LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 209, 14 May 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Twenty ambulance recruits left Dunedin for Trentham yesterday to join the new stationary hospital unit. The branch railway line to Eaetihi has reached the last stage of its construction, about 30 chains of rails having already been laid. Sergeant C. Lines and Private D. Dennis, two New Zealanders, have been wounded at the Dardanelles while serving with the Australian forces. At the Auckland Supreme Court yes. terday Stanley Bowroy, charged with, the theft of a considerable sum of money while employed as clerk by the Mt. Roskill Road Board, was sentenced to 18 months’ hard labour.

At the final sitting of the Masonic Grand Lodge, at Wellington yesterday, itwas announced, that the collections at the installation meeting the previous night, supplemented by further moneys raised at yesterday’s sitting, the Lodge had raised for the special war benevolent fund the sum of £IOOO.

Mr. Eunciman, in reply to Mr. W. Thorne, in the House of Commons, said the Government had commandeered the whole of the Ruahine’s frozen meat, which would be places on the market as soon as the conditions of sale were settled. The Government would consider the practicality of placing it wfith firms who had no importations in stock.

At the Mangaweka Magistrate’s Court an order of separation and maintenance was granted in the case of Mana Page against her husband, John Harper Page. The mother was allowed the custody of the three children. The defendant was ordered to pay 30/- per month maintenance, 15/- per week towards wife, and 5/- each for the three children.

At the meeting of the Horowhenua County Council, held on the Bth inst., the following resolution was carried: “That this Council desires to congratulate the chairman and members of the Eangitikei County Council on their patriotic resolution whereby they affirmed the principle that any war tax should fall upon the wealthy landowners and those in receipt of largo incomes, and that a copy of the above bo ■ent to the chairman of the Eangitikei Council. ’ ’

Carrier pigeons were let loose from an aeroplane in France, and It was found that this could be done with very good success. The society known as Colombophile Federation wished to make trials of what could be done with pigeons when set loose at high altitudes, for it expected to be called upon to furnish pigeons for aeroplanes and airships. Trials were accordingly made. A basket with the pigeons was stowed in a passenger’s place on board a tandem Bleriot and when at 4,500 feet altitude the pilot set the machine to volplane slightly and opened the basket, whereupon he pigeons flew out at once and took the direction of home. They were freed about 10 o’clock, and at 6 o’clock the first two pigeons arrived, after making the trip in eight hours. It was considered that the trial succeeded very well.