LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 244, 5 July 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Collins Company of South Australia, paid two thousand guineas for the Bundcmar Estate ram Lord Charles, a record price for ]S T ew South Wales.

Apparently forvour in the Carnivol cause is held to excuse many an oversight. There was an example in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when charge against a well-known City Councillor, of leaving his motor car unattended, was dismissed on defendant explaining that he was engaged on Carni val business.

The Customs revenue and beer duty colreeted at Wellington for the quarter ending June 30th totalled respectively £210,437 1/7 and £3,264 8/8. The figures for the corresponding period of last, year were £200,375 7/S and £3,057 0/5.

The Willochra, with sick and wounded New Zealanders on board, is ecpected to arrive in Wellington on the 16th of this month. The WiUochm, wLich has upwards of 275 sick and wounded on board, was due to arrive r,{. Fremantle on Friday, and she is tu call : t Hobart en route to New Zealand.

The discovery of a seam of platinum at a point within 30 miles of Gisborne post-office is reported by Mr. Thomas J. Sinclair, who states that lie and Frank G. Dunn have been prospecting in the locality at intervals for the past 18 months. He declares that the mineral has been pronounced by he Ballarat School of Mines as yielding 72 per cent. of platinum- His rights have been duly secured.

A 4.5 in howitzer shrapnel shell has been successfully manufactured by Mr. G. Birch, of the Marlborough Automobile Works, Blenheim, and is being taken across to Wellington by him for inspection by the Defence Department. 'lt contains 481 bullets, and weighs 351bs. Recently Mr. Birch, who acquired a thorough practical knowledge of the production of munitions at Sheffield in his earlier years, offered to give his -services to the Department in this connection, and lie was provided with the pattern of a shell. In a short space of time he made the requisite tools, and now he has turned out from the solid bar an article that in all details and igeneral finish is manifestly superior to the pattern. He claims that, given the necessary machinery, he would be able to produce shells as expeditiously and as satisfactorily as any manufactured elsewhere. The cost of the plant woul<* be about £20,000, and the factory would employ some hundreds of hands. Mr. Birch regards Blenheim as a suitable locality for such an establishment, and he will make this representation in exhibiting his shell to the Minister for Defence.

The safest, quickest, fclieapesj remedy tor a cough or cold S* "NAZOL.'' Somo drops on "sugar, a fw whiffr from a iCazol Inhaler, or a little yabbed on the chert, will afford ttft«&'. Test it TO-DAY. w, " : ~^

Mr. Laidley, of Raukura, underwent a serious operation at Dr. Soyd's private hospital yesterday. We understand that lie is progressing satisfactory.

The older generation of Maori chiefs of the Wairarapa have now all passed away. The last of them, Hori Pahuki, died at Lansdowne on Tuesday night, He was supposed to be 112 years of age and was of the Xgatikahungunus of Wairarapa and Hawkcs Bay.

A lady and her husband walked into the recruiting office at Wailii a few days ago. The lady said her only sou had gone to the front and had been killed, and consequently her only remaining chance of helping the Empire was to let her husband enlist. The husband thereupon enlisted.

Mr D. C. Bates' weather forecast for 24 hours from 0 a.m. this day is as follows: The indications are for variable and moderate breezes, but freshening, northerly strong to gale. Expect'dull weather with much mist and fogs in parts; rain probable; barometer falling.

Considerable fun was provided at a ffift auction sale at Otaki by a lady offering her baby for sale. The baby, which reposed comfortably in the arms of the auctioneer, was sold time after time at 10/-, realising £5 in all, and was then handed back to its mother. This baby, by the way, won the first prize at the baby show at Otaki fi# the heaviest baby, turning the scale at 341 b.

Some Oamaru business people "fell in" raher badly when Inspector Jackson, of Timara, paid a visit to the town and assisted the local inspector in the applicaion of a test to sec how the Thursday half-holiday was being observed here in the matter of selling tobacco. After closing hours, Inspector Jackson visited six places, including two grocers' shops, two tobacconists', and two billiard saloons. At five of them he was able to buy cigarettes without, any trouble, though at one place ho was advised to keep it quiet, as it was against the law. The inspector observed that he was aware of the fact.

Dissension in the ranks of the Lytteltou Grocers' Association has quite a flutter in business circles ir that port, and one day the various establishments were placarded with signs informing the public that the prices of commodities had fallen to a figure considerably below that previously ruling. One enterprising business man announced that the price of goods booked would be the same as for cash. To the wage-earner with a large family the cutting of prices came at a most opportune time, but the opinion is generally held that the disputing parties will soor come to terms.

A very painful accident befel Edward Peacock, the nine-year-old son of Mr. H. Peacock, of Eaketapauma, on Saturday afternoon. He and his brother were climbing a hill to do some underscrubbng, one of them carrying a slasher, when lie slipped, and in endeavouring to recover himself threw the slasher out in front of him, when it came ill contact with the victim's hand, cutting one linger off and also some of the tendons on the back of the hand. The little sufferer was immediately brought into Taihape, where he was attended to by Dr. Barnett. We are pleased to be able to state that he is progressing favourably.

Prior to leaving Egypt for the Dardanelles, a New Zealand officer had a large case packed with cur'oti which he had purchased, together with certain of his personal effect. He wrote to his wife, enumerating the articles in the case, and stating that it would be shipped from Egypt by a certain steamer returning to New Zcaluad. Shortly after landing at the Dardanelles, the officer was killed in action, and days ago his widow made inquiries regarding the case, the steamer by which it was to arrive having reached Wellington. She learned that the case, amongst several others, was in store at Wellington, and she gave instructions for it to be sent to her. It duly arrived, but her great grief at the loss of her husband was accenuated when she found that, with the exception of some of the letters she had written him (which he had carefully treasured), the case was absolutely empty.