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Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 71, 23 March 1916, Page 4

While trawling at Menzies Bay, Lyttelton, last Thursday, a fisherman named Mitchell found that a tremendous shark had entangled itself in hig nets. He contrived to land the monster on the beach. The measured length of the shark was 25ft, and the widest par.t of the girth was 15ft. The jaws showed two imposing set? of teeth, each tooth being---about l:}-in in length. 'The tail measured 3ft C: from tip to tip. , ..,. ~!

In January last New Zealand exported 68.790 carcases of rabbits and hares, valued at £1,665, as compared with 179,448 carcases, valued at £4,495 for January, 1915; 249,545 carcases of lamb, valued at £192,802, ; against 234,983 carcases, valued :>' £165,642 during January, 1915; and 132,512 carcases of mutton, valued at £166,351, in January last, as against 210,137, valued at £223,854 in January, 1915.

The work of classifying certificated ( teacher s under the Dominion grading scheme has been occupying the attention of the Education Department for the past two months and the scheme has now reached an advanced stage. In addition to the teachers at present in the employment of education boards provision is being made for the grading of all primary school teachers who at the present time may not be so employed, provided they make formal application before March 31st next to the senior inspector of the education district in which they reside.

At Mr. Chas. E. Darvill's clearingout Sale theTa are still a quantity of groceries offering at exceedingly low prices, including seeded raisins, baking powder,, K jam in various siz?s (just the thing to send to soldier Ja

at the front), nuts, tea in bulk at specially low prices for quantity, honey in jar and bulk, special bargains in pie fruits and evaporated fruits—apricots, peaches, prunes, and apples— presenting an opportunity that may never occur again.

A prohibited man in Carterton n few days ago secured possession of a bottle of whisky. As he was mounting his cart to drive home, he noticed a "man in bl'ue" eyeing him suspiciously. How to save the whisky was the uppermost thought, and the man left his cart and dashed into a butcher's shop. The suspicious' policeman followed him, but could at first find nothing. Then as the policeman turned to leave the place his eye fell on the brine tub in which the butchers pickle their, meat. Serenely bobbin?

Roumania has the highest birthrate of any European country.

Legally, a man comes of age on the very first moment of the day previous to hi s 21st birthday.

The largest iceberg ever met by a liner was nine miles long, and 300 ft above the water in height.

The Dominion's exports of butter for January last totalled 4-±,27lcwt, valued at £301,669, as' against 60,362 cwt, valued at £328,924, for January of last year.

A Wisconsin 'marrying magistrate,' it is said, has announced that he means to ask every bride wno comts before him if she can bake a batch of good bread. If th e lady cannot answer in the affirmative he refuses to perform the ceremony.

The Prussian railways have instituted hospital cars, fitted up with spring bed-stretchers, invalid chairs, and all other regular equipment of the hospital. The cars can be hired in advance for any journey.

Help to check the spread of infantile paralysis in the Taihape district by the use of U-pino. It is the cheapest, most powerful, and best disinfectant available. It can be purchased from E. Wilson and Co., Ltd., Taihape, and a little goes a long way.

The Eeeruiting Committee set up at the meeting of the Borough Council and the Patriotic Committee will probably use the Mayor's room in the Town Hall buildings as a recruiting office, the Mayor remarking at the meeting that the office would certainly be put to more use in that way than as a Mayor's office.

Speaking at the meeting of the Taihape Borough Council and the Patriotic Committee last evening, the Mayor, (Mr. A. L. Arrowsmith), in reply to a question as to the district to bf governed by the Committee and co-op-eration with other local bodios, said: "Our object is to help by every means in our. power without taking over tlv responsibility of other local bodies."

"Some British soldiers ar e reported as saying that if the authorities knev as much about hand-to-hand fightin: as they do the rifle would disappear for ever. In its place would como { much larger number of machine-gun-which can be carried by one man, while the only personal weapons would be a revolver*and a long dagger or knife. Trench fighting at close quarters often means that the rifle must be thrown away after the bayonet has been taken from it for use v a dagger. The rifle remains a pitiful ineffective weapon in comparison with the machine-gun, which, as r been said, can be carried by one mar and operated by two.

"I really can't understand why chaps write such lies about battles, because the truth is just as wonderful," writes a New Zealand officer who had some experiences against the Senussi. "The Assistant-Director of Medical Services was away back with the ambulance sitting on his horse when an 'over' Avent through the cap end hit the driver of an ambulance waggon behind. , of my old platoon, got a bulltit through his mess tin on Christmas Day, and he got a bullet' through his mess tin the other day* and, later, one through his shoulder. I could tell you dozens of stories about wonderful escapes."

A dog, whose abode is at the old freezing works at' Languard Bluff, is deserving of honourable mention by the Royal Humane Society. The incident which is figured f in occurred several weeks ago, but the dog's own~-. did not think the happening out of the ordinary, and so the interesting facts are somewhat belated. It appears that a family were picnicking near the bluff, and a small child, who was paddling, was carried down stneam, an dout into deep Avater by the current. Fortunately the air in the child's clothing kept it afloat. At this stage the dog divined something was amiss, and swimming out from the shore, it retrieved the child and brought it safely to land at the same moment that the distracted parents arrived on the scene.

On Wednesday night a male child abtf'ut three weeks old was found in a vacant section near Wood's store, Mt. Eden, Auckland. Mr. Howie, who resides near by, was attracted by cries in the direction of the section, and on arriving at the spot found the little one lying in th e grass, on top of a bundle of clothing. The child was strong and healthy, and welJ nourished, and had apparently been in its present position for only a short time. It was comfortably dressed, and the bundle alongside contained all the necessary clothing for a young child. The police were informed and the tllli] |3 Diac j bJaaM "1---" " J

"Women navvies are now employed on Prussian State railways.

In proportion to its size, Monaco produces a richer royal revenue than any other country.

In Spain it is customary for every elector to vote both in Parliamentary and municipal elections.

Business premises to the value of about £20,000 will be erected in Masterton during the next few months, says the Wairarapa Age.

Sergeant Will Te Tau, who left Masterton with the Maori Contingent, has been appointed machine-gun instructor at too Imperial School of Instruction, Zeitoun.

T-here are some mean specimens of humanity in New Plymouth. A widow had her clbthes-line stripped of clothes whilst she was away working and the children at school.

The rules committee of the Chicago Board of Education -has adopted an amendment forbidding teachers to belong to any union or federation, on the ground that trad e unionism is detrimental to the welfare of the public school system. % Staff - Sergeant - Major Tuckey .has been asked by Headquarters to send as many infantry as possible to camp on the 27th Marc-h to make up shortages in the 14th Reinforcements. AD men desiring to get. away should a-' once communicate with S.M. Tuckey or Mr Ellis Robinson, Taihape

A purchaser at the sale of unclaimed goods in the other dbought for a couple of shillings an odd lot in w-Mch he found a bank note for 500 reis. The purchaser was in high glee, which, however, evaporated when it was stated that the value of the note in Brazil was 2/2A.

The. fact that if his services were not satisfactory to the military authorities a non-military camp cook was liable to instant dismissal was mentioned by a witness in the Auckland Arbitration Court last week. "I know of two cooks," added the witness. amid laughter, "wh owere put out at the point of the bayonet."

Th e Manawatu and. West Coast A. and P. Association intends taking in hand a big scheme of improvements to its grounds at an early date. A subcommittee submitted to a meeting of the Association a most complete and comprehensive report covering the contemplated works, which are estimated to cost £2,000. The works will inel'ude ".a horse pavilion—a long-felt want, and one that will be appreciated by horse-owners. In addition to this, improvements, additions, and repairs will be carried out in connection with the existing buildings, so tijat when t-bo work is completed the Association's premises will be made complete and up-to-date in all respects.

Counterfeit coins in Considerable quantities appear to be circulating in Auckland just now (says the Star). The coins are all* in imitation silver, and not of the one die, shilling and two-shilling pieces being in circulation, though half-crowns are mostly in evidence. Tramway conductors seem to have- 'been made a frequent medium of exchange, spurious coins having been received at the office of the Tramway Company in large numbers throughout the past week. It is thought that the totalisators at Epsom were also made use of the previous week by those perpetrating the fraud, and the imitation has been so cleverly executed that only the closest examination enables the fraud to be detected.

Mr. J. A. Nash (Mayor, of Palmerston), accompanied by Councillor J. 11. Hankins, is in Wellington for the purpose of waiting on the* Prime Minister and endeavouring to obtain information concerning local men on the National Register. It is not stated on the Register whether the men arcmarried or single, and the recruiting committee is naturally desirous of securing this information in order that work may be gone on with. There are some 400 men on the Palmerston roll whose description is incomplete.

The police at Marton received information of the discovery of some clothing on a farm, and on investigation they found a pair of blue serge trousers and vest, and flannel undershirt, and under a sack close by a pair of cloth gaiters, with a bottle of aeon ite and a broken bottlte of medicine. A deep water-hole in the vicinity was searched,, but without any result. One of the recent recruits to enlist at Dannevirke is, a married man with 12 children alive (one of them married to a returned trooper), whij eight other children born to him -havr passed away. When asked by the enrolling officer whether his wife vi:::willing for him to go he replied i ■