reward of £25 for information which will lead to a conviction.

A Shannon settler was astonished one day this week by the arrival oa his farm of a hoy wearing two coats. One was in the custom&ry position for wear; the other where the trousers should have been, but >'era. not. The extra coat filled their place. As a matter of fact, the trousers had been left for safety in the Boys’ Training Farm, it being the manager’s wise custom to remove from the bedrooms the lads’ nether garments every night. This dis courages the matutinal excursions amongst- newly committed pupils of nomadic instincts. The Shannon farmer notified the farm ■ authorities, and in the aiftcrnoon the lad had Ids trousers restored to him, his extra coat hung over his arm and his lower extremities in comfortable case of proper tweed.