LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Messrs Collinson and Gifford’s Sale started to-day, Advertise* ments giving particulars of the bargains offering will be found on pages 1 and 7,

The assets of the Dominion Portland Cement Co., (in liquidation) have been sold for £147,000, Mr. E. Gerard, of Auckland, being the purchaser, presumably on behalf of a syndicate. A lot of small investors will be heavy losers.

The fine weather which has now apparently set In will be very welcome to the farmers of this district, though it is feared the damage <done by the rain will in ma hy instances make the harvesting almost an impossibility, owing to the crops being so badly “laid.”

The New Zealand Locomotive Engi neers. Firemen, and Cleaners' Association carried unanimously a motion protesting strongly against the Goveminent passing war legislation which prevented members of the railway service from taking advantage of the Superannuation Fund when they reached retiring age.

I*l™° CO "f S “" d Colda "y using NAZOL. That's the sensible, and r-“'„» a y NAZ °L Penetrating germ-killing—and most economical 60 a** V»t _ S !' ,1a,,..; ’ a

According to a statement made by the Minister' for Finance the date tor the payment of income tax is January 28, and in the ordinary course notices for payment should be issued about January 22.

From figures supplied by the Minister for Finance war certificates sold up to December, 1917, totalled £2,881,443 2s in value. Wellington district aggregated the highest amount with £649,095

The champion shearer, Vella, who put up a world’s record at Taihape during Christmas week, when he put through 336 sheep,is at present shearing at Mr A. R. Munro’s farm, Murumuru. Last week Vella shore 287 local-grown sheep in a day, which is also a record for this district.

In commenting on the New Year honours in which only one New Zealandpolitician’s name appeared, a contemporary remarks: Wait until the war is over and then the honours will be served out. What will the King give our Prime Minister, the Right*.' Hon. F. Massey, P.C.? Surely, in view of New Zealand’s undoubtedly great part during the war, nothing short of a peerage will be good enough for "Our Bill.’’ "Lord Massey of Mangcro ” looks well in print, or would it be "Baron Franklin?

The authorities at one of our big London hospitals have had their anxiety to protect the institution during the recent air raids considerably increased through the treachery of one or more of the many alien out-patients they have succoured. On the raid warning being received one night the staff, as usual "stood to” the fire appliances only to find the hose gashed and rendered usless, and, in addition, electrical communication severed. The utmost vigilance is being used to trace the culprits.

From the Post Office Savings Bank returns for the mouth of December, isued by the Postmaster-General, it Is disclosed that there is an excess of deposits over withdrawals of £343,560 compared with £236,137 for December of the previous year. Considering that we are in the fourth year of the war, and that very heavy withdrawals have been made for the purpose of enabling small depositors to invest in the last war loan and in war iOan certificates, this index is a healthy one

The Diocesan Synod of the Catholic clergy of Dunedin passed a resolution putting on record their appreciation of the ability and spirit with which the “New Zealand Tablet” is conducted, and expressing the conviction of the necessity of openly declaring and boldly defending Catholic rights, especially Catholic education rights, ignored hitherto by the New Zealand Government and political parties, and approving of the strong self-reliant and self-determined attitude taken by the present editor of the “Tablet.”

A private aristocratic function held in London recently for the amusement of the wounded was enlivened by an unexpected incident. One of the lady waitresses who had been exceedingly chatty with the men was suddenly interrupted by the officials, and quietly walked off the premises. She had been recognised by one of the wounded as a hyphenated American who was regarded in Ontario as a "suspect.” She had no Ticket of admission, but had coolly walked in by the side of a titled officer, and the doorkeeper, thinking they were together, allowed her to pass.

A Home paper describes how Lieutenant Lionel M. Dixon, brother of Mr. W. Dixon, Papanui, Taihape, and the first secretary of"”the Taihape Freezing Works, won the Military Cross in the first week of October last. As well as commanding ft.is company with “marked success” in the heavy fighting of that week. Lieutenant Dixon took in hand a machine-gun that was working destruction among his men. He rushed forward, captured the gun, and killed those in charge before returning to his company. Then, without waiting for orders, he led hxs men into a bad "Breach in the line, and thus averted a general “break. 5 His actions were described as most gallant, daring and brave. There was one serious flaw in the otherwise excellent agreement recently concluded between the Imperial Government and the New Zealand authorities for the acquisition of the Dominion butter output, no provision was made for the protection of the section of the industry supplying the market within the Dominion. Stated briefly, the position Ts as follows: The price paid by the Imperial Government for New Zealand butter is to be 157/ per cwt., equal to l/43d per lb., the quotation being f.o.b. at New Zealand ports. Allowing for stiff rates of freight and insurance, the cost of the article delivered in London is net likely to exceed 190/ per cwt., yet the Imperial authorities ar e at present retailing New Zealand butter at 252/ per cwt., thus showing a substanti .1 profit. t

At Raketapauma, 180 acres, with a five-roomed house thereon are offered for lease for a period of seven years by Messrs Arrowsmith and Loughnan, solicitors, Taihape,

A well-known boxer named G. B. Murphy (“Bert” Murphy) was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment in Auckland on Monday last for failig to enrol in the Expeditionary Force Reserve.

In another column Mr and Mrs 353. Swenson and family publicly thann friends for expressions of sympathy on the loss of their son, Corporal J. C. Swenson, who was killed in action in Franc®

A shilling or two off boots nowadays is a consideration. McCormick is selling a number of high-class lines at material reduction in price, particulars of which are specially advertised in the Wanted Columns of this issue.

The Sinn Fein has distributed leaflets at church doors stating that Ireland must decide to petition the nations of the world to favour her independence_ It is seated that the Sinn Feiners are arranging a plebiscite ot the people of Ireland over IS years or ag on the question of Ireland’s independence.

Senior-Sergeant Dlnnie, in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, Wellington, in giving evidence in a burglary case at Wellington, said that, by mathematical calculations, it had been ascertained that the chances of error in detecting finger-prints where 17 points agree in two fingerprints is less than one in 700,000,000.

The attention of employers and others is drawn to an advertisement appearing in this issue with reference to the annual training camp of the 7th (W.W.C.) Regiment, which is to be held at Wanganui from 27th March ISIS to 23rd April 1918.' Employers are asked to arrange their business so as to enable their employees to attend one of the three periods.

The official figures show that up to date New Zealand has mobilised 107.000 men for service in the Expeditionary Forces overseas. Of these, 1 88,000 have sailed for the front, while 10,000 arc still in training camps in New Zealand; the balance 1 9,000 have been discharged for medical unfitness, which has been discovered, upon further examination, on entering camp, or during training. The figures are exclusive of the officers and men maintained on home establishments in the various forts and Defence offices throughout New Zealand.