LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 18 July 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sir George Clifford has been re-elect-ed president of the New Zealand Racing Conference, a position he has held for ihe past 21 years.

Mr. J. H. Richardson, Government Insurance Commissioner, notifies that he is issuing a new insurance policy to Mi. Albert Warren, of Raukura, in place of flic, oiiginal policy No. 200.105, which has been lost.

All classes of stock ane commanding almost record prices (writes “ Agricola” in the Farmers’ I'nion Advocate). The wholf. country appears to be understocked. In fact, it would appear as if the whole of New Zealand is in that position. Those who are stocking up at present values will have an anxious time next season, and there is not any very great inducement for farmers to grow crops, seeing that labour is scarce, and Australia has millions of bags of wheat piled up which si 10 cannot get rid of.

At the inquest on the body of Arthur Napier who was drowned in the Kangiriri fatality on The 12th instant, the Court decided to bring under the notice of the proper authorities the plucky action of Mr. Albert Joseph Healey, who was employed on the bridge, with the deceased. He gallantly dived off in an attempt to rescue Napier; he also assisted two Maoris who were in a boat when it capsized. The Mr. Healey who pluckily went to the drowning man 's assistance is a son of Mr Richard Healey, of Taihape.

An American weekly journal of standing notes with interest that Alfred Dreyfus, hero of the greatest criminal trial of modern times, is now fighting with the French army, and has been on active service since the beginning of the war. He was appointed to the artillery section of the camp of Paris, and lie look part in the battle of the Otirog. two days before the battle of the Marne, and therefore faced the redoubtable Von. Khick. Since then th 0 tide of battle has passed him by. Dreyfus has a son who enlisted as a private when the war began and who is now an adjutant.

Half a dozen good bushmen are want-

ed at the Pukeweka Sawmills, Manunui Good wages are offered for good men

“I spent some anxious nights thinking of my son in the trenches in France," said the father of a New Zealand soldier the other day, “and was muclh (relieved >one morning when I got the following cablegram from London: ‘Broke, send money, Bill. ;

A marked differenc e between the state of trade in Wellington and Christchurch has been noted recently. Excellent trade is being done in Wellington, while the very opposite condition is reported to obtain in the Canterbury centre.

At a meeting of the local shareholders of the Home Builders Ltd., Mr E. J. Loughnan was appointed to represent the shareholders at a meeting to be held in Auckland to-morrow (Wednesday). It is understood that the meeting was unanimous as to the attitude they should adopt.

His Majesty the King has by proclamation dated June 27th, added to the list of articles to be treated as contraband the following; —Electrical appliances adapted for use in war, asphalt, bitumen, pitch and tar, sensitised photographic films, plates and paper, felspar, tal and bamboo.

Mr. A. Spence, draper; and clothier, has a new advertisement on page 6 of this issue, th e dominant note of which is the ladies costumes. Mr. Spence has some very fashionable, serviceable costumes in serge and tweed particular;ly suitable for winter and early spring wear, which he is offering at greatly reduced prices to make room for his spring goods shortly to arrive.

‘‘Professor” Isherwood, a spiritualist and clainvoyante, who was operating in Hastings for three months, was arrested on a charge of obtaining money by false pretences, by the sale of an alleged medicine to a Maori. Similar charges are pending. Accused was remanded for a week, bail being fixed at self in £4OO and two sureties of £2OO each.

An effort will be made by the Trades and Labour Council to make New Zealand self : supporting in the , matter of railway engines and rolling stock. At the last meeting ; of the Council the sub-, ject was discussed generally, and it'was held that the Government should extend its plant so as to render it unnecessary to import engines and rolling stock. The question will be discussed at a future meeting, with a view to approaching the Government thereon.

Action is to be taken by, the authorities in connection with a circular alleged' to have been issued by Percy Rdbhison, Secretary of the Manawatu .Flaxmill Employees’ Union,,, embodying a protest against' conscription and a resolution passed by the, Manawatu Union s ,pig(lgijng':miembers to strike when the Military Service Bill is brought into operation. The Crown has laid an information against Robinson charging him with a breach of the War Regulations Act by expressing a seditious intention.

“What breed of sheep is-favoured in the States for fattening?” was a question put to Mr E. Clifton at the New Zealand Council of Agriculture in Wellington. “Well,” said Mr. Clifton, who was commissioner for New Zealand at the San Francisco Exhibition, “ I saw so many different sheep that I would say there was an agglomeration. ’ (Laughter.) “I saw r one ram brought to the Exhibition, and ray opinion regarding it was asked. I could not as-

certain its breed, but I said, wc would not keep it for one minute in New’ Zealand, unless in a cage as a curiosity.” (More laughter.)

Referring to a rumour which occupied the attention of Parliament for some minutes recently, a lady residing in Wellington writes to the Postmaster General as follows:* —“I see that there are rumours going about to the effect that newspapers sent to soldiers arc not to be forwarded, but are destroyed. I should like to tell you that I have been sending the “Auckland Weekly” negularly to a trooper in the Sixth Reinforcements. He tells m e he gets the papers quite regularly—sometimes five at a time, and then, of course, there arc weeks when they do not come, but he gets them eventually.

“ When the war is over, France, Belgium and Britain will be faced with the problem of finding some form of ivar memorial adequate to the greatest and longest battle of which the world ims any record” (says th e Spectator). 'The Battle of the Trenches is a battle which has already lasted for eighteen months, and will in all human probability last two years. The suggestion is that a wide memorial road should be lai dout in the no-man’s land, the dead ground between the two trench lines, and should run from Nieuport to Basle, from the sen to the Alps —a great road with monuments to the fallen and to the deeds of heroism done by this or that individual company, regiment, brigade, division and army, seatted along it, and mark also with chronological and geographical records of the war. ’

A cable to-day states that Casement’s appeal is proceeding.

The Commonwealth Wheat Pool received 33,936,000 bags, of which 9,586, 000 wore shipped and 6,440,000 sold locally, the receipts were £11,873,000, while the amounts paid to farmers (on 3|- per bushel basis) was £22,723,000.

Among those wounded while fighting in France is Private H. M Speed. He is one of th e best known men of this district, and a largo circle of friends will hope that his injuries are not of a serious nature. Private Speed owns a valuable farm in the Makirikiri district. H e is an all-round sport. In his younger days he was a prominent footballer, and has always evinced keen interest in the game. He is a committeeman of the Wanganui Jockey Club,

and of the Wanganui Trotting Club. At the last election Private Speed stood fen the Waimarino electorate in the interests of the Reform Party.