LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 348, 1 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Miss Essie Jennings must be thanked by the residents of Taihape for the singing of her patriotic song in “Mother Goose” last night, which benefited our Wounded Soldiers’ Fund to the amount of £2 14/5.

The printing of Christmas Cards is now a feature of the work turned out by the Taihape Printing and Publishing Co., Ltd and samples may be seen and prices will be given on application at the office.*

At the' screening of the Australian Gazette last night at the King ’a Theatre, when showing the Sheep Dog Trials, a dog mounted the stage and wanted to have a hand at the penning of some sheep. The incident caused a good laugh.

The New ZeaMnd Gazette officially describes the Wanganui Education District new area as “all that area being the counties of Kaitieke, Waimarino, Patea, Waitotara, Wanganui, Rangitikei, Kiwitea, Manawatu, Oroua, Pohangina,, and Kairanga (including all boroughs and town districts therein.) Chief, town, Wanganui. ’ ’

The Defence Minister, referring to recruiting, said on Saturday that there was an indention of a shortage of infantry for the Eleventh Reinforcements. Mr. Allen also commented on the fact that the response to the invitation to men enlisted for the Ambulance and Army Service Corps to transfer to the Infantry had been disappointing.

“We hear that a second Maori contingent with, soon be here,” writes a Masterton member of the first Maori contingent from Gallipoli. “We are glad to hear it. Come along, my Maori brethren, and help us to keep up the reputation we have won, and to continue to show the world that the fighting spirit of our noble ancestors is still with us. As we have done, so will we continue to do if you will only come. Greetings to my Maori brother. Come! your white King caJls you; your white brother calls you; we call you. Come!”

A novel suggestion was made to the North Canterbury Recruiting Board by Mr. P. R. Climie, that before a man was allowed to marry while the war was on he should secure a permit, which should not be granted him unless he were able to produce conclusive proof that he was unable to serve his country on the battlefield. Members of the Board generally agreed with Mr. Climie’s suggestion, and the opinion was also expressed that if compulsory service were introduced, men who had married since the outbreak of the war should bo put in the same class for active service as single men. without dependents, no special consideration being shown them. That the Best costs Least is literally true when you buy 3RA HLAND'S Baking Powder, Ask your grocer. i - ... .

A rehearsal of the Carnival Coronation ceremony will be held to-mor-row afternoon at 2.30. All participants are requested to be present.

The annual meeting of the Taihape Lawn Tennis Club will be held at the Courts on Saturday next at 3 p.m.. and the opening of the season will also take place on that day.

Mr. W. J. Galpin must be thanked for his generous donation of £5 5/ towards our Wounded Soldiers’ Fund. It should be remembered that Mr. Gjalpin is a Marton resident and he gave this as a grateful return for the amount collected here for the Marton Carnival.

A sitting of the Licensing Bench was held at noon to-day, when there were present: the Chairman (Mr. J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M.), and Messrs. A. James and A. Crawford. The police report was very satisfactory, and the following transfers were granted:— Gretna Hotel, Taihape, W. J. Jorgensen to W. McLennan; Eailhvay Hotel, Fordell, W. S. Poole to J. H. Raymond.

A sensation has been caused in carnival circles by a summons under the Gaming Act having been served on the secretary of the executive, which is stated to be in connection with an art union promoted by the Licensed Victuallers’ committee which, originally was based on the result of the Auckland Cup. The first prize was valued at £IOOO, and, other paintings were offered as prizes for the second and third hor®es and all the starters. The committee guaranteed the value of the paintings, and guaranteed to purchase them from dissatisfied Avinners.

The following extract from a letter received from a prominent manufacturing concern in England is of interest: “New arsenals and projectile factories are being erected; one has just been commenced here. It is to cost about £250,000, and to find employment for 7000 hands. We believe the contract is for the works to be completed in nine months. If such works have to be built, equipped, and munitions turned out before the war can be concluded, there is a long period in front of us. We have also put clown new machinery for dealing with hand

grenades.”

The gardener employed on a homestead situated not a hundred miles from Arrow tells a good story against himself. In an effort to save his employer’s fruit from the depredations of small birds, he tried an experiment. He shot a wild cat, and after stuffing the skin with straw he placed it in a conspicuous position amongst the branches of a large cherry tree. For two days the birds carefully avoided the tree, but on the third morning the gardener saw at a glance that his ‘fake’ had been exposed by some feathered Sherlock Holmes. The birds were hard at work on the cherries, while one blackbird, apparently more audacious than its fellows, was perched on the head of the cat, and was singing away right merrily.

On Friday afternoon, at one of the largest meetings of farmers held in Waverley for some years,the following resolution was carried unanimously; “That this meeting of settlers of the Whenuakura, Waverley, and Waitotara districts protests against farmers being Compelled to make a return of income under the Finance Act of 1915, and urges tlhe Government to raise the necessary revenue by a simpler form of taxation.” It was the unanimous opinion of the meeting that no farmer could make a correct return, particular as the information required dates , back to March 31st, 1914. Delegates were appointed tot attend] {aj 'conference at Hawera, and to report to a future meeting.