LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 25 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Naval airmen will form the first contribution of Brazil to the Allied

arms

Several families in Masterton are

reported to be voluntarily rationing themselves.

An overcoat dropped from a motor car between Taihape and Ruanui is advertised for.

The Minister for Munitions lias extended orders controlling spleter to all zinc and compounds.

It has been arranged that 300 British workers, in parties of 25, shall visit the West front each week during this year. A Carterton young man was rejected for military service on account cr his proportions. He turns the scale at 22 stone!

President Wilson informed a deputation of Senators that America's overseas army in June would be twice the size originally planned. The court-martial of Lieut.-Colonel Harcourt Turner, concerning" the escape of German prisoners fom Motuihi, sits at Auckland on the 29th inst.

The "Daily Mail" says the authorities have decided to promote officers of the new army to higher commands shortly, beginning by creating a number of brigadier-generals.

On the 21st inst. the New Zealand Dairy Association, Ltd distributed amongst its suppliers the sum of £118,053 13s 10d. This covered 1,732,2174 pounds of butter-fat supplied during the month of December.

At a meeting in Napier last night, addressed by Dr. Thaeker, M.P., a motion was passed expressing the opinion that the time had arrived when Sir James Allen should hand in his resignation as Minister of Defence, as they had no confidence in him.

The explosion in the gasometer which occurred at Taumarunui this week is more serious than was at first anticipated, and the town will be without gas for about a week. Mr Ashcroft, the ncwly-appoited manager, sustained some nasty burns. A celluloid collar worn by,him caught alight, and caused painful injuries.

The Melbourne Senate's resolutions

regadring the after-war destiny of ithe captured German colonies demand the representation of Australasian interests.

The singles championship at the Dunedin games resulted in a win for Foster (16), who beat Walker (11). Thus Dunedin won all the competitions at the tournament

Mr D. Neagle has a few reasonable words of advice to farmers in another column with reference to harness and other kindred matters We refer our readers to a notice which appears on another page.

T-he local fire brigade is losing no time in getting into form for the forthcoming demonstration to be held in Taihape during Easter week Teams are already practising on the Recreation Grounds for the various events.

There are at present 4000 crates cf cheese stored in the Kaupokcnui Co's Dairy Factory awaiting shipment to the order of the Imperial Go-

vernment. At £7 a crate, this represents a value of £28,000, on which £3 a crate is advanced after it has

been £8 days in storage,

Already a candidate is spoken of for the re-arranged Waimarino electorate in the person of Mr E. F. Shactbclt, v. farmer in Pio Pio West settlement. He is a. v son of one of the lead

ing farmers, and for a time was a saw miller. From an outline of his platform, which appears in our Taumarunui contemporary, his opinions are or an advanced Liberal trend.

The Prime Minister received a cable from the Imperial authorities yesterday, stating that satisfactory arrangements have been made for tat; disposal of the surplus New Zealand and Argentine meat not required b.v the Army. The meat is to be available through the usual nominated channel;;., but Mr Massey points out that

us the retail price is fixed by the Food Cor,trolley there is no possibility of unduly high profits.

The typewriter v. shorthand-writer had a bad advertisement at the Military Court of Inquiry in Christchurca on Thursday, when a witness was held up frequently in order to allow the official typist to get his evidence down. The chairman (Major A. E. Loach) remarked to Dr. Thacker that the court intended to take the full evidence. "So do I," said Dr. Thacker, who had a stenographer by him. "but this is only another instance of out-of-date military methods."

At the Auckland Poloce Court on Wednesday, J. C. Griffen, licensee of the Oxford Hotel, Freeman's Bay, was charged with exposing liquor for sale before the statutory opening hours. The wet rings on the bar made by the bottoms of glasses formed an important link in the chain of circumstantial evidence, and the magistrate fined the licensee £5, afterwards increased by Is, to enable an appeal to be made. Two men «who were obliged to be parties to the breach, were each relieved of £2 for the benefit of the State.

Soldiers at the front are very much alive to what modern surgery is prepared to do for them, and Will Dyson, the Australian black and white arist, who was wounded on the West front the other day, is responsible for n story demonstrating Billy Kliaki's fore thought in providing material for repairs. After a sortie that happened some time in September of last year, one Victorian gbldier brought back a i hugs German prisoner. The Australian was apparently badly wounded, his face was scarcely recognisable for the blood upon it. There was a wound over the forehead, and some portion of the nose was missing. "Keep a tight hold of that bloke," said the Anzac faintly, when at length he reached the trenches. "Don't let him get away. The cow shot the tip of my nose off. That's what I brought him in for. By thunder, he's got to provide the bit of meat to mend it!" A claim for damages that should serve as a warning to owners or managers of theatres was heard in the Auckland Magistrate's Court, before Mr E. C. Cutten, S.M., on Wednesday,. when F G. White, a restaurant proprietor, sued the Dominion Picture Company for £5 15s, the cost of a new suit of clothes, the trousers of which had been torn by a projecting nail by plaintiff while taking his 'seat in the semi-darkness in the Queen's Theatre. He had been unable to get the material matched, so he had been tOT-red to get a new suit. Joseph F. McMahen, manager of the Dominion Pictures, agreed that it was quite possible that such an "acidenct" as described had befallen the plaintiff. whom "ne advised to go to a tailor to get the garment neatly repaired. Witness had received a claim for 37/6, ti e price of a pair of trousers, but hrcl omitted to send it on to his directo 1 :>■ T-Tls Worship gave judgment for £2 Hs on the claim, together with £1 l~s costs.