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Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 111, 12 May 1916, Page 4

Wiien a Serbian -wants to say "yes" he shakes his head, and Avhen he means "no" he nods. , Rapid speakers pronounce from 7,000 eo 7,500 words an hour, or about two words a second. The "Daily Chronicle" says Mr. Churchill's battalion has been absorbed by another unit. Mr. Churchill does not seek further appointment and resumes his political duties. Announcement has been made in New York that the British Government has awarded a contract to the Imperial Canneries of Montreal for 60,000,000 lib cans of beef stew for use as army rations. The aggregate value of the contract is given as 91,000,000 dollars.

Floods have done considerable dam

ages to roads and bridges along the east coast. Two spans of a large bridge at Tolaga Bay, and several smaller bridges have been washed away interrupting mail services.

The State War Council issued cards

iapjo ui sduina Suimui; ui sjoippos 0} to ascertain their postwar intensions. Nine thousand cards -Live bten teturned. A total of 1927 losired land settlement.

King Peter of Serbia is an ardent admirer of the cinematograph, and had a specially-built little cinema theatre in his palace grounds, where, before the war, he spent considerable time < noying the newest films.

In the Federal' House of Representatives the Treasurer stated that the Government -had decided to increase the war pensions for incapacitated privates from 20/- to 30/- weekly, with corresponding increases for higher ranks.

Sir Robert Ho Tung, one of Britain's most recent knights, who has presented a £ISOO biplane to the Imperial aircraft flotilla, is of Chinese birth, and owns much property in Hongkong.

Mr J. Payne (Grey Lynn) has given notice to ask the Minister for Finance for a return showing t-he number of persons having incomes in various grades from £I,OOO a year upwards, the return to cover also banks and companies.

A suggestion that the Government should subsidise local hospitals in order that they might- deal with children who had suffered from infantile paralysis was made in the House of Representatives by Mr. C. H. Poole (Auckland West) in a question addressed to the Minister for Internal Affaire. Mr. Poole said that proper treatment, such as the hospitals could provide, would restore many of the children to health.

The transfer of th. 3 New Zealand troops to the West front renders necessary revised arrangements for the dispatch of comforts to the men fiom the Dominion. His Excellency the Governor is taking Bttps to obtain the requisite information which will be made public as scon as possib?*, though some little tima Is bound to elapse owing to the difficulty of arranging for transit and ascertaining the quantities which, will be required.

A submarine attacked the Cymric at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The explosion of the torpedo killed five of the crew. The vessel was afloat for eleven hours. When she sank 107 people took to the ship's boats and attempted to make a south of Ireland port. A Dutch steamer picked them up after they had been eight hours in the boats. The Cymric had a general cargo. M. Hugard is, in all probability, the greatest magician living to-day. He is now touring New Zealand with a highClass company and fiv e tons weight of tricks. He has completed most successful seasons in the cities and created (quite a furore-' in Napier a few evenings ago. This great magician and his talented musical company Avill appear in the Town Hall, Tai-hape on Friday,. 26th May, for one night only.

The member for Wairarap (Mr J. T. M. Horasby) recently brought under the notice of the Dirertor of Supplies for military camps the fact that mineral waters and cordials sold in the camps bore a label which was surmounted by a picture of the Prussian eagle, a rather extraordinary thing to find in a British camp. The Director of Supplies has found that Mr. Horasby's statement was correct, and has stopped the sale in the camps of the cordials, etc., made by the firm with the Prussian label.

The Makura brings word from Honolulu that some parol'led Germans from the former German colony of Kabaul were sent over on the liner Ventura, to San Francisco. While at Honolulu, the Hawiian Government Band, which meets all liners, was playing selections w-hen some of the parolled. Huns asked the conductor to play something German, hereupon the dusky wielder of the baton ordered his musicians to play "Tipperary." This did not appeal to the crews of the German gungot Geien and the six or seven big German steamers which are interned at Honolulu.

Whenever a New Zoalander wins distinction abroad, he or she is claimed as an Australian. Here is the latest, from the Sydney Sun: "Miss Rosina Buckman, the Australian dramatic soprano who, on the tdvice of Mine. Melba, left Sydney some years ago to take up an operatic career in Liverpool Philharmonic. Commenting on her singing, the Liverpool eornesspondent of the New York Musical Courrier said: "Miss Buckman is a dramatic soprano of more than average merit a her moving rendition of Puccini's Im bal di amply proved." What does Apiti' say to Sydney's claim?

As many men as possible are re

quired to go into camp on Monday, 29th May, for the 7th Reinforcements, but only infantry will be accepted.

On Saturday week a rugby footbarr match. Pirates v. Railway, will be held on the Oval. There will be no charge? for. admission, but a collection will fcs token up in aid of the funds of the Rec Cross Society.

A "Gazette Extraordinary" declaring certain firms to be enemies, includes the names of Ehodius & 0., Ltd., of Christchurch, and the Continental C. and G. Rubber Company, of Australia and New Zealand.

A sergeant-major, who avqs concerned with the training of a section of the Maori contingent at Narrow Neck, and who, by the way. speaks in the very highest terms of their soldierly qualities,, tells a good story about n mutilated order consequent upon some of the Maoris having a somewhat restricted English vocabulary. He had a squad of them out doing skirmishing work, extended order, six paces apar.t, all lying down, when .he gave the order on the lift line to be passed on from man to man in a whisper: "Retire alternatively by the right!" Whe* the order arrived at the extreme right it had become: "Retire to eternity; it's all right!"

An Australian paper says that the arrival of the Australians in France wag made th e occasion of one of the best jokes of the war. 'The War Office did not allow the fact to be cabled," says the paper, "but the Germans opposite our men's trenches welcomed them, which they could hardly have done of they did not know where they were. Yet th e censor conceals their whereabouts from the public. That is, though he lets us know that the Germans know where our, men are, he will not let us know where they are for fear of letting the Germans know that we know that they know. How on earth it would help the enemy if they were to make the important discovery that we know they know where our men are, only the censor knows.''

The feat of freezing live fish, and reviving them several weeks or months later, has been achieved by the Swiss scientist, M. Pictet (says a London paper). The scientist put twenty-eight live' fish in a box that contained watei; rich in oxygen, in which severtl piecl-s of ice floated. The temperature of the water was then reduced slowly until it froze. At the end of about two months the ice was gradually thawed and the fish, it is said, were found alive. In such an experiment, the scientist reports it is essential that the water b e gradually froen, and that it shll have contained pieces of ice for from 15 to IS hours before the whole mass is frozen. The process of thawing must also be slow. Through this process it is believed that Siberian sturgeon and Alaskan salmon can be exported alive to distant markets.

Recently a union was formed of the Brewers' Associaion of Victoria, the Licensed Victuallers' Association, the wine and spirit mer.-'-hants, the licensed grocers, the cordial manufacturers, the viticultural societies and maltsters and owners of freehol'j hotels, under the title of The Liquor Trades' Defence Union.' for. the purpose of concerting measures for t-hC organisation of th liquor traffic An agreement has. it is stated, been arrived at to contribute £25000 a year for the punpose 1 of promoting unity in the trade. A strong recommendation Is made by the union that the alcholic strength in wines, beers, and spirits should be reduced by 25 per cent, .it is held that, if these reductions were aecpted there need be no further cause for temperance reform.

The Premier gets occasional letters from soldiers, some of them jocular* Anyhow, he can take a joke, and appreciation of their quality is expressed in a letter he received by the last mail. Some months ago he received a request from a party of men tat he should see that they had a supply of Christmas 'duff' It was far too late for Christmas "duff" but he arranged for Mrs Massey to procure a box of cakes and send them off to the men The pafce% not the only one of the sort he has sent, arrived all right, and the other day he received this acknowledgement of it: "Dear BiH,i —Just a few lines to thank you for the cake you sent us. It arrived last mail safe; not a bit crushed. We enjoyed it immensely. It came as a surprise packet to us. We never, expected anything. The letter was written in joke, but never mind'—that cake was some good. The boys and myself who had some of it send you our hearty apprs* ciation of the way you took the letter, also our thanks and best wishes.-' sender does not wish his name to be Th e fetter was signed, but possibly the published.