LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 252, 19 July 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It has been decided to send the Trentham Eegiment (the Earl of Liverpool 's Own) away as a complete unit, and the regiment is being provided witli army service corps, ambulance, and signalling sections. The total personnel of the regiment will be 2,400.

On March 20th, 1914, an additional protoool, for the international protection of literary and artistic works, was added to the Berne Copyright Convention of 1908. Last week's Government Gazette contains a notification of its acceptance by the Netherlands, Japan, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Monaco.

Mr. Joshua Jones has offered an iron slab to the North Taranaki Patriotic Committee, to be disposed of in aid of the funds of that organisation. It is claimed that tkla particular slab marked Napoleon's resting-place at St. Helena, and it bears an inscription to that effect.

Farmer (to one of his labourers, who has come home after his training in the militia) —"Which wuld you rather be, a soldier or a farmhand, Paddy?" Pat —"A soldier, of course." Farmer—- " And why so, Paddy?" Pat—" Well,

you see, you'd be a long time working for a farmer before he 'd tell you to stand at ease."

The members of the Opposition met in caucus on Friday morning. The leader of the Opposition (Sir Joseph Ward) stated later that he had no communication to make, except that a party meeting would be held after the week-end. The Prime Minister stated, in answer to a qustion on the subject, that he had no statement to make concerning the progress of the coalition discussion.

I The Expeditionary Force Bill, now before Parliament, provides that no employer shall penalise or threaten to penalise any servant', whether by dismissing him or by reducing his pay when the latter proposes to become a member of an expeditionary force. Any person committing an offence against this section shall be liable to a fine of not less than £.lO and not exceeding £SO.

As August 4th is the anniversary of the declaration of war, it has been decided to hold special services in the Town Hall, and to carry out this project all churches have agreed to amalgamate So as to make the occasion an assured success. It is understood that all ministers of religion here will assist and that an amalgamated choir will lead the singing. It is probable the weekly half-holiday will be held on Wednesday in place of Thursday, as the 4th falls on that day.

Postage stamps of Queen Victoria's reign will not be valid after the end of June. Stamps bearing the effigy of King Edward may still be used. Any of the last issue of Queen Victoria adhesive stamps, or of certain impressed stamps of that reign which have hitherto been valid, can be exchanged after the end of June for current stamps of equivalent value if application is made at Somerset House or at the Inland Revenue Office in Dublin or Edinburgh, on or before December 31st.

Messrs. Dalgety and Co. report having an exceptionally good yarding of sheep and a small entry of cattle at their Feilding sale on Friday, 16th inst., which sold as below: Cull lambs 10/8, 11/5, to 14/5; very fair lambs 17/- to 17/7; mixed age ewes in lamb 17/4 to 18/6; 4- and 5-yr. ewes in lamb 22/8 to 236; young ewes in lamb to 20-; small 2-th. ewes in lamb to 20/-; small 2-th. wethers to 19/6; fat and forward ewes 20/6 to 21/-; fat wethers to 31/5; store cows £2 13/-; fat cows to £lO.

The Taihape Brass Band made its reappearnee before the public on Saturday night, when a very acceptable programme of items was rendered. The performance gave evidence of some talent, which, under close attention of a capable instructor, should be equal to upholding the honour of Taihape in brass music in a very little while. Of course, players must take the work seriously to achieve the highest success. The band is to be congratulated on its efforts and it is hoped th public showd its appreciation by contributing to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund, in which interest the band was performing.

Aceordffg to the weekly reports received by the Labour Department In the various centres, there is still a certain amount of unemployment. During the week ended July 10th, 107 unmarried and 34 single men applied for work in Christehurcli, and 22 married and 10 single men were placed, leaving a surplus of 109. Most of these are labourers. In Auckland, 126 men applied during the same period, and work was found for 28. There is some unemployment among painters in the northern centre, but the majority of "out-of-works" consists of general labourers. Vacancies exist for 27 of these men, and Government work will shortly be available for 200 men. In Dunedin there were only 10 applicants for work, and 6 of these were plaee&. In ; Wellington, work was found .fop 01 men out of 140 applying. Most of these belonged to the unskilled labour elaes, but 2-5 painters are,also . B*eJcing employ.-' "Juat « eoagfel" Yea,.lmt.it ing baby, and may arouse* -serious trouble, ©jto the little one e. few drops o£ "3STA2OL" on lamp sugar and tiie eoug-u will vfttlfch.' '"?&«*'#» good hint for yourself, too!'

\ The Auckland Star suggests, in an I editorial, the opening 0 f a shilling sub- | Scription throughout New Zealand to recognise the merits of General Botha J as a soldier of the Empire, a patriot. i and a man.

J Mr D. C. Bates' weather forecast for the 24 hours from 9 a.m. to-day is as follows: Northerly strong to gale,and backing by north to west. Weather is getting worse and appears likely to b e cloudy and unsettled. Heavy rain is to be expected, with rivers rising shortly. Barometer falling. i

In th e Hous e of Representatives on \ Friday afternoon Mr Ell spok e of the eager way in which the men in ihospital at the front received newspapers from | New Zealand. If the Minister cf Defence would make public th e addresses J of the hosptials there were hundreds of people who would be only too glad to pay th e postage. The Minister of Defence replied that the addresses of . hospitals wer e available at any of the post offic e inquiry bureaus. ( The Willochra's crew wer e signed 1 off on Friday, and wer e subsequently 1 re-engaged. As a sequel to the "walking of the ghost," a number of t'h e men did not return to the vessel in a fit condition to carry out their duties, and some did not go back at all. The Willochra was to have sailed for Lyttelton and Dunedin at 7 o'lclock last night, but at 9 o'clock it was realised that the best thing to do was to move out to the stream and wait till th 0 vessel backed out from the Glasgow wharf and went to an anchorage, but eventually sailed for Lyttelton at 1.15 o'clock this morning.

The Prime Minister states that free railway passes have been issued to all the Wollochra nurses while they are in the Dominion. There was no question he added, that itke Australian nurses did splendid work on the voyage of the Willochra to New Zealand, and it was probably the care and attention given by them to the men to which a number owed their lives. Out of 80 hospital cases 65 out of them were able to walk ashore. In short, the work done by the Australian nurses on board the Willochra had added another item to the long list of obligations under which the Willochra. had added another item to the long list of obligations under which the Australian Commonwealth had placed New Zealand since the boginning of the war.

'lf he would only take my hand and call m e mother." Such was the lament of an elderly woman who had gone aboard th e Willochra on Friday to see her son—one of the men who returned wounded from the Dardanelles. It was a pathetic incident, which moved to feelings of compassion all who knew of it. The man, lying in one of th e wards, refused 'to recognise the woman who claimed to be his mother, and who had travelled a bug way to speak to him. A bystander sought to reconcile them, but his overtures to the wounded man were met with Vie stern command: "Don't you mention my mother's name." Sobbing, the woman watched th e attempts to soften her son's retarnd was only induced ,to !eav e the ship by a promise that further efforts would be made, and sh*~ would-be informed i* they were sue oessfnl.