LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 115, 17 May 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

It is understood that a syndicate has been formed, with a capital of £300,000 to purchase land contiguous to the Tauranga railway. These lands will be subdivided and sold in convenient farming properties. —Ohinemnri Gazette.

Referring to the growth of the fruit industry in New Zealand, the Minister of Agriculture says that during the-last eight years the area laid out in orchards had advanced from 28,000 to 145,000 acres, while the export trade had increased from 12,000 to 68,108 eases.

The Taihape Red Cros s Society wish to acknowledge a donation of one pound from a lady visitor and one pound from Mr W. McLennan, towards the Garden Party, held at Mrs Arrowsmiths. There is a long list of those who contributed jam, bread, butter and other suchlike, commodities, which helps very much towards ehe splendid results achieved.

A general feeling of optimism prevailed at the annual meeting of the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Saturday. The statement that the back of the drought had been broken and the farming community could look forward to a very successful season, evoked the hearty appreciation of the meeting.

The Timaru correspondent of the Christchurch Press telegraphed on Wednesday that as the result of a search made by Mr G. A. M. MacDonald in the Ornjri river-bed, two big swags were found containing, a, good deal of the booty secured in the recent burglaries at Fairlie. The "plant” included the missing jewellery and ,between .170 and £BO in clash.

The Taihape Women’s Working Chib have received donations in casli during March, as follows:'—Mrs Briekland ss, Mrs Wilkie 10s, Mrs Boyd, 10s; Mrs Doole, ss; Miss Kearney, 3s. Contributions in kind were given by quite a number of people, the sales of some of which with the cash, made a total of £8 Os 3d for the month.

Just, as the large audience was leaving Paul Default’s concert at Ashburton on Tuesday evening they woire startled by a loud crash on the stage. Looking back, they perceived that all the property iand scenery encircling the stage had tumbled over and lay flat on tfle stage. It was. fortunate that these dilapidated appointments and fixtures did not fall during the concert, or the result might have been more serious. As it was, little .damage was done, and nobody at as hunt. ; •,>

“ I once read in a history book about the English army swearing terribly in Flanders,” AVrites Trooper Blnegum in ‘‘T.P.’s Journal of Great Deeds.” ‘Well if they sAvore worse tlrpn the Australians they AA-ere champions. I don ’t believe in s "'earing—unless it’s absolutely necessary. But some of oiVr troopers were artists. That’s why the Indians coined the following picturesque phrase, ‘When shell come,. Englishmen run dug-out; Indian pray Allah; Au»tralian say, ‘Where the hell that come from? ”

A correspondent writes to the Christchunch Pres s concerning the Cheviot small grazing runs, as follows:—‘‘The Cheviot. 2.1 years’ lease grazing runs, according to the Act, were to be balloted for at the end of the 21 years, and full valuation granted lesse'eb for the improvements. So far,, part of one of these rains has been put up only. I understand some of the present tenants have been granted a further extension of 20 years at a nominal rental. Is this fair to the general public and to those Avho sold their goodwills?”

The residents of San. Francisco apparently are a cautious folk, if one may pidgo from the remarks of Mr 31. W. Mob shy (one of the Queensland representjatives at the Panama Pacidc Exposition), who lectured before the Koval Geographical Society in Brisbane last week. The universal motto is: '• Safety Take no Chances,’ ■’ and placards bearing that legend are to be seen in all the shops and in trains and trams. It is religiously observed in food, in the conduct of traffic, and in every othefr way. The streets are kept clean because the people have been educated to keep them clean. As an instance of their methods of dealing vyith foods, the lectaken explained that milk was distributed in sealed bottles.

A striking tribute to the Prince of Wales is paid by Captain Kes'dall, one of the Primitive Methodist chaplains Avho has been at the front, and is now serving temporarily at a Midland camp. ‘‘At a certain village,’ 7 said Captain Kendall, addressing a local audience, “isi a line of cottages, land many a time the Bri uee of Wales has slept on the floor iu one of tlidse humble homes. 0\ 7 cr the ot-hejr side of the road is a bautiful old mansion, but the Prince Avould not go there, preferring the miner’s cottage. 1 have seen the xroom in which the Prince slept, rind the Frenchman Avho lived there kneAv who Iris guest Avas, and told me he did not give a bit of trouble. I have seen the Prince 'doing his 1 bit.’ He was often in dangijr, for he Avcnt where the boys went. I am very proud of the Prince, and glbd to be able to tell you this about him. ” i -

The newly-arrived Plunkett Nurse, (Nu(rse Rogers) is in want of a funnisked room having a fireplfeice. Those having sucli a room to let should send t-heir application to Post Office Box 67.

In the Commons, Mr. Tennant, in reply to a question, hoped an early statement would be given as to the disposition of the rebels. The Government had every desire to deal as leniently as possible.

On Saturday Mr D. J. McLennan wiii sell at the Tui St. Mart thirty tip-top Berkshire, Devon, and Yorkshire, strong, store and weaner pigs; he will also sell, on account of a lady leaving the district, a really good line of furniture, tools, etc., particulars of which will bo published later.

A member of the 7tk Reinforcements writing from Egypt in anticipation of their early removal, after expatiating on the activity and ferocity of the insect world, concludes: “Altogether I am not surprised Jacob or Abraham, or whoever it was, s old his section in this locality for a pot of porridge, or that at a later date the Israelites did a bunk out of the bally place.”

Mr H. D. Gunnion, who has held the position of teller at the local branch of the Bank of New Zealand for some time, leaves Taihape to-morrow, and will go into camp with the 17th Reinforcements. Mr, Gunnion volunteered some months ago but was unable to get relieved at te Bank until to-day, MnAspinall, of the Invercargill branch taking his place During his s’ay in Taihape he has made himself very popular, and will be missed by a largo circle of friends

The visiting of boardinghouses was commented upon in Christchurch re-

cently as one of the most, unpleasant tasks which any recruiting sergeant could be called upon to undertake One speaker said that he did not now whether or not the landladies were afraid of losing their boarders if they enlisted, but invariably he was told at these establishments that “the boarders were out. ’ ’ In one such instance neighbor,rs hiad vouched for the f:mt that five

or six young men resided there, and were at the time inside the boardinghouse. An extraordinary coincidence occurred one day recently on the British front, says the Glasgow Evening News. A young lieutenant of the Royal Horse Artillery was sitting on the top of a haystack, accompanied by two of his men, and engaged in making observations for his battery. Presently another artillery lieutenant, followed by two men, crawled up beside him, and they made - their observations together Chatting, the two were amazed to find not only that they were both New Zealanders,. but that eaek was an Aucklander. Then, by comparison they discovered that although they bad* never before met, their respective homes were within (a, few yairds of each other at Mount Eden, one of the suburbs of Auckland.