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Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 138, 14 June 1916, Page 4

The Postal Department has been advised that mails which left New Zealand on the 30th April arrived in London on the 4th June.

An amendment-was made to the Compulsion Bill in the House last week exempting the sole surviving' son, if one or more of his brothers has lost his life on service. It is stated that a meeting, of choose company directors in the Wairarapa and Forty-mile Bush is to be held next week to consider the matter of the commandeering of ouputs by the Imperial authorities. ~

The social that was to hae been held at the Presbyorian hall this evening, has been postponed out of respect to the family and friends of the late Mr A. Mcoll, snr., a church member, who 'passed away just before noon to-day.

News reached this office at noon today that Mr A. Mcoll, senr.. of Waimii, had just passed away. His demise will be deeply regretted as ho was well and favourably known throughout tins disearlv days of the settlement.

The Wairarapa Sawmillers' Association, which has been in existence for the past twenty years, is being wound up. Whereas the Wairarapa and Fortymile Bush a few years ago was studded with sawmills, only one now remains between Masterton and Woodville.

An English angler suggests that a. good deal might be done to clear out trout steamrs in the Taupo district by the removal of snags and silt, thereby making better homes for the fish. He thinks that local Maoris might be employed tc do the work.

A Masterton lad, who is now in th" firing line in France, in a letter to his parents states that a cry anxious time

was spent in the journey from Suez to Marseilles, while the sea was very rough Nevertheless, all arrived safely, and the anticipation of the journey through France acted as a decided stimulant.

The total Prussia losses alone number 2,699,000, including the latest ten lists covering the slaughter at Verdun. These

obviously concealed the truth, as less casualties have been admitted in the past four months than at any period in the past twelve months when practically no sever e lighting occurred except the French victories in the Champagne.

The returns from the Howard rush are reported to be as rich as ever, says the Westport iSTewsj The gold is a splendid sample, being nuggoty. and heavy pieces ranging in weight from a pennyweight up to five, six, and eight ounce pieces. All on the rush are said to be doing fairly wel, while some can be said to have "struck it rich.' The winter conditions there, however, are very severe; in fact, the Howard is about the coldest spot in New Zealand, so that miners Intending to setlto there wil need to go prepared for very cold

Messrs Arrowsmith. and Loughan have received notice from the Official Assignee that the public examinatu

of Henry Barr Duncan, bankrupt, of Taihape, will be held on Friday, 16th June, at 10.30 in the forenoon.

Captain Rolls, of the Canadian-Aus-tralasian liner Niagara, is the possessor of a big silk Union Jack bearing the autograph of Madame Melba. This flag realised £533 at auction on the last trip of the Niagara from Vancouver.

The Cunard liner Campania acted as seaplane-ship during the naval battle. When the Warrior was hard-pressed the Campania got between the Germans and the Warrior, put a tow-line aboard, and towed the Warrior for ten hours until she gradually sank. Then the Campania took off the crew.

Anti-German feeling still runs high at Gore. The window of a tailor's shop belonging to Carl Bowmast, a naturalised German, was broken late on Saturday night. Three young men, John FLcteh, Joseph Davis and Alex Beatty were arrested and charged at the Police Court yesterday with drunkenness. Seven other charges against accused have also been lodged. Accused were remanded till Saturday.

Statistics recently compiled by the Board of Trade show that 4(5 British steamers and 24 British sailing vessels were lost during the month of March. The net tonnage of the steamers was 75,000, while that of the sailing craft was 3,764 tons. As the result of these disasters 184 lives were lost. Of the aggregate of 70 vessels, eight sailing vessels and 19 steamers were sunk mines, and one steamer was either mined or torpedoed.

Another advance was made last week in the price of rabbits, which are now selling at 6d per pair (says the Mount Benger Mail). It is interesting to note that prior to this month last year the price Avas only 4d, and at. the beginning of June it was raised to sd. To give some idea of the extent of the rabbit industry in the Eoxburgh district it may be stated that under ordinary circumstances the average daily output of rabbits numbers 5000 to 6000. But on account of the disorganisation in shipping, and the consequent shortage or space in the freezers the average this season has been considerably reduced.

One of the soldier visitors to Carterton recently was an interesting personality. He is a Frenchman and one of six brothers who are fighting for France, their father being a settler at Akaroa. This soldier had seven years' military service in France, but enlisted in the New Zealand Forces. Third Reinforcements. He was in the Marquette Avhen she was torpedoed, and was in "tSe water for nine hours. He had a leg broken, and was invalided to New Zealand. He is going to France, and will join the French Army. Oi his brothers, two have been killed, a third has lost a leg, and two are still in the fighting lines.

Towards the end of last year Gilbert escaped from interment in Switzerland, and made his way to Paris. Upon his arrival in France, however, he was ordered by the Minister for War to return. The famous airman had posted a letter to the Swiss authorities with letter to the Swiss authorities witht drawing his parole, hut the letter did not reach them until he had already started his escape. Now. apparently, ho has made his escape under honourable conditions, for a message from Paris states that when M. Gilbert,, the French aviator, successfully escaped over the Swiss frontier he was disguised as a long-bearded old man. He dashed past the frontier guards to an inn, vvhor e his friends were waiting for him.

A parrot that is well known all over Australia and New Zealnd i s dead. The bird, which is known authentically lived for 120 years, was the property of Mrs Bennett who kept the hotel at Tom TJgly's Point, near Sydney, and was quite a 'show" for visitors. There was hardy a. feather left on the parrot, and h e was an extremely wrinkl-

ed and ugly eld bird, with an enormous beak that had to be cut off on several occasions, so long did it grow. ..It isn't all for patriotism that some men forsake their jobs and enlist. "The war is an excelent opportunity for a man to get away from a bad wife," said Mr. C. H. Poole in discussing the Pensions Bill. "It is a good

opportunity to get away from niatn monial responsilities."

A purchase price of £55 per acre was paid last year for a fairly extensive area of fattening pastures situated in the Manawatu disrict (says the Horowlie* nua Chronicle). The wisdom of this venture was questioned in Levin and elsewhere by some critics, who deemed the price too great a one even for the very best of pastoral laud. A sequel to the transaction occurred this week, when the new owners sold a draft of 500 prime fat bullocks from the pastures. The purchase price was £2O per head, which gives a gross return of £IO,OOO for the year's work. This represents a highly satisfactory return on the capital invested and labour expended. Most of the bullocks are intended for the Imperial Government. ....... _,

A mail from Great Britain and the Continent, including letters from New Zealanders serving in France and elsehvkere, be brought by the Wimmera, which will arrive in Wellington on Friday from Melbourne. The Auckland portion consists of 121 bags of English and Continental and 7 bags of soldiers' correspondence.

A picture that is to be screened at the Three Stars Theatre will show most jlearly most of our great generals, including Lord Kitchener, General French, Sir lan Hamilton, Admirals Jellicoe, and Beatty,, and the greatest commanders in our Allies 7 army. His Majesty King George will be shown, also groups of Anzacs landing on Gallipoli. Mr Nicholls suggests that the audience in the theatre to-night might show then respect to the memory of Lord Kitchener if they stood while .the late great man's picture is on the screen.

The American steamship Eepublic, formerly the German steamshop Walkure, has been sold to Eastern buyers by the San Francisco firm of Sudden and Christensen for 1.000,000 dollars, The Eepublic is now carrying war muni tions from Vancouver to Yaldivostock. and after discharging her cargo will iproceed to its new owners in New York. Sudden and Christensen bought the vessel from the French Government for 2t>.000 dollars, when the Walkure was at the bottom of the harbour of Papeete, submerged as the result of German shell from the Kaiser's warships during the bombardment of the French South Seas possession in the early days of the present war. Sudden and Christensen built a huge cofferdam about the vessel and in record time it was raised. After minor repairs the Eepublic started to San Francisco,, and has since been completely overhauled, and the upper works entirely rebuilt.