GENERAL NEWS

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 8 June 1917, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS

THE WOOL QUESTION.

Nothing appears to have been discussed as between owners of wool and the Government with respect to the disposal of the 1917-18 New Zealand clip, but it is felt that much the same

arrangements as at present as to valuation and prices will obtain. The current season ends about September, with the receipt of the last of the crutchings. At late advices there were in store 81,928 bales, for which shipping space had been provided, and 122,376 to which no space had been allotted, in all 204,304 bales available for shipment. It will be rather difficult, if not impossible, to clear all this wool out of store before next season's wool is available, but there are being made. Conditions in Australia hopes of a very appreciable reduction are about the same, and some hope is there expressed that even ir all that is desirable cannot be shipped to the

United Kingdom an outlet may bo found in the United States and Japan. Wools are being set aside in Australia for Italy, Russia, and France. —Post. THE WORD "ANZAC." Although there is little doub; that the accidental arrangement of the initials of "Australian and New Zealand Array Crops" gave us the word "An■zac," it has pleased some patient in-

vestigators to seek the origin of the immortal name in other directions. It was pointed out, for instance, that the translation of the Arabic word "anzag" or "anzac" was "to cause to jump," which was not deemed inappropriate. It has now, however, been ascertained from a competent authority on Arabic that the word is also used by the Arabs to mean "most impetuous." This latest translation has been brought under the notice of the Australian Minister of Defence by the Chief of the General Staff, who remarks: "The word is so applicable to the Anzac troops in this sense that its existence in the Arabic language must be regarded as a remarkable and very happy coincidence."

WITH CONTEMPT. For many years before the present war the men of the British Navy always named the targets they practised at after German ships, and generally .held everything German in cordial detestation. An instance in which the sentiment found eloquent expression is told ((says the Star) by a present resident of Auckland, who was in the Royal Navy for a number of years, and at the time to which the story refers was a first-class stoker mechanic on H.M.S. Hood., then a first class battleship. About 1901 the Kaiser was inspecting the British Fleet on one of his periodical visits, and an exhibition of torpedo firing was given for his benefit. The best torpedo shot in the Navy at that time was selected, and he struck the target, which was ! a difficult one. The Kaiser exclaimed, "Ach, that was very good!" and presented the torpedoist with a gold I medal on the spot. A little later this j man joined H.M.S. Hood on the Medi- | terranean station, and the narrator, I who was a shipmate, saw the Kaiser's medal being used as the mess tally, the usual article for which is the lid of a condensed milk tin, with the number of the mess punched on it.